Operation Entertainment.

SCENE I

The 44-passenger bus and 18-wheeler create a black and gold streak through the night, carrying their precious cargo of performers and equipment to the next city. In the morning, 28 men and women will arrive, sleepy-eyed, at their next venue, one of 63 stops where they will perform their Broadway-style musical review. But before another of their 120 performances can begin, they must set up the stage. For five hours they unload the rig, setting up 15 tons of stage truss, running 4 miles of cable, and installing more than 100 theater lights. A tech rehearsal to make the final check, a few hours off to take care of personal business or sleep, and then it's curtains up for another 7:30 p.m. show.

For 80 minutes they keep the audience stomping, clapping, whistling, and cheering as they sing and dance their way through almost 50 songs from every genre of music from jazz to '50s oldies, from gospel to country and rock. When the curtain falls, they'll file out to the foyer and meet the audience. Friends and family congratulate and hug, children ask for autographs, strangers shake their hands. By 10 o'clock, it's back into work uniforms to strike and reload the show equipment. By 1 a.m. they stumble back onto the bus, either wired awake from the whole evening or so tired they fall asleep before the headlights blink on and the driver pulls out of the parking lot headed for the next stop

SCENE II

Emily drops the sheer cloth exactly on the fluorescent tape X. She moves quickly across the stage with purpose, depositing boxes and arranging props precisely on other X's.

The clock is ticking.

Three men appear from stage left carrying an assemblage of brown-painted wood; they set it down and, in seconds, turn it into a 10-foot-high bookshelf flanked by three stairs and a railing.

Backstage, a woman holding a stopwatch clocks the setup at eight minutes.

The house lights dim. There is murmuring and a rustle of anticipation in the flied-to-capacity 500-seat theater. Someone coughs. Then a spotlight pierces the dark.

"Get away from my fence," commands the lone grandmotherly figure in a faded denim shirt, glasses, and gray hair pulled up into a bun.

SCENE III

Cradling their guitars, saxophones, trumpets and other instruments, they wait, nerves on edge. Earrings, tattoos, painted faces, tattered jeans, leather vests, hats of all shapes and sizes, long hair (some wigs, some real), bandanas -- each band has its own carefully crafted signature look. They wait for their cue to take the stage.

Once on stage, they have 15 minutes to tune-up, perform, and leave an indelible impression on the judges. These dozen or so bands are vying for more than $25,000 in prize money in Latin, jazz, country, rock, and rhythm and blues categories.

They've come to this Battle of Bands from Europe, Korea, and every corner of the United States.

SCENE IV

The gates open and hundreds of concert-goers surge across the grassy field toward the huge stage. Clutching their folding chairs, pillows, and blankets, they rush to claim a spot from which to hear and see acts such as Clay Walker, R.E.M., Lorrie Morgan, the Commodores, and Earth, Wind & Fire.

These scenes all belong to a great show in one act. As far as pure entertainment goes, there's nothing unusual about the show. The producer, however, you might not expect. It's the United States Army.

This is not the image most Americans under the age of 50 have of the Army. The one they see in the television recruiting commercials involves soldiers rising before dawn, rappelling from a helicopter, driving a tank, or navigating an obstacle course through mud and under barbed wire. All dirt, grime, and work -- and no play. Or so it seems.

Not quite.

There's plenty of play -- the kind that's on a stage and made possible by the Army's Morale, Welfare and Recreation program, or MWR. The MWR programs, similar in scope and mission to parks and recreation departments nationwide, exist because the Army's philosophy is, "Soldiers are entitled to the same quality of life as is afforded the society they are pledged to defend." It means soldiers' well-being and quality of life are as important as the weapons systems they are trained to use for national defense.

MWR policy guidance and oversight is provided centrally by the U.S. Army Community and Family Support Center in Alexandria, Va. But the Local or garrison programs are operationally decentralized at each Army post. Installation MWR staff report to an MWR director who, in turn, reports to the military garrison or installation commander.

