FREDERICKSBURG, Va. – Potomac Local News is giving away two tickets to see the world-famous Tommy Dorsey Orchestra when it takes the stage at Riverside Center for the Performing Arts on Sunday, October 12, 2025. One winner will be chosen at random and notified by email. Click here to enter the giveaway.
The 15-piece orchestra, known as “The Sentimental Gentleman of Swing,” will bring silky-smooth swing, toe-tapping rhythms, and timeless ballads that defined an era. The performance begins at 7:30 p.m., with doors opening at 6:30 p.m. Appetizers and drinks will be available, and Riverside is opening a space down front for those who want to dance along. Tickets are $55 online, and the show lasts 90 minutes, with a brief intermission.
Riverside CEO Patrick A’Hearn said the concert is a new addition to the center’s lineup, which usually features Motown, rock, and tribute acts. “There’s a lot of people in this area that enjoy dancing and that kind of swing big band era, and we’ve never done one of the concerts that focused on that kind of music,” he said. “They’re a fifteen-piece orchestra, and they’re really good. They’ll be playing all those nostalgic tunes that I know my mom and dad used to put on Saturday nights in our house.”
A’Hearn added that the orchestra appeals across generations. “It’s great for the grandparents, it’s great for the parents, and it’s great for a lot of younger people today who love that kind of music, that swing,” he said. He noted that Riverside will set the stage lighting and atmosphere to match the orchestra’s classic sound, while keeping the main theater setup for The Sound of Music, which is running this fall.
The show continues a long tradition. From 1935 to 1956, the original Tommy Dorsey Orchestra was celebrated as one of the greatest dance bands of the swing era, remembered for its balance of upbeat swing and romantic ballads. Today’s band carries on that legacy for audiences around the world.
A’Hearn said bringing the orchestra to Fredericksburg is part of Riverside’s broader effort to establish itself as a premier performing arts center in the region. “We’re bringing quality to the stage, not only in the shows that we do, but in the bands and orchestras that we bring in,” he said. “We’re continuing to evolve as a performing arts center.”
