The Johnny Mercer Foundation Writers Grove Expands With New Musical Theatre Nashville

The Johnny Mercer Foundation (JMF) has joined forces with New Musical Theater Nashville (NMTN) to create a new monthly gathering for songwriters and playwrights in the Nashville area interested in creating new musicals. Based on the successful JMF Writers Grove at Goodspeed Musicals, the evening salons are a peer to peer program. JMF's and NMTN's goal is to help establish and grow the community of musical theater writers in the Nashville area.

The salon style evenings are akin to Nashville guitar pulls but focused on theater. Originally created by JMF Executive Vice President and Writer/Producer, Jonathan Brielle in partnership with Goodspeed Musicals, the JMF Writer Salons give professional writers an opportunity to read scenes and play new songs for feedback from their peers.

"Nashville is home to so many great songwriters with natural instincts to write great stories," cites Jonathan Brielle. "We are so pleased to partner with NMTN as their founder, Douglas Waterbury-Tieman is an alum of the JMF Writers Grove and together with NMTN founding member, Kira Stone, they understand how to create the right environment and vibe."

Douglas Waterbury-Tieman attended Belmont University as a Musical Theatre major from 2008-2012. After graduation he moved with his wife Annabelle Fox, to NYC to pursue theater careers, which were paused by Covid in 2020 when they both returned to Nashville which now feels like home. "Given that country music is as much a story driven genre as musical theater, Nashville is a natural setting for the synthesis of the two musical worlds," according to Douglas.

All JMF Writers Salons will be held from 6:30pm to 8:30pm: Tuesday-April 5th; Friday-May 6th ; and Saturday-June 4th at TMP Studios: 630 Rundle Ave, Nashville, TN 37210. To sign up please write to: jdwtieman@gmail.com. Writers are encouraged to attend and/or participate on a first come, first serve basis.

The mission of the Johnny Mercer Foundation is to support the discipline of songwriting in the tradition of the Great American Songbook as exemplified by the life and work of the legendary Johnny Mercer: lyricist, composer, performer, collaborator and producer. The Foundation continues Johnny's legacy by partnering with individuals and organizations dedicated to celebrating and nourishing the disciplines he mastered and the causes he and his wife Ginger Mercer championed. JMF has created a number of dynamic creative joint ventures with several prestigious institutions to facilitate its goals including: the Johnny Mercer Writers Grove at Goodspeed Musicals; Accentuate the Positive Programs (New York, Los Angeles and Atlanta); the Musical Theater Program at New Jersey Performing Arts Center; Georgia State University Fellowship Program; the Johnny Mercer Songwriters Project with Northwestern University and the Johnny Mercer Archives at Georgia State University. In addition, JMF also supports the Braille Institute (Johnny Mercer Youth and Adult Choirs). With the abundance of Nashville writers creating new musicals, JMF and NMTN will hold monthly meetings at TMP Studios, owned and operated by choreographer, Tosha Marie. Please visit the Johnny Mercer Foundation website.

New Musical Theatre Nashville's mission is to actively support the creation of musical theater in Nashville.

For more information please contact: jdwtieman@gmail.com

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