Georgia's Theatre in the Square staged the sequel The Sanders Family Christmas for the 2000 holiday season and now in summer 2001, the Marietta company returns to the original Smoke on the Mountain. The bluegrass and gospel musical runs July 17-Aug. 12, first on the mainstage and then for one week on the smaller Alley Stage.

Reprising their roles in Sander's Family and previous Smoke mountings are Shelly McCook as June, John Peterson as Burl, Karen Howell as Vera, Mike Masters as Denise, Scott DePoy as Uncle Stanley and Alan Kilpatrick as Reverend Mervin Oglethorpe. New to the cast is Jennifer MacQueen as Denise.

The popular Smoke on the Mountain features a rural gospel-singing Baptist family in 1930's North Carolina — loving father Burl, Bible-quoting mother Vera, twin brother Dennis and his star-struck twin sister Denise, the black sheep Uncle Stanley, the non-singing June and Reverend Mervin Oglethorpe, head of the Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church. The score includes popular hymns including "I'll Fly Away," "Power in the Blood," "Bringing in the Sheaves" and "Just a Little Talk with Jesus."

Tickets are $20-$30. The Theatre in the Square is located at 11 Whitlock Avenue in Marietta. For reservations, call (770) 422-8369. Theatre in the Square is on the web at http://www.theatreinthesquare.com.

— By Christine Ehren