Nashville Theatre

Rapid Fire 20 Q with cast of Nashville Rep’s ‘Shakespeare in Love’ onstage at TPAC’s Johnson Theatre thru April 13

March 28, 2019 by Jonathan

Directed by René Copeland, Shakespeare in Love is making its Nashville stage debut as Nashville Repertory Theatre’s current offering. Adapted for the stage by Lee Hall and based on the screenplay by Tom Stoppard and Marc Norman, it’s been 20 years since the Gwyneth Paltrow/Joseph Fiennes/Geoffrey Rush film premiere. I remember enjoying the movie, but considering the time that has passed since I’ve seen it and the fact that I’ve never seen the stage version…full confession: I had no idea it even existed…I had to get the low-down on. When I found out one of my absolute “theatre crushes”, Jennifer Whitcomb-Oliva was cast as Queen Elizabeth 1 for The Rep’s mounting, alongside Rep newcomers Joe Leitess as Will Shakespeare, Cailen Fu as Viola and Sewanee professor, James Crawford as Henslowe, as well as local theatre favorite, David Wilkerson, who’s not only cast as Tilney, but also serving as the show’s fight choreographer, I knew this group would result in a fun-filled Rapid Fire 20 Q, and by Bard, I was right.

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RAPID FIRE WITH SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE’S JENNIFER WHITCOMB-OLIVA

JHP: You’re playing Queen Elizabeth 1, so tell me…is it really true what they say? IS it good to be the Queen?

JENNIFER WHITCOMB-OLIVA: It’s soooo good! Big dresses, royal treatment, bowing, parties! Queen Elizabeth was quite the woman. She’s a total rockstar! I’m really enjoying portraying her.

JHP: From what I know, this is your sixth time to appear onstage at Nashville Rep. What keeps you coming back?

JENNIFER WHITCOMB-OLIVA: Nashville Rep continues to bring in theatrical gems. The plays are always so engaging, and full of wonderful surprises. I am so challenged each time from production to production. I am grateful for each opportunity I get, to play something meaningful and outside of the box. I strive to play roles and characters that are beyond the norm.

JHP: Alright, you’ve already mentioned the big dresses…I LOVE the publicity photo of you all done up in QE1 drag. What can you tell me about the gorgeous wigs and the costumes designed by Lori Gann-Smith for Shakespeare in Love?

JENNIFER WHITCOMB-OLIVA: I can tell you to brace yourself! Queen Elizabeth was not one to do casual. These costumes are absolutely gorgeous! They are big, colorful, decadent and exquisitely made. If you don’t ooo and aah, I don’t know how to help you. Also…being a redhead is fun!

JHP: With themes of love, marriage, equality, gender and even the creative life, Shakespeare in Love and Shakespeare’s own writings are just as vital now as when audiences were first exposed to them. Among the themes, which do you think rings most true, in relation to this work?

JENNIFER WHITCOMB-OLIVA: The creative life for sure. This play is truly about the life of the man. It’s about the actors and the world they live in. It’s such a lovely view into the fantastical world of theatre, and why we all fall in love with it over and over again.

RAPID FIRE WITH SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE’S CAILEN FU

JHP: In Shakespeare’s time, it wasn’t unusual for male actors to portray female roles. In a bit of a gender flip, as Viola de Lesseps, you spend part of your time on stage in disguise in male drag. While there’s a large element of comedy, in that the audience is in on the gag, how did you prepare for the duality of the role(s)?

CAILEN FU: My approach to Viola’s disguise is completely based on her idea of what it means to “be an actor.” In Shakespeare’s time, like you said, only men could be actors, so I tried to draw from the men who she would have been influenced or surrounded by for most of her life. This meant looking to her father, the men she met at court and mostly, the actors she saw on stage. While technically she IS going into male drag, I’m making the effort to go more in the direction that she is completely the same person, but she’s just seeing the world and it’s circumstances through a different pair of eyes.

JHP: Speaking of research, have you ever been to Play Dance Bar on a Thursday night for their Drag Kings show? If not, do you think that might be the perfect cast outing?

CAILEN FU: I have not but I think we’d all have a bunch of fun!

JHP: I understand this marks your Nashville Rep debut. What’s the experience been like so far?

CAILEN FU: Yes, this is my Nashville debut! I am having a blast. The entire company of Shakespeare in Love has been so welcoming and lovely. I am loving my time here!

JHP: Shakespeare in Love is of course filled with nods to Romeo and Juliet, as well as many of The Bard’s other works. Do you have a favorite reference included in the play?

CAILEN FU: Oh my, there are so many references! I don’t think I have favorite but I really love how each reference is cleverly woven into the script.

RAPID FIRE WITH SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE’S JOE LEITESS

JHP: You’re playing Shakespeare opposite Cailen’s Viola. What’s the best aspect of having her as your leading lady?

JOE LEITESS: It’s hard to pick just one thing! I admire her ability to jump right into the work. In an abbreviated rehearsal process it can be daunting to tackle these huge scenes about love, loss, and grief- especially with someone you just met. Cailen’s bravery makes that work much easier and more rewarding.

JHP: When I spoke with Cailen, I mentioned her gender flip. Not to give too much away, but you also have a brief moment playing the opposite sex in Shakespeare in Love. What’s something about playing a woman, albeit, mostly for laughs, that you didn’t anticipate?

JOE LEITESS: I was surprised by the physical effect that clothing has- especially with Elizabethan costumes. Dresses, headwear, and footwear change the way you stand, breathe, speak, and relate to other people in space. Doubly so if you’re wearing a corset or something that restricts range of movement. My cast mates sing, play instruments, and dance their way through this play so gracefully while being cinched in- it’s very impressive. I was relieved to learn my brief gender-flip scene doesn’t include a corset.

JHP: Like Cailen, this show marks your Nashville Rep debut. Are you enjoying it so far?

JOE LEITESS: I love it. Our director René Copeland, the cast, crew, and design team are delightful people who do beautiful work.

JHP: I also asked Cailen about the many references and winks to multiple Shakespeare plays within the dialogue and subplots of Shakespeare In Love, so I’ll ask you as well. What’s one nod to The Bard within this work that makes you smile every time it’s uttered?

JOE LEITESS:

Will: This is a dream.

Viola: Dreams are the children of an idle brain, begotten of vain fantasy which is as thin of substance as the air.

Will: …Did you really just say that?

Of all the references and winks in the show, this one really feels like Will is stealing quotes from the people around him-a good trick for an aspiring writer. I imagine him going home and feverishly rewriting conversations from memory, trying to capture on the page what people say off the cuff.

RAPID FIRE WITH SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE’S JAMES CRAWFORD

JHP: I understand you teach in the department of theatre and dance at Sewanee. How did being part of Nashville Rep’s Shakespeare in Love come about?

JAMES CRAWFORD: I just showed up at the Nashville Rep auditions last year, and I’m so happy that I’m getting to make my Nashville debut in Shakespeare in Love. I feel really lucky. Continuing to act makes me a better teacher, and teaching has made me a better actor.

JHP: Aside from the written word, I understand music plays a part in conveying the spirit of this play. What can you tell me about the inclusion of music in Shakespeare in Love?

JAMES CRAWFORD: Considering this play is not technically a musical, there’s a tremendous amount of live music in it, and it’s beautiful. The cast has over twenty people in it, and it turns out that a few of the actors are also amazingly talented musicians, each of whom plays several instruments. They create a really magical world that the rest of us get to play in.

JHP: You’re playing Philip Henslowe, the owner of The Rose Theatre, a character based in reality, as Henslowe’s The Rose was indeed the first public theatre to stage Shakespeare’s plays. Does portraying a historical figure affect the way you approach the character?

JAMES CRAWFORD: Because Henslowe’s a real person, I did do some research about him. He left a diary that’s very important to people who study theatre history. It’s full of facts about how much money he spent and how much money he earned, and all kinds of details about what it was like producing plays four hundred years ago. But there’s not a lot of personal information in the diary. Some historians think he was a very generous man, lending his actors money when they needed it, and others think he was more of a ruthless landlord. My job is to honor the version of Henslowe that the writers of Shakespeare in Love imagined. And, lucky for me, he’s a very funny, delightful character.

JHP: You’re part of a fantastically talented cast, among them, Joel Diggs as Kit Marlowe, fresh off his incredible turn in Nashville Rep’s Topdog/Underdog. What can you tell me about sharing the stage with Joel and this company?

JAMES CRAWFORD: I got to see Joel in Topdog/Underdog the week before we started rehearsing together. It’s always thrilling to see someone make a wonderful leap like that, jumping from playing a bitter three card monte hustler to a wise Elizabethan playwright. As a newcomer to the Nashville theatre scene, I had a memorable experience on the first day of rehearsal. We read the play aloud, and I got to listen to all of these actors, most of whom I’d barely met. It was wonderful, discovering how many exceptionally talented actors are in this cast.

RAPID FIRE WITH SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE’S DAVID WILKERSON

JHP: You’re playing Edmund Tilney, Master of the Revels. Am I dumbing it down to much to say he was the OG party planner?

DAVID WILKERSON: I guess you could say that. Although in the play, he’s a party planner who hates parties then, he’s the person in control of theatre in London and he HATES theatre and actors.

JHP: IF there’s a villain to this piece, you could say TIlney is it, for….SPOILER ALERT…he’s the one who finds out Viola is performing on stage in male drag. What’s the best part of playing Tilney?

DAVID WILKERSON: I always love playing characters who ask for big choices. Tilney is so stuffy and condescending and fun to play!

JHP: In addition to portraying Tilney, you’re also working behind the scenes as the show’s fight choreographer. How much rehearsal goes into fight choreography for a show like this?

DAVID WILKERSON: There is a LOT of fighting in this show. Not counting the slaps and face burnings and wrestling and all that, there are three sword fights. And they are completely different. One is a rehearsal fight, one is a bunch of actors playing, and one is a real life-and-death fight. And they all need to feel different. So we started day one. When you only have two and a half weeks before tech, you have to make the most of every moment.

JHP: Having the unique opportunity of working with the show’s director, René Copeland both on stage as an actor and behind the scenes as fight choreographer, what do you hope audiences take away with them after seeing The Rep’s Shakespeare in Love?

DAVID WILKERSON: Shakespeare in Love is joyous. I hope people come to laugh and cry and along the way realize that art and artists hold an important role in society.

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If you want to experience the joy that is Shakespeare in Love, you have several more chances remaining as performances continue thru Saturday, April 13. Wednesday and Thursday performances at 6:30p.m., Friday evenings at 7:30p.m. and Saturday matinee and evening performances at 2:30p.m. and 7:30p.m. CLICK HERE to purchase tickets or CLICK HERE for more information. Next week, on Thursday, April 4, Nashville Repertory Theatre will announce the coming 2019-2020 season at their 35th Season Reveal Party. Following Shakespeare in Love’s run, The Rep will host the company’s 4th Annual Broadway Brunch fundraising gala at City Winery on May 5. CLICK HERE for tickets.

To keep up with the latest from Nashville Rep, CLICK HERE, or follow them on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

If you’ve enjoyed this Rapid Fire, CLICK HERE to check out previous conversations with the who’s who of Nashville’s theatre scene.

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.

RAPID FIRE 20 Q with playwright and cast of ‘Stop Me If You’ve Heard This One’; limited engagement Backstage at Chaffin’s Barn beginning Thursday, March 28

March 28, 2019 by Jonathan

Having garnered second place in Chaffin’s Barn Dinner Theatre’s second annual Clash of the Playwrights competition, Stop Me If You’ve Heard This One will make its stage debut with a limited three-day engagement Backstage at The Barn beginning with a Thursday matinee March 28 at noon and two evening performances Friday and Saturday, March 29 and 30.

Written by Vanderbilt English Professor, Judy Klass, Stop Me If You’ve Heard This One tells the story of what happens when a nice Jewish man gets an emergency call from his retired parents in Florida urging him to come visit. Under the impression his trip is because of his father’s medical emergency, he soon discovers the family is plotting to fix him up with his niece’s nanny.

