Vintage swing and jazz take center stage at the Fitton Center

Rio Van will perform with "Professor Dan, Rio Van & The Eclectic Jazz Co-Op" on Feb. 5, 2022 at the Fitton Center. CONTRIBUTED

Rio Van will perform with "Professor Dan, Rio Van & The Eclectic Jazz Co-Op" on Feb. 5, 2022 at the Fitton Center. CONTRIBUTED

Fitton Center for Creative Arts will host the first show of its Jazz & Cabaret series on Saturday when Professor Dan, Rio Van & The Eclectic Jazz Co-Op take the stage in the Carruthers Signature Ballroom.

“This kicks off our Jazz & Cabaret series. We’re excited to be back up in the ballroom for the first time this season, and in fact for the first time a few months. As you may, or may not have heard, our elevator has been broken for several months. Our elevator is back up, working and we’re ready to go,” said Ian MacKenzie-Thurley, executive director of the Fitton Center.

He said the Jazz & Cabaret season will begin with a performance that is quirky, fun and entertaining.

“These are songs that you’ll know, and are very familiar with, they are just performed in a new, jazz style. These are very much in the spirit of Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox,” MacKenzie-Thurley said.

Audiences can expect Professor Dan, Rio Van & The Eclectic Jazz Co-Op to transform current pop hits and classic favorites into a vintage mix of swing and jazz tunes on Sat., Feb. 5 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $29 for members and $37 for non-members. Guests will also enjoy cabaret seating, a cash bar, and a dance floor.

“The Jazz & Cabaret series is only five or six years old, but of course, there’s been programming in the ballroom for many years. We just really defined what we wanted to put up there, because the ballroom experience is very different from the theater experience…In the ballroom, you’re sitting around tables with a drink in front of you, and we’re able to take advantage of the dance floor, and you can share that with your loved ones and friends,” MacKenzie-Thurley said.

We’ve concentrated on the events that we have and created an atmosphere that is unique and interesting for every single event on our Jazz & Cabaret series, he said.

“It can be simple things like mood lighting and up-lighting to how we set the tables or where we set the tables and chairs,” MacKenzie-Thurley said.

MacKenzie-Thurley, along with the Fitton Center’s production and event teams work to ensure that all the details come together for a relaxing night out. Whether guests are attending with friends or a date, they can enjoy the experience together.

“We have brought in some amazing artists to the Fitton Center in recent years and we run one of the finest jazz programs in the tri-state. We also have a beautiful performance venue with outstanding, professional sound,” he said.

Other upcoming concerts on the Jazz & Cabaret series will include Miles Davis’ Kind of Blue: Live on Sat., Mar. 12 at 7:30 p.m. and the Drag Show 2 1/2 on Sat., May 7 at 7:30 p.m.

How to go

What: Professor Dan, Rio Van & The Eclectic Jazz Co-Op

When: Sat., Feb. 5 at 7:30 p.m.

Where: The Fitton Center for Creative Arts, 101 S. Monument Ave., Hamilton

Cost: Tickets for the event are $29 for members; $37 for non-members.

More Info.: www.fittoncenter.org or (513) 863-8873 ext. 110. Cabaret seating. Cash bar. The concert follows the gallery opening of the Collision exhibition.

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