Bobby Hogan News

Anna Perry's energetic and period-perfect choreography - along with impressive performances from a cadre of university students destined for Broadway stardom - ensures that Belmont University Musical Theatre's Thoroughly Modern Millie is a complete and utter delight, featuring a memorable score wrapped up in a rather daft but engaging storyline that earns every bit of the resounding applause in a standing ovation that comes at show's end.

Actors Bridge Ensemble's critically acclaimed production of Sarah DeLappe's The Wolves and Cumberland County Playhouse's stunning mounting of Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler's Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street were named as the top shows of the year during Midwinter's First Night, the annual tribute to theater in Tennessee, held at Nashville's The Larry Keeton Theatre Sunday night, January 13.

Performances from productions of director Brian Jones' Avenue Q, for Nashville's Circle Players - Middle Tennessee's oldest community theater organization - and Center for the Arts' Newsies, directed by 2019 Theaterati of the Year nominee Mark David Williams, are among highlights of next Sunday's Midwinter's First Night - Celebrating 30 Years in Nashville.

In anticipation of the gala 30th anniversary celebration of The First Night Awards, Tennessee's best and brightest in live theater were revealed tonight as First Night's Top Ten of 2018 - reviewer and critic Jeffrey Ellis' annual recognition for theater in the Volunteer State - were announced during a Facebook Live presentation from Nashville.

Macy Medford and Arden Guice may only be college students, but their performances as Violet and Daisy Hilton, the heroines of Side Show - the iconic musical by Bill Russell, Henry Krieger and Bill Condon that debuted on Broadway some 20 years ago - in Belmont University Musical Theatre's production that runs for just one weekend, are nothing less than a professional triumph for each young woman. Thoroughly committed and startlingly focused, Medford and Guice perform an oftentimes tricky, always challenging, task in order that the two young women effectively become their characters, ensuring the musical packs an emotional wallop delivered straight to the collective heart of its audience, while showcasing the evolution of a musical theatre program at the Nashville university, which over the years has gained a national reputation as the training ground of the next generations of Broadway stars yet to be.

It's been a typically hectic semester for Belmont University senior Bobby Hogan: he completed his run as Davey in Chaffin's Barn Dinner Theatre's production of Newsies, started rehearsal on his next show, began preparations for his own senior show next semester and continued as a varsity cheerleader at the school.

For plenty of fast-paced action, along with some stellar performances by a fresh-faced cast of eager young theatrical triple threats and a coterie of Nashville stage favorites, one need look no further than Disney's Newsies, the latest onstage offering from Chaffin's Barn Dinner Theatre, the iconic Music City venue that's been entertaining audiences for more than half a century. In its way, The Barn (as it is affectionately known in these parts) and its laudable history ensure that its treatment of the popular musical theater title lend the show's historical basis more than a little gravitas in the making of a stage spectacle.

There's really nothing better than a musical theater-inspired epiphany: On opening night of Belmont University Musical Theatre's altogether invigorating and exhilarating On The Town (which plays Belmont's Troutt Theatre through this Sunday, March 25) I was struck by the similarities - both structurally and musically - to the Gershwin masterpiece An American in Paris.

Make no mistake about it, there is a funny, intelligent, socially-conscious, slightly sardonic show inside of the new musical JOYCE JACKSON'S GUIDE TO DATING. Unfortunately, the show's writers, Scott Logsdon (book and lyrics) and Steve Marzullo (music) weren't able to find it in time for the world premiere production that ended its run at Orlando's Abbey earlier this week.

With tweaking and some rewrites, it has the makings of a cult classic.

Florida Theatrical Association's production of the brand new musical parody JOYCE JACKSON'S GUIDE TO DATING resumes performances on Thursday, August 10th at The Abbey in downtown Orlando and concludes its run on Monday August, 14th with an industry night.

Florida Theatrical Association presents the brand new musical parody JOYCE JACKSON'S GUIDE TO DATING at The Abbey in downtown Orlando August 4 through 14.

Florida Theatrical Association presents the brand new musical JOYCE JACKSON'S GUIDE TO DATING at The Abbey in downtown Orlando, August 4 through 14. With book and lyrics by Scott Logsdon and music by Steve Marzullo, the musical was one of the winners of FTA's 2016 New Musical Discovery Series. BroadwayWorld has a behind-the-scenes look below!

Florida Theatrical Association presents the brand new musical JOYCE JACKSON'S GUIDE TO DATING at The Abbey in downtown Orlando August 4 through 14.

Florida Theatrical Association presents the brand new musical JOYCE JACKSON'S GUIDE TO DATING at The Abbey in downtown Orlando, August 4 through 14. With book and lyrics by Scott Logsdon and music by Steve Marzullo, the musical was one of the winners of FTA's 2016 New Musical Discovery Series. BroadwayWorld has a behind-the-scenes look below!

Florida Theatrical Association presents the brand new musical JOYCE JACKSON'S GUIDE TO DAT at The Abbey in downtown Orlando August 4 through 14. The musical features book and lyrics by Scott Logsdon (Les Miserables) and music by Steve Marzullo (Audra McDonald's 'Some Days') and was one of the winner's of FTA's 2016 New Musical Discovery Series.

Florida Theatrical Association presents the brand new musical JOYCE JACKSON'S GUIDE TO DATING at The Abbey in downtown Orlando August 4 through 14. The musical features book and lyrics by Scott Logsdon (Les Miserables) and music by Steve Marzullo (Audra McDonald's 'Some Days') and was one of the winner's of FTA's 2016 New Musical Discovery Series.

Florida Theatrical Association presents the brand new musical JOYCE JACKSON'S GUIDE TO DATING at The Abbey in downtown Orlando August 4 through 14.

Just in case you are unaware, heed this advice: There is perhaps no better place on earth to catch some future Broadway stars (and, no doubt, some Tony Award winners-to-be) than in Nashville. If there is any other more fertile breeding ground for musical theater stars than what you may find among the assemblage of burgeoning talents at Belmont University - particularly among the students enrolled in the school's musical theatre program, now celebrating its 19th season - we implore you to supply directions for our edification.