An all-star cast takes to the stage in the latest work from the playwriting team of J. Dietz Osborne and Nate Eppler: Cinderella 8.0: Truly, Truly, Truly Outrageous, opening June 22 at Chaffin's Barn Dinner Theatre. The musical comedy is presented on the mainstage at Chaffin's Barn Tuesday through Saturday mornings, with the house opening at 10 a.m., with the show at 11 a.m. through August 7.
Franklin-born and -raised Hannah McGinley, now a senior at New York University pursuing a degree in musical theatre, is spending the summer at home, portraying 'Louise,' the young woman who would become Gypsy Rose Lee in the Towne Centre Theatre production of Gypsy. Karen Himelrick directs Gypsy, the beloved musical by Jule Styne, Stephen Sondheim and Arthur Laurents, as it dances its way onto the Towne Centre stage for a July 10-July 3 run at the Brentwood theatre.
The cast for Funny Money includes: Mike Baum (last seen in Rumors), Chris Bosen (last seen in Frankly My Dear), Adam Burnett, David Compton (last seen in Christmas Belles and Alone Together), Jenny Noel (last seen in There Goes the Bride), Dietz Osborne (last seen in Frankly My Dear), Johnny Peppers (last seen in Seeing Stars in Dixie) and Jennifer Richmond (last seen in Frankly My Dear).
Franklin-born and -raised Hannah McGinley, now a senior at New York University pursuing a degree in musical theatre, is spending the summer at home, portraying 'Louise,' the young woman who would become Gypsy Rose Lee in the Towne Centre Theatre production of Gypsy. Karen Himelrick directs Gypsy, the beloved musical by Jule Styne, Stephen Sondheim and Arthur Laurents, as it dances its way onto the Towne Centre stage for a July 10-July 3 run at the Brentwood theatre.
The cast for Funny Money includes: Mike Baum (last seen in Rumors), Chris Bosen (last seen in Frankly My Dear), Adam Burnett, David Compton (last seen in Christmas Belles and Alone Together), Jenny Noel (last seen in There Goes the Bride), Dietz Osborne (last seen in Frankly My Dear), Johnny Peppers (last seen in Seeing Stars in Dixie) and Jennifer Richmond (last seen in Frankly My Dear).
Johnny Peppers, the affable 'Every Man' of Nashville theatre, makes his directorial debut with Mixed Nuts, the latest from 3Ps Productions now onstage at Chaffin's Backstage at the Barn. Peppers, who might best be described as the most likable man in Nashville theatre circles - and certainly among the hardest working people onstage anywhere - shows that he is a competent, details-oriented, director whose strongest suit might possibly be his casting skills.
Although the aftermath of devastating floods in the Nashville area resulted in a one-night postponement for the opening of 3Ps Production's Mixed Nuts, directed by Johnny Peppers, the cast will host a fundraiser at Friday night's performance -- Friday, May 7, the show's new opening night -- to benefit those people directly affected by the tragic events of the week.
As talented as Nate Eppler is as an actor (and he's got the reviews to prove that he is, indeed, just that), it may be his writing talents that will ensure his place in theatre history (and he has a growing file of reviews to prove that, as well). Of course, only time will tell on that score, but for now Nate Eppler is keeping busy, adding to the opus of work to be delivered from his imaginative brain.
The time is 1939 and Selznick has already begun filming Gone With the Wind, but needs a new script. There's only one writer up to the task - the legendary Ben Hecht. The only problem is that Hecht has never read the book and there's only one week to re-write the script. Selznick locks himself, Hecht and director Victor Fleming (pulled off the set of The Wizard of Oz, which he is also directing) in his office to get the job done.
Flynt Foster, a Franklin-based actor seen recently in the world premiere of Southern Fried Funeral, stars as Michael Caldwell, a shy, aspiring writer from the Midwest who comes to New York in search of fame and fortune. His life becomes a series of hilarious encounters with the unpredictable residents of his dilapidated apartment house including a commercial actor who specializes in portraying inanimate objects, a Russian ballerina on the lam from the KGB, and a wisecracking actress. To maintain his own sanity, Michael retreats to his fantasies, only to find that the world of his imagination is even more nerve-racking than the reality surrounding him.
