Jonathan

Before attending Opening Night of the Nashville leg of Dear Evan Hansen’s current national tour at TPAC’s Jackson Hall this past Tuesday, I didn’t really know much about the show. I knew the basics…it’s the story of a highschooler who doesn’t fit. I knew there was something about bullying and that it touches on the ever-increasing teen suicide epidemic, but beyond that, I was clueless. Shoot, I didn’t even listen to the soundtrack until I was getting ready to attend the show. My ignorance ended up being a good thing, as it’s refreshing to attend a show I’ve never seen.

Interestingly, the night of Dear Evan Hansen’s Music City premiere also coincided with World Suicide Prevention Day. Having lost a dear friend to suicide nearly a decade ago, I wasn’t sure how I’d react to the show, especially given the fact that upon entrance to the theatre, more than one friend in attendance suggested I have plenty of tissue on-hand as the show would likely ‘make my eyes sweat’ as my Uncle Gary would say.

While Dear Evan Hansen is indeed a surprisingly moving piece of theatre as it delves into the story of a teenage boy balancing a dysfunctional home life with being a loner at school, apparently I’m all cried out, as I only shed a single tear during the show’s eponymous Act 1 closer.

Don’t get me wrong, though. Everything about this show is spectacular, from the pre-curtain audio and visual clues that we live in an absolute social media driven world to the stellar performances of the entire cast. 

On the subject of the audio/video, scenic designer David Korins, who’s worked on everything from Pee Wee Herman Show on Broadway to Hamilton and projection designer Peter Nigrini, along with lighting designer Japhy Weideman and sound designer Nevin Steinberg create a magnificently overly-stimulating muti-media backdrop, the perfect physical representation of just how overwhelming things can get for your average adolescent, especially in the ‘hate-like’ social media world we all now live in.

Ben Levi Ross is nebbishly nerdy Evan Hansen, presenting our stories hero/anti-hero with characteristics completely relatable to anyone who ever found themselves on the outside looking.

Cast as Evan’s mom, Heidi Hansen is Jane Pfitsch. She plays the parent oblivious to her son’s life with an equal balance of genuine concern and practical absence.

Seemingly juxtaposed to Evan’s and his mom’s life are the Murphy’s an affluent upper-middle class family consisting of dad, Larry (Aaron Lazar), mom, Cynthia (Christiane Noll), daughter, Zoe (Maggie McKenna) and son, Connor (Marrick Smith). 

I say seemingly because it’s soon revealed that the Murphy’s aren’t exactly The Cleavers. I fact they’re far from it. 

Regardless of how different the two family units are, the commonality is quickly discovered right at the top of the show when Noll and Pfitsch duet (from their respective homes) on Anybody Have a Map?, a tune that brings to the forefront the shared struggles of parenthood.

Next up, Waving Through a Window features Ross and company as the themes of isolation and being an outsider come to light.

Of all the musical moments presented in Act 1, Requiem is among the most gorgeously presented. Following the SPOILER ALERT sudden death of Connor, his family each deal with the tragedy in their own way. Requiem also serves to showcase three of the show’s most talented vocalist, McKenna in particular, who’s vocal skills seem, at lest to me, nestled beautifully somewhere between Sarah McLaughlin and Amy Winehouse.

Moving the plot along, in a bit of a contrived, but ultimately interesting way, Evan becomes embroiled in the Murphys’ lives following their son’s death. For you see, what was initially intended to be a writing exercise assigned by Evan’s therapist, mistakenly becomes thought to be Connor’s suicide note.

Fueled by his own insecurities, his need to please others and a desire to be part of a cohesive family unit, Evan keep silent about the mixup, even adding to the deception by creating an entirely fabricated friendship with the deceased young Murphy by way of faking back-dated emails between the two teen boys with the aide of Evan’s cousin, Jared  (played by Jared Goldsmith) and a memorial social media presence created by fellow classmate Alana (Phoebe Koyabe).

As Evan’s web of lies expands, he not only gets in too deep to turn back, but he also experiences popularity at school, newfound friendships and an unexpected closeness with the Murphys, including a budding romance with Zoe.

Act 1’s Disappear, which features what is, in essence, Evan duetting with the deceased Connor proves one of the show’s most touching musical moments, starting somberly, then crescendoing to an interestingly upbeat number. Disappear is a perfect example of how the book by Steven Levenson, with music and lyrics by Benji Pasek and Justin Paul find a gorgeous balance between the seriousness of the subject matter peppered with just enough lightness to keep the tears at bay for the most part. That said, I dare anyone to keep a dry eye during Act 1’s final number, You Will Be Found.

For Act 2, as Evan finds himself closer and closer to the Murphy’s To Break in a Glove presents the father/son moment he (and most) dream of as Mr. Murphy and Evan share a particularly sweet moment. 

If To Break in a Glove is that idyllic father/son moment, Only Us, featuring McKenna’s Zoe and Ross’ Evan is the quintessential boy loves girl highlight.

The remainder of Act 2 explores Evan’s inner conflict as he wrestles with fessing up to being the one who wrote the note believed to be Connor’s suicide note, perfectly vocalized in Words Fail, an emotional number whose haunting lyrics are among those that will surely remain long after audiences leave the theatre. 

Just as the show began with Evan’s mother questioning her abilities as a parent, the show ends with yet another touching tune, So Big/So Small, in which she comforts Evan in the wake of his deception exposed. 

Dear Evan Hansen wraps its Nashville tour stop with a Sunday matinee at 1 p.m. and a final early evening performance at 6:30 p.m. CLICK HERE for tickets or more information.

Following their Music City dates, Dear Evan Hansen continues its National Tour with upcoming dates across the US and Canada through September 2020. CLICK HERE to see when the show is coming to a theatre near you. 

TPAC’s 2019/2020 Broadway Season continues with Once On This Island coming to TPAC’s Jackson Hall October 15-20. The SpongeBob Musical November 5-10, CATS November 19-24, Hamilton December 31-January 19, My Fair Lady February 4-9, Blue Man Group February 11-16, Jesus Christ Superstar March 3-8, The Color Purple March 27-29, Escape to Margaritaville May 5-10m Summer: The Donna Summer Musical May 26-31 and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory June 9-14. CLICK HERE for more.

To keep up with what’s happening at TPAC, follow them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram as well.

As always, if you are interested in coverage for your latest entertaining endeavor, simply click the contact page and drop me a note. You can also follow JHP Entertainment on Instagram and Facebook.

Growing up, I was more into Agatha Christie’s super sleuths, Miss Jane Marple and Hercule Poirot than Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes. Nonetheless, I would find myself occasionally perusing the pages of a Holmes mystery from time to time and have always been a fan of The Final Adventure. For their current production, Chaffin’s Barn Dinner Theatre has chosen the stage adaptation of Sherlock Holmes: The Final Adventure by Steven Dietz, based on the 1899 play by William Gillette and Sir Arthur himself.

Directed by Daniel DeVault, Charles Winton stars as the famed detective with Michael Roark as Doctor Watson, Shannon Hoppe as Irene Adler and Benjamin Jones as Professor Moriarty. Whether you’ve read only a story or two by Sir Arthur, or perhaps caught an episode of CBS’s recently-ended Elementary, chances are you’re familiar with these characters, as Watson is and always will be Sherlock Holmes’ trusted friend and right-hand-man, while Moriarty is frequently seen as the venerable detective’s arch nemesis and Adler the object of Holmes’ affection.

