Daily Pioneer News

PLATTEVILLE - The 2004 Heartland Festival will kick off the summer in grand style with a Gala event on June 9. The evening will celebrate the opening of the 2004 season of the festival, which takes place on the campus of the University of Wisconsin-Platteville. The festival is now entering its fourth season of producing musicals, plays, concerts and art exhibits and will run from June 9 through July 25.

"Our Gala has been sort of a low key affair up to this point," said John Hassig, director of performing and visual arts at UWP and executive director of the Heartland Festival. "What we were really looking to do is make it a true celebration for the start of our season. I am so excited about the way it has evolved for this year in that it has become a wonderful extravaganza."

Festival organizers have planned an evening that will include the opening of the Heartland Artists IV art gallery exhibition, sneak previews of the summer productions, a buffet of heavy hors d'oeuvres and a full cash bar. The evening will be highlighted by the beautiful music of Hunter Fuerste and His American Vintage Orchestra.

"I have had the great pleasure of seeing Hunter's band a few times in Dubuque and I have always been blown away by how authentic the band was with its attention to detail in recreating the music of the 'Big Band Era.' To have them as a part of the festival is an absolute joy," continued Hassig.

An authentic re-creation of the Big Band Era, Fuerste and his American Vintage Orchestra is a 14-piece band that performs the hits of Glenn Miller, Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey, Artie Shaw, Bennie Goodman, Harry James, Count Basie and others. Hassig remarked, "The dance floor will be open so don't plan on sitting down for long!"

The 2004 Heartland Festival Gala will take place in the Velzy Commons of the Ullsvik Center in Platteville on June 9. Dress for this event is business casual. Tickets are $15 per person and the festival recommends purchasing tickets in advance through the university box office at 608-342-1298. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. for a cocktail hour with a brief program at 7:30 p.m. The American Vintage Orchestra performs at 8 p.m.

The Heartland Festival runs from June 9-July 25 on the campus of the University of Wisconsin-Platteville. More information on the Heartland Festival and its productions of "Annie," "The Odd Couple" and "Pump Boys & Dinettes" can be found at http://www.uwplatt.edu/arts/heartland.