By Jeanni Ritchie
NSU Theatre and Dance brought a little bit of Nashville to Natchitoches this summer with Country Summer Nights, one of the department’s popular summer dinner theatre productions at A.A. Fredericks Auditorium.
It was a little bit Opry, a little Hee Haw, and a whole lot of fun!
Featuring country music from Johnny Cash and John Denver to Shania Twain and Dolly Parton, the show took audiences through decades of country favorites. I sang along to everything from “Strawberry Wine” to “That Don’t Impress Me Much.”
Wearing my Johnny Cash tee, I felt right at home during the Man in Black medley, while a “Take Me Home, Country Roads” and “I Will Always Love You” mash-up was another favorite. The cast nailed the harmonies in “Jolene,” and their rendition of “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” was one of the most entertaining covers of the song I’ve ever seen.
But NSU’s summer dinner theatre is more than a show. Musical numbers are performed between dinner courses, and the performers also serve the guests throughout the evening. The dinner theatre serves as a fundraiser for the Department of Theatre and Dance while giving audiences a unique night out.
I chose the chicken while my friend Tawney opted for the meatloaf, and both the dinner and entertainment kept us happy from start to finish.
Country Summer Nights ran for two weeks in July, with performances July 14-18 and 21-25.
