Hickory – Branden Nuhfer, an actor who’s been very active in community theatre throughout the area, is returning to the Hickory Community Theatre for The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals,  the opening show of the theatre’s 76th season. Performances begin on August 30 and run through September 14 in the Jeffers Theatre.

Nuhfer, who plays Paul, has been in several productions at HCT, going back to 2019, when he made his debut in Hair, for which he received a Kay Award for Outstanding Newcomer. He’s since received two more honors, with an award for Outstanding Lead Actor in Something Rotten and an Outstanding Ensemble Award for The Play That Goes Wrong. He’s also performed around the region, in productions such as Hello Dolly at the Green Room and Disaster with Lincoln Theatre Guild.

“My favorite things about working with Hickory Community Theatre,” he said, “are the performance space and the many friends I’ve made here. I love this show [The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals] and I like my character’s journey through the show.” Nuhfer is a native of Denver, NC and currently works as a teller for People’s Bank. In addition to his HCT Kay Award, he also received the award for “Most Swag” at the Daytona Beach Spring Break in 2009.

Performances of The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals will be August 30 through September 14, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30pm, Sundays at 2:30pm and Thursday, September 12 at 7:30pm in the Jeffers Theatre. Tickets are $18 for adults and $12 for students and youth 18 & under. Tickets may be purchased online at hickorytheatre.org or by phone at 828-328-2283.

The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals is rated PG-13, with adult language and cartoonish violence.

The Hickory Community Theatre is a funded affiliate of the United Arts Council of Catawba County.

PHOTO: Branden Nuhfer plays Paul, the protagonist in The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals, coming August 30 to the Hickory Community Theatre. Photo by Ken Burns.