BIG HAIR bands, leg warmers, neon spandex, mullets, perms, and ultra-teased bangs, bright geometric shapes, and colorful wind suits — each of these reminds us of the 1980s. But this era, with its “bigger is better” attitude, when boomboxes and camcorders were so bulky we carried them on our shoulders, wouldn’t have been complete without the iconic script, endearing Southern characters, and one-liners made famous by “Steel Magnolias.”
So it isn’t any wonder that fans of “Steel Magnolias” flocked to The Fly Dinner Theater in such record numbers this past December that they squeezed in two additional back-to-back performances. Before the curtain closed, they’d had seven completely sold-out shows!
A meager $500 production budget, a loveseat breaking mid-rehearsal, and an HVAC unit failing during a performance couldn’t squelch the spirits of all involved. As Truvy famously said, “Laughter through tears is my favorite emotion.” This sentiment rang true as touching moments were not only experienced by the actresses in “Truvy’s Beauty Shop” on stage, but all across the audience.
President of The Fly Arts Center, Jody Barnes Turner, said, “Our theater director, Keith Davis, selected ‘Steel Magnolias’ earlier in the year. As a nonprofit, our annual dinner theater is a key fundraiser, and Keith had the insight to recognize that this production would resonate with our audience — and it truly did. We discovered that nearly 60% of tickets were sold before public release, which led us to add an additional performance.”
Doors opened at 6 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 5, for dinner catered by Koffee Beanz, owned by Katelyn McClain Norris, and the show started at 7 p.m. Between Dec. 5-7 and Dec. 12-14, a record 780 tickets were sold!
Turner said, “Each year we offer season tickets, typically during the holiday season, which allows patrons to choose two, five, or all seven productions at a reduced rate. Season ticket holders also receive priority seating, followed by Fly members, before tickets are released to the general public.”
If you haven’t visited The Fly’s updated facility, signed up for free monthly art classes, toured the updated museum, shopped at their Makers Market, or heard about their brand-new youth theater and its upcoming performances, you are missing out!
For more information or to see a schedule of upcoming performances, go to www.flyartscenter.com.