Earlier this week, as the playwright and cast prepared for their opening performance, I had the opportunity to chat with them about the play, family, dating and all things Stop Me If You’ve Heard This One for my latest Rapid Fire 20 Q.

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RAPID FIRE WITH STOP ME IF YOU’VE HEARD THIS ONE PLAYWRIGHT, JUDY KLASS

JHP: What’s your play about?

JUDY KLASS: It’s about a family. It’s about how people you love drive you crazy, and it’s still worth putting up with it, and working through problems, because your time with them is precious. And it’s about how jokes, no matter how long and shaggy they are, can be a means of communication between people.

JHP: Your play is being presented this weekend Backstage at The Barn after having come in second at Chaffin’s playwright competition. How excited were you to learn your play had taken that prize?

JUDY KLASS: I was very excited. The play won the Dorothy Silver Award some years back, but it was never fully staged. Other plays of mine have gone up elsewhere, but I’ve never had a full-length play produced in Nashville before, though I’ve lived here thirteen years. So, to have this play produced at last, and to have that kind of recognition in the place where I live, is a wonderful thing. I’m happy that people I know here are coming to see it.

JHP: It’s often said that playwrights and fiction writers in general, draw inspiration from what they know…are these characters based on your own family, friends or acquaintances? If so…do they know?

JUDY KLASS: Yes, this play draws on aspects of my own family. My father, close to twenty years ago, told me a joke over the phone. I said: “That actually would work as the first scene of a play.” I got off the phone and imagined dramatizing the joke as a scene. It’s an old Jewish joke, and I imagined writing a comedy where characters would tell each other jokes, many of them old Jewish jokes, and that dramatized-joke-scene would kick things off. I figured I’d ask my father to write the play with me, or at least contribute the jokes I’d need along the way. Then, my father, Morton Klass, suddenly died in the spring of 2001. And I figured: that’s it, I can’t write that play. Forget the whole thing. Some months or a year later, I reconsidered. I felt that I should write the play, and quickly, while I still had so many jokes my father had told me in my head, and I could still hear his inflections — his way of telling them. So, that’s what I did, and in a sense, it’s still the kind of collaboration I hoped to have with him. And I tried to capture things that I liked about my family when I was growing up. It’s got a bit of the flavor of our household when people gathered for a holiday — a bit of us in our element, as a family. Some family members attended a reading of it in NYC.

JHP: I understand you visited Backstage at The Barn during rehearsal. Can you describe the feeling of seeing your characters in the flesh?

JUDY KLASS: It was wonderful to sit in on a rehearsal. Joy Tilley Perryman is doing a terrific job as director, and the whole cast is top-notch — it’s a professional production. The play has had five more or less staged readings — one at the Cleveland Playhouse when it won the Dorothy Silver Award, the reading in NYC, two in Florida and one in San Diego. But it was exciting to see actors really learning their parts, off book, with blocking, and to see this play receiving the care that goes into a full production, with actors playing moments again and again to get the humor and the serious aspects right. I feel very good about it going up at Chaffin’s Barn.

RAPID FIRE WITH STOP ME IF YOU’VE HEARD THIS ONE’s AUSTIN OLIVE

JHP: You play Alan. How would you describe him?

AUSTIN OLIVE: Alan is definitely high strung. I think deep down he has a good heart. He just spends most of his time wrapped up in his own life and pursuits. He spends a lot of his time worrying about other people’s perception of him. He has found success in New York as a writer, but there is still a void in his life that leaves him deeply unhappy. He does love his family, but those feelings often manifest as sarcasm and combativeness.

JHP: A subplot of the show revolves around Alan being set up with a girl he doesn’t know. Have you ever been set up on a date?

AUSTIN OLIVE: Fortunately, I have managed to avoid being set up on a blind date with anyone so far. I tend to not like the feeling of not knowing or having control of my circumstances. I would like to keep my dating experience confined to people I have had the chance to meet and decide for myself whether or not I like them.

JHP: Speaking of your unexpected date…Cassie Donnegan is cast as Lisa, the aforementioned set up, who also happens to be your character’s nieces’ au pair. What’s Cassie like as a scene partner?

AUSTIN OLIVE: Cassie is a wonderful scene partner. We have done several shows together in the past couple of years. I always enjoy working with Cassie. It always helps to work with someone who you know well. There is a certain level of comfort that allows us to joke around and have fun while we’re working.

JHP: I understand Daniel Bissell and LaDarra Jackel are playing Alan’s somewhat stereotypical Jewish parents. What would be the best thing about having those two as parents in real life?

AUSTIN OLIVE: LaDarra and Daniel are two of the funniest people I know. I absolutely love working with them. They are certainly not old enough to be my parents in real life, but if they were, the best thing about having them as parents would be the warmth and support they both give to everyone. They are two of the most genuinely delightful people I have had the opportunity to work with.

RAPID FIRE WITH STOP ME IF YOU’VE HEARD THIS ONE’s LaDARRA JACKEL

JHP: Tell me about Ida.

LaDARRA JACKEL: She is loving, opinionated, and has a passion for life. Family is the most important thing to her and she is at her happiest when everyone is together.

JHP: One of the early plot points has Alan basically being tricked by his father to travel from New York to Florida. What’s the craziest thing family has ever convinced you to do?

LaDARRA JACKEL: I have some family that lives in Texas. When they moved into their house my Uncle asked us to come visit for our vacation. When we got there he put us to work and had us laying the sod in his yard. It was so hot that summer and we all still complain about it to this day.

JHP: Joy Tilley-Perryman is directing this show. What’s it like working with her as a director?

LaDARRA JACKEL: Joy is wonderful! She really has an eye for comedy and encouraged us to become a family unit organically. I also appreciate that she is always respectful of our time and keeps us laughing daily.

JHP: Young Kylan Ritchie plays Ida’s granddaughter, Sandra. Knowing most of the cast myself, I’m just gonna ask…Have you guys warped her young innocent mind yet?

LaDARRA JACKEL: I hope not! Let’s be real though. She’s a teenager in a social media world. She has probably seen or heard worse.

RAPID FIRE WITH STOP ME IF YOU’VE HEARD THIS ONE’s, JENNY NORRIS

JHP: Who is Abbie?

JENNY NORRIS: Abbie is the daughter of Ida and Murray. She is opinionated and intelligent, but also kind hearted and family oriented.

JHP: With this being the first full staging of the show. How much fun are you having creating this character?

JENNY NORRIS: Creating a character so the audience will say “ I know that person” is my favorite part of doing any show. So having the opportunity to do that with a brand new character is the most fulfilling creating process.

JHP: When I chatted with Judy, the playwright, I asked her about dropping in on a rehearsal. What was it like having the person who wrote the lines you’re performing there during that stage of the production?

JENNY NORRIS: Ha! Well I could lie and say its no sweat but…

JHP: What is it that keeps you coming back to The Barn show after show?

JENNY NORRIS: Well it helps that they keep offering. But, seriously, they believe in me and trust me and that means everything to me as an actor. Plus they are truly my family. Whether I’m in the show, waiting tables, or doing sales for the barn, coming to work is a joy bc I’m surrounded by people I love to be around and inspire me daily. Norma, Martha, Joy, Everett, Curtis, Miriam, Donnie*, the entire cast of this show, and so many others I’ve had the honor of being in- they are the smartest, funniest, most talented, kindest people I know, so surrounding myself with them is my privilege.

*to expand upon Jenny’s response, Norma Luther is Chaffin’s current owner; Martha Wilkinson, the company’s Artistic Director; Joy Tilley Perryman, production manager, props mistress and this show’s director; Everett Tarlton, Chaffin’s social media coordinator, as well as frequent actor/director/choreographer; Curtis LeMoine, frequent Chaffin’s actors/choreographer; Miriam Creighton, the company’s costumer and Donnie Hall, Chaffin’s Director of Operations.

RAPID FIRE WITH STOP ME IF YOU’VE HEARD THIS ONE’s J. ROBERT LINDSEY

JHP: You’re cast as Howard. What’s the best way to describe him?

J. ROBERT LINDSEY: Howard is the son-in-law of this very close-knit family. He is a bit dorky, but also very warm. I’ve based my portrayal of him on my experiences of meeting past boyfriends’ families. While Howard has had several years to get to know his wife’s parents and brother, there is still that bit of awkwardness and disconnectedness that comes along with not being on the “inside” of the family.

JHP: While this show has had a couple of staged readings, this marks its first full staging. What’s it like bringing a show to the stage for the first time?

J. ROBERT LINDSEY: I always enjoy originating a character and being part of the development of a piece. It gives you freedom to create the character without a previous portrayal from which to draw. While I enjoy playing iconic characters as well, there is often pressure to pay homage to prior performances. With an original show, you get to be much freer during the whole process.

JHP: Within the show, you’re married to Jenny’s character, Abbie. Jenny is one of my ‘theatre crushes’. What’s something about Jenny as an actor that your admire?

J. ROBERT LINDSEY: Jenny has become one of my “theatre crushes” as well! I have thoroughly enjoyed playing her stage husband. One of the things I admire about Jenny is her ability to completely transform into the character she is portraying. Not only does that make her performance authentic, she is also able to build extremely believable on-stage relationships with the other characters. I also love that we try to make each other laugh with our husband and wife ad libs.

JHP: If there’s a lesson to be learned from Stop Me If You’ve Heard This One, what would it be?

J. ROBERT LINDSEY: The lesson in this show is that you’ve got to be yourself – no matter what. There is also a message of accepting and loving others for who they are – no matter what. At the heart of this play is a family that really loves each other, and that has been something really fun to portray.

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Austin Olive (foreground) receives a phone call from parents LaDarra Jackel and J. Robert Lindsey (background left to right) in playwright Judy Klass’ ‘Stop Me If You’ve Heard This One’, Backstage at The Barn Thursday, March 28-Saturday, March 30.

As I prepared to post this Rapid Fire 20 Q, I learned that both Friday and Saturday evening’s performances have SOLD OUT! There are a selection of tickets available for Thursday’s matinee. Backstage at the Barn offers two ticket options. Show Only tickets are $19 while their Show and Box Lunch option is $27.50. If you are looking for some midday laughs, get your weekend started early and CLICK HERE or call 615.646.9977 to purchase tickets.

Following this premiere production of Stop Me If You’ve Heard This One, Chaffin’s will be bringing back last year’s Clash of the Playwrights winner, Ollie’s Diner by Ron Osbourne. Having initially had its limited debut run Backstage at the Barn, when the show returns for a full run this season from October 17 to November 2, it will be presented on Chaffin’s Main Stage. Call 615.646.9977 for tickets or more information.

To learn more about Stop Me if You’ve Heard This One playwright, Judy Klass, CLICK HERE. For more about Chaffin’s Barn Dinner Theatre, CLICK HERE or follow them on Facebook, 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.

Rapid Fire Q&A with star Joel Diggs and director Jon Royal; wrapping their ‘Topdog/Underdog’ run alongside star Eddie George at Nashville Rep thru Sunday, February 24

February 23, 2019 by Jonathan

For their February offering, Nashville Repertory Theatre has chosen playwright Suzan-Lori Parks’ thought-provoking 2002 Broadway play, Topdog/Underdog. The debut production garnered the playwright the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, the first such honor awarded a woman of color. The two-person story centers around brothers named Lincoln and Booth (obviously those names are no coincidence and not surprisingly, key to a certain plot point) as they face the day to day struggles of making their way, and their mark on the world; a world filled with preconceived notions and expectations for men of color. Eddie George, yes, THAT Eddie George, he of the 1995 Heisman Trophy, stars as Linc, the oldest of the two brothers, while gifted Nashville-based actor, Joel Diggs stars as Booth. At the helm of Nashville Rep’s production is director, Jon Royal. Royal previously directed The Rep’s Smart People last February. Among Royal’s other notable directorial efforts, Street Theatre’s brilliant 2014 production of Passing Strange and Nashville Shakespeare Festival’s Othello, which also starred Eddie George.