From sports to childcare, from Lakeside beaches to teen centers, MWR offers soldiers and their families opportunities to relax, have fun, stay fit, and be creative. It is within this framework and family of programs that the Army Entertainment Program belongs. This program provides military members with recreational opportunities, relief from stress, and creative outlets. The program comprises four elements: the U.S. Army Soldier Show, Army Community Theatre, Battle of the Bands and USA Express, and the Army Concert Series

Contrary to what most people might believe, the Army Entertainment Program does not depend upon taxpayer dollars for its funding. Only 3.5 percent of the annual budget is congressionally appropriated; the remainder of the $3 million comes from "nonappropriated" funds generated from fees and charges within MWR and sponsorships from corporations such as Gillette, Ford, AT&T, Miller Brewing Company, United Services Planning Association and Independent Research Agency, and the Army and Air Force Exchange Service. In addition, local installation entertainment directors are expected to budget for and meet financial goals and contribute to the total installation MWR fund.

Everywhere the emphasis in on "entertainment for the soldier, by the soldier." That motto and the tradition that accompanies it take their roots from Israel Beilin, an immigrant from Belarus who joined the Army in World War I and staged his first show, Yip, Yip, Yaphank, in 1918 while stationed at Camp Upton, N.Y.

Sgt. Beilin, who became the "father" of the U.S. Army Soldier Show, is known today as Irving Berlin. Berlin was an unabashed patriot who donated millions of dollars in royalties from his songs and shows to Army Emergency Relief and other nonprofit organizations. The dozens of scores Berlin has composed include This is the Army, originally produced on Broadway in 1944 with an all military cast led by Lt. Ronald Reagan and Pvt. Orry Kelly (better known as Gene Kelly). In 1945, Warner Brothers released a movie version starring those same soldiers.

SCENE I:

Let's Get This Show on the Road ... Again

"What this show does for soldiers, for their families, even for members of the civilian community is matchless. So many times, people tell us this is tike a Broadway show, that they've never seen anything tike it before." -- Sgt. Jeanine Ross, Camp Casey, Korea.

"Just for soldiers to be able to sit back in the audience, Look up on the stage, and say, `Wow, there is more to the Army than just shooting an M-16 and a bunch of paperwork' They don't think of the arts aspect of it. When people think of the military, they think of fighting, war, a lot of mud, and a lot of dirt. But there are opportunities out there that are endless." -- Spc. Joseph Chainey, Fort Carson, Colo.

"There's only so much left-brain stuff we can do. We need to use our right brain and we need artistic outlets because we're human. In the military, T think it's good for morale." -- Spc. Victoria Tranthem, Kaiserlautern, Germany.

On November 19, the cast and crew of the 1999 United States Army Soldier Show became history. There were hugs, tears, and promises to stay in touch as the 18 performers and seven technicians prepared to travel back to their units and their jobs in medicine, communications, infantry, information systems, automation, quartermaster, artillery, air defense, personnel, and a host of other fields.

Seven months ago, at the end of March, these same soldiers were strangers bound only by the shared terror of having survived Live auditions at the Wallace Theater in Fort Belvoir, Va. "I'm a little nervous," Staff Sgt. Johnny Eldridge admits. "I'm from Fort Campbell, so I'm a big high-speed air assault soldier. [Doing this] is about the same rush as jumping out of an airplane." The Appalachia, Va., native ultimately made the '99 cast.

Like the 17 other soldiers selected for the ensemble, Eldridge had to submit a package that included a 10-minute audition videotape and signed paperwork releasing him for six months.

"I think most of my peers were really shocked because of the type of unit I'm in. I've always been kind of a hard-charging noncommissioned officer, so I think they were really surprised I had these kinds of talent," says Eldridge, who served as the Soldier Show platoon sergeant.

Every December, soldiers from around the world submit their audition packages. In January, a panel convenes to review the submissions. Even the most outstanding talent doesn't guarantee selection. "Because these individuals will travel around the world representing the Army in all kinds of environments, they have to be outstanding soldiers in their units as well as talented performers," notes Andy Gilliam, chief of Army Entertainment and a former Soldier Show first sergeant and show manager. "They have to have leadership qualities, be trustworthy, demonstrate poise under pressure, and be able to accept a tot of responsibility."

