“Laughter through tears is my favorite emotion,” is one of the best lines from “Steel Magnolias.” Like “The Hot Wing King,” it too started out as a beloved play with quick wit, memorable lines and wholly focused on a group of Southern friends and their quirks.
“The Hot Wing King,” a Pulitzer-Prize winning play by Katori Hall, is about to wrap at The Alliance Theatre. The performance had me laughing through tears so many times, I couldn’t help but recite Dolly Parton’s famous line in my head. Only instead of white ladies, “The Hot Wing King” is an all black cast. Oh, and it’s all male. And instead of them talking about their hetero marital problems, four of the six cast members are gay.
Isom and Big Charles were hilarious supporting characters in “The Hot Wing King.”
Ok, so it’s really nothing like “Steel Magnolias” on first glance. But stay with me. Hall writes hilarity into a plethora of scenes, captures Southern characters beautifully and takes the audience on a roller coaster of emotions that the comparisons to the 1989 movie kept coming to me. And I know “The Hot Wing King” would make an incredible movie. I cried, laughed, felt wildly uncomfortable, angry, cried some more, laughed some more and actually yelled “No!” out loud in pure anxiety at the character Isom who was about to unknowingly ruin all Cordell’s dreams. (You’ll have to go see it to see what I mean.)
I was so engaged and enthralled, that I was fully in my feelings. And isn’t that what great art does for the audience? I forgot my life for a couple of hours and entered into the world of a black gay man in Memphis who left his wife and children to follow his true heart. He took me along while he chatted up his funny, loyal friends all there to help him win Memphis’ chicken wing contest.
In that span of time, they confront issues of infidelity, hiding your true identity, crime, poverty, hope, joy, finding love, relying on family, losing family, creating family out of friends, turning bad luck into good and redefining stereotypes. It was one of the best original pieces I’ve seen performed in a long time. Hats off to Hall. Kudos to the remarkable cast. And whoever built that set deserves some kind of award.
“The Hot Wing King” closes this weekend. On March 5, 2023, the curtain will fall in Atlanta. And I’m sad, because the beautiful set needs to be memorialized. Or at least passed on. It’s so good! But I hope that “The Hot Wing King” and its spicy characters pop up again in another city somewhere else soon. And then, fingers crossed, on the big screen.
“The Hot Wing King” at Alliance Theater focuses on the lives of six black men in Memphis.
As I finish my second year writing Two-Sided Southern, I am still having such an incredible time. I adore telling stories about the South and its people. The kind of people who embrace being both high-brow and down home as shown in these top 10 blogs of 2022.
HeyDay, the chic facial membership spa from the West Coast, opened its first Georgia location, y’all. They’re in Los Angeles, New York City, Philadelphia and now… Dunwoody! That says a lot about our alluring Southern charm, dontchathink?
Grey and Page Hall are the two Bonnie sisters behind Grey Hall Design—the line of exquisite modern silk scarves, charming cocktail napkins, pocket squares and gifts.
I don’t know about you, but new hotels get me excited about exploration and experiencing new things. Across the South, new hotels are booming. Here are five that recently opened and a couple on the horizon. All of these new hotels give me hope for a post-pandemic travel extravaganza. There’s something about the southland in the springtime… amirite? In other words, let me know in the comments which one of these five new hotels you want to book first.
The reimagined High Hampton in Cashiers, NC, owned by the team behind Blackberry Farm
The Adirondack chairs still overlook a sprawling lake, hiking trails and a granite-sided mountain. The floor boards, the creaky front desk, the grand four-sided fireplace, some of the cabins and the layout are all pretty much the same too. But that’s about all regulars will recognize at the century-old High Hampton Resort in Cashiers. The team behind Blackberry Farm in Tennessee’s Great Smoky Mountains rehabbed the old beauty and reopened doors in April 2021. In fact, it’s coming up on its one-year anniversary this spring.
Moreover, cottages were all redone in lovely leather, pops of red and plaid. Therefore, the inn’s guest rooms have doubled in sized and expanded to add exquisite marble bathrooms and claw foot tubs. Handwritten hotel registries framed in the hallways recall olden days, while the quaint spa upstairs in an attic space is the utmost luxurious indulgence. This foodie is most excited about the Winter Culinary Experiences and The Sip Series they have on the docket right now. Much looks different at High Hampton, but the hospitality and coziness is still paramount. Oh and the signature red rocking chairs are still perfect for happy hour on the porch.
In December 2021, a new 201-room property opened in tony Buckhead near Atlanta. It’s mere steps from some of the city’s best shopping, dining and nightlife, but it’s the Southern modern vibe of its decor that everyone is loving the most. That, and the rooftop pool. Above all, grab reservations at Dirty Rascal, chef Todd Ginsberg’s newest Italian hot spot. Locally owned by The Loudermilk Co., Southern charm exudes from every corner. The private membership club knowns as Tesserae is an exclusive lounge that everyone is trying to get into right now.
I’m beyond excited about this unique opening in the Piedmont Triad of North Carolina. The BYB property is female-owned—owner Natalie Miller is a Carolina native with deep roots in the area—and opened the doors in January 2022. The luxe interiors are colorful, happy and bright. The historic hotel famously hosted African American guests and celebrities (think James Brown, Ray Charles, Tina Turner and Gladys Knight) and is one of only four original Green Book sites still in existence in the state. Furthermore, the mid-century modern decor of the four gorgeous guest rooms could be found in any luxury interiors magazine. It’s a small boutique hotel with an adorable on-site restaurant and beloved Sunday brunch. But above all, it’s truly a living piece of history.
After staying at SoHo House 40 Greek Street in London and Soho Farmhouse out in Oxfordshire, I became a die hard SoHo House fan for any overnight stays out of town. All the properties have a boho chic vibe and the coolest decor. Therefore, I’m thrilled to see what kind of local vibes they will capture in this new Music City property. Opening in February 2022, SoHo House Nashville has 47 bedrooms all with furnishings made my local artisans and peppered with vintage accoutrement. Formerly a May Hosiery factory, the building was where workers made the socks that astronauts wore to the moon.
Only bookable by members and friends of members, $200-$655, sohohouse.com
Southall is a new hotel in Franklin, TN, that opens in June 2022.
Speaking of Soho Farmhouse, if you’re looking for something similar, but Stateside, Southall is going to be as close as you can get. Surrounded by nature on 325 acres, the property is about wellness and connection to the land. Sixty-two guest rooms and 16 cottages will dot the rolling hills of Tennessee outside of Nashville. The spa promises to be exquisite with treatments based on natural elements. After all, a restaurant led by chef Tyler Brown will incorporate ingredients grown, raised and foraged on Southall’s surrounding land. We can’t wait for this stunning property to open doors in June 2022.
Don Purcell is the owner of the best new jewelry store in Atlanta. His eponymous shop is called Don Purcell and peeks out over the outdoor dining area at Le Bilboquet in Buckhead Village District. It’s prime real estate. But it’s a far cry from small town Ridgeway.
