Last Updated on May 31, 2022 1:40 pm
BOONE, NC – The inaugural High Country Jazz Festival kicks off at 7 p.m. on Wednesday,June 8 with a public screening of MGM’s classic 1956 romantic musical comedy film “HighSociety” at the Appalachian Theatre. This musical remake of the Philip Barry play, “ThePhiladelphia Story” stars Bing Crosby, Grace Kelly, Frank Sinatra, and the incomparable jazzlegend Louis “Satchmo” Armstrong and his all-star band, with an original score by Cole Porter.
The App Theatre Cinema Classics series is generously sponsored by Nancy and Neil Schaffel.
“High Society” is a musical remake of the 1940 film “The Philadelphia Story” which was basedon the 1939 play of the same title by Philip Barry. The story involves a successful popular jazzmusician (Crosby) trying to win back the affections of his ex-wife (Kelly), who is preparing tomarry another man. The cast also features Celeste Holm, John Lund, and Louis Calhern, in hisfinal film, with a musical performances by Louis Armstrong. “High Society” was Kelly's lastprofessional appearance before she married Prince Rainier III and became Princess consort ofMonaco. The film was released just three months after their marriage.
Filming took place between January and March 1956 in Newport, Rhode Island. The location,according to Turner Classic Movies, enabled them to take advantage of the Newport JazzFestival, established in 1954, incorporating it into the film by giving Crosby's character abackground as a descendant of a Gilded Age robber baron who became a jazz composer andfriend of jazz star Louis Armstrong, who plays himself in the film, and patron of the Festival. Asname-checked by Crosby in the song “Now You Has Jazz,” where each musician takes a smallsolo, Armstrong's band members were Edmond Hall (clarinet), “Trummy” Young (trombone),Billy Kyle (piano), Arvell Shaw (bass), and Barrett Deems (drums).
These historic tie-ins make “High Society” a perfect kick-off event for the High Country JazzFestival. The festival is a precedent-setting partnership between the Appalachian Theatre of theHigh Country (ATHC), Boone Sunrise Rotary, and the Jazz Studies Program at AppalachianState University. The inaugural festival contains nearly a dozen free and ticketed events at tendifferent locations in Boone and Blowing Rock from June 8 through 12, 2022. Tickets are nowon sale to the public with information available at www.HighCountryJazzFestival.org.
Admission to the in-person screening of ““High Society” are $12 for adults and $6 for childrenages 12 and under and are available online as part of the theatre’s touchless ticketing program.Everyone, regardless of age, must have a ticket for this reserved seating event.
The Appalachian Theatre is committed to the safety and well-being of its community and willcontinue to follow the guidance of health and governmental officials in the development andimplementation of COVID related policies. To read about current guidelines in effect, or to jointhe theatre’s eblast list, get tickets, or purchase memberships, please visit the website atwww.apptheatre.org.