Fully decked out in UT garb, the honky tonk angels sang about Rocky Top Tenn. on Saturday evening at the Clarence Brown Theatre.

As they tap danced their way into the hearts of the Volunteers, many of the patrons enjoyed the country music more than anything else. The play, "The Honky Tonk Angels," by Ted Swindley, was more like a concert than a traditional play. The extremely basic story line left a lot of room open for many songs from country music veterans.

This fictional biography by Swindley was loosely based on the lives of Loretta Lynn, Tammy Wynette and Sevier County native Dolly Parton. The show features many of their big hits among influential country singers.

From the start of the show it was evident that the star was Angela, played by Mimi Bessette. Her spectacular singing voice and endearing, motherly representation of Loretta Lynn made her easily the most fun to watch. Bessette not only wowed the audience with her soulful harmonizing, but was the most exciting actress to watch as she badmouthed her husband, Bubba, and called out people in the audience.

At its heart, the play was about following your dreams, which speaks to all ages.  

The music was not only heard in the voices of the angels, but seen on the stage. Designed by Nathaniel J. Sinnott, the set was immediately striking. Six pictures of female country music legends hung on either side of the stage with musical notes above their faces. The floor of the stage was black with three platforms in the shape of music notes.

Sinnott, a second year Master of Fine Arts scenic design student at UT, is really showing off his unique stylewith this production. Last year he designed "Assassins," by Stephen Sondheim in the Carousel Theatre. The two shows parallel in the levels Sinnott creates giving different scenes a more interesting look. Also, in "Assassins," pictures of presidents were on the back wall of the theatre. Sinnott is truly a terrific designer and will continue to charm audiences during his stay at UT.

The show was set in modern times and made references to people like Britney Spears, Paris Hilton, Julia Roberts and Sanjaya Malakar from American Idol. This allowed the younger audience members to connect with the older patrons who were there simply to enjoy the traditional country music.

At its heart, the play was about following your dreams, which speaks to all ages. Anyone who loves country music or wants to see three women journey to stardom, go see "The Honky Tonk Angels" before Sept. 16. Whether you love the set, the lighting or the music, it is sure to be a treat.