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Rapid Fire 20 Q with cast members from ‘The Play That Goes Wrong’; National Tour at TPAC October 9-14

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The cast of ‘The Play That Goes Wrong’; National Tour at TPAC’s Jackson Hall beginning Tuesday (photo: Jeremy Daniel)

Typically, in order to see a Broadway show during its debut run, audiences must make the trek to New York City, but that’s not exactly the case with Broadway’s current farcical hit, The Play That Goes Wrong. While the Broadway production continues its premiere run through January of next year, a concurrent production of the show recently set out on a National Tour. As the touring company prepared to head to TPAC’s Jackson Hall for the Nashville leg of the tour, I recently had an opportunity to chat with two members of the cast for the latest installment of my recurring interview feature, Rapid Fire 20 Q. While researching to chat with stars Scott Cote and Angela Grovey, I discovered they each had ties to Music City, both having played Nashville while part of previous national touring companies, and one having even co-starred with country music’s favorite daughter. So, while the Play might go wrong, I knew the interviews would go just right.

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Angela Grovey and Scott Cote during one of many side-splitting scenes in ‘The Play That Goes Wrong’ (Photo: Jeremy Daniel)

RAPID FIRE 20 Q WITH THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG STARS SCOTT COTE AND ANGELA GROVEY

RAPID FIRE WITH ANGELA GROVEY, ANNIE IN THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG

Angela Grovey

JONATHAN H. PINKERTON: Alright, I just have to start by asking about your recent Broadway stint in Jimmy Buffett’s Escape to Margaritaville since you shared the stage with Eric Petersen in that show. I met Eric when he toured with Shrek. What’s your favorite memory of being on Broadway in that show?

 ANGELA GROVEY: I had a blast doing Escape to Margaritaville and singing some of Jimmy’s music. Occasionally Jimmy would join us during bows and we’d watch the crowd go NUTS. On our closing night Jimmy joined us for bows and sang to the crowd and then did Lovely Cruise for the company of Escape to Margaritaville. It was very special because that moment reflected the love and respect we each shared for each other and the show. It’s something I will cherish always.

JHP: You know, we have a Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville restaurant in Nashville, located on our Broadway (instead of theatres, we have honky-tonks, go figure!)…if time permits, do you plan to sight-see while in Music City?

ANGELA GROVEY: I am a HUGE fan of the music scene in Nashville and I’m a southern girl so I will, without question, be visiting some places down Broadway and Music Row. One of the gifts that comes with touring is we get to be a working tourist for a week. I’m looking forward to my week in Nashville.

JHP: Speaking of Broadway, The Play That Goes Wrong is simultaneously playing the other Broadway and on tour. How exciting to be offering folks across the country the chance to see a show that’s still enjoying its initial Broadway run?

ANGELA GROVEY: I’m thrilled that a PLAY is touring and we get to be the “first” play for people.
This play is HILARIOUS and to be able to be spreading laughter around this country warms my heart. 

Angela Grovey as Annie in ‘The Play That Goes Wrong’ (Photo: Jeremy Daniel)

JHP: What can you tell me about Annie?

ANGELA GROVEY: Annie is the American stage manager of the Drama Society. It’s her 3rd year working with the company and looks forward to her time with this particular company. Annie is in charge of all things that happen on the stage and takes great joy is being the best at any job she does.

JHP: I understand there’s a little All About Eve element between Annie and Sandra, the female lead. How much fun is that rivalry to play?

ANGELA GROVEY: It’s great fun!!! We as actors are always looking for the “conflict” and Annie’s “conflict” switches mid show to Sandra.

JHP: Jamie Ann Romero plays Sandra. While you’ve only just started the tour, how have you ladies bonded offstage thus far?

ANGELA GROVEY: Jamie and I happen to have the same agents in New York City so we have had many opportunities to get to know each other professionally and on a personal level. We recently got manicures and pedicures together in Greenville and decided that we MUST make this a tradition. I know we just started the tour but it was very apparent while rehearsing that we have an AMAZING group of humans on this tour.

