By: Marcia Gunderson

Marcia Gunderson — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 09:05:31 +0000

First of all, I feel I should say that I attend Lazy Susan productions often, and I enjoy them very much. As some shows are better and more entertaining than others (such is life), this show is actually very charming and quaint. I fear, though, that Ms. Davis didn’t put a lot of effort into researching the background. Yes, “Smoke on the Mountain” is a bit of an obscure show. It was never meant for Broadway, and therefore can not be compared to a Broadway production. And dinner theatre is the *perfect* venue as it is an intimate setting. The story is based loosely on the Carter family (there’s even a “June”, hmm…) and is set in the back hills of NC, in the late *1930s*. It is not a Baptist church from the “nowadays.” These people were poor and didn’t have much, nor were they “worldly wise.” They were also in a *church* in the *1930s*. If you expected dancing and “holy rollers” you should have looked for a show a couple of decades down the road. All of that being said, I find it a little bit racist, actually, to say that the music/show couldn’t be done justice by a “cast of white folks with fake southern drawls.” In regarding your comment about the food, it’s okay to not enjoy it. We all have different tastes, but to comment that the food was “not quite “atrocious” as had been reported to me” doesn’t seem very objective, and actually left me wanting as to your credibility. I’m sorry that the show wasn’t to your liking. I brought my entire *church-going* family to see it, and everyone enjoyed it immensely. The audience that night, which seemed to be a couple of different church groups of different denominations) also seemed quite entertained, even hugging the actors and thanking them profusely on the way out the door. Some even commented on how closely it was to a real church service! I’m not sure when you saw the show, but maybe you should go back and reevaluate with this extra information. Maybe then, we could take your review a little more seriously.

Comments on: Lazy Susan Dinner Theatre Smoke on the Mountain

By: Marcia Gunderson