GRANDVIEW -
The famous "Hatfields & McCoys" feud will come to life again this summer at Cliffside Amphitheatre near Beckley. Theatre West Virginia's 52nd season will begin on June 12 with "Honey in the Rock," the nation's oldest Civil War drama. "Hatfields & McCoys," the violent dispute that made the mountains bleed red, opens June 13. These two historical dramas will run in rotating repertory through July 27.
As is the tradition, there is no admission charge for the opening nights of both "Honey in the Rock" and "Hatfields & McCoys" to anyone who brings a staple food item, with all donations being distributed to local charities.
Rounding out the season will be the return of "Rocket Boys the Musical," August 1-16. "Rocket Boys" had its world premiere at Theatre West Virginia last summer, playing to sell-out crowds.
"Honey in the Rock" was TWV's premiere production, beginning in 1961. The show is filled with conflict, music and dance and paints a vivid portrait of a state born from a nation torn. The historical saga was written by Kermit Hunter, with music and lyrics by Ewel Cornett and Jack Kilpatrick. It will be directed by J. J. Cobb.
Billy Edd Wheeler's interpretation of "Hatfields & McCoys" joined the TWV line-up in 1970, with music also by Ewel Cornett. Whether the dispute started over a hog or the ill-fated romance of Roseanna McCoy and Johnse Hatfield or was fueled by yellow journalism, the dispute between the West Virginia Hatfields and the McCoys of Kentucky spawned battles and bloodshed for decades. Marion Waggoner is the director.
"Rocket Boys the Musical" is based on the 1998 bestseller by West Virginia native and NASA engineer Homer Hickam and the 1999 film "October Sky." In Hickam's memoir, Homer sees Sputnik, the world's first satellite, fly across the 1957 October sky. This singular event catapults him to reach for the stars and reject his coal-mining roots to join the space race. "Rocket Boys" takes place in Coalwood, a short drive from Grandview's Cliffside Amphitheatre.
"If you look at most of the musicals about Americana, the characters are typically written superficially," said Tramon. "What's so great about this book and musical is that the people are not only real, but extraordinary, and without pretense. They work staggeringly hard, fight passionately, think remarkably, laugh hysterically, and above all, love completely. To me that exemplifies West Virginia. How refreshing it will be, I think, to the native audience, to see their home depicted with such vibrant authenticity."
Concerts are back at Theatre West Virginia this summer. The Embers will perform their soulful beach music on June 22, and the always-popular Phil Dirt and the Dozers will perform old time rock ‘n' roll classics on August 17. The concerts begin at 8 pm and are being presented as fundraisers for TWV.
Tickets for Theatre West Virginia's productions may be purchased at 800-666-9142 or online at www.theatrewestvirginia.com . Tickets range $7 - $19 for all theatrical performances. All concert tickets are $22.
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