Returning for one engagement only this year on Aug. 29 is the popular Highland County Senior Citizens Hee Haw Show, fresh with new acts and a couple surprises.
The doors open at 5:30 p.m. and the show starts at 6:30 p.m. at the senior center location at 185 Muntz St., Hillsboro.
“There will be one show and one show only,” senior center executive director Mechell Frost said. “The last few years we did two shows, one in the spring and one in the fall, but we decided to just do one late summer show this year.”
In addition to new skits and jokes will be an appearance by young Lynchburg area performer Patrick Roush singing and playing the guitar, along with a Sasquatch.
“There will definitely be a Big Foot sighting at this year’s show,” Frost said.
From the time the doors open until the show starts the audience will be able to purchase items from a menu including steak sandwiches, BBQ sandwiches, coleslaw, potato salad and drinks, all separately priced but not part of the $8 admission fee. The cast will also mingle with the crowd during that first hour.
The fundraiser, including dinner, is put on entirely by the senior center membership, except for Roush.
“Our membership does this out of the goodness of their hearts and it’s because they love the center,” Frost said. “I really appreciate them pulling together. Everyone pretty much rearranges their life to put this show on. We have a lot of talented people and we have a lot of fun, but it’s a lot of work, too.”
The show will include appearances by past crowd favorites the “Little People” and the “Wee People,” but also includes “silly commercials,” skits, random jokes, country music classics the audience can sing along to, and more. Song requests are sometimes taken.
The center will also be selling $1 cans of “canned opossum.” The cans are actually edible food, but are more of a collectible item or gag gift with a real label of ingredients on the bottom. Frost said the center sold out of the cans last year, but should have plenty this year.
Frost said Roush has performed at The Paxton Theatre in Bainbridge and elsewhere and attends church with a member of what she calls the Hee Haw Gang that puts the show on.
“We just thought it would be nice to incorporate a youngster from the community into the show and it’s something new, too, that we thought people would enjoy,” Frost said.
The show lasts about two hours with an intermission in the middle when food will again be available for purchase.
Tickets are available now at the center or can be purchased at the door.
“I would say it’s very popular,” Frost said of the Hee Haw Show. “We can comfortably sell about 200 tickets and the last couple times we’ve come close to selling out.”
Reach Jeff Gilliland at 937-402-2522 or on Twitter @13gillilandj.
