‘Mama Hated Diesels’ revs up New original musical opens this weekend Gene Davis, DDN Staff Writer Friday, March 19, 2010
Jason Edwards (right) and the cast of the Denver Center Theatre Company world premiere musical “Mama Hated Diesels” by Randal Myler and Dan Wheetman, directed by Randal Myler with musical direction by Dan Wheetman. Photo by Terry Shapiro.

Truck drivers and classic country music have historically kept a respectful distance from musical theatre.

In fact, a genre boasting dancing cats and a deformed opera “ghost” is pretty much the opposite of down-home authenticity and blue-collar life. But a new production showing at the Stage Theatre Ń “Mama Hated Diesels” Ń tears down the barrier between the different groups with the help of great acting, classic songs and solid storytelling.

“It’s a lot more real than most musicals,” said Denver Center Theater Company Spokesman Chris Wiger. “There are no big production numbers or things you usually see in a musical. It’s like you just step into these peoples lives and leave the theatre knowing a lot more about them and appreciating them.”

“Mama Hated Diesels” is Randal Myler and Dan Wheetman’s latest attempt to write a story that sheds light on a group of people that most of us have wondered, but know very little, about. Their last production Ń “Fire on the Mountain” Ń told the story of Appalachian coal miners.

To make “Mama Hated Diesels” as authentic as possible, Myler and Wheetman based much of the story on information gained from interviews with real-life long-distance truckers. 

The resulting plot revolves around a group of truck drivers at a truck stop who share stories until they have to get back on the road. The conversation touches on everything from how they became truck drivers to the strain their chosen profession puts on their family. Along the way, audience members will find out about “chews and spews” (good truck stops), “Christmas cards” (speeding and parking tickets), and why New York City is called “the dirty side.”

Meanwhile, a group talented singers and professional musicians intersperse classic country songs by artists like Merle Haggard and Johnny Cash into the mix. Photos of trucks and the highways they travel on are projected onto the stage, giving almost every sense something to cheer for.

“It’s visual, musical and emotional,” said Wiger. “It works on all cylinders.”

Where: Stage Theater

When: Through May 9

Cost: Starting at $18

Information: DenverCenter.org

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