On the evening of Tuesday, March 22, Annett Recital Hall rumbled with the jingles and tunes of a 1930’s radio show entitled, KVJE 160 “Jazz Radio of the Mississippi”.  UW-La Crosse’s very own vocal jazz ensembles Collegiates and La Capella performed the songs and commercials of the show, while UWL music professor Gary Walth played the host and voiced most of the radio themed transitions.

To start the show off, the members of La Capella came barreling out of their dressing room in bathrobes, primping and pruning themselves starting the show off with a song titled “Bless Our Show” from the musical, Sister Act. This song ended with Walth uncharacteristically barking orders at the members of La Capella, as a radio host that is attempting to keep the show on schedule would do.

This performance was unique with their incorporation of the 1930’s radio theme. After the members of La Capella finished their intro to the show, members of Collegiates took the stage and started their show off with a proper 1930’s radio station ID jingle, telling the audience that they are listening to KVJE 160 “Jazz Radio of the Mississippi”.

UWL student and audience member Claire Howard said that her favorite part of the show was the various ways that they got the audience involved. With Walth peppering in words like “On-Air”, referring to the audience as “Radio Listeners” and the Collegiates throwing in the traditional station identification jingles and old timey toothpaste ads, the audience was involved throughout the entire show.

This concert, filled with musical hits of the 1930’s, was an amusing time for the performers as well as the audience. I talked to Collegiates member Megan McCarthy about her favorite parts of this 30’s radio themed show, “I’d say the most fun for me is working with 7 other fabulous performers. We all support each other every step of the way. Singing with them in front of an appreciative audience is thrilling.”

Members of La Capella performed most of their pieces in the first half of the concert. Performing multiple pieces originally made for musicals the concert had aspects of a theatrical event as well as a concert. After La Capella finished their set, Collegiates started their half of the production with UWL student Maxwell Ward reading an ad for a product called “Brill Cream.” Other members of Collegiates accompanied Maxwell on stage and acted out the advertisement he was reading.

The concert continued with a bevy of hits from the 30s. Throughout the rest of the concert multiple songs and solo’s granted rounds of applause from the audience. The shows final song, “Bye Bye Blackbird” motivated the audience to stand up and clap with the ensemble as they sang. At the end of “Bye Bye Blackbird” both of the ensembles sent the audience on their way with a literal last wave goodbye and like that, the concert was over.
Be on the lookout for additional concerts in April and for more information contact Gary Walth at [email protected].