'Swingtime Canteen' Opens This Friday at Sharon Playhouse
FROM PATCH
By: Nancy Sasso Janis
A joyful salute to the women who entertained troops during World War II, Swingtime Canteen features an extraordinary cast of performers.
SHARON PLAYHOUSE OPENS THE 2026 SEASON WITH THE STAR-SPANGLED HIT “SWINGTIME CANTEEN!”
The Sharon Playhouse, in Connecticut's Northwest Corner, proudly opens its 2026 MainStage Season with the beloved musical Swingtime Canteen, a rousing celebration of the songs, spirit, and resilience of World War II. Timed to coincide with America's 250th anniversary and the Fourth of July holiday, this exhilarating production runs June 19 through July 5, with a special 4:00 PM performance on Independence Day. Filled with unforgettable music and all-American charm, Swingtime Canteen promises to be one of the summer's most joyful theatrical events.
Swingtime Canteen is a joyful salute to the women who lifted soldiers' spirits during World War II, featuring an extraordinary all-female cast of performers who sing, dance, act—and play the instruments too!
Audiences will be transported back to 1944 to join MGM star Marian Ames and her all-girl band for the rip-roaringest USO-style canteen show of them all. The glamorous movie legend has gathered her instrument-playing gal pals from the Hollywood Canteen and headed to London, the first stop on their tour of front-line bases, to entertain American troops stationed abroad. Joining her are Jo Sterling, her drum-playing Hollywood stand-in; her skittish niece Katie Gammersflugel; solid-as-a-rock, piano-playing riveter Topeka Abotelli; and leggy chorine Lilly McBain.
With more than 30 beloved songs from the war years, Swingtime Canteen promises an unforgettable evening of music, laughter, nostalgia, and heart. Laughs, tears, emotional fireworks, air raids, and a stirring celebration of courage and friendship are woven throughout this hilarious and heartwarming story.
