The Paramount Theater of Charlottesville

The Charlottesville Band closes out the Summer Season at The Paramount Theater, and this time our show is called The Great American Songbook Meets Big Band Jazz! This style of music is always an audience favorite – music from the great composers of the mid-century jazz explosion.

Guest soloists include vocalists Doug Schneider, Dan Barrale, Jessica Wiseman, and Rita Dove. Also performing with the Band will be saxophone great Michael Elswick, and “Big Ray” himself, trumpeter Ray Caddell.

Come close out the summer season with an evening at The Paramount with your family and friends!

This is a free event and does not require advance registration. Please contact the Box Office Monday through  Friday from 10:00AM to 2:00PM or call 434-979-1333 if you have questions about attending.

About the Artists

Doug Schneider is a local actor/singer/vocal instructor. He has been a performer in Charlottesville for over 30 years and has appeared in many productions at Heritage Theatre Festival (now Virginia Theatre Festival), Four County Players, Richmond Triangle Players, HATTheatre in Richmond, New Lyric Theatre, The Hamner Theater, and Live Arts. Doug has been a frequent guest singer with The Charlottesville Band and loves performing with this amazing group of musicians.

Dan Barrale was born in New York City in 1961, the youngest of three children. He moved to Charlottesville in 1989 where he began working in construction before becoming self employed as a contractor, while pursuing his musical interests as a drummer first and then a singer, all while raising a family.  Dan began his musical career at the age of six, singing in his church’s gospel group. His biggest musical influences include Stevie Wonder; Chicago; Blood, Sweat & Tears; and Sammy Davis, Jr. (just to name a few). As his talents and voice matured, he performed mostly as a vocalist, singing Jazz, Big Band, Blues, and Gospel – but he is best known for his Sinatra stylings.  Dan has performed as a vocalist in venues such as the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.; The Breakers in Palm Beach; The Bellagio in Las Vegas; Music on the Lawn in Madison, VA; as well as at hundreds of weddings and corporate events.  He currently resides in Charlottesville and is pursuing his dream of a full-time musical career.

Rita Dove served as US Poet Laureate from 1993–1995. Winner of the 1987 Pulitzer Prize in poetry and the 2023 honorary National Book Award, she also received the 1996 National Humanities Medal from President Clinton and the 2011 National Medal of Arts from President Obama. Other recent honors are the 2021 Gold Medal from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, where she currently serves as vice president for literature, a 2022 Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize from the Poetry Foundation, and both the 2019 Wallace Stevens Award and the 2024 Leadership Award from the Academy of American Poets. Among her numerous books are Thomas and Beulah and On the Bus with Rosa Parks. Her drama The Darker Face of the Earth was staged at the Kennedy Center in Washington and the National Theatre in London. Rita Dove teaches creative writing at the University of Virginia.

Ray Caddell, most often known as Big Ray, has been a working professional trumpet player for over 50 years working with such national acts as The Temptations, Frank Sinatra, Gladys Knight and the Pips, The Four Tops, Patti Lupone, Julie Andrews, Julio Iglesias, and dozens more. He still performs at least 90 nights a year, generally with his wedding and special event band Big Ray and the Kool Kats, playing engagements from Cabo San Lucas to The Kennedy Center, Bellagio Las Vegas to virtually every local venue, and even Presidential Inaugural Balls for six presidents. Big Ray is always glad to perform with The Charlottesville Band. The more musicians the better!

Michael Elswick has been playing saxophone for the last 56 years. He has played and toured with U.S. Navy Bands in the late 70’s and over the years has performed with Top 40 Bands, jazz quartets & quintets, and several 18-piece traditional Big Bands. In years past, Mike performed with The Coasters, The Temptations, Gladys Knight, and even Bob Newhart.  These days he performs locally with his own group, The Michael Elswick Gathering, which is a jazz quartet that plays blues, latin, and ballads at various local wineries.  Mike also periodically performs with local groups like The Chickenheads Blues Band, ZuZu’s Hot 5, Baby Jo’s Boogie Band, and for 10 years was with Big Ray & the Kool Kats. Plus, for the past 52 years, he has been repairing band instruments – the last 42 years has here in central Virginia and the Shenandoah Valley.

Jessica Wiseman is thrilled to be back on stage with The Charlottesville Band! A longtime supporter of local non-profits and performing organizations, Jessica is honored to be a part of the vibrant community music scene represented here tonight. Life is better when folks have access to music and art – to make it, to experience it, to love it. We are fortunate to have the excellent Charlottesville Band offering free (and fantastic!) music to everyone in our community.

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO! The Paramount Theater is pleased to bring diverse programming to the stage and screen. The Theater does not provide advisories about subject matter for events, as sensitivities vary. Not all events may appeal to, or be appropriate for, every person. Patrons are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the shows offered in order to make informed decisions prior to purchasing tickets.

In addition to show synopses, trailers, and reviews on our web events, other resources about content and age-appropriateness for specific films can be found on Common Sense Media, IMDb, and DoesTheDogDie.com as well as through general internet searches. For further questions, please contact the Box Office at 434.979.1333 or at boxoffice@theparamount.net, 10AM-2PM Monday-Friday + 1 hour before events.