Once the panel makes its choices, the finalists travel to Fort Belvoir for live auditions. Those who make the cut stay and begin rehearsals under the direction of a cadre of show business professionals. Heading the artistic team is Ron Smith, another former soldier who performed and served as a technician with the Soldier Show in '91, '92, and '95. His staff includes music director Dennis Buck, a weft-known New York composer-arranger, and Emmy-nominated choreographer Ken Roberson.

It is Smith who formulates the show's theme. In 1999, the theme was a celebration of America's heroes. "We are in a period where rote models have become more and more difficult to find," Smith explains. "We seem to have become a cynical society that discourage idealism as naive. But there is still a place in America for people who get misty-eyed when they see the flag wave, who are proud to visit our monuments in Washington D.C., and who are proud to be Americans. We welcome those people to the Soldier Show."

A Tribute to America's Heroes opened with "Where Have All the Good Men Gone" and went on to explore the roles of women, athletes, movie icons, music legends, cowboys, and the American soldier.

The songs, as many as 50, are not necessarily chosen in advance. "We work with, around, and through the specific experience, gifts, and talents the soldiers bring to the stage," Smith says. "The soldier input is what keeps the show fresh and young. Our target audience is the 18- to 25-year-old soldier, mate and female, multi-ethnic and diverse in culture. At the same time, we are sensitive to the families and retirees in our audiences."

That means a wide variety of music, from country to rock, rap to gospel, all woven seamlessly together as solos, duets, or small-group numbers and seasoned with fast-paced production dance numbers, costume changes, and high-tech laser lights.

It all comes together after six arduous weeks of rehearsal and training as tough as any boot camp. From vocal coaching to dance lessons, aerobics twice a day, teaming lyrics and music, the soldiers master new skills, digging deep for reserves and grit they never knew they had.

SCENE II:

All the World's a Stage

On July 7, 1999, the 13-member cast, staff, and crew of the Soldiers' Theatre participated in the American Association of Community Theater Fest '99 in Memphis, Tenn. Their performance of Suzan Zeder's play Do Not Go Gentle was the first of 10 plays performed by community theaters from 10 regions. Soldiers' Theatre, from Camp Ederle in Vicenza, Italy, was the first military community theater to represent region 10, established by AACT in 1998 to give military community theaters an opportunity for representation at their biennial festivals.

Jim Sohre is the entertainment director for U.S. Army Europe, which is home to 17 of the Army's 26 active community theater programs. He has hosted the command-wide Festival of One-Act Plays for five years. The 1998 Ford Festival of Plays drew 19 entries, and Do Not Go Gentle earned the right to represent the military by winning top honors. Genera[ officers from the U.S. Army Europe headquarters presented awards, while commanding officers from the winning installations showed their support by attending the awards ceremony in Heidelberg, Germany.

"The real reason for the festival is to provide training, but it's always good to have an incentive," Sohre says. In addition to performing, attendees took part in various acting, directing, and technical workshops conducted by professionals from the U.S. and abroad.

"Theater relates to soldiering in the area of leadership," says Nick Credgington, Army Entertainment Division. "The ability to speak, to face an audience is critical to the performance of noncommissioned officers. The value of the entertainment program as a whole -- and theater in particular -- to the Army is at least equal in terms of personal development to the sports program."

In the 1970s, there were more than 500 Army music and theater groups worldwide; today there are just 26 programs. But the program is working its way back.

In Mannheim, Germany, for example, after nearly two years without a stage, soldier and civilian volunteers reformed the Rhein-Neckar Theater Company, which had to relocate twice as a result of Army reorganizations and reductions in force. The company opened in 1998 with an all-female production of The Odd Couple, and now stages five productions a year. Now a private organization under the auspices of MWR, the Rhein-Neckar theatre is earning its way with 60 percent of ticket sales going to pay for productions. The remaining 40 percent goes back into the local MWR fund to support other soldier programs.

