Staged Reading This Week for New Dan Fogelberg Musical PART OF THE PLAN

Tony Award-nominated director Lynne Taylor-Corbett (Swing!) helms Part of the Plan, an original musical featuring the songs of the late, celebrated singer-songwriter Dan Fogelberg, currently in development at Nashville's Tennessee Performing Arts Center which this week will receive a 29-hour Equity staged reading with three invitation-only presentations September 22-24.

Fogelberg wrote such hit songs as "Same Auld Lang Syne," "Longer," and "Leader of the Band," among many others.

Part of the Plan, with book by Kate Atkinson and Karen Harris, follows three decades in the lives of an adopted boy and the teenage girl of privilege forced to give him up. The musical deals with themes of love, loss and fate through the lens of the boom times of post-World War II America, the social and sexual revolution of the 1960s, and the political upheaval of the 1970s.

The show features arrangements by Grammy Award winners Victor Vanacore (Ray Charles) and Laurence Juber (Paul McCartney and Wings). Nashville-based Stephen Kummer (Evita at TPAC) serves as Musical Director.

"We are thrilled to be co-producing this new musical, featuring the beautiful music of Dan Fogelberg, and to be hosting developmental pieces in Nashville, a city to which Dan had many special connections. This is a powerful, poignant story told with great heart and passion that brings Dan's music to a new generation and to the die-hard fans who long to hear his music in all forms," said Kathleen O'Brien, TPAC president and chief executive officer.

"Our role as co-producer also represents a new commitment by TPAC to supporting new works and collaborations, and we're delighted to be taking these initial steps with a production so perfectly suited for Music City."

The cast, many of whom are Nashville-based, includes Harley Jay (Rent), Kaylor Otwell (Brave New World), J.T. Hodges (Hallmark Channel's "Finding Christmas"), Katy Blake (Mamma Mia!, Evita), Chris Roberts (The Civil War), Erica Aubrey (Far From Heaven), Benjamin Hale (Million Dollar Quartet Las Vegas), Matt Magnusson (ROAR), Bakari King (Frederick Douglass), Shaun Taylor-Corbett (In the Heights, Jersey Boys), Jayme Lake (I Love Lucy), Laura Matula (Evita at TPAC), and Gus O'Brien (Evita at TPAC). Casting is by Michael Donovan and Richie Ferris.

Part of the Plan is produced by New York-based producing company WalkRunFly, Los Angeles-based K-Squared Entertainment, and the Tennessee Performing Arts Center.

WalkRunFly is an award-winning, multimedia Production Company dedicated to developing new content for theater, film, and TV. Founded by Warren Adams and Brandon Victor Dixon, the company co-produced the multi-award-winning Broadway productions of "Hedwig and the Angry Inch" and "Of Mice and Men." WalkRunFly has several projects in development in New York and London. Jennifer Isaacson serves as Executive Producer.

K-Squared Entertainment acquired the grand rights to Dan Fogelberg's catalogue, with the blessing of Jean Fogelberg, and brings together independent film writer/producer Kate Atkinson and multiple Emmy Award-winning television writer/producer Karen Harris. "Part of the Plan" is K-Squared's first stage production.

Over three decades, the Tennessee Performing Arts Center has welcomed more than 12 million audience members and served more than 1.8 million students, educators, and adults with performances at TPAC, resources for teachers, classroom residencies, and enrichment programs for adults. Founded in 1980, TPAC serves several hundred thousand audience members each year with the HCA/TriStar Health Broadway at TPAC season, a variety of special engagements, and the productions of the three resident artistic companies - Nashville Ballet, Nashville Opera, and Nashville Repertory Theatre.

2026 Theater Fans' Choice Awards - Live Stats

Best New Musical - Top 3

1. The Lost Boys

40.9% of votes

2. Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)

25.1% of votes

3. Schmigadoon!

21.5% of votes

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