Published: July 03, 2008 09:51 am            

Outdoor theater offers drama, humor, music in unique setting

Drama, humor and music in an outdoor setting are available in abundance and within a short distance’s drive this summer. The region’s outdoor theaters’ seasons are in full swing and have a wide variety of offerings this year.

Pioneer Playhouse

Danville

The oldest outdoor theater in the state presents shows Tuesday through Saturday starting at 8:30 p.m.

“Death by Darkness” makes its world premiere on Tuesday Written by Elizabeth Orndorff, the G-rated show is a murder-mystery inspired by local legends. “Death by Darkness” will run through July 19.

The popular “Love, Sex and the IRS” by Billy VanZandt and Jane Milmore opens July 22 and continues through Aug. 2. Roommates in New York City, in an effort to save money, file their tax return jointly, as a married couple. Obviously, complications ensue as they get audited and family members visit.

The comedy “Cooking with Gus” by Jim Brochu opens Aug. 5 and runs through Aug. 16. In this show, cookbook author Gussie Richardson gets her own cooking show and discovers she freezes in front of the camera. See how her gypsy neighbor tries to help her overcome the problem.

Dinner is available before the show. The audience has its choice of fried chicken or barbecued pork with corn pudding, green beans, salad, cookie and lemonade or iced tea and it’s served on the patio with live guitar music.

Dinner is served at 7:30 p.m. For reservations, which must be made before noon, call (859) 236-2747. Tickets also may be reserved by calling this number.

Techumseh!

Chillicothe

Sugarloaf Mountain Amphitheatre in Chillicothe is home to the play “Tecumseh!,” a show that tells the life story of Shawnee leader Tecumseh as he tries to defend in homeland in Ohio during the late 1700s.

The audience is treated to the sensation of horses galloping, cannons in action and dazzling battle scenes with more than 100 in the crew making it happen against a setting of natural sites and sounds.

The drama was written by Allan W. Eckert, a seven-time Pulitzer Prize nominee and an Emmy recipient who is best known for his series “The Winning of America.”

More than 2 million have seen “Tecumseh!” during its 36-year run and it is the most popular play of its kind in Ohio.

For more information or to order tickets, visit tecumsehdrama.com.

Jenny Wiley Theater

Prestonsburg

A variety of shows is offered at the Jenny Wiley Theater in Prestonsburg. A schedule of shows is available on the Web site, which is jwtheatre.com, but the offerings include a stage production of “The Wizard of Oz;” “Little Red: Life in the Hood,” which puts Little Red Riding Hood in a talk-show setting to tell her story; the award-winning Broadway show “A Chorus Line;” and “Honky Tonk Angels,” which is a musical revue that tribute to women in country music.

On Aug. 2, The Tommy Money Orchestra will perform, with a wine and cheese reception at 7 p.m. and a catered dinner will be served at 8 p.m. The band performs big-band music.

Later in the year, some seasonal shows will be offered by the theater group at alternate locations. “Frankenstein” will run during the Halloween season at the Mountain Arts Center and the live radio play version of “It’s a Wonderful Life” will be presented during the holidays at the Pikeville High School auditorium.

For more information, call (877) CALL-JWT.

Theatre West Virginia

Beckley

Each summer, 40-year-old Theatre West Virginia offers “Honey in the Rock,” a historical drama that tells the story of West Virginia’s birth as a state during the Civil War.

This year, the Rodgers and Hammerstein classic “Cinderella” will be presented, as well as Disney’s “High School Musical.”

The troupe also presents another historical play, “Hatfields and McCoys,” which tells the tale of the world-renowned family feud that occurred between families from West Virginia and Kentucky.

Shows are presented at Cliffside Amphitheatre at Grandview. For more information, visit theatrewestvirginia.com.

Chief Logan State Park

Logan

“The Aracoma Story,” shown on the stage of the Liz Spurlock Amphitheatre in Chief Logan State Park, is based on events on Midelburg Island in the late 1700s, and tells the story of the love between Aracoma, the Indian princess and daughter of Chief Cornstalk, and Boling Baker, a scout from the army of General Braddock.

In addition, a contemporary musical is performed each year at the amphitheatre in the 4,000-acre state park.

For more information or tickets, call (304) 752-0253.

Pine Knob Theater

Caneyville

A little farther away, Pine Knob Theater in Caneyville offers shows on Friday and Saturday nights at 8.

A locally written production, “Dock Brown — Legend of an Outlaw,” set in 1842, tells of Gillium Hopper Jr., alias Dock Brown, who came to Pine Knob with his brother and father and how the life they made for themselves in Pine Knob turned sour.

Dinner can be purchased at Delilah’s. For an extra cost, a buffet dinner is available in a train diner car with glass windows overlooking the stage. The car is air conditioned and open for dinner during the show, so diners can watch the show from indoors with speakers bringing the sound inside.

For more information, call (270) 879-8190 or e-mail shows@pineknob.com.

LEE WARD can be reached at lward@dailyindependent.com or (606) 326-2661.

        

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