When Roanoke College’s theater troupe took the degree Saturday night (April thirteen) with its manufacturing of “Title of Show,” which has performed on Broadway for some time, little did the players recognize that the writer, who has sturdy Roanoke Valley ties, could be within the target audience.
When they found Hunter Bell turned inside the target market, says his cousin Angie Chewning, “They had been like a bunch of groupies,” Chewning laughed. “They were astonished and thrilled.”
Bell, an actor, got here in from New York to watch his play, having been alerted through Chewning, government director of the Vinton Chamber of Commerce, and different loved ones that Roanoke College would produce.
Bell’s cousin, Abbie Lewis (Vinton icon Bootie Chewning’s granddaughter), is a student at Roanoke College, and the journey became a must. The circle of relatives had seen “Title of Show” several instances at various theaters, including the Broadway production.
Chewning says director Nelson Barre had become a father the night before this manufacturing and knew the own family turned into coming for the show Saturday night. He met the family earlier than the show but did now not tell the solid. The own family turned into mostly in the front row, and “we tried not to sing all the songs together with the solid. That would have given it away.”
Chewning says that “after the display became over, the director got here out on the stage—much to the solid’s marvel—and introduced that no longer most effective became the Bell Family from Roanoke and Vinton inside the audience. However, Hunter becomes there. The cast becomes in general surprise!” Actors Ryan Bennett (who performed Jeff), Eric Lee (Larry), Kojiro Leonard (Hunter), Isabella Moritz (Heidi) and Haley Ramsey (Susan), together with the group “couldn’t believe he becomes there,” says Chewning. Following the show, Bell took the degree and talked the forged for pretty some time. A big contingent of family participants was present. However, Bootie Chewning became having fitness demanding situations and overlooked the production to be etched within the reminiscence of Roanoke College’s Theatre Department for a while.