Always excited to chat about shows that are a bit unfamiliar to me, I recently had the opportunity to reach out to the stars and the director for the latest in my recurring interview feature, Rapid Fire 20 Q. Unfortunately, due to circumstances beyond my control, George was unable to participate. Thankfully, Diggs and the director were available, so I give you an abbreviated, yet informative and revealing Rapid Fire 13 Q.

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Diggs (left) and George (right) star as Booth and Linc in Nashville Rep’s “Topdog/Underdog” (production photos by Michael Scott Evans/courtesy Nashville Rep)

RAPID FIRE 13 Q WITH TOPDOG/UNDERDOG STAR JOEL DIGGS AND DIRECTOR JON ROYAL

RAPID FIRE WITH TOPDOG/UNDERDOG STAR, JOEL DIGGS

JHP: How familiar were you with the work prior to being cast as Booth in Nashville Rep’s Topdog/Underdog?

JOEL DIGGS: I was somewhat familiar, in that I knew of Suzan-Lori Parks, and that she wrote this great piece, but I had never read it. I did see the production with Eddie and Jeff Carr many years ago though.

JHP: What can you tell me about Booth?

JOEL DIGGS: Booth is deeply troubled, caused by his parents abandonment of he and his brother. He is a very impulsive person, who wants love so bad, he creates fantasies to fill that void.

JHP: While the playwright delves into more serious aspects of the brother’s relationship with each other, there’s still that unbreakable bond of brotherhood. In what ways does the dynamic between you and your co-star, Eddie George mirror that of the relationship between your characters?

JOEL DIGGS: He’s someone who is very well known, and I can see how that relates to Booth admiring Lincoln, because “Linc’s the Man!” Eddie and I are relatively the same age and have many things in common, as well.

JHP: Among the subplots, there’s the inheritances the brothers were left. While Lincoln opened his and spent it, Booth kept his, never opening it, which seems somewhat uncharacteristic for Booth. What’s the significance of this?

JOEL DIGGS: I believe Booth is trying to hold on to the memory of hope in his mother.

JHP: Other subplots deal with the brothers and their relationships with women, Linc’s wife, Cookie and Booth’s girlfriend, Grace, who are spoken of, but never seen. Why do you think the playwright chose to mention the women, but not include them as part of the cast.

JOEL DIGGS: The women can be felt very strongly, but I feel the playwright may be showing the plight of the Black man in America, the so called head, being disposable, therefore dooming the entire family.

JHP: What is it about Booth that drove you to the role?

JOEL DIGGS: I know people like him, and the challenge of bringing him to life.

JHP: The entirety of the play is presented as a two-man show. What’s the biggest challenge and biggest reward in sharing the stage with only one other actor?

JOEL DIGGS: The reward is getting to tell such a beautifully written story, and having to deal with so many layers, an actor’s dream. The challenge is the amount of work it takes to do that!

RAPID FIRE WITH TOPDOG/UNDERDOG DIRECTOR, JON ROYAL

JHP: How did directing Topdog/Underdog for Nashville Rep come about?

JON ROYAL: Rene Copeland asked me how I felt about this script last February. I told her that I loved it! She asked if I’d be up for directing it about a month later.

JHP: From the beginning, did you have a clear vision of what you wanted for the Pulitzer-winning piece?

JON ROYAL: After reading and rereading the piece, I felt like I had a clear understanding for what the script was telling me it was about, but developing that is the biggest part of my job as the director.

JHP: What was it about Eddie George and Joel Diggs’ auditions that spoke to you as a director?

JON ROYAL: I’m pretty sure that Eddie and Rene had already talked about him playing Lincoln, so that meant that the search was on for an actor to play Booth. Joel is very natural onstage. They have great chemistry together.

JHP: How would you categorize you style of directing as it relates to Topdog/Underdog?

JON ROYAL: My style of directing for this piece has been about the beautiful delicious beats that Suzan has written.

JHP: Why is this play, and this production in particular, an important piece for the Nashville theatre community?

JON ROYAL: It’s important because this play is incredible. It’s such a densely, well written piece that connects with people across all walks of life. It’s been produced here twice and a playwright of Suzan-Lori Parks’ caliber should be presented to our local audiences even more. To Rene and the Rep’s credit, this is the third season in a row that this company has produced a play written by a black woman, as part of their season. I’ve been here all of my life, I’d say this kind of consistency is long overdue.

JHP: What do you hope audiences come away from Topdog/Underdog feeling or contemplating?

JON ROYAL: I hope that audiences contemplate what it means to be in community with each other, as in we are all family. I hope we also look at what we’ve inherited from our birth families and what we’ve inherited from America.

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Nashville Rep’s Topdog/Underdog concludes its run at TPAC’s Andrew Johnson Theatre with performances Saturday, February 23 at 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. and a final matinee on Sunday, February 24 at 2:30. CLICK HERE for tickets or more information.

Following Topdog/Underdog, Nashville Rep continues their current season with Lee Hall’s stage adaptation of the popular film, Shakespeare in Love with performances March 23-April 13. CLICK HERE for tickets. To keep up with the latest from Nashville Rep, CLICK HERE, or follow them on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

If you’ve enjoyed this Rapid Fire, CLICK HERE to check out previous conversations with the who’s who of Nashville’s theatre scene.

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.

Rapid Fire 20 Q with director, set designer and cast members of Circle Players’ ‘Avenue Q’; on stage at Looby Theatre January 10-20

January 9, 2019 by Jonathan

With Circle Players’ Avenue Q opening Thursday, January 10, I thought it would be fun to chat with the show’s director, set designer and members of the cast for my latest Rapid Fire 20 Q. Fair Warning, much like the show itself, the following interviews aren’t exactly 100% kid friendly. (How’s that for extra incentive to read on?)

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RAPID FIRE 20 Q WITH CAST & CREW OF CIRCLE PLAYERS’ AVENUE Q

RAPID FIRE WITH AVENUE Q DIRECTOR, BRIAN JONES

JONATHAN H. PINKERTON: Earlier this theatre season, Circle Players presented one of the first of many area productions of Newsies and now you’re directing Avenue Q, another show that’s proven to be popular with Middle Tennessee theatre companies. What about Circle’s Avenue Q will make it stand out amongst the rest?

BRIAN JONES: When we chose this show over a year ago, we didn’t realize that so many other theatre companies, including a local professional company, would also be producing the show. As such, we decided to think outside of the box to give our audiences an alternative view of the show. Working with my incredible set designer, Jim Manning, we were able to develop a concept that is a fresh take on the show but still pays homage to the original designs that everyone typically uses. Additionally, we casted this show a bit larger than is traditionally done instead of double casting many of the puppet roles to give more people an opportunity to be a part of this fun show. Overall, we think we’ve put together a show that audiences will love.

JHP: Many of the main characters of Avenue Q are puppets, but the actors controlling them are in full view of the audience. Did this affect your direction for the show?

BRIAN JONES: As a director, my priority was to ensure that the audience pays attention to the puppets and the actors just fade away. That impacted how blocking and staging were developed which many times was counterintuitive to acting without the presence of puppets.

Generally, working with puppets isn’t any Nashville actor’s forte and so learning to make inanimate objects come to life was a big focus of the rehearsal process. I was fortunate to have previous experience with the show at a theatre in Florida (playing Nicky/Trekkie) where I learned some basic techniques that I was able to share with the cast. But ultimately, the cast spent their own time in front of mirrors perfecting every movement and giving and receiving feedback from myself and with each other.

RAPID FIRE WITH AVENUE Q SET DESIGNER, JIM MANNING

JHP: I asked Brian about directing a show whose cast includes puppets. On a similar note, what challenges did you face in designing a urban neighborhood set inhabited by humans and puppets?

JIM MANNING: Brian allowed me to take a really different spin on this show. Most sets for this show that I’ve seen (and designed) before have a fairly realistic street scenes inspired by Sesame Street. I don’t want to give too much away, but the inspiration for this production comes from a different place–a place where puppets and human coexist.

JHP: Your sets frequently include little hidden gems. In Newsies, one such thing was a little hidden panel that slid to reveal an unexpected fun detail. Can you give me a hint of any set surprises in Avenue Q?

JIM MANNING: You know I love a good hinge. Spoiler Alert: There’s not one hinge on this set. But the math of it alone took a minute. Like any Jim Manning set, there’s usually a trick or two hidden in plain sight…

RAPID FIRE WITH AVENUE Q’s KATE MONSTER, CARLY ROSE

JHP: This is your first show with Circle. What’s the experience been like so far?

CARLY ROSE: Working with Circle has been an incredible experience. Not only do I get to work with some of Nashville’s most talented, kind, and hardworking people, but Circle’s board has been extremely supportive and made us all feel very taken care of.

JHP: Tell me about Kate Monster?

CARLY ROSE: Kate wears her heart on her sleeve, honestly, she wears it on her forehead. In everything she does she leads with her heart.

JHP: Prior to being cast in Avenue Q, had you had any experience with puppets?

CARLY ROSE: I had never worked with puppets professionally. I don’t think we can count scaring my little brother with a rubber dog puppet as a child “professional.”

JHP: Ha! Yeah, probably not. How are you least like Kate Monster?

CARLY ROSE: Kate and I have a lot of similarities but she lacks my winning sense of humor and she hates porn.

RAPID FIRE WITH AVENUE Q’s PRINCETON, ALEX PINEIRO

JHP: Like your co-star, Carly, Avenue Q is also your Circle debut. What’s the best part of being in a show at Circle?

ALEX PINEIRO: Circle has been absolutely amazing to work with! Something that’s always drawn me to Circle is the quality of their shows and this is the first opportunity I’ve had to audition for the company! From early on I knew this show was gonna be something special. Everyone is so dedicated to their craft and I hope it’s something that will be seen through the product we’ve all created together!

JHP: You play Princeton. What’s Princeton’s worst quality?

ALEX PINEIRO: Princeton spends most of the show trying to find his purpose in life. He gets so tangled up in trying to find it that he lets life pass him by instead of accepting the fact that it’s okay to not know where your life is headed for a little.

JHP: A quick peek at your bio reveals that prior to Avenue Q, you recently spent 7 months as part of a musical dinner theatre production in Pennsylvania. What was that like?

ALEX PINEIRO: It was amazing! I was working on the original musical The Home Game with Blue Gate Musicals. It’s the longest contract I’ve had to date so far and it really taught me how to keep things fresh and new every night on stage. After all, we performed the show 175 times!

JHP: What’s the most challenging aspect of doing the show with a puppet on your arm?

ALEX PINEIRO: Honestly, getting his mouth to line up with my words. After working it for two hours, I feel like I completed a full arm workout! But, as Brian said in rehearsal one day, he doesn’t want it to look like an old kung foo movie where their mouths don’t line up with their words.

RAPID FIRE WITH AVENUE Q’s LUCY & MRS. THISTLETWAT, TAYLOR SIMON

JHP: You play Lucy the Slut, Mrs. Thistletwat, and a brief turn as Purpose Boxes in Avenue Q. How much fun are you having in this show?

TAYLOR SIMON: This show has been a dream show of mine for 15 years. Getting to do more than even the traditional double-casting of the show would allow me to do just makes me feel more connected to the show and definitely makes it more fun! I don’t like having a lot of downtime backstage because it takes me out of the story and I get distracted so I’m loving having the opportunity to do so much.

JHP: When not acting, you also appear around town as part of the improv troupe, Lady Bits. Who would make a better addition to the troupe, Lucy the Slut or Mrs. Thistletwat?

TAYLOR SIMON: My gut reaction was Mrs. Thistletwat, but Lady Bits is a super inclusive improv comedy troupe, so I think they both would be embraced with open arms. They both could bring different aspects and points of view. Mrs. Thistletwat is older, and commands respect, so I think she could very easily command the stage and if a skit was getting off track she could put it back on the rails. Lucy is very quick-witted, and is good at making sharp comeback‘s when she feels insulted. Those skills definitely come in handy in improv comedy when you have to make something up on the spot!

