The Mississippi enterprise. (Jackson, Miss.) 1938-current, 1944-12-02
American Red
Cross News

10 soldier members of the "Jive's
A-Poppin'" revue have been tour
ing southern England, putting on
their show in army mess halls, hos
pitfalls, American Red Cross clubs
anywhere they can find CT au-
dience anxious for some of the
music and comedy that remind
them of home.
1t was a thrill for them when
the shows quartet quite unexpect-
edly found the audience it was
singing before in the Bristol Red
Cross club included the Dowager
Queen Mary. But the cast likes
best the nightly satisfaction of ap-
pearing before a fatigue clad audi
ence that wants to laugh and for
get for a little about the war.
What we want to do most" said
the shows stage manager, Sgt. c.
w. Stewart of Ne wYork City, at
the American Red Cross Liberty
Club where the cast is staying
while in London, lis to get 20
France-to go to the men who can't
come to u.s."
mot me-" disagreed Sgt. c. B.
Busby, another New Yorker and
the shows blues singer. France
is all right and I want to get there
too But the hospitals are the i'm
portant places"
Actually they don't care where
army special service, which brought
them together and books their tour
sends them. It's fine as long as they
have a chance to entertain 1Leir
fellow CTS. All they ask is a piano
and if somebody's got it, bass fid-
die, and an audience.
The show came into being in hu-
gust at a replacement center some
where in England" The special
service officer asked Sgt. Earl Pep.
per, who used to combine show
business and commercial art IL
Chicago, if he thought there wa:
talent enough in the camp for
show. Sgt. Pepper was sure OF 1t
but when the lieutenant wanted tt
see the show the folloking night
Sgt. Pepper was a little more dou
btful.
It wasn't, the men say no w al
they look back on it, very pol
ished performance that next, open
ing night. Leroi F. BoZman, sons
writer from Chicago, didn't have
time to write "Swingin' A Dream
For Two now the hit of the show
in one night.
sgt. Pepper has made the show,
said Sgt. Stewart. ITS all due t.
his energetic work. He had to ge
buck slips from this officer ant
that, explaining what the who'll
thing was all about. We auditionet
100 men. There are 10 of us in tn,
show"
The first audience of 30 Negr'
and 20 white soldiers liked tn
show. The cast rehearsed and pol
ished some more and played mex
to an audience of 500, after whicl
it went on the road.
1--WE keep working and improv
ing things all the time" said So
Pepper. We're going out with on
show and we're going to come bac
with another
Instruments are the main diff
Guilty. The show has two crack me
on piano: Pvt j. T. ''Boogie" Smit
of Detroit, and Pvt. K. c. Spear
man of New York, who used t
play with Edgar Hayes. There's or
; ly one piano. Pvt. George Grar
of Beaver Falls, Pa, slaps mea
bass fiddle when he can borro'
one. Pvt. Mike Lawton of Detro
is a good RUNNER, but SO far til
show hasn't been able to promo'
t its own bass biddle and drum
: They're still working on it, thong
The quartet, which the cast sa.
Queen Mary seemed to enjoy vel
! much" is one of the shows be
assets. It consists of CPL James w.
| rick of Los Angeles, who used
sing with the Friendship Bo.
there, Pvt. Robert Williams,
Birmingham, Ala, Pvt. Aware
Bush of Atlanta, Ca, and T-4 Wa