Contact Dillon McArdle at 608-796-3730 or dtmcardle@viterbo.edu
LA CROSSE, Wis. – New York City pianist Dave Marck will return to his hometown of La Crosse to join his friends in performing their annual free concert at Viterbo University Sunday, Sept. 20 at 7:30 p.m. in the Fine Arts Center Main Theatre. This year’s show is Jazz Goes to the Movies–A Celebration of Music and Film.
“There is a wealth of extraordinary music in movies that are perfect vehicles for musicians to improvise,” Marck said. “But what really interested me in selecting this theme was as a way to honor my grandfather.”
Marck’s grandfather, David J. Marck, grew up in Minneapolis in the 1920s, where as a youth he landed a job in a movie theatre, eventually working his way up to projectionist. An entrepreneur at heart, in the 1930s he began renting movies from Minneapolis and Chicago and traveling to small rural towns where he was paid by local business owners to provide community members with a free weekly movie. The movies drew people to town and became huge social events. Through his travels, David J. Marck fell in love with the La Crosse area, eventually moving to the city and opening Community Camera on Main Street, a business that flourished for more than 50 years.
The concert will include Disney themes from the 1930s, music from 1940s film noire, to more contemporary movies from the 1970s. Familiar selections will include As Time Goes By from Casablanca, Someday My Prince will Come from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, and Pure Imagination from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.
“There will be a wide variety of music and styles, but audience members will recognize just about everything,” Marck said. “It is also the year of my 50th class reunion, so there will be songs from movies from 1976, including A Star is Born, Rocky, and a surprise I don’t want to give away.”
Performing with Marck will be longtime friends Greg Balfany on saxophone, Karyn Quinn on bass, and Rich MacDonald on drums. The concert is sponsored by the Bob and Jean Marck Family Gift of Music and the La Crosse Community Foundation Ambrosius Fund. The Marck Family Gift of Music was created in memory of Marck’s parents, Bob and Jean, to support free, live music events in the community.
Doors will open at 7 p.m., and seating is first-come, first-served. This is not a ticketed event. For more information, call the Viterbo Box Office at 608-796-3100.
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