Paradise Center for the Arts December Calendar on AM Minnesota

Representatives of the Paradise Center for the Arts will be on our AM Minnesota program today at 9:30AM. We will highlight happenings at the Paradise in December.

The first event is The Merlin Players professional theatre performances of "Wrapped in Love and Glory." The play was written by Merlin Players founding member and Faribault native Michael Lambert and is the true story of the love shown by women working in the Faribault Woolen Mill as they make blankets for the troops overseas during World War II.

The project started when Merlin Players Artistic Director Julianna Skluzacek spoke with Lambert a couple of years ago and suggested he write another holiday show. Six years ago Lambert wrote "Sun Valley Christmas."

They tossed topics at each other and then Lambert came up with the idea of writing a story highlighting the lives of the women who worked at the Faribault Woolen Mill during the war.

He interviewed members of the community who experienced that time and collected letters written by soldiers to their families back home in Faribault. Those letters are woven into the story along with some music from the World War II era sung by three women in the style of the Andrews Sisters.

Twenty-six songs are in the show, including "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boys," "Star Dust Memories," Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree" and "I'll Be Home for Christmas." The singers are Faribault residents Lisa Quimby and Barb Piper and former Owatonnan Gail Thompson.

"Wrapped in Love and Glory" opens this Friday and there will be an opening night reception. We will have Merlin Players representatives on AM Minnesota this Thursday to talk more specifically about the play.

If you can't tune in at 9:30AM, then go to www.youtube.com/user/KDHLRadio and watch the program.