PROSSER -- Interested in some Southern-style giggles?
Then head to Prosser for The Hallelujah Girls, a Valley Theater Company production opening Feb. 10 at the Princess Theatre.
The show centers around a group of five Southern belles who gather each Friday at the Spa-Dee-Dah day spa in Eden Falls, Ga., for an afternoon of gossipy fun.
But the get-togethers turn into gripe sessions as the women talk about irritating husbands, problematic children and heartbreaking romance.
The women are led by Sugar Lee, played by Candace Andrews, who has her hands full running interference with all the whining. She tries to motivate her friends Carlene, Bunny, Mavis, Nita and Crystal into making some positive changes in their lives.
"I'm not sure who's going to have more fun when The Hallelujah Girls take the stage -- the actors or the audience," Andrews said. "It's been a whirlwind of laughter and friendship, and that's just the rehearsals."
Mari Page directs the comedy that features Amy Householder as Carlene, Connie Hull as Bunny, Linda Martin as Mavis, SueEllen Davis as Nita and Sue Bray as Crystal. The lone men in the play are Porter Padgett, played by Mike Wall, and Bobby Dwayne, played by Brad Smith.
"This show will inspire and entertain every audience member of any age," Page said. "It's romantic, heartwarming and hysterical."
What the plot boils down to is this: Sugar is feeling frustrated by the unhappiness of her friends' lives. Carlene has given up on romance, having buried three husbands.
Mavis is so miserable in her marriage that she considers faking her own death to escape it. Nita is a nervous wreck dealing with her ex-con son and his volatile relationship with his probation officer.
Then there's Crystal, who provides comic relief by dressing in costumes and singing her own brand of holiday jingles.
Page said The Hallelujah Girls is packed with one-liners and laugh-a-minute dialogue and situations, sort of like Steel Magnolias meets The Golden Girls.
Showtimes are 7:30 p.m. Feb. 10-11, 14 and 17-18. Tickets are $10 adults, $8 students and seniors and are available at Safeway in Grandview, Guerra's Coffee Shop in Sunnyside, Sixth Street Gallery in Prosser, Adventures Underground in Richland or at the door.
The show is for all ages. The Princess Theatre is at 1228 Meade Ave.
*Dori O'Neal: 582-1514; doneal@tricityherald.com