From the start, director DeVault perfectly presents a shroud of mystery necessary in carrying off a believable Holmes tale. I particularly enjoyed the film noir-esque way in which a couple of the story’s characters were introduced. While Watson and Holmes discuss them, the audience is treated to visual preview as they are seen in daunting silhouette behind a scrim just off-stage. 

Winton is enjoyable as Holmes, playing the part of the inexplicably astute detective with a knowing sense of self and just the right amount of humor.

As for his erstwhile companion, Doctor Watson, Roark, too, is perfectly cast. Making her Chaffin’s debut, Hoppe’s Irene is initially presented as the damsel, but as story evolves, so to does her character, leading one to realize she just might be causing a bit of the distress herself. Of the performances, Hoppe’s is the most layered, but she plays is so well those layers slowly reveal themselves.

Meanwhile, Jones’ Moriarty is blissfully, entertainingly played to the max, channeling every dastardly over-the-top villain from Die Hard’s Hans Gruber to James Bond’s Dr. No. All that’s missing is the occasional evil laugh.

Also watch-worthy is Josh Kiev as the King of Bohemia, who hires Holmes to help retrieve a potentially compromising photo of himself and Irene in the days before the King is to wed, thus setting up the web of lies and deceit that evolves into the usual Holmes murder plot.

Rounding out the cast are Moriarty’s villainous compadres, Gabe Atchly as James Larrabee, Laura Proctor as Madge Larrabee and Scotty Phillips as Sid Prince.

Director DeVault and his skilled cast present a thoroughly enjoyable—if sometimes predictable—adventure filled with intrigue, plot-twists, romance and…death. Costume designer Miriam Creighton’s wardrobe, along with Joy Tilley Perryman’s period-perfect props and Kaitlin Barnett’s sound design, with DeVault also serving as lighting designer, comes together brilliantly as they bring a little classic tale of murder to the beloved dinner theatre.

Sherlock Holmes: The Final Adventure runs through Sunday, September 15. Thursday-Sunday. Thursday matinees begin at 12 noon (doors at 11a.m.), while Thursday, Friday and Saturday evening performances begin at 7:30p.m. (doors at 5:30). Sunday matinees begin at 2 p.m. (with doors at noon for lunch service.

Thursday matinee tickets are $19 for show only or $27.50 for show and a Box Lunch. (Wednesday matinee will also offer the Box Lunch option). Evening show tickets are $13 for children 12 and under, $20 for youth/students and $35 for adults. Living up to their Barn Dinner Theatre name, Chaffin’s also offers a full buffet option or a la carte menu items for their evening and Sunday lunch matinee performances. Chaffin’s delicious buffet, featuring a choice of entrees (including a veggie option), and a number of side items is available for an additional (but completely worth it) $15.95, while the a la carte menu items (also quite tastily) range in price from $6.95 to $10.95, plus there’s a wide array of desert options to choose from $2.50 to $5.00. CLICK HERE to check out the menu. 

Next up at Chaffin’s Barn Dinner Theatre is The Wedding Singer, starring Alex Pineiro, on stage September 19-October 19. CLICK HERE to purchase tickets or call 615.646.9977 to make reservations with the box office. To keep up with the latest from Chaffin’s Barn Dinner Theatre, find them online at ChaffinsBarnTheatre.com, ’like’ them on Facebook and follow them on Instagram and Twitter.

Interested in coverage for your latest entertaining endeavor? Click the contact page and drop me a note. You can also follow JHP Entertainment on Instagram and Facebook.

I’ve loved the story of Driving Miss Daisy since the film adaptation hit movie screens in the late 80s. I’ll be perfectly honest. At the time, I wasn’t aware it was a stage play some ten years prior to its leap to the big screen. I have, of course seen my share of theatrical production of the story in the years since, but I’m here to tell you, the Larry Keeton Theatre’s current iteration starring Linda Speir, Elliott Robinson and Jonathan Wilburn, as directed by Melissa Williams, is, hands down, my favorite version yet. Second only to the Jessica Tandy, Morgan Freeman, Dan Aykroyd film adaptation. 

No stranger to Keeton audiences, nor to playing memorable affluent southern women of substance, determination and wit, Speir was seen last year at the beloved dinner theatre in the company’s presentation of Steel Magnolias. 

Having enjoyed Speir in a couple of productions of that other favorite southern tale, I once wrote that she should simply make a career of playing Clairee Belcher. Thankfully, director Williams ignored my suggestion and cast Speir as Daisy Worthan. 

While there are similarities between these two iconic southern characters, and a lesser actor might be satisfied to play them with virtually the same delivery, Speir manages to find her unique voice for this turn as the elderly matriarch who is being forced, partly by her son, but mostly by the realities of aging, to accept assistance and change—both in her everyday life, and the world around her. 

When the curtain rises, it’s Atlanta, 1948 as the audience meets Miss Daisy content in her home quietly singing to herself. In what could easily be interpreted as a bit of foreshadowing, she’s singing “After the Ball is Over”, a tune made popular at the turn of the century telling of lost love. Kudos to director, Williams for this and other period-perfect musical interludes that beautifully frame scenes throughout the play. 

From the beginning, Speir presents Miss Daisy as a fiercely independent woman. That independence is seemingly threatened when it becomes necessary for her son, Boolie, (Jonathan Wilburn) to hire his aging mother a driver. 

Wilburn is perfectly as Boolie, even sounding quite like Aykroyd. Unlike the film star, though, Wilburn’s Boolie is likable. Yes, he’s often stern with his defiant and proud mother, but there’s a gentleness to his performance that reaffirms everything he does…he does out of love. 

As for the above-mentioned hired driver, Elliott Robinson, another actor familiar to Keeton audiences, is simply joyous as Hoke Colburn. Considering the play takes place during mid-century Atlanta, and deals directly either social, economic and racial differences of the past, still occurring in the present, Robinson’s role as Hoke and his evolving relationship with Miss Daisy is perhaps the most challenging of all three characters in the work. While the role of Hoke, might seem to some initially a bit of a racial stereotype as it presents a black man working for an wealthy white family in the south, it’s quickly evident there’s more to the role, and the actor. Robinson finds a gorgeous balance somewhere squarely between the man, his job and his great affect on those around him. 

The playwright, Alfred Uhry does a magnificent job with the script, exploring and highlighting parallels between Daisy and Hoke, Hoke and Boolie and Boolie and Daisy, and as a director, Williams blissfully builds on these parallels with the interactions of her cast.

The play is never more poignant, nor brilliant than when the audience watches the relationship between Miss Daisy and Hoke morph from employer and employee to genuine friends. 

When Boolie first hires Hoke to drive Miss Daisy, Speir’s Daisy is seen initially resisting any help, then she becomes very determined to hide the fact that she has a hired driver, concerned about potential gossip surrounding her financial status. She settles into allowing Hoke to open her door and drive her, but as soon as she actually learns to trust and rely on Hoke, she drops all expected behaviors, ultimately opening her own door and letting Hoke take on the role of friend and confidant. These actions might even go unnoticed to some audience members, but Williams is to be commended for subtle, yet effective direction that gives visual clues to the metamorphosis.

Similarly, when Hoke reveals to Daisy that he can’t read, she sees an opportunity to return to her beloved vocation as a teacher and helps him learn to read.

Among the many highlights of the play, no moments are more perfectly presented than the work’s final scenes when Miss Daisy and Hoke are both reaching the twilight of their lives. With slight tremors in the voices and movement, Speir and Robinson both alter their physical presence to reflect the ravages of age and they do so effectively, never over-exaggerating or simplifying to the point of parody, instead playing it perfectly convincingly real. By play’s end the audience genuinely feels as if we are watching two longtime friends sharing one final holiday visit. And what could be more beautiful than that?