JHP: Has playing a stage manager given you a deeper appreciation for The Play That Goes Wrong’s actual crew?

ANGELA GROVEY: My first tour with Disney’s Newsies reminded me that the actors are only one part of the puzzle that must come together to put on a show. Fun fact- my production stage manager from Newsies is my production stage manager for The Play That Goes Wrong. I have carried that respect with me into my life practices. The Play That Goes Wrong Tour is top notch. And—especially with this show—we as actors could not do what we do without our crew.

JHP: Seeing as how The Play That Goes Wrong is a farce, and a theatrical show within a show farce at that, you and the rest of the cast are tasked with intentionally over-acting and basically playing bad actors. How fun/challenging is that?

ANGELA GROVEY: I have a very fun challenge with Annie because i am an actor playing a stage manager, forced into a stage managers WORST nightmare.

JHP: The set for The Play That Goes Wrong, designed by Nigel Hook, is Tony-winning. What’s your favorite aspect of the set?

ANGELA GROVEY: I can’t say I have just one favorite. The design is well deserving of  the Tony Award. When I first saw the show in NYC I was shocked at the set, now I get to see how it all works and I’m still amazed.

JHP: Because I’m a total dork, when I saw the cast list for The Play That Goes Wrong, I recognized you from your appearance in the 2012 film, Joyful Noise, which starred Queen Latifah and Dolly…so beloved here in Music City, she needs no last name. Gonna see Dolly while you’re in Nashville?

ANGELA GROVEY: I will definitely reach out and say ‘Hello’ while I’m in Nashville, but Dolly is one of the hardest working women, so I don’t know if I’ll see her. But if I do see her I’ll try not to gasp as loudly as I did when I first met her.

RAPID FIRE WITH SCOTT COTE, DENNIS IN THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG

Scott Cote

JONATHAN H. PINKERTON: If memory serves me, weren’t you just in Nashville about a year ago while touring with Something Rotten?
SCOTT COTE: Yes, that is correct. I played Brother Jeremiah in that production.

JHP: Since you’ve been in Nashville before, anything you plan to revisit and share about Music City with your fellow The Play That Goes Wrong cast mates?
SCOTT COTE: I plan to visit the Country Music Hall of Fame again. I also loved strolling down Broadway and hearing the music from all the different honky tonks.

JHP: From what I know about The Play That Goes Wrong, it’s a bit of a mashup between Monty Python-esque outrageous humor, with a good dose of Sherlock Holmes mystery thrown in. How else would you describe the show?
SCOTT COTE: That is exactly how I describe the show to people so you hit the nail right on the head. People should just plan on laughing for 2 hours from start to finish.

JHP: I’ve also heard comparisons (at least the intended mystery aspect of the play within the play, to a good ole Agatha Christie. Just so happens, I just returned from being on holiday in Portugal. While away, I re-read Christie’s Hercule Poirot mystery, Death in The Clouds as I was composing questions for this interview. Were you ever a fan of books or film adaptations by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle or Christie?
SCOTT COTE: Oh yes. In high school we read Sherlock Holmes and And Then There Were None. I enjoy a good mystery novel from time to time.

Ned Noyes and Scott Cote in ‘The Play That Goes Wrong’ (Photo: Jeremy Daniel)

JHP: Seeming to draw inspiration from, or—pay homage to—Noises Off, The Play That Goes Wrong is a play within a play. Given that, you’re cast not only as Dennis, a bit of an amateur thespian, but, in the murder mystery, the butler. What are your favorite characteristics of Dennis…and his portrayal of the butler?
SCOTT COTE: I love his earnestness and his wanting to do a good job so the rest of the cast will like him. When he does fail at something, it really bothers him and he thinks he’s ruined the play. It’s fun to try and play that on stage every night.

