INDIANAPOLIS — Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre’s next production will be the popular Bluegrass Gospel comedy Smoke on the Mountain, starting Aug. 13.
Maintaining its commitment to a responsible reopening, Beef & Boards is postponing the originally-scheduled production of Disney’s Newsies until the fall of 2021. With a smaller cast, Smoke on the Mountain will allow the performers to follow safety protocols including necessary distancing both on and off stage. Tickets already purchased for Newsies are automatically valid for Smoke on the Mountain at the same date/time.
Set in 1938, Smoke on the Mountain tells the story of the first Saturday Night Gospel Sing at a country church in North Carolina’s Smoky Mountains. The show features two dozen rousing bluegrass songs played and sung by the Sanders Family, a traveling group making its return to performing after a five-year hiatus. Pastor Oglethorpe, the enthusiastic minister of Mount Pleasant Baptist Church, has enlisted the Sanders Family in his efforts to bring his tiny congregation into “the modern world.”
Between songs, each family member “witnesses” — telling a story about an important event in their life. Though they try to appear perfect in the eyes of a congregation who wants to be inspired by their songs, one thing after another goes awry and they reveal their true — and hilariously imperfect — natures. By the show’s end, the endearing members of the Sanders Family have revealed their transgressions and allowed the audience to share in their triumphs.
More information about Beef & Boards’ responsible reopening plan is available on beefandboards.com.
Smoke on the Mountain is rated G, and is on stage for 46 performances through Sept. 27. Tickets range from $47.50 to $72.50 and include a plated meal, unlimited coffee, tea, and lemonade. For tickets call the box office at 317-872-9664 anytime between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays. For complete show schedule, visit beefandboards.com.