Driving Miss Daisy wraps its three-week run at The Larry Keeton Dinner Theatre (108 Donelson Pike) with evening performances thru Saturday, August 31 with dinner service at 6 p.m. and show  beginning at 7 p.m. Dinner and Show tickets are $30 for Adults, $20 for Children 12 and under. As always, the dinner is perfectly themed to match the show, with a delicious decidedly southern menu of meatloaf, green beans, mashed potatoes, fried green tomatoes and peach cobbler served piping hot. Of course you could opt for Show Only tickets for $25 for Adults or $15 for Children 12 and Under, but why on earth would you miss that meal? Limited tickets are available for Friday and Saturday night performances. Call 615.883.8375 for tickets and availability.

Next up at The Larry Keeton Dinner Theatre from October 10-26 is Little Shop of Horrors. CLICK HERE for tickets or more information.

To keep up with the latest from The Larry Keeton Dinner Theatre, follow them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Interested in coverage for your latest entertaining endeavor? Click the contact page and drop me a note. You can also follow JHP Entertainment on Instagramand Facebook.

Southern Fried Nuptials, currently on stage at Chaffin’s Barn Dinner Theatre centers ‘round members of the Frye family, a typical—if not at times, stereotypical—southern family first introduced to audiences in Southern Fried Funeral. Both works cowritten by Nashville’s answer to Rodgers and Hammerstein, Nate Eppler and Dietz Osborne (credited collectively, simply as Osborne and Eppler), Southern Fried Funeral first played Chaffin’s back in 2011 and was last seen at the venerable theatre just two years ago.

While it’s been two years in real time since Chaffin’s presented Funeral, according to the timeline of the fictional tale, Southern Fried Nuptials takes place a year after the events of our first visit to New Edinburgh, Mississippi as we once again look in on the Frye family facing yet another of life’s monumental happenings. This time, as the title suggests, it’s the marriage of  Dorothy Frye’s eldest daughter, Harlene. 

One of the best aspects of a sequel to a popular play being produced by the same theatre company that previously mounted the original, comes in the fact that the audience not only gets to revisit some of the same characters, but also some of the same actors who are reprising their roles, both from previous Chaffin’s Barn productions as well as original mountings of the works elsewhere. To that end, Chaffin’s Southern Fried Nuptials reunites cast members on stage and behind the scenes, with John Mauldin, who appeared on stage in the previous presentation Chaffin’s production of Funeral, now directing and cast members Jenny Norris, Jenna Pryor, Layne Sasser and Joy Tilley Perryman all reprising their 2017 roles. On the night I saw Nuptials during opening weekend, Perryman was unable to appear, due to illness, so Debbie Kraski filled in, having been a part of the 2011 Barn cast. Cast member Tammie Whited is also familiar with the Southern Fried family, having appeared in prior mountings of both Funeral and Nuptials.

Having last appeared on stage at The Barn in God’s Favorite, Jenny Wallace stars as Dorothy Frye, the widowed matriarch of the family. Wallace seems to have found her Dorothy somewhere squarely between Steel Magnolia’s caring mamma bear, M’Lynn Eatenton and always prim and proper Clairee Belcher. 

Jenny Norris, fresh off her wickedly fun turn as Miss Hannigan in Chaffin’s Annie, once again takes on the role of Harlene Frye, the family’s eldest daughter, whose pending nuptials are the focus of the piece. In the original, Norris’ Harlene is seen as the prodigal daughter, returning home for the funeral of her father. In Nuptials, Norris plays Harlene a bit harried, but always stunning. Even when she’s playing a scene in which she’s put on her wedding dress backwards, a scene strictly written for laughs, Norris beauty shows through, revealing her to be a beautiful bride regardless. Norris possesses a magnetism no matter whether she’s sparring with her character’s sister, sharing a tender moment with her on-stage brother or in a heated argument with either of her leading men. 

Of her leading men, Harlene seems to have settled back into life in her hometown with all eyes on her as she prepares for her wedding to childhood sweetheart and successful young lawyer, Atticus “Atty” Van Leer. Played to the seersucker-clad hilt with all the southern charm he can muster, J. Robert Lindsey exudes a star quality that shines brighter each show he’s in. Note to all area theatre companies….after seeing Lindsey as Atty, I now long for the day he’s cast as that other famous southern lawyer named Atticus….Atticus Finch. Maybe it’s the suit, maybe it’s his stage presence and comfortability…whatever the case, with each role, Lindsey continues to be one to watch amongst Nashville theatre community.

Of course you can’t have a southern family wedding without unforeseen complications. Enter Chaffin’s newcomer, Gabe Achley as Carter Canfield, who…shall we say…knew Harlene during the time she was the aforementioned away from the Fryes. With good look, a swarthy manner and a voice to match, Archley’s Carter Canfield gives Norris’ Harlene reason to temporarily reconsider her marital plans. A perfect indication of Archley’s on-stage appeal, following last weekend’s performance I attended, as the actors stood in a receiving line to chat with patrons, my own sweet little southern mama grinned at Archly and said, “she should have chosen you”.

Returning to the role of the Frye family’s middle child is Jenna Pryor as Sammy Jo Frye-LeFette. Of course she comes with her own news for the family and alongside hubby Beecham LeFette, played by frequent Chaffin’s actor, Austin Olive, the two nicely navigate the ins and outs of young marrieds as they wrestle with the right time to share some news that could potentially take the focus from her sister’s wedding. 

Rounding out the Frye family is Daniel Bissell as Dewey Frye, Jr., affectionately called Dew Drop by his family. Judging from the way Dewey acts…let’s just say…he might be a few fries short of a happy meal…he might have gotten that nickname because he was dropped on his head as a baby. A bit simple, as we southerns might say, Dewey is nonetheless endearing, especially where his duties as official present-cataloger for his big sister’s wedding haul is concerned. A plot point involving Dewey from the original work also nicely figures into the resolution of big sister, Harlene’s nuptial thorn.

As is typical of a southern family, oftentimes family isn’t limited to blood-relations. Southern Fried Nuptials pays sweet homage to this within the relationships between Dorothy Frye and the remaining characters. First there’s family friend Vester Pickens, a successful local pickle magnate with an eye for Dorothy. Benny Jones plays Pickens with a gentle kindness as he initially evades the romance at hand.

As mentioned above, during opening weekend, Joy Tilley Perryman was unable to appear, necessitating other actresses stepping into the role of Ozella Meeks, New Edinburgh’s resident busy body and know-it-all neighbor and friend of the Frye family. With a hilarious beehive ‘do that brings to mind the adage, “the bigger the hair, the closer to Jesus”, the night I attended the show, Debbie Kraski stepped into the role of Ozella, and she did so with perfect comedic timing. Prior to the show’s start, the house manager made mention of the late-hour substitution and explained that Kraski would be performing on-book, meaning she’d have her script on stage with her. As luck would have it, within the story, Ozella becomes the wedding planner, so it seemed perfectly natural that she’d always have a notebook in her had and Kraski played it off seamlessly.

Also among the friends of the Frye family is Tammie Whited as Martha Ann Fox, Dorothy’s best friend and business associate. Having originated the role of Martha Ann in both premiere productions of Funeral and Nuptials, Whited eases back into the role as the often unsolicited, but necessary voice of reason to bestie Dorothy, but it’s her role as straight man to some of the show’s truly thigh-slapping, hee-haw laughter inducing moments that allow her to shine. With brilliant deadpan looks she sets them up and her scene partner knocks them down…with laughter.

