The 1940’s Radio Hour opening December 2, 2016 at Pennsylvania Playhouse is the perfect holiday show for the entire family with something to offer all generations.
Directed by Beth Breiner with musical direction by Lucille Kincaid The 1940’s Radio Hour depicts a broadcast of the fictional Mutual Manhattan Variety Cavalcade on December 21, 1942.
The show features numerous musical classics from the swing era including “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy”, “Blues in the Night”, “That Old Black Magic” and “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” as well as comedy routines, jingles and an abbreviated version of A Christmas Carol highlighting sound effects as done on radio.
“This is a very special production,” says director Beth Breiner.
“It is a unique opportunity to reach out to entire families: grandparents, parents and children with a single evening’s entertainment. Obviously the show celebrates the era of the 1940’s, but it reaches across the decades. Our production reaches across the years in another way – through our cast.
“The Playhouse first produced this show in 1994, 22 years ago and two of our cast members are reprising their roles from that production! Ted Rewak plays Johnny Cantone, the Frank Sinatra wannabe; and Mark Breiner plays Cliffton Feddington, the show producer. It has been quite a journey for both of them as they revisited and reshaped the characters for this production. They are both such veteran performers and so imaginative, it’s been a joy to watch them develop their characters for this new interpretation of the show.”
“Beyond celebrating the past, our cast embraces the present generation at the Playhouse featuring a number of talented performers who have appeared in other Playhouse productions: John Bracali, Sally Collins, Deborah D’Haiti, Dominick Philip, Nelson Rabenold and Brian Richichi. And we welcome the future with our cast members who are new to the Playhouse stage: Michelle Hubbard, Kyle Hummel, Hunter Lewis, Vanessa Ruggiero and Kristopher Swanson.”
“You know the old saying,” said Breiner, “everything old is new again. It couldn’t be more appropriate for this show. Think of the recent resurgence in vinyl records, record-players and ballroom and swing dancing. You can even listen to classic radio rebroadcasts on Sirius/XM radio on the Radio Classics station. So bring the whole family to see the 1940’s Radio Hourfor an evening of trending, feel-good entertainment, fun and great music.”
For information, contact Beth Breiner by calling 484-838-0054 or emailing