When performers hit the stage on Veterans Day to perform the “Salute: A Red, White and Blue Revue” on Friday, they’ll be helping some elderly veterans take a walk down memory lane.
The performance, slated to be held at 6 p.m. Friday in the Bradford Ecumenical Home on St. Francis Drive, expects to host 27 veterans of World War II and the Korean War, as well as another 12 to 13 veterans, said Mike Tominez of M.F. Tominez Productions LLC in Olean, N.Y., which is producing the event with performer Ardyth VanScoy.
The USO-style show will transport audience members back more than 70 years, “when soldiers fighting Nazis in Europe and Imperial Japanese in the Pacific were entertained by actors and comedians who traveled overseas.”
“Ardyth VanScoy, producer, and cast members welcome the opportunity to perform for our special heros and their families,” Tominez said. “Remembering our defenders of freedom is something that must be done every day — not just holidays like Veterans Day. Bringing back some of the memories of the day is what we hope to accomplish with the show.”
VanScoy, and a number of talented performers from Pennsylvania and New York state, have staged the show for veterans over the past several years in a variety of venues. VanScoy will be accompanied by fellow performers, Charlotte Yerpestock, Katherine Black, Talia VanDruff, Rick Frederick and Luke Yerpestock. Musicians who will provide period tunes for the production include Laura Peterson, Boris VanDruff and Harold Williams.
Tominez said the evening will include the opening of the canteen at the beginning of the event where audience members can enjoy homemade cookies and a chance to meet the stars of the show. He said lively band music and a display of World War II memorabilia, loaned by Eldred World War II Museum curator Steve Applebee, will also be on display.
Tominez said the performance will begin at 6:25 p.m. when Jason Fox plays the “Star Spangled Banner” on his trumpet. The music will segway into a comedy skit by a performer portraying Bob Hope as well as the performance of popular songs from the period that include, “Don’t Sit Under The Apple Tree” and “Chattanooga Choo Choo.”
“The staff of the Ecumenical Home have been a pleasure to work with in bringing back a small glimpse into the lives of these real heroes among us,” Tominez concluded.
All veterans are welcome to attend the event and will be recognized at the end of the show. The show is sponsored, in part, by the United Way of the Bradford Area.
For more information, or to reserve seating for any veteran who wants to attend, contact the Bradford Ecumenical Home at 368-5648.
