Faith Green as Winnie Foster and Drake Geringer as Jesse Tuck perform the song ‘Top of the World’ in the Burnet Ensemble Theatre Company’s production of ‘Tuck Everlasting the Musical.’ The high school show was voted Favorite Theater Production in the Burnet area in the 2025 Locals Love Us contest. Photo courtesy of Clear Memories
Two high school theater groups and the Hill Country Community Theatre took the honors for Favorite Theater Productions in the 2025 Locals Love Us contest. The Picayune Magazine readers and KBEY 103.9 FM Radio Picayune listeners gave a standing ovation to Llano High School’s “Sister Act,” Burnet High School’s “Tuck Everlasting the Musical,” and the HCCT’s “It’s a Wonderful Life” radio play.
In “Sister Act,” the action centers on a woman hiding in a convent who joins the choir, livening up the group’s repertoire. It’s a feel-good musical comedy that began as a hit film in 1992 before making its way to Broadway. In New York, it was nominated for five Tony Awards, including Best Musical. In the Locals Love Us contest’s Kingsland/Llano area, it won Favorite Theater Production!
The Burnet Ensemble Theatre Company presented “Tuck Everlasting the Musical” in November in the high school auditorium. The musical is based on the 1975 book by Natalie Babbitt. It tells the story of the Tuck family, whose members drank from a fountain of youth and never age.
When a mere mortal in search of adventure discovers their secret, the Tucks kidnap her to keep her quiet. Troubles arise, of course, when Jesse Tuck convinces the mortal, Winnie Foster, to drink the water when she turns 17 so they can legally marry.
“It’s a well-known children’s story, and the music is so well done—people really enjoyed that part,” said Burnet High School Theatre Director Mandi Brandenburg. “And the kids did a fantastic job performing as well.”
The students involved in the show clapped and cheered when Brandenburg announced “Tuck Everlasting” had been voted Favorite Theater Production in the Burnet area.
“They were very pleased,” she said. “I like to task the students with ownership of the musical. Students designed the sets and the costumes. They did everything. It means a lot to know their work has been seen and appreciated.”
The 1940s-style radio play production of “It’s a Wonderful Life” by the Hill Country Community Theatre was also a huge success, filling the seats each night of its December 2023 run.
The cast included a Foley crew who provided the sound effects using everyday objects to mimic someone jumping in the river (a plunger in a bucket of water) or money changing hands (pennies dropped in a jar), among other audio tricks. The crew is named for Jack Donavan Foley, who first developed the art of sound effects for radio in the 1920s.
“There’s something about this story that resonates with people,” director Karin Frasier told The Picayune Magazine, which ran a cover story on the production. “It gives you hope. It grounds you with what’s really important.”
Voters certainly felt the same way, choosing it as their Favorite Theater Production in the Marble Falls area.
