‘Beverly Hillbillies’ to bring outlandish humor to Crest Area Theatre stage

Crest Area Theatre’s next show is official. The community theater organization will perform “The Beverly Hillbillies” this summer. The show will be performed on July 11, 12 and 13, with auditions already scheduled for May 17, 18 and 19.

Jerry Huffman and Julia Weisshaar-Mullin will serve director and assistant director roles, respectively. A large cast is expected, with opportunities for actors of all ages. Huffman noted how older actors, of the age who remember the original television program from the ‘60s, can receive plenty of opportunities within the show.

“The show has a plethora of characters and opportunities for people of age, which we usually don’t have in our show,” Huffman said during a previous CAT meeting. “People can play different age ranges, I understand that, but we don’t have to have all high schoolers.”

“The Beverly Hillbillies” is based on the popular CBS program of the same name created by Paul Henning which ran from 1962 to 1971. Featuring the fictional Clampetts, a poor family from Missouri who move to the elite Beverly Hills in California, the show was an audience favorite. For the first two seasons between 1962 and 1964, the sitcom ranked as the number one television program.

Huffman, when initially proposing the idea, called the story a “fish out of water” scenario, where the Ozark hillbillies have to adapt to the luxurious world of “Californy.” The Clampetts move from their home after oil is found on their property, making the family filthy rich.

As the Clampetts adapt to their new environment, their easygoing, moral lifestyle clashes with the superficial world of Beverly Hills, often resulting in audacious situations involving the hillbillies and highfalutin bankers. Expect a fast-paced show with rapid dialogue. Characters are loaded with humor and ridiculous antics, sure to bring a wheelbarrow of hillbilly hilarity.

For auditions, CAT recommends actors watch a few episodes of the show to get a feel for the dynamics of each character. With a cast which can reach up to 21 characters, all actors are welcome to audition; the more the merrier. Details on specific characters will be posted by Crest Area Theatre’s Facebook page so actors can get a feel for which character they wish to audition for.

CAT had previously attempted to produce a “Beverly Hillbillies” show in 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic had other plans. The theatre group still owns 18 scripts originally purchased for the 2020 show, making the production of the show today a cost-effective option. The rights for the shows will cost $780 for the three performances planned.