What better way to kick off 2025 than with a good laugh, and that is exactly what you will get with the Alhambra Theatre & Dining’s first showing of the year, Southern Fried Funeral.
The name alone makes it seem very odd and interesting, and the show itself follows suit with its share of zany characters that in turn find themselves in some unpredictable situations throughout the play.
The audience is taken to a small town in Mississippi where everyone seems to know everyone, which makes for some interesting times as they mourn the death of Dewey Frye, a beloved community figure.
Peg Pachal plays Dorothy Frye, the wife of Dewey, while Natalie Drake and Logen Cheatham play the roles of her daughters, Sammy Jo and Harlene, respectively.
All though it is a comedy, all three did an excellent job of providing a balance of both comedic moments and times of grief, which gave the play an amount of emotional depth that could easily be felt and came across to the audience.
Capturing that balance the way they did allowed for the audience to be entrenched in the storyline and the character development throughout.
A major part of the comedic element was Ryan Lemmon who played Dewey Jr. in a constant state of laughter at times with his actions on stage.
Another memorable performance came from Brooks Ann Meierdierks for her role as Ozella Meeks, whose Southern charm really brought her role to life.
Meierdierks recently won the “best actress” award at the Jacksonville 48-hour Film Project festival, and she was thrilled to be back performing on the Alhambra stage.
Not only did each of the performers embrace their roles but the production staff also did a stellar job with the set, which really set the scene of the kitchen at the Frye family home, which is truly a place for gathering and chatter, and something many families in attendance could relate to.
The use of props during the show was also an aspect that stuck out and went a long way in adding to the overall authenticity of the production, which helped in the tale of the story.
Fitting with the theme, Aunt Mae’s Southern fried chicken is on the menu and was the most popular entrée ordered as people are looking to get the full show experience and a traditional Southern cuisine to go with the performance.
However, the pulled pork and blackened catfish will also do the job of hitting the spot both in terms of taste and setting the mood.
