Valentine Banquet set for Feb. 14
The Family Farm in Malvern will be hosting a very special Valentine Banquet on Tuesday, Feb. 14.
The evening will feature food, fun, music and dancing, with a special performance by homegrown talent, Kristi White Cline.
Cline is a HSC native and Malvern High School graduate who has performed on stage multiple times at the Grand Old Opry, and at other entertainment venues around the county.
“She’s a hometown girl,” Donna May, co-owner of the Family Farm, said. “Kristi sang at the very first Brickfest that Malvern had….she has won lots of honors, and she’s evolved from a singer/entertainer to a big corporate event planner.”
“Her love of theater, dance and music were cultivated by her Malvern High School drama and choral teachers and church musical directors,” according to Cline’s bio. “With their encouragement, Kristi began to audition for roles that would eventually lead to an audition with the Louisiana Hayride.
“Malvern Brickfest was just beginning, and the Hayride was coming to town. Kristi was selected to not only perform on the local Brickfest show but traveled to Shreveport to perform on the weekly radio show,” as stated in her bio. “She knew then, this would be her life calling. Her road to Nashville had begun.”
Cline is currently the executive creative director at PRA Business Events in Nashville but will be making her way back to Malvern on Valentine’s Day to perform at the Family Farm event. She will be performing musically and will also bring her spot-on and entertaining imitation of Minnie Pearl to the Family Farm crowd.
Pearl was a country comedy icon of the Grand Ole Opry stage for over 50 years and had a recurring spot on the “Hee Haw” TV show for over two decades. She made appearances on numerous other television shows, a cameo appearance in the film “Coal Miner’s Daughter,” and in 1975, she became the second solo female act to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
“[Cline] had grown up with the Opry and Hee Haw. She knew Minnie’s stories and character. Kristi adored her. Armed with every piece of audio and video she could find, Kristi set out to perfect her act that would capture the true character of Minnie,” according to Cline’s bio.
Cline would eventually get the chance to meet Mrs. Pearl, whose real name was Sarah Cannon, and would have the blessed opportunity to perform on stage with the beloved comedian. They struck up a friendship, and when Cline asked Pearl how she felt about others impersonating her, she replied, “They don’t love Sarah Cannon. They don’t love Kristi White. They love Minnie. If you do exactly what she does, which is love ‘em, they will love you back.”
Cline took Mrs. Pearl’s words to heart and has put in tremendous effort to perfect her stellar impression of the beloved Opry star, a perfor
mance that is guaranteed to take you right back to the Good Ole Days, with some good, clean humor that is bound to spark great memories.
The Valentine Banquet will be held at the farm, in the Big Red Barn located on the premises. Owners Stan and Donna May are excited to welcome the community to come out for a catfish dinner with all the trimmings, courtesy of Dorey’s Catfish, plus a night full of special performances that are bound to bring an abundance of fun and laughter for all!
Doors will open at 6 p.m., with dinner set to be served at 6:30. Tickets are $25 per person, and please note—you don’t have to be part of a couple to attend.
Family Farm is located at 18448 Hwy. 67 in Malvern. For more information, or to make a reservation, call 501-337-4171. Reservations for the Feb. 14 event can also be made online at familyfarm.org.