12/09/2009
Author: Jim Quesenberry, Washington County News
Barter Theatre’s current production of WMKS: Christmas 1942 is a veritable holiday feast of great regional music set against a backdrop of the craziness that often accompanies family holidays – just the right recipe for an evening full of smiles and chuckles. Long-time Barter patrons likely remember this show’s predecessor, WMKS: Where Music Kills Sorrow (which premiered at Barter in 1997), the success of which prompted Barter to commission a Christmas-themed follow-up. Playwright Frank Higgins’ work had already been received to great acclaim in Barter productions of Miracles and The Sweet By ‘n’ By, and the popularity of the original WMKS: Where Music Kills Sorrow virtually guaranteed that a further installment would be a sure-fire hit – and they were right. This is the third season that WMKS: Christmas 1942 has appeared at Barter (the first in 1998, then again in 2001), and each time the show’s themes, characters, music and local flavor have made this an audience favorite.
WMKS: Christmas 1942 brings us back to Doc Carroll’s sawmill/radio station in Big Stone Gap, Virginia for a first-ever, world-wide Christmas Eve broadcast dedicated to the men and women fighting overseas. Doc’s live radio broadcasts have become a local favorite, drawing crowds who come to enjoy the music, singing and bantering of the Carroll family and friends. As the show opens, audience members quickly discover that they are about to unwittingly become a part of the production when several get “volunteered” by roving Carroll family members to participate in one of their later musical numbers. From that moment on viewers become a part of the experience rather than just observers – and the show takes on a wonderfully intimate feeling that connects characters and audience in a way rarely achieved. What follows is a whirlwind tour of some of the finest uniquely Appalachian music ever to grace a stage – mingled liberally with moments of hilarity and the type of bickering that only close family and friends can get away with. And if you’re paying attention, there are even some touching and meaningful lessons about the importance of family, sacrifice and forgiveness – a lot to fit into one show, but somehow WMKS: Christmas 1942 manages to accomplish it with great finesse and considerable charm.
WMKS: Christmas 1942 rounds out a season of some of the best productions Barter has ever presented and the amazing collection of talent assembled for this show – both singers and musicians – is one of the absolute best in recent memory. This is one of those rare gems that can be enjoyed by audiences of all ages – and should not be missed – lest you wind up on Santa’s “Naughty” list. WMKS: Christmas 1942 continues at Barter through December 27th.