Music for the road
A week ago, some friends and I went to see Hank Williams: Lost Highway at New Stage Theatre. We really enjoyed it. The script follows the rise (and fall) of country music legend Hank Williams, dealing with his musical influences, relationships with his band and family, and eventual downward spiral into alcohol and drug abuse.
Randy Noojin was great as Hank Williams, and Bruce Lang, Tony Medlin, Steve Trismen, and Russ Wever were wonderful as the members of Hank's band. The guys all had an eaqsy camaraderie that I thought played very well. Jolyne Shirley was superb as Mama Lilly, stealing most of the scenes she was in.
The costumes (by MaryAnise) were a revelation, and they added SO much to the production. I was very impressed with several of the suits Hank wore, although all the cast members looked pretty perfect for their roles. The music was great, and I even noticed some die-hard Williams fans in the audience singing along!
A couple of notes - I absolutely loved Maurice Turner (Tee-Tot) and Jo Ann Robinson (Waitress) in their roles. Turner in particular was something of a force on stage. However, I was puzzled at the directoral decision to leave these two characters on stage during ALL of the action. It was a bit distracting as an audience member, and as a performer, I imagine it can be quite exhausting. I'm not familiar with whether this choice is stipulated in the script or if it was unique to this production, but I'm not sure I liked it.
Secondly, be aware if you attend this production that there is quite a bit of profanity in it (we are talking about Hank Williams, after all), and that there are several gun shots during the course of the show. Both of these caveats were noted in the program.
You have until June 17 to check it out! Don't miss it! Call 601-948-3533 for tickets!
Randy Noojin was great as Hank Williams, and Bruce Lang, Tony Medlin, Steve Trismen, and Russ Wever were wonderful as the members of Hank's band. The guys all had an eaqsy camaraderie that I thought played very well. Jolyne Shirley was superb as Mama Lilly, stealing most of the scenes she was in.
The costumes (by MaryAnise) were a revelation, and they added SO much to the production. I was very impressed with several of the suits Hank wore, although all the cast members looked pretty perfect for their roles. The music was great, and I even noticed some die-hard Williams fans in the audience singing along!
A couple of notes - I absolutely loved Maurice Turner (Tee-Tot) and Jo Ann Robinson (Waitress) in their roles. Turner in particular was something of a force on stage. However, I was puzzled at the directoral decision to leave these two characters on stage during ALL of the action. It was a bit distracting as an audience member, and as a performer, I imagine it can be quite exhausting. I'm not familiar with whether this choice is stipulated in the script or if it was unique to this production, but I'm not sure I liked it.
Secondly, be aware if you attend this production that there is quite a bit of profanity in it (we are talking about Hank Williams, after all), and that there are several gun shots during the course of the show. Both of these caveats were noted in the program.
You have until June 17 to check it out! Don't miss it! Call 601-948-3533 for tickets!
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