Danny Proctor News

You really must give credit to Kaine Riggan: the man has recreated one of downtown Nashville's best-known nightspots into a beautifully appointed live theater venue, somehow doing a thriving business in an economy that, at best, may be described as 'dire.' Add to that noteworthy achievement the fact that his A Scattered, Smothered and Covered Christmas is a delightful holiday-season repast, a down-home good time that even the most cynical audience member can enjoy.

In a stylish and immensely entertaining fashion, director Melissa Bedinger Hade and her capable and confident band of merry players deliver a pleasantly diverting late-summer offering of Moliere's The Imaginary Invalid to open ACT 1's 2010-11 season with vigorous aplomb at Darkhorse Theatre.

ACT 1, one of Nashville's oldest community theatre groups, staged the Gilbert & Sullivan classic The Mikado as the first production of its 20th anniversary season. Running August 7-22, The Mikado was directed by Bob Fish, with music direction by Lee Druce, the cast featured Francine Berk, Whitney Rose Cone, Steven Luboniecki, Valerie Navarre, James Rudolph, Daniel Sadler, Vicki White, John Wilson, L.T. Kirk, Amber Boyer, Megan Hunt, Jamie Janiszewski, Brenda Jones, Tricia Musser, Becca Nelson, Andrew Drumheller, Jamie Helms, Josh Matthews, Danny Proctor and Daniel Vincent. The show was produced by Donald Powell, Jennifer Rybolt and Sue Stinemetz.

Since returning to the world of theatre via BroadwayWorld.com about a month ago, after an almost seven year absence, I've had the invaluable opportunity of reconnecting with a number of old acquaintances and renewing long-dormant friendships and relationships with people connected to the theatre scene in Nashville and throughout Tennesseee.

History tells us that London was caught up in some sort of Japanese fervor in 1885 when Gilbert and Sullivan debuted their newest comic opera, The Mikado or The Town of Titipu at the Savoy Theatre. And now, 124 years later, Nashville theatre-goers may find themselves in a similar state, thanks to a superior production of the entertaining work, which bows as the first show in the 20th anniversary season from ACT 1, one of Tennessee's best community theatre groups.