South Alabama’s live arts scene is seeing both a return to the stage and a pandemic-driven delay this month, as two long-running local institutions navigate the ongoing effects of COVID-19 on programming.
Chickasaw Civic Theatre (CCT) is set to debut its production of “Big Fish: A Larger Than Life Musical” on Sept. 10, after a run of scheduling setbacks tied to the pandemic. The show, inspired by Daniel Wallace’s 1998 novel of the same name, follows a father-son relationship woven through tall tales and larger-than-life storytelling. The story reached wide audiences roughly two decades ago through Tim Burton’s film adaptation, and the stage musical brings that same exploration of family and identity to the Chickasaw playhouse at 801 Iroquois St.
The production was originally scheduled to run in spring 2020 before being pushed to August 2020 and then to its current September date, reflecting the repeated disruptions community theaters across the region have faced since the pandemic began. Performances run through Sept. 26, with Friday and Saturday shows at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday matinees at 2 p.m.
To keep its plans flexible amid ongoing public health conditions, CCT has opted not to offer season tickets this year. According to the theater, it is instead developing some form of reward for loyal patrons who attend all five productions in the current season. Other precautions include limiting seating to half the house, spacing audience groups through ushering, and asking attendees to wear masks inside the venue. Holding a ticket is treated as an attendee’s agreement to those guidelines. Tickets are $18, or $15 for seniors, students and active military members. More information is available by calling 251-457-8887 or visiting cctshows.com.
Meanwhile, the Mobile Museum of Art (MMoA) has postponed a previously scheduled Sept. 8 Art Talk that was to feature historian Scotty Kirkland discussing Mobile’s history under Jim Crow. The talk had been planned in conjunction with the museum’s current Gordon Parks exhibit, “Segregation Story in Mobile, 1956.” In announcing the postponement, the museum cited the health and safety of visitors, students and others involved in the event. No makeup date has been announced. The talk had been slated to take place at the University of South Alabama’s Laidlaw Performing Arts Center.
Kirkland currently serves as coordinator of exhibitions, publications and programs at the Alabama Department of Archives and History. He studied at the University of South Alabama and previously worked as curator of history for the History Museum of Mobile from 2011 to 2015. More information on the museum’s programming is available at mobilemuseumofart.com.
Together, the two developments illustrate how deeply the pandemic has continued to shape scheduling for South Alabama’s arts and cultural institutions well into its second year, even as venues like CCT work to bring live audiences back into their seats.