After enjoying some of their virtual season over the 18 months, I was I overjoyed to be back in person at the History Theatre. Filled with all the classic music and swing flair that you expect from the Andrews Sisters, CHRISTMAS OF SWING is exactly what I needed to get into the holiday spirit and remind us all about the heart of the season.
From the minute you enter the theatre you are transported to Christmas Eve 1944 as the Andrews Sisters – Patty, Maxene and LaVerne – are rehearsing their Christmas USO show. The show they are preparing is full of their popular arrangements of Christmas songs, swing tunes, and features special appearances by friends such as Bing Crosby and Abbott & Costello. When the Andrews Sisters begin to read the mail from their overflowing mailbag submitted by the families and loved ones of those overseas, they knew they had to more.
They begin to fight to integrate these words from the men and women serving overseas into their show. The Andrew Sisters hope to truly made an impact using their platform to not only entertain and sing, but to share stories of those who won’t be home for Christmas. We get to see each of these soldiers tell their story accompanied by many classic Christmas and Holiday. The way the messages in the letters are complemented by the music chosen is poignant and important. The letters highlight people from diverse backgrounds giving a more complete picture of the various experiences of the men and women and the sacrifices they were making. The powerful, honest, heart-felt, and enlightening stories and perspectives remind us of the importance of family, community, and the unity of a nation coming together for a greater cause.
Photos by Rick Spaulding
Jen Burleigh-Bentz (LaVerne), Elena Glass (Patty), and Julia Ennen (Maxene) are an absolutely incredible trio as the Andrews Sisters. I could have listened to the three of them sing for a full 2 more hours. They each portrayed their roles with such heart and embodied the spirit of each of the Andrews Sisters it was a joy to watch. Ryan Levin plays their manager/Maxene’s husband, Lou Levy, wonderfully as he changes his tune from an initial disapproval of using these letters to finding his own heartfelt connection and way to support their new vision for their show. Max Wojtanowicz’s Bing Crosby is superb and an absolute highlight of the show was Tom Reed and Brendan Nelson Finn as the comedy duo Abbott & Costello. The rest of this dreamy cast features Allison Vincent, Adán Varela, Deryck Hak, Kevin Brown, Peyton Dixon and Thomas Draskovic.
On this 80th Anniversary of the start of the US involvement in WWII, CHRISTMAS OF SWING is a tribute to the men and women who served. in a pre-show email, the History Theatre asked for photo submissions of any WWII veterans to be included in the show. My Grandpa was in the Navy for 20 years and served in WWII, having his photo in the program and part of the final song was an amazing tribute and made the production very special for myself and my parents in the audience. Thank you History Theatre for creating this special memory for my family.
CHRISTMAS OF SWING by Bob Beverage in collaboration with Ron Peluso, Jan Puffer and David Lohman runs until December 19th. For more information and tickets: https://www.historytheatre.com/2021-2022/christmas-swing
Lettered in Theatre 