Performances for ‘Gold in the Hills’ resume

Published 9:24 am Friday, March 31, 2017

: Eric Hesselberg, at right, playing the constable, shows up to arrest Ian Tubman, at left, playing John Dalton, during a scene from act one of "Gold in the Hills" during a dress rehearsal on Thursday evening at the Parkside Playhouse. "Gold in the Hills," will open for it's 76th year this Friday and will run every Friday and Saturday through the end of the month. Curtains go up at 7:30 pm. Tickets are available at the doors, as well as at Paper Plus and The Cricket Box. [at rear, from left are Connie Daene, 14, daughter of Roger and Susan Daene, Paul Bennett, Jai Dobson, and David Hayworth]

“Gold in the Hills,” proclaimed the world’s longest-running melodrama by the “Guinness Book of World Records” will be performed this weekend and next at the Parkside Playhouse Theatre.

Shows begin at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and at 2 p.m. Sunday, and will resume at 7:30 p.m. April 7 and 8 at the Parkside Playhouse Theatre, 101 Iowa Ave.

The 1890s New York melodrama, presented by the Vicksburg Theatre Guild, has been produced in the River City since 1936, and was listed as one of the 10 Things You Really Have To Do in Mississippi by OnlyInYourState.com, last year.

The cast includes a hero, heroine and a villain and features sing-along musical numbers.

Paul Ballard, who is one of the show’s cast members and plays Happy the singing waiter, said it was an honor to perform in the melodrama.

“There is this large measure of privilege because you are doing now what people have done for 80 years,” he said.

Ballard has played his character between 30 to 40 years he said, and added that each “Gold in the Hills’ performance is unique.

Because the cast of characters rotates performers, every show is different because each person brings something special to the stage, he said.

During the performance, Ballard said there are a couple of places in the show where the audience is invited to sing along with the cast.

Song sheets are passed out, and tunes from the 1890s sung include “Sweet Marie,” “Bird in a Guilded Cage,” “The Bowery” and “East Side West Side.”

Tickets are $12 and $6 for ages 12 and younger. For groups of 15 or more tickets are $10 and $4 for ages 12 and younger and are available at the Box Office starting one hour before curtain time. There is no reserved seating.

For more information, visit vicksburgtheatreguild.com.

About Terri Cowart Frazier

Terri Frazier was born in Cleveland. Shortly afterward, the family moved to Vicksburg. She is a part-time reporter at The Vicksburg Post and is the editor of the Vicksburg Living Magazine, which has been awarded First Place by the Mississippi Press Association. She has also been the recipient of a First Place award in the MPA’s Better Newspaper Contest’s editorial division for the “Best Feature Story.”

Terri graduated from Warren Central High School and Mississippi State University where she received a bachelor’s degree in communications with an emphasis in public relations.

Prior to coming to work at The Post a little more than 10 years ago, she did some freelancing at the Jackson Free Press. But for most of her life, she enjoyed being a full-time stay at home mom.

Terri is a member of the Crawford Street United Methodist Church. She is a lifetime member of the Vicksburg Junior Auxiliary and is a past member of the Sampler Antique Club and Town and Country Garden Club. She is married to Dr. Walter Frazier.

“From staying informed with local governmental issues to hearing the stories of its people, a hometown newspaper is vital to a community. I have felt privileged to be part of a dedicated team at The Post throughout my tenure and hope that with theirs and with local support, I will be able to continue to grow and hone in on my skills as I help share the stories in Vicksburg. When asked what I like most about my job, my answer is always ‘the people.’

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