Campus swings to the sounds of WW II

By Kelly Griffith
News Editor

On Sept. 22, GPAC along with Bud Forrest Entertainment presented “In the Mood,” a musical review of America in the 1940s. Playing the “St. Louis Blues March,” the String of Pearls Orchestra walked on stage to begin the evening.

Portraying the golden age of the big band, the singers made reference to Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Babe Ruth and the coast to coast trip offered by American Airlines.

Dancers Christina Ames and Brian Caplan performed a swing number to the upbeat music.

The concert featured some familiar songs such as “At Last,” as well as some classic military tunes like “Over There” and “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy.” Depicting a song straight from Harlem, one performer included the audience in singing “Hey! Ba Ba Re Bop.” Before the end of Act 1, “The House I Live In,” a patriotic song, was sung to foreshadow the coming of World War II.

As Act 2 began, the bombing of Pearl Harbor was mentioned as well as the enlistment of many men.

The music included humor as well as the thoughts of lonely women in “They’re Either Too Young or Too Old,” Members of the Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard and Army were asked to rise and be recognized for their role in protecting Americans during “A Military Salute.” When “God Bless America” began, the audience rose to pay tribute to our nation.

Ending the evening, the entertainers walked around GPAC singing the original “Jingle Bells,” written in the 1950s.