JHP: Simultaneously on Broadway and on tour, among the show’s producers is JJ Abrams…so, how are you plotting to parlay that into future acting roles for the popular producer?
SCOTT COTE: I’m just going to keep doing my job and hopefully JJ will have one of his many friends in the business come to see the show and want to use me in one of their future productions. I’ll gladly play a Storm Trooper in the next installment of Star Wars!!

JHP: The National Tour only just launched in September. What’s the energy like being part of a brand new touring company?
SCOTT COTE: The energy level is pretty high right now. We are all having a great time. For a few people in the cast this is their first time touring so it’s been fun teaching them the ropes of touring. Where to eat, what to do, what hotel to stay in. etc.

JHP: Based in what you remember from having played Nashville’s TPAC last year, do you think Music City audiences will embrace The Play That Goes Wrong?
SCOTT COTE: I sure hope they do. If they loved Something Rotten last year, I think they will equally love this play. Its 2 hours of non stop laughter!! Who wouldn’t like that?

JHP: Matt DiCarlo is directing the touring production. What he like as a director?
SCOTT COTE: He’s a great collaborator! He knows this show like that back of his hand, but he is so willing and open to our ideas for our characters. He would let us play and find things and then would just tighten moments that needed tightening. He trusts us all.

JHP: Dang…One last question…OK, so you play the butler in a murder mystery…just between us…did the butler do it?
SCOTT COTE: Well you’ll just have to come see the show to found that out. 🙂

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‘The Play That Goes Wrong’; at TPAC October 9-14 (Photo: Jeremy Daniel)

While Scott remained mum about whodunnit, Nashville audiences will have eight chances to figure  it out—and have a hilarious time doing so—when The Play That Goes Wrong sets up shop at TPAC’s Jackson Hall with shows from Tuesday, October 9-Sunday, October 14. Evening performances Tuesday-Thursday begin at 7:30 p.m. with Friday and Saturday evening performances at 8 p.m. There’s also a Saturday matinee at 2 p.m. and Sunday performances at 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Tickets to The Play That Goes Wrong range in price from $30 to $90. CLICK HERE for tickets or more information.

Not in Nashville, but interested in seeing The Play That Goes Wrong? Follow the show on social media at the official The Play That Goes Wrong site HERE, or on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Following The Play That Goes Wrong, TPAC’s current Broadway Season continues with a return engagement of The Phantom of The Opera, playing Jackson Hall October 24-November 4. CLICK HERE for tickets or for more information.

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

Rapid Fire Q&A with bon vivant, revered theatre critic and all-round theatrical legend, Jeffrey Ellis, directing ‘The Boys in the Band’ at The Barbershop Theatre September 27-October 1

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When I heard Jeffrey Ellis was tackling playwright Mart Crowley’s iconic 1968 masterwork, The Boys in the Band for the show’s long-overdue Nashville premiere production at Barbershop Theatre  September 27-October 1, I knew it was going to be epic. You see, Jeffrey isn’t just one of Nashville…and the world’s…most respected and admired theatre critics (he is Senior Contributing Editor of Broadwayworld.com, after all), but he’s also a talented director, who, because of his love to theatre, as well as cinema and all things entertainment, always provides a keen and thoughtful version of any show he helms that inevitably leaves his audiences satisfied, engaged and with a new interest in discovering more about what they’ve witnessed.

That said, imagine my disappointment when I realized I wouldn’t be in Nashville for the upcoming run of Ellis’ take on Crowley’s groundbreaking play. Coming to terms with the devastation caused by my ill-timed travels, I reached out to Jeffrey for my latest Rapid Fire interview just hours before time to board my flight. Lucky for me, in addition to all the aforementioned well-deserved and true accolades referenced above, Jeffrey is also a skilled and gifted writer, so basically this interview wrote itself. Enough intro…below is our conversation.

