“Live at the USO,” a 70th anniversary musical tribute to the World War II era, scored a smash hit with a standing-room-only crowd on Sept. 11 in the upstairs lounge at Isis Restaurant and Music Hall in West Asheville.

Because of the rollicking show’s timing, pianist and artistic director Daniel Weiser said the night’s performance also would honor those Americans who were killed in “that horrible tragedy,” referring to the four coordinated Islamic terrorist attacks on the United States on Sept. 11, 2001.

The show, presented by AmiciMusic, also was performed Sept. 12 at the White Horse nightclub in Black Mountain and on Sept. 13 at All Soul’s Cathedral in Biltmore Village.

The sold-out gala drew about 50 people for dinner and the show, featured songs from the 1940s. (The United Services Organizations — USO Show — is a nonprofit organization that provides programs, services and live entertainment to U.S. troops and their families. During World War II, the USO was billed as the GI’s “home away from home” and began a tradition of entertaining the troops that continues today with its live performances, known as camp shows, through which the entertainment industry helped boost the morale of U.S. servicemen and women.)

The Asheville show’s first half include a number of songs from the early ‘40s, including “Boogie-Woogie Bugle Boy,” “G.I. Jive” and Glenn Miller’s “Moonlight Serenade,” and then several songs from Leonard Bernstein’s “On the Town.” 

The stellar second half featured songs from Rodgers and Hammerstein’s groundbreaking musical “South Pacific.”

The show’s featured performers are soprano Amanda Horton and baritone Jonathan Ross. 

In an effort to help place the piece in its socio-historical context, Weiser, who provided piano accompaniment, gave brief but revelatory talks before each piece was played.  

Horton and Ross have sung several roles with the Asheville Lyric Opera and are frequent performers with AmiciMusic.

Weiser has played concerts in more than 15 countries, including some of what he called the “great stages.” He holds a doctorate in piano-chamber music from Peabody Conservatory.

Weiser proved to be a master on the piano, while Ross seemed to have the stronger voice, with more range, than Horton. However, Horton especially excelled in her renditions of songs from “South Pacific” in the second half — and her acting and choreographic skills were superlative.

In introducing the show-opener, “Boogie-Woogie Bugle Boy,” Weiser noted that, despite the lyrics’ references to the draft, it actually “came out before the actual draft.” Nonetheless, the 1941 song went on to become a smash hit for the Andrews Sisters.

As for the show’s second song, “G.I. Jive,” Weiser said it was a 1944 hit for Johnny Mercer, but also later a big-seller for Louis Jordan.

Prior to the rendition by Horton and Ross of 1939’s “Don’t Sit Under the Apple Tree,” the music director pointed out that the song was a hit for three different artists — Glenn Miller, the Andrews Sisters and Kay Kaiser.

Before Horton sang 1943’s “They’re Either Too Young Or Too Old,” Weiser noted that that song marked “the only time (actress) Bette Davis sang a song in a film.” That song also proved to be Horton’s best of the first half.

Later in the first half, before the duo sang — quite romantically, gazing into one another’s eyes  — 1939’s “Moonlight Serenade,” Wesier noted that that big hit became Glenn Miller’s signature song.

One of the most interesting aspects of the show was Weiser’s selections of Leonard Bernstein songs from the original Broadway hit, “On the Town,” from which everything but “New York, New York” was cut from the film version because the producers felt they were too intellectual for American film-goers.

Weiser praised Bernstein’s little-known original “On the Town” songs, which few today have heard. Indeed, they were a joy to hear and see performed live. What’s more, this show sandwiched them in a medley that began and ended with “New York, New York,” elevating it almost — and deservedly in this reviewer’s opinion — to symphony status.

The second half totally focused on the songs from the 1949 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical “South Pacific” — and it was the show’s highlight, without a doubt. On Broadway, the original “South Pacific” ran for 1,925 performances. It was made into a film in 1958.

Based on James Michener’s Pulitzer Prize-winning book, “Tales of the South Pacific,” Wiser noted that the musical was based on just a few of the 17 different stories in the book.

“The focus of this musical was about racism,” making it revolutionary in its genre, he said. Also, he noted that Ezio Pinza was the first great opera singer to be featured in musical theater in “South Pacific.”

He said the song, “You’ve Got to Be Taught” summarized the theme of the “South Pacific,” with some critics demanding that it be removed because it was too controversial.

The second half began with “South Pacific Overture,” on which Weiser excelled.

Songs that followed, featuring either or both  of the singers, included “There Is Nothin’ Like a Dame,” “Cock-Eyed Optimist,” “Some Enchanted Evening,”  “I’m in Love With a Wonderful Guy,” “You’ve Got to Be Taught” and “This Nearly Was Mine.”

The vocals were terrific, as was the choreography, and, at the end, Horton walked back into the spotlight to join Ross, as they sang — again and even more dramatically — “Some Enchanted Evening.” 

In a showstopping moment and arm in arm, they sang the lyrics:

 As the show ended, the crowd erupted in a sustained standing ovation.