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The Orlando Big Band brings their holiday favorites
The Orlando Big Band is back at the beautiful Athens Theatre in DeLand on Tuesday, Dec. 22, with their swinging “Holiday Favorites” concert. Join us for some of the greatest holiday hits of all time.
These songs will bring this magical season to life with classic selections from the ’30s, ’40s, ’50s and ’60s. Don’t miss a great performance that will have you dancing in your seat and wanting to sing along.
Established in 2012, the 19-member ensemble began with the purpose of re-creating the live music of the big-band era with all the little details, and has been wowing audiences ever since with their dedication to the swinging classics that pulled America through some of the toughest years on record.
This impressively large band brings back the vintage sound and great tunes by Glenn Miller, the Andrews Sisters, Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw, Woody Herman, Cab Calloway and many others in true form. Having transcribed the music from the originally pressed Decca and Bluebird recordings, each melody is an audio re-creation of the original live performance.
The Orlando Big Band’s director and founder Bennett Harmon’s passion for this music is evident by all the extra little steps he has taken to perfect its performances. By re-creating as much as possible of the original inflections and dynamics, the band ensures that each tune takes on a life of its own. This very talented group of musicians puts on a show that could rival the originals.
The Orlando Big Band’s “Holiday Favorites” performs at 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 22, with socially distant seating at the historic Athens Theatre, at 124 N. Florida Ave. in Downtown DeLand.
Tickets cost $30 for preferred seating (rows A-E, orchestra center, and rows CC-DD, balcony center); $25 for adults; $23 for senior citizens and veterans; and $11 for children. A $3-per-ticket processing charge and 6.5-percent sales tax will be added to each purchase.
Pairs of tickets are available online at the Athens Theatre’s website (www.AthensDeLand.com). Groups larger than two can reserve tickets by calling the box office at 386-736-1500. Box-office hours are 1-5 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday, and 1½ hours before live performances.
— Alexa A. Baldwin is director of marketing and operations for
