Published: August 07, 2009 02:04 pm      

Playhouse will stage ghostly sequel

BY RUTH RICE

RRICE@TRIBDEM.COM

Can an angel have a ghost?

It does in this musical sequel.

“Bubba’s Revenge,” the sequel to “Honky Tonk Angels,” will be onstage Aug. 18-30 at Mountain Playhouse, Jennerstown.

The show was written by Ted Swindley, who wrote “Always ... Patsy Cline” in addition to the original “Honky Tonk Angels.”

It is being directed by Chan Harris, who directed “Honky Tonk Angels” at the playhouse in 2004.

Mary Ehlinger, who starred as Angela in 2004, is returning in the same role.

“She’s the only one of the original three who is coming back,” Harris said.

The other angels are Juliet Brooks as Darlene and Ashley Puckett Gonzales as Sue Ellen.

The play begins with Darlene, who is a country star, being killed when a giant disco ball falls and strikes her while she is onstage.

Darlene is a ghost for the rest of the show, and only Angela’s husband, Bubba, can see her.

Everyone decides to do a reunion concert in Darlene’s honor, and the setting will be Hillbilly Heaven, the club where the angels first performed and which they have inherited.

Angela brings Bubba, who doesn’t have the enthusiasm of Darlene’s fans.

“We want to celebrate Darlene’s life, but he has a chip on his shoulder,” Ehlinger said.

“He needs to embrace the music everyone else loves and accept people for who and what they are.”

The other characters must learn to accept him, too, and realize there is more to him than being a redneck.

“This is a play about people being underestimated,” Harris said. “Those snap judgements we all make that are usually not true are the core of the show.

“This is an outrageous musical, and I have an extremely funny group of actors who are very inventive,” he added.

Music is the most important aspect of the show, and genres run the gamut from The Carpenters and The Beatles to gospel and country.

“The lyrics reflect the story line,” Ehlinger said.

Harris added that it can make a song funnier or sweeter when the actor is in character.

A fast-moving and fun gospel medley in the second act will include snippets of 15 to 20 old-time gospel songs.

“There will be a band on stage, and they’re integral to the show,” Ehlinger said.

The musicians are Terry Osman on keyboard, Mark Weakland on percussion, Nathan Santos on bass, Beth Pile on fiddle, Joe Golden on guitar and Bob Crafton on pedal steel guitar.

Frederic Heringes has been cast in the title role of Bubba, and the rest of the cast will be rounded out by Eric Deiboldt and Matthew Steffens.