Tradition is something that comes with time. And over the past six years, Western Carolina University has found its own tradition that’s gaining national attention. It started with a reinvention of Orson Wells’ infamous War of the Worlds radio broadcast in 1938. The most recent radio show, as they have been dubbed, featured the historic musical ties of Duke Ellington and the Harlem Renaissance to the music of the last 70 years. The show was “The Echoes of the Cotton Club.”
And with its success, tradition is coming alive in an extraordinary way.
The show was performed in the Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center on April 24, and featured the yearlong efforts of students and faculty. For one night each year, Western Carolina brings a show about the golden age of radio to life.
Something new. Something exciting.
But where did something so unique come from? Who are the masterminds putting together these productions that win national awards every year?
These questions of a tradition all its own are answered in the video below.
