USO show at CenterStage coming up

Five singers performing with "just five chairs, two tables, three mikes and a band" playing '40s swing music -- that's how Abbey Crawford describes the USO show coming up on two Sundays, Sept. 18 and Sept. 25, at CenterStage.

Joining Crawford will be Jon Lutyens, Melody Deatherage, Auntie Bijou (a local drag queen -- and we know who you are, K.G. ... Crawford describes you as "not crass, not disgusting, can really carry a tune, does a great Marlene Dietrich") and Reed McColm -- along with a four-piece band including Mark Norton and Andy Plamondon (sorry, didn't catch the other two names), all in a show evoking the encourage-the-troops ethos that was so inspiring, back in the day, 60 years ago, when the United States fought righteous and justifiable wars.

Great to see CenterStage back to being able to schedule shows like this again.