The Tellico Community Players will present the musical “Honky Tonk Angels,” featuring music from Tammy Wynette, Dolly Parton and Loretta Lynn, next month at the Tellico Community Playhouse in Tellico Village.
The musical, which includes hits like “Stand By Your Man,” “Coal Miner’s Daughter” and “9 to 5,” will take place at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 15-17 and Oct. 22-24 at the playhouse, with a matinee taking place at 1:30 p.m. Oct. 25.
The cast, which is being directed by Village resident Joan Dorsey, portrays three women, including Hiwassee College student Zarianna Hurley playing the role of Darlene, Tellico Village resident Sauni Rinehart as Sue Ellen and city of Loudon resident Loretta Miller playing the role of Angela.
“I have a fabulous cast,” Dorsey said. “Two of them are new to the Players. Loretta Miller is new to the players. (In the musical), she’s married to a redneck beer drinking guy named Bubba. Sue Ellen is the proverbial secretary. They all have a life they’re unhappy with. Zarianna was in ‘Annie Get Your Gun’ when we did it four years ago. She was just 15 then. She is now a drama student at Hiwassee College. This is the first time that I’ve only directed a play with three in a musical.”
Rinehart, who recently relocated to East Tennessee from Southern California, has played various roles including Marmee in “Little Women,” Aunt Dete in “Heidi” and Mrs. Higgins in “Pygmalion.”
“I’m excited to be doing this with these other two women who are extremely talented,” Rinehart said. “Between the three of us, I think we’re going to have a great time, which will allow the audience to have a great time.”
Rinehart participated in theater during high school and college before taking a long break.
“About nine years ago, there was just some things happening in my life where I needed to do something to get out of real life for a while,” Rinehart said. “I went in and was very fortunate to be cast into the first show I auditioned for.”
Dorsey, who previously taught English for 18 years before receiving an opportunity to teach theater at the Philadelphia (Pa.) High School for the Creative and Performing Arts, has experience as a professional director and actress.
“If anyone told me I would land up in Tennessee in cowboy boots from northeastern Ohio by way of Philadelphia, Pa., to Florida, I would have never believed it,” Dorsey said.
“Honky Tonk Angels” represents the new theater’s first musical for the Players’ 25th anniversary.
“Our hope is always to provide excellent entertainment to our audience and to sell a lot of tickets,” Len Willis, producer of “Honky Tonk Angles,” said. “Those are the two main kind of goals we have. To also provide an opportunity to be involved with the backstage, the lights and sound. We’re all volunteers, and we’re all doing it since we all like it.”
Rinehart said she discovered the Tellico Community Playhouse while house hunting with her husband in Tellico Village.
“In Southern California, the closest theater was 18 miles away which relates to being 30 minutes to an hour away with traffic,” Rinehart said. “I wasn’t actually planning on getting involved as early as I did. ‘Honky Tonk Angels’ sounded like something fun to do. One of my things is I love to make people happy, and I love to make people smile. It’s a fun show. There’s a lot of things going on.”
Between June 2009 and March 2015, Rinehart said she participated in 11
shows.
“It was tremendous, tremendous fun,” Rinehart said. “It was never something that I ever wanted to do as a career.”
Tickets may be purchased 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday-Friday starting Sept. 28 at the Tellico Community Playhouse box office, located at 304 Lakeside Plaza, or by visiting http://www.tellicocommunityplayhouse.org.