It's 1939 and producer David O. Selznick (played by Derek Whittaker) finds himself under the gun: He only has seven days to fashion a shooting script for his epic film version of Margaret Mitchell's worldwide bestseller. Virtually every writer of note (including Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald) has submitted a treatment of the novel only to have Selznick - whose reputation as a controlling perfectionist remains intact in this play - reject every one of them
Nashville's playwriting duo of Nate Eppler and J. Dietz Osborne, who scored with Filthy Rich at Chaffin's Barn Dinner Theatre last fall, have yet another world premiere production bowing this week. The pair's Southern Fried Funeral takes the stage at Franklin's Bethlehem United Methodist Church's Performing Arts Center on Friday night, continuing through March 20.
Clearly, Osborne and Eppler are writing about the people, places and things they have known from birth (in fact, on opening night, Osborne's family members from Arkansas, Alabama and Tennessee were on hand to witness the world premiere of the play, thus his pedigree is assured) and they display an impressive knowledge of what constitutes proper funeral etiquette and the peculiarly Southern way of life and death in all its 'Jesus Called...And Dewey Answered' glory.
Noel Coward's Blithe Spirit, the big comedy hit of last season on Broadway in a revival starring Angela Lansbury as the wacky medium Madame Arcati, comes to the stage of Nashville's Chaffin's Barn Dinner Theatre in a new production directed by J. Dietz Osborne and starring Martha Manning in the role that won Lansbury her latest Tony Award. Opening Thursday, February 11, Blithe Spirit runs at Chaffin's Barn, the city's premiere dinner theatre that was voted one of Nashville's Top 10 Tourist Destinations, through March 13.
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The time is 1939 and Selznick has already begun filming Gone With the Wind, but needs a new script. There's only one writer up to the task - the legendary Ben Hecht. The only problem is that Hecht has never read the book and there's only one week to re-write the script. Selznick locks himself, Hecht and director Victor Fleming (pulled off the set of The Wizard of Oz, which he is also directing) in his office to get the job done.
Nashville's playwriting duo of Nate Eppler and J. Dietz Osborne, who scored with Filthy Rich at Chaffin's Barn Dinner Theatre last fall, have yet another world premiere production bowing this week. The pair's Southern Fried Funeral takes the stage at Franklin's Bethlehem United Methodist Church's Performing Arts Center on Friday night, continuing through March 20.
If J. Dietz Osborne has seemed a bit distracted lately, it's easy to understand why. Within the past couple of months, he has directed Noel Coward's Blithe Spirit, now onstage at Chaffin's Barn Dinner Theatre, been putting the finishing touches on Southern Fried Funeral (which will have its world premiere production by Franklin's Bethlehem Players starting Friday, March 12) with his writing partner Nate Eppler, and he's been cast as movie director Victor Fleming in Frankly, My Dear (opening March 18 at Chaffin's Barn).
It's a completely winning production from top to bottom: Osborne's direction is sure-handed and confident, his players' readings of their roles pitch-perfect and the technical elements and design aesthetic for the piece are delightfully on-target. It's essential, of course, in a comedy of British origins for the pacing to be quick, effortless and skilled or else the whole blessed thing becomes a bloody mess. Osborne obviously approaches the play with affection and skill, assembling a strong cast of players to bring Coward's near-iconic characters to life.
Noel Coward's Blithe Spirit, the big comedy hit of last season on Broadway in a revival starring Angela Lansbury as the wacky medium Madame Arcati, comes to the stage of Nashville's Chaffin's Barn Dinner Theatre in a new production directed by J. Dietz Osborne and starring Martha Manning in the role that won Lansbury her latest Tony Award. Opening Thursday, February 11, Blithe Spirit runs at Chaffin's Barn, the city's premiere dinner theatre that was voted one of Nashville's Top 10 Tourist Destinations, through March 13.
Noel Coward's Blithe Spirit, the big comedy hit of last season on Broadway in a revival starring Angela Lansbury as the wacky medium Madame Arcati, comes to the stage of Nashville's Chaffin's Barn Dinner Theatre in a new production directed by J. Dietz Osborne and starring Martha Manning in the role that won Lansbury her latest Tony Award. Opening Thursday, February 11, Blithe Spirit runs at Chaffin's Barn, the city's premiere dinner theatre that was voted one of Nashville's Top 10 Tourist Destinations, through March 13.
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