Hits from the ’40s are bound to get you ‘In the Mood’

“In the Mood” is the music of Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey, Artie Shaw, Benny Goodman, Harry James, The Andrew Sisters and Frank Sinatra.

So get in the mood for these and the other great hit-makers of the 1940s.

The retro musical “In the Mood,” is opening for two shows at 3 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Edmonds Center for the Arts, 410 Fourth Ave. N.

“In the Mood” is a big-band theatrical swing revue that features a company of 22 including the “In the Mood Singers and Dancers” and the “String of Pearls Big Band Orchestra,” along with dazzling music arrangements, costumes and choreography.

Along with the music, “In the Mood” exudes the spirit of the time, when the whole nation seemed tuned in to the same songs and danced to the same beats, from up-tempo big band rhythms to mellow intimate ballads. These times seemed to set a mood that inspired a future filled with hope, promise and prosperity during a time of war.

The National Archives in Washington, D.C., brought “In the Mood” to their audiences as part of their commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of World War II. The engagement was twice extended to extra performances.

In 1993, the archives presented a repeat performance in an outdoor location on Constitution Avenue. Thousands attended, and the revue began a series of tours that played to audiences across the United States. The revue has been touring since 1994, and in 1997 the band and singers were selected to be part of the entertainment for the 53rd presidential inauguration ball.

“Nice Family Gathering”: Edge of the World Theatre continues its season with “Nice Family Gathering,” which opens Thursday in Edmonds.

The Phil Olson comedy is set in Minnesota. Complete with the “Fargo”-like accents, the family in this show has gathered to comfort recently widowed Mom who, it turns out, is quite a catch now that Dad left her with a bundle. Meanwhile, Dad himself continues to reappear, though dead, only seen by one son, who everyone else thinks is crazy. No matter. Dad’s on a mission of redemption, and his son’s going to carry it out.

“The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”: New Everett Theatre is presenting this special Halloween treat made specifically for school audiences.

The show will run Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday mornings at historic Everett Theatre.

This retelling of the Washington Irving classic will have the kids spellbound as they watch Ichabod Crane, the reluctant school teacher, come face to face with his worst nightmare.

“The Cook:” Seattle Repertory Theatre is taking us on a trip to explore Cuba over 40 years through the drama of Eduardo Machado’s “The Cook.”

The show opens with previews beginning Thursday and runs through Dec. 1 at the Rep’s Bagley Wright Theatre in Seattle.

The story is set in 1958, where we meet Gladys, a young cook and a woman of great spirit who makes a solemn vow to her mistress who flees in the night that she will protect the beautiful home she has worked in all her adult life as the Cuban Revolution is unleashed around her.

Gladys fights to keep her promise over four decades. She manages to live by her heart despite personal consequences and despite the troubles that lie ahead for her country.

“Contemporary Classics”: Pacific Northwest Ballet’s mixed repertory program will help PNB celebrate the 50th anniversary of George Balanchine’s “Agon,” with music by Igor Stravinsky, and reprise Susan Marshall’s aerial duet “Kiss,” set to music by Arvo Pärt.

This program also includes two additions to PNB’s expanding repertoire — David Parsons’ signature solo, “Caught,” with music by guitarist Robert Fripp, and Twyla Tharp’s “In the Upper Room,” set to a score by Philip Glass.

“Contemporary Classics” opens Thursday and runs through Nov. 11 at McCaw Hall in Seattle.

“Agon” demonstrates the true artistic collaboration between Balanchine and Stravinsky. Together, they designed the structure of the ballet, which involves 12 dancers wearing simple black and white costumes and a choreography that is said to have redefined ballet for our time.

“Kiss” is set to a minimalist score and includes two dancers suspended in harnesses above the stage floor. Dressed casually in street clothes, they move together, separate and return to one another in a series of gentle, sweeping movements that seem to illustrate the pleasure and pain of being in love.

“Caught” is set on a darkened stage with a strobe light illuminating a dancer’s perfectly timed leaps, which sets up the perception of someone floating through the air.

“In the Upper Room” blends classical and modern dance in a 40-minute evolution of high velocity energy. Divided into nine segments, “Upper Room” features 13 dancers, whose costumes evolve from black and white to dominant red, in a variety of groupings and abstract styles (some on pointe, some in sneakers), that ends in a finale for the entire ensemble.

“Pericles”: Seattle Shakespeare Company wants you to set sail with a wandering prince on this epic journey.

The Shakespearean adventure opens tonight at Center House Theatre in Seattle Center and runs through Nov. 18.

The show involves a murder plot, a narrow escape, a perilous sea journey, a shipwreck, exotic lands, a tournament for the hand of a princess, a marriage — all in just the first half. This is a story where Pericles encounters love, loss and adventure and the hero uses honor to guide him to a reunion with those who love him.

“Daddy’s Dyin’, Who’s Got the Will?”: This play by Del Shores is being performed by the all-senior cast of Curtain Call Theatre company.

The show is a comedy about the dysfunctional Texas family the Turnovers, where the siblings have gone their separate ways but come home when Daddy’s dying.

The three Turnover sisters and their brother arrive to await the death of Daddy and the reading of Daddy’s will. But don’t be fooled into thinking this is a story of a man’s passing; it’s a rebirth of a family.

The show opens tonight with various performances through Nov. 9 at Northshore Senior Center in Bothell.

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