Rapid Fire 10 Q&A with Jef Ellis, directing The Barbershop Theatre’s The Boys in the Band 

Jeffrey Ellis

JONATHAN PINKERTON: I’m shocked to learn this will be the Nashville debut for The Boys in the Band. Why do you think it’s never been mounted here before?

JEFFREY ELLIS: I think initially producers were skeptical of how it would be received by a Nashville audience. The first show I directed – 1999’s La Cage Aux Folles for Circle Players – was sort of regarded in that way and, as the script was written, the two lead characters didn’t embrace or kiss throughout the show and I wanted to change that. My thought process was that if audiences had stayed with us to the end, they wouldn’t be offended by the sight of two men kissing. Instead, they would welcome it as the natural progression of their relationship.

And after that initial reluctance, the play became mired in a lot of controversy: was it too stereotypical, was it too flamboyant and queeny – the typical things gay men have always asked about their own behaviors, to be quite honest – and so it fell into disfavor.

JONATHAN PINKERTON: First produced Off Broadway in 1968 , the play recently enjoyed its first-ever Broadway run in celebration of its 50th anniversary. It’s about time, huh?

JEFFREY ELLIS: Without question! Now, with the 50th anniversary of its first New York production, set against the backdrop of all the advances made for GLBTQIA civil rights in the past ten years, looking back at an earlier era is very timely and prescient. The Boys in the Band shows us that the more things change, the more they stay the same and it’s important – to me, at least – to pay homage to Mart Crowley’s play which has proven to be a watershed moment in theater, gay, straight or otherwise.

JONATHAN PINKERTON: What makes The Boys in the Band as relevant now as when it premiered?

JEFFREY ELLIS: The characters are so sharply defined, so indelibly written, that their stories are universal. The issues they dealt with at a time when virtually everything they did that designated them as homosexual could have led to arrest and conviction. It’s vital that we remember our history, to learn from it and to refuse to ever go back to being treated as second-class citizens. GLBTQIA people in the 21st century stand on the shoulders of every man and woman who came before them, who sacrificed themselves to ensure a greater sense of community and belonging. We should always be grateful.

JONATHAN PINKERTON: Why do you think The Boys in the Band is a good fit for The Barbershop Theatre?

JEFFREY ELLIS: The very first time I was at The Barbershop Theater, to see Verge Theater’s production of Kimberly Akimbo, I was taken by the intimate nature of the venue and I recognized instantly that a play like The Boys in the Band could be presented there in the way I’ve always envisioned it: Like the story being told, with a gathering of friends who don’t always like one another very much, but who will always defend one other. The audience becomes active participants in the play’s action in such an intimate space and the actors will feed off their energy during every performance.

JONATHAN PINKERTON: For those who might label this a ‘gay play’, how would your respond?

JEFFREY ELLIS:It isn’t just “a gay play,” it is THE gay play that changed the course of American theater, a play in which the characters are presented honestly and authentically, allowing audiences for the very first time to see how a group of gay men would interact with one another. It’s a very brave play, the original cast were a courageous group of men who dared to play these flawed, but all too real, characters as they existed in real life. I have never been prouder of any theater project in my life than I am of this production.

JONATHAN PINKERTON: How much are you loving your cast?

JEFFREY ELLIS: They are remarkable. I cannot say enough about their ability to breathe life into these characters – characters who have lived in my heart and my brain since I read the play when I was 12 years old. The nine men in my cast have willingly come on board and they have given me their trust to craft a production of a play that changed my life, that proved to me I was not alone in the world when I was in sixth grade and gave me hope that I would someday find my own people just like this rag-tag group of characters created by Mart Crowley did.

The nine actors in The Boys in the Band give so much of themselves in every rehearsal and will give so much more during the show’s six-performance run – they lay bare their souls. And as they do that, they honor every gay man who has ever been bold enough to admit who he is and to live an authentic life.