JHP: Who among your Avenue cast mates is likely to crack wise and go slightly off-script?

TAYLOR SIMON: I’m not trying to call anyone out because I think it only adds to the show, but my girl Abigail Nichol playing the girl Bad Idea Bear has added some adorable improvised moments that crack me up!! You can tell she’s having a blast and making it her own and it only makes it better. Love you Abigail!

JHP: If you lived on Avenue Q, which puppet would you want as your roommate?

TAYLOR SIMON: I think I’d want Kate as my roommate because even though she can be “loud as the hell she wants” sometimes, she seems like a genuinely kind, thoughtful person who just wants to help her community.

RAPID FIRE WITH AVENUE Q’s ROD, CLINT RANDOLPH

JHP: Avenue Q is your third show with Circle. What keeps you coming back?

CLINT RANDOLPH: It feels like home. Circle Players offers a supportive environment for performing artists to thrive and express their creativity. Actors are allowed to explore and grow as performers with the guidance of very visionary directors. There is also a tangible sense of camaraderie that develops amongst the cast members throughout the experience. Everyone is working tirelessly toward accomplishing a single goal: putting on a great show. And Circle Players always delivers a great show.

JHP: In the show, you voice Rod, a closeted, uptight investment banker who lives with his best friend, Nicky. Those familiar with the show know that these two are obvious parodies of Sesame Street’s Bert and Ernie. So…just between us….are Bert and Ernie more than just pigeon pals?

CLINT RANDOLPH: I can’t really say. All I know is that I’ve never seen them on Grindr or Scruff.

JHP: In addition to being an actor, you also teach middle school theatre. Who’s more out of control…the Avenue Q cast mates, or your students?

CLINT RANDOLPH: Definitely the Avenue Q cast. This a crazy bunch of people. But it makes for one helluva puppet show! It’s so much fun to perform this show with them every night. We crack each other up all the time.

JHP: OK, so I’m down to my last question….one more teacher-related question…what lessons do you think Avenue Q has the potential to teach its audiences?

CLINT RANDOLPH: Firstly, don’t take yourself so seriously. Laugh at yourself every now and then. Secondly, appreciate life for its little moments. It’s only temporary. Enjoy it while it lasts.

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Beginning Thursday, January 10 thru Sunday, January 20, audiences have several chances to heed Clint’s words–do just as the above clever advert suggests–and enjoy Circle Players’ bawdy, yet thought-provoking production of Avenue Q at the Looby Theatre located at 2301 Rosa Parks Blvd. Thursday-Saturday shows are at 7:30 p.m. with Sunday matinees at 3 p.m. Thursday tickets are $15. Friday-Sunday tickets are $20. Click Here for tickets.

Following Avenue Q, Circle Players will continue their 69th season with If/Then from March 220April 7 and A Chorus Line from May 31-June 16. Be sure to follow Circle Players on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for the latest news, tickets and details about the rest of their current season and news of the company’s upcoming landmark 70th season.

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, Twitter and Facebook.

Theatre Review: ‘Peter Pan and Tinker Bell: A Pirate’s Christmas’ sprinkles a little fairy dust on the holiday season; continuing at TPAC’s Polk Theatre thru December 23

December 21, 2018 by Jonathan

Tegan Marie as Wendy, Diana DeGarmo as Tinker Bell, and Garrett Clayton as Peter Pan in “Peter Pan and Tinker Bell – A Pirate’s Christmas” at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center. (all photos by Derrick Minyard)

While the basic story might be familiar, Peter Pan and Tinker Bell: A Pirate’s Christmas, presented by Lythgoe Family Panto and currently playing Nashville at TPAC’s Polk Theatre, offers a whole new take on the classic. Interestingly, that new take is largely due a centuries old theatrical artform known as pantomime, or panto for short. When most Americans hear the word pantomime, thoughts of mimes with clown-white faces mimicking attempts of escaping non-existent boxes come to mind. While that is indeed a type of pantomime, this pantomime is much different.

With roots tracking back nearly as far as recorded time itself, panto—in the more modern sense—presents a familiar story, usually a favorite children’s fairy tale, but with comedy, music, encouraged audience interaction and just enough double-entendre to keep parents entertained as well.

Lythgoe Family Panto’s Kris Lythgoe has written a holiday version of the legendary tales of Peter Pan, Tinker Bell, Captain Hook and the Darling children, brothers Michael & John and sister, Wendy and set it all to tunes ranging from recent hits like Bruno Mars’ Uptown Funk and Rachel Platten’s Fight Song to modern classics like Blue Swede’s Hooked on a Feeling and The Village People’s In The Navy.

What’s more, said chart-toppers are performed by a brilliant mix of talented performers that also run the gamut on the entertainment scale. Case in point, Captain Hook is played to the deliciously sinister tongue-in-cheek max by none other than John O’Hurley. From his memorable 90s gig as J. Peterman, Elaine’s boss at the outdoorsy clothing catalogue company on Seinfeld, and his turn as lawyer Billy Flynn on Broadway and in a more recent national tour of Chicago to his annual TV host duties on Thanksgiving for Purina’s National Dog Show since 2002, O’Hurley has done it all. Heck, he even competed on Dancing With the Stars. As Captain Hook, he’s equal parts villain and ham—the perfect combination for a family-friendly show that manages to keep the adults entertained as well. O’Hurley’s musical moments—both the aforementioned Hooked on a Feeling and In The Navy are presented with his faithful sidekick, Smee and a rag-tag trio of pirates doing their best impersonations of Elvis Presley, John Lennon and Michael Jackson by his side as Captain Hook and the boys earn every single cheer and jeer from the audience. (don’t forget, in panto, audible reaction from the audience isn’t just encouraged, it’s expected)

Mason Trueblood as Pirate Lennon…I’m guessing legal reasons prevent them crediting him as Pirate John Lennon, but I digress…gets the fun of nearly every response he utters also being a Beatles’ song title, just another layer to the show for the grown-up in the audience. Meanwhile, Pirate Elvis as played by Dan Castiglione, offers a hip-swiveling, lip-curling wink to nearby Memphis and Malcolm Buchanan as Pirate Jack (as in Michael Jackson…more legalese, I’m sure) provides some comical moon-walking, crotch-grabbing and high-pitch squealing.

Having nabbed a spot in the Top Five from Season 8 of So You Think You Can Dance, Clarice Ordaz appears in Peter Pan as Tiger Lily, the indian princess who befriends Peter and the Lost Boys. Albeit bordering on political incorrectness…what isn’t lately?…I personally found the character of Tiger Lily and the rest of the indians, in particular their clever choreography, quite funny.

Speaking of funny, no one in the show is funnier than Ben Giroux as Smee. Smee is Hook’s figural right hand man (remember the captain’s literal right hand was chomped off by a crocodile). Rather than describing Smee as Captain Hook’s right-hand man, perhaps it’s more accurate to refer to him as his second banana, especially since Giroux is so dang hilarious—Google Back to the 90s for a peek at Giroux’s comedic genius. A huge part of what makes this Peter Panto so enjoyable, at least for the over 12 set, is Giroux’s quick witted delivery. As for the kiddies, they might recognize Giroux as the pint-sized villain, The Toddler from Nickelodeon’s Henry Danger. Several side jokes, many playing to the Music City audience by making reference to Nashville-centric themes, are so slyly delivered by Gireox that if you’re not paying full attention, you’ll miss them. One I found particularly humorous made reference to the fact that Tinker Bell wasn’t the only fairy in the story, but I’ll leave that one alone.

Speaking of fairies—the traditional kind—Tinker Bell is enchantingly, buzzily, brilliantly played by current Nashville resident, Diana DeGarmo. DeGarmo, while perhaps best known for being voted runner-up on season 2 of the original run of American Idol, DeGarmo has gone on to star on Broadway, in national tours and numerous regional musical theatre productions. From her opening duet with Tegan Marie’s Wendy on Nature Boy, DeGarmo sprinkles pixie dust, cheer and an entertaining helping of mischief into her portrayal of Tinker Bell. Diana, if you’re reading this, get to the studio ASAP and record your version of Nature Boy. It is ethereal and simply beautiful. Proving she can belt or ballad, Diana provides the show’s most musically glorious moment when she proves once and for all that big things do indeed come in small packages with her show-stopping rendition of the Aretha Franklin classic, Think. I was lucky enough to have been in the audience a few weeks ago for the December installment of Music City’s monthly Nashville House Concerts when DeGarmo performed a preview of her take on the iconic tune and it was marvelous. Should she ever assume the role of Tinker Bell again, I see #ThinkTink trending! An interesting bit of synergy: As mentioned above, DeGarmo got her big break on American Idol, Among Idol’s original producers— Nigel Lythgoe, who just so happens to be Peter Panto creator Kris Lythgoe’s father)

Tegan Marie and Garrett Clayton as Wendy Darling and Peter Pan

As for DeGarmo’s Nature Boy duet partner, Tegan Marie, who not only is the youngest female singer to sign a major country music record deal since Tanya Tucker, is also making her musical theatre debut with this show. As Wendy Darling, Tegan Marie is, well…darling, indeed. Garnering a huge and very devoted fan base of young girls just like herself, she began her career at a very young age by posting videos of herself covering classic songs, so covering The Chainsmokers Don’t Let Me Down as Wendy in this panto seems like a great way to ease her into musical theatre. Not that she needs to be eased into anything. At only 15, she’s so comfortable on stage in the role of Wendy, that playing Mother to Peter and the Lost Boys is a perfect fit. It’s no coincidence, that among Wendy’s songs in Peter Pan and Tinker Bell: A Pirate’s Christmas, Tegan Marie also performs her own current single, Make a Boy Cry within the show, providing another perfectly synergistic moment.

More Music City synergy comes in the casting of Wendy’s younger siblings, John and Michael, as well as the Lost Boys, as all these roles are played by Nashville youth. Alan Harrison Foeder and Lucas Shane alternating in the role of Michael and Andrew Hansen and Jackson Nolan rotating in the role of John.

Then there’s Peter Pan himself, played by former Disney heartthrob Garrett Clayton. After achieving success starring in two installments of the Disney Teen Beach Movie franchise, Clayton’s teen trajectory continued with the recurring role of Chase Dillon on The Fosters which aired on the Disney-owned ABC Family/Freeform network and a starring role as Link Larkin in TV’s Hairspray LIVE! Breaking out of the house of mouse, Clayton turned in a surprisingly adult and critically acclaimed performance in King Cobra, a bio pic centering ‘round the adult film industry, alongside James Franco in 2016. in 2017, he co-starred with his Peter Pan co-star Giroux in the previously referenced Back to the 90s and earlier this year Giroux produced Clayton’s hauntingly hot I Put a Spell on You just in time for Hocus Pocus‘ 25th anniversary. While Clayton continues to showcase his range from drama to musicals, Peter Pan is the perfect role. With his boyish matinee idol looks and boundless energy, he scarcely needs the high-flying wires as he leaps across the stage as the boy who’ll never grow up. His musical moments in Peter Pan are just as cleverly interwoven as the rest. Near the show’s opening sequence, Clayton performs Believe, a song made famous by Josh Groban as included in the hit Christmas movie, The Polar Express. With lyrics: “Believe in what your heart is saying. Hear the melody that’s playing” and “Give your dreams the wings to fly” is the perfect Peter Panto anthem. When he joins forces with DeGarmo on Fight Song the audience can’t help but believe that anything can happen second star to the right and straight on till morning.

Peter Pan and Tinker Bell: A Pirate’s Christmas continues its holiday run in Nashville at TPAC‘s Polk Theatre with matinee performances Friday and Saturday, December 21 and 22 at 1 p.m. and Sunday, December 23 at 11 a.m. and evening performances Friday, December 21 at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, December 22 at 6 p.m. and a final afternoon performances Sunday, December 23 at 4 p.m. Ticket prices start at $35, with a limited number of $25 Rush Tickets available 60 minutes prior to each remaining show’s start time. Click Here to purchase tickets.

