As we approach our nation’s birthday, a local theatre is putting a new spin on traditional patriotic performances: Arts Express will celebrate the Fourth of July with the Tony Award-winning production of Richard Oberacker’s “Bandstand,” a show about a group of World War II veterans processing Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) through 1940s swing music.
The story follows the returning soldiers as they form a band led by Private First Class Donny Novitski and attempt to become the next musical superstars at a National Bandstand competition hosted by NBC in New York City.
“I think people will come for the music, but stay for the message. We are shining a light on the Greatest Generation and finding a way for them to be seen. I think the greatest thing about the show is that it doesn’t paint the characters as victims or heroes, but as real people,” said Noah Embry, a musician who plays the part of Wayne Wright, a trombonist with mental illness and OCD.
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A University of Arizona junior majoring in music, Embry is one of six actors who play instruments live onstage. The musicians, several of whom are acting for the first time, bring a unique and compelling musical depth to the production when combined with the eight-piece orchestra in the pit, according to Nancy Davis Booth, director.
“You have all of this incredible music going on from several different sources throughout the show, and the main thrust of the production is that people can find redemption, forgiveness and healing through music,” said Davis Booth, who feels gratified by the show’s multi-dimensional messages.
She is enthusiastic about the fact that Bandstand celebrates veterans while also highlighting the often-overlooked issues — survivor’s guilt, alcoholism and substance abuse, mental illness and suicide — that impact many of them on a daily basis.
Arts Express is currently the only company nationwide that is producing the show, which features all original music with a patriotic flair and a jaunty swing style reminiscent of the Great American Songbook.
“I think it will be a very special offering. People come in thinking about the Fourth of July but come away with an even deeper understanding of all that veterans go through when they return from combat. It is a much more poignant and meaningful celebration: There is light and dark, and happy and sad all mixed together to give the audience a better picture of what happens to the men and women in uniform after they serve,” said Davis Booth.
Steve Acker, 18, said he feels gratified to help facilitate that understanding. Acker will make his acting debut as Johnny Simpson, a drummer addicted to pain pills after living through a Jeep accident and subsequent back surgeries.
“I had to do a lot of research on the character and it was difficult to embody PTSD without having gone through it, but I have family friends who are veterans who have experienced it. It is hard to get your head around, but I will do my best,” said Acker, who began playing the drums nine years ago and earned his Associate of Arts degree from Pima Community College in May. He will begin studying percussion at UA this fall and is excited to explore the distinctive genre of musical theatre.
“Art is very personal and our goal as performers and musicians and singers and dancers is to give people an experience that they can’t get anywhere else. That is why people love live theater: It is unique and personal,” said Acker.
“Bandstand” marks the first of ten musical theatre productions in the Arts Express 2023-24 season. Executive Director Karen Wiese said that the expanded repertoire is an ambitious undertaking for the company, which is settling into its third year in its home at Park Place Mall. Wiese said Arts Express has grown dramatically and credits the high caliber of shows, excellent customer service and the warm, comfortable atmosphere that offers cabaret-style seating and convenient parking. The nonprofit theatre serves more than 25,000 people annually through a continuum of introductory and advanced programs and audience experiences.
“Arts Express has been around for more than 39 years, but over the last couple years we have become much better known. Word is getting out and we have raised the production value of what we do. We attract some of the best actors in Southern Arizona and offer a very comfortable, accessible and inviting environment for people,” said Wiese.
