Jim Wann News

The beloved and long-running musical stage show King Mackerel & The Blues Are Running: Songs & Stories of the Carolina Coast will celebrate its 35th anniversary this December. The original cast, dubbed The Coastal Cohorts and featuring Tybee local Jim Wann, Bland Simpson, and Don Dixon, will commemorate this anniversary with a streaming event.

Ocala Civic Theatre presents Pump Boys and Dinettes beginning tonight!

Producer Mark Cortale has announced that Edmund Bagnell, 1st Violinist & vocalist of the internationally acclaimed group Well-Strung, will bring his new solo show He Plays The Violin in Provincetown this summer the The Crown & Anchor's new outdoor waterside venue, from August 5 to September 2.

The American Traditions Vocal Competition (ATC) has announced new members joining its 2020-2021 Board of Directors.

Edmund Bagnell, 1st Violinist & vocalist of the internationally acclaimed group Well-Strung, will star in a summer-long run of the new solo show He Plays The Violin at Provincetown's Art House Theatre, set to open on June 30, 2020.

Edmund Bagnell, 1st Violinist & vocalist of the internationally acclaimed group Well-Strung, will star in the New Orleans premiere of He Plays The Violin at Cafe Istanbul in New Orleans on April 10 at 8 PM. The show was developed by New Works Provincetown at The Art House this fall and includes a brand new song written for Mr. Bagnell by Scott Frankel (Grey Gardens & War Paint).

The American Traditions Vocal Competition (ATC) is slated to present another Seasonal Salon Soirée concert at 6 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 26 at the home of Dan Rizzo and Silvio Trioni in downtown Savannah. The concert will feature original songs and stories by singer-songwriter, composer, and Tony-nominee Jim Wann, with special guest and Savannah guitar virtuoso Bill Smith.

EagleMania a?" The World's Greatest Eagles Tribute Band, which has been thrilling audiences nationwide with their stunning five-part harmony and uncanny ability to emulate the unmistakable sound of The Eagles, makes a return tour stop at SOPAC on Friday, December 20 at 8 p.m. Tickets, priced at $28-$38, are on sale now at SOPACnow.org/eaglemania.

Edmund Bagnell, 1st Violinist & vocalist of the internationally acclaimed group Well-Strung, will star in the New York premiere of He Plays The Violin at Feinstein's/54 Below on Nov. 25 at 9:30 PM. The show is being developed by New Works Provincetown at The Art House this fall and includes a brand new song written for Mr. Bagnell by Scott Frankel (Grey Gardens & War Paint). Through stories and song, the evening celebrates all things music, from classical to standards and from pop to Broadway, and of course with a good dose of fiddle thrown in. This piece shows a different side of Edmund Bagnell in this personal and uplifting journey through music, and is written by and starring Edmund Bagnell, conceived by Mark Cortale, music directed by Matt Aument and directed by Michael Schiralli.

Paul Chant, Tricia Guggenheim, Beverly Jaques, Susan Kleine, Samir Nikocevic, Daniel Rizzo, Judy Witbeck, and Mel Whitehead have joined the American Traditions Vocal Competition (ATC) Board of Directors. Artistic Director Mikki Sodergren, along with this 18-member board, will lead the ATC in its 27th anniversary competition, which runs Feb. 17-21, 2020.

PUMP BOYS AND DINETTES is a Tony nominated 1981 musical written by the performance group of the same name. The group, Pump Boys and Dinettes, consisted of John Foley, Mark Hardwick, Debra Monk, Cass Morgan, John Schimmel and Jim Wann. The members also jointly directed and starred in the original Broadway production. The show is basically a series of standalone songs rather than a conventional story tied together with music. The book for this musical is very thin and really only exists to get to the next song. Each song represents some element of small-town life: the sacredness of fishing, the fun of owning a pair of "Drinkin Shoes," and other assorted blue collar tales including growing up with with their grandma, whom they called Mamaw. The company tosses off 21 short-form songs with performances that harken back to simpler, more straight forward times with good natured knee-slapping, song, dance and humor. They shatter the fourth wall by talking directly to the audience and eventually coming right out into it and the end result is a refreshing blast from the past.

The American Traditions Vocal Competition (ATC) returns for its highly anticipated 26th anniversary season Feb. 18-22, 2019. With an outstanding line up of 28 contestants, three new judges and one new pianist, this year's performances are sure to entertain audiences of all ages.

The Winter Park Playhouse continues to delight audiences with its new 2019-20 Series of professional Mainstage musicals.

One thing's for sure - country musicals are an awful lot of fun. There aren't very many of them and, if you can name one at all, it's most likely THE BEST LITTLE WHOREHOUSE IN TEXAS or THE ROBBER BRIDEGROOM. But there is another rarely produced gem that is just as enjoyable - PUMP BOYS AND DINETTES - the fun-loving retro revue written by its original cast (John Foley, Mark Hardwick, Debra Monk, Cass Morgan, John Schimmel, and Jim Wann).

PUMP BOYS AND DINETTES was my first Broadway musical, so it not only holds a special place in my heart, but I still remember most of the lyrics. Running for 577 performances in 1982-83 and earning a Tony nomination for Best Musical, PUMP BOYS was 'the little show that could' with just six cast members and a small set. But the characters and songs captured many fans who came out to relive the experience at Feinstein's/54 Below July 22.

Next week, FEINSTEIN'S/54 BELOW, Broadway's Supper Club & Private Event Destination, presents some of the brightest stars from Broadway, cabaret, jazz, and beyond.

Next month, FEINSTEIN'S/54 BELOW, Broadway's Supper Club & Private Event Destination, presents some of the brightest stars from Broadway, cabaret, jazz, and beyond.

FEINSTEIN'S/54 BELOW, Broadway's Supper Club, presents Pump Boys And Dinettes: Reunion Concert featuring original cast/creators Debra Monk, Cass Morgan, Jim Wann,John Foley, and John Schimmel, with Bob Stillman. Pump Boys And Dinettes ran for 577 performances on Broadway and was nominated for a Tony for Best Musical in 1982. It was the first Broadway hit written and performed by Actor-Musicians and is considered a pioneering work in that regard. The London/West End production was nominated for an Olivier for Best Musical, 1985, and the Toronto version won Canada's Dora Award for Best Musical shortly after. Since then it has been produced across the country and around the world, became Chicago's longest-running musical for decades and remains a perennial favorite. This concert version will feature the entire score and is directed by JoAnn M. Hunter.

The Coastal Cohorts will perform their musical King Mackerel & The Blues Are Running: Songs & Stories of the Carolina Coast at the West Bank Cafe's Laurie Beechman Theatre on Friday and Today, May 18th-19th, 2018, at 7 p.m. each evening.

The Coastal Cohorts will perform their musical King Mackerel & The Blues Are Running: Songs & Stories of the Carolina Coast at the West Bank Cafe's Laurie Beechman Theatre today and Saturday, May 18th-19th, 2018, at 7 p.m. each evening.