JONESBOROUGH REPERTORY THEATRE

For Jennifer Schmidt of the Jonesborough Repertory Theatre, putting together the “1940s USO Christmas Show” is a labor of love, and it’s a job that never runs out of possibilities.

“I kind of live in that era, the 1940s. I love that time,” said Schmidt, who is directing the show at JRT. It opens on Friday. “And I just love the composers from then, particularly Irving Berlin, who wrote a lot of patriotic tunes,” Schmidt said.

Schmidt is responsible for coming up with the many tunes and radio scripts that make up a USO show. Jonesborough Repertory Theatre has done seven of them and this is the second that has a Christmas theme.

Performances are set for Friday and Saturday at 6 and 8, with a Sunday matinee at 2 p.m. The show will also run Dec. 12 at 6 and 8 p.m.; Dec. 13 at 5 p.m. (starting an hour early because of the Jonesborough Christmas parade, which starts at 6) and then 8 p.m.; and Dec. 14 at 2 and 4 p.m.

Schmidt is always searching for songs to use in the USO shows, which are never the same from one year to the next.

She’s got an ear for that style of music, so the hours spent watching old movies or on the Internet exploring old tunes are fun — sort of a history lesson, with a seemingly endless backlog of good music.

“I kind of start from scratch each time,” Schmidt said. “I get online and find old radio show scripts, and there are so many great tunes out there. I enjoy digging around for new ones. Irving Berlin is great, I love the Andrews Sisters, and we do a lot of Bing Crosby tunes because he was so big back then.”

The Christmas show lasts a little more than an hour, and the cast includes members from past USO performances: Schmidt, Josh Baldwin, Bob Browning, MeLissa Crockett, Janette Gaines, Kim Jones, Phil McPeak, Dennis Smith, Kristin Smith, Katelyn Smith, Don Squibb and Sharon Squibb. Newcomers to the USO cast include Michele Chapman, David Crockett, Josh O’Bryan, Nancy Peak, Lexi Turner, Pam Williams and Tammy Williams.

USO band members are Rob and Stacia Brown, Howard Bloom, Barb Knisley, Jonathan Reed, Lucas Schmidt and Matt Williams

“We have a wonderful cast. They’re really, really talented,” Schmidt said. “Our choreographer is Kristin Smith, who really knows how to do 1940s dance steps. It’s hard to find someone who knows this stuff, but she does.

“And there are so many people who come to our shows who lived in that era that I think it’s very important for them to recognize what’s on stage, for it to be authentic to that time period and that style. We even want the lingo we’ll use to be right.”

Schmidt said the USO cast never forgets the initial reason for the USO shows — to entertain and honor the troops. The JRT shows always include the “Armed Forces Medley” of theme songs from the different military branches, and they always recognize any veterans who are in the audience.

The numbers in the show include “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” and “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” two familiar songs that Schmidt said “were written just for the war,” as well as “White Christmas” and many others.

General admission is $12, $10 for students and seniors (age 65 and up). Sponsors are the Johnson City Power Board and Blackburn, Childers & Steagall, PLC.

For tickets or more information, call 753-1010.

Article courtesy of johnsoncitypress.com