These nine men have become my family – they are my brothers and my sons. They have listened to my stories about my own life as a gay man and they have shared the details of their own lives in the process. We are inextricably bonded now – and I will be hard-pressed to have such an experience ever again.

JONATHAN PINKERTON: When I saw you at TPAC recently, you shared a story of the precise moment you saw your cast bonding. Do you mind sharing that with my readers?

JEFFREY ELLIS: We had a photo call before rehearsal one night and the cast seemed surprised that I would be taking the pictures, so I explained that I came from the place and time where to get a journalism degree meant studying photography. And I treated them like so much cattle, ordering them around and telling them exactly how to stand, where to put their hands, what angle to tilt their face – that kind of stuff – and while we did it, we had fun and we laughed a lot, I told off-color stories and we had fun.

That carried over into our rehearsal and I realized that night they my cast had bonded, we had indeed become a family and I knew in that particular moment that the show would be the same show I’ve always seen in my mind, even after all these years.

At the end of rehearsal that night, I asked each actor with which character did they most identify and each man chose the character he is playing, which was extremely gratifying because it proved I had made the right casting choices. But more important, it meant that we were all on the same page, creatively, and that we anything is possible.

JONATHAN PINKERTON: What can you tell me about your technical/creative team?

JEFFREY ELLIS: Sara Kistner is my production stage manager and we’ve worked together on several shows, including South Pacific and The Little Foxes – we yell and scream at each other and move on because we trust each other and believe in each other. Emily Daigneault, who designed props for The Little Foxes is back on the team, providing our time period-senstive props for The Boys. Dan Hayes, whom I’ve known since he was fresh out of college and acting at Actors Playhouse of Nashville, is my costume designer and previously he did that for my production Picnic a few years ago. Daniel DeVault is lighting designer; it’s our first time to work together, but obviously we’ve known each other for several years and I’ve always been impressed by his work.

JONATHAN PINKERTON: How would you describe the look and feel of the show, as you’ve envisioned it?

JEFFREY ELLIS: Initially, I planned to give it a real mid-century look and feel, but as I’ve delved more deeply into the literature of the play and become even more acutely aware of who Michael, the protagonist of the play at whose apartment the birthday party takes place, is and what his sense of style is – which is, remarkably, quite similar to my taste. Michael’s apartment is timeless and, hopefully, kind of elegant in the way some small-town Southern queen would see himself living in Manhattan when he escaped the clutches of his mama and them.

JONATHAN PINKERTON: What’s been the most gratifying aspect of directing this cast in this particular play?

JEFFREY ELLIS: I discovered early on that in my own life, I’ve never been completely honest about who I am and what I believe. Directing The Boys in the Band with this band of remarkable brothers I have assembled has forced me to take a look at myself and how I’ve lived my life and to make me want, more than anything, to be honest and authentic in my sexual orientation. These wonderful actors have taken everything I’ve thrown at them, assimilated it into their own performances to craft characters who are endearingly human and straightforward. And, truth be told, that’s who I’ve always wanted to be, even if I haven’t always been as successful as I may have hoped.

JONATHAN PINKERTON:What do you hope audience take away from The Boys In The Band?

JEFFREY ELLIS: An understanding of what we’ve all been through, how our lives have changed since 1968, to gain knowledge about how far we’ve come, while recognizing how far we still have to go in the never-ending struggle for acceptance. I hope they will love these men as much as I always have and to see the universality of their stories and how they relate to their own personal stories.

The Barbershop Theatre‘s production of The Boys in the Band directed by Jeffrey Ellis runs September 27-October 1 with shows nightly at 7:30 p.m. and a Saturday Matinee on September 29 at 2:30 .m. Tickets are $15. Click Here to purchase or for more information.  Stay informed about upcoming events at The Barbershop Theatre by liking them on Facebook and following them on Instagram. For the latest on Jeffrey Ellis find him 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.