Following a brief holiday break, TPAC’s Broadway series returns with the Nashville premier of the touring company of On Your Feet! the Story of Emilio & Gloria Estefan onstage at TPAC’s Jackson Hall from Tuesday, January 15 thru Sunday, January 20. Click Here for tickets or more information. You can also discover all the latest from TPAC by checking them out online or on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Theatre Review: Don’t be a Cotton-Headed Ninny Muggins! Go see Sparklejollytwinklejingley Chase Miller’s performance as Buddy in ‘Elf: The Musical’ at Chaffin’s Barn Dinner Theatre thru December 22.

November 23, 2018 by Jonathan

Chase Miller lights up the holidays at Chaffin’s Barn Dinner Theatre as Buddy in “Elf: The Musical” (photos by Michael Scott Evans/courtesy Chaffin’s Barn Dinner Theatre)

Dear Santa, I have a confession to make. I’ve never seen Will Farrell’s 2003 holiday hit, Elf in its entirety. Confession Number 2: After seeing Chase Miller in Chaffin’s Barn Dinner Theatre’s current production of Elf: The Musical, based up on the film, with music by Matthew Sklar, lyrics by Chad Beguelin with book by Bob Martin and Thomas Meehan, I fully realize that just might make me a Cotton-Headed Ninny Muggins.

One final confession. I’ve never been a huge fan of Farrell. After seeing Chase Miller starring in Chaffin’s Elf, I am fully convinced there’s no way in the world Farrell’s performance could hold a candle to Chase Miller’s. As I mentioned when I interviewed Miller and his fellow cast mates for a recent installment in my recurring interview feature, Rapid Fire 20 Q, with his perfect comedic timing, unabashed joy and contagious optimism, Miller was obviously born to play this part.

From the moment Miller literally and figuratively leaps upon the stage, his portrayal of Buddy warms the heart with laughter, as he sets out on his journey from the North Pole to Manhattan in search of his father. As Santa himself—fabulously, slightly caustically played by Brian Russell—reveals in clever, albeit thinly-plotted exposition…when Buddy was an infant, he crawled in to Santa’s sack, but went unnoticed until Santa returned to the North Pole where Buddy was adopted as one of Santa’s elves. After 30 years of thinking he was just a very tall elf, Buddy overhears the truth…that he’s human. He then sets out on his journey to find his real father.

As mentioned previously, I’ve not seen the entire movie, but I’ve seen enough clips and random scenes over the years as the film enjoys annual holiday airings to know that Miller’s Buddy isn’t simply a mimic of Farrell. To me, Farrell’s films frequently suffer the same fate of most Saturday Night Live skits….they just don’t know when to stop. Fortunately, Miller doesn’t have that problem. Miller’s wide-eyed childlike approach to the character is entertaining from first bounding onstage to his last hug. An actor of lesser skill could easily get lost in the role, reducing it to foolishness, but Miller’s Buddy is infectiously enthusiastic in his dream of forging a relationship with his father, so much so that he not only elicits uproarious laughter along his journey, but a genuinely sweet moment or two.

You just gotta love this show from the get. Costumer Miriam Creighton has done a splendid job of designing and constructing jolly holiday attire. Adding a bit of humor to the elven magic, ensemble members portraying elves walk on their knees—which are fitted with elf shoes, of course. Add to that Everett Tarlton’s clever choreography, Martha Wilkinson’s direction and Rollie Mains’ as music director, and you’ve got the makings of a Christmas musical guaranteed to deliver the holiday goodies.

Speaking of Tarlton’s choreography, show opener, Christmastown’s uplifting positivity perfectly mirror’s Buddy’s persona. The elf-ography in that number indeed made my belly jiggle like a bowl full of jelly. Sparklejollytwinklejingley’s frenetic fun as Buddy tries to convince some jaded department store elves to take pride in their work, continues the Christmas mood perfectly. On that note, Katie Gant’s lighting design indeed shines the light on the festive fun as the set glistens like any given Main Street across the country during the holiday season.

Act 2’s Fosse-esque Nobody Cares About Santa featuring a few less-than enthusiastic Santas including Austin Olive, David Ridley, Christian Redden and Tarlton, becomes a jazz-hot surprisingly sultry Santa sequence. That leads into an equally seductive Never Fall in Love featuring Christina Candelora lamenting love in the saddest/sexiest Christmas number since Rosemary Clooney’s White Christmas torch song, Love You Didn’t Do Right By Me—and that’s quite a feat, considering she’s singing about falling in love with an elf.

Gotta also mention Tarlton’s set design. Spoiler Alert: When the Christmas tree lowered from Chaffin’s loft (YES, the fabulous mechanical stage that lowers from above is BACK), my Mom leaned over and whispered, “that the kind of tree everybody needs”. It always amazes me with relatively limited performance space, Chaffin’s somehow manages to utilize every inch of stage, packing fully, gorgeously choreographed numbers from large casts who frequently, seamlessly, move set pieces to and fro in equally choreographed moves, so much so that the audience is barely aware. Just another example of the well-oiled machine that is Chaffin’s.

As per usual for Chaffin’s productions, the cast is top-notch. Grey Frey, a favorite at Chaffin’s, plays Walter Hobbs, Buddy’s Dad, and he does so with a perfect balance of businessman agitation and overwhelmed family man. The aforementioned Candelora is Jovie, a less-than-jovial department store elf, who soon becomes the object of Buddy’s affection. A fan pf Candelora’s for a few years, any chance to see her on stage is a joy indeed. Jessica Holtan, making her Chaffin’s debut, plays Emily, Buddy’s human step-mom. She’s perfect as the put-upon wife, who still sees a bit of practical magic in believing in the spirit of the holiday. Seth Barrett, who recently appeared as Les in Chaffin’s Newsies, plays Michael, Buddy’s younger brother who, thanks to his workaholic dad, doesn’t exactly believe in Santa. His scenes with Miller as his older brother ring true to those of us who look up to our older siblings no matter how different we may be from them.

Another notable cast member is Vicki White as Deb, Mr. Hobb’s busy-body secretary, who initially finds Buddy In The Way, but soon warms to him like a cup of hot coco on a frosty morn.

The aforementioned Russell not only plays Santa, but also Mr. Greenway—Buddy’s father’s Scrooge-like boss. Russell’s Santa is played with a decidedly curmudgeonly wink to dry-witted Bob Newhart, who played Papa Elf in the film, also gets the chance to totally turn up the crankiness in the dual role of Mr. Greenway. When I spoke with Russell for my recent all-Elf Rapid Fire 20 Q, we chatted about the fact that Russell’s involvement in Elf marks a bit of a homecoming for the actor, who got his professional theatrical start at The Barn Dinner Theatre nearly forty years back. While Chaffin’s patrons may also recognize Russell for frequently working as one of the waitstaff during the dinner portion of the shows, and Nashville theatre patrons certainly recognize him from productions all across Nashville, it’s been nearly 20 years since Russell has been seen on stage in a Chaffin’s production.

Heck, the entire ensemble, including Christen Heilman, Cassie Donegan, Matthew Hayes Hunter, Melissa Silengo, Jenny Norris, Colin Bevis, Myka Pacheco and Gabe Pacheco, is fabulous. Whether playing elves, harried shoppers or over-worked office drones, each member of the cast approaches their various roles with enough minute attention to detail, movement and expression to garner their own attention from the audience from time to time.

Predictable? Sure. Adorable? Undeniably. Infectiously fun and certain to get you in the mood for the holidays? Absolutely. Elf: The Musical continues through Saturday, December 22. As the venue’s name would imply, in addition to the show itself, Chaffin’s Barn Dinner Theatre also offers a delicious buffet-style dinner along with the show. Throughout the run, Elf will be presented Thursdays at 12noon and 7:30p.m., Fridays & Saturdays at 7p.m. Additional showtimes include matinee performances on Wednesday, November 28, December 5 & 12 at 12noon, and Sunday, December 9 & 16 at 2p.m. Tickets for Evening performances and Sunday matinees include the full buffet dinner option with Dinner and Show tickets priced at $60 for Adults & $30 for Youth and Students or Show Only tickets available for $35 for adults & $16 for Children 12 and Under. Matinee tickets are available with the option of a Box Lunch for $27.50, or show only for $19.00. For Wednesday and Thursday matinee performances, Doors Open at 11a.m. for Box Lunch patrons, with the show beginning at 12noon. For Sunday matinees, Doors Open at 12noon with buffet service until 1:30p.m. and showtime at 2p.m. Friday and Saturday evenings, Doors Open at 5p.m. with dinner service from 5:30p.m.-7p.m and Curtain at 7:30p.m.

Fair Warning: Chaffin’s Christmas shows inevitably ALWAYS SELL OUT, so get your tickets today. Tickets may be purchased by calling the Box Office at 615.646.9977 (ext. 2) or 1.800.282.2276. You can also CLICK HERE to purchase tickets online.

The holiday fun keeps coming at Chaffins with The Game Show Show: Holiday Edition in their Backstage Theatre space, with weekend performances November 23-December 22. CLICK HERE for more information.

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.

Rapid Fire 20 Q with cast of Chaffin’s Barn Dinner Theatre’s ‘Elf: The Musical’; on stage thru December 22

November 17, 2018 by Jonathan

Earlier this weekend, Chaffin’s Barn Dinner Theatre opened their production of Elf: The Musical, thus christening the unofficial start of Nashville theatre community’s Christmas Season. In anticipation of opening weekend, I recently had a chance to chat with several members of Chaffin’s cast for my latest Rapid Fire 20 Q. Seeing as how the holidays are upon us, I’ve taken the liberty to not only include fun information about the show, the actors’ performances and such, but to also ask them about their own holiday traditions, memories and hopes.

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RAPID FIRE 20 Q WITH THE CAST OF CHAFFIN’S BARN’S ‘ELF: THE MUSICAL’

RAPID FIRE WITH CHASE MILLER, BUDDY HOBBS in ‘ELF: THE MUSICAL’

JHP: Alright, I just have to tell you, when I heard you had been cast as Buddy, I immediately thought…’genius casting’. Has playing Buddy become an unexpected dream role?

CHASE MILLER: Well first of all, thank you so much! That’s incredibly kind. I remember when the show opened on Broadway back in 2010 thinking what amazing fun it would be, and now it’s real life! Playing Buddy is most definitely a dream, not to mention a whole lot of fun. The antics…the unadulterated joy…He really is a gift.

JHP: What’s one aspect of Buddy that you’d like to incorporate more into your own personality?

CHASE MILLER: One of my favorite things about Buddy is his fresh set of eyes on the “real world.” Sure, that leads to some comic cases of misunderstanding now and then, but it also allows Buddy to approach every bit of the world with an open heart and an open mind, because he doesn’t know any better. With the world being what it is these days, it’s hard not to lose a little faith in humanity, but Buddy would never dream of it. He has an innate ability to hone in on the good in people, and that’s a great reminder for me to make sure I’m putting enough love and kindness out into the world, whether I expect to get it back or not.

JHP: What’s your favorite childhood Christmas memory?

CHASE MILLER: Christmas is always a source of amazing memories for me, but if I had to choose I think “Decorating Day” would be my favorite as a kid. Usually the Saturday after Thanksgiving, we’d stay in our pajamas the whole day, blast Christmas tunes through the entire house, and we wouldn’t stop until everything was finished. Tree, lights, decor, the whole bit. Decorating for Christmas in my PJs is still one of my all-time favorite things.

JHP: The show is full of memorable scenes. What’s your favorite?

CHASE MILLER: Gosh, that’s a toughie… There are so many good ones! One that thoroughly tickles me though is when Buddy apologizes for shoving 11 cookies into the DVD player. I love playing through that scenario in my head. The thought of Buddy seeing the DVD player and 1. Assuming it was built for cookies, 2.Trying ten other times with ten other cookies, and 3. Even though the previous ten were a total bust, going in with that eleventh cookie. THAT’S the one to determine that maybe… just maybe… it wasn’t built for that. It makes me laugh every time I think about it.

