ABOUT THE PERFORMERS
SwingTime plays jazzy standards from the Great American Songbook, as well as tunes from the Big Band era, Broadway, and beyond. The quartet features musicians who are frequent entertainers at West Valley venues.
Clark Chaffee, drums and vocals, is a versatile performer and music educator from Illinois who directs the Surprise Pops Band, the West Valley Wind Ensemble, the Sun Cities Orchestra, and plays with the Sun City Stomperz Dixieland Band.
Ellie Chaffee, vocals, is a retired teacher and librarian who sings with a number of local ensembles, including the Sun City All Stars Big Band. She also provides the concert narration for a number of West Valley musical groups.
Richard Palalay, keyboards, is a well-known Phoenix area musician who is also in demand as a composer and arranger. In addition to fronting his own groups, he does music production for other singers and instrumentalists in his studio.
Dan Reed, trumpet, lends his energy and sense of fun to almost every ensemble in the Valley. Dan is a native of St. Louis who spent 20 years as music director for Princess Cruise Lines before joining the Phoenix music scene in 2011.
LUNCHTIME THEATER
Lunchtime Theater is a seasonal musical and theater performance program offered to enrich the community of the West Valley. Presented in partnership with the West Valley Arts Council and the City of Surprise, and hosted at the Arts HQ Gallery, it is a unique, diverse, and intimate experience among the visual and performing arts. Surrounded by gallery artwork, Arizona talent from the Phoenix Opera to local jazz trios and theater groups perform in an afternoon 1-hour show once a month from October-April. Ticket reservations are required in advance, and attendees are welcome to bring their own lunch or go out and support one of the many local restaurants in Surprise. Open seating begins at 11:30am, and each performance runs 12noon-1pm. (623) 584-2626.
The Arts HQ Gallery is located at 16126 N. Civic Center Plaza, Ste 102, in Surprise, AZ just north of the Surprise City Hall. Free parking on either side of the one-story building. The entrance is on the west side. Additional parking in the adjacent City Court parking lot.
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