It can be a challenge to mount productions in a military environment. Finding a cast of soldiers and civilians that will be stabilized for the eight to 10 weeks it takes to put a production together is one challenge. Such was the case with Do Not Go Gentle. Four of the seven families that made up the cast received change-of-duty station orders after winning at the play festival in Europe. When soldiers are called to deploy at a moment's notice, or receive orders to move with their families to a new duty station, flexibility and teamwork are crucial.

Royalty clearances for the shows processed by the Army Entertainment Division -- as many as 200 a year. Building sets, obtaining or making costumes, printing programs and tickets, and generating publicity and promotion are accomplished as a team effort with soldier and family-member volunteers working with local MWR staff, commercial sponsors, and the local civilian community to make it all come together.

SCENE III:

Rockin' and Rollin'

Rattling cymbals instead of sabers, 11 of the best "garage" bands in the Army dueled fiercely on a muddy field of honor at the Battle of Bands at Fort Eustis, Va. The rain didn't dampen the spirits of hundreds of soldiers who came to hear their peers rock, rattle, and roll.

Battle of Bands provides an outlet for those soldiers, civilians, and family members who sing or play an instrument recreationally. These amateur musicians rehearse and play because they Love music and Love to perform. Mostly they get together to share their talents with one another during their off-duty time.

Each year major Army command officials nominate their best bands to compete in the event. Some commands, such as U.S. Army Europe, stage their own competitions to determine who will go forward. This year the winning band from Kaiserslautern, Germany, Damaged Goods, were winners in the rock 'n' roll category.

Participating musicians travel to the host installation, where they have several days to rehearse and receive advice from Army staff and entertainment directors. On two successive performance nights, Friday and Saturday, each is allowed up to 15 minutes on stage to impress the judges with their musicianship, interpretation, and showmanship. The shows are free and open the public.

This year's Best of Battle Award went to Social Crew, a rhythm and blues group composed of seven soldiers from the 7th Transportation Group at Fort Eustis. The group also earned top honor in the R&B Category, taking home a total of $10,500 for the Eustis Morale, Welfare, and Recreation entertainment programs.

Professionals from the music industry are recruited to serve as judges. They've included the Ekes of Michael Garvin, a composer with more than 40 chart singles since 1982; Will Severin, songwriter for Warner/Chapel Music, and Andrea Rosborough, senior marketing director for RCA records. The judges are invariably impressed with the Level of talent among the soldiers.

"The Level of competition has been pretty fierce this year," says Severin, a three-time judge and a guitarist and songwriter. "I think some of the musicianship Level is higher this year than in previous years."

"It's been very good, very consistent," echoes judge Mickey Baker, a music promoter and associate of such recording artists as AC/DC, Ray Charles, Dolly Parton, and Frank Sinatra. "That's a point to being professional. Whether you're a professional soldier or a professional musician, you took for consistency [along with musical talent]."

Besides having a chance to perform on stage, the musicians were also grateful for the interaction with other bands. "You learn a lot from the other guys, and vice versa," says Social Crew drummer and vocalist Staff Sgt. DeAngelo Bailey. "You [get to] sit down and exchange ideas and techniques." The bands also had a chance to Learn from professionals during a workshop with the World Classic Rockers, a group of musicians from Toto, Steppenwolf, Foreigner, and Wings.

Then there's the prize money. Winning bands have earned as much as $12,000 to take back to their installations for reinvestment in soldier entertainment programs. Army Entertainment officials budget for the prizes as part of the cost of the program.

"[Soldiers] come to the Battle prepared to work hard," says Jerry Paquette, who directed several Battles while he was the Army Entertainment music and theatre program manager from 1991-99. "The teamwork and resourcefulness they exhibit are directly related to their soldiering ability. Music plays an important part in soldiers' lives. It's their recreation, their relaxation and socializing, and their creative outlet."

