Quartet of Hosts Named for Midwinter's First Night

By: Dec. 08, 2016
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Austin Jeffrey Smith, Taylor Tracey, Jenna Pryor and Julia Nettles will share the stage as co-hosts of 2017 Midwinter's First Night, set for Sunday, January 8, 2017, at The Larry Keeton Theatre in Donelson. Midwinter's First Night is the annual presentation of First Night founder and executive producer Jeffrey Ellis' First Night's Top Ten of 2017 and the announcement of winners of the BWW Nashville Awards, voting for which continues through the end of December.

The 2017 artwork, designed by David Arnold, is being revealed today "to whet the appetites" of theater-goers throughout Tennessee.

"Mad, bad and dangerous to know," Midwinter's First Night is the cold weather follow-up - the more irreverent younger sibling, if you will - to the more august First Night Honors. The history of The First Night Honors and Midwinter's First Night goes back to the 1989 debut of The Dare Theater Awards, which subsequently became the First Night Awards and evolved into The First Night Honors which bowed in 2010.

Festivities get under way at 7 p.m. on Sunday, January 8, at the Keeton Theatre and will feature performances by some of the region's best-known actors.

In addition to the team of co-hosts, performers will include Ashley Wolfe, who made her First Night debut at the January 2016 event, former First Night Divas headliner Memory Strong, the cast of The Keeton's upcoming My Fair Lady and the cast of Center for the Arts' 9 to 5: The Musical. Presenters for the event include Cat Arnold and David Arnold, Cavender Lane, Wesley King, Erica Patterson, Michael Adcock, Katherine Morgan, Britt Byrd, Brittany Blaire Anderson, Patrick Kramer, John Frost Jr., Sheridan Hitchcox, Brandon Boyd, Shelby Jones, J. RoBert Lindsey, Noah Rice, Cassie Hamilton, Amanda Grace Creech and Brooke Gronemeyer.

Other performers and presenters will be named in the coming weeks.

Tickets are $15 per person, at the door, or $12.50 in advance by debit/credit and are available by calling (615) 892-4044.

About the hosts:

Julia Marie Nettles is a former student of the American Musical Dramatic Academy and Belmont University, who has previously performed in Psycho Beach Party as Bettina Barnes with Music City Theater Company, as Whatsername in Circle Player's production of American Idiot, in Vagina Monologues with Music City Theater Company, The Producers with Boiler Room Theater, and in Legally Blonde with Keeton Theater, plus a host of others over the years. Julia cites her parents Dr. Darryl and Nancy Nettles as her biggest inspirations. So excited to be a part of Jeffrey Ellis's wonderful Midwinter's First Night extravaganza!

Jenna Pryor, a California native, has called Nashville home for six years now. When she's not waiting tables and dressing up as princesses for money, you've seen her in various performances at Chaffin's Barn, Music City Theatre Company's Psycho Beach Party (Chicklet) and The Eight (Vixen), Act 1's August Osage County (Jean), Sideshow Fringe's Matt and Ben (Ben Affleck/producer), as well as the regional premieres of the Renaissance's Players' Peter and the Starcatcher (Molly), and Circle Players' American Idiot the Musical. Other performances include Disney's Tarzan (Jane), Urinetown (Hope), The Last Five Years (Cathy), Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (Christine).

Austin Jeffrey Smith is a 2016 graduate of Cumberland University, with a degree in vocal performance. Since graduation he has been in several shows, including The Mouse Trap (playing Christopher Wren), Thoroughly Modern Millie (Jimmy Smith), Cabaret (Ernst Ludwig) and Annie Get Your Gun (Tommy Keeler). Austin is humbled and honored to be a part of Midwinter's First Night as a host, and hopes all will enjoy the show!

Taylor Tracey is so happy to be hosting tonight. First Night has meant a lot to her since joining the theater community in 2012. Some her more notable roles have been Elle Woods (Legally Blonde), Natalie (All Shook Up), Rizzo (Grease), Ado Annie (Oklahoma), Clara (Light in The Piazza), and Mary Jane (Big River) just to name a few. Her First Night appearances include performing a song from Legally Blonde in 2012, Sister Act for the 2016 Midwinter show, and most recently a few songs from Cabaret. Taylor would like to thank her family, friends, co-hosts and especially her son Matty for their constant support. A special shout out to Jef for believing in her and giving her this amazing opportunity. Enjoy the show!



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