RAPID FIRE WITH CHRISTINA CANDILORA, JOVIE in ‘ELF: THE MUSICAL’

JHP: You play Jovie. What can you tell me about her?

CHRISTINA CANDILORA: She’s a tough broad. A little depressed when it comes to Christmas. She’s hard on herself because she’s a bit jaded by men. Having been on her fair share of bad dates she’s weary about going on a date with a guy she might actually like. I think she’s got some

walls built up, thankfully buddy breaks those down.

JHP: How much fun are you having sharing the stage with Chase as Buddy?

CHRISTINA CANDILORA: I don’t think I can properly put into words how much fun I’m having with him! I have so much love and respect for him. He makes me laugh…all the time. He’s so perfect in this role. It’s an utter delight getting to bring these characters to life with him.

JHP: What’s one Christmas tradition you have with your own family that you love?

CHRISTINA CANDILORA: Christmas Eve dinner. I come from a big Italian Catholic family, so we do a thing called “The Feast of 12 Fishes”..all day long. We eat and drink and eat and drink some more! It’s a continuous amount of food with lots of laughs and love.

JHP: Chaffin’s Artistic Director, and the show’s director, Martha Wilkinson recently posted to social media that Everett Tarlton, the show’s choreographer, was quoted as saying the choreography is “very Fosse meets Sesame Street” why is that an accurate description?

CHRISTINA CANDILORA: Hah! I actually wasn’t there when that was said. However, I can see what he means by that. We are using a lot of imagination with this show. Everett’s choreo is always fierce, but it has fun child like feel added to it this time round. For example, Melissa Silengo and Everett become a puffin and a walrus at one point if that gives you an idea of the Sesame Street fun.

RAPID FIRE WITH SETH BENNETT, MICHAEL HOBBS in ‘ELF: THE MUSICAL’

JHP: Since holiday games are fun…Here’s a word game for you…How would you describe Michael in five words?

SETH BENNETT: If I was to describe Michael in five words they would be insightful, deprived, passionate, warmhearted, and honest.

JHP: Michael doesn’t believe in Santa. Tell me one reason why we should all believe in Santa.

SETH BENNETT: I think we should all believe in Santa because he inspires us to try and be kinder and more compassionate to others around us, which I think we could all use a little more of.

JHP: What makes Elf such a great holiday musical?

SETH BENNETT: Elf is such a great musical for the holidays because it is so lighthearted and warm. It is extremely humorous and even watching Buddy the Elf just makes people smile.

JHP: Do you prefer snow on Christmas or a bit of warmth and sunshine?

SETH BENNETT: Personally, I much prefer snow on Christmas rather than sunshine. Although I love being outdoors and in the sun, I feel like the snow just adds something special on Christmas. Also one of my favorite family memories involves playing in the snow, so it will always have a special place in my heart.

RAPID FIRE WITH GREG FREY, WALTER in ‘ELF: THE MUSICAL’

JHP: How would you describe Walter?

GREG FREY: I think, like so many men, Walter is just misunderstood. He’s the George Bailey, Bob Wallace, Luther Krank and other infamous Scrooge like characters that remind us that without hope and the child like ability to ‘believe’ humanity is lost. At his core he is a good guy and loves his family, but allowed himself to get trapped in the American dream and things that truly are not important!

JHP: Aside from Elf, of course, what’s your favorite Christmas movie?

GREG FREY: That’s a tough one with so many good one out there! Much depends on my mood and need for either nostalgia or a laugh. Let’s just say a Christmas season does not go by without me watching White Christmas or Christmas with the Kranks!

JHP: Peppermint bark or candy canes?

GREG FREY: For taste alone, probably Peppermint bark…. but Christmas memories usually win out with me, and candy canes are tried and true. Whether topping a tree, crushed and sprinkled on candy cane cookies, inserted in some coffee or a cup of hot chocolate (or just your mouth), candy canes are a winner!

JHP: As a kid, was there one Christmas toy you cherished above all the others?

GREG FREY: Fortunately, I don’t remember getting too many ‘duds’ as a kid. One gift that brought hours, days, years of enjoyment for me were roller skates. These were not the type you get when you rent some at the local roller rink (do those still exist?) but were metal frames that clamped around your toes and strapped around your ankle to what ever shoe you chose to wear. Primitive, yes, but oh so fun! We had a huge finished basement with tons of room for circling forever with our 45’s blasting away on my sister’s little portable record player! Memories like that, along with my own family treasures, keep the Christmas Spirit alive for me year round!

RAPID FIRE WITH BRIAN RUSSELL, SANTA CLAUS in ‘ELF: THE MUSICAL’

JHP: You’re playing Santa Claus as well as Fulton Greenway. How much fun is that?

BRIAN RUSSELL: Santa’s a hoot in this script. Yes, he’s sentimental; and yes, he’s jolly. but he’s also a college football fan with a taste for single malt cocoa, if ya know what I mean. Knowing this was the Bob Newhart Elf role adapted from the movie also makes playing the droll lines a whole lot easier. Besides, with my very tall and very mean Greenway, I get my daily karmic balance in spades.

JHP: In a recent Facebook post, you shared that you got your start as a professional actor at Chaffin’s nearly 38 years ago and that it’s been nearly two decades since you last appeared on stage at The Barn. What’s it like being back?

BRIAN RUSSELL: Now that we’re open, I’m guessing I’ll have a little more time to ponder this question for real. Since waiting tables there is also my one of my “Burger King” jobs, driving there and being in the building has not been all that much different (rehearsals tend to keep one hopping and not musing). I guess when the memories actually begin to hit me is when I’m viewing from an old actor’s eye the photos on the wall from our past shows, remembering the amazing times with great productions and great friends that I’ve had when I could work there, and feeling the loss of the beautiful friends and colleagues that have since passed. I started this vagabond life out there with a load of energy and a full head of hair, so the chance to come back is truly indescribable. And I am GRATEFUL!

JHP: A follow-up question in reference and reverence to your lengthy career on stage. Any advice for the new kids in the show?

BRIAN RUSSELL: Advice, eh….if this nutty, crazy business is your passion, if you can’t really see yourself doing anything BUT this as a career, follow that dream and do everything you can to accommodate that passion. Above all, don’t fear unemployment….heck, nothing in Nashville lasts more than 10 weeks, so being out of work is a given. Find your way to comfort and career fulfillment despite that pesky notion no work and make yourself as marketable as you can…..triple threats work A LOT!!!

JHP: Just between you and me…who among the cast is likely to wind up on the Naughty list?

BRIAN RUSSELL: Well, Martha natch. Thinking the band is probably on that list permanently as well….

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Elf: The Musical opened Thursday, November 15 and continues through Saturday, December 22. As Nashville’s longest-running Dinner Theatre, in addition to the show itself, Chaffin’s Barn Dinner Theatre also offers a delicious buffet-style dinner along with the show. Throughout the run, Elf will be presented Thursdays at 12noon and 7:30p.m., Fridays & Saturdays at 7p.m. Additional showtimes include matinee performances on Wednesday, November 28, December 5 & 12 at 12noon, and Sunday, December 9 & 16 at 2p.m. Tickets for Evening performances and Sunday matinees include the full buffet dinner option with Dinner and Show tickets priced at $60 for Adults & $30 for Youth and Students or Show Only tickets available for $35 for adults & $16 for Children 12 and Under. Matinee tickets are available with the option of a Box Lunch for $27.50, or show only for $19.00. For Wednesday and Thursday matinee performances, Doors Open at 11a.m. for Box Lunch patrons, with the show beginning at 12noon. For Sunday matinees, Doors Open at 12noon with buffet service until 1:30p.m. and showtime at 2p.m. Friday and Saturday evenings, Doors Open at 5p.m. with dinner service from 5:30p.m.-7p.m and Curtain at 7:30p.m.

In addition to Elf, Chaffin’s will also present a special children’s show, All I Want For Christmas is My Two Front Teeth, with morning matinees at 11a.m. Fridays & Saturdays from December 7-22. CLICK HERE for tickets.

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.

Rapid Fire 20 Q with director and cast of Nashville Repertory Theatre’s ‘A Doll’s House, Part 2’; at TPAC’s Johnson Theatre thru November 3

October 26, 2018 by Jonathan

Directed by René Copeland and starring Cheryl White, Galen Fott, Corrie Green and Rona Carter, Nashville Repertory Theatre’s presentation of A Doll’s House, Part 2 is currently on stage at TPAC’s Johnson Theatre thru November 3. While Nashville Rep’s production marks the play’s regional premiere, playwright Lucas Hnath’s sequel to Henrik Ibsen’s classic debuted on Broadway starring Laurie Metcalf just last year.

Making Nashville Rep’s regional premiere run even more special, the women of the cast will stick around following this Saturday’s October 27 7:30p.m. performance as they are joined by Nashville businesswomen Bonnie Dow, Lucia Folk, Jill McMillan and Joelle Phillips for a special post-show talkback, Women Talk Back, during which the audience will have an opportunity to pose questions as the cast and special guests discuss feminism as it relates to Ibsen and Hnath’s characters from the 1800s and today.

In anticipation of the special Women Talk Back event and the show’s ongoing run, I recently had an opportunity to chat with the entire cast of A Doll’s House, Part 2…including the show’s lone male star…as well as Copeland, who’s not only directing the show, but who is also Nashville Rep’s longtime Producing Artistic Director, for the latest installment in my recurring interview feature, Rapid Fire 20 Q.

The cast and director of “A Doll’s House, Part 2”. From left: Rona Carter, Cheryl White, René Copeland, Galen Fott and Corrie Green

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RAPID FIRE WITH RENÉ COPELAND, DIRECTOR OF ‘A DOLL’S HOUSE, PART 2’

JHP: From a director’s standpoint, what attracted you to A Doll’s House, Part 2?

RENÉ COPELAND: This play fires on several cylinders for me. I love good dialogue, and in this play the dialogue is smart and funny, and has a unique tone to it—it is a sequel to a play set in the late 1800’s, yet it uses contemporary vernacular so it sounds incredibly modern. On the page the dialogue is sort of mapped out like free verse poetry, so working with the actors to unlock the code, like a musician unlocks the code of a music score, is great fun. It’s hard and also fun. I also appreciate the particular sense of humor in the play, and I always love a play that will use humor to explore provocative ideas. I like plays that make you laugh AND think, so that when you leave the theatre you feel really energized. And this play is very demanding of both me and the actors, which I like. I think theatre artists working on this play really have to work at the top of their game—each character is textured and complicated and each scene is crafted to work a certain way that you have to shape very carefully. And then, as a woman I am of course interested in the question of how we balance our lives between the things we do for those we love and the things we do for ourselves—what is expected of us culturally and what we expect of ourselves. The questions posed by this play are completely about now.

JHP: Let’s play a little word association. Using only a single word, how would you describe each of your cast members in regard to their character portrayal in A Doll’s House, Part 2?

RENÉ COPELAND:

Cheryl as Nora—stunning; Galen as Torvald—compelling; Rona as Anne Marie—irresistible; Corrie as Emmy—intriguing

JHP: From rehearsals to now, is there a theme, scene or ideal in the play that’s come to more prominence that you’d originally thought when you took on the project?

RENÉ COPELAND: Nora tells a story near the end of the play about how difficult it is to hear your own voice, after a lifetime of not making a decision without wondering what “he” would think. Cheryl’s way of telling this story has moved it way beyond words on a page and it has come to have special meaning to me.

JHP: What can you tell me about the talkbacks scheduled to follow certain performances during the run?

