Fifty performances in 50 states in only four months.
Erinn Dearth and Dan Beckmann will bring their high-energy, patriotic Letters From Home USO style show to Augusta’s Miller Theater at 2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 29.
“We’re talking about patriotism in light of music,” said Dearth, whose father, Pat Dearth, served in the Coast Guard. “Where I grew up was a patriotic place. We all looked out for each other and helped one another.”
Letters From Home began in 2010, “featuring music from the soundtracks of WWII, Vietnam and beyond. This vaudevillian-style singing and tapdancing duo has honored our veterans, active military heroes and their families, by uniting the nation through music,” according to a news release.
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While the music may be from eras long past, the performers say their passion for the material and their love of veterans and the nation bridges any generation gap to make it accessible for all ages. The show is uplifting and inspiring, they said.
Patriotism, they said, isn’t based on one political stance. People with differing political opinions can come together simply because they both love their country.
“At the end, there’s a feeling of hope,” said Beckmann.
Since 2010, they’ve performed more than 900 times in a variety of locations including air shows, cruise ships, military bases, VA hospitals and veterans’ organizations such as Veterans of Foreign Wars and American Legion posts.
A documentary on Letters From Home won an Emmy award in 2015.
In 2019, Dearth and Beckmann traveled to Normandy, France to perform during the 75th Anniversary of D-Day festivals where they sang the National Anthem on June 6th at sunset on Omaha Beach,
“It was pretty epic,” said Dearth.
Dearth said the 50-state tour has been a longtime dream. They chose Augusta as the Georgia stop for a few reasons including its proximity to Fort Gordon and the large number of both active duty military and veterans in the area.
Letters from Home is a partner with Quilts of Valor, an organization whose members make quilts for military service members and veterans as a tool for healing.
Tickets are $20 and are available here.
Charmain Z. Brackett is the publisher of Augusta Good News. Reach her at charmain@augustagoodnews.com. Subscribe to the newsletter here.
