The Last Night of Ballyhoo

Winner of the 1997 Tony Award for Best Play, The Last Night of Ballyhoo is an enchanting comedy from the author of “Driving Miss Daisy.” It mixes World War II, Christmas and Scarlett O’Hara in a story about anti-Semitism and disassociated Jews trying to assimilate into the culture of southern Christianity in 1939 Atlanta. The story revolves around the Frietags, a Jewish family who are much more concerned with who is going to Ballyhoo, the social event of the season, than they are with the events that are taking place on the world stage. Living together in bachelor Adolph’s house are his widowed sister, Beulah (Boo) Levy, and his widow sister-in-law, Reba. Boo Levy is panic stricken that her Gone-With-The-Wind star struck daughter, Lala, doesn’t have a date yet for the extravaganza. Boo decides to take matters into her own hands. She hilariously takes the desperate measures needed to assure a date will appear for this seminal event. One candidate, Joe Farkas, instead falls for Sunny, Reba’s daughter, home from college for the holidays. Their burgeoning relationship and his concerns about her lack of faith bring to light the Freitags’ inner struggles with their religion.

Matinee performances will be held on Sunday, Feb 23 and Sunday, March 2.