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By Eric Robinette, Staff Writer 11:22 PM Friday, November 27, 2009

HAMILTON — Usually where there’s smoke, there’s fire. But for the Greater Hamilton Civic Theatre, where there’s smoke, there is music.

GHCT is performing “Smoke on the Mountain Homecoming,” the third play in the trilogy about the singing Sanders family and its mission to bring bluegrass/gospel music to Mount Pleasant Baptist Church in North Carolina.

The theater performed the original “Smoke on the Mountain” three years ago, and wanted to play the second show in the series, which has a Christmas theme. But since Cincinnati’s Playhouse in the Park is staging that production through Dec. 31, GHCT decided to skip ahead to the third show.

Not that anyone will get confused, director Julie Joyce-Smith said.

“You don’t miss a beat, even if you have not seen the first show,” she said.

This installment finds the Sanders family and other characters in the show grappling with various changes. It’s 1945, and World War II has ended. The pastor of the church, the Rev. Mervin Oglethorpe (Corey Wagonfield), has married June Sanders (Marijo Farley) and they plan to move to Texas, leaving the rest of the family unsure if they’ll ever see them again.

“The kids are all grown up and they’re not quite as naive as they were in the first show. They’re coming into their adult lives, and with the end of World War II, they have a whole new appreciation for home and family and life in general,” Joyce-Smith said.

But the show is hardly somber. There’s quite a bit of comedy, such as when June tries to sign songs for the deaf, using amusingly literal sign language. While the original “Smoke” song score was traditional tunes, this time there are some originals by the creators of the show, Alan Bailey, Connie Ray and Mike Craver, mixed with the standards. But the new songs are in the same bluegrass/gospel style, said Janet Manley, the show’s musical director.

The comedy and music helps the show serve as an antidote to tough times, whether they be the tough times depicted in the play, or the tough times of today.

“There’s a lot of hope in this show,” Manley said.

“We can use a healthy dose of that,” Joyce-Smith said.

The cast also includes Larry Slocum, Michelle Lewis, Ben Schneider, Sean Jones, Libby Wolf, Robb Horton and Lynn Denny.

Tickets for the show can be obtained by calling (513) 737-PLAY or visiting www.ghctplay.com.

Contact this reporter at (513) 705-2836 or erobinette@coxohio.com.