Review: Hale Centre Theatre's MAY WE ALL is a Celebration of Country

MAY WE ALL on Hale Centre Theatre’s Centre Stage in Sandy is the regional premiere of a country jukebox musical from Florida Georgia Line that features more than two dozen songs from artists such as Brooks and Dunn, Reba McEntire, Dolly Parton, Kacey Musgraves, Miranda Lambert, Keith Urban, Kenny Chesney, and more. 

MAY WE ALL: A COUNTRY MUSICAL (written by Troy Britton Johnson, Todd Johnson, and Eric Pfeffinger) premiered in Tennessee in 2022 before being released for licensing.  When hopeful country singer Jenna Coates returns from Nashville to her hometown of Harmony, Tennessee, she finds that her friends and family have pinned their hopes on her stardom as the town struggles economically and emotionally.  What would happen if she were to reveal her own secrets? 

It’s a tall order to piece together such a wide variety of existing non-theatrical songs into a cohesive whole (despite the two originals), but the Hallmark-reminiscent plotline doesn’t feel as well written as one of that network’s television movies. 

The earnest direction by David Smith and choreography by Adam Dyer is a valiant effort to stage the simplistic scenes and lengthy songs in an entertaining fashion.

The celebration of country music is led by Dawn Dietlein as Jenna (double cast with Emma Wadsworth) with a sweet, soaring country pop voice.

But the story really kicks into gear whenever her family is around, with Adrien Swenson as mom Crystal (double cast with Bailee Morris), Andrew Oliverson as dad Harley (double cast with Brock Harris), and Kameryn Grose as sister Kylie (double cast with Savannah Carrasco) showcasing terrific acting and singing. 

Other important players include Nathan Bowser as Dustin (double cast with Jordan Strong), Libby Ferguson as Liz (double cast with Elise Pearce) and Nathanael Abbott as Joe (double cast with Zac Freeman).

The costumes by Joy Zhu, often flowy and fringe-heavy, are authentic to contemporary middle America with a little added pizzazz.   Similarly, the set by Kacey Udy and Mauri Anne Smith mixes a down-home feel, including a cleverly raised kitchen, with a flashy light-up floor. 

The extra lights added in front of the back screens, as well as other lighting design choices, cause the audience to be lit up for large portions of the show, which regrettably takes them out of the story and distracts from the performances.

The fantastic onstage band led by Bryan Hague is a fun addition that is integrated well through live camera work and video/projections (designed by Maddy Ashton) in the opening and closing numbers. 

MAY WE ALL plays through June 8, 2024. For tickets, call the box office at 801-984-9000 or visit www.hct.org.

 

Photo Credit: Hale Centre Theatre

 

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