On stage: Classics, comedies performed in local theaters
By Casey Gillis on Feb. 14, 2008
‘Driving Miss Daisy’
WHEN: 8 p.m. Feb. 15, 16, 22 and 23 and 2 p.m. Feb. 24
WHERE: Little Town Players, Elks National Home Theatre in Bedford
TICKETS: $10 for adults and $8 for children 12 and younger
INFO: (540) 586-5881
SYNOPSIS: Pretty much the same as the 1989 movie, which starred Morgan Freeman and Jessica Tandy. After Daisy Wertham crashes her car, her son hires a chauffeur named Hoke against Daisy’s wishes. What starts out as a rather contentious relationship between Hoke and Daisy develops into a very close friendship over the years. The play debuted on Broadway in 1987, with Freeman originating the role of Hoke, and won the Pulitzer in 1988.
‘Southern Fried Murder’
WHEN: 8 p.m. Feb. 15, 16, 22 and 23 and 2 p.m. Feb. 17
WHERE: Appomattox Courthouse Theatre, 331 Court St.
TICKETS: $10 for adults, $5 for students and seniors. Tickets can be purchased by calling (434) 352-7611 or at Baines Books in Appomattox.
INFO: (434) 352-7611 or http://www.appomattoxcourthousetheatre.com
SYNOPSIS: The comedy centers on a matriarch who gathers her family in her fancy hotel dining room to discuss her will. But between the soup and salad, she turns up dead, which sends her greedy heirs into a tailspin as they ransack the hotel searching for her fortune.
‘Much Ado About Nothing’
WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Feb. 15, 16, 21, 22 and 23; 2 p.m. Feb. 16 and 23; and 2:30 p.m. Feb. 17
WHERE: Liberty University
TICKETS: $10 for adults, $8 for faculty, staff and seniors, $6 for students and $5 for groups of 20 or more
INFO: (434) 582-2628
SYNOPSIS: One of Shakespeare’s most popular comedies, this play centers on sparring partners Benedick and Beatrice, whose friends conspire to get them together. The minds behind the plot are young lovers Hero and Claudio, who are to be married in one week - until the evil Don Jon tries to break them up by falsely accusing Hero of infidelity.
‘Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat’
WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Feb. 21-23 and 2 p.m. Feb. 24
WHERE: Lynchburg College’s Dillard Fine Arts Center Theatre
TICKETS: $10 for adults, $8 for seniors and $5 for students, faculty and staff. Tickets can be purchased at the theater box office, which opens at 1 p.m. Feb. 18.
INFO: (434) 544-8380
uSYNOPSIS: Based on the biblical story of Joseph and his coat of many colors, the musical showcases a variety of styles of song and dance including pop, rock, country and calypso. Directed by theater professor Jeff Wittman, the show has a cast of 28.
COMMENTS