BWW Interviews: Producer/director/actor Darryl Deason and THE FRIDAY FIVEMarch 9, 2012The spotlight today falls upon Darryl Deason-mild-mannered Murfreesboro dentist-by-day; high-flying, widely respected director/producer/actor-by-night-who shares the spotlight today with Katherine Sandoval Taylor, who opens tonight as Guenevere in The Arts Center of Cannon County's production of Lerner and Loewe's Camelot (playing through March 23; curtain's at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, with 2 p.m. Sunday matinees) which is, interestingly enough, produced by Darryl Deason himself. Ah! Syncronicity (ya gotta love a good calendar application!).
BWW Interviews: Actress/singer Katherine Sandoval Taylor Takes On THE FRIDAY FIVEMarch 9, 2012The spotlight today falls upon Katherine Sandoval Taylor, one of Middle Tennessee's favorite performers, who tonight opens as Guenevere in The Arts Center of Cannon County's production of Lerner and Loewe's Camelot (which, interestingly enough, is produced by Darryl Deason, the focus of today's other Friday Five). She's known throughout the country as a concert soloist and is quickly gaining a reputation among the theaterati for her burgeoning resume of stage credits.
New Adaptation of THE WINTER'S TALE Opens At The Roxy Regional TheatreMarch 9, 2012Directed by John McDonald and starring Colin Ryan as Leontes, Evy Gildrie-Voyles as Queen Hermione and Brandon Meeks as Polixenes, The Winter's Tale also features Josh Bernaski as Antigonus, Ryan Bowie as Camillo, Hannah Church as Emilia, Jay Doolittle as the Shepherd, Ted Jones as Autolycus, Travis Kendrick as the Clown, Ashley Laverty as Paulina, Gregory Pember (by permission of Actor's Equity) as Florizel and Kendall Anne Thompson as Perdita.
STAGE TUBE: Shelean Newman Talks About Tennessee Rep's Upcoming SUPERIOR DONUTSMarch 8, 2012Superior Donuts runs March 17-31 at TPAC's Johnson Theater (with preview performances March 15 -16). Superior Donuts tells the story of how an unlikely friendship can emerge in the most unexpected places as a downtrodden donut shop owner hires a street-savvy, aspiring young writer with hustle and bright ideas. Filled with humor and humanity, Superior Donuts stirs up the challenges of embracing the past, the untold dangers of hope, and the redemptive power of friendship while analyzing the American dream...and how living in America can affect it.
STAGE TUBE: Fight director Eric Pasto-Crosby on Staging SUPERIOR DONUTS' Fight SceneMarch 8, 2012Superior Donuts runs March 17-31 at TPAC's Johnson Theater (with preview performances March 15 -16).Superior Donuts tells the story of how an unlikely friendship can emerge in the most unexpected places as a downtrodden donut shop owner hires a street-savvy, aspiring young writer with hustle and bright ideas. Filled with humor and humanity,Superior Donuts stirs up the challenges of embracing the past, the untold dangers of hope, and the redemptive power of friendship while analyzing the American dream... and how living in America can affect it.
BWW Interviews: Onstage at The Barn: Memories from the First 45 Years with Andrea Hodgin OsborneMarch 8, 2012In recognition of The Barn's 45 years of bringing the magic of live theater to the stage, we continue our special series of Onstage at The Barn: Memories from The First 45 Years, with actress Andrea Hodgin Osborne, who made her debut at The Barn in 1994 in Smoke on the Mountain, quickly establishing herself as a favorite of Barn audiences and the Nashville theater community. Among my most vivid memories of Andrea was her performance-along with Tim Fudge and Darren Stuart-of "Our Time" from Stephen Sondheim's Merrily WE Roll Along, which was the closing number for the 1995 First Night Awards at Nashville Children's Theatre (and she toiled, for a while, as my personal assistant).
On a Roll With Neil Simon Plays, Director Johnny Peppers Ushers BRIGHTON BEACH To The StageMarch 7, 2012Make no mistake about it: Johnny Peppers loves directing shows by Broadway playwright Neil Simon, as evidenced by his two latest theatrical adventures. With Brighton Beach Memoirs performing to audience acclaim as part of Circle Players' 2011-12 season at The Keeton Theatre-coming right after the closing of Barefoot in the Park that was part of Franklin's Pull-Tight Players' season-Peppers has been immersed in the stage works of one of the theater's most prolific writers.
