George M! depicts 60 years in the life of George Michael Cohan while in full pursuit of American amusement, patriotism and idealism.

The West Valley Light Opera Association hosted an opening show on June 28, which will be followed by a 13-show run. A special evening is prepared for the July Fourth performance.

"We thought it was an appropriate time for the play right now, considering all of the things happening in the world. We thought it was time to be done," says producer Liz Dale. "It's a vaudeville type of show, because Cohan was a song and dance man, and it's very patriotic, so all of the costumes are red, white and blue."

The West Valley Light Opera also wanted to produce the show because it had not done so since 1976, Dale says. "At that time we performed it as a bicentennial, and we felt it was very much appropriate to perform it again this Fourth of July."

Although all of the performances highlight patriotism, the show on July Fourth will feature a special birthday celebration for Cohan and America's independence, featuring desserts and refreshments for guests.

Cohan is famous for his patriotism, which included changing the record of his birthdate from July 3 to July Fourth to coincide with the American holiday. He was also the man who penned such invaluable patriotic tunes as "You're A Grand Old Flag" and "Yankee Doodle Dandy."

The show itself consists of 18 songs, leaving actors minimal time to catch their breath between tunes. Twenty-six actors are performing, with many performing several different roles.

"It takes a long time to rehearse because everything is a production number," says Marge Hand, the publicity director who plays two roles in the production as well. The strain also comes as part of community theater, in which actors take on several positions for a production. "It's a real volunteer organization," Hand says. "We all act and have helped build sets. It's quite a community effort."

The cast rehearsed five nights a week through May, stepping it up to seven nights in final preparation for opening night.

"How do you fit time in for rehearsals?" asks Saratogan Len Jacobson. "It's called canceling out your social life for four months and enjoying it." Jacobson performs in six roles, playing everything from a mayor to Mr. Albee, an influential producer. "It does get easier once you're into the performances," he says, adding that it's also easier to handle the stress because he takes time off between shows.

It could be said Cohan was born into stress, as he was raised in a traveling vaudeville family known as "The Four Cohans." Born in 1878, he quickly showed great promise as a songwriter and stage performer, beginning his career at 16 and controlling the family's act by the time he was 20. Cohan went on to pen roughly 500 songs and 40 plays, and shared production with nearly 150 plays. In 1917, he wrote "Over There," possibly his most notable song, as it was a reflection of World War I and earned him a Congressional Medal of Honor 25 years later from Franklin D. Roosevelt.

"George M!" will be performed at the Saratoga Civic Theater, located at 13777 Fruitvale Ave. Tickets for Friday (July 4, 11, 18 and 25) and Saturday (July 5, 12, 19 and 26) performances at 8 p.m. are $20; tickets for Saturday and Sunday matinees (July 6, 13, 19 and 20) at 2:30 p.m. are $18. Tickets are available by calling 408.268.3777. For more information, visit http://www.wvlo.org.