That scene partner being Layne Sasser, a true Nashville theatrical treasure once again reprising her role as Fairy June Cooper. With hints of The Golden Girls’ Rose Nylund mixed with Designing Women’s Bernice Clifton, Sasser’s Fairy June is a delightfully daffy joy to behold. You know how some performers simply steal the limelight every time the walk on stage? Well, I’m here to tell you Sasser doesn’t steal the spotlight, she OWNS it. She plays the daft but delightful kooky friend and neighbor we all know and love to the hilt. During a particularly funny scene when she’s relaying a particularly winding story about an over-indulgent dog that may or may not have anything to do with the Frye family’s current predicaments, I found myself laughing so hard tears were welling up. 

While the plot might seem as thin as watered down gravy on the second Sunday after a big family dinner, manage to elevate the story with a few unexpected twists and turns, while simultaneously staying the course to provide a down home comedy with more than a few thoughtful family moments. Coupled with director Maudlin’s inherent appreciation of the genre and his gathering of retiring favorites and newcomers to the roles, Southern Fried Nuptials is one wedding that’s blissful with laughs.

Chaffin’s Barn Dinner Theatre’s Southern Fried Nuptials runs through August 24 with performances Thursday-Sunday. Thursday matinees begin at 12 noon (doors at 11a.m.), while Thursday, Friday and Saturday evening performances begin at 7:30p.m. (doors at 5:30). There will be a 2 p.m. (doors at noon) Sunday matinee on August 18. The Thursday, August 22 noon matinee will is SOLD OUT. 

Thursday matinee tickets are $19 for show only or $27.50 for show and a Box Lunch. (Wednesday matinee will also offer the Box Lunch option). Evening show tickets are $13 for children 12 and under, $20 for youth/students and $35 for adults. As always, Chaffin’s also offers a full buffet option or a la carte menu items for their evening and Sunday lunch matinee performances. Chaffin’s delicious buffet, featuring a choice of entrees (including a veggie option), and a number of side items is available for an additional $15.95, while the a la carte menu items range in price from $6.95 to $10.95, plus there’s a wide array of desert options to choose from $2.50 to $5.00. CLICK HERE to check out the menu.  CLICK HERE to purchase tickets or call 615.646.9977 to make reservations with the box office. Following Southern Fried Nuptials, Chaffin’s will present Sherlock Holmes The Final Adventure from August 29-September 14. CLICK HERE for tickets or more information. 

On Friday, August 2, Act Too Players’ professional theatre company, AT PRO will open their production of Matilda: The Musical at the historic Franklin Theatre nestled just off the town square in Franklin, TN. Based on Roald Dahl’s beloved children’s book, the 4-time Tony Award-winning musical features music and lyrics by Tim Minchin and book by Tony-winning playwright, Dennis Kelly. Directed by Act To Players’ theatre arts director, Sondra Morton, with musical direction from Jamey Green, the title role of Matilda will be shared (at alternating performances) by two young actors, Reese Benton and Reagan Schmicker and will feature a number of other youth performers and Act Too Players students. As for the adult cast, Tennessee native, Thomas DeMarcus, who now resides in New York, will take on the role of Ms. Trunchbull, with local theatrical mega-star, Megan Murphy Chambers playing Matilda’s less-than-caring mother, Mrs. Wormwood. Among the other adult cast members are Jeremy Maxwell as Mr. Wormwood, Erica Haines as Ms Honey and Jennifer Whitcomb-Oliva as Ms. Phelps. 

Just yesterday, while the cast was in the final hours of tech week, before Friday’s opening night, I had the chance to chat with DeMarcus and Chambers about their roles, working together, collaborating with Morton and the youth cast of Matilda for my latest Rapid Fire 20 Q. As always, the conversations were enlightening and entertaining, perfectly fitting considering the subject is Matilda.

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RAPID FIRE WITH MATILDA’s MRS. WORMWOOD, MEGAN MURPHY CHAMBERS

JHP: Who is Mrs. Wormwood to you?

MEGAN MURPHY CHAMBERS: Mrs. Wormwood is the delicious personification of rotten, upside-down Megan. She is shallow, blunt, arrogant and narcissistic. I am loving every single minute of wearing her leopard print skin. 

JHP: Exactly how many shows have you been involved in in collaboration with Sondra Morton?

MEGAN MURPHY CHAMBERS: Roughly 9,000, I think. 9,001 if you count the show that was being in the delivery room when her son was born.

JHP: Sometimes I feel like Sondra, Act Too Players and other youth theatre programs around town don’t get the praise they deserve. What’s something you would like to say to Sondra about her work with Act Too?

MEGAN MURPHY CHAMBERS: I agree that anyone who works with kids in this capacity is an unsung hero. The performance opportunities these kids get are extraordinary, and the miracles Sondra works to get these shows put together blow my mind.  Above all, though, the community that gets built during the process is unlike anything I’ve seen before.  I’ve heard so many of our students say that they feel like a most authentic version of themselves when they’re at Act Too, and I’m really proud to be part of that.  Sondra (and Erica, and Jamey!) are absolutely amazing. 

JHP: One aspect of Mrs. Wormwood’s personality is her lack of concern where her children are concerned. Knowing what little I do about you as a person, I can say with certainty that couldn’t be further from the truth, especially considering when not on stage at Act Too Players, you are among the staff of Act Too Players. How vital is it to encourage the creativity of youth in the performing arts?

MEGAN MURPHY CHAMBERS: Being part of high school theater and choir changed the trajectory of my life forever, so you won’t find a bigger advocate for youth arts programming than me. Regardless of what path a kid decides to follow, there are so many essential life skills that the kids pick up when working on a show. They become better communicators, collaborators, and empathizers. Watching these programs get pillaged breaks my heart, and does such a disservice to society in general.  Art makes us complete, makes us better versions of ourselves!

JHP: As a staff member of Act Too Players, your official job title is Experience Manager. What exactly does that title involve?

MEGAN MURPHY CHAMBERS: More than anything, I maintain lines of communication with our parents and families. I love that part of my job, and I love when show time rolls around, and that communication turns into actual face time with both the kids and their families. 

JHP: While your character isn’t exactly maternal, Matilda does find a friend and mentor in Miss Honey. Who encouraged your creativity and free-spiritedness as a child?

MEGAN MURPHY CHAMBERS: My childhood home was always filled with music, and my parents stocked us up with paper to draw on and Legos to build with; they’re both really interesting and creative people themselves, and my sister’s and my imaginations were encouraged to thrive. My 2nd grade teacher, Mrs. Brown, also threw a lot of gasoline onto my fire. She created a beautiful bound version of a book I wrote when I was 8 called Confetti about, no surprise, a dog. 

JHP: As Matilda’s on-stage mother, you are working with not one, but two young actors who are alternating in the lead role. What can you tell me about your two young co-stars, Reese Benton and Reagan Schmicker?

MEGAN MURPHY CHAMBERS: Reese and Reagan are delightful, capable, professional young ladies, and we are truly lucky to have both of them in this show. They have a huge role to tackle and are doing it with real grace and enthusiasm, not to mention talent. It’s also been lovely to watch them work together as a team. I’ve seen zero competitiveness whatsoever – just authentic support and enjoyment of each other. I love being awful to both of them!

JHP: Do you find being the uncaring Mrs. Wormwood on-stage has caused you to be extra nice to the youth cast off-stage, or do you avoid them in an effort to stay in character?

