‘Keep on the Sunny Side’ displays strong Southern family values

By Curtis Henderson
Staff Writer

A hush came over the audience, the lights dimmed, and anticipation was in the air.

Just seconds later the lights were brought up and the audience was graced by the sounds of a deep-melodic singing voice. “Keep on the Sunny Side” was performed at GPAC on Nov. 8 to a crowd of hundreds.

The musical centered on the close-knit Carter family. The songs were sung in perfect harmony and the story was easy to follow. The actors moved easily around the elaborate set that mirrored a country house set over a hilltop. The audience was filled with laughter and energy.

Country music as we know it today began with the original Carter family and Jimmy Rodgers whose recordings in 1927 in Bristol, Tenn. sprung country music from just a "Rural America" delight into the mainstream.

The Carters were a traditional southern family with small town values, unlike the big city Rodgers. The Carters were the typical southern family. They drew their music mainly from gospel songs.

The head of the Carter clan, A.P., had a great love for folklore; he not only used his family to create music, but also would invite friends, and even total strangers for musical suggestions.

Before country music was recorded in Bristol, this genre was mostly instrumental. The advances in microphone technology in 1927 made it possible for the first time ever to make a recognizable distinction of such singers as the Carter family. This innovation showed the range of talent throughout this one family.

The cast, led by Eugene Wolf who played the head of household role in the Carter family, sang such crowd favorites as “My Clinch Mountain Home,” and quickly shared the spotlight with the rest of the cast in “Church in the Wildwood.”

From the start of the production until the end, the actors portrayed a confidence on stage matched by few others. They commanded the audience's attention, and had no problem in retaining it.

"The whole show was just amazing," Rodney Moody said, an attendant of the musical. "I've never really been too fond of country music, but I was surprisingly happy with the experience as a whole."

The die-hard country music lover was in heaven. The songs were sung with grace, poise and emotion. Chuckles and applause streamed through the crowd throughout the entire performance. The musical was full of inside humor that pleased the audience.

The original Carter family recorded all of the songs between 1927 and 1941.

The whole atmosphere created by the production really felt good and "homey.” It was as if the audience was actually at the home of the Carter family on a quaint southern farm.

The play served as a great educational tool for anyone wanting to know the history and origins of country music.

There was definitely no lack of content. It was full of informative, hilarious and, at times, heartwarming moments.