Hands on! The musical “Hands on a Hardbody” is live on stage Sept. 1-18 at Ocala Civic Theatre to kick off the 2022-23 season.

“Hands on a Hardbody” is a musical based on S.R. Bindler’s 1997 documentary film of the same title. The book is by Doug Wright, with music by Trey Anastasio, from the band Phish, and music and lyrics by Amanda Green.

Everything’s bigger in Texas … including the prizes. And the Floyd King Nissan dealership in Longview is sponsoring a contest to win a free, brand-new pickup truck!

All you have to do is keep at least one hand on the truck for the duration of the contest.

You may not lean, squat, or rest your legs.

You must wear the cotton gloves provided.

Breaks are 15 minutes once every six hours.

The contest ends when one champion is left standing. And 10 Texans are in it to win it.

All 10 contestants are down on their luck but up for a challenge.

The contest is conducted under the watchful eye of Floyd King’s public relations manager Cindy Barnes (Melody Murphy) and sales manager Mike Ferris (Gregg Bleam), with local radio DJ Frank Nugent (John Corneilson) providing lively commentary throughout.

Under a scorching sun for days on end, the contestants rely on their grit, gumption, and good sense of humor to get through this test of will.

All 10 are determined to drive away with the American dream, no matter how long they have to keep their hands on that truck. But there can be only one winner in this hilarious, hard-fought contest… who will it be?

Based on a true story, this feel-good country-pop musical is inspired by the acclaimed 1997 documentary of the same name.

Hands down, this one’s a winner!

“Hands on a Hardbody” is directed and music-directed by Jason Bartosic. Choreographer is Greg Thompson. Scenic designer is Halea Jo Downing. Costume designer is Eryn Brooks Brewer.

Lighting designer is David Castaneda. Sound designer is Jim Foster. Props designer is Cheyenne Dever. Dialect coach is Lori Engler. Stage manager is Madison Raabe.

The show runs Sept. 1-18. Performances are Thursdays and Fridays at 7:30 p.m., Saturdays at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., and Sundays at 2 p.m.

Tickets are on sale now at $30 for adults and $15 for ages 18 and younger. Purchase tickets over the phone at 352-236-2274 or in person at the box office Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

For more information or to buy tickets online at any time, visit www.ocalacivic theatre.com.

Your comment has been submitted.

There was a problem reporting this.

Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language. PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK. Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated. Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything. Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person. Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts. Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.

Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to read or post comments.

Sorry, no promotional deals were found matching that code.

Promotional Rates were found for your code.

Sorry, there are no recent results for popular articles.

Sorry, there are no recent results for popular images.

Sorry, there are no recent results for popular videos.

Sorry, there are no recent results for popular commented articles.