Dick Kerekes & Leisla Sansom
ALHAMBRA THEATRE AND DINING DUAL CRITICS REVIEW
The Alhambra Theatre continues its celebration of fifty years of memories with the hilarious “The Dixie Swim Club” which opened August 19, 2017 and will run through September 24. Buy your tickets at 904-641-1212 or visit Alhambrajax.com. The Alhambra Theatre and Dining is located at 12000 Beach Boulevard in Jacksonville, Florida.
You deserve one or more laughs every day, but how about two hours of wall-to-wall laughter? “Dixie Swim Club” is just the ticket; it played at the Alhambra four years ago and was so well received it is back by popular demand.
This bright and breezy comedy is about five women who met while in college, where they were members of the swim team. They renew their friendship every summer by spending a week together in a rented beach house in North Carolina. The show covers four of their reunions, as they age from their forties to their late seventies.
Sheree, the team captain, is the first to arrive. Vickie Daignault, making her Alhambra debut, plays this health-conscious guru who plans most of the activities. Her only real concern is worrying about becoming a grandmother.
The role of Lexie, a man-hungry glamour girl with multiple marriages and divorces, is portrayed by Morgan Fairchild. She is a theatre veteran who has appeared in some 150 movies and television shows since her first acting job as Faye Dunaway’s double in the classic film “Bonnie and Clyde.” And you will love her in this show.
Actress Patti Eyler appears as Dinah, a serious and successful lawyer who loves her martinis and replenishes them often. She is single, but finds true love in the second act.
Reprising her role as Vernadette is well-known local actress Brooks Anne Merierdierks, who recently received an award as Outstanding Actress for her sidesplitting portrayal of Ouiser in “Steel Magnolias” at Theatre Jacksonville. Her life as Vernadette is a very funny train wreck of mishaps.
The exquisite Lisa Valdini portrays Jeri Neal, the final swim club member to arrive. While she has been a quiet retiring woman who chose to become a nun, she is experiencing a radical change in her life: she is pregnant.
The Costume Crew (Camala Pitts and Dorinda Quiles) created the interesting casual wear for the vacationing women.
“Dixie Swim Club” has been a very popular play. It was written by the team of Jessie Jones, Nicholas Hope, and Jamie Wooten (known as Jones Hope Wooten), who have produced a number of plays filled with Southern humor. Producer/Director Tod Booth has assembled an outstanding cast of actresses who are perfect for their roles and dazzling with their superb comic timing.
Chef DeJuan Roy and his crew have whipped up some interesting choices for your pre-show dining. Last year our favorite chef appeared in a cooking competition on the Food Network and won! And his award-winning panko-crusted canned ham dish with fingerling potatoes, mushrooms, and sautéed Swiss chard is available as one of your food choices! Other choices include Prime Rib, Baked Flounder, and vegetarian Black Bean and Cheese Enchiladas. The two featured desserts are Coconut Cream Pie and Warm Peach Cobbler.
The Alhambra After Dark series has a special treat for Reba McEntire and Willie Nelson fans during September 27 — October 1, when “Willie, Reba, & the Boys,” a tribute show, will be on-stage. The show also includes tributes to country greats Waylon Jennings, Merle Haggard, and Johnny Cash.
The Alhambra’s next show is another laugh fest featuring those frightful folks from “The Addams Family.” The musical opens October 4 and will remain onstage through November 12, 2017.
Follow FOLIO!