Plot Summary

The Last Night of Ballyhoo

Alfred Uhry
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The Last Night of Ballyhoo

Fiction | Play | Adult | Published in 1996

Book Brief

Alfred Uhry

The Last Night of Ballyhoo

Fiction | Play | Adult | Published in 1996
Book Details
Pages

79

Format

Play • Fiction

Setting

Atlanta, Georgia • 1930s

Publication Year

1996

Audience

Adult

Recommended Reading Age

14-18 years

Lexile Level

NP

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Super Short Summary

The Last Night of Ballyhoo by Alfred Uhry is a comedy/drama play set in Atlanta in December 1939. It centers on the Freitag-Levy family, part of Atlanta’s assimilated German-Jewish community, who are preparing for a prestigious event called Ballyhoo. Amidst the celebration, Sunny, a college-aged family member, becomes increasingly aware of anti-Semitism and the growing threat from Hitler’s regime.

Nostalgic

Contemplative

Emotional

Bittersweet

Heartwarming

Reviews & Readership

4.1

390 ratings

62%

Loved it

31%

Mixed feelings

8%

Not a fan

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Review Roundup

Alfred Uhry's The Last Night of Ballyhoo receives praise for its engaging dialogue and authentic portrayal of Southern Jewish life in 1939. Critics appreciate the play's humor and historical accuracy, though some find the plot predictable and character development uneven. Overall, it's lauded for its cultural insights and poignant moments, despite minor flaws.

Who should read this

Who Should Read The Last Night of Ballyhoo?

A reader who enjoys exploring themes of identity, family dynamics, and cultural assimilation in a historical context will appreciate Alfred Uhry’s The Last Night of Ballyhoo. Comparable to works like Fannie Flagg's Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe, it caters to those who cherish Southern settings and rich character development.

4.1

390 ratings

62%

Loved it

31%

Mixed feelings

8%

Not a fan

Fun Facts

The Last Night of Ballyhoo was written by Alfred Uhry, a playwright known for his works that explore Jewish life in the American South and who also won the Pulitzer Prize for his play Driving Miss Daisy.

The play premiered at the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta in 1996, marking it as an important cultural production in the city where the story is set, and later went on to have a successful run on Broadway.

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Book Details
Pages

79

Format

Play • Fiction

Setting

Atlanta, Georgia • 1930s

Publication Year

1996

Audience

Adult

Recommended Reading Age

14-18 years

Lexile Level

NP

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