About The Eatonton messenger. (Eatonton, Ga.) 18??-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 21, 2025)
C6 | THURSDAY, AUGUST 21, 2025 The Eatonton Aessenger www.msgrnews.com Johnson brings Sanctified: A Gospel Musical Comedy to Eatonton The Plaza Theater in Eatonton will come alive with laughter, music, and soul-stirring perfor mances as Sanctified: A Gospel Musical Comedy takes the stage for an unforgettable evening. Presented by acclaimed actor, playwright, and producer Javon Johnson, best known for his role as Richard Hallsen on Tyler Perry’s hit TV drama “The Oval,” this marks the relaunch of one of Johnson’s most celebrated touring productions. The choice to launch in Javon Johnson Eatonton carries special significance for Johnson. This small Georgia town is the birthplace of Pulitzer Prize-winning author Alice Walker (The Color Purple) and the legendary African Amer ican folklore writer Joel Chandler Harris, known for the “Uncle Remus” stories. For Johnson, these literary giants embody the spirit of storytelling that shaped his own artistic journey. Born and raised in the small town of Anderson, S.C., Johnson says the people of Eatonton feel like “kindred spirits,” sharing the same warmth, grit, and deep cultural roots that inspired his work. While Johnson’s resume stretches across Broadway, national tours, film, and televi sion, including a role in the upcoming season of Netflix’s “The Lincoln Lawyer,” he admits that his first love is live theatre. “There’s something magical about the stage,” says Johnson. “Film is powerful, but in theatre, the audience and the actors breathe the same air, feel the same heart beat and experience the story together in real time. That kind of connection is sacred to me.” Sanctified holds an even more personal connec tion as it was inspired by Johnson’s own hometown church experiences. The comedy offers a heartfelt and humorous look at a small church wrestling with change, as its leader ship tries to balance tradi tion with fresh ideas to draw in new members. The soundtrack is a joyous blend of traditional hymns, R&B, and original music written specifically for the production. The play has garnered rave reviews for its hilar ious moments, relatable characters, and uplifting message, making it one of the most talked-about gospel stage plays in recent years. Don’t miss your chance to see one of the funniest and most relatable stage productions of the year Saturday, Sept. 13 at 6:30 p.m. at The Plaza. Tickets are $40 each and can be purchased online at javon- johnsonproductions.com — Contributed Movie Review: Can Friday get any freakier? Katie Flicker The Eatonton Messenger Last weekend, I went to see “Freakier Friday,” the sequel to “Freaky Friday,” a 2003 comedy released by Walt Disney Pictures. Twenty-two years after the original event, the new film brings back the original mother- and-daughter duo of the first film, all grown up. Lindsey Lohan returns as Anna Coleman, now a single mother with her own daughter, Harper, while Tess, played by Jamie Lee Curtis, is now a “support grandparent.” Julia Butters as Harper is having trouble at school with British immigrant Lily Reyes (Sophia Hammons) and following an incident in the chemistry lab their parents are called in to help mitigate. That fateful parent- teacher meeting leads to Eric Reyes, Lily’s father (Manny Jacinto), and Anna to fall in love. Time skipping ahead six months, the audience is introduced to the main plot of the movie, the pair preparing to be married and their teenage daughters feeling spiteful toward the marriage — and each other. Not only are the two forced to be “family,” but Anna wants to move to England with Eric, forcing Harper to leave her grandmother, her school, and her friends behind. While both parents try to be patient and push their daughters together as a united front, Tess tries to approach the girls with therapeutic tech niques and connect with them individually and with space to bring them together on their own time. However, these two methods clash and ulti mately make the girls even more irritable toward everyone. So, when the girls attend Anna’s bache lorette party, they seek the advice of a fortune teller. Meanwhile, Anna and Tess also sought her advice, ultimately leading to each pair magically switching bodies the next day. The adults awake as the teens, with Harper as Anna, and Lily awakening as Tess. While Anna and Tess try to blend in as teens, Lily and Harper unite to try and ruin the marriage between their parents and chaos begins. Ultimately, of course, each discovers secrets and appreciates things about the others that unite them as a single front, concluding the chaos with a happy family. Ratings wise, I would give “Freakier Friday” an 8 out of 10, for offering a funny, enjoyable experi ence tied in with serious themes of immigration, grief, loss, parent-child conflict, and more. I do take away points for the occasionally slow pace of the movie as well as a very “cringe-worthy” flirtation scene that went on far too long. Rotary Super Raffle returning for 2026 The Rotary Club of Greene and Putnam Counties has announced the launch of its 2026 Super Raffle, an exciting fundraiser that offers the chance to win valuable weekly prizes all year long while supporting projects that create real, lasting impact in local and global communities. Included among the organizations that will benefit locally from the Rotary Club of Greene and Putnam Counties 2026 Super Raffle is Second Harvest, which has distributed more than two-million pounds of food since its inception over a decade ago. Each 6theartisansvilloge.org Come get Ctealive wvilhvus! Register online for new ART CLASSES Gallery Hours 11 -5 PM WED-FRI | 10 -3PM SAT 110 W. Marion Street in Eatonton Find us on the