MEGAN MURPHY CHAMBERS: First of all – any of my friends reading this right now are laughing out loud at the idea of me ever being extra nice to kids 🙂  Coddling anyone other than my pit bull goes against my very nature. My character doesn’t impact the way I treat the kids at all.  My favorite thing about doing an Act Too Pro show with them is getting to just be a fellow actor (rather than a stage manager or child-wrangler or person in a leadership position).  In this environment, I treat them all the same as I do any other colleague. We have a great time, and I expect the same level of professionalism (and fun!) from them as I do any of the rest of my cast mates.   

JHP: What’s the best part of having Jeremy Maxwell as your on-stage husband, Mr. Wormwood?

MEGAN MURPHY CHAMBERS: I love watching Jeremy work, and he is always 100% game to experiment on stage with. Jeremy is super alive in a scene, and up for anything. It’s also lovely to watch someone who is so naturally patient and good with kids be so horrible to our Matildas.

JHP: I’m about chat with another of you co-stars, Thomas DeMarcus. If memory serves me you were both among the cast of Boiler Room Theatre’s Gypsy in 2004. When did the two of you first meet?

MEGAN MURPHY CHAMBERS: Thomas and I were friends looooong before Gypsy. We went to high school together, and he is one of literally two people that I’m still in touch with from those days. It has been so fun to be in a show with him again, so I’m overjoyed that we were able to lure him away from NYC for a little while. Getting to work with someone I’ve been friends with since 1993 is a gift, and I hope we’re still playing 25 years from now. There is no one I’d rather see play Trunchbull than him. 

RAPID FIRE WITH MATILDA’s MS. TRUNCHBULL, THOMAS DeMARCUS

JHP:  Tell me about your portrayal of Ms. Trunchbull.

THOMAS DeMARCUS:  I have loved Ms. Trunchbull since I helped the original Broadway production on their special events team. She’s so deliciously cruel and righteous that you can’t help but stare and be intimidated by. She has this wonderful pattern to her speech with so many different ways to insult you and has zero regards for your feelings. Everyone always wonders what it’s like to play the villain but the villain never knows they’re the villain. They’re behaving and reacting honestly to their own ideals. Agatha is a joy to play. Her costume and her makeup and hair do so much of the work, I just need to remember when Matilda is being a maggot and when Matilda is being a disgusting little toad. Ms. Trunchbull chooses her words carefully.

JHP: Appearing in Act Too Players’ Matilda is a bit of a homecoming on a couple of levels in that you grew up near Franklin n nearby Brentwood and you have a bit of a history with Act Too Players’ founder and Theatre Arts Director, Sondra Morton, having appeared in a few shows at Morton’s beloved and much-missed Boiler Room Theatre. What’s it been like to come back home, be a part of this show and work with Sondra again?

THOMAS DeMARCUS:  Coming back home feels truly wonderful. I miss Brentwood. A fun yearly game is figuring out which new restaurant has popped up at the place where that old restaurant used to be.  My parents are still here in the same house I grew up so they are thrilled to have me join them for a little bit. Sondra is one of those people that I will always have fond memories of. She was in my first show at the Boiler Room Theatre (The 1940’s Radio Hour) and the Boiler Room is where I met some of my greatest friends (some of them can be found in this production of Matilda!). To know that Sondra has built this company and sustained it for so long in an ever-growing and always-changing landscape of middle-Tennessee is nothing short of remarkable. She always has fifty irons in the fire and yet can answer a specific question without missing a beat. She’s immensely creative and a champion of trying something to see if it fails. She truly supports these kids and beams at their successes. I’m beyond grateful that she called me me in!

JHP: You attended the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. While there, you switched your focus from math to theatre. What prompted the change in your course of study? 

THOMAS DeMARCUS:  I know I never considered theatre a profession coming out of high school. I believe I told my guidance counselor that I wanted to teach math and help coach the basketball team at some middle or high school that would hire me. But once I devoted 100% of my time and energy into the theatre department and kept meeting great artists brought in from all over the world, I began to see theatre as a career. I still LOVE MATH. Ask anyone. There’s an aspect to problem solving that I find so relaxing. I can make the (broad) connection between math and theatre through problem solving. Instead of solving for x, I’m trying to figure out why this character would do or say that. Look, it’s a loose connection but I’m sticking with it…just let me solve my sudoku in peace.

JHP: Anytime I chat with anyone who has a connection to UT, I have to ask….did you have the opportunity to study under my friend Carol Mayo-Jenkins, who I of course remember first for her portrayal of Miss Sherwood in TV’s Fame?

THOMAS DeMARCUS: Carol returned to Knoxville just as I was leaving so I never had her for a teacher, however, I was extremely fortunate to work with her onstage in The Glass Menagerie. She played Amanda and I was the gentleman caller brought over to dinner to try and make a love connection with her daughter, Laura. My character doesn’t come onstage until Act 2 so I got to watch the masterclass Carol would put on every night from the wings. She is truly an angel and could not have been warmer or more lovely to this young college student. We also had one of those lovely only-in-live-theatre moments where a candle would not stay in the candle holder and her commitment to staying in character was nothing short of brilliant. She is every bit a professional and she could read the salads off of a menu and receive a standing ovation. You know you’re doing something magical when the city of Knoxville dedicates a day in your name.

JHP: What do you recall most about your time at UT?

THOMAS DeMARCUS: I had always been an excellent student but when I got to UT, my discipline turned wholly to the theatre department. I flung myself at every audition, took every theatre class, and treated my education as if I was at a BFA program versus a BA program. I couldn’t wrap my head around the need for an astronomy class or two semesters of French when all I really hungered for was more sonnets and more scenes. To say I regret my years at UT is misleading because the time I wasted there is through no one’s fault but my own. I learned a significant amount while I was there, but I could have been more upfront with what I was truly looking for. There’s a line from one of my favorite musicals, Passing Strange that says “Do you ever think it’s weird that your entire adult life is based off the decision of an 18-year old?” Sometimes I think college is wasted on the young and yet I don’t want this to come off as anti-college and certainly not anti-UT. I love Knoxville, I miss Knoxville and UT gave me so many opportunities. And storming the field after a victory over Florida ranks very high up on my greatest days list.

JHP: During your time at UT, you were involved in All Campus Theatre (ACT), a student-run troupe. What stands out in your mind about your time with ACT and what have you noticed about your time in this production at Act Too?

THOMAS DeMARCUS:  All Campus Theatre was a vital part of my undergraduate training. Because The University of Tennessee has a professional, resident theatre on campus (the magnificent Clarence Brown Theatre), there weren’t many opportunities for the undergraduates to be in mainstage productions. Outside of classwork, the well was fairly dry when it came to performance, design, or direction. ACT was completely student operated and became the secondary theatrical energy I was looking for. I remember we were all wide-eyed and ambitious as we would have Barefoot in the Park followed by One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. We were one of the first, if not the first production of Steve Martin‘s Picasso at the Lapin Agile after its New York run because we simply wrote him a letter asking for his permission (He agreed, and we had a gold chair reserved for him at every performance). What’s great about Act Too Players is I can see Sondra giving these kids such great opportunities they may not be getting elsewhere. It’s beautiful to see them dive into the work.

JHP: Ms. Trunchbull isn’t your first time to play a campy drag character onstage, having appeared in the National Tour of Spamalot, playing, among others, Dennis’ Mother. What are the best and worst aspects of tongue-in-cheek gender switched roles?

THOMAS DeMARCUS: The best part, other than perhaps an easy laugh, is the instant recalculation for the audience. There tends to be a double-take even if they know the drag is happening. They become more attentive as they try to figure out just what’s happening and what’s appropriate to laugh at or with. I’d say the worst part is there is always a tendency to over do the character. I have to remember that Agatha Trunchbull is a woman and nothing is particularly cartoonish about Agatha’s behavior in her mind. She may be brash and bold but it needs to come from a real place or the audience will know it’s all for show. The audience is always smarter than the actors.

