Between the Lines - Smoke on the Mountain Homecoming
The Sanders Family through the years
The Sanders Family Singers are among the most beloved characters to appear on the Taproot Theatre stage. Since their first appearance at Taproot in the 1992 production of Smoke on the Mountain, the fictional family has entertained and lifted spirits multiple times. Here’s a look at the Sanders Family through the years.
1992 - Smoke on the Mountain
Counterclockwise from left: Mathew Zimmerer, Lynn Brannen, Katie Tibbits, Dale Anderson, Marianne Savell, Edd Key, Steven Boe. Photo by Lisa Karl.
Taproot Theatre's first staging of Smoke on the Mountain, the initial installment in the series, was a surprise hit. It was originally scheduled to run for four weeks. Instead, audiences kept coming, and the show went on for months!
1996 - Smoke on the Mountain
Left to right: Jeff Berryman, Samuel Vance, Theresa Holmes. Photo by Lisa Karl.
When Taproot Theatre opened the doors of its new permanent facility in Greenwood, it made sense to bring back this audience favorite for the inaugural season in its current home!
1999 & 2000 - Sanders Family Christmas
Left to right: Samuel Vance, Candace Vance, Edd Key, Catherine Gaffney, Theresa Holmes. Photo by Susan Kauffman.
The second installment, Sanders Family Christmas, saw its West Coast premiere at Taproot Theatre in 1999, then delighted audiences again the following holiday season.
2006 - Smoke on the Mountain
Left to right: Allen Cox, David Anthony Lewis, Kevin Brady, Loni Kappus (background), Aubrey Bean and Edd Key (foreground). Photo by Erik Stuhaug.
For its 30th Anniversary season in 2006, a season of audience favorites, Taproot brought Smoke on the Mountain back for the third time.
2009 - Smoke on the Mountain Homecoming
17 years after the first Sanders Family musical appeared at Taproot Theatre, the third and final installment has its regional premiere on the Taproot stage.
