Hot (and humid) ticket

Feb. 8—Every time the Cullman Community Theatre has staged a dinner show, all of its seatings have sold out completely. But the upcoming local production of Steel Magnolias — slated for four fully-catered showings next weekend — has eclipsed even that, becoming the fastest-selling ticket in the five-year history of the newly-revivified group.

"It's a production that I've been wanting to do for years," says director Rodney Basenburg, a Cullman native and retired teacher with an abiding love for all things theatrical. "I guess it was a good idea — because we sold out in a week! That was a good feeling, to see that it was such a popular show."

The Community Theatre's production of the dramatic comedy hews closely to the original 1987 stage play from author Robert Harling, says Basenburg, rather than the immensely popular ensemble film (featuring Dolly Parton, Sally Field, Julia Roberts, Shirley MacLaine, Daryl Hannah and Olympia Dukakis) that followed it two years later. The six-member cast is all female, drawn from a local casting call that elicited a big reaction from fans of Steel Magnolias' bittersweet mix of humor and heart.

"We've got this incredible cast, and that owes to such a great response that we've had from the community," Basenburg explains. "There were 22 people who auditioned for the six roles in this performance, so the interest was definitely strong."

For the first time, next weekend's dinner theatre will hold court in the heart of downtown Cullman, taking up a four-day residence at the Traditions Bank event venue located at the corner of First Street and Third Avenue NW. Meals will be catered by Hartselle's Freight House restaurant, in an intimate and up-close setting that puts the focus squarely on the play's half-dozen leads.

Basenburg's a big believer in the talent and commitment he's gotten from his tight-knit group of local actors, which includes Carron Clark as M'Lynn Eatenton; Savannah Smith as Shelby Eatenton-Latcherie; Melissa Lawler as Truvy Jones; Drenda Walker as Ouiser Boudreaux; Chellie Letson as Annelle Dupuy-Desoto; and Laura Harris as Clairee Belcher.

"This cast has been so wonderful," he says. "They really carry the production. The play takes place with just the six of them in the beauty salon that Trudy's husband has converted in her garage, and these are women who have a strength that, a lot of times, men don't have. They're the mainstay of the family; the backbone — and this deals with that in a very poignant way."

With every Steel Magnolias seat really and truly spoken for, there're no tickets left to sell, and thus nothing to promote in terms of spreading the local word about the play's Feb. 16-19 showings. But Community Theatre productions operator Noah Carpenter hopes the play's current buzz will carry over into the summer: Though the date hasn't yet been set, he's already planning the group's next adventure — a larger-scale production of the Biblically-themed musical Children of Eden.

"We've had three dinner shows so far, and that's in a community that's only ever seen musicals locally," says Carpenter, reflecting on the local group's resurgence over the past five years. "All three of them have sold out, though this was the fastest. We're fortunate to be surrounded by a community of people who support the arts, and we'd love to see that kind of enthusiasm continue as we look ahead."

To keep up with casting calls, production news, and other updates as they arrive, follow the Cullman Community Theatre on Facebook @CullmanCommunityTheatre.