Art Deco Society of Washington Fundraiser

Retro-Politans to Present Program of 1930s World’s Fair Songs

October 1 at 7:30pm
The Sumner School, 1201 17th Street NW

The Retro-Politans, whose popular Shakin’ the Blues Away show pleased crowds at the Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage and venues throughout the mid-Atlantic region, will introduce a new program--Dawn of a New Day: World’s Fair Songs of the 1930s--at the historic Charles Sumner School October 1, 2010.

Sponsored by the Art Deco Society of Washington as part of its World’s Fair Weekend, the 7:30 PM performance will be preceded by a reception. The Sumner School is located at 1201 17^th Street NW just blocks from the Farragut North Metro station.

Proceeds from the concert will support restoration of the Belgian Friendship Pavilion from the 1939-40 New York World’s Fair. Dismantled and moved to Virginia Union University in Richmond as a gift from the Belgian Government following the closure of the New York World’s Fair, the Pavilion is one of only two major buildings surviving from the New York fair. It is the only building in the United States designed by famed Belgian modernist architect Henry van de Velde. The Belgian Friendship Pavilion requires significant exterior restoration and lacks a carillon for its bell tower, the original bells having been donated to the Hoover Institution at Stanford University.

The Retro-Politans consists of three of the finest musicians in the Washington, DC area— Doug Bowles, vocals, Cindy Hutchins, vocals, and Alex Hassan, piano. Each has travelled around the world performing in shows, concerts, and cabarets. Their expertise in the style and repertoire of the 1920s - 40s is unparalleled.

•Doug Bowles leads a 12-piece 1920s-40s big band—The SingCo Rhythm Orchestra-- playing original charts and arrangements of the period. He has sung throughout the world in opera, operetta, musical theatre, popular, jazz and big band styles. He has also directed and/or conducted over 100 musical productions.

•Cindy Hutchins, featured female vocalist with the SingCo Rhythm Orchestra, has toured the United States performing big band music of the 30s and 40s, performed in numerous concerts for the Smithsonian, and appeared in most of the major theatre venues in Washington. In addition to Washington, she has performed in Europe, New York and China.

•Alex Hassan is one of a very few torch bearers for the style known as "novelty piano" and is a sought after performer at venues around the world. Alex has numerous CD recordings and an active concert schedule both in the United States and abroad. He is president of the Northern Virginia Ragtime Society.

Dawn of a New Day will take the audience on a musical tour through America’s world’s fairs of the 1930s, including songs introduced at the 1933-34 Chicago “Century of Progress” World’s Fair, the 1936 Ft. Worth Frontier Centennial Exposition, the 1937-38 Great Lakes Exposition in Cleveland, the1939-40 New York World’s Fair, and the 1939-40 Golden Gate Exposition in San Francisco. It also includes songs from two movies filmed on location at the 1936 Texas Centennial Exposition in Dallas. Songs by some of America’s finest composers, such as George and Ira Gershwin, Dana Suesse (“the female Gershwin”), and Nobel Sissle, are included in the program

In addition to Dawn of a New Day, the Art Deco Society of Washington’s World’s Fair Weekend includes a bus tour of Washington’s Art Deco Architecture including a visit to the New Deal town of Greenbelt, Maryland and other activities.

For tickets or additional details about the concert and other weekend activities go to www.adsw.org or phone 703-568-3745. Concert tickets are tax deductible.