Carey Dinner Theatre Presents Pump Boys and Dinettes
Hattiesburg, MS, June 30, 2014 - William Carey University's Carey Dinner Theatre will present the popular country music-themed comedy "Pump Boys and Dinettes" July 8-19 in the Joe and Virginia Tatum Theatre.
Set in a diner and gas station on Hwy 57 half way between Smyrna and Frog Level, Georgia, "Pump Boys and Dinettes" tells the story of four "good ole boys" and two sassy waitresses as they describe life on their stretch of highway. Jackson (Jason Piglia of Picayune), L.M. (Ben Salters of Ocean Springs), Eddie (Joey Roderick of Blue Ridge, GA), and Jim (Kevar Maffitt of Olive Branch), Prudie (Jordan Dobbins of Florence, AL), and Rhetta (Olivia Broome of Carson) bring L.M.'s Garage and the Double Cupp Diner to life with award winning songs such as "Be Good or Be Gone," "Farmer Tan," and "The Night Dolly Parton Was Almost Mine."
Featuring pianist Tae Young Hong of Seoul, South Korea, the play uses a variety of instrumentalists including Allison Gilliard of Tallahassee, FL, on fiddle, Piglia on drums and bass, Roderick on guitar and bass, and Salters on bass. Even kitchen utensils are utilized as percussion.
Conceived and written by John Foley, Mark Hardwick, Debra Monk, Cass Morgan, John Schimmel and Jim Wann, the show moved from off-Broadway to Broadway, where it received a Tony Award nomination for Best Musical of 1982. It would finish its run after more than 570 performances and enjoy a revival in 2011. Critics have deemed the show "a fantastic slice of Americana," and the New York Post says that it is "totally terrific."
Tim Matheny of the WCU theatre and communication faculty directs the 19 song show and Melissa Beauvais, adjunct dance instructor, choreographs the country music-themed show. The musical director is Howard Keever, professor of music theory at WCU. The design team includes technical director and set designer Cody Stockstill of the Mississippi State University faculty; lighting designer Chris Wooten; and costume designer Kelly James-Penot of the University of Southern Mississippi faculty. The tech crew includes costume design assistant Rebecca Traylor of Vicksburg, and technicians Gabby D'Arcangelo of Olive Branch; Allison Gilliard; Andrew Malone of Hattiesburg; Michaela Moore of Biloxi; Sean Murphy of Ocean Springs; Joey Roderick; Caitlyn Shows of Carriere; and Michele Walker of Madison.
"This is the perfect show for a venue like Carey Dinner Theatre," says managing director Obra Quave. "Our audience receives a unique dining encounter by being served their meal by the cast and crew and, with the musical already set in a diner, the audience becomes part of the experience."
The box office is open daily from 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and reservations can be made by calling (601) 318-6221. Tickets are $29 and include buffet meal, sales tax and show.