Article:9999; Posted: July 20, 2015 at 10:30 a.m.

Go to Cornwell’s Dinner Theatre for good food, good singing and a fun show. Don’t go expecting a solid plot, good storylines or deep characterizations. In fact, the plot holes of “Hatfield’s and McCoy’s—Musical Comedy Feud” are a little like the potholes on Michigan roads—deep and plentiful.

The narrator (Kevin Grastorf) tells us there is a feud between the families of the Hatfields and McCoys. The families are represented by Randolph McCoy (Peter Riopelle) and Sarah Hatfield (Autumn O’Ryan). They each have adult–(or near) adult–offspring that we’re supposed to believe have never met even though they live in houses next door to each other. Yes, we’re told Roseanne McCoy (Kristina Heugel) has been away for school for a while, but she’s also close to her father and hasn’t been away her entire life.

The Hatfields and McCoys argue over a pig, but it is never clear whether it was this generation or one from 150 years ago. The two adult children, Roseanne and Johnse Hatfield (Kyle Porter) fall in love at first sight and during the annual Moonshine Jubilee, even Randolph and Sarah start making doe eyes at each other for no clear reason other than they’ve swallowed some moonshine.

If you’ve seen other Top Hat originals, the storyline is familiar. People are going to meet, fall in love, have a fight, and then get back together.

But let’s be honest. “Hatfields and McCoys” isn’t about story. It’s an excuse to put together a bunch of Americana hoe-down music (and some songs from other genres) into an hour and 40 minutes of musical comedy.

The McCoys of the cast are best at playing to the genre. Riopelle has a strong voice and makes big choices when it comes to playing the Kentucky moonshiner. He’s got the hillbilly swagger down pat and he is a devoted father. He growls and snaps at Sarah Hatfield and commits fully to the role with all its stereotypes. His dance moves are big and his singing is full-voiced.

Heugel, who also doubled as the show’s choreographer, plays up the sweet and innocent hillbilly girl. She obviously has a strong dance background and it shows in her moves on the stage. She also doesn’t hesitate to belt out the songs and her reactions to others on stage are generous and big.

On the Hatfield side, there is more hesitation in the acting and the vocals are not as strong. O’Ryan wavers between moments where she is solid and comedic and those where she is withdrawn and uncertain. This especially comes out in her duet with Heugel in “These Boots are Made for Walkin.’” She mutters her reactions and can’t match the strength of Heugel’s vocals.

Porter is adequate in his role as the young lover, portraying an innocence and optimism, but he also can’t compete with Heugel in their duets and comes out sounding weak. He does better with solo numbers like “Pennies from Heaven.”

Grastorf plays several roles from narrator to judge to Tug River residents–male and female. He’s consistently funny and is able to keep up with the McCoys when it comes to singing and dancing.

There are plenty of recognizable songs such as “This Land is Your Land,” “Someone to Watch Over Me,” “Camptown Races,” “I Get a Kick Out of You,” “The Way You Look Tonight,” “I’m in the Mood for Love,” and “Love Me Tender.” They’re pulled from the American standards book, as are songs like “Cotton-Eyed Joe,” “Dueling Banjos” and “Good Old Mountain Dew.” They’re oldies that are designed to appeal to the mostly senior audiences that Turkeyville draws in and the tour busses that fill up every show.

“Hatfield’s and McCoy’s” isn’t serious theater, but it is entertaining and a genuine crowd-pleaser. Top Hat brings in some talent and shows off some fancy feet dancing. It does what it sets out to do.

Run time: 2 p.m. to 3:41, with one intermission. Lunch is served at noon.

For more information, check out Cornwell’s website at www.turkeyville.com.