Blue Ridge Community Theater presented our first all-singing, all dancing country & western musical soap opera, Della's Diner: Blue Plate Special. Blue Ridge Community Theater introduced to the uninitiated the seven characters of Della's Diner. First, there is Della herself, the long-suffering owner of the diner whose murky past in a certain mid-Western city up north is so painful that she can't bring herself to utter its name; her daughter Ramona has followed in Della's longtime friend Connie Sue Day's footsteps and has become a country music star, just returning from her first appearance on the Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. Meanwhile, Connie Sue-formerly Wanetta Sharon James and eventual owner of Connie Sue's Cut 'n Curl, Beauty on a Budget-has been in prison for having taken everyone at the diner prisoner to get publicity for her waning musical career. And Ricky Jim, who is Della's grandchild Joey's father and Ramona's first husband, is now married to Della, having recovered miraculously from the time the helicopter driven by Ronnie Frank Flaugher, Ramona's present husband, landed on Ricky Jim's service station. Finally, a mysterious stranger, Larry Finney appears, a stranger that seems to know everything about every... Well, you get the picture. Great country music, great dancing, great fun.

the Cast:

Della Juracko - Pam Lindsey

Ricky Jim Robinson - Mike Fleeman

Connie Sue Day - Shannon Fleeman

Ramona Juracko - Lisa Lacy

Ronnie Frank Flaugher - Jason Smith

Preacher Larry Finney - Steffen Smith

Preacher Larry's Snakebit Band:

Drums - Keith McLaughlin
Piano - Birdie Towle
Bass - Louis Schubert
Guitar - Eric Sowers

Behind The Scenes:

Director - Dan Pruitt

Assistant Director - Sonia Smith

Stage Manager - Sandy Schubert

Producer - Patricia Webb

Co-Producer - Erma Gladieux

Musical Director/Organist - Eileen Kerr

Choreography - Lisa Lacy

Box Office - Elizabeth Hunt

Costumes - Nancy Johnson
Hair - Marvin Barton, Pat Lee & Sandra Delaney

Props - Betty Ratcliffe, Betty Hudson, Wanda Jefferson & Lynda Fodo

Set Design - Steve Martin, Anna Carll & Cindy Kelly-Tramell

Sound & Lights - Ken Williams, Linda Clabaugh & Mike Pruitt

Voice Over Announcer - Bill Alexander

Voice Over Recording - Louis Schubert, Big Cellar Audio Productions

Program Design John Fritchie

della's diner: blue plate special

by Tom Edwards, Harris Wheeler & Mary L. Fisher