JHP: Among your other theatre credits, you were also among the cast of the touring company of Peter and the Starcatcher. What was your favorite aspect of touring with that particular show? 

THOMAS DeMARCUS:  I LOVED That Company. Our time together was all too short as we only toured for three months. That show was the definition of ensemble and we only had about eight days to learn the Broadway version. If you assigned a color to everyone’s walking path onstage and put it on a chart it would make a fine Rorshach experiment.  Everyone is essentially onstage for the entire play and you cannot lose focus. You are constantly moving. One hour of every rehearsal was dedicated to cardio and circuit training. You might be part of a ship or part of a mirror or part of the crocodile or lifting this actor or catching this actor okay now put this coconut bra on because now you’re a mermaid!  You couldn’t have asked for a more committed group. That show is about trust and focus and sweat! We were lucky to have a few days with the late (and a true class act) Roger Rees, who directed the Broadway version.

JHP: You now call New York home. I imagine the young cast of Matilda have been full of questions about living in THE theatrical center of the world. What advice might you offer your young cast mates who are thinking of pursuing their theatrical dreams?

THOMAS DeMARCUS:  One of the first things I was asked was whether or not I had seen Hamilton and then I got to watch their jaw drop when I said I’d seen it three times. Being in NYC and being able to watch (and occasionally work with) some of the biggest names in theatre is a complete joy. I’m not always sure how to be an advisor for younger actors, but I suppose what I wanted to hear at their age was to always enjoy art.  Whether performing, volunteering, or just watching. Enjoy it. Theatre is so beneficial to a young mind. Not  becoming a dancer who can recite Shakespeare while belting Dear Evan Hansen. Those are all great, but theatre should inspire you, and cultivate your imagination and help you grow as an individual. Follow that dream. FOLLOW IT. Also, it really will help you with math. 

JHP: What do you see as the moral of Matilda?

THOMAS DeMARCUS:  Matilda might say it best herself: “Sometimes you have to be a little bit naughty.”   

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To catch Act Too Players & AT PRO getting a little bit naughty, be sure and get tickets to Matilda at Franklin Theatre from Friday, August 2 until Sunday, August 11. Opening weekend showtimes are Friday, August 2 at 7 p.m., Saturday, August 3 at 12 noon and 6 p.m. and Sunday, August 4 at 2 p.m. The show then continues the following week with shows Tuesday, August 6 thru Friday, August 9 at 7 pm., Saturday, August 10 at 12noon and 6 p.m. and Sunday, August 11 at 2 p.m. Tickets range in price from $15 to $49 CLICK HERE to purchase tickets and to view special ticket prices for the August 6 & 7 performances.

If you’ve enjoyed this Rapid Fire 20 Q, CLICK HERE to check out previous conversations. For more about Act Too Players, CLICK HERE and be sure and follow them on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.

Interested in coverage for your latest entertaining endeavor? Click the contact page and drop me a note. You can also follow JHP Entertainment on Instagram and Facebook.

On Monday, July 29th, members of Nashville’s theatre community will gather at Street Theatre Company (1120 Elm Hill Pike) at 6 p.m. to celebrate one of Music City’s true theatrical treasures, Martha Wilkinson as she and husband, Donnie Hall bid Middle Tennessee farewell. After three decades as an integral part of the performing arts landscape of Nashville and the surrounding area, including an astounding thirty year history with Chaffin’s Barn Dinner Theatre—twenty of which she served  as the company’s Artistic Director—Martha will be moving on to Harriman, Tennessee where she and Donnie will be working at the newly formed Three Rivers Theatre Company.

Over the weekend, I had the chance to chat with Martha for the latest installment of my recurring interview feature, Rapid Fire 20 Q. During our conversation, we touched on Martha’s earliest theatrical memories, some of her favorite roles, what brought her to Music City in the first place. We also spoke about her amazing theatrical career—thus far—and what the future holds for her.

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JHP: For those who may not know, you come by your love of performing naturally, you father having been an actor himself. Were you the type of kid who did ‘performance’ for family members any chance she got or were you more of an introvert? 

MARTHA WILKINSON: OH YES! I would put on the 45 record of Debbie Boone singing You Light Up My Life and perform it for my parents and their dinner party friends in front of the console stereo. I did that with  Hopelessly Devoted to You and There Are Worst Things I Could Do from the Grease movie soundtrack as well. Introvert is not part of my DNA lol.

JHP: When did you first step foot on stage? 

MARTHA WILKINSON: Besides elementary school pageants, Pippin when I was a freshman in high school. My pal, Nikki Hajosy encouraged me because she said ” you can sing so good!” So, I auditioned and I was cast in the chorus ( as we called it then) and the rest as they say is history!

JHP: Did you know from that moment that was the life for you? 

MARTHA WILKINSON: Immediately! the stage was, and of course still is, my favorite place to be. I absolutely love the palpable energy of it

JHP: From what I know, you grew up in Rome, Georgia. Were you involved in theatre there?

MARTHA WILKINSON: I was involved in my high school theatre program and then college program. I did not work for the community theatre there. I was also a lead singer for a cover band in high school, The Allies we called ourselves. So, when not in school plays I was with them doing gigs around town.

JHP: After college in Georgia, you attending North Carolina School of the Arts…I gotta know…was it like the movie and TV series FAME? 

MARTHA WILKINSON: YES! it was like a whole lil world in and of itself! I felt like Irene Cara! 😉 It was groovy! A day consisted of dance ( jazz and modern), voice class, stage combat and then the afternoon was a 3 hour intensive acting class. In the evenings we’d all hang out in the theatres and watch dance students rehearse. It was all art all the time!!

JHP: Following your education, it was on to Nashville to pursue a career in country music. What was your first impression of Music City? 

MARTHA WILKINSON: I grew up in Rome GA which was/is a small town…Nashville seemed HUGE to me, but I LOVED it! I had spent a lotta time in Atlanta growing up, so it wasn’t scary, I was thrilled to be there! When I moved, I knew two people in Nashville besides the producers on my demo.

JHP: OK, just between us…are there any bootleg recordings of Martha Wilkinson, aspiring country diva? 

MARTHA WILKINSON: Haha! yes, there are…

MARTHA WILKINSON: That is correct, Pam Atha as the choreographer and also a murderess

JHP: What do you remember about your first show at Chaffin’s? 

MARTHA WILKINSON: Well of course the magic stage!  And I just loved the people and thought it was an awesome place to work…it was comfortable.

JHP: Since that fateful night, you’ve been in more than 100 shows at Chaffin’s. Did you ever fathom being there thirty years, let alone becoming one of Nashville most well-known and beloved members of the theatre community? 

MARTHA WILKINSON: I did NOT ever fathom that! Haha! Best laid plans huh? I never had the dream to move to NYC but, I figured I probably would at some point. But the opportunity to work all the time was intoxicating! And a couple marriages kept me close to home too. 🙂

JHP: Do you have any favorite Chaffin’s roles that you remember especially fondly? 

MARTHA WILKINSON: Adelaide in Guys and Dolls, Annie Oakley in Annie Get Your Gun and Roxie in Chicago. 

JHP: Of course Chaffin’s wasn’t the only place you’d perform. What are among your favorite non-Chaffin’s roles? 