RENÉ COPELAND: I love Talkbacks for any show, but this show is particularly conversation-inducing. If you come on a talkback night and stick around for a few minutes to chat with us, I know you’ll be glad you did. You are going to have a lively conversation about this play in the car on the way home anyway, so why not stick around and have that conversation with us, the director and the actors? Plus it’s really great for us to get a chance to hear real time feedback—it makes us all better at our jobs. So talkbacks actually contribute to the artistic process. It’s very informal and it usually ends up being a fun sharing session, with plenty of behind-the-scenes insight and gossip along with serious exploration of ideas.

RAPID FIRE WITH CHERYL WHITE, NORA IN ‘A DOLL’S HOUSE, PART 2’

JHP: In the fifteen years that has passed between the story depicted in Henrik Ibsen’s original and Lucas Hnath’s A Doll’s House, Part 2, has A) Nora changed, or B) simply cultivated characteristics that were already present?

CHERYL WHITE: I’m going to pick C) All of the Above! Nora is now worldly, no longer naive about the workings of society. She is self-reliant and passionate. She found her voice at the end of Ibsen’s play and has nurtured it and it now sustains her. She perhaps has more work to do to understand the ramifications of her newfound freedom on those she left behind. And when thrust into an old environment with old relationships, she definitely stumbles into some old pitfalls!

JHP: Taking place in the late 1800’s requires period-costumes. What can you tell me about Nora’s wardrobe, designed by Trish Clark?

CHERYL WHITE: One of the truly exciting aspects of this play is that the costumes and set reflect the period, but the dialogue and physicality (especially for Nora) are contemporary. So even though I wear a corset and numerous heavy layers (petticoats and over-skirts and such), I strive to speak and move as a contemporary woman. Not only does the wardrobe inform how I move, it also functions as a tangible obstacle for Nora and as a metaphor for the societal constraints she rails against.

JHP: Much of the play revolves around confrontation between Nora and those she left behind fifteen years prior. How do you prepare yourself for those heated scenes?

CHERYL WHITE: Each of the four characters in this play has a lot to lose. Their personal stakes are high. So it’s imperative that I really listen to what’s being said to Nora, that I never lose sight of what I, as Nora, need to win, and finally, that I breathe deeply. Because when Nora let’s go, she really let’s go!!

JHP: What has surprised you most about this play?

CHERYL WHITE: That I agree with all four characters in the play. Their viewpoints are wildly divergent, and yet I find everything they say to be true and valuable.

RAPID FIRE WITH GALEN FOTT, TORVALD IN ‘A DOLL’S HOUSE, PART 2’

JHP: What can you tell me about Torvald?

GALEN FOTT: Judging only from Ibsen’s play (or “Part 1”, as we call it!), I think you might say that Torvald is a stifling, controlling, chauvinistic coward. But it’s also true that he is simply playing out the role that is expected of him by the paternalistic society of 1870s Norway. Then Nora walks out, and suddenly he’s a single father of three (albeit with a nanny-in-residence). But Nora’s leaving shook Torvald to the core. Now let’s flash forward to “Part 2”, where we meet him again 15 years later. I think it’s clear that Torvald has been “working on himself” in the intervening years, trying to figure out what happened, trying to work out what’s right and wrong, what’s fair and unfair. There are moments in “Part 2” when “old Torvald” reemerges, but he’s at least trying to evolve.

JHP: While Torvald is perceived as a successful businessman in Ibsen’s work. Nora having left him in the original piece definitely had its affect on him. As an actor, how have you found a balance in playing an outwardly strong man dealing with that inner brokenness?

GALEN FOTT: In this play, we see almost exclusively the private, “broken” side of Torvald. However, I do relish my first 30 seconds onstage, before Torvald realizes Nora has returned. For that half-minute, it feels like Torvald is in a completely different play from everyone else, a mundane tale of a banker who has dashed back home to retrieve some papers he forgot. Little does he know…

JHP: To some purist, the entire notion of a Part 2 to Ibsen’s classic might, at first, seem audacious at best. What is it about playwright Luca Hnath’s continuation that completely lives up to the iconic original?

GALEN FOTT: While Hnath’s play is written completely in the modern vernacular, there’s nothing anachronistic or “cheeky” whatsoever about the story and ideas. Hnath addresses all the same issues that Ibsen raised, and does so with complete fairness and seriousness. (Not that the play isn’t very funny at times!) And much of Hnath’s writing, particularly Nora’s gorgeous final monologue, I wouldn’t hesitate to call “worthy of Ibsen”.

JHP: In the conclusion of the original, Nora walks out on Torvald and their three children. In Part 2, the cast is made up of yourself, Cheryl White as Nora, Rona Carter as Anne Marie, the family Nanny and Corrie Green as Torvald and Nora’s daughter, Emmy. I gotta know…Do we find out what happened to the other two children?

GALEN FOTT: Well…not so much. Ivar and Bob would be around 22 and 20, respectively. From what Emmy says about them, it sounds like Bob is a bit emotionally unstable, but Ivar is “the opposite of Bob in every way”. And that’s all we learn! I think “Part 3” needs to focus entirely on poor Bob, don’t you?

RAPID FIRE WITH CORRIE GREEN, EMMY IN ‘A DOLL’S HOUSE, PART 2’

JHP: You play Emmy, one of Nora and Torvald’s three children she abandoned as depicted in the final scene of Henrik Ibsen’s original. Part 2 picks up fifteen years later. In finding your voice for Emmy, did you imagine certain mother/daughter circumstances that she missed that might have molded her current fiber?

CORRIE GREEN: I think in my approach of the character the whole concept of becoming a woman without your mother was something I was drawn to. Certainly there are thousands of moments daughters spend with their mothers that shape who they are emotionally. That being said the idea that Nora was absent for Emmy’s first crush, first boyfriend, first fight with a close friend, becoming a woman, etc. were moments that I knew going into my preparation that had to have shaped Emmy. I didn’t think that they were moments that would fuel a dislike for Nora, however it made me think of who those moments were left to and all of those things were left to Torvald. We know from the text, both A Doll’s House, and A Doll’s House Pt.2 , that Torvald is not someone who is going to be extremely emotionally nurturing when it comes to his children. Thus approaching Emmy became a balance of figuring out what emotional support, and representation did she have growing up and how does that effect her. Certainly you will find that Emmy is simple in her emotions towards people and that she has no “animosity” towards Nora, but in order to understand that I had to imagine growing up without the emotional support of a mother.

JHP: In a scene from the play, Emmy confronts her mother, Nora, about having been left with her father and siblings. She says something like, “I think in a lot of ways things turned out better because you weren’t around.” Why do you think Emmy feels that growing up without her mother was to her advantage?

CORRIE GREEN: So on the positive side of growing up without a lot of emotional support is this idea that Emmy grows up intellectually much faster than the average kid. I think this is because of the fact that she had to learn everything sort of on her own. So she develops this strength in doing things herself, and finding things out for herself that wouldn’t have happened had she not found out about what happened to her mother. I think Emmy feels she has conquered the dark truths of the world because of the fact that she copes with problems intellectually and not emotionally. She doesn’t allow things to defeat her like her peers, and I think this is something Emmy prides herself on.

JHP: On the flip side, what negative affect, if any, did being raised by Torvald alone have on Emmy?

CORRIE GREEN: I think that one of the downsides is the idea that Emmy has on how to communicate with people, and primarily the sort of emotional numbness she has towards various things. I think a lot of this has to do with the fact that Emmy was raise viewing the post-Nora Torvald. That Torvald didn’t tell her anything about her mother, didn’t keep any of her mothers things, is known via Ibsen’s play to believe that the raising of children should be left to the mother, the depression that overcomes him post-Nora that numbs him to the idea of ever loving again. All of these characteristics result in a child who is brought up to become emotional but only on the surface, and to sort of have some wiring issues when it comes to her ideas on the world. Not having a mother around and only being raised by a father who believed in the norms of the time means that in a way Emmy wasn’t nurtured. Which I think comes across on the stage in various ways during her interaction with her mother. One of which being in the way she chooses to address her father as “Torvald”, which isn’t a very friendly, family driven address for ones dad.

JHP: Often, you hear about actors avoiding each other backstage or during off-time to aide in the believability of their onstage tension. With so much of A Doll’s House, Part 2’s interaction being confrontational, has that been the case for you and your cast mates, or is there a sense of family among you, in spite of the intense action on stage?

CORRIE GREEN: Oh no, I think the cast has formed a family of sorts. I don’t know what I would do if they weren’t so kind and willing to help me transition into Nashville and into the life as a working Actor. As someone, who just graduated and is from a different state, the fact that everyone was willing to take me under their wing including Rene and our tech crew was extremely comforting! Although, we don’t get to see Galen much before the show because all of us ladies are getting ready for the show in our dressing room, and he has to spend pre-show in his own dressing room by himself because he is the only guy. What a problem to have. But other than that we are all kind to each other, we talk with each other, and I love them all dearly. Its a great cast with all around good vibes!

RAPID FIRE WITH RONA CARTER, ANNE MARIE IN ‘A DOLL’S HOUSE, PART 2’

JHP: What does the audience need to know about Anne Marie?

RONA CARTER: That she’s loyal. Loving. And has had to deal with a lot in her lifetime. And, if there were a phone in those days you could pick it up call her and she’d be there in a heartbeat to help.

JHP: Early on in the play, upon Nora’s unexpected return, as Anne Marie, your greeting to her isn’t exactly what you’d call warm. That gives the audience an immediate sense of Anne Marie’s take-no-guff character. How much fun is that to play?

RONA CARTER: Rona is personally not like Anne-Marie at all. So it’s a lot of fun to play a character like that and, to some audiences it’s hilarious and others it seems a bit disconcerting because of our sentimentality. One of my first lines is you got a little fatter and you got a little older. Just telling it like it is.

JHP: Nashville Rep has a reputation for presenting some of the most gorgeous sets around town, courtesy of set designer, Gary Hoff. What can you tell me about the set of A Doll’s House, Part 2?

RONA CARTER: Gary always creates the most wonderful environments to play on as an actor. This one is beautiful and has an element I’ve not seen in any others that he’s created. It has a raked stage which means it starts at stage level at the front and works up to 2 feet in the back, so it’s tilted. It’s very presentational and it’s a struggle for the characters to work in that environment. Just as we struggle in life with all her questions in relationships. And, just like the Kleenex box from the 2000s on the stage it gives one the element of something very unique at play here.

JHP: With so much of the play focusing on Nora’s actions in the first and their subsequent affects on her and the family, what do you think audiences will take away from the show?

RONA CARTER: Every audience members going to have a different view on all four characters I think. This is one of the few plays I know of that I’ve been in where you’re going to see a clear cut view from each of the four characters in this play. Each having a strong reason for doing and being who they are. And it could be any of these audience members in part or in whole. And I think people have long discussions about their relationships with others. Marriages. Dating. Loving.

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Galen Fott and Cheryl White in a scene from Nashville Rep’s “A Doll’s House, Part 2”

Audiences will indeed have their chance to peek inside A Doll’s House, Part 2 as the show continues through Saturday, November 3 with performances Friday, October 26 at 7:30p.m., Saturday, October 27 at 2:30p.m. & 7:30p.m., Wednesday & Thursday, October 31 & November 1 at 6:30p.m., Friday, November 2 at 7:30p.m. and Saturday, November 3 at 2:30p.m. & 7:30p.m. Tickets range in price from $25 to $52.50. CLICK HERE for tickets or more information. For further details about Saturday, October 27’s special Talkback, Women Talk Back following the 7:30p.m. performance, CLICK HERE. For more about Nashville Rep, CLICK HERE to check out their site, or follow them on Facebook, 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.

Studio Tenn annual gala, ‘One Night Only’ at Nashville’s War Memorial Auditorium Friday, October 19

October 19, 2018 by Jonathan

On Friday, October 19, Studio Tenn will present their annual fundraising gala, One Night Only, this year dubbed—A Red Carpet Affair. An incredible night of entertainment, food and fun, including an always impressive silent auction, it’s truly one of my personal favorite social events of the season. This year’s party promises to continue the high-energy, stellar talent, Broadway-quality event for which the relatively young theatre company is known. Changing things up a bit, for the first time in the event’s brief but impressive history, Studio Tenn’s One Night Only will take place at War Memorial Auditorium in Downtown Nashville.

