In 2003, Warren had been working at The Barn for six seasons and wanted to give something back, so he put together a big band made up of various players who had made up his pit orchestras, favorite vocalists from shows he had worked on and he developed “A Big Band Valentine” – an evening of standards from the American Songbook to act as a fundraiser for the theatre.
The band featured on reeds, Joa Concalves, Mary Lou Irvine, John Kubowicz, and Carl Sabatino. The low brass were Don Ball, Jon Ferrone, Barbara Garrison and Bill Woodworth. The trumpets were Willy Carmona, Ed Garguilo, John Schumacher, Pete Sciaino, John Schumacher, and Glenn Ware. The rhythm section was Warren on piano, Jason DePope on Bass, Jerry Ficeto on Drums and Frank Digesere on guitar.
The vocalists for the evening were Joan Agosta, D’Angelique Grecco Dopson, Jeff Dopson, Cindy Jung, Jay Mills, Alice Regan Moynahan, Stuart Scheer, Tom Schopper, Larry Wilbur, and Andrea Brown Helms.
The setlist:
- American Patrol
- It’s Only a Paper Moon (vocals: Warren Helms)
- Jumpin’ at the Woodside
- I Got It Bad (vocals: D’Angelique Grecco)
- Little Brown Jug
- All the Things You Are (vocals: Larry Wilbur)
- Solitude
- Makin’ Whoopee (vocals: Jay Mills)
- All of Me
- Beyond the Sea (vocals: Tom Schopper)
- Sing Sing Sing (Part 1)
- Leap Frog
- Sway (vocals: Jeffrey Dopson)
- Mean to Me (vocals: Alice Regan Moynahan)
- You Made Me Love You (vocals: Warren Helms and Barn audience)
- Can’t Help Lovin’ Dat Man (vocals: Andrea Helms)
- Pennsylvania 6-5000
- A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square (vocals: Stu Scheer)
- Chattanooga Choo-Choo
- Fly Me to the Moon (vocals: Warren Helms)
- Moonlight Serenade
- Orange-Colored Sky (vocals: Cindy Jung)
- I’ve Got a Gal in Kalamazoo (vocals: Cast)
- In the Mood