MARTHA WILKINSON: Mrs Lovett in Sweeney Todd, Ursula in The Little Mermaid, Mrs Potts in Beauty and the Beast, Joann in Company, Audrey in Little Shop…

JHP: OK, so when you and I chatted for a Rapid Fire Q&A about your recent star turn in Chaffin’s Kiss Me, Kate, we touched on the fact that you and Matthew Carlton had both done the show years ago. Are there any other shows from your past that you’d like the chance to revisit? 

MARTHA WILKINSON: Well, I’ve already revisited some… Steel Mags (3 x), Sweeney (2x) Pump Boys and Dinettes ( 3 x), Noises Off ( 3 x), Barefoot in the Park ( 2x), Rumors (2x)…blah blah blah 🙂 I’d love to do Ursula and Joann again.

JHP: While the bulk of your theatrical career has focused your attention here in Nashville, you’ve also ventured outside Music City from time to time, including critically acclaimed performances in Beauty and the Beast as Mrs. Potts and Ursula in The Little Mermaid. Is the energy of an audience who may not be as familiar with you as your longtime home audience at Chaffin’s any different? 

MARTHA WILKINSON: It is different but in a very good and gratifying way. When they enjoy my performance, I know they’re enjoying my talent for my ability, not just because they know me as “Martha and she’s always good.” It’s reassuring from time to time to be reminded “I still got it!” lol

JHP: What are some of the craziest things that’s happened to you during a performance? 

MARTHA WILKINSON: Oh my… well, a drunk patron threw a doubles glass at me and Brian Russell back in 1990, my skirt fell off during Newsies one night and my strapless dress came down one night in a Christmas show and well, the audience got “two” special presents, an audience member walked across the Barn stage in the middle of a scene to go to the bathroom… :b

JHP: While those may be the craziest, in my humble opinion, your brilliant turn as Mrs. Lovett in Nashville Repertory Theatre’s Sweeney Todd has to rank among your best. To what do you attribute the magnificence of that performance in that particular show? 

MARTHA WILKINSON: I just connect with that character- not that I wanna make pies outta people lol, but the theatricality of her, the humor, the communicating mostly thru song… it’s just everything to me. I’m always happy to be on stage but I’ve  never been happier on stage than in that show.

JHP: That role also garnered you accolades as Best Actor in both The Tennessean and Nashville Scene’s readers poll. Adding to your many First Night awards. Where do you keep them? 

MARTHA WILKINSON: I’m not much of a “show off” of things… but, the mrs Lovett one is on my shelf in my office as is my first night honors medal which is in a shadow box frame

JHP: It was recently revealed that you’ve decided to leave your post as Chaffin’s Artistic Director. How difficult was it to make that decision?

MARTHA WILKINSON: EXTREMELY difficult! I’ve cried A LOT! lol  I literally grew up there. I mean, 31 years is a long damn time! I attribute so much of who I am as a performer to the support and opportunities the Chaffin’s gave me. But, like all good things, it was time for a change. I really feel I had achieved what I hoped to achieve there as an Artistic Director and it was time to pass on the baton. 

JHP: Looking forward, you’ve taken on a new position as Managing Artistic Director of the newly formed Three Rivers Theatre Company in East Tennessee. Your husband, Donnie Hall joining the theatre team as Producer. How excited are you for this new chapter in your theatrical career? MARTHA WILKINSON: SOOOOOO EXCITED! Oh my goodness! Its a dream come true actually. Something Ive thought about for a long time; moving to a small town and starting a community theatre and sharing what Ive learned with others eager to explore the arts. AND, I get to do it with this handsome smart funny hubs of mine! Lucky much? God is good! The community is VERY excited too and the venue, Princess Theatre, is GORGEOUS!

JHP: Dang…twenty questions seems like a lot, unless I’m chatting with someone I’ve gotten to know and admire over the years, so I’m gonna cheat a little and make this last one a two-parter… 1) What are your hopes for your new theatrical home at Three Rivers Theatre Company? 

MARTHA WILKINSON: That the events and arts education we provide, for children and adults, will contribute to the growth of commerce and appreciation of the arts in Roane County- to be a strong member of this community.  I cannot wait to see it grow and flourish. 

JHP: AND….2) What are your hopes for your beloved 30-year theatre family in Nashville? 

MARTHA WILKINSON: I want them to SOAR and work all the time, be happy, grow and come visit me.

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Martha’s Middle Tennessee friends and fans won’t have to travel to East Tennessee just yet. As luck would have it, before she announced her upcoming move, she was cast in Studio Tenn’s upcoming 2019/2020 season opener, Mamma Mia, on stage at Jameson Theatre at the Factory in Franklin August 16-September 5. Martha will be playing Rosie, the free-spirited longtime friend and fellow Dynamo, joining Melodie Madden Adams as Tonya and Erica Aubrey as Donna. CLICK HERE for tickets. Then it’s on to Harriman, TN’s historic Princess Theatre for what Martha promises to be a great upcoming theatre season. CLICK HERE to purchase tickets for Three Rivers Theatre Company’s August 10 screening of the classic film, The Wizard of Oz or for tickets to their three day runs of the stage musical, Smoke On the Mountain.

To keep up with Martha and all things Three Rivers Theatre Company, like them on Facebook or CLICK HERE to join their email list.

Interested in coverage for your latest entertaining endeavor? Click the contact page and drop me a note. You can also follow JHP Entertainment on Instagram and Facebook.

The many faces of Martha Wilkinson

As I mentioned in my recent Rapid Fire 20 Q with the cast and director of Annie—currently on stage at Chaffin’s Barn Dinner Theatre now through Saturday, August 3—for nearly 100 years, we’ve had a soft spot for the precocious yet lovable ginger-haired orphan. From Harold Gray’s 1924 comic strip to the mid-70s stage musical, to film an TV adaptations in the 80s, 90s and 2000’s, Annie is engrained in our pop culture conscious. With director Joy Tilley Perryman taking charge of bringing Annie back on stage at The Barn (the show last played the legendary dinner theatre back in 2011), I had no doubt this production would be an enjoyable one. After all, who doesn’t love a rags-to-riches story set to a few toe-tappin’ tunes? Even as the show’s musical director, Rollie Mains and musicians Daniel Kozlowski, Luke Easterling and Raymond Ridley begin the Overture, I was reminded of just how many memorable songs are amongst the Annie soundtrack…each and every one of them as hummable and memorable as the next.

The combination of Perryman’s knack for directing comedy, paired with some stellar adult casting choices and a cavalcade of undeniably charming youth come together to surpass all expectations, resulting in not only what is easily the best production of Annie I’ve seen since the aforementioned 80s film, but…and I can’t believe I’m saying this…one of the best productions of a show I’ve ever seen at Chaffin’s Barn Dinner Theatre. That’s a statement not to be taken lightly, because The Barn has a 50-plus year reputation for putting on some of the most enjoyable and talent-filled dinner theatre experiences around.

As is customary when a show involves a number of younger cast members, Chaffin’s Annie actually has two separate youth casts. When I attended opening weekend, Ava Rivera was playing Annie, alongside Lilah Benjamin, Daisy Urbanowicz, Olivia Harper, Adriana Rivera, Annalaura Lyon and Abigail Levy as her fellow orphans. Rivera, making her Chaffin’s debut, plays Annie with impish spunk. Visually, Rivera is reminiscent of Ashley Johnson, the young actress who played Annie opposite Joan Collins’ baddie in the 1995 direct-to-video iteration (what can I say? I’m a fan of both the American orphan and the British legend). For a Barn first-timer, Rivera certainly embodies her precocious character, establishing her character’s plucky optimism from the beginning with the show opening Maybe and continuing to present a believable performance of a young girl longing for a better Tomorrow going toe-to-toe with her adult co-stars as well as holding her own with scene stealers like the aforementioned Benjamin, who plays youngest orphan, Molly. (I’m just going to make a prediction right now…Annie 2025 at Chaffin’s starring Lilah Benjamin).

