CROSSVILLE —
“I am an old Southern woman. We’re supposed to put on funny looking hats and ugly old dresses and grow vegetables in the dirt. Don’t ask me why. I don’t make the rules.”
It’s this sort of gentle humor that fills Robert Harling’s Steel Magnolias, the 1987 off-Broadway sensation that inspired two smash films and will kick off Cumberland County Playhouse’s 2013 season. Set in a beauty parlor in Chinquapin, LA, Steel Magnolias illustrates how the lives of six distinctly different women interweave via the small town gossip that accompanies the unending cycle of birth, marriage and death. Alternately hilarious (“I’m not crazy, I’ve just been in a bad mood for 40 years!”) and deeply touching, the play focuses on the underlying strength and love of six remarkable Southern women, each of whom is as delicate as a magnolia… and as strong as steel.
The Playhouse’s 2013 production of Steel Magnolias will be directed by Donald Fann (Duck Hunter, Lilla Barton, Dearly Departed) and will star CCP leading women Weslie Webster, Carol Irvin, Patty Payne, Lindy Pendzick, Lauren Marshall and Anna Baker. This PG-rated production — which is sponsored by Dr. Stanley Bise, M.D. — will open Saturday at 1 p.m. in the Adventure Theater and run through March 29.
Playwright Robert Harling is an American writer and film director best known for Steel Magnolias. He was an aspiring actor when the death of his younger sister inspired him to write the play that remains his most famous work. He also wrote the screenplay for the 1989 film version of the play that starred Sally Field and Julia Roberts. In 2012, the play was once again adapted for the screen, this time as a Lifetime TV movie starring Queen Latifah, Phylicia Rashād and Alfre Woodard.
Coming to the Playhouse in early 2013 are Footloose (Feb. 1–24, rated PG; sponsored by Plateau Properties and TAP Publishing Company), Les Misérables (March 8–May 3, rated PG; sponsored by Tennessee Plateau Oncology:Dr. Dirk Davidson; Dr. Vianney E. Villaruz) and The Miracle Worker (April 5–May 17, rated G; sponsored by Crossville Inc.; Lauren and Mason Fox). Tickets and information are also available for Southern Stars Symphonic Brass Band and other events.
All CCP productions are made possible through sponsor support, with additional support provided by the Tennessee Arts Commission and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Things To Do
Related Photos
-
Playhouse leading ladies Weslie Webster, Patty Payne and Carol Irvin star as M’lynn, Ouiser and Clairee in the Playhouse 2013 season opener, Steel Magnolias.
Cumberland County Playhouse opens 2013 season with Steel Magnolias!
- Things To Do
-
-
Tennessee Mafia Jug Band to appear at CCP
As Roy Rogers was to the Sons of the Pioneers, so Leroy Troy — “The Tennessee Slicker, the Sultan of Goodlettsville” — is to the Tennessee Mafia Jug Band. Banjoist and songster Leroy Troy is a true good ol’ boy from Goodlettsville, Tennessee, which is now a northern suburb of metro Nashville. But long ago, it was the country home to a great number of Grand Ole Opry performers.
-
REVIEW: Time to revisit 'Smoke on the Mountain' at CCP
This is the 20th anniversary production of the beloved Smoke on the Mountain. Opening night felt like a reunion, seeing dear friends from years past and accepting the fact of change.
-
Gospel artist Parker in concert July 13
One of America’s most exciting gospel artists Ivan Parker will be at the Palace Theatre, 72 S. Main Street, Crossville, on Saturday, July 13, at 6:30 p.m.
-
Broadway, International Asian Star is King in CCP's The King and I
He has starred in Broadway’s Miss Saigon and traveled world theaters as the King of Siam. Now Herman Sebek, one of the world’s most prominent Asian-American actors, is again crowned “King” in Cumberland County Playhouse’s lavish new production of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s classic, The King and I. Featuring a cast of over 70 actors, this spectacular musical will open on June 14.
-
June 17 concert to benefit Habitat for Humanity
The Swing Street Big Band, under the direction of Bill Schneider, is hitting Crossville again, this time partnering with Habitat for Humanity for a benefit concert with proceeds going to Habitat for Humanity’s building program in Crossville.
-
CCP announces 2013 Triple Threat summer camp
Children ages 5 and up are invited to participate in a week long theatre camp that has become a tradition at the Cumberland County Playhouse. Playhouse professionals will teach acting, singing and dancing in a fun-filled setting which has proved to be an enriching and exciting atmosphere.
-
PAART presents a summer of great women vocalists
Performing Artists Alliance of Rural Tennessee (PAART) remaining 2013 First Fridays performance events feature an eclectic lineup of artists and genres. The summer months are filled with talented women vocalists singing the blues (and a little country).
-
Swing Street Big Band begins Fairfield summer dances June 1
The 18-member Swing Street Big Band will play for the first of three summer ballroom dances at the Fairfield Glade Community and Conference Center at 7 p.m. June 1.
-
CCP presents the 20th anniversary production of Smoke on the Mountain
Heaven is eternal, but 20 years of Smoke on the Mountain are heavenly for the Cumberland County Playhouse, “Tennessee’s Family Theater” and home to the state’s largest theater audience of over 135,000 annual visits.
-
Tickets on sale for June 1 Fairfield Big Band Dance
Tickets are on sale for the June 1 big band dance at the Fairfield Glade Community and Conference Center.
- More Things To Do Headlines
-
Raw: Massive Protests Fill Brazilian Streets
Raw: German President Welcomes President Obama
Fans Cheer Dramatic Heat Comeback
Raw: Arizona Wildfire Scorches 8 Square Miles
Hoffa Mystery Still Fascinates After 4 Decades
Raw: 1 Dead in Shooting at Mo. Apartment Complex
Raw: Huge Fire Near Yosemite National Park
Raw: Obama Arrives in Berlin
3 Charged in Ohio With Enslaving Mom, Daughter
Obama Seeks G-8 Support on Syria
Raw: Volcano Erupts Near Mexico City
Kid Couture: Spending Big Bucks on Babies
Suicide Bombs Target Baghdad Mosque, Killing 29
Military Plans to Put Women in Combat Jobs
Solar Power Chargers in NYC Parks
Civil Rights Groups Sue NYPD Over Muslim Spying
Raw: First Lady, Daughters Enjoy Irish Sights
RAW: NSA Director Says 50 Plots Foiled
Boeing, Airbus Battle for Sales Supremacy
