A woman lost her husband to leukemia. Her friends launched a fundraiser to buy a sofa for the hospital’s waiting room in his memory. They hoped to raise about $1,000. Instead, they raised millions — for the sofa, a hospital wing, and ongoing leukemia and lymphoma research.
This true story is immortalized in Tim Firth’s Calendar Girls, running at Hendersonville Theatre from February 10-19 as well as March 3-5. Tickets are $17-25 and are available online at HVLtheatre.org or by calling the Box Office at (828) 692-1082. Groups of 10 or more receive a 10 percent discount.
Calendar Girls is supported by the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, and the Arts Council of Henderson County.
“We are very proud to open with a show that reveals so much heart and emotion,” said Victoria Lamberth, HT Artistic Director. “It’s a story of personal growth, challenges and empowerment, loss and joy, and relationships and friendships. You’ll find yourself laughing and crying…often at the same time.”
Tim Firth’s hilarious play is based on the true story of eleven middle-aged women who famously posed nude for a calendar to raise money for the Leukemia Research Fund in 1999. Set in the Knapely Village of Yorkshire County, England, the women are involved in the local church’s branch of the Women’s Institute (WI), promoting women’s causes through traditional activities — jam-making, flower-pressing, baking, knitting, singing, etc.
When Annie’s husband John dies of leukemia, she and best friend Chris resolve to raise money for a new settee in the local hospital waiting room. They persuade four fellow members of the WI to pose nude with them for an “alternative” calendar, assisted by hospital porter and amateur photographer Lawrence. News of the women’s charitable venture spreads like wildfire, and hordes of press soon descend on the small village. The calendar is a success, but Chris and Annie’s friendship is put to the test under the strain of their new-found fame.
The cast of Calendar Girls features CC Blackburn as Chris, Jennifer Russ as Annie, Beth Norris as Cora, Alexandra McPherson as Jessie, Laurie Morris as Celia, Jennifer Treadway as Ruth, Denise Lockett as Marie, Joan Rinchisen as Lady Cravenshire and Brenda, Annika Knudson as Elaine, Tate Albert as John, John Baldwin as Rod and Rowan Duncan as Lawrence and Liam.
Calendar Girls’ artistic team includes director Brandi Andrade and stage manager Amanda McLoughlin.
Director Brandi Andrade is a recent transplant from Texas. She holds a Ph.D. in Theatre and American Women’s History from UT Dallas and teaches online courses at UT Arlington. Recent directing projects include one-act plays for festivals in both Asheville and Austin; Stella and Lou at Southwest Theatre Productions in Austin (which garnered 4 BroadwayWorld Austin award noms); and Calendar Girls for Theatre Arlington in DFW (for which she was awarded the season’s “Best Production” and “Best Director” by that theatre’s guild). In addition to directing, she’s been in several shows in the Asheville area. Most recently, she was Elizabeth in Book of Will at Haywood Arts Regional Theater (HART) and Amanda in Beautiful Cages at The Magnetic. She does her print and broadcast work through Talent Trek.
The show is rated mature due to adult situations, humor, and language. Showtimes are 7:30 PM on Fridays and Saturdays and 3 PM on Sundays. Running time is approximately 2 hours and 25 minutes with one 15 minute intermission. Hendersonville Theater has made masks optional for patrons, and no proof of vaccination is required to attend a performance.
Since 1966, Hendersonville Theatre has provided an inviting and nurturing environment for live theatre, as well as high-quality, affordable entertainment for the residents of Hendersonville and surrounding areas. Hendersonville Theatre is wheelchair accessible, with free parking behind and in front of the theater.
Hendersonville Theatre is located at 229 South Washington Street. For tickets or more information contact us at 828-692-1082 or online at HVLTheatre.org.