A soldier and Suffolk resident will be featured in the Hurrah Players’ holiday show in a role that’s quite familiar to him.

Staff Sgt. Daniel Puls will play a soldier coming home for Christmas in the company’s annual Radio City Music Hall-style production, “Hurrah for the Holidays.”

“It’s been a really cool thing to be able to step back into that similar role and portray that special time,” Puls said. “It’s kind of a sacred role of the soldier returning home for Christmas.”

Cortez, Colo.-native Pulsmoved to Suffolk with his wife and their two children so they could keep a horse on their property while he’s stationed at the U.S. Army School of Music at Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story as an instructor.

When he came into the Army about a decade ago, Puls said, there was no occupational specialty for vocalists, so he came in as a saxophone player.

“We were just pulling from the talent that was in the ranks already,” he said.

However, the Army now has created that specialty, and part of Puls’ duties is to develop that program.

He said the purpose of the military bands is to provide free concerts to the public, foster the morale of the nation’s fighting forces and instill patriotism.

Hugh R. Copeland, founder and artistic director of the Hurrah Players, said he met Puls last year when Copeland was hired to work with the Army as part of the Virginia International Tattoo at Norfolk Scope.

Puls was playing the part of a Vietnam-era soldier who had lost all of his friends in combat.

“We needed some expert help to see how we could translate those emotions to an arena-size stage,” Puls said.

“He was just very easy to work with, the nicest guy in the world,” Copeland said. “I realized he had so much talent, and we stayed friends.”

Copeland then approached Puls about working with the Hurrah Players during the Christmas show.

“It’s just a feel-good show about the holidays,” Copeland said, adding that children and adults both perform in the show. “It is a big revue celebrating the holidays.”

He said the show pays tribute to Hanukkah and Kwanzaa and includes “Feliz Navidad” for “our Spanish friends.”

Copeland said Puls will sing “I’ll be Home for Christmas” and “Baby Please Come Home” during the show.

“I’m very, very excited,” Puls said, also noting that even the smallest children that perform are very talented. “They give it everything they’ve got, and they know how to work hard to make a good product. Anything that’s worth doing is worth putting in a lot of hard work to achieve.”

Puls said he believes everybody who comes will enjoy the show.

“There’s so much variety in it,” he said. “There really is something for everybody there.”

The show takes place today and tomorrow at 3 p.m. both days. Tickets are $25 for adults or $20 for children, seniors and military families and can be purchased at www.hurrahplayers.com.