Ready for a thrilling night of song and comedy? Oh, and the setting is a beautiful 123-year-old mansion. In a revival of their early supper club events, the Kirby-Hill House in nearby Kountze presents “’The Legends ’70s Jukebox Dinner and a Show” on Friday, July 25, and Saturday, July 26, with doors opening at 6:30 p.m.
This form of entertainment combines a quality meal with a stage play or musical. The earliest form of “dinner and a show” is likely traced by to the Middle Ages as European Christians would celebrate the 12 days of Christmas with feasts that alternated acts of a play with courses of food.
David and Nancy Kilgore’s Barksdale Theatre in Richmond, Virginia was opened in 1953 and gave Americans the first formal dinner theater in the United States. Soon, the popularity soared with dinner theater franchises that featured former movie stars, TV actors and celebrities like Shelley Winters, Mickey Rooney, Cesar Romero, Debbie Reynolds, Betty White and Betty Gable.
Located at 210 West Main in Kountze, the house was built in 1902 by James L. Kirby, brother and business partner of John Henry Kirby, a pioneer of the lumber industry. A group of local people then formed The Kirby-Hill House Museum and Educational Foundation and purchased the property in 1992. They raised money from local individuals and businesses through tireless and dedicated efforts. The house features wrap-around porches with 48 columns, four fireplaces, and eight rooms that all open onto the porch through 8-foot, double-sash windows.
The most outstanding architectural features include the curved walls and oval grand staircase. Much of the furniture and China is original to the house. On the grounds to the right of the mansion is a state champion Crepe Myrtle tree that is over 100 years old. On the left side of the property is a relocated church building which is the home of the Hardin County Genealogical Society.
Back to the show, Kirby-Hill House’s resident crooner, Rex Harris, and the fabulous Sheryl Brocato, along with the stunning voice of Brenda Eatman, will be ready to mesmerize patrons with the biggest country music hits of the 1970s such as “Hello Darlin’,” “Coal Miner’s Daughter,” “Rose Garden,” “Kiss an Angel Good Morning,” “Jolene,” “Mama’s Don’t Let Your Babies Grow up to be Cowboys,” “The Gambler,” “Family Tradition,” “Tulsa Time,” “Let Your Love Flow,” “Don’t It Make My Brown Eyes Blue,” “Rose Colored Glasses” and “Rhinestone Cowboy.”
Country music in the 1970s was a decade of transformation, blending tradition with innovation and setting the stage for modern country sounds. There was “outlaw country,” which was led by artists like Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, and Kris Kristofferson, this subgenre rebelled against the polished “Nashville sound” that favored raw, stripped-down instrumentation and honest, often gritty lyrics. Artists like Tammy Wynette and Charlie Rich blended country with pop, appealing to crossover audiences. The decade solidified country music as a major force in American culture. This era produced some of the genre’s most enduring artists and songs, laying the foundation for the country music boom of the 1980s and beyond.
The popular event incorporates a menu from Mama Jack’s Famous Restaurant including devilish eggs and wicked charcuterie, Brazilian churrasco barbeque chicken, creamy mac and cheese, skewered vegetables, rolls and banana pudding.
Tickets are Tickets are $55 and can be purchased online at kirbyhillhouse.com.
Canned goods are also being accepted to donated to the Christian Loving Care Center in Kountze.
For more information, call (409) 246-8000.