Synopsis
Defeated and alone, Dave wanders the streets in the early hours of his 40th birthday. His great love is music... from a long forgotten era... and he has dedicated himself to it. Unfortunately, no one's listening.
This is the end of Dave's dream... and things go from bad to worse until... he is offered a job: a wedding in Connecticut. He gets one last chance to play, but with a band he has never met.
The elaborate estate where the reception is to take place intimidates him. Drums set up; he nervously fidgets as the Wedding Party and their moneyed Guests gather to celebrate.
The band is late and Dave must endure the wrath of the Party Planner. Only the Singer has shown up and the music is supposed to start. Since this is his last shot, Dave decides to play. It is a disaster. The Guests are horrified and the Bride is in tears but Dave keeps playing. The Groom is ready to kill but is stopped by his own parents who have come onto the dance floor to request a song. Dave obliges and as he plays, they dance beautifully together which inspires the Singer to join in. Suddenly, the scene takes on a palpable magic and the room is spellbound.
Later the band finally shows and discovers the party going wild while Dave and the Singer perform an up-tempo crowd pleaser from the Big Band era. As Dave channels his musical heroes, he is reborn.
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Dave Ratajczak was one of the most sought after percussionists in the New York metropolitan area. He has performed and recorded with a wide variety of artists including The Woody Herman Orchestra, Gerry Mulligan, Eddie Daniels, Grady Tate, Milt Hinton, and Kenny Rankin, The New York Philharmonic, The Boston Pops, The Orchestra of St. Luke's, Audra McDonald, Rosemary Clooney, Bebe Neuwirth and John Fedchock's New York Big Band.
He performed in the new Broadway production of Mary Poppins, and has played in the orchestras for Tony award winning shows such as City of Angels, Crazy For You, Titanic, Music Man, Wonderful Town and Sweet Charity.
As a studio musician, he has performed on movie soundtracks: (Dead Man Walking, Cradle Will Rock, Wolf, The Pelican Brief, Object of my Affection, It Could Happen To You, Miller's Crossing, Brighton Beach Memoirs and Biloxi Blues) as well as numerous TV and Radio jingles.
One of Dave Ratajczak's career highlights was recreating the role of jazz drumming great Gene Krupa with Bob Wilbur's orchestra in a Carnegie Hall performance celebrating the 50th anniversary of Benny Goodman's historic 1938 jazz concert.
Dave was a graduate of the Eastman School of Music.
