Editor’s note: This story was updated on March 30 to reflect that Cape Fear Regional Theatre ends it season with Crowns: A Gospel Musical, which opens May 9.
Cape Fear Regional Theatre (CFRT) launched its latest production of the season—Driving Miss Daisy— with a sold-out opening weekend packed with theatrophiles.
Theatergoers got their money’s worth, thanks in part to four-time Daytime Emmy winner Kim Zimmer, best known for role as Reva Shayne on Guiding Light, starring as the lead role Daisy Werthan.
Laura Josepher returns to the director’s seat after directing The Play That Goes Wrong at CFRT and most recently Steel Magonolias. You don’t want to miss this masterful performance. The play was brilliantly done in every way.
The 1987 Pulitzer Prize-winning play was adapted into the 1989 film starring Jessica Tandy, Morgan Freeman, and Dan Aykroyd. It won four Academy Awards and became a global hit, grossing nearly $146 million—or more than $363 million in today’s dollars.
Driving Miss Daisy follows the evolving relationship between Daisy Wethan, a quick-tongued Jewish widow who often says what she’s thinking, and Hoke Coleburn, a patient Black man who was hired by Boolie, Daisy’s son, to drive his aging mother around.
If the plot sounds simple, it’s because it is. But the best things in life are. Before opening night on March 21, I’d never seen Driving Miss Daisy. In 1989, I was an 18-year-old metalhead graduating high school, and let’s just say Driving Miss Daisy wasn’t on my radar. Maybe I thought the story was about a chauffeur driving an older lady around. It’s not. It’s more, much more.
After seeing this wonderfully told story, I can see why it won the Pulitzer Prize, why it’s a story beloved by millions of Americans, and why I know you’d love it. It’s funny, witty, and courageous. Great stories and acting bring out the best in our humanity, and the relationship between Daisy and Hoke does just that.
Marvin Bell, who plays Hoke, did a masterful job and was the perfect pairing with Zimmer’s Miss Daisy. This is Bell’s second appearance at CFRT, having played in The Piano Lesson in 2014. This talented actor is deeply familiar with the role, having played Hoke multiple times in other venues.
Greg King plays Daisy’s son, Boolie Werthan. “You’re a doodle, Mama.”
King is right at home at CFRT after more than 30 productions—and this is his best performance yet. King’s portrayal of Boolie was as equally impressive as Zimmer’s and Bell’s, and he really held his own. His character’s patience with his mother caused me to reflect on the importance of my own patience with those around me.
The story of Driving Miss Daisy is still relevant today, challenging us with themes of dignity in growing older, courage to confront prejudice, and how we form long-lasting bonds of friendship.
I saw Jim Ammons and his wife, Sandy, making a night of it with dinner and a show afterward. I asked Sandy for her thoughts.
“I thought it was wonderful. I saw the movie many years ago and had forgotten a lot of the details of the story. It’s really a great story,” Sandy said. “It was also great to see Kim Zimmer. I’ve been a fan of hers for a long time.”
I also spotted Chris and Katie Herring in the audience. Katie is a theatre instructor at Fayetteville Technical Community College and just finished directing The Sound of Music. I called her after the show to get her thoughts from opening night.
“I thought it was excellent. I had never seen the stage version before. It was sweet, tender, and funny, and very well executed. I thought all three actors were really strong. The staging was really good and made excellent use of the venue,” she said.
Katie then pointed out something I had noticed as well: how the characters were slowly aged over time.
“It was subtle—the way they moved, the way they spoke—gradually shifting throughout the course of the play. It let you know time was moving on and passing between scenes, but it wasn’t so hard or abrupt that it took away from the characters. I loved it. I really enjoyed it,” she said.
Driving Miss Daisy closes on Saturday with two shows. I highly recommend catching this one before it’s gone. For tickets and more info, check online or call the box office at 910-323-4233.
CFRT ends its season with Crowns: A Gospel Musical, which opens May 9. Preview performances start May 7.
