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ALTON - “Honeysuckle Summer Nights” will premiere at the Alton Amphitheater on Aug. 3, 2024, and for writer Leah Becoat and her family, the event is the culmination of years of hard work.
“Honeysuckle Summer Nights” is a vaudeville show with an overarching theme that will connect each act. The show starts at 7 p.m. on Aug. 3, and there will be food trucks and live music to enjoy throughout the evening. Leah, who wrote the show and founded the production company 3 Purple Coats Productions, can’t wait to share her latest work with the community.
“Just come expecting to have a wonderful time,” Leah said. “One of my goals is to put a sweet aroma down by the river under the stars, celebrate the performing arts, live music, and the gift that God has given me that I can share with others and through others. It’s going to be pretty amazing.”
Dr. Nana Becoat and Dr. Deedee Jones, Leah’s sisters, echoed her words. They noted that Leah has always been a storyteller, and this latest work is one of her best.
Jones said “Honeysuckle Summer Nights” inspires creativity. She encourages people to “linger” at the production and let it touch them.
“Be curious, come and see the innovation, see the collaboration, be inspired, aspire to be a part of it and then leave with a sense of gratitude,” Jones said. “I hope that people are curious and that they come with an expectation to just have fun…It’s an opportunity, one of the final days of summer, to come and just linger and be inspired to appreciate what the Riverbend has to offer in the form of the arts. It’s for all people, all races, all creeds, all ages above 18, and just come out and have a good time and see what Leah and her beautiful cast have been up to.”
Leah, Nana, Jones and their cousin Dr. Tracy Cooley grew up together, playing instruments and performing for their family. A skin disorder prompted Leah to take up writing, and she soon discovered that she had a gift for storytelling.
Over the years, she has gone on to write many plays and produce them through 3 Purple Coats Productions. Her first play was performed in a gravel parking lot, and now she is preparing to open “Honeysuckle Summer Nights” at the Alton Amphitheater.
“Sometimes when you have excess, you may not try as hard and your creativity may not flow as it should or be on the highest level because you have everything you need,” Leah explained. “But when you’re starting out with rocks and dirt and you have to make those mudpies or stories from the mud, you are really, I would say, vibing or musing on a different level because you’re pulling all that you have, all the inspiration that you have in order to express a story or tell a story. It’s not always bad to start from nothing.”
The production company has grown a lot since that first show, and Leah credits her faith, family and her own mental fortitude for her success. Nana also noted that their family has helped her grow, and she is proud of her older sisters for their success in their fields. She can’t wait to see Leah’s newest show in August.
“I’m just really grateful I’m the youngest and I had you two to look up to and follow and to follow in the path. I’m just glad you all are my older sisters,” Nana said, adding, “I feel like this is a great opportunity for our community to support one of our local artists and local talent, people who live here who have spent their lives who are still rooted in this community and giving back. There’s nothing greater than that.”
Leah, Nana, Jones and Cooley can’t wait to see the finished show. They promise a “beautiful” stage with great performers, including Cooley herself, who is looking forward to taking on a new role within “Honeysuckle Summer Nights.” The show is about love, and they hope the audience experiences the same love, curiosity and gratitude that led Leah to write it in the first place.
“Come out and experience an evening of love,” Cooley added. “When you leave the performance on Aug. 3, you will feel love. Love will be showered.”
“Honeysuckle Summer Nights” will start at 7 p.m. on Aug. 3, 2024, at the Alton Amphitheater. Tickets are $15 and audience members must be 18 and older. For more information, including how to purchase tickets, visit the official 3 Purple Coats Productions Facebook page.
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