Unbeknownst to many who may have watched (and wept) through the film version of Steel Magnolias, the comedy/drama that managed to touch the heart of America many times over is actually based on the off-Broadway play written by Robert Harling in 1987. The play, similarly to the film, revolves around the symbol of the magnolia tree and the special bond between a group of Southern women who are described as "delicate as magnolias but as tough as steel." The play, despite never reaching the popularity of the film, is still very popular today, with productions continuously given on Broadway, London's West End, as well as at several theater venues throughout the world.
