‘The Big Broadcast’ swings into town for its 10th edition
Students perform a number at last year’s edition of “The Big Broadcast” at Mount Holyoke College PRIME submitted photo
By Mark G. Auerbach
Special to PRIME
If you like the sounds of swing, and remember the golden age of radio, The Jazz Ensembles of Mount Holyoke College are bringing “The Big Broadcast”, their version of a live 1940s radio show to town for the 10th anniversary season. The festivities begin with two performances on March 8 on the Mount Holyoke campus in South Hadley. Then, “The Big Broadcast” goes on the road for a special performance at The Colonial Theatre in Pittsfield on March 13 as a benefit for the Berkshire Theatre Group.
Mount Holyoke director of jazz ensembles Mark Gionfriddo originally created “The Big Broadcast” for a small cabaret group he directed, and incorporated it into the concert season at Mount Holyoke.
“Students and I researched live radio broadcasts of the 1940s: the big band swing music, the radio serials, and the commercials of the day,” said Gionfriddo. “We incorporated all of these elements into our production to give the audience the feel of an authentic radio variety program on a fictitious station named WJAZ.”
Gionfriddo, as WJAZ maestro “Matt Morgan,” directs the Mount Holyoke Big Band, Vocal Jazz, and Chamber Jazz Ensembles, who will perform well-known tunes from the swing era, including music by Irving Berlin, the Andrews Sisters, Bing Crosby, George Gershwin, Benny Goodman, Gene Krupa and Harry James, and others.
Gionfriddo is well known to area concertgoers as pianist, accompanist, composer, arranger, and musical director. His versatility and knowledge of many musical styles has brought him together with a wide range of popular and classical artists through the years, among them Mitzi Gaynor, Liberace, Al Martino, Anna Moffo, and Garrison Keillor. In 2006, Mark conducted the MHC Big Band during two episodes of the popular public radio quiz show “SaysYou!”
Another local celeb Brian Lapis, the WWLP-TV22 weather man, returns to “The Big Broadcast” as emcee Fred Kelley for the eighth year. Lapis, 2013’s honoree as “Broadcaster of The Year” by the National Weather Association, joined the 22News Storm Team in 1996.
When he’s not at 22News, Lapis is out in the community, talking to dozens of school groups and civic organizations each year about weather, climate and television news. An advocate for broadcasting in the public interest and media justice, he is a member of the board of directors of the Office of Communication Inc. of the United Church of Christ. He is a long time, active member in the UCC.
“The Big Broadcast” will be performed March 8 at 2 and 7 p.m. at Chapin Auditorium on the Mount Holyoke College campus in South Hadley. Tickets are available at The Odyssey Bookshop in the Village Commons in South Hadley, at the UMass Fine Arts Center Box Office, by phone at 413-545-2511 or 800-999-UMASS, and online at https://fac.umass.edu/Online/MHC
Sponsors to date for the South Hadley performances include: Mount Holyoke College, Baystate Medical Practices, Peoples Bank, Loomis Communities, New England Public Radio, The Westfield News Group, and WWLP-22News
“The Big Broadcast” will also be performed March 13, at 7 p.m. at The Colonial Theatre, 111 South St., Pittsfield, Massachusetts. This performance is a benefit for The Berkshire Theatre Group’s BTG PLAYS! education and training programs that are a fundamental component of Berkshire Theatre Group’s mission to serve its community
Tickets to this benefit performance of “the Big Broadcast” are available at The Colonial Theatre Ticket Office, by phone at 413-997-4444 and online at
www.berkshiretheatregroup.org .
Mark G. Auerbach studied theatre at American University and the Yale School of Drama. He’s worked for arts organizations and reported on theatre for newspapers and radio.