Tickets On Sale Now for Studio Tenn's Summer Production of THE SOUND OF MUSIC at The Franklin TheatreMarch 7, 2012Jake Speck and Matt Logan decided to add the musical to Studio Tenn's 2011-2012 season after the success of Guys and Dolls in August 2011, the debut theatrical production at the Franklin Theatre. The company has seen continued success with subsequent plays, A Christmas Carol-which sold out so rapidly that two encore performances were added-and The Miracle Worker, which wrapped up its run last weekend.
Ginger Newman Stars As 'Mama Rose' To Highlight Keeton Theatre's 2012-13 SeasonMarch 7, 2012First Night Award-winning actress-cabaret artist, music director, conductor, all-around theater personality-Ginger Newman tackles the role of "Mama Rose" in the musical theater classic Gypsy to highlight the 2012-13 season at The Keeton Theatre, which celebrates its tenth year with shows to appeal to both theater and movie aficionados alike, featuring several local premieres heretofore unproduced by Nashville area companies.
BWW Interviews: Onstage at The Barn: Memories From the First 45 Years with Amanda LambMarch 7, 2012In recognition of The Barn's 45 years of bringing the magic of live theater to the stage, we continue our special series of Onstage at The Barn: Memories from The First 45 Years, with actress Amanda Lamb, who made her debut at The Barn in the 2005, and who handled phone duties for the company for a number of years before heading back to graduate school. Luckily, for local audiences, she's still available to work on some shows from time-to-time and luckily, for us, she found time to offer her backstage/onstage/offstage memories of Nashville's legendary dinner theater.
BWW Interviews: Onstage at the Barn: Memories From the First 45 Years with Lane WrightMarch 6, 2012In recognition of The Barn's 45 years of bringing the magic of live theater to the stage, we continue our special series of Onstage at The Barn: Memories from The First 45 Years, with actor Lane Wright, one of Nashville's most easily recognizable actors, who most recently starred in The Rainmaker and right now is onstage at Nashville's Z. Alexander Looby Theatre in The Disappearance of Janey Jones, presented by Tennessee Women's Theater Project (which is directed by Maryanna Clarke, herself a Barn alum).
Haiti-born Nashville Actor Max Desir Takes Historic Approach to Role in TITANIC THE MUSICALMarch 6, 2012Nashville actor Max Desir didn't expect to have such a personal connection to the character he would be playing in Circle Playears' upcoming revival of Titanic the Musical, when he was cast in the show, set to play James K. Polk Theatre at the Tennessee Peforming Arts Center just days before the centennial of the great ship's sinking in frigid ocean waters on April 14, 1912.
Lakewood Theatre Company to Host Networking Event for Musical Theater CommunityMarch 6, 2012Lakewood Community Theatre Company 2011-voted Best Community Theatre Company in the 2011 Nashville.BroadwayWorld.com Awards-will host Into the Lakewood, a special networking event for the local musical theatre community and its supporters in celebration of the upcoming September, 2012 regional premiere of the critically-acclaimed original musical revue, The Gym.
BWW Interviews: Onstage at the Barn: Memories from the First 45 Years with Michael EdwardsMarch 5, 2012In recognition of The Barn's 45 years of bringing the magic of live theater to the stage, we continue our special series of Onstage at The Barn: Memories from The First 45 Years, with actor Michael Edwards, who made his debut at The Barn in the 1970, continuing to work there until 1990. For many people from that era, Mike Edwards was-and still is, in so many ways-the face of Chaffin's Barn Dinner Theatre, the actor most recognizable for the long list of roles he played there.
BWW Interviews: Onstage at The Barn: Memories From the First 45 Years with Mark DelabarreMarch 2, 2012In recognition of The Barn's 45 years of bringing the magic of live theater to the stage, we continue our special series of Onstage at The Barn: Memories from The First 45 Years, with actor Mark Delabarre, who made his debut at The Barn in the 1997 production of Sugar Babies-the Broadway musical comedy hit that actually got its start at the Clarence Brown Theatre at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. And like Nancy Allen and Dietz Osborne (the first two Barn alums to take part in our continuing series), Delabarre's memories of working at the theater are vivid, funny and heartfelt.
BWW Interviews: Onstage at The Barn: Memories From the First 45 Years with Dietz OsborneMarch 1, 2012Now owned by the second-generation Chaffins-John and Janie, who were recognized among Nashville's Top Entrepreneurs of 2012 by Business Leader Magazine-The Barn has touched the lives of many, both onstage and off-, and today we continue our special series of Onstage at The Barn: Memories from The First 45 Years, with actor/director/playwright Dietz Osborne, who made his debut at The Barn in a 1998 production of Guys and Dolls-and up until recently, his was the voice you heard on the company's voice mail system directing you which number to push when you call in to make reservations, inquire about group events or to buy a gift certificate.