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Glenn Miller Orchestra On Stage At Bankhead
Glenn Miller

The Glenn Miller Orchestra arrives in Livermore on Saturday afternoon, Sept. 14 at the start of a “Bankhead Presents” season that includes several shows celebrating beloved melodies of an earlier era.

The concert will be followed by the return of the Classic Film Musicals series on Sept. 18 with “Royal Wedding” starring Fred Astaire and Jane Powell. Near the end of the season on April 5 “Benny Goodman at Carnegie Hall” will bring to life the hit songs and rich swing sound that established the January 1938 concert as a ground-breaking musical event.

Tickets for The Glenn Miller Orchestra concert on Saturday, Sept. 14, at 3 p.m. cost between $20 and $65. The “Benny Goodman at Carnegie Hall” concert tickets for Sunday, April 5 at 3 p.m. are $20 to $75.

All seats for the Fall Classic Film Series are $5 each.

The Bankhead Theater, 2400 First St., Livermore ticket office can be contacted by going to lvpac.org or calling 925-373-6800.

Formed in 1938, the Glenn Miller Orchestra delivered a big band magic that soon took the nation by storm. Built around melodies played by the clarinet and tenor saxophone, Miller’s arrangements established a unique style and sound that broke away from the rest of the big band groups at the time. They topped the charts a record eight times in a single year with a parade of hits such as “Moonlight Serenade”, “In the Mood”, Pennsylvania 6-5000”, “Chattanooga Choo-Choo”, and “A String of Pearls.” Although Miller’s remarkable career was cut short when his plane disappeared during WWII, he brought swing music to new heights and his work had a lasting impact on the musical world. Led by Nick Hilscher with guest vocalist Maria Schafer, the Glenn Miller Orchestra continues to enchant audiences with their timeless swing style.

Launched in 2018, the Classic Film Musicals series presents favorites from the Golden Age of Musicals, accompanied by newsreels and cartoons of the era, on the Bankhead’s new large screen. “Royal Wedding,” to be shown on Sept. 18, features one of Fred Astaire’s most famous performances, as he dances elegantly up the walls and across the ceiling of his hotel room. Astaire and Jane Powell star as an American sibling song-and-dance team who travel to London just as the wedding of Princess Elizabeth to Philip Mountbatten approaches. When they both find themselves falling in love, the two couples are determined to overcome all obstacles in order to marry on the royal wedding date.

“Royal Wedding” will be followed on Oct. 16 by the beloved World War II musical “South Pacific (1958)” with Mitzi Gaynor and Rossano Brazzi. The award-wining film features Rogers and Hammerstein’s unforgettable score and is a love story that crosses boundaries in a time of war. “South Pacific” is considered one of the most powerful and most popular musicals of all time.

The star-studded cast of Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra and Grace Kelly make a dazzling love triangle in 1956’s “High Society” which will be shown in November. Filled with music by Cole Porter and a cameo appearance by Louis Armstrong, “High Society” was Grace Kelly’s final film before she married the Prince of Monaco. Tickets for each film costs just $5, and popcorn, movie treats and beverages are available in concessions before the show.

Benny Goodman was at the height of his career when he and his legendary band performed at Carnegie Hall in January 1938 and redefined the meaning of popular music. The sounds and songs of that magical night will be recaptured at the Bankhead on April 5, 2020 with an all-star big band made up of exceptional jazz and swing musicians and led by one of the great interpreters of Goodman’s music, Terry Myers. Joined by legendary vocal group The Pied Pipers and other vocalists, they will take audiences on a delightful walk down memory lane with such chart-topping hits as “Sing, Sing, Sing”, “Dream”, “And The Angels Sing” and “I’ll Never Smile Again.”