GSC Broadway in Barnesville is Back in Action With Their Bluegrass Musical Season Opener

By Karolina Philmon, GSC marketing manager 

Gordon State College Humanities and Fine and Performing Arts will raise the curtain on its 2023-24 season with the sensational bluegrass musical, Cotton Patch Gospel. A whirlwind of banjos, fiddles and harmonies will set the stage for an amazing premier production.

Written by Tom Key and Russell Treyz, and music by Harry Chapin, Cotton Patch Gospel is described as “the greatest story ever re-told.” It’s based on the book, “The Cotton Patch Version of Matthew and John” by Clarence Jordan. The musical score begins with a raucous, “Something’s Brewing in Gainesville” and continues on a journey that captivates the audience with reverent humor and redemption.

The bluegrass band that accompanies the show consists of Dr. David Janssen, GSC English professor on guitar; Michael Sanders, GSC Human Services major from Bibb County on upright bass; Sue Tomlin, professional musician and entertainer from Bibb County on fiddle; and J.M. Philips, professional musician based in Barnesville on the banjo.

The community can get a sneak peek of GSC’s production of the musical at a pop-up a cappella performance at Mangia on Main in Barnesville on Friday, Oct. 20 at 6 p.m.

The full production will run Nov. 2-5 at the GSC Fine Arts Theatre beginning at 6:30 p.m. nightly culminating with a Sunday matinee at 2 p.m. on Nov. 5. Admission is $10 for adults, $7 for seniors, and $5 for children 12 and under. Complimentary admission for all GSC students, faculty and staff.

The 2023-24 GSC theatre season is made possible in part through a generous grant from Upson EMC in Thomaston, Georgia and GSC Board of Trustees member, Dan White, with the endowed Constance H. Chinery Fine and Performing Arts Support Fund.