The Register-Herald, Beckley, West Virginia

Editorials

August 5, 2012

Rocket Boys

Production by TWV great chance to explore another part of our state’s heritage

Large crowds have been reported this week at the Cliffside Amphitheatre in Grandview Park as Theatre West Virginia presents for a second year “Rocket Boys: The Musical.”

Being performed through Aug. 16, the production is a fantastic opportunity for everyone to enjoy the experience of learning more about West Virginia’s heritage through the efforts of several talented actors and actresses.

For several decades, TWV has been bringing us “Honey in the Rock,” a play focusing on the birth of our state, and “Hatfields and McCoys,” a drama depicting a long-standing feud between two families living in West Virginia and Kentucky in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

Those two staple events, as we said before, have been enjoyed by thousands for many years.

Now, “Rocket Boys: The Musical” — based on the book by Coalwood’s own Homer Hickam Jr. and subsequent hit movie “October Sky” — tells the tale of growing up in a rural Appalachian coal town and how perseverance pays off. If you’ve seen it, you know it has all the right stuff to become a live performance favorite.

Hickam himself has been deeply involved in the entire process with TWV and has been in attendance at several of the performances last year and this year. The talented Carl Anthony “Cat” Tramon, who plays Hickam in the musical, leads a cast that provides the audience with an entertaining and often gripping look at another part of our regional heritage.

Many who have been once have returned for an encore performance. If you haven’t been, plan on getting there.

Theatre West Virginia is an important part of our community and has struggled through recent fiscal woes and some bad weather this summer.

Now is the perfect time for southern West Virginians to make it a point to get out and support TWV by attending this wonderful production.

It is guaranteed to be an enjoyable experience for the entire family, and it will help to make sure we have the outdoor dramas being performed at Grandview for years to come.

For ticket information and reservations, you can call TWV at 304-256-6800 or toll-free at 1-800-666-9142, or visit them online at www.theatrewestvirginia.com.

 

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