SCENE IV:

In Concert with the Army

The Army Concert Series, which just successfully ended its sixth season, is the newest branch of the Army Entertainment Program. With its roots in market research, it's proven to be a great morale-builder.

"The program has a dual purpose," explains Jennifer Wicks, who's responsible for this part of Army Entertainment. "One is to provide quality, name-brand entertainment for soldiers and the military community. The other is to provide Army installations that participate an opportunity to generate income for their local Morale, Welfare and Recreation funds."

Wicks, along with community and family support center contracting staff, works with a large concert promoter, San Antonio-based Glenn Smith Presents, to book nationally known performers for up to 12 outdoor concerts a year. This year's series included acts such as the Commodores, War, REO Speedwagon, the Romantics, Clay Walker, Peter Frampton, and Eddie Money. Past performers have included Earth, Wind & Fire, the Goo Goo Dolls, the Dixie Chicks, and Foreigner.

The decision to create the program was driven by findings from the Army's triennial leisure needs survey. "It was one of the things soldiers said they wanted to see on the installations: `bigname' live entertainment at affordable prices," Wicks recalls. "It can be very expensive to go off-post for live concerts. Our advance ticket price for a three-act show runs $9 to $12, compared to $35 to $50 and higher at civilian venues. And we're keeping soldiers and families on post, which means less traveling long distances to city venues on sometimes dangerous roads -- an important safety consideration."

Wicks says that because promoter Glenn Smith has a military background, he understands both the need for entertainment and the way the military works. "We've worked with artists and groups who have skyrocketed off the charts," she notes. "The Dixie Chicks are a perfect example. We got them as an opening act last year; now they're getting $300,000 to $400,000 a gig. Same with Martina McBride, Sheryl Crow, Clay Walker and Claudia Church."

In 1999, the highest paid attendance came at Fort Bliss, Texas, where 9,000 fans heard Kansas, the Outfield, and the Romantics. Fort Sill, Okla., generated the most revenue, bringing in $105,000 with its Fourth of July concert. In September, Wicks says, "So far this year, after 11 of 12 concerts, we have 53,500 attendance. We expect to top last year's 56,500 total."

Has the program been a hit with the target audience? "We've had a very positive reaction from soldiers and families," Wicks reports. "It's really gratifying when people come up to you at an event and say, `This was a great experience. Thank you so much for bringing it to us' or `Thank you for bringing us something we could afford to bring the whole family to.' It makes us feet good because we're meeting our objectives."

A Long Strange Trip

There's nothing new or unusual about entertainment and the performing arts in Army life. Records exist of Revolutionary War soldiers performing on stage for their fellow soldiers. George Washington was an avid theatergoer; his 1757 Ledger reveals that he attended a show at Fort Cumberland.

In the early and mid-19th century, amidst the desolation, deprivation, and boredom of frontier Life, there emerged a clear pattern of Lively soldier shows at Army forts and outposts. At Fort Snelling, soldiers christened themselves the "Pioneers of the drama in the northwest" when they staged their first play in 1835.

A history of Fort Leavenworth shows that a Thespian Society, formed before 1846, featured plays performed by soldiers in the assembly room of the barracks. A captain reported from Utah, where his soldiers put on regular performances in the 1850s:

"Were it not for some such amusement as this, this army, being in an isolated ... desert ... would break up in a row before spring."

During the Civil War, civilian entertainment became important to American troops. Soldiers stationed near cities often went to the theater, and civilian troupes entertained units and conducted fund-raisers to pay for supplies.

Jefferson Davis exempted some actors from conscription so they could continue to perform in front of soldier-packed houses. Music and singing were pervasive in both the South and the North; soldier revues, choirs, and minstrel shows were common.

At the turn of the 20th century, all-black companies stationed in the Pacific and in Cuba for the Spanish-American War produced shows.

World War I ushered in the era of the Army Expeditionary Force. As a result of the Selective Service Act of 1917, the Army grew to a force of more than 3 million by April 1918. Before members of the AEF could be sent overseas, they had to be trained in domestic camps throughout the country.

