Saw the movie, was good. Expected, eh. As parents of a dead child, we don’t enjoy seeing plays about dead children the day before Mother’s Day, but our friend Shannon Mayhall was in this production at the Drendel Ballroom at Sun City, Huntley, so we like to see her.
We had the dinner + show package. For $40 each we got front table seating, a slightly old salad followed by broasted chicken, beef roast, mashed potatoes, green beans, all served family style and with a cash bar. Dessert was double chocolate cake and coffee. Food was not anything you would not find at a low-end wedding banquet, but was good.
Our party of four sat with two more couples, both residents of Sun City. They seemed to enjoy living there, and Howard in our party had mutual work acquaintances with one of the couples. Small world.
The set was a simple hair salon set, chairs and register to left, door and chairs to right. The actresses were all good, but Shannon’s M’Lynn Eatenton and Chris Kelecius’ Ouiser characters stole the show. I found it interesting that the men were central to the story, and we ended up knowing a lot about them, but they were never seen on stage.
Shannon really lit out in her cry of pain at the end. We could feel her pain, God yes.
Steel Magnolias at the Sun City-Prairie Lodge, Drendel Ballroom
Marco Woods Productions