Swamp Donkey Musical Theatre brings history to life with The Hello Girls, a powerful production that tells the true story of the first women to serve as soldiers in the U.S. Army during World War I.
With a cast of 14, the show captures the bravery and resilience of female telephone operators who fought for decades to be recognized as veterans.
Music Director/Co-Director Choreographer Melanie Baux said it's the first time they've done a production that is based on a true story.
"I think it's different in the storyline, but the small community feel is still the same. We always do something that kind of brings people together and this show, I think that even more so in the show, because it's a real story."
Swamp Donkey founder & president Trisha Gizen said it's an incredible story of a decades-long battle.
"It's a true story about the first women who served as soldiers in the US Army during World War One (WWI). They were telephone operators, and their work was vitally important, because that was the main way of communicating at that time during the war, so they actually made it to the front lines. They fought hard to make it to the front lines, but unfortunately, when they got back to the US following the war, the government did not recognize them as soldiers or veterans, and some of the women fought a 60 year war essentially with the US government to be recognized as veterans."
Baux said it's been a different experience preparing for this role compared to recent productions they've done.
"I felt a different sense of loyalty to the character that I'm playing, because she is real, she's incredible and very important, and, you know, you want to portray her in the right way, and there's only so much information available on these women as well."
There's a wide range of music in the production, which Gizen believes will appeal to all audiences.
"It's from jazz to ragtime and everything in between, including some rock music. It sort of covers all genres."
The performance features cast members from Cochrane, Canmore, Airdrie and Chestermere.
The Hello Girls will run October 18-20 and October 25-27.
Tickets are available HERE.