For the first time, the U.S. government officially recognized the need to engage these young soldiers in healthful recreation pursuits in their off-duty hours as a means of deterring them from less desirable and potentially demoralizing pursuits. In 1917, Secretary of War Newton Baker established the Commission on Training Camp Activities and appointed Dr. Raymond Fosdick chairman of the commission. Among its activities, the commission built "Liberty Theatres" and placed them under the charge of resident managers.

In his 1918 report to Secretary Baker, Fosdick wrote:

Besides the social and educational advantages furnished for the soldiers as a regular part of camp life at the YMCA huts ... the Liberty Theaters have proved to be a valuable educational and social factor. The commission is doing more than entertain the soldier -- it is helping him to entertain himself. Already the commission has 19 dramatic directors in various camps whose duties are to organize the entertainment among the soldiers themselves and develop the latent talent which exists in every regiment so that these men can entertain themselves overseas.

The next great mobilization came during World War II. To serve more than 8 million troops by 1945, two new agencies were formed, one within the Army -- Special Services -- and one outside the War Department -- a combination of six civilian welfare organizations: the United Service Organization.

Formed in 1942, the US combined the American Red Cross, Salvation Army, YWCA and YMCA, Travelers Aid Association, and National Jewish Welfare Board.

Documents from 1944 and '45, the birth of today's Army Entertainment Program, Laid out plans for a wide variety of Live entertainment, which included USO shows, soldier shows, jeep shows, civilian talent shows, and Live music from unit bands, orchestras, choral groups, and glee clubs.

In June 1950, President Truman committed American troops to support the defense of South Korea. Once again, the USO and Special Services mobilized for morale. As the Army remained positioned in key areas throughout Europe, Special Services entertainment directors set up community programs, some of which still exist today.

Throughout the Cold War and during the years of the Vietnam conflict, the USO and Special Services worked hand in glove. The USO drew from the entertainment industry to send celebrity shows overseas, and Special Services worked behind the scenes to arrange Logistics. A Special Services officer describes efforts for the 1968 Bob Hope Christmas show:

"The onsite support group ... includes experts in communications, construction, electricity, photography, crowd control, transportation, security, publicity, and recreation."

By the time the United States withdrew from Vietnam, the USO reportedly had delivered 5,599 performances to 7.6 million service members.

Meanwhile, the Army's community theater program flourished. In 1975, the Army Theatre Arts Association, a division of the American Theatre Arts Association, reported that some 500 Army music and theatre groups had produced an average of 5,000 copyrighted plays and musicals per year.

In the 1980s, the Army began hiring civilian entertainment directors to sustain the program. However, as Army downsizing continued and budgetary constraints forced MWR programs to become more financially self-sufficient and Less dependent on taxpayer dollars, many community theater programs were discontinued and entertainment positions eliminated.

Today, there is a renaissance and a renewed interest in the performing arts in general and community theater in particular. Army-wide survey data reveal a 4 percent increase in music and theatre programs throughout the Army between 1995 and '98. The history of the performing arts is as distinguished and cherished as that of the Army itself, which celebrates its 225th birthday in 2000. And the curtain isn't about to fall yet.

[Edited and adapted from "A Survey of the U.S. Army Entertainment Program in Europe During the Early 1980s: With a Study of its Origins in American History," a master's degree thesis by George Plank, UCLA, 1988]

Special thanks to the staff of the Army Entertainment Division, Jerry Paquette, Marcia Klein, and the Irving Berlin Music Company.

From sports programming to lazy lakeside cottages to health care screening, it is the mission of the U.S. Army's MWR program to keep our country's soldiers and their families rested, rehabbed, and recreated. The Army's philosophy is that soldiers are entitled to the same quality of life as is afforded the society they are pledged to defend. And the Army Entertainment Program is doing its part to guarantee that this promise is fulfilled. Harriet E. Rice, public affairs officer for the U.S. Army Community and Family Support Center, visited Army Entertainment's mission central to get a closer look at what just might be the world's greatest show.