Joel Underwood Presents "Move it On Over: Stories and Songs of Hank Williams"

On New Year's Eve, 1952, despite his fragile health, 29 year-old Hank Williams took off on an ill-planned overnight journey from Alabama to Ohio to save his flailing career. He did not survive. In "Move It On Over", music historian/folksinger/story-teller Joel Underwood brings the same energy BPA audiences remember from his Woody Guthrie performance last season back to our stage, weaving the story of that mysterious, controversial night with Williams' early life. Throughout the ride, we sing along with favorites including "Your Cheatin' Heart", "Hey Good Lookin'", and "So Lonesome I Could Cry". Sometimes hilarious, sometimes tragic, Underwood and his guitar bring to bright life the story of one of America's most important musical voices. 

Moving back and forth between Williams' early formative years and the night of his mysterious death, these two acts (approximately 80 minutes total) feature ten beloved songs and leaves audiences nostalgic but thoughtful on the subjects of addiction, fame, and generational trauma.

Joel Underwood (he/him) is an actor, teacher, musician, and historian. After 25 years teaching high school history, Underwood got his master’s degree in American History with a focus on folk and protest music. A recipient of the Woody Guthrie Fellowship, Underwood was granted access to the Woody Guthrie Archives in Tulsa, Oklahoma, to research Woody’s time in the World War II Merchant Marines. Underwood continues to tour as a musician, both solo and with his daughter.