‘A Swingin’ Christmas II’ tickets on sale

Set in a 1930s Hollywood nightclub, “A Swingin’ Christmas II” will get the holiday season off to a rollicking good start Dec. 1. Reservations are available through Nov. 29 at Nicholls State University.

A joint production of the NSU’s Chamber Singers and the Blue Bayou Big Band, the evening will feature music, fine dining, entertainment and dancing.

The event will be held in the Cotillion Ballroom of the Bollinger Student Union on the Colonel’s campus. It kicks off at 7 p.m., and is preceded by a cash bar at 6:30 p.m.

The NSU Chamber Singers, under the direction Dr. Kenneth S. Klaus, and the Blue Bayou Big Band, led by Cristina Mendoza, are performing Christmas songs and popular tunes from the ’30s, ’40s and early ’50s. The swinging musical lineup includes Cole Porter’s “Night and Day” and “Begin in the Beguine,” George Gershwin’s “Of Thee I Sing,” Les Brown’s “Sentimental Journey,” Harold Arlen’s “Over the Rainbow” and Harry Warren’s “Chattanooga Choo Choo.”

The Christmas favorites include “Cool Yule,” which was made famous by Louis Armstrong, as well as “Silver Bells,” which the late Bob Hope made popular in the movie “The Lemondrop Kid.”

There’ll also be jazzy arrangements of traditional carols, a medley of tunes from Irving Berlin’s “White Christmas.” And expect to hear “Getting’ in the Mood for Christmas,” “Swingin’ at Santa’s Place,” “Home for the Holidays” and, of course, “Santa Claus is Coming to Town.”

A holiday tradition, this is the 20th Christmas dinner hosted by the NSU Chamber Singers. The evening includes a full four-course Christmas meal. The Chamber Singers’ famous Old English Wassail and equally appreciated holiday soup are included on the menu. A salad and an entr?e with a full complement of sides, dessert and beverages complete the meal.

While the Chamber Singers serve the holiday fare, the Blue Bayou Big Band will provide dining and dancing music. The playlist includes Duke Ellington’s top hits “Satin Doll” and “Mood Indigo”; Glenn Miller tunes “In the Mood,” “Tuxedo Junction,” Little Brown Jug” and “String of Pearls”; as well as Rodgers and Hart’s “My Funny Valentine and pianist/crooner Nat King Cole’s “Autumn Leaves.”

Tickets are $39 each, or $20 for children under age 12, and must be purchased in advance by calling (985) 448-4600, or visiting the Nicholls School of Fine Arts/Division of Music office at 245 Talbot Hall. The reservation deadline is noon Nov. 29.