If it needs repeating, let us repeat it here — anyone who says there is “nothing to do” in Magnolia simply has not been paying attention.
Conventional wisdom has it that in a small town, one normally must travel long distances to find anything worth doing. It would be stating the obvious to say that there are lots more entertainment and dining options elsewhere, but it would be misleading to simply agree with the idea that there simply are no options to be found right here at home — which is where we should be spending most of our entertainment dollars, anyway. Our tax coffers could always use those dollars.
We are reminded again of the potential for outstanding entertainment by two live performances you can see tonight, Saturday night and Sunday, at a much lower cost than driving out of town and paying sales taxes somewhere else. Those would be “Totally Cinderella,” the “rad ’80s fairy tale” staged by the 2015 senior class of Magnolia High School, and “Beauty and the Beast,” the classic musical performed at Southern Arkansas University’s Harton Theatre.
“Totally Cinderella,” directed by Natalie Gosdin, is a frequently hilarious re-imagining of the fairy tale recently updated in the film by Kenneth Branagh. The play — boasting a cast of talented, singing-and-dancing seniors — is loaded with classic songs from the 1980s and uses terminology from that era (“awesome!” “rad!” “grody!”) to put a new gloss on a well-known story. The costumes are fantastic, the sets are fun, the acting and singing are enjoyable. If you are looking for quality entertainment, the play will be performed again today at 7 p.m. at Magnolia Junior High School.
“Beauty and the Beast” also displays “awesome” live entertainment with stunning sets, costumes and songs. Tickets are still available for Friday’s and Saturday’s 7 p.m. performances and for Sunday’s 2 p.m. performance. Reviews of Thursday night’s performance say “Beauty and the Beast” is SAU’s best yet.
There’s almost always plenty to do in Magnolia — need we remind readers of the upcoming Blossom Festival? And the Magnolia Arts Center always has a full slate of stage plays and other fun activities. You don’t have to go out of town to have a good time right at home.