Photo By Evan Dyson | On Sept. 30, the U.S. Army Soldier Show presented its 2012 season finale at Fort Sam...... read more read more
SAN ANTONIO - The U.S. Army Soldier Show concluded its 2012 season, Sept. 30, in front of a full house at the historic Fort Sam Houston Theater.
Produced by the U.S. Army Installation Management Command, the 90-minute show, “Army Strong,” was presented at more than 40 Army installations since April, entertaining soldiers and families around the world, including Hawaii and Korea. Nineteen soldiers were selected for this year’s cast to sing, dance and entertain.
“One of the most exciting things that I hold dear and will never forget is the reception we get when we finish performing for the audience - the love and genuine concern they have for us,” said cast-member Sgt. 1st Class Melvin Williams, who will depart for his ninth deployment after the Soldier Show.
“It’s an honor and a privilege to be selected for the Soldier Show. It works hand-in-hand for me - I look at it as another mission,” he said. “But my mission here is different. It’s to inspire those families and soldiers, and for those soldiers and friends I lost, it’s to carry out their dedication, those beliefs about the Army and what they stood for.”
Second Lt. Daniel Monplaisir, an aspiring theater actor and member of the Alabama National Guard, said that despite the 12- to 16-hour days, the experience was invaluable.
“The hard work that goes into the show is so worth it because the people we perform for are Army soldiers and families,” Monplaisir said. “A lot of them have been going through some tough stuff. Being in wartime there’s some stress, but for 90 minutes they get to let all that stress go and feel really good about what they do being part of the Army.”
The soldier-performers left an impression on those “outside the wire,” too, showing Americans there’s more to a soldier than soldiering.
In addition to putting on shows at Army garrisons around the world, the Soldier Show performed in Times Square during the Army Birthday, June 14, as well as at the city of Augusta’s 9/11 remembrance ceremony.
“I had no idea the Army had anything like this,” said Alli Dean, 25, a San Antonio social worker. “It was my first time seeing this many soldiers in the first place, let alone performing on stage, and I have to say I was very impressed.”
The annual production is put on by Army Entertainment, a division of IMCOM’s Family and MWR Programs, and operates under the mantra, “Entertainment for the soldier, by the soldier.”
To learn more about the program, and how to apply for next season, visit http://www.ArmyEntertainment.net.
| Date Taken: | 10.12.2012 |
| Date Posted: | 10.12.2012 18:14 |
| Story ID: | 96100 |
| Location: | SAN ANTONIO, TX, US |
| Web Views: | 59 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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