Steel Magnolias, Music Theatre of Connecticut, Norwalk, USA

Andrea Lynn Green (Shelby), Kristi Carnahan (Ouiser),
Rachel Rival (Annelle), Raissa Katona Bennett (Truvy)
Steel Magnolias

While we had seen, and loved, the 1989 film, Steel Magnolias starring Sally Field, Dolly Parton, Shirley MacLaine, Daryl Hannah, Olympia Dukakis, and Julia Roberts, to name but a few members of the stellar cast, little did we know that the film was an adaptation of Robert Harling’s 1987 play, Steel Magnolias. For us, it was a case of learning about which came first, the chicken or the egg. In this case, the play was the first version.

Andrea Lynn Green (Shelby)
Steel Magnolias

Interesting to note is that Robert Harling wrote the play as a tribute to his sister. At a loss with how to cope with the death of his sister in 1985 from type 1 diabetes, a friend encouraged him to write down his feelings and thus ten days later he had written a play. Steel Magnolias first played Off-Broadway in March 1987, followed by a three-year run on Broadway beginning in June 1987. The plot remains as enduring and endearing as it was when it ran in 1987.

Kala Monroe (M’Lynn)
Steel Magnolias

We had the pleasure of seeing the Music Theatre of Connecticut’s performance of Steel Magnolias on Friday, November 8, 2019, and fell in love with the story, and its amazing cast of characters all over again. Set inthe South in a small town in Louisiana from 1987-1988, the play takes place in Truvy’s beauty salon (played by Raissa Katona Bennett) where the important ladies of the town gather not only to have their hair styled, but for the friendship and juicy gossip and advice as well, that Truvy and her assistant Annelle, (played by Rachel Rival), happily dish out to entertain their lively clientele including the well-to-do but continually disgruntled Ouiser (played by Kristi Carnahan), the group’s social leader M’Lynn (played by Kala Moore), Shelby, M’Lynn’s daughter who is getting married (played by Andrea Lynn Green), and the wise-cracking, sports and sweets loving, cheerful, wealthy widow, Clairee (played by Cynthia Hannah).

Kristi Carnahan (Ouiser)
Steel Magnolias

It is a play that will have you running the gamut of emotions from laughing out loud from their wise-cracking outrageous comments to crying along with the ladies as they try to make sense and cope with life’s tragedies and move on.

Raissa Katona Bennett (Truvy)
Steel Magnolias

From Ouiser, "I’m not crazy, I’ve just been in a very bad mood for 40 years." From Clairee with a gleam in her eye, "If you don’t have anything nice to say about anybody…come and sit by me." FromTruvy, "Laughter through tears is my favorite emotion." With smart and snappy dialogue like that deftly delivered by a truly talented cast, how could you not come to love these Southern ladies?

Raissa Katona Bennett (Truvy), Kala Monroe (M’Lynn)
Steel Magnolias

The play Steel Magnolias is about the strong bonds of women friends in the face of adversity and life’s everyday trials and tribulations. Whether laughing together in the good times or crying together during times of sadness, make no mistake, the women of Truvy’s beauty salon epitomize the phrase, "steel magnolias," meaning there is strength under their froth of femininity.

Rachel Rival (Annelle), Cynthia Hannah (Clairee)
Steel Magnolias

Steel Magnolias performance schedule: Fridays at 8:00 pm, Saturdays at 4:00 pm and 8:00 pm, and Sundays at 2:00 pm.

The play runtime is 2 hours plus a 15-minute intermission.

Until next time, keep enjoying and supporting the arts!

Cast:

The Creative Team:

For information on the play or to purchase tickets, please call the box office at +1-203-454-3883 or visit them on the website at www.MusicTheatreofCT.com

For information on upcoming events and other performances, please visit the website: www.musictheatreofct.com

Upcoming Performances – 2019 and 2020

About MTC

"Music Theatre of Connecticut is the premier provider of musical theatre performance and training. Founded in 1987, we produce an annual series of Equity productions featuring New York professionals (MTC MainStage), numerous annual student productions, and a conservatory-style School of Performing Arts with curriculum-based training for students ages four through high school, including the nationally-recognized College-Bound in the Performing Arts program for performance career-focused high school students."

Music Theatre of Connecticut
509 Westport Avenue
(Enter the Bright Beginnings parking lot and look for MTC’s orange awning)
Norwalk, Connecticut 06851
United States
Box Office: +1-203-454-3883
Fax: +1-203-557-0496
Website: www.MusicTheatreofCT.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MusicTheatreCT
Instagram: @musictheatrect
Twitter: @musictheatrect

Follow the Music Theatre of Connecticut on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/MusicTheatreCT

Follow Luxury Experience on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/LuxuryExperience to see photos and videos.

Follow Luxury Experience on Twitter at https://www.twitter.com/luxurypair @luxurypair

Follow Luxury Experience on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/luxurypair @luxurypair

© November 2019. Luxury Experience www.LuxuryExperience.com. All rights reserved.