Kristin Chenoweth, Norm Lewis, and More to Stop By STUDIO TENN TALKS in February

Studio Tenn has announced that the popular talk show series, Studio Tenn Talks: Theatre Conversations with Patrick Cassidy, will begin its 2021 virtual broadcast from the stage of The Franklin Theatre.

Kicking off the 2021 season will be award-winning actress and singer, Kristin Chenoweth, whose resume spans theater, film and television. She is best known for her role as Glinda the Good Witch in the popular Broadway musical, Wicked. The first show will be broadcast live at 7 p.m. February 1, on Studio Tenn's YouTube channel and at www.studiotenntalks.com.

Also coming up in February are chats with Norm Lewis (February 8), John Stamos (February 15), and Susan Egan & Sierra Boggess (February 22).

Also new for the Studio Tenn Talks upcoming season is the addition of musical director Patrick Thomas, who is an accomplished musician and a former contestant on The Voice.

"We are so blessed to have him be a part of this show," said Studio Tenn Artistic Director Patrick Cassidy. "He is a musical director extraordinaire as well as a great artist, musician and singer in his own right. He will add a big component to the experience of the show."

All non-profits, Studio Tenn, the Heritage Foundation and The Franklin Theatre, have had to pivot during the 2020 pandemic season and were able to partner to give show host and Studio Tenn Cassidy a place to continue the nationally recognized talk show. This also marks the first phase of the theater's reopening strategy, with a focus on small, private events and productions.

"We are so excited to be bringing this virtual broadcast to the stage at the beloved Franklin Theatre," Cassidy said. "Because we had to pause our 2020/2021 performance season, we are more excited than ever to be able to continue this talk show in a virtual format from such an amazing historic venue."

Studio Tenn Talks has featured interviews with Broadway, film and music stars such as Patti LuPone, Jason Alexander, Debbie Gibson and Michael Feinstein. All of the past Studio Tenn Talks shows can be viewed on the theatre company's YouTube channel HERE.

Bari Beasley, CEO of the Heritage Foundation, said this partnership is the result of some creative thinking during a challenging time that will be a great addition to the theater's lineup.

"One of our goals for the theater in 2020 and beyond was to maintain the type of shows that have made this theater so great, but also to bolster that with diversity in programming," she said. "This partnership with Studio Tenn is a great example of ways the theater can be home to a broader audience than in the past to include theatrical performances and free programming. We are excited to have this amazing theater group host this show from our stage. We can't wait to see how their season comes together in 2021."

Studio Tenn Talks: Theater Conversations with Patrick Cassidy will take place every Monday at 7 p.m. CST and can be viewed at studiotenntalks.com or on the Facebook page, facebook.com/studiotenntheatrecompany. The show is free for all viewers, and voluntary donations are accepted.