Live Art at the Townsend Center with “Club Swing”

Put on your dancing shoes and step back in time. Live Art 2012 at the Townsend Center for the Performing Arts takes you to the swing era on Jan. 21.

This is the fifth annual gala event, which brings unique and talented performers to the region. This year the Townsend Center presents Five by Design performing their musical revue, “Club Swing.” The performance begins at 7:30 pm.

Backed by a live band, Five By Design puts on a show that is reminiscent of the ‘30s and ‘40s club scene. “Club Swing” follows the rise and fall of the big band era at the fictional Club Swing in the Hotel Crosby. The Stork Club, the Copa, the Cocoanut Grove and Club Swing were formerly the hottest spots to see great entertainment. Only the once-magnificent Club Swing is left standing and now the wrecking ball is poised to strike her down. Can Joe Sullivan, the club’s bartender, prevent this tragedy from occurring? A long forgotten neon sign flares to life, illuminating palm trees and the art deco bar, magically restoring Club Swing to her former splendor.

From the frenetic opening of Benny Goodman’s “Bugle Call Rag” to the show’s blockbuster finale of Louis Prima’s “Sing, Sing, Sing,” “Club Swing” celebrates the songs, events and personalities that defined American popular culture during the swing era.

Tickets for this performance are $38. Visit or call the Townsend Center Box office at 678-839-4722 between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Tickets may also be purchased online at www.townsendcenter.org.

Five By Design’s signature harmonies have withstood the test of time in a career that spans more than twenty years. The group embraces the unforgettable melodies, lush harmonies and swinging rhythms that evoke the names of Miller, Mancini and Mercer. This nationally acclaimed vocal group has been the choice of symphony orchestras and performing art centers, delighting hundreds of thousands. Their performances showcase the group’s penchant for storytelling and the comedic. Their CDs include: “Radio Days,” “Club Swing,” “Stay Tuned” and “The Ultra Lounge Show.”

The Minnesota-based Five By Design includes Lorie Carpenter-Niska, Catherine Farr-Scott, Kurt Niska, Michael Swedberg, and Terrence Niska. Four of the members have been singing together since 1986.

In addition to bringing high quality entertainment to Carrollton, Live Art supports the arts at the Townsend Center. If you are interested in becoming a Live Art sponsor, it is not to late. Your generosity will be rewarded with world-class entertainment and your sponsorship will nourish the arts here, in your community.

Live Art contributions sustain programming and outreach in the Townsend Center Professional Series. Sponsorship packages include name recognition in the playbills, hospitality prior to the performance, priority seating and admission to the cast party.

Help support the arts and join us for a magical evening of Club Swing. For more information, contact the staff at the Townsend Center at 678-839-4722.