THE 1940'S RADIO HOUR

SANTA ROSA SIXTH STREET PLAYHOUSE PRODUCED THIS EXCELLENT PLAY WHICH WAS AN INTERESTING TAKE ON THE WAY A SMALL RADIO STATION OPERATED IN NEW YORK CITY DURING WORLD WAR II. THERE WAS A GREAT ORCHESTRA ON STAGE AND ALL THE ACTORS/ACTRESSES SANG SOLOS AND VARIOUS PERIOD SONGS BASED ON MUSICALS. DURING THIS PERIOD OF OUR HISTORY THEY HAD ADVERTISEMENTS FOR VARIOUS PRODUCTS SUNG OR SPOKEN ON THE RADIO. IT WAS INTERESTING THAT SOME OF THESE PRODUCTS DON'T EXIST ANYMORE. THE TALENTED ACTORS PLAYED DISTINCT POSITIONS WITH WHICH EVERYONE COULD IDENTIFY. THERE IS A TALENTED YOUNG MAN, A CHUBBY DIRECTOR, A DRUNK MAN AWAY FROM HIS WIFE, A SEXY STAR WHO WANTS TO SHOW OFF, A YOUNG LADY WHO IS BEGINNING HER ACTRESS CAREER, AND A SILLY SKINNY BUM LIKE CHARACTER WHO ALSO PLAYED SCROOGE.

THE PLAY IS REALLY A SERIES OF SONGS AND SOME FUNNY COMEDY ROUTINES WITH VERY LITTLE OF A PLOT. SOME OF THE SONGS WERE POPULAR - AIN'T SHE SWEET, BOOGIE WOOGIE BUGLE BOY, JINGLE BELLS, HAVE YOURSELF A MERRY LITTLE CHRISTMAS. THE COSTUMES WERE VERY RELEVANT TO THE 40'S. THE STAGE SET HAD A NUMBER OF OLD FASHIONED TELEPHONES AND GADGETS THAT MADE NOISE FOR THE RADIO PERFORMANCES. THEY ALSO HAD A LARGE APPLAUSE SIGN THAT BLINKED ON AFTER EACH SONG. IT WAS SORT OF LIKE LISTENING TO A GAME SHOW OF SORTS. EVERYONE KEPT MOVING QUITE RAPIDLY ACROSS AND BEHIND THE STAGE. ONE OF THE YOUNG LADIES DID SOME TAP DANCING AS SHE SANG AND THE DIRECTOR USED SOME DANCE SHOES THAT TAPPED DURING OTHER SONGS TO MAKE VARIOUS NOISE. EVEN THE MICROPHONE IN THE CENTER OF THE STAGE WAS AN OLD FASHIONED LOOKING ONE. EVERYONE HAD A GOOD TIME.