A neon sign flickers above reading “Double Cupp Diner,” and an imaginary smell of coffee mixes with the thrum of guitars and the stomp of cowboy boots.
Laughter and music filled the Hippodrome Theatre on opening night as the upbeat summer musical “Pump Boys and Dinettes” launched the 2025-26 season on Wednesday, blending small-town charm with country tunes and heartwarming humor.
Taking place at the “Double Cupp Diner” and a nearby gas station, the songs are a combination of country, rock, blues and midwestern swing. The small-town road stop is somewhere between Frog Level and Smyrna, North Carolina. The cast consists of two women and four men, creating a tight-knit family atmosphere.
Gabrielle Byam, the director of education at The Hipp, said the characters represent the average American diner employee. Throughout the production, characters voice their personal stories of joy and struggle through song.
The intimate space, paired with the heartwarming storyline, makes for a great time, she said.
The musical includes songs about fishing, life on the highway and their love for Dolly Parton. A part of the stage juts out into the audience, and some of the numbers take cast members into the seating areas, engaging with the spectators.
“These characters come to life,” Byam said.
Performing just feet away from the audience, the immersive experience and catchy songs had the audience clapping along. Cast members played a variety of instruments live on stage, such as the harmonica, guitar, drums, bass, accordion and egg shakers.
Brady Wease, who plays the character Jim and directs the music in the show, plays the guitar throughout the musical. His character is the leader of the “Pump Boys” and the first to communicate with the audience.
Chris Bailey, the theater’s communications director, said it’s a feel-good show that’s fun for all ages.
“It’s got a lot of toe-tapping numbers,” Bailey said. “You kind of feel like you do know the song, and it’s stuck in your head before it’s over.”
Originally debuting on Broadway in 1982, the musical celebrates working-class Americans in their everyday lives, using humor to turn the ordinary into something special.
After previously producing the musical, The Hipp brought it back in hopes it would resonate with Gainesville theater fans in 2025, Bailey said.
“We’re going to get back to the basics of theater,” he said. “We want it to be a fun, energizing, uplifting place to be, and I think that’s what this musical provides.”
The cast includes performers like Luke Sechrest as Eddie, the bass player for the Pump Boys. Evan Jay Newman stars as L.M., a lovesick boy who isn’t much of a ladies’ man. Sydney Kollas plays Rhetta and Prudie, the two dinettes at the “Double Cupp Diner.”
Lexi Langieri, a 33-year-old voluntary prekindergarten regional facilitator, frequently goes to the theater with her friends. She saw “Pump Boys and Dinettes” on opening night without knowing what to expect and emerged smiling.
“It was so much fun, catchy and engaging,” Langieri said.
It’s important to support community theater and actors to keep the arts alive, she said.
The show is projected to be a hit this summer, with some showings nearly sold out. With its upbeat energy, “Pump Boys and Dinettes” is a feel-good crowd-pleaser for Gainesville audiences looking for a lively night out.
Celia Chapman, an 80-year-old volunteer usher at The Hipp, said it is the heart of Gainesville.
“Give yourself a break,” Chapman said. “Come and see a great show.”
The musical is set to run through June 20.
Contact Isis Snow at isnow@alligator.org. Follow her on X @snow_isisUF.
Isis Snow is a junior sports journalism student and a general assignment reporter for The Avenue. She enjoys reading and working out whenever she has the opportunity.