Co-charing the event this year are Bob Deal and Jason Bradshaw, who I like to call Nashville’s bon vivant dynamic duo. When asked how they came to co-chair Studio Tenn’s One Night Only, Deal and Bradshaw revealed something very interesting, “Two friends asked if we would be interested in helping out Studio Tenn with their annual Gala, One Night Only as Co-Chairs for the 2018/2019 Season. We both quickly responded with, What’s Studio Tenn?”, they recalled with a grin. That said, apparently all it took was seeing one of Studio Tenn’s gorgeously produced shows earlier this year and they were in. “After seeing a fabulous production of the recent hit, Grease; meeting the talents of the brilliant crew whom make up Studio Tenn; and seeing and hearing those whom are fans of this incredible organization rave about this professional theatre troupe, it all made sense to say YES as Chairmen.”

Bradshaw and Deal also raved about DKates Catering, who’ll be providing the dinner for attendees who opt in for the full sit-down-dinner experience at the gala saying, “Danielle Kates of DKates Catering is doing the delicious food. We had a tasting of fourteen at our home alfresco on September 26. It was lovely. The evening was perfect.”

As for this year’s silent auction, attendees—and this who just like to take advantage of the opportunity to snag a fun and unique action item—have been given a sneak preview via the live online auction co-chaired by Lynne McAlister and Milton White. Having been friends with White for more years than either of us will admit, I reached out to him for his take on working with Bradshaw, Deal and McAlister in preparation of One Night Only. “I loved working with Bob, Jason and Lynne!”, he exclaimed. When asked for details about what the auction has to offer, White eagerly revealed, “This auction has a something for everyone—fabulous food and fashion as well as signed guitars and the chance to dine on the set of Beauty and the Beast!” (the company’s upcoming holiday offering). For a chance to bid on this and all the other items offered at the gala, CLICK HERE.

Speaking of Beauty and The Beast, Laura Matula, a member of the Studio Tenn family known to theatre-goers for her gorgeous vocal skills, having wowed audiences playing everyone from Grease’s Rizzo to The Wizard of Oz’s Wicked Witch, confessed, “I absolutely cannot wait to sing the title song of Beauty and the Beast with my absolute favorite singer, John-Mark McGaha. I will for sure be living out all my Celine Dion childhood dreams and I couldn’t feel any luckier.”

Matula is just one of the many well-known performers who’ll be on stage during this year’s One Night Only. What’s more, she’s also the event’s Music Director/Supervisor. In the weeks leading up to it, she’s organized performers schedules, charted tunes, run rehearsals and coordinated musical equipment staging—a true musical Jill-of-all-trades.

When asked about the mind-blowing musical talent assembled for this year’s even, Matula gushed, “I am astounded by the amount of talent that can fit on one stage whenever I am involved with a Studio Tenn gala. This year’s One Night Only is no exception. We have Broadway performers, American Idols, songwriters and recording artists, Nashville based superstars, and more—phenomenal vocal talents all around plus the most stellar assortment of Nashville musicians: Matt Giraud, Diana DeGarmo, Ace Young, Piper Jones, Melodie Madden Adams, John-Mark McGaha, Libby Black, Megan Murphy Chambers, Eden Espinosa, Bradley Gale, Marissa Rosen…and me, plus an extra special number from Jake Speck and Matt Logan!”

When asked about the change in venue for this year’s gala, Matula revealed, “This year will mark the largest assortment of talent onstage with 12 singers and 13 band members plus some special guests I canąt tell you about! Thank goodness we are at War Memorial Auditorium in downtown Nashville so we can fit everyone on stage! I canąt wait for you to hear the sound of this group!”

I couldn’t chat with Matula without begging for a hint of what to expect. To that end, she teased, “The theme of the music this year is Songs from the Movies. This gave us such a wealth of incredible music to pull from and boy this set list is on fire! We have everything from James Bond to Barbra Streisand to songs from The Greatest Showman, The Bodyguard, Jungle Book, Beauty and the Beast, Cabaret, Moulin Rouge, and more! It’s bigger and better than ever but with the same intimate feeling the singers on stage bring as members of the incredible Studio Tenn family of artists and entertainers.”

Something many fans, patrons and company members are thinking about is the recent news that Matt Logan, one of Studio Tenn’s co-founders will be leaving his position as Artistic Director, with One Night Only marking his final official event with the troupe. Matula addressed this by adding, “It will also be incredibly emotional as we share our endless love and gracious hearts with Matt Logan as he departs the Studio Tenn family. He is a storyteller and art maker and I am so grateful to be able to be a part of celebrating him for an incredible night.”

With that, I reached out to Logan for his take on the evening. “I’m so excited to hear our powerhouse vocalists. I think it is no secret that I am a huge fan of these Broadway and Tennessee stars. They are not only great friends but the best singers in the world”. He continued, “I know that many of our patrons love their talent but I do think that the patrons love seeing how much we love each other. We have a great community and we don’t take it for granted.”

Of his pending departure, Logan added, “The bittersweet element of my last night is in saying goodbye to a community that has blessed me so richly. do believe that every great chapter must come to an end. The timing is right for me to move on but Im gonna miss it terribly.”

Speaking of bittersweet, as alluded by Matula, Friday’s One Night Only will also feature an on-stage reunion between Logan and Studio Tenn’s other founding member, Jake Speck. Earlier this year, Speck left his position at the company when he accepted a job with a theatre company in Texas. Of the pair’s upcoming One Night Only re-teaming, Logan divulged, “Jake and I will do some talk and song. It’s nothing major, but it will be a final goodbye to the thing we created. We know Studio Tenn will carry on but this chapter will be at an end for us.” Thinking back on the journey that brought him to this point, Logan shared, “The funny thing is that we both were high school buddies growing up in Tennessee and then we were given the chance to bring back what we learned and effect the artistic landscape of Middle Tennessee. Even now, it is hard for me to wrap my brain around the enormous gift we were given. This evening will be a great moment to thank everyone who made Studio Tenn what it is.”

While the evening does mark the end of an era for Studio Tenn, rest assured the company is ready for what the future holds. Of their hopes for the evening, Bradshaw and Deal enthused, “We are honored and delighted to be a part of this event and hope they take back with them, like we did, that special moment that uniquely makes Studio Tenn…a 10!”

One Night Only will not only be chocked-full of jaw-dropping entertainment, festive music and great food, it will also remind attendees just how fabulous the company is as they continue their ninth season and look forward to their history-making tenth year. Select tickets for One Night Only are still available. Table Seating on the Main Floor includes drinks, a delicious dinner, silent auction access and an up-close and personal view of the evening’s entertainment. Tickets are $325.00. Mezzanine/Late Party tickets, which include pre-show libations, hors d’oeuvres, access to the silent auction and an amazing second story view of the evening’s entertainment are available for $95. CLICK HERE for tickets.

Up next for Studio Tenn, just in time for an enchanted holiday, they’re presenting Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, with performances December 7-30. CLICK HERE for tickets or more information. Following Beauty and the Beast, Studio Tenn’s 2018/2019 Season continues with Tennessee William’s Cat on a Hot Tin Roof from Friday, February 8 thru Sunday, February 17. That will be followed by this year’s Legacy Series entry, The Sinatra Legacy: A Tribute to Ol’ Blue Eyes, onstage at The Franklin Theatre, Thursday, March 14-Sunday, March 17. Studio Tenn will wrap their current season with Damn Yankees from Friday, May 17 until Sunday, June 2. CLICK HERE for tickets or more information.

Be sure to check out Studio Tenn online at StudioTenn.com or on social media at Facebook, 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.

Rapid Fire 5 Q with Jason Lewis, directing Circle Players’ ‘Hair’ on stage at Looby Theatre thru Sunday, October 21

October 19, 2018 by Jonathan

The cast of Circle Players’ ‘Hair’ (photo courtesy Circle Players)

Circle Players’ current production, Hair wraps its three-week run with performances Friday, October 19-Sunday, October 21 at the Looby Theatre (2301 Rosa Parks Blvd). First presented on stage 50 years ago, and therefore typically thought of as late-1960s anti-war, musical love-in, the current mounting of the show becomes interestingly relatable to what’s going on in the world around us thanks to director Jason Lewis’ creative eye. Peppering his cast with a few familiar faces, Lewis also reinforces the show’s familial Tribe vibe. With just a few shows left in the run, I recently got the chance to speak with Lewis about the show, his take on it and his cast for an abbreviated version of my recurring Rapid Fire interview feature.

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RAPID FIRE 5 Q WITH HAIR DIRECTOR, JASON LEWIS

JONATHAN H. PINKERTON: Having directed for Circle before, what keeps you coming back?

JASON LEWIS: Circle Players, through my many returns to Nashville, has always provided me a creative home, even more so now in a directorial capacity. While I was away in New York, old school Circle alums Maggie Bowden and Sue Stinemetz would try to coax me to return and direct for Circle. In the years between their subsequent passings, I faced my own personal setbacks. I now work for Circle to honor their memories. People always ask why I don’t just do ‘paid stuff’ since the quality of work is of such caliber and my response is always the same… “Somebody has to be the Mr. Schuester (of Glee fame).” My background being in education, I love discovering new talent and thrive in the community theatre setting, wowing audiences by exceeding expected results.

JHP: What is it about Hair that drew you to the project?

JASON LEWIS: Well since being back I had helmed one epic show, one funny show and one of spectacle, so to me Hair was a nice middle ground. I wasn’t 100% sure until the Parkland shooting and it’s aftermath. Watching a government do nothing as our youth are (preventatively) being killed off? Watching kids march out of school in protest as we’ve not seen SINCE Vietnam? Instantly, I knew what show I HAD to do. People are on edge politically but they still need hope…and love.

JHP: Among you cast, I spotted a name or two you’ve worked with in the past. what is it about these actors that makes you want to team with them again on this project?

JASON LEWIS: Of my cast I’ve probably worked with Maggie Wood and Scotty Phillips the most. Both were in Reefer Madness and Bring it On. Maggie has such a versatile wide range in her abilities, thus a perfect person for each of the roles I’ve given her so far. Scotty works hard and isn’t afraid to step outside his comfort zone. He stands out in a lead and as an ensemble member. Few local artists can claim that.

JHP: They’re not the only ones you’ve worked with amongst your cast, right?

JASON LEWIS: Besides the aforementioned, I’ve worked with Amanda Creech, Barrett Thomas and Erica Patterson on Jesus Christ Superstar and Sara Shumway in Reefer/Bring It On and Gillion Welsh and Jarvis Bynum in Reefer, as a director. I also recently shared the stage with Seth Austin Brown, Blake Holliday & Stephanie Twomey in The Full Monty. Besides being hard workers, the one thing they all have in common is fearlessness when it comes to getting weird, something vital in a Hair tribe member.

JHP: As a director, what do you hope to get from your actors?

JASON LEWIS: Authenticity and vulnerability as well as completing homework character research assignments in creating their tribe member. Hair isn’t just about singing, dancing and acting. My tribe is honoring those actors who workshopped Hair and brought it to life by immersing themselves in 60s counter-culture. Also, I ask that they give themselves over to the uncomfortable moments freely, it is the only way to truly create the organic work of art Hair must be. Never be disingenuous to the material!

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Circle Players’ Hair continues for a final weekend with performances Friday and Saturday, October 19 & 20 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, October 21 at 3 p.m. All tickets are $20. Click Here to purchase tickets. For a little more about the cast, Click Here. It should be noted that Circle Players’ website does indeed offer an Audience Advisory of the show for “nudity, strong language, simulated drug use, adult content and situations that may not be appropriate for all ages”. That said, what better reasons to join the tribe?

Be sure to follow Circle Players on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for the latest news, tickets and details about the rest of their 69th Season.

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.