Administration

Communications

1940’s Radio Hour to be staged at Culver-Stockton College
Thursday, October 16, 2008

CANTON, Mo. – Culver-Stockton College is set to perform the “1940s Radio Hour” from October 31-November 2, which coincides with C-SC’s family weekend. Directed by Jeff Kellogg, associate professor of theatre, this “play with music,” written by Walton Jones, is set at a small New York City radio station located in the Hotel Astor’s Algonquin Room on December 21, 1942. The show, called “The Mutual Manhattan Variety Cavalcade,” centers on a group of people and their aspirations to make it in show business.

The play begins with everyone arriving and getting ready for the big show. The producer is trying to stop his lead singer from drinking. The trumpet player decides to sell his trumpet for a uniform, and the delivery boy has a burning desire to be in front of the microphone.

Then the entertainment begins, as the theatre audience is transformed into the studio audience and “The Mutual Manhattan Variety Cavalcade” starts their show. The audience gets pulled into a time warp, finding themselves back in the 1940s. Here they get to experience the best big band music, ballads, radio commercials, sounds effects, and other elements of a radio show of the World War II era.

“This show is a trip down memory lane with great big band standards as its musical backdrop. It has moments of sentimentality interspersed with hilarity that adds up to a sparkling evening of entertainment,” Kellogg said. “It has interesting parallels to today, recalling another era when our nation was at war and the American spirit seemed to be enough to carry us through.”

The cast includes Travis Dahlhauser, a sophomore speech and theatre education major from Rockford, Ill., as Pops Bailey; Ian Heath, a freshman English major from St. Louis, Mo., as Stanley; Zach Martin, a junior speech and theatre education major from Decatur, Ill., as Clifton A. Feddington; Tony Webb, a junior music education major from Sullivan, Mo., as Zoot Doubleman; Bre-Rachelle Taylor, a senior arts management and theatre major from Barnhart, Mo., as Blanche; Jordan Hughes, a freshman music education major from Grant City, Mo., as Wally Fergusson; Whitney Colston, a freshman theatre major from Neosho, Mo., as Louise “Lou” Cohn.

Emily Marlow, a sophomore theatre and English major form Rockford, Ill., as Miss Krumm; James “Sarge” Schloz, a senior arts management and theatre major from Moweaqua, Ill., as Johnny Cantone; Dakota McKee, a freshman theatre major from Pittsfield, Ill., as Ginger Brooks; Nicole Herrington, a senior history and theatre major from Quincy, Ill., as Connie Miller; Sean Myers, a junior arts management major from Hannibal, Mo., as B.J. Gibson; Daniel Coffman, a senior musical theatre major from Eldridge, Iowa, as Neal Tilden; Sarah Jo Breyne, a senior speech and theatre education major from Wenona, Ill., as Ann Collier.

Jerica Exum, a sophomore psychology major from Chicago Heights, Ill., as Geneva Lee Browne; Drew Thompson, a sophomore biology and music major from Quad Cities, Iowa, as Biff Baker; Erin Carmody, a freshman speech and theatre education major from St. Louis, Mo., as Hannah; and Sarah Maloney, a sophomore arts major from Kansas City, Mo., as Georgia.

The back-up singers, “The Boutineers,” include Amber Bosomworth, a senior music education major from St. Elmo, Ill., as Melissa “Missy” Madison; Amanda Leback, a freshman music education major from Monroe City, Mo., as Elisabeth “Lissy” Madison; Mona Meahan, a senior music education major from Florissant Mo., as Christine “Chrissy” Madison; Jennifer Smith, a sophomore religion major from McLeansboro, Ill., as Mabel “Sissy” Madison; Ben Belanger, a freshman music education major from DeSoto, Mo., as Tooner McCoy; Joey Burbach, a freshman music education major from Grant City, Mo., as Scoops Millikan; and Nick Relic, a sophomore theatre major from Kansas City, Mo., as Curly Parker.

The C-SC Jazz Ensemble will perform as the “Zoot Doubleman Orchestra.

Performances are scheduled at 7:30 p.m. Friday, October 31, and Saturday, November 1; with a matinee at 3 p.m. on Sunday, November 2 in the A.C. Auditorium in the Performing Arts Center on the C-SC campus. Tickets are $8 for adults and $6 for non-C-SC students.

For information concerning Fine Arts events or to reserve a ticket, call 573-288-6346 or e-mail finearts@culver.edu.