Pine Belt theatergoers are apparently excited about the initial production of the Sumrall Development Foundation’s “Smoke on the Mountain” July 13-15 at Cotton Ginnovations if ticket sales are any indication.
Dr. Stephen Beam, an actor in the production and Sumrall Development Foundation president, said the cast and crew of the highly-anticipated musical event are “at a good place.”
“We have no Friday tickets left,” he said about the 7 p.m. start. “And, we are also getting a little thin on Saturday (at 7 p.m.) and Sunday (at 2 p.m.). We’re excited about it, and I’m sure we are going to do very, very well.
“If anybody contacts us, we will do everything we can to try to find them a seat.”
“Smoke on the Mountain” uses songs that are old hymns with original and bluegrass songs added. The cast plays their own instruments, and Beam said the cast practiced this week for the first time with a bluegrass band.
The setting is in a Mount Pleasant, North Carolina Baptist church in 1938 and it revolves around the Sanders family, which is delayed from performing at the musical revival. Reverend Oglethorpe gets the service going. The Sanders family arrives and Burl is the patriarch, Stanley is Burl's brother, Vera is the family matriarch, Denise and Dennis are fraternal twins and June does interpretive signs.
Performing as Burl Sanders is John Parker, who has been appearing on local stages for more than 25 years. He is a past president of HCLO and has also performed for the American Cancer Society, Red Cross and the Krewes of Elks and Zeus.
Playing the part of Vera Sanders is Toni Smith Hudson, who is making her debut performance. She enjoys singing in the Sumrall United Methodist Church choir and enjoying time with family and friends.
Stanley Sanders is played by Beam, who has been in several HCLO musicals. He serves as president of the Sumrall Development Foundation as well as president of the Sumrall Community Theatre Board. Beam is Medical Director of the VA clinic, Work Well Clinic and Fellowship Health Clinic – a free medical clinic for those in financial need. He is married to Mississippi Supreme Court Justice Dawn Beam, who is the show’s producer.
As June Sanders, Jana LeAnne Clinton is a freshman at Sumrall High School. She has attended the USM Summer Theatrical Camp and is a member of the Sumrall High School Classy Cats Dance Team, Sumrall High School a capella group Traces Of Blue, Sumrall High School Legacy Showchoir ,and was a part of Sumrall Middle School Impact Showchoir since sixth grade. She also participated in the Miss Mississippi Pageant as a princess to Miss Mississippi 2015 Hannah Roberts Badon. This is also Clinton’s theatrical debut.
Carter Templeton, a junior at Sumrall High School, is making his acting debut in the role of Dennis Sanders. He is a member of Sumrall Legacy Show Choir and Concert Choir and has received many honors in these activities.
For Denise Sanders, another debut is being made by Chloe Nicole Albert, a freshman at Sumrall High School. She is a member of the award-winning Sumrall Legacy show choir and has been a member of Sumrall’s Impact since sixth grade. This year, Albert won the Mississippi Show Choir solo competition at Pearl River Community College and was asked to perform the National Anthem for the minor league baseball team, the Biloxi Shuckers Baseball team.
David Williamson makes his first appearance on the Sumrall stage as the Pastor. He is an active member of Sumrall United Methodist Church and enjoys coaching and playing sports.
The stage manager for the production is Belle Temple, a jewelry designer who started her creative journey in Dallas, Texas. Temple is co-owner with her mom of BackWORDS by Belle to raise awareness and understanding about dyslexia. She was an extra in the Lifetime movie “Christmas in Mississippi” with actor Gary Grubbs.
Musical director is Jeffery Coulter, who is in his 12th year of teaching and his 10th year as director of Choral Activities at Sumrall High School. His duties include coordinating all aspects of the choral music department. Also, he conducts the Concert Choir, “Legacy” Show Choir, female a cappella group “Traces of Blue,” Sumrall Middle School Concert Choir and the “Impact” Show Choir. He was named the “Teacher of the Year” by Sumrall High School in 2016 and the “Educator of the Year” in 2017 by the Sumrall Development Foundation. He also serves as Minister of Music at Sumrall United Methodist Church.
Lisa Lott-Haddox, who made Meridian her home in 1989, is the show’s director. She was involved in the community as a member of the Meridian Little Theatre Guild, MLT Board of Directors and Meridian Museum of Art.
She has filmed many commercials and starred in TNN's "Quail on the Rise,” LeMaxim Hair Salon commercial, Hungry Heifer Valentine commercial and New South Ford/ Nissan commercial. Recently, Lott-Haddox was also an extra in the Lifetime movie "Christmas in Mississippi." She is a member of Heritage United Methodist Church.
Tickets for the performances are $15 for adults and $10 for children.
