Santa Barbara, CA (March 2014) –– Santa Barbara audiences… take a step back in time and get “In the Mood”, coming to The Granada Theatre on March 23, 2014. Showcasing the big band music that moved our Nation’s spirit, In The Mood stars the In the Mood singers & dancers and the sensational String of Pearls Orchestra. This show has performed in major performing arts centers around the country, and even played an Inaugural Ball for President Clinton’s second term. By recreating the best popular music and songs of the late 1930s and the 1940s, In the Mood aspires to promote the memory of this most significant time in American history.

Adding to the evening’s nostalgia, a group of local Santa Barbara veterans are attending the show together, and taking a walk down memory lane with the help of In the Mood’s music from their era. Among those local veterans attending are General Michael Rogers, a 4-star retired general who flew over Normandy beaches on June 6, 1944 and walked on Omaha Beach on June 8, 1944; Sergeant Major Bob Forties, who parachuted into Normandy on D Day with the 101st; and Art Peterson, who parachuted into Normandy on D Day with the 82nd.

In the Mood began as a celebration of an unusual era in American music, the 1940s…the Swing era. On radio, in theaters and ballrooms, the Big Bands were drawing record crowds. Vocal groups and soloists sang a repertoire of great songs, and for the last time in the 20th century, the entire country shared a common popular music. This body of song did much to sustain national morale during World War II, the pivotal event of the ’40s.

The National Archives in Washington, D.C. brought In the Mood to their audiences as part of their commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of WWII, and the response was extraordinary, with crowds lining up for hours before curtain time. The engagement was twice extended. In 1993, the Archives presented a repeat performance, out-of-doors on Constitution Avenue. Thousands attended, and many stayed to dance the night away. As a result, In the Mood, in affiliation with the USO, began a series of tours, which played to audiences across the U.S. The show’s association with the National Archives and the USO was altogether appropriate, for much of the underpinning research was drawn from resources of these national organizations.

In the Mood has also visited Europe and Canada and in 2011 the show had the pleasure of performing 32 sold out shows in New Zealand and Australia. Audiences in cities such as Sydney, Melbourne, Auckland, Brisbane and Perth, among others, were thrilled to hear this great music and tribute to veterans from America. In 1997, In the Mood was selected as part of the entertainment for one of the Inaugural Balls at the 53rd Presidential Inauguration for President and Mrs. Bill Clinton. The show’s upcoming 20th anniversary year will continue to portray the spirit of the music that moved the nation’s spirit for audiences throughout the United States and overseas. In the Mood is a testament to the music and lyrics of America that is timeless.

Tickets range in price from $33-73, and are available for this nostalgic performance through The Granada Theatre’s Box Office – please click here to purchase or call the Box Office at (805) 899-2222.

For all sponsorship opportunities, please contact Kristi Newton, Director of Development, by phone at 805-451-2932, or via email at knewton@granadasb.org.

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Built in 1924, The Granada Theatre has been an integral part of Santa Barbara’s arts and entertainment landscape for almost 90 years. The Granada Theatre has played host to some of the 20th century’s greatest entertainers, from Al Jolson, Charlie Chaplin, and Fred Astaire to Henry Fonda, Yo Yo Ma, Steve Martin and the Berlin Philharmonic, to name a few. Re-opened in 2008, under the auspices of the Santa Barbara Center for the Performing Arts, The Granada Theatre re-emerged as a state of the art home for many of Santa Barbara’s greatest artistic treasures and a place whose existence makes it possible for the highest levels of artistic expression to take place in Santa Barbara. 2013 Winner of TripAdvisor’s Certificate of Excellence, the theater is an historical icon that speaks to the central role live performing arts play in defining the communal life of Santa Barbara and the Central Coast region. Under the direction of Chrisman Executive Director, Dr. Craig Springer, a skilled arts administrator with more than 30 years experience, The Granada Theatre annually hosts more than 100 performances and community events. For more information on The Granada Theatre, please visit www.granadasb.org.

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