Friday, March 14 will be opening night for the spring musical at JHS “Hollywood Hillbillies.”
The musical centers around a tight-knit group of hillbillies living in a fictional small town called Happy Hollow. For Gram, Cindy Lou, Clem, Bubba and others, everyday life is very dull and simple until “folks” from Hollywood come to town. Visitors include relatives Josephine and Charlotte, film directors Larry and Isabell, the strange Mr. Foxhall and his nurse Lucy, and the highway workers Opal and Ralph, among others.
The hillbillies are very accepting of each new visitor, but they struggle with the events that change their once normal lives. As the musical continues, ALL the characters are faced with obstacles in their paths. How they choose to overcome that obstacle is what makes the musical so unique and entertaining.
The Director, Mrs. Smith, said that the musical has “lots of action” with tons of “slap stick kind of humor.” She said this year lots of practices had to be cancelled because of snow days but that didn’t stop the cast from working “even harder” and having many extra practices. She’s very proud of the cast and hopes everyone will come out to support them.
Megan Heitbrink, a sophomore who plays one of lead characters Gram Hawley, described the musical as “very unique” with “catchy music and hilarious characters.” She said that if you come see the show you definitely will be entertained and laughing the whole time.
Adam Blue, also a sophomore who plays the role of Charles, agreed with Megan by saying that everyone who sees the show “will enjoy it” because the cast is so amazing and “great to be around.”
Senior Anna Fergurson, who plays Isabelle Phelps, said that the whole cast has “spent a lot of time and effort putting it [the musical] together,” but she doesn’t mind the hard work because “spending time with people who are talented is always exciting.” She also said that everyone will enjoy watching the show because “it’s funny” and “every character will make anyone chuckle.”
As a senior, this is Anna’s last show at JHS. When asked about how she felt about that she said, “Of course, it’s sad, but I’m glad I was a part of something so special.”
If you’re interested in coming to a performance and supporting this amazing cast, remember that tickets are $5 and can be purchased at the door. Friday and Saturday performances are at 7:00 and the final Sunday performance starts at 2:00.