Sentimental Journey: Songs that Brought the Boys Home

A Concert from the Past

Sentimental Journey show options

Classic version: 50-minute show, highlighting the role of women and entertainment in WWII. Includes additional time for Q&A with the audience.

North Platte Canteen and Ft. Knox versions: see below

Click here to read thoughts on our 1940s songs from WWII performer Vera Lynn

Some of the songs performed in Sentimental Journey

A Concert from the Past

An unforgettable journey through the war years tracing the story of WWII through iconic songs of the day.

Patty Andrews, Vera Lynn, and other wartime entertainers perform and tell the stories behind some of the favorite songs of the war: “Don’t Sit Under the Apple Tree,” We’ll Meet Again," "There'll Be Bluebirds over the White Cliffs of Dover," "When the Lights Go On Again," “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” “I’ll Be Seeing You,” and many more.

Waltz through the 1940s, hear how these songs kept hope alive during WWII, and see how they inspire still today.

Flawless characterization, timeless melodies, and little-known history make this story of WWII one you won't forget.

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Photo credit: RA Productions, North Platte, NE. Click on photo for online article

Clips of Sentimental Journey

Sentimental Journey clips

Audio background tracks used by special arraignment with www.karaoke-version.com and tencymusic.com. Song Licensing here.

Sentimental Journey: North Platte Canteen Version

Visit North Platte of the 1940s and find out how homemade sandwiches, entertainment, and unparalleled sacrifice inspired the world during WWII. All the songs and characters from our full Classic Version show PLUS new characters and songs from the North Platte Canteen of WWII, including “America the Beautiful,” “In the Mood” and “Oh, Johnny!” Inspired by the real-life miracle of the North Platte Canteen* and Bob Greene’s book, Once Upon a Town.

Hear first-hand accounts and songs from the Canteen and USO shows of the 1940s and see how songs “brought the boys home” during WWII.

*On December 17, 1941, North Platte, Nebraska, residents gathered with presents and baked goods at the town’s Union Pacific Depot; they had heard rumors that a troop train carrying their local boys would be coming through. When the train stopped, soldiers from Kansas, not Nebraska, stepped off the train. Despite her disappointment at not seeing their own boys, one local stepped forward and presented her gifts anyway. Everyone else followed. The soldiers were overwhelmed, and their gratitude sparked an idea. The residents of North Platte and the surrounding communities followed the lead of their ancestors in World War I by opening a Canteen at the depot. This canteen lasted for 54 months, involved 55,000 volunteers, and served more than 6 million service men and women during its duration. It was one of the largest and farthest reaching volunteer efforts of World War II.

Sentimental Journey: Fort Knox Version

Our full Classic Version show PLUS an additional 15 minutes of exclusive Ft. Knox characters and photos. Weaving the story of the war with original photos, stories, and characters from the Ft. Knox of WWII. Visit the Ft. Knox of 1945 with Service Club hostess Grace Whitney and entertainer Judy Garland and learn how entertainers helped "Bring the Boys Home" at Ft. Knox, Kentucky. Added song: “Don’t Get Around Much Anymore.”

(Educators: contact us about our supplemental handout for this program.)

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