Annual senior Hee Haw revue gets new home for 2023

Aug. 3—Since 2018, a gaggle of gifted local senior citizens have been kickin' up comedic dust storms each year with nostalgically funny musical revue shows based on the down-home variety series Hee Haw. This year, they're getting set to do it again — only this time on a bigger stage, and with a little bit of classic TV comedy crossover.

Under the creative eye of Jamie Looney — the writer, director, and senior advocate who started the yearly string of productions five years ago — local seniors already are rehearsing for a pair of local autumn performances that will highlight Hee Haw (of course), while adding a story twist that folds in characters from The Beverly Hillbillies and The Andy Griffith Show.

The yearly shows always resonate with audiences, many of whom arrive as first-time attendees and depart with an amazed appreciation of local seniors' musical, acting, and (especially) comedic talent. The shows always have involved the participation of dozens of senior citizens, though Looney says this year's crossover revue is easily the group's biggest yet.

They're probably going to need a big venue to accommodate all the sets, props, and fully-costumed characters that bring the laughs of the past's TV favorites to life — and as luck would have it, they've got one. This year's big event — dubbed by Looney as "Mayberry Goes To Hee Haw" — will unfold under the lights of the Betty Leeth Haynes Theatre on the campus of Wallace State.

The Sept. 14 show fires up at 7 p.m., with the event's $10 per-person admission fee going to cover the nonprofit's production costs, as well as food for a designated senior community event to be selected later this year. For Looney, it's all about blending bits and pieces of beloved small-town humor in ways longtime TV fans can appreciate ... even if it means weaving an out-of-bounds crossover story that might just make Barney Fife's eyes pop.

"It's got The Beverly Hillbillies in it; they're the ones who go through the town of Mayberry and get pulled over by Barney," she laughs. "They're in that horrible-looking car, so Barney tries to take them to jail. But Andy comes along and says, 'Well, let's just escort them to the Hee Haw show they're trying to get to.' My mind just goes to crazy places when I write, I guess — we've even got characters from Mama's Family in there!"

It takes about three months of rehearsal, set building, and other preparation to stage each year's big Hee Haw throwdown, says Looney. In addition to the Sept. 14 show, the group also plans to perform at Cullman's Donald Green Center — a longtime rehearsal and performance spot — with a daytime show on Oct. 26.

"We really appreciate Wallace State for welcoming us and allowing us to have our production up there," says Looney. "It does our seniors a world of good, and this year, we're even dipping into the 'younger' age range with some folks taking part who are in their 50s and 60s. I'm excited for all of our seniors, because they really do work so hard to put these shows on. They have a lot of fun doing it, but they really do give it their all."