The United States declared war on the German Empire on April 6, 1917 and Cape May Stage notes the 100 anniversary of our entrance into the World War 1 with this musical entertainment.
The New York Times called it “a high flying ace of a show, capturing the humor, the hellfire, and the derring-do of an extraordinary career.” Billy Bishop calls himself “a convicted liar and cheat who was the worst student ever at the Royal Military College…. so of course they made me an officer.”
Lying face down in the mud with his horse stuck beside him, Billy looks up to see a fighter plane and decides that there is a better place to be. He is credited with seventy-two victories and billed as the top fighter pilot in the British Empire. King George said, “Well, Captain Bishop, you’ve been a busy bugger” as he pinned a medal on his chest. The music is comprised of martial arts, barracks room ditties, Kiplingesque tunes of glory, Gilbert and Sullivan-like patter songs and a bitter brew of Brecht-Weill.
