The “Modern Warrior Live” show that came to the Robins Theatre on Tuesday was an engaging stage performance and a powerful salute to American soldiers.
It’s the story of Jaymes Poling, who is right there on stage to tell it. Joining him is Dominick Farinacci and his jazz band.
Poling reveals how his life changed in dramatic ways, and Farinacci’s music heightens the tone.
After high school, Poling joined the Army and fought in Afghanistan for multiple tours of duty. He then returned to Ohio and struggled with civilian life after his years in combat.
Farinacci uncovers the gut feeling with his trumpet, while vocalist Shenel Johns delivers the pain and glory.
“Modern Warrior Live” has been performed hundreds of times in theaters across the country, but this was the first time Poling did it in his hometown. The crowd instantly and uniformly rose to its feet as it ended, which I am certain happens after every performance.
Tuesday night was a cold one, and that held down attendance. The Robins should have been packed for this very professional national production with a Valley native at its core.
The roots of the “Modern Warrior” show started when Poling was attending a college class in Cleveland and shared his personal story. The tale gripped his instructor and classmates, and Poling soon found himself sharing it at veterans events.
He would later team with Farinacci, who composed the music. “Modern Warrior” then became a polished and professional traveling act.
The show is financially propelled by another Valley resident, Herm Breuer, who helped raise money and attention.
Breuer is the director of the Trumbull County Veterans Services Commission and founder of the Cover Down Fund, a nonprofit that serves Valley veterans.
Poling’s story is one of trauma, resilience and recovery. He describes it as delving into “the psychological toll of war, the challenges veterans face upon returning home and the potential for healing and growth.”
The show unfolds in segments, with Poling detailing the phases of his life in short but intense soliloquies. Each one is followed by a musical interlude and includes video on a screen above the stage.
Strengthening the continuity of the story was the addition of Leon Bibb, a Vietnam veteran and Cleveland journalist.
Bibb’s segments are woven into the story, and he took the stage several times to share them.
His military life is remarkably similar to Poling’s – and probably to combat veterans of all wars. But there was one big exception: Bibb’s return to the U.S. was met with little appreciation from the public because of the unpopularity of that war and the raw social landscape it caused. Vietnam vets never got the “welcome home” they deserved.
The true strength of “Modern Warrior Live” is in how both servicemen recovered from their post-war troubles and succeeded. Not surprisingly, they relied on the strength, ability and attitude that they learned in the military and used it to become even more prominent as citizens.
If “Modern Warrior Live” ever comes back to the area, do not miss it.
Trans-Siberian Orchestra
Already a seasonal tradition is Trans-Siberian Orchestra, which will make its 11th visit to Covelli Centre on Sunday.
There will be two performances that day – 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. Tickets start at $55 and can be found on Ticketmaster.com.
The rock symphony will perform its “The Ghosts of Christmas Eve” album with an extra set of its hits and fan favorites, including a 25th anniversary salute to its “Beethoven’s Last Night” release.
TSO fuses rock, classical and Christmas music into a theatrical spectacle. There will be pyro, laser lights, visuals, big guitars and booming voices. It ranges from warm and cozy storytelling to a fireworks display.
This year’s tour is adding some fresh touches to the “Christmas Eve” piece. If you’ve seen it before, or on television, you know the basics. It’s a narrated tale about a runaway youth who breaks into an abandoned vaudeville theater on a cold Christmas eve.
The “Ghosts” album, released in 2016, is based on the act’s 1999 television special.
Other Events
The Tamburitzans, the lively song and dance troupe that specializes in the folk songs of Eastern Europe, will return to Ford Family Recital Hall in downtown Youngstown at 3 p.m. Sunday. For tickets, click HERE.
“Memories of Christmas Past,” the annual holiday season exhibition, opens Saturday at the Arms Family Museum, 648 Wick Ave., Youngstown, and runs through Dec. 31. Multiple rooms of the former Arms family mansion are richly decorated in old-fashioned holiday decor. To learn more, click HERE.
For a complete look at everything going on in the Mahoning Valley, check out The List.
Pictured at top: Dominick Farinacci, Shenel Johns and Jaymes Poling in a scene from “Modern Warrior Live,” which came to the Robins Theatre on Tuesday.
Related
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source businessjournaldaily.com ’
