A troupe for the troops.
The Lasting Impressions senior theatrical group becomes that this time of year, rehearsing dialogue, songs and dance until everything is as sharp as a military salute.
“But this isn’t about us,” said Donna Browne, the writer and director of the upcoming musical “A Veterans Day Parade of Floats.” “This is about honoring them. We consider it a privilege to perform for our heroes.”
And so the 15-member cast will do precisely that to mark Veterans Day in a dinner theater presentation Nov. 10 at Willow Leaves of Hope and Nov. 11 (Veterans Day) in a show with dessert at Mill Race Center in Columbus.
The entourage performed for the first time at Willow Leaves in the spring, and Browne said the turnout was solid as an introduction to the community there.
“We realized from the beginning that we were an unknown commodity to them,” she said.
The latest show opens with the tune “Honor,” overflowing with lyrical gratitude including the following:
”We say thank you for your gift of service.
”We say thank you for your gift of care.
”Thank you, honored servants, safe keepers of the land, and sea, and air.”
“Those are very powerful words,” Browne said.
And the show includes some other emotional numbers, including Ed Browne performing the moving and classic “Bring Them Home” from “Les Miserables.” Another tune, “Just a Common Soldier,” packs its own wallop, as organizers see it.
“There are parts like this where there may not be a dry eye in the house,” Donna Browne said. “And there are parts like this where you may be able to hear a pin drop.”
The show, based on a Veterans Day parade, includes segments linking to deployment, service and homecoming, according to organizers.
“Nationally, World War II veterans are dying by the hundreds almost every day,” the director said. “And a lot of the time, they haven’t really received the thanks that they deserve.”
Near the show’s end, songs such as “Who Are the Brave?” will surface, along with “Let There Be Peace on Earth” and “God Bless America.”
“Our closing numbers are very reverent, almost sacred,” Donna Browne said.
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Who: The Lasting Impressions senior theatrical troupe performing the original-script musical "A Veterans Day Parade of Floats."
When: 2 p.m. Nov. 10 in a dinner matinee at Willow Leaves at Hope. Doors open at 12:30 p.m., dinner is at 1. Ticket prices are $13 for veterans, $26 for non-veterans. Reservations may be obtained by calling Willow Leaves of Hope at 812- 546-0640.
Also, 2 p.m. Nov. 11 (Veterans Day) in a presentation at Mill Race Center, 900 Lindsay St. in downtown Columbus. Doors open at 1:30 p.m. A light dessert is served at 2 p.m. Ticket prices are free for veterans, $5 for Mill Race Center members, $10 for non-members of Mill Race Center. Reservations may be made by calling Mill Race at (812) 376-9241.
Information: millracecenter.org.
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