12/03/2009
Author: Robert McKinney, Bristol Herald Courier
Barter Theatre's "WMKS: Christmas 1942" tends to be a bit more soap-opera-ish than I like, but the music is so good that it quickly buries the family feuding and back-biting going on amongst Big Stone Gap's Doc Carroll and the clan as they crank up for a world-wide broadcast of music, jokes and patriotism over Armed Services radio.
Doc (Eugene Wolf), as you may recall from an earlier production, has set up a radio station in his sawmill over which he hosts live music shows featuring his wife Alma (Tricia Matthews), his daughter, son-in-law and grandchild (Amy Baldwin, Nick Piper and, in alternating performances, Andy Leon Heil or Abbey Raye Conde). Also appearing some of the time is Johnny Carroll (Dan Folino), Doc's son who has gone off and become famous as a singer.
Special guests are Audrey and Robert Newton (Cynthia Thomas and Jasper McGruder), the Carroll's African-American neighbors.
The band consists of Tim Robertson, Ed Snodderly, Doug Dorschug, Buddy Woodward and Claire Morison. Just watching Ed play is worth the price of a ticket.
To state that this production fiat out rocks would be doing it faint justice because if you like good music, enthusiastically presented, it couldn't possibly get much better. To single out any performers as being better than the rest is impossible although I had no idea that Trish Matthews could belt it out like she does or that such a fiddle player as young Claire Morison existed hereabouts. All I can say about her playing is "Wow!"
On the night that I saw the play, the grandchild was portrayed by first-grader Andy Heil of the Glade Spring, Va. area and he, too, not only sings heartily, he dances too. I'm sure that Abbey Conde, however, is just as good, maybe even better.
There are more than two dozen songs in this tasty musical pudding. All are wonderful, but a few stand out: "O My Lord What a Time," "I Wonder How the Old Folks Are Tonight" and "Silent Night/Christ the Savior is Born."
This is a production that I think the entire family will enjoy, even snarly teenagers (although they'l! never admit it, of course), It runs on the Main Stage through Dec 27.
For times, dates and reservations, call (276) 628-3911 or www.bartertheatre.com.