FORT HUACHUCA — Staff Sgt. Nelson Reyes began strumming a guitar less than a year ago.

But somewhere within his internal artistic self is a lot more talent.

That is the view of Victor Hurtado, the artistic director of Army Soldier Show.

“Your spirit came right out of your fingertips,” Hurtado told Reyes after the 27-year-old soldier put together some complicated chords in a Spanish-flavored piece from Reyes’ imagination.

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Although the noncommissioned officer’s singing ability is not great, his dancing, which is what Reyes truly enjoys, was well done, but it lacked a little spirit, Hurtado said. Reyes also did not hesitate to vocalize even though he warned him he did not have a good voice.

True to his word about his voice, Reyes’ short a cappella piece was weak.

During his dance routine before Hurtado and Cordell Hull, the music and artistic director of USA Express, Reyes combined classical ballet maneuvers with contemporary steps.

“He’s another diamond in the rough,” said Hull, who is with a small, compact traveling band and singers who entertain soldiers who are deployed.

Hurtado added that with a little polishing, the soldier will shine on stage.

About a week ago, the soldier, who is in the process of becoming an intelligence analysis instructor with Company E, 305th Military Intelligence Battalion, heard about the audition workshop for the Army Entertainment program.

Hurtado and Hull listened to post soldiers who were interested in trying for future positions with a number of Army Entertainment groups. For example, USA Express is a small, compact traveling band and singers who entertain soldiers who are deployed.

The annual Soldier Show put on a free performance Tuesday, as well as two more today, at the Buena High School Performing Arts Center, giving Hurtado and Hull the opportunity to hold the first audition workshop on the Southern Arizona Army post. Hurtado also is the executive producer for the competition program at the Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation Command in Virginia.

But entertainment abilities aren’t all that can lead to a spot in a show, especially since soldiers who want to travel with some of the Army groups face stiff competition for the few slots available each year.

Spc. John Morris of the 556th Maintenance Company of the 11th Signal Brigade on Fort Huachuca knows about that. He was in the Soldier Show last year and was supposed to be again this year until a car accident took him out of the event.

“It was a good experience,” Morris said of last year’s tour.

Hurtado said Morris “could be a poster child for someone who has natural talent.”

To the artistic director, it’s not just having technical abilities but more importantly a spirit to want to entertain.

In regards to Reyes, Hurtado said, the spirited talent came out of the soldier while he “played a 100-year-old guitar, playing complex chords and when he danced.”

The Soldier Show and other entertainment venues bring out talent the average American doesn’t know soldiers have, Hurtado said.

Reyes’ love of dance began when he was in the seventh-grade in California.

Recently assigned to Fort Huachuca, the non-commissioned officer, who has almost six years in the Army, has continued with dance instruction with the Sierra Vista Ballet.

His daughter, Luna, 6, also is taking dance lessons with another group, and his wife, Lupita, is a mariachi singer.

At the audition workshop, Reyes played his wife’s grandfather’s guitar.

While in Iraq, another soldier got Reyes interested in playing the guitar as a way to relax. At that time, he was assigned to the 101st Airborne Division of Fort Campbell, Ky.

Three years ago, audition workshops began at Army installations on the route of the Soldier Show.

The program playing in Sierra Vista came in from Fort Bliss, Texas. After today’s final show, it will move on to Fort Irwin, Calif. The group will later head to South Korea, eventually returning to the states and going back across the country and end in Virginia where it started. There will be more than 100 performances.

Performers, technicians and others traveling with the show put up and take down the sets at each stop. On Tuesday, soldiers from the Intelligence Center and the 11th Signal Brigade also helped.

The current show includes nearly 50,000 pounds of equipment and wardrobe, said Sgt. David Clemo, associate director of the Soldier Show.

The cast of entertainers consists of 13 people.

Hurtado said individuals interested in auditioning for the 2008 season have to provide a number of items, including their military records, which are reviewed. Potential entertainers also must include a video tape of their talent and an entertainment résumé.

The information must be received at Fort Belvoir, Va., by Dec. 31.

Finalists are brought to Virginia for a six-day live audition and evaluation process.

Hurtado said he is looking for true talent.

“No cheese, I’m lactose intolerant,” he joked.

The future of Army Entertainment is on a growth curve, with newer productions possible.

Hull said USA Express is looking to add a comic besides instrumentalists and vocalists.

Hurtado said the Army entertainment program of the past has great roots, which included a number of different media outlets, from Broadway shows to movies to live entertainment before soldiers.

“I really want to get back to those Irving Berlin days,” he added.

Holding auditions on Army installations is one way of finding new talent.

Although there is no guarantee Reyes will be chosen, Hurtado and Hull advised the soldier to put together a quality video and work on some production numbers, both playing the guitar and dancing.

Maybe the rough diamond’s facets will be shaped and eventually shine under the lights in a future Army show.

Show times

This year’s Army Soldier Show will be performed at the Buena High School Performing Arts Center at 2:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. today.

The events are free and open to the public. At Tuesday’s show, 1,200 of the 1,350 seats were filled.

Doors to the approximate 90-minute show, called “America’s Soldiers Serving Proud”, open 30 minutes before the performance, which does not have an intermission.

HERALD/REVIEW senior reporter Bill Hess can be reached at 515-4615.