Broadway Legend and Tony Winner Donna McKechnie to Receive Ovation Award at Nashville Rep's Broadway Brunch

Broadway legend and Tony Award winner Donna McKechnie will be presented with Nashville Repertory Theatre's Ovation Award during the company's upcoming annual fundraiser Broadway Brunch, set for August 21, at the Wildhorse Saloon.

Chaired this year by Jeanette Barker and Janet Kurtz, Broadway Brunch features not only brunch, but an afternoon of cocktails, live and silent auctions and musical performances by some of Nashville's most beloved and critically acclaimed theatrical personalities.

"We are beyond thrilled that this year's Broadway Brunch brings Broadway legend Donna McKechnie to Nashville to accept the Ovation Award. Ms. McKechnie will join the Rep's esteemed artists on stage for a surprise performance," according to chairs Barker and Kurtz.

"Guests who support The Rep by joining us for this spectacular event can expect spectacle, delights and showtunes that will have us all singing and dancing along. The event promises a celebration of our local arts and artist community, all whle raising critical funds for the Nashville Repertory Theatre."

McKechnie, who won the Tony Award for her performance as Cassie in the original Broadway company of A Chorus Line, is considered worldwide as one of Broadway's foremost singing and dancing leading ladies. In addition, she has starred in and choreographed productions in London's West End, along with theatrical productions in Tokyo and Paris. Included in McKechnie's Broadway resume are production s of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, The Education of Hyman Kaplan, Sondheim: A Musical Tribute (which she also choreographed), Promises, Promises, Company, On The Town and State Fair (for which he was honored with the Fred Astaire Award) and The Visit.

McKechnie has starred and/or choreographed numerous regional productions, including Follies, Mack and Mabel, Gypsy, The Glass Menagerie, Sweet Charity, Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks and Guys and Dolls and she can be in concert performances with numerous symphony orchestras, as well as in television specials and series, including Fame, Cheers and Dark Shadows. She was featured in the documentary feature Every Little Step and played The Rose in the film The Little Prince.

Inducted into the American Theatre Hall of Fame in 2019, McKechnie's memoir - Time Steps: My Musical Comedy Life - was published by Simon and Schuster.

Broadway Brunch is set for Sunday, August 21, at Wildhorse Saloon, 120 Second Avenue North. Funds raised at Broadway Brunch support Nashville Rep's professional productions, public staged readings, Ingram New Works Project and Festival and educational and enrichment programs for students and the community.

The seventh annual Broadway Brunch launches Nashville Rep's 2022-23 season, which opens with the Pulitzer Prize-winning musical Rent September 16-25; the Nashville premiere of The Cake October 21-30; and the holiday spectacular Elf: The Musical December 21-January 1). One of the greatest American plays of all time - August Wilson's Fences - runs March 3-5, 2023, followed by The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time March 24-April 2, and the intimate musical Violet, running May 12-21, will close out the season. For season tickets and other details about the upcoming shows, visit www.nashvillerep.org or www.tpac.org.

For tickets and further details, go to www.nashvillerep.org/broadwaybrunch. Tickets for Broadway Brunch are limited and should be purchased in advance. Those interested in attending may purchase tickets for $250. Tables seat up to ten people. Patrong tickets are available at the $1,000 (Director), $2,500 (Investor) and $5,000 (Producer) levels that also include a Patron's Party at the Sugartree Clubhouse, hosted by Jason Bradshaw and Bob Deal on Thursday, August 18. Sponsorships are also available; contact Amos Glass, Nashville Rep's director of community engagement at (615) 349-3226 or by email at amos@nashvillerep.org.

ABOUT NASHVILLE REP Since 1985, Nashville Repertory Theatre has been Nashville's premier regional theater, entertaining and inspiring audiences by creating exceptional theatre exploring the diversity of human experience. Nashville Rep produces work that is designed, built, and rehearsed in Nashville, by highly skilled actors, designers, directors, and technicians, creating the highest quality professional productions and serving as a cultural, educational, and economic resource in Nashville and Middle Tennessee communities. Nashville Rep is committed to bringing classic and contemporary theatre to Nashville that inspires empathy and prods intellectual and emotional engagement in audiences. The Nashville Rep has been named Best Professional Theatre by the Nashville Scene, Best Local Theatre by The Tennessean, Largest Arts Organization by Nashville Business Journal, and recognized by the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County for 35 years of service to the community. The Rep's shows, actors, directors and designers have been honored by Nfocus, Nashville Scene, The Tennessean and The First Night Awards

To post a comment, you must register and login.