Square downtown month, Rotary provides food to families in need, with more than 200 schoolchildren receiving take-home backpack meals each weekend. Rotary also has teamed up with churches and organizations to support Our Father’s Kitchen, a local soup kitchen serving Greensboro and Lake Oconee. Additionally, twice a year, 130 children from Greene and Putnam counties enjoy a special day at Shoe Carnival in Augusta, complete with breakfast, volunteers, and the joy and fun of selecting their own new shoes, socks, backpacks, UPCOMING EVENTS and books. Unfortunately, many children start school without having ever owned or been read to from a book; however, the Rotary Club of Greene and Putnam Counties is working to change that, one book at a time. Our members volunteer and distribute age-appro priate books to children and families, ensuring early access to literacy tools. More than 2,000 books have been given out so far. Also, the Pets Love Vets initiative connects shelter animals with mili tary veterans and covers all adoption costs. The result has been healing, companionship, and a new lease on life for more than 190 pets as well as their new veteran owners. Among Rotary’s most important programs is its Student of the Year Schol arships, derived from honoring each month from September to April, outstanding students from each of the four local high schools, alongside their most influential teachers. At the end of the school year, one student from each school receives a $1,500 scholarship, representing a substan tial, meaningful invest ment in the future of our Rotary Club of Greene and Putnam Counties SUPER RAFFLE youth. Rotary will also be awarding scholarships to exceptional vocational students in 2026. On more major program involves a Rotary partnership with Alliance for Smiles, in which one of our members travels worldwide to serve with a medical team that performs cleft lip and palate surgeries, trains local medical teams, and helps to establish long-term care centers. Our Rotary Club proudly contributes to funding these life-changing missions. The Rotary Club of Greene and Putnam Counties also supports the community through several initiatives and programs, including: • Meals on Wheels: Weekly meal deliveries to those with limited access to food; • Youth Leadership Programs: Support for Early Act and Interact clubs, the Pete Nance Boys & Girls Club, and scholarships to Rotary Youth Leadership Awards Camp; • Character and Writing Contests: Annual Laws of Life and Four-Way Test essay competitions for high schoolers; • Georgia Rotary Student Program: The club sponsors an inter national student ambas sador studying at UGA; • Environmental Projects: Rotary has installed osprey nests and repurposed Christmas trees in Lake Oconee, demonstrating a commit ment to environmental sustainability; • Musical Instruments: Rotary has installed outdoor musical instru ments for community enjoyment at Butterflies and Blooms in the Briar Patch and at Harmony Park; and • Flag Collection and Disposal: In partnership with local Scouts and the Lake Oconee Elks Lodge, Rotary has helped to properly retire more than 3,000 U.S. flags over 18 years. Each $50 Rotary Super Raffle ticket purchased represents more than just a chance at weekly winnings of a minimum donated prize value of $300; it provides a direct investment in programs that change lives. From feeding families to helping kids succeed, honoring veterans, or improving health world wide, the Rotary Super Raffle helps to make a difference. And with only 1,000 tickets sold, each ticket’s chance of winning remains strong — and the impact of its purchase even stronger. Significantly, too, each of the 1,000 tickets sold remains eligible for all 53 drawings planned for 2026. Prizes include gift certificates, exclusive experiences, and other services or items donated by local sponsors and businesses. Contact any Rotary Club of Greene and Putnam Counties member or call 706-347- 1160 as soon as possible to purchase 2026 Rotary Super Raffle tickets before they sell out. — Contributed July 22 - sept 12 I MOULTHROP LEGACY EXHIBIT MMCC hours sept S I OPEN MIC NIGHT 7PM sept 13 | CHUCK LEAVELL IN PARTNERSHIP WITH MADISON CONSERVANCY 7PM sept 19 I YACHT ROCK SCHOONER 7:30PM oct6| OPEN MIC NIGHT 7PM oct 24 I NICHOLAS JAMERSON 7:30PM oct 26 -dec 31 I EMERGENCE IN BLACK & WHITE GARY HUDSON EXHIBIT MMCC hours nov 13-16 I SANTA AT THE CENTER by appointment nov 21 I LEAH CALVERT 7:30PM dec1 I OPEN MIC NIGHT 7PM dec7 I COMMUNITY HOLIDAY CONCERT 3PM dec18 I ATLANTA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA 8PM jan 5 I OPEN MIC NIGHT 7PM jan 30 I “TWELFTH NIGHT” ATLANTA SHAKESPEARE COMPANY 7PM www.mmcc-arts.org SCAN HERE TO LEARN MORE -• •• Pets of the Week LAKE OCONEE HUMANE SOCIETY MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN A LIFE Chandler Could this puppy BE any cuter? Chandler and his siblings (Phoebe, Ross, Rachel, Monica, and Janice) are 5-month-old blue heeler mixes. They're a little shy right now but are waiting for families to help them grow into the smart, loyal cattle dogs they're meant to be. You can bet that they'll be there for you - if you're there for them too! Sonya a Sonya is a 2-year-old tabby with a heart as big as her hugs— literally! This affectionate girl loves to stand on her back legs and wrap her paws around your shoulders like she's giving you a cuddle. After raising her kittens, she's ready to be the one who's cherished every day.Winky may only have one eye, but she's far too busy climbing, pouncing, and playing like a pro to care. At just two months old, this fearless kitten is full of curiosity and charm. She's ready to make your home her playground! 1020 Park Ave. #101, Greensboro, GA CONTACT US AT 706-454-1508 or via our website LOHSpets.org
