There's Army Strong, and then there's Army talent.
People were able to witness that talent when the 2009 Army Soldier Show came to the Clayton County Schools Performing Arts Center in Jonesboro June 12.
The show, featuring 15 Soldiers from all ranks, jobs and duty stations, was a 90-minute showcase of dance, song and other talents highlighted by a variety of costumes, stage props, smoke and lights.
"It's high energy from start to finish," said 1st Sgt. Cynthia Moody, Army Entertainment Detachment first sergeant. "It is a chance for people to see a Broadway-quality production done by Soldiers for free."
While audience members are sure to see a quality performance put on by the Soldiers every year, one thing that isn't consistent is the theme and acts portrayed on stage.
"We look at the market, at the number one hit movies, plays and songs," Moody said of how acts are chosen. "We look for the attention getters."
This year's acts included renditions of songs like Beyonce's "Single Ladies" and a performance of "Slumdog Millionaire" that could have been lifted right from the Academy Award-winning movie. Also featured in the show, themed "Lights, Camera, Action," were many displays and props to highlight the Army Year of the NCO program.
Reserve Soldier Staff Sgt. Chaney Mosely, a lab technician with the 4203rd United States Army Hospital, Nashville, Tenn., was part of the Army Soldier Show in 2005 and said the show has evolved a lot since he was a cast member.
"It's a lot more advanced and technical," he said. Still, he knew it would be a good show and brought former co-worker Carrie DeBilzan, an English teacher at Lee Middle School in Newnan, to experience it for the first time.
"It was phenomenal, modern and inspirational," DeBilzan said, adding her favorite act was the rendition of Etta James' "At Last."
The show was one of the approximately 120 performances the Soldier Show will perform over the next few months, Moody said. The show, which opened April 24 and will end Nov. 8, will be performed at 60 Army installations, including overseas venues in Hawaii and Korea.
No matter the venue, Moody said the goal is the same: to provide high-quality entertainment for the Soldiers by the Soldiers.
"This show is a big morale booster," she said. "It uplifts spirits."
According to U.S. Army Garrison Commander Col. Deborah Grays, the show is also a source of pride for those in uniform.
"Phenomenal, phenomenal, phenomenal," she described the show upon its completion. "It makes me proud to be a Soldier."
Social Sharing