Kilroy Was Here the Musical at Mid Cities Arts Collective

A Musical Salute to the G.I. Joes and Jills of the 1940s

Book by Tim Kelly

Music and lyrics by Bill Francoeur

Director: Tron Sutton

• Production Dates: July 3-12, 2025

• Location: Peace Lutheran Church, 941 W Bedford Euless Rd, Hurst, TX 76053

• Performance Times: 7:00 pm on Thursdays and Fridays, 3:00 pm and 7:00 pm on Saturdays

Summary: Salute the brave men and women serving in the military with this patriotic comedy. We guarantee there won’t be a dry eye in the house after the stirring ’Together We Must Stand’ and a tribute to all branches of the military. Still, Kilroy is a comedy and the setting is a U.S.O. Club (’The Servicemen's ’Home Away From Home’’) in Brooklyn in 1942. Ships leaving the nearby Navy yard are being sunk by enemy U-boats. Allied intelligence suspects the club is unknowingly harboring Axis spies. Enter Private Joe Kilroy, a young soldier who draws a curious cartoon face everywhere he goes (and is this causing trouble!). He’s the only one who knows where the next Allied convoy will converge. The enemy agents are stopping at nothing to learn his secret. The action builds to an exciting finale during a wild radio broadcast. The score includes such hits as ’Don’t Say No To The U.S.O.,’ ’Slap That Jukebox,’ ’Jitterbug Saturday Night,’ and ’Rat-a-tat-tat That Rivet,’ with classic Andrews Sisters style harmony. The 1940’s was a time of dynamic change and defined what is known today’s modern way of life. The term “teenager” was a brand new label as adolescence became savored, respected and commercially catered to as never before. Since most men over 18 were in the service, this opened up the workforce for teenagers as well as the entertainment industry began to thrive.