First Night's Top Ten of 2017 To Be Revealed Tonight

First Night's Top Ten of 2017 - critic Jeffrey Ellis' annual review of the best in Tennessee theater - will be revealed tonight during a live Facebook broadcast at 7:30 p.m. (CST).

Ellis' nods for the best performances and productions of the previous calendar year will be announced by the team of co-hosts for Midwinter's First Night (Julia Marie Nettles, Jenna Pryor, Austin Jeffrey Smith and Taylor Tracey), at which the winners of First Night Awards will be announced. Midwinter's First Night, to be held Sunday, January 8, at The Larry Keeton Theatre, will also feature live performances and "hijinks" starring the team of co-hosts and a coterie of local theater luminaries.

Tonight's reveal is essentially the announcement of nominees for First Night Awards recognition in the categories of outstanding plays, outstanding musicals, outstanding performances by actors/actresses and ensembles, outstanding directors, choreographers and musical directors. The history of First Night goes back to 1989 and the original presentation of the Dare Theatre Awards, which subsequently became known as the First Night Awards and is now primarily known for The First Night Honors, a Kennedy Center Honors-inspired presentation that was on hiatus in 2016, but will once again be the crowning point of the 2017 theater season next September.

On hand for tonight's reveal, in addition to the four co-hosts, will be associate producer Bradley Moore and on-the-scene reporter Arron Holman.

Among performances slated for Midwinter's First Night will be songs presented by the Keeton Theatre cast of My Fair Lady; Murfreesboro's Center for the Arts' 9 to 5: The Musical; Expression City's Hairspray; and The Theater Bug's 7 Ways to Sunday. Memory Strong-Smith and Ashley Wolfe will also perform solo turns during the January 8 show.

Presenters for Midwinter's First Night include: Britt Byrd, Katherine Morgan, Michael Adcock, Cavender Lane, Erica Patterson, Patrick Kramer, John Frost Jr., Brittany Easley, Cassie Hamilton, Amanda Grace Creech, Brooke Gronemeyer, Wesley King, Sheridan Hitchcox, Brandon Hoyt, Shelby Jones, Lucy Turner, David Arnold, Cat Arnold and LaQuita James.

For tickets to Midwinter's First Night, call (615) 892-4044.