This is a rare opportunity to experience this original musical by Johnny Simons and Douglas Balentine, which hasn’t been performed by the theatre in almost 50 years.
FORT WORTH, Texas (July 22, 2025) – Hip Pocket Theatre continues its 49th season with a wonderful musical from its past: Old Mother West Wind by Johnny Simons and Douglas Balantine, directed by Lake Simons with music direction by John Dyer and Joe Rogers. The show will be performed in the Hip Pocket Theatre’s amphitheatre at 1950 Silver Creek Road in Fort Worth. Showtimes are at 9 p.m. Fridays through Sundays, August 1-24. An American Sign Language interpreted performance is scheduled for August 15.
Old Mother West Wind, based on the children’s book by Thornton W. Burgess, takes place in a wooded area surrounding Farmer Brown’s land. Old Mother West Wind, a Mother Nature figure, comes down from the purple hills each day to visit and watch over the woodland animals and teach them lessons of survival that are thinly disguised as lessons on kindness, empathy and awareness of humans who have bad intentions toward nature. Hip Pocket Theatre originally mounted Old Mother West Wind in 1978 as a part of its third season. The show marked Simons’ and Balentine’s fourth artistic collaboration. Lake Simons, co-artistic director of Hip Pocket Theatre, said, “I grew up hearing this beautiful music and getting to know all of the actors who portrayed these characters in this and so many other productions created by Johnny and Douglas. Being trusted with this material is an honor and I am overjoyed by the opportunity to put it on the Hip Pocket stage after 47 years. I couldn’t do it without co-music directors, Joe Rogers and John Dyer, both well versed in creating music for theatre in their own right. This show is an exceptional challenge and gift to us. We will honor the original spirit of the Simons / Balentine production, keeping the script fully intact and presenting the music as it was wholly intended.” The cast includes the actor who originally portrayed Old Mother West Wind, Peggy Bott Kirby. Other ensemble highlights include Gary Payne as Johnny Chuck, Allen Dean as Grandfather Frog, Sara Rashelle as Granny Fox and Adia Best as Reddy Fox. The cast also features James Warilla, Lauren Ivy Chiong, Ron Fernandez, Ash Vance, Aaron Dias, Carlos Romero Pineda, Harper Caroline Lee, Lourdes Bradley, Lily Garcia, Cy Oak Dyer and Jericho Parker. The band includes John Dyer, Lois Leftwich, Aaron Dias and Allen Dean on vocals, Joe Rogers on keyboards, Chris Hasty on bass, Dillon Phillips on drums, Mario Cruz and David Williams on saxophone.
Tickets for all performances are $25 for adults; $20 for seniors, military, teachers, first responders and students; and $15 for children 12 and under. They are available through Tickets to the City, on the Hip Pocket Theatre website or by calling 817-246-9775.
A Pay-What-You-Can Preview will be offered Thursday, July 31. Tickets for this performance are only available at the door. The suggested donation is $15.
The Box Office and The BackYard open at 7:30 p.m. Live music begins at 8 p.m. and is also performed after the show. Get the full music schedule here. The Hip Cafe offers beer, wine, soft drinks and snacks for purchase before and after the performance. No outside food or beverages are permitted. Late seating is not permitted.
About Hip Pocket Theatre
Based in Fort Worth, Texas, Hip Pocket Theatre is a unique, alternative theatre company known for its imaginative, experimental productions and its rustic outdoor setting. Established in 1976, the theatre combines an unconventional approach to storytelling with original scripts, scores, drama, humor, puppetry, mime and movement. Hip Pocket produces a wide variety of works, including original plays, adaptations, musicals and multimedia performances. Often incorporating elements of fantasy and fable, the theatre creates an immersive experience filled with creativity and artistic exploration.