THEATER REVIEW: ‘Swingtime Canteen’ plays at Sharon Playhouse through July 5

Jul 1

FROM THE BERKSHIRE EDGE

By: J. Peter Bergman

This is simply a show that must be seen. Sharon Playhouse jumps into the number-one spot of the season with "Swingtime Canteen." It will be hard to better this offering, and the drive to spend time with these women is worth every mile you put on your car.

Sharon Playhouse has opened its 2026 season with a revuesical, a revue with a plot and real characters. Set in London in 1944, a troupe of women from Hollywood have put together a show to entertain “the boys” at war. This is their first appearance; they are ready for the big time and rarin’ to go. The revue aspect is the score, a collection of World War II standards, 21 of them plus an Andrews Sisters medley. The plot is circuitous: Marian Ames, an MGM movie star; her stand-in Jo Sterling; an aspiring starlet named Lilly McBain; an inspiring sexpot named Katie Gammersflugel, and a piano-playing friend, Topeka Abotelli, are the assembled troupe, along with three musicians who play backup for them. These women plan to play their show all over war-torn Europe; each one has a personal secret reason for taking this on.

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