Friday night, March 18 will mark the opening of Club Swing in Van Wert.\u00a0Unfortunately, it will be short-lived, as it will open for only one night and then move on down the road.\u00a0 This Club Swing is actually operated by five singers who call themselves Five By Design.\u00a0They have their own house band that will swing with the best of them, while their repertoire includes everything from Benny Goodman\u2019s \u201cBugle Call Rag\u201d to Louis Prima\u2019s blockbuster \u201cSing, Sing, Sing\u201d.\u00a0 They also sprinkle in Cole Porter and Spike Jones, among others.<\/p>\n
There will be much more than just the spectacular music mentioned above at this next concert and stage show at the Niswonger Performing Arts Center of Northwest Ohio.\u00a0Five By Design is a group of five vocalists who have been entertaining audiences across the globe since 1986.<\/p>\n
\u201cClub Swing\u201d is a show that premiered with the Baltimore Symphony in 2001.\u00a0 It tells the story of The Stork Club, The Copa, Cocoanut Grove, and other hot spots that experienced great entertainment during the great swing years of roughly 1937-1955.<\/p>\n
To set the stage: sadly, the once magnificent Club Swing is the only one left standing and even now the wrecking ball is poised to strike her down.\u00a0The story of \u201cClub Swing\u201d is about the club\u2019s former mixologist, Joe Sullivan, trying to prevent this tragedy from occurring.<\/p>\n
A long forgotten neon sign flares to life illuminating palm trees and the art deco bar, magically restoring Club Swing to her former splendor.\u00a0 Club Swing celebrates the songs, events, and personalities that defined American popular culture during the Swing era.<\/p>\n