Hanceville says 'Howdy!' to Hee Haw

Apr. 27—HANCEVILLE — Grab a washboard and pull up a chair: Local seniors are bringing comedy to life with a country twang in Hanceville this Saturday, staging a live variety show that's jam-packed with all the nostalgia of Hee Haw, the classic hitmaking show that dominated TV through the 1970s and '80s.

Stepping into character as Buck Owens, Minnie Pearl, and much more, seniors who've been boning up on their musical slapstick chops all spring at the Donald E. Green Active Adult Center in Cullman will strut their stuff at the Hanceville Civic Center, with the show set to kick off at 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 30. Admission is priced at $10 per person at the door.

First begun by senior volunteer Jamie Brown in 2019, the Cullman-based take on Hee Haw was an entertaining annual hit before the COVID-19 pandemic put a momentary halt on things last year. "The last show we were able to do was in February of 2020, right before the pandemic hit," says Brown. "Everyone's just glad that things have gotten a little bit back to normal. Our seniors are really getting into it this year, though — nothing's gonna stop them!"

Brown said she's worked 'til the cows come home to upsize this year's show to build on the entertainment of its already well-costumed, prop-heavy predecessors. "I put more into it this year, and we think the show is a lot better than the last one we did," she says. "We've already got one performance under our belt from putting the show on in Gardendale, and the people down there really seemed to enjoy it."

Sadly, one senior who's been with the production from its earliest days won't be on the stage on Saturday: Terrell Dobbins, who had played Grandpa Jones in the show's previous incarnations, passed away the day after he attended an in-costume dress rehearsal at Hanceville in March. Brown says that Dobbins remains a beloved member of the group's Hee Haw family, and the show won't attempt to replace him.

"'Mister T' still a part of us," she explains. "We've suffered a big loss; our play really kind of centered around him. He's been playing music with us for years, and been pretty much a part of everything we've ever done. He was the Grandpa Jones in our very first Hee Haw show when we got started in 2019. His family is actually coming to see the show again in Hanceville; they came to our Gardendale show, too, where we did a memorial for him."

Seniors who suit up for the big event get a huge kick out of putting their own spin on a TV show they know and love, says Brown: "It makes them feel so good inside. and it really makes the people feel good who come and see it, when they start to laugh and sing along. We put a lot of work into it, and after missing out on doing it last year, our group has been looking forward to this one."

Beginning this year, Brown has even bigger plans for getting local seniors up onstage. "We are starting a drama club for senior adults at the Donald Green center, so we'll be continuing to do this — though this is probably the last Hee Haw show we'll do for a while. We're looking at doing a show called 'Coming to Mayberry,' where the idea is that other sitcoms come drop in and visit in Mayberry. There'll be singing and music in that one, too, and it'll be open to whoever wants to join."

Benjamin Bullard can be reached by phone at 256-734-2131 ext. 234.