Lake Oconee News, February 23, 2024
OPAS delivered a unique Valentine’s Day concert Feb. 14 at Festival Hall in Greensboro that transported audiences back to the exuberant era of the 1920-‘30s. Featuring English bandleader and vocalist Alex Mendham and his orchestra, the event presented a captivating evening of music and romance.
Mendham led his all–New York City-based ensemble through a dynamic program inspired by the jazz age. From sultry ballads to lively Charleston rhythms, Mendham captured the essence of an era known for its innovation, energy, and unabashed glamor.
“We were thrilled to host Alex Mendham for this special Valentine’s Day celebration,” OPAS Artistic Director Doug LaBrecque said. “His unique blend of jazz, swing, and nostalgia were vintage and authentic.”
In addition to the captivating performance, OPAS offered attendees a festive atmosphere befitting the occasion as it transformed Festival Hall into a perfect Valentine’s Day backdrop, complete with cocktails, velvet red tablecloths, and an abundance of candlelight, setting the mood for romance.
Up next for OPAS is its on more than five popular Lounge Series Grammy Award-winning concert on March 22, records (selling more than featuring famed trumpeter and singer Jumaane Smith playing a concert entitled Louis Armstrong and More!
Smith has performed on more than five Grammy-winning records (selling more than 60-million copies), two Emmy Award-nominated TV shows, the Grammy Awards with Stevie Wonder, in Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story as trumpet solo actor, at The White House, The Today Show, Oprah, Good Morning America, and American Idol. Mentored at Juilliard by Wynton Marsalis, he has been the lead trumpeter for Michael Bublé for the past 20 years.
For more information about this or the upcoming OPAS Memorial Day Patriotic Concert, visit OPAS online as opas.org or call 706-467-6000.