Press Release
When Jefferson’s community theatre, the Opera House Theatre Players, looked around at the happy faces at their recent Radio Days play in May, they knew they had to create something else for the entertainment-starved public to see very soon.. That’s when the idea of a USO show was born. Theatre director/president, Marcia Thomas, and board member Jane Maddox Coady who lives in Austin, put their heads together and came up with the idea on the spur of the moment between show times of Radio Days.
“It seemed the perfect thing to do. The city was not going to have a celebration this year due to the COVID19 pandemic and we were all starving for something to do on stage!”, Ms. Thomas said. “We immediately begin to think of what type of show to put together and decided that a salute to the military of three wars, WWI, WWII and the Korean War would be just right. I knew that the VFW and American Legion posts always needed funding to maintain the upkeep for the Marion County Veterans Memorial Wall and we decided to produce a musical and skit show patterned after the great ones that entertained the troops of those wars. We plan to benefit the Wall fund as well as the theatre by giving two performances of “USO Vintage” on Saturday, July 4, at 5:30 pm and 7:30 pm at the VFW building.”
Personalities and celebrities of those eras will make an appearance performing music and comedy skits including Mae West, Burns and ‘Allen, Marilyn Monroe, the Andrews Sisters, Marilyn Maxwell, and more.
Leading the acts on stage will be Bob Hope with the great one-liners and singing his famous “Thanks For the Memories”. Famed composer/singer Irving Berlin (in the person of 9-yr-old Riley) will open the show with “Oh How I Hate to Get Up in the Morning” dressed as a dough-boy in an authentic WWI uniform.
Tickets at $18 for adults and $10 for students, are on sale now at the theatre website www.JeffersonOperaHouseTheatrePlayers.com, the Willow Tree or by calling 903-665-8243. Due to limited seating arrangements, early purchases are encouraged.