The Heart of a Soldier

DUBBED "The Heart of a Soldier." the 2004 U.S. Army Soldier Show explores the hardships of deployment and separation through musical performances that range from disco and rock to lyrical and ballet.

Part of what makes the show is the emotional impact of it," said Victor Hurtado, the show's artistic director.

The cast includes 18 active-duty and reserve-component Soldiers from private first class to first lieutenant--all chosen from among 138 Soldiers who auditioned for the show. Seven Soldier-technicians help orchestrate lights and sound.

Performances that tug at the heartstrings are interlaced with rock acts packed with bright costumes and frizzy wigs. The music includes familiar hits by Outkast, Prince, ABBA. Usher, Jon Bon Jovi and No Doubt. Dance sequences include numbers from the American Bandstand era and swing and disco periods.

One of the show's more emotional scenes includes PFC Heather Jenkins making a call home to her "brother," played by SPC James Becton. As she assures him she's okay, the backdrop flashes video footage of Soldiers and their families. A child waves an American flag while loved ones hold "Welcome Home" signs.

The show also touches on faith and spirituality. Cast members dressed in white robes portray 10-foot tall angels. At one point the angels lift their arms rejoicing, appearing to float off the ground.

"It's a really good show. Every year it gets better," said Etta Watts, deputy adjutant general for the U.S. Army Materiel Command, after catching the show's debut at Fort Belvoir, Va.

Cast member 1LT Meredith Melcher said scenes in the show bring back memories of her deployment to Iraq. It's been an honor, she said, to play such roles as a loved one looking at a picture frame and sifting Minnie Ripperton's "Loving You."

PFC Daren Taylor can also relate to being away from loved ones. His wife, Elizabeth, was expected to give birth in June, when the Fort Belvoir Soldier will be on tour with the in Italy.

The cast and crew put the show together in seven weeks, working to 16-hour days, Hurtado said.

"This group has a phenomenal set of instruments--of voices, of intensity, of character, of attitude," he said. "They have the ability to have fun, but then lock into seriousness and focus."

The show travels to 108 locations during its six-month tour through 21 states, Germany, Italy, Washington, D.C. and Guatanamo Bay, Cuba. A complete list of shows is available online.

Jennifer Brennan works for the Belvoir Eagle at Fort Belvoir, Va. Information was added from an Army News Release by Tim Hipps of the Army Community and Family Support Center.

COPYRIGHT 2004 Soldiers Magazine
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