The Swing Sounds of Summer

ALBANY — Theatre Albany will be crossing the Atlantic and moving the clock back to World War II with its season finale production of the musical “Swingtime Canteen.”

The curtain rises at 7:30 p.m. Friday for the first of seven performances at the theater, located at 514 Pine Ave.

Mark Costello, artistic director for Theatre Albany, said the show is based on the entertainment that was provided to U.S. servicemen on their way to war.

“During the war, they had what they called canteen shows,” Costello said. “They had canteens where servicemen could go and get coffee, doughnuts and so forth and they had entertainment.”

Often, well-known actors and actresses would go to the canteens, he said, “and serve the servicemen who were getting ready to go to Europe.”

“There was a film called ‘Stage Door Canteen’ that was made during that time, and it had a plethora of Hollywood stars all through it making cameos,” Costello said. “It was very much a propaganda film, but it still gave an idea of the soldiers, sailors and Marines going to the places. And, of course, in the film there are love interests that come up, and it’s got a great set of singers and musicians that were in there. This show is based on that premise.”

This canteen show, however, goes a few extra thousand miles for the military personnel, setting up its show in war-torn Europe as long-time MGM star Marian Ames (Kelly Mullins), who’s coming off four consecutive flops at the box office, rounds up her talented friends from the Hollywood Canteen for the trip to entertain the troops.

“These girls have been plucked from Hollywood,” Costello said. “Kelly plays Marian Ames, who’s a big, big movie star. Tiffany (Miller) plays Jo, who’s her stand-in. Faith (White) plays her niece from Wisconsin. Lilly’s (Leah Anglin) another pretty thing. Topeka (Suzanne Unger), who’s the pianist in the group, was a riveter. She’s come over, and she plays the piano for the show.”

“They’re in London and it’s 1944, and they’re performing for the troops. And at some point they’ll go out and serve coffee and doughnuts to the audience.”

And there’ll be plenty of WWII-vintage music — 20 songs, including medleys — in the air.

“They’re all songs of the period,” Costello said. “‘Sing, Sing, Sing’; ‘I’ll Be Seeing You’; ‘Apple Blossom Time’; ‘Beyond the Blue Horizon’; ‘A Nightingale Sang at Berkely Square,’ all these songs from the period.”

Members of the cast also will sing about “somebody they love or somebody they know that’s in the war.”

The quintet of actresses will be backed up by a male band dressed as military servicemen. Gary Unger is musical director for the show, and Dotty Davis is choreographer. The set was designed by Stephen Felmet, and Brim Streat is handling makeup and hair.

Costello said the cast was taken from auditions the theater conducted for the finale that had been originally planned — “Grease.”

“We were just unable to get the requisite number of men that we needed to do that show,” he said. “We had several nights of auditions, and we just didn’t have them come out.”

Costello said he had hoped to have better luck casting men, which has been a challenge in recent seasons, with the show timed for a period when schools and colleges were out.

“We thought with something like ‘Grease’ we’d have a bigger turnout,” he said. “It just didn’t work out.”

Still, he said, “Swingtime Canteen” will be a “fun show” that audiences will enjoy.

“It’s lively, and the girls are just terrific,” he said. “It’s just a good time.”

In addition to Friday’s opener, performances are scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Saturday and June 16-18. Sunday matinees are at 2 p.m. June 12 and 19.

Tickets go on sale to the general public on Tuesday. Ticket costs are $25, adults; $20, senior citizens; and $10, students and active military.

The theater box office will be open noon-4 p.m. Tuesday-Friday, noon-2 p.m. on performance Saturdays, and one hour before curtain. Contact the box office at (229) 439-7141 or visit www.theatrealbany.com.