Saying goodbye is never easy. Sweet Fanny Adams, the longest-running theatre company in Sevier County, had their final curtain call on December 31, 2020. Proclaimed a National Treasure by the 112 th Tennessee State Senate, the cast of the Great Victorian Amusement Company has entertained thousands of visitors with slapstick, vaudevillian comedy in the classic Victorian style theatre for 44 seasons.
Founders Don and Pat MacPherson opened the theatre in 1977 right on the Parkway in Downtown Gatlinburg and built one of the most innovative and creative professional theater companies in the country. Together, they drew from a deep well of experience, love for musical theatre, and wicked sense of humor to write, direct and perform in more than 30 original shows. They formed a cast of like-minded actors who joined the hilarity and became like family not just to the MacPhersons, but to the generations of theatre patrons who made annual pilgrimages to see the latest shows.
The next generation of MacPherson’s, son Chris and daughter Jennifer MacPherson Evans, grew up in the theatre and carried on their parent’s legacy after their father’s passing in 2010. Chris’s bent for creativity sent him into writing, directing new shows and Jennifer picked up management duties for the theater. Both are performers at heart and carry integral roles in the cast as well.
The family has always been big community supporters participating in all of the Gatlinburg parades, except one, in 44 years. On pretty days in the summer, you might spy Chris riding in his father’s footsteps on a penny-farthing bike.
And so, it wasn’t easy saying goodbye to Sweet Fanny Adams Theatre. They will always be a treasure to us. We wish them well and are looking forward to seeing the second act.
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