Can’t mention the orphans without praising the show’s choreographer, Lauri Dismuke. While watching the kids perform what I”ll dub Dismuke’s Orphanography—the succinct and precisely performed choreography during It’s a Hard Knock Life—I had a revelation. THIS number just might be my all-time favorite musical theatre number in all of musical theatre. I mean…down-trodden kids forcibly performing domestic chores for a haggard, drunken marm…come on!

Speaking of the other orphans, each of the young girls playing Annie’s fellow orphans posses a stage presence that, at one point or another during the show, draws you eye to them, Perryman’s direction, coupled with the young girls’ own inimitable charm working perfectly in tandem to achieve this. As indicated above, there are two youth casts for this production of Annie. Rivera leading one, which plays certain performances, while Elle Wesley, also making her Chaffin’s debut, leads the other at alternativing performances, with Aubrey Rogers, Samantha McWright, Demetrius Knowles II, Hailey Ridgeway, Grayson Caughey and Adison Rodgers rounding out Wesley’s fellow orphans. Word has it both sets of orphans and both Annie’s turn in equally enjoyable performances, so I’m just gonna go ahead and suggest seeing the show twice.

 On the subject of enjoyable performances, the adult cast isn’t too shabby either. Galen Fott, whose recently shaved head shines like the top of the Chrysler Building (sorry, couldn’t resist) is absolutely perfect as the initially gruff but eventually loving Daddy Warbucks. A longtime member of the Nashville theatre community, Fott’s Daddy Warbucks marks a long-overdue return to The Barn, having last appeared at the dinner theater in the late 80s. From appearances in Nashville Opera’s The Cradle Will Rock and Nashville Repertory Theatre’s A Doll’s House, Part 2, to Nashville Children’s Theatre’s The Little Mermaid—and just last week, during Annie’s run, an invite-only table read for a new work presented as an immersive theatre pop-up courtesy Studio Tenn—recently, it seems I can’t see a show without Fott being amongst the cast…and that’s a great thing. With every role, Fott brings a powerful presences and unmistakable talent, and his Warbucks is no different. He’s ultimately charming as Annie’s future father, their shared stage time perfectly believable as the loving father/daughter dynamic unfolds.

While Annie is indeed the lead, Molly,the scene-stealer and Daddy Warbucks, the most-changed among the characters, Miss Hannigan, Rooster and Lily easily provide the most laughs as the scheming, yet ultimately unsuccessful villains. To that end, and to her advantage as a director, Perryman has enlisted the aide of three familiar faces to Chaffin’s audiences.

Jenny Norris is a dream—or is it devilishly delicious nightmare—as the drunken and deceitful orphanage caretaker, Miss Hannigan. Whether seductively sidling up to Daddy Warbucks or drunkenly devising a plan to scheme, Norris’ Hannigan is comedy gold. Her Act 1 highpoint, Little Girls, which she performs while simultaneously sipping from a flask and casually ripping the head off a doll, is equal parts frighting and delighting. Plus, you gotta love that ever-present flask throughout the show resulting in Hannigan appearing more and more inebriated, thus allowing her true colors to show through as the show goes on. A not-so-subtle, but absolutely brilliant bit of direction and characterization.

Aiding and abetting Norris’ Miss Hannigan in her schemes are Curtis LeMoine and Christina Candilora as Rooster Haningan and Lily St. Regis. LeMoine, fresh off a show-stooping turn in Studio Tenn’s Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, returns to The Barn having turned up the heat with his Too Darn Hot number during Chaffin’s recent Kiss Me, Kate. Candilora, who will forever be my favorite Gypsy Rose Lee, returns to The Barn having stolen hearts as Jovie in their holiday production of Elf. Together, and alongside Norris, these three dastardly villains make a life of crime seems a viable alternative. Just as the kids wow during the previously noted Hard Knock Life sequence, Norris, LeMoine and Candilora bring the audience to rousing applause during Easy Street, making Dismuke’s villainography look…well…easy.

It’s not just the orphans and the main adults who make Chaffin’s Annie look easy though. The supporting cast is also simply spectacular. Natalie Rankin’s Grace is everything sweet and wonderful a potential new mom for Annie and new love interest for Daddy Warbucks should be. Daron Bruce turns in a truly presidential (well, what the term use to mean) performance as FDR. Hannah Clark, Delaney Jackson and Katie Yeomans are pitch-perfect as the melodious Boylan Sisters. J. Robert Lindsey is sure to make you smile as charming radio announcer, Bert Healey. Vicki White and the rest of the ensemble, including Gerold Oliver, Kelsey Brodeur, David Benjamin Perry, Seth Brown, Emma Puerta, Morgan Riggs, Austin Jeffrey Smith and Scott Stewart are all a joy to behold, most notably, during the all-in—and surprisingly eerily timely—We’d Like to Thank You, Herbert Hoover. Not only does this particular number sadly resonate with current political and social events of the day, but thanks to the sheer magnitude of the talented cast, with everyone singing, it’s hauntingly beautiful. Gotta love a musical in Music City. I’m from here and I’m still constantly blown away by the talent in this town.

Then there’s Annie’s faithful pup Sandy. Played by breakout star, Rufus. While his diva tendencies tend to show through, some scenes you just wanna lay on the stage and ignore the cute little curly-top who’s belting out Tomorrow, you gotta love a dog in a show and Rufus’ Sandy gets two paws up from this reviewer.

When I noted earlier that this production of Annie may well be my favorite Chaffin’s show ever, I really meant it. From the implausible, yet ultimately yearned-for story of an orphan girl seemingly randomly chosen to spend the holidays with a less-than-warm billionaire, that involves literally cartoonish villains and an audience with President FDR, to a soundtrack peppered with memorable tune after memorable tune, to Perryman’s skill at directing a laugh-filled show in the square (God, I love Chaffin’s still-functioning descending stage!), and a cast with not a misstep in the bunch, to paraphrase yet another Annie song, I Think YOU’RE Gonna Like It Here!

Chaffin’s Barn Dinner Theatre’s Annie runs through August 3 with performances Thursday-Sunday. Thursday matinees begin at 12 noon (doors at 11a.m.), while Thursday, Friday and Saturday evening performances begin at 7:30p.m. (doors at 5:30). There will be a 2 p.m. (doors at noon) Sunday matinee on July 21. The Thursday, July 25 noon matinee will featuring signing for the hearing impaired, and there will be a Wednesday matinee on July 31 at noon (doors at 11a.m.). 

Thursday matinee tickets are $19 for show only or $27.50 for show and a Box Lunch. (Wednesday matinee will also offer the Box Lunch option). Evening show tickets are $13 for children 12 and under, $20 for youth/students and $35 for adults. Living up to their Barn Dinner Theatre name, Chaffin’s also offers a full buffet option or a la carte menu items for their evening and Sunday lunch matinee performances. Chaffin’s delicious buffet, featuring a choice of entrees (including a veggie option), and a number of side items is available for an additional (but completely worth it) $15.95, while the a la carte menu items (also quite tastily) range in price from $6.95 to $10.95, plus there’s a wide array of desert options to choose from $2.50 to $5.00. CLICK HERE to check out the menu.  CLICK HERE to purchase tickets or call 615.646.9977 to make reservations with the box office. To keep up with the latest from Chaffin’s Barn Dinner Theatre, find them online at ChaffinsBarnTheatre.com, ’like’ them on Facebook and follow them on Instagram and Twitter.

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