WIESBADEN, Germany - The day Spc. Kiari Mhoon decided to join the Army, he opened the fridge and saw no food for him and his sisters.?Someone has to step up and it has to be me, he thought.
So he enlisted as an infantryman in 2012 -- "to take care of my family" -- and a few years later the childhood church singer and dancer found his way to the Soldier Show auditions. Today, he takes care of another family: the Army Family.
"I don't do it for me, but for other people," he said. "There are times when it's hard and we're tired, but to see the glow of the audience afterward … [our performance] is the last thing they're going to remember. I want to leave them smiling."
And smile they did during the Soldier Show's performance of "Stand Strong" Nov. 5 and 6, which packed the Taunus Theater. The 90-minute show featured adaptations of modern hit songs such as Avicii's "Wake Me Up" as well as past chart-toppers such as the Beatles' "I Want to Hold Your Hand," a nod to the role music has played in sustaining the spirits of troops throughout the decades -- all the while depicting the hardships of Army life: deployments, separation, sexual harassment and suicide.
This is the first year the show performed downrange, in Afghanistan and Kuwait. Many of the performers wear combat patches themselves.
"You feel like you're alone," recalled Spc. Darwin Crooks, a combat veteran, performer and Army brat. "Us entertaining -- it brings a piece of America to them. And they have an outlet to let it all out if they're missing their family."
This year's theme, "Stand Strong," reinforced that sentiment.
"The show has a really strong message that you're never alone," said Crooks. "I can guarantee you'll be laughing and crying. We were all crying [during some of the rehearsals]."
The original Soldier Show harkens to World War I, when a then-sergeant Irving Berling produced the first Broadway play cast completely with Soldiers in 1914. The modern show, started in 1984, travels worldwide to installations to give a morale boost and motivation to Soldiers and families. One hundred years later, its mission and motto is still to provide entertainment "for the Soldier, by the Soldier."
"This is my first Soldier Show, and it was a really good tearjerker," said Annmarie Smith, an Army spouse of 30 years. "Very lively. I liked the 'Happy' song."
The show appealed to audience members young and old.
"I liked it, especially when they did the cool trick," said Abi Flores, 7, referring to the first number's break dance moves.
Garrison Commander Col. Mary Martin and Command Sgt. Maj. Roy Rocco gave plaques to the cast on stage.
"Thank you for this wonderful performance and message to stand strong. Strong Soldiers, Strong Teams," Martin said.
The Soldier Show performs in Korea before concluding the tour and returning to Army Entertainment Division headquarters in San Antonio, Texas.
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