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Photos by Camille Voiles, courtesy of Homewood Theatre.
A scene from “Sandy Toes and Salty Kisses” at Homewood Theatre.
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Photos by Camille Voiles, courtesy of Homewood Theatre.
A scene from “The Fox on the Fairway.”
The next season of shows at the Homewood Theatre promises laughter, suspense, joy and perhaps some heartfelt tears — sometimes all in one show.
Executive Director Kyle Bass said audiences are always in for a treat at the theater, which relocated to downtown Homewood from its Brookwood Mall location last year.
Bass said he is pleased that 90% of the talent for Homewood Theatre shows is local.
The lineup will feature six plays between August and June 2024. Here’s a look at each of the shows.
“Bill Bugg and Friends” kicks off the season the last weekend in August. It features songs, show tunes and standards from the “Great American Songbook, Part 6.” The show will features local actress Kristi Tingle Higginbotham (the first student to receive a musical theater degree from Birmingham-Southern College) and music director Adam King, a Samford University graduate who currently travels with New York City groups like Shades of Bublé, NYC3 and Bachelors of Broadway.
“Bill Bugg was the first show we had in our first ‘real’ season, and the response was wonderful,” Bass said. “We like to call it our good luck charm.”
Shows will be Aug. 25-27 at 7:30 p.m. and Aug. 28 at 2:30 p.m.
“Catch Me if You Can” will follow in October. The comedy murder mystery from the 1960s is unrelated to the book and 2002 film.
This show follows a man on his honeymoon, who calls the local police to investigate his wife’s sudden disappearance.
“A guy is in the Catskills on his honeymoon, and his wife comes up missing,” Bass said. “It isn’t Halloween scary, but it has a lot of suspense. I’ve had to look at a lot of scripts over the years, and this one had us all hooked. I couldn’t put it down.”
Shows will be Oct. 19-20 and 26-27 at 7:30 p.m. and Oct. 22 and 29 at 2:30 p.m.
“Have Yourself a Jazzy Little Christmas” arrives just in time for the holidays.
Bass describes this as a Christmas variety show, similar to the Perry Como holiday specials of yesteryear. Local writer and comedienne Sunny Brown, who co-hosted “A Night at the Cascade Lounge” with Bass last spring, will re-join him in hosting this event.
“This show has a group of world-class jazz musicians, and it is the only performance they do in the Birmingham metro area,” Bass said.
Shows will be Nov. 30 and Dec. 1-2 at 7:30 p.m. and Dec. 3 at 2:30 p.m.
“‘Til Beth Do Us Part” is a comedy written by the same team who created scripts for “The Golden Girls” and the “Hallelujah Girls” play from Homewood Theatre’s last season. The plot revolves around Suzannah Hayden, an executive who hires an efficiency expert, Beth Bailey, to “transform” her home life in addition to her office.
“Her husband is like a couch potato that she wants to whip into shape,” Bass said. “This is a funny, lighthearted one, perfect for a date night or a girls’ night out.”
Shows will be Feb. 1-3 and 8-9 at 7:30 p.m. and Feb. 4 and 11 at 2:30 p.m.
“On Golden Pond” is a 1979 play popularized by the Oscar-winning film of the same name. This family drama revolves around an elderly couple, Ethel and Norman Thayer, who spend every summer at Golden Pond in New England. Norman has an estranged relationship with their daughter Chelsea, who shows up with her new fiance, Bill, and his son Billy.
“The play will have some poignant parts to it, but it won’t be as sad as the movie,” Bass said.
Shows will be April 11-13 and 18-20 at 7:30 p.m. and April 14 and 21 at 2:30 p.m.
“Sylvia” will be the final performance of the season. It’s based on an Off-Broadway comedy by A.R. Gurney about a couple who adopt a dog. The husband, Greg, develops an unusually strong attachment to the dog, which threatens his marriage to his wife, Kate.
“We actually have an actress who plays the dog,” Bass said. “And since Homewood is so pet-friendly, we’re trying to find a way to incorporate that into the show. We would be remiss not to do something.”
Shows will be May 30-June 1 and June 6-8 at 7:30 p.m. and June 2 and 9 at 2:30 p.m.
Bass said that the theater’s reception last year after the relocation was overwhelmingly positive, and, as director of a few of the shows himself, he looks forward to entertaining audiences this year. As a bonus, Bass said, restaurants in the SoHo Square offer a 15% discount to those with ticket stubs who want to dine near the theater before the show.
The Homewood Theatre is located at 1831 28th Ave. S. All performances will be on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights at 7:30 pm and Sundays at 2:30 pm. Individual tickets and season tickets are available for purchase online at homewoodtheatre.com.
