Larry Keeton News

Who's who in Tennessee theater? Sometimes, without a program in your hand, it's difficult to know who's playing whom-hence, our newest feature: Hey, Jef, Here's My Headshot...featuring some of the Volunteer State's best-known-or soon-to-be-known all over the freakin' world-thespians. And have you ever wondered who the amazing photographers are who make them look so damn good? We're gonna tell ya...Today's actor/subject/model is the beautiful and talented Amelia Young, photographed by Heath Chitwood.

Who's who in Tennessee theater? Sometimes, without a program in your hand, it's difficult to know who's playing whom-hence, our newest feature: Hey, Jef, Here's My Headshot...featuring some of the Volunteer State's best-known-or soon-to-be-known all over the freakin' world-thespians. And have you ever wondered who the amazing photographers are who make them look so damn good? We're gonna tell ya...Today's actor/subject/model is the handsome and talented Spencer Dean, photographed by Lauren Dean.

Who's who in Tennessee theater? Sometimes, without a program in your hand, it's difficult to know who's playing whom-hence, our newest feature: Hey, Jef, Here's My Headshot...featuring some of the Volunteer State's best-known-or soon-to-be-known all over the freakin' world-thespians. And have you ever wondered who the amazing photographers are who make them look so damn good? We're gonna tell ya...Today's actor/subject/model is the lovely and talented Memory Strong, photographed by Melissa Chipper (whom you can contact via www.Melissaschipperphotography.com).

Four well-known shows and the return of a holiday classic make up the 2012-13 season for Studio Tenn, the professional theatre troupe that calls the historic Franklin Theatre home. Artistic director Matt Logan and managing director Jake Speck made the season announcement during a lively afternoon event, which featured performances from the shows included in the line-up, at the historic theatre in downtown Franklin.

Now onstage at The Larry Keeton Theatre, in a winning production directed by Ginger Newman and choreographed by Kate Adams-Johnson, Smokey Joe's Cafe offers audiences one of the best nights of theater they'll ever have the pleasure of attending. Seriously! In fact, my love of the musical revue-which features 39 songs written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, who provided much of the soundtrack for the lives led in the middle of the last century-is almost stupefyingly of the adoring variety. Truthfully, I can't pinpoint exactly what it is about Smokey Joe's Cafe that I love so much, but alas, there it is: I love the show without question (hell, I'd marry it if we could get a marriage license down here in the South) and I am particularly in love with the rendition served up by Newman, Adams-Johnson and company out in Donelson.

Circle Players, one of the first resident companies at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center, makes a triumphant return to that cultural edifice in downtown Nashville to mount its latest revival of Titanic the Musical just in time to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the ship's sinking in the frigid waters of the north Atlantic.

First Night Award-winning actress-cabaret artist, music director, conductor, all-around theater personality-Ginger Newman tackles the role of "Mama Rose" in the musical theater classic Gypsy to highlight the 2012-13 season at The Keeton Theatre, which celebrates its tenth year with shows to appeal to both theater and movie aficionados alike, featuring several local premieres heretofore unproduced by Nashville area companies.

Ginger Newman and Kate Adams-Johnson have perfected the recipe for musical success: Take three ginger-haired beauties, pair them with three dark and handsome young men and add a musical score that includes some of the best-known and most-beloved songs of the 1930s and '40s. That's the winning formula the talented duo have mixed together to grand effect in The Keeton Theatre's production of The All Night Strut, the winning musical revue that is as effervescent as a glass of champagne and as entertaining as a Manhattan Transfer concert.

Voting is now under way for the second BroadwayWorld.com Nashville Theatre Awards and, for the first time, theater companies outside Nashville will be recognized with the BroadwayWorld.com Tennessee Theatre Awards.

Chicago is presented by The Keeton Theatre, Sept 15 - Oct 1, 2011. For more information call 615-883-8375 or visit www.thelarrykeetontheatre.org. Tickets are $25.00 for dinner and show, $20.00 show only. Patron's special: $10.00 show only tickets on Thursday.

Tonya Pewitt and Stacie Riggs star as Roxie Hart and Velma Kelly as The Keeton Theatre will present Chicago, the first show of its 2011-2012 season, running September 15 - October 1 at the theatre in Donelson. Directed by Keeton artistic director Kate Adams-Johnson, with musical direction by Ginger Newman, Chicago is the Tony Award winning musical about Roxie Hart, a chorus girl who kills her lover as a career move, Billy Flynn, her sharp, razzle-dazzle lawyer, who turns her into an instant celebrity, and Velma Kelly, a dancing jailbird with an ear for headlines and an eye for talent!

One of the new events added to the line-up for 2011 First Night, The Theatre Honors was The Women In Theatre Luncheon - which saluted the inaugural eight recipients of The First Night Star Award - held Tuesday, August 30, at The Listening Room Cafe in Cummins Station. Co-chaired by Corrie Miller and Neely O'Brien Green, the event was produced by Jeffrey Ellis, founder and executive producer of First Night.

So, this is how it all started: Cori Laemmel, who despite her many flaws (she's too sweet, too talented and too pretty, not to mention that she is, well, just darling) is one of my favorite theatrical types, calls me up and asks me to come see The Most Amazing Anything of Evertime, the new show she wrote and directed for the first, big-scale, open-to-the-public, onstage production of The Theater Bug, her performing arts training program for younger actors.

Cori Laemmel would be the first to tell you: 2011 has been kind of a crazy year for her. She made her debut with Tennessee Repertory Theatre with her critically-acclaimed turn in Yankee Tavern; with four of her talented friends, she brought MAS Nashville to life, creating and performing in two stellar nights of cabaret - with more in store; and she launched her theater training program for younger actors aka The Theater Bug. Oh, and she was in the audience for her actor husband Tyson Laemmel's many performances, as well.

Danny Proctor, Helen Shute-Pettaway, Layne Sasser, Pam Atha, Dan Brewer and Gary Hoff were introduced Monday night as the six members of the 2011 Class of First Night Honorees during the First Night Preview Party, hosted by founder and executive producer Jeffrey Ellis at The Listening Room Cafe in downtown Nashville.

In the cast, there's a blend familiar faces from local theater productions and a whole slew of newcomers. During the run-up to the show's opening night, we introduced you to members of Kate's cast - and now that the show is up and running, we're happy to introduce you to another cast member...Jessica Higgins...

In the cast, there's a blend familiar faces from local theater productions and a whole slew of newcomers. During the run-up to the show's opening night, we introduced you to members of Kate's cast - and now that the show is up and running, we're happy to introduce you to another cast member...Sandra Kennelly...

In the cast, there's a blend familiar faces from local theater productions and a whole slew of newcomers. During the run-up to the show's opening night, we introduced you to members of Kate's cast - and now that the show is up and running, we're happy to introduce you to another cast member...Melissa Silengo...

In the cast, there's a blend familiar faces from local theater productions and a whole slew of newcomers. During the run-up to the show's June 9 opening night, we've introduced you to members of Kate's cast - and next up is Mallory Gleason, who plays Cassie...

In the cast, there's a blend familiar faces from local theater productions and a whole slew of newcomers. During the run-up to the show's June 9 opening night, we've introduced you to members of Kate's cast - and next up is handsome, charming, talented and Caleb Reynolds who, clearly, knows his way around an interview.