5th Wall Announces Upcoming Country Musical, PUMP BOYS AND DINETTES

Artistic Director Carol Piersol and 5th Wall Theatre in partnership with The American Theatre in Hampton, Virginia are thrilled to announce their co-production of Pump Boys and Dinettes, a musical that brought the warmth and heartfelt storytelling of country music to Off-Broadway, Broadway, and West End audiences for years. Directed by Richard M. Parison, Jr., this show features a talented cast from Virginia and beyond that includes locals Mike Bamford, Rachel Marrs, and Desiree Roots along with New York performers Mike Cefalo and John Mervini as well as North Carolina performer Sean Powell with music direction by Storm Burks and choreography by Karen Getz.

Pump Boys and Dinettes is set on a lonely stretch of Highway 57, where the Pump Boys -- Jackson, Jim, Eddie, and L.M. -- fill the gas tanks of weary travelers while the Cupp sisters, Rhetta and Prudie, serve up comfort food and slices of their famous homemade pie in the Double Cupp Diner next door. Together, they fashion an evening of down home country music delight with tales of both hilarity and heartbreak played on everything from guitars and pianos to kitchen utensils.

The story behind the creation of Pump Boys and Dinettes is almost as quaint and entertaining as the musical itself. A couple of actors in New York City, hired to play country classics at a darkened saloon-themed restaurant to soothe traveling businessmen looking for an evening of country music, steaks, and waitresses in saloon-themed attire, began creating the Pump Boys characters while on the clock, testing out their material on restaurant patrons. Though the restaurant managers weren't amused by their employees' two man act and eventually showed them the saloon door, actors Jim Wann and Mark Hardwick quickly partnered up with John Schimmel, John Foley, Debra Monk, and Cass Morgan to co-write the book, music, and lyrics for this infectiously upbeat theatre classic.

Pump Boys and Dinettes was met with unanimous rave reviews during its Broadway run. With its amazingly talented ensemble cast, feel-good country music atmosphere, and family-friendly story, Pump Boys and Dinettes is a night out with family and friends that Virginia audiences won't want to miss.

RICHMOND: March 9 - March 31 at The Basement, located at 300 E Broad Street in Richmond, Virginia. Tickets are $32 (Students $15 - group rates available). 5thwalltheatre.org/tickets

HAMPTON: April 13 - April 22 at The American Theatre, located at 125 E Mellen Street in Hampton, Virginia. Tickets are $35-$45. hamptonarts.net/the-american-theatre/box-office-information

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