Cape Fear Regional Theatre’s latest offering made its official opening Saturday night with a sold-out weekend.
The story of Steel Magnolias, originally written as a play, made its way to the big screen in 1989, becoming a Southern cult classic. Written by Robert Harling, it revolves around a group of Southern women in a hair salon in small-town America.
There’s plenty of laughs and zany characters, but there’s also heartbreak that brings the characters together. It’s about the bond of friendship and how they cope with loss. Mix that with gossip thicker than red nail polish and you have Steel Magnolias.
In 1989 I was a senior in high school when the movie was all the rage, but the story of Steel Magnolias was not on the radar of an 18-year-old metalhead. So, it was a real pleasure to see Saturday’s opening and let Cape Fear Regional Theatre tell the story of this entertaining classic.
The story
Steel Magnolias began with previews on Thursday and Friday, and Laura Josepher is back at the theater directing the production. (You may know her from The Play That Goes Wrong.)
The play is set in Truvy Jones’s beauty salon — once a garage converted by Truvy’s “couch slug” husband. Truvy hires Annelle Dupuy-Desoto, a young girl who comes in off the street. We discover Annelle may be on the run from her husband who may be wanted by the law.
Adding to the character-driven plot are frequent salon clientele such as M’Lynn Eatenton and her daughter and the soon-to-be-married Shelby. Shelby, who has been diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, announces she’s pregnant, which sends her mother in a tizzy due to her daughter’s health complications.
Then there’s cranky Ouiser (pronounced Weezie) Boudreaux who adds drama to the salon with her set-in-her-ways personality. And finally, there’s the widower and town’s former first lady Clairee Belcher, a sports fanatic who brings her sense of humor to the mix. The combination of personalities and town drama adds zest to the story. It’s business as usual in the small town salon until tragedy strikes one of their own.
With Steel Magnolias, Cape Fear Regional Theatre transported the audience back to the ‘80s. They plunge you into the big hair, big shoulders, bold colors and patterns, macrame pot holders, that country Pepto-Bismol pink and Williamsburg blue; colors you normally see paired with country lace and flower pattern wallpaper. Charles Glenn Johnson, the scenic designer for Cape Fear Regional Theatre, did an outstanding job with the set with his attention to detail.
While Cape Fear Regional Theatre’s space on Hay Street undergoes renovations, the theater’s new home at 1707 Owen Drive gives the audience an immersed and intimate feeling that pairs especially well with Steel Magnolias. You’ll feel as if you’re a customer in the room waiting to get your hair done, listening in on the small-town gossip. The seating brings you close — to the hairspray, the helmet hair and the funny expressions the sassy characters give each other.
Beth Orr Dees, a Fayetteville resident who attended Saturday’s opening, said she went because her family has always loved the movie and often quote from it. “You know I love you more than my luggage,” is one of her favorites.
“There were a lot of the same favorite lines from the movie. I thought they did a fantastic job to just have this one set. The cast is six people, that’s it. The story still moved just like it did in the movie,” Dees said.
Top-shelf performers
Each of the six actors delivers top-shelf performances with quick wits and sharp deliveries. Danette Holden, who you may remember as Mother Superior from Cape Fear Regional Theatre’s Sister Act, plays M’Lynn. Holden has steller Broadway plays on her resume and puts on a great performance as the mother of Shelby. Libby McNeill Seymour, who plays the town’s former first lady and widower Clairee, is right at home on the Cape Fear Regional Theatre stage. Both actors appear courtesy of Actors’ Equity Association, the union of professional actors and stage managers in the United States, and I recommend seeing them while you can.
The play lasts about two hours with one 15-minute intermission.
The play runs until April 13 and the theater recommends getting your tickets to this popular show early. There’s also Military Appreciation Night on April 2, and Teacher Appreciation Night on April 4.
I enjoyed this production and recommend it. It’s beautifully written and performed and you’ll find something or someone in it you can relate to. Steel Magnolias is entertaining, full of heart and sass. For more information, visit the Cape Fear Regional Theatre’s website or call the box office at 910-323-4233.
Editor’s note: A previous version of this review incorrectly stated Libby McNeill Seymour is a newcomer to the Cape Fear Regional Theatre stage. Seymour has appeared in several of the theater’s productions over the years. This review has been updated with the correction information. CityView apologizes for this error.
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