The Sun City Players’ first musical play in the last five years is “The 1940’s Radio Hour,” hitting the Mountain View Recreation Center stage, 9749 N. 107th Ave., the weekend of March 14-16.

The band, singers and behind the scene individuals taking part in the production include the Zoot Doubleman Orchestra, a fictional band featured in the musical, which is set in December 1942 and depicts the final holiday broadcast of the Mutual Manhattan Variety Cavalcade on the New York radio station WOV.

Linda Shirck, the musical director, conducts the Zoot Doubleman Band and plays the piano. Rick Lamb performs as Biff Baker and is the trombone player. John Clark, who has been in more than 10 Sun City Players’ musicals, plays bass, Dan Hatfield is on drums, Mike Wiesner is the trumpet player and John Withhart is the woodwind player.

“The 1940’s Radio Hour,” a musical about a radio show musical, showcases a myriad of bygone era songs. Although there are many singers, one group that is highlighted here is the WOV studio singers.

Patty Mason, who has been a performing singer and actor in Iowa and Arizona harmonizes in the role of Trixie in this group.

“I did not want any dialogue or solo part in this play, since I am also performing in three other venues in the Sun City community around this same time,” Mason stated.

Mason, who has served on Sun City Players’ executive board on three different occasions, loves to sing, but also enjoys character acting, especially in roles different from her own personality, like her most recent representation as Lucille in “The Cemetery Club.”

Mike Shepherd is also part of the WOV singers. He commented that he auditioned for this play as he “was anxious to get back into musical theater,” since he is fond of singing and acting. His most recent engagement was as a soloist in two different revues, Operaetter and Operaetter 2, at the Performing Arts Center in Prescott.

Shepherd, the musical minister at Emmanuel Baptist Church in Sun City, takes pleasure in bringing joy to others and making new friends whenever he gets involved with the theater arts. He also tried his hand at stand-up comedy at one of the most recent Sun City Players Monday Night meetings.

Ginni Summers performs as Gigi Munro, who is not only a constituent of the WOV radio station singers but is also a soloist. She is no stranger to Sun City Players’ patrons, having previously performed in nearly all musicals since 2007. Her first role was Lady Ann in Camelot and her favorite lead part was Bloody Mary in “South Pacific.”

Besides being the music director, as well as a singer and a dancer in “Broadway on 107th Avenue,” Summers has volunteered as an usher at many performances, helped as a costume dresser and has been a member of the play selection committee.

Lorraine Taylor is cast as Ms. Rosina Jones, a soloist for station WOV.

“I love theater of any sort and, if I could sing, act and direct 24/7, I would,” she said.

Her most recent acting/singing gigs have been in “Say Cheesecake,” “Antigone” and “Black Nativity,” in the latter performingd with Black Theater Troupe which she believes was one of the greatest plays ever. Taylor is also an active participant in Readers Theater Ensemble.

A significant element of any musical play is the job of stage manager. This will be Celeste Hyland’s fourth time handling the task of cueing the sound and light technicians and working with the actors in preparation for their going on stage. This will mark her third production alongside her husband Herb Hyland, the director.

Hyland has acted as Ida in “The Cemetery Club” and as Sister Mary Lee in “Nunsense,” both roles she loved, especially since they were diametrically different from one another. She also busies herself with being the co-leader of Clubhouse Workshop and being part of the play selection committee.

The assistant stage manager is Jean Balk, who is excited to be able to “see the musical play move forward from start to finish and to learn all the aspects that go into putting on a show of this nature.” Balk, who is married to Jim, one of the actors in the play, has previously volunteered as a prop person for other productions including “Nunsense,” “Suite Surrender” and “The Cemetery Club.”

She is grateful to Herb and Celeste Hyland for giving her the opportunity to fully participate in a production. Balk serves as treasurer on the executive board and is the head of many of the party planning activities for Sun City Players, such as holiday and cast extravaganzas.

Handling the props for “The 1940’s Radio Hour,” along with newcomer Sandi Mischo, is Lu Hurley. She took on this position because she “thought it would be fun, and it is.” She has been a prop person for several other shows, among them “Princess and a Pea” and “South Pacific,” which was her most enjoyable and fulfilling stint, since she had to make many of the items.

Hurley has even contributed her time to helping with hair and make-up, not to mention her volunteering for set construction.

“The 1940’s Radio Hour” will be presented 7 p.m. March 14, 21 and 22 and 2 p.m. March 15, 16 and 23. Tickets are available for $15 at suncityplayers.org. In person box office tickets can now be purchased at Fairway Recreation Center, 10600 W. Peoria Ave., the weeks of March 10-13 and March 17-20, 10 a.m.-noon Monday–Thursday. Tickets on the day of performance are $20.