 

Roxy Regional Theatre’s ‘Hairspray’ a hair-hoppin’ great time; on stage thru September 29 in Clarksville

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Jenna Leigh Miller (center) starring in Roxy Regional Theatre’s “Hairspray”

First off, I’m not sure why it has taken me a decade since first beginning to write about the Nashville area theatre scene on a regular basis to make the relatively short trek to nearby Clarksville to see a show at the Roxy Regional Theatre. Perhaps I was just waiting on an official invite. Well, thanks to Brian Best, it finally happened when I recently attending a performance of the Roxy’s current production, Hairspray, and now I can truly say I see what the buzz about the Roxy is all about.

Not only is the Roxy a simply gorgeous classic movie house that’s been renovated into a fabulous live performance venue, it’s also situated near the charming yet bustling town square. Add to that the aforementioned Brian Best in the role of Edna Turnblad and you’re most certain to be guaranteed a great night of musical theatre.

Directed and choreographed by Roxy’s Executive Director, Ryan Bowie, this production of Hairspray, based on cult movie king, John Waters’ 1988 film, the story’s eight-Tony-winning 2002 stage musical adaptation and subsequent 2007 big budget musical movie redo is surprisingly one of the best productions of the show I’ve seen, and I’ve seen it done quite a few times over the years.

Bowie has cast an all-around enjoyable cast. Obvious stand-outs include Jenna Leigh Miller, who stars as Tracy Turnblad, Edna’s plump and plucky teenage daughter whose dream is to not only dance on The Corny Collins Show, a Baltimore-based weekly music show (think American Bandstand), but to also usher in the racial integration of the show as well. Miller is simply adorable. Oblivious to the obstacles before her, or perhaps fueled by them, Miller’s Tracy commands the stage, from the show’s opening Good Morning Baltimore all the way through to Act’s 2’s all-in You Can’t Stop the Beat.

Drew Stairs approaches Corny Collins with charm and a perfectly over-inflated ego. His scenes with Miler’s Tracy are sweet and his jabs at her Barbie-doll perfect nemesis, Amber Von Tussle (Jessica Caracciolo) are executed with perfect comedic timing. Speaking of Amber, Caracciolo bratty portrayal is so fun, especially when paired with Stacy Turner as her equally self-important mother, Velma Von Tussle.

Kelly Letourneau is such fun to watch as Tracy’s best pal, the seemingly always permanently punished Penny Pingleton. Cast as Penny’s forbidden love (translation, it’s the 1960s…she’s white, he’s not) is Treston Henderson as Seaweed Stubbs. They shine during Without Love. Their on-stage chemistry is so sweet, who can blame Penny’s mother, the aptly named Prudy Pingleton (Amy Snider) for finally acquiescing. Additional kudos are in order to Snider for also appearing as the stereotypical (read lesbian) gym teacher and the no-nonsense prison matron.

Other stand-outs in the cast come courtesy Matthew Combs as Link Larkin, Jamila Hunter as the Big Blond and Beautiful Mothermouth Maybell. Her Act 2 performance of I Know Where I’ve Been, a song that temporarily refocuses the action away from the silliness of Tracy’s TV dreams to the seriousness of racial issues that sadly still exist, is hands-down the best moment in the show.  The feisty and adorable Mikquala Skelton as Little Inez is just a joy to watch. Lastly, Mairys Joaquin, Jameka Lache Horton and Alexandra West as The Dynamites, the show’s girl group trio of backup singers provide some of the show’s most gorgeous voices.

Brian Best (center) and the cast of “Hairspray”

Then there’s the aforementioned Brian Best as Edna Turnblad. In the previously mentioned original incarnations of Hairspray, the role of Edna has been played by gender-ignoring camp comedy drag legend, Divine, Broadway icon Harvey Fierstein and John Travolta…yes, even Vinnie Barbarino/Danny Zuko donned a dress to play the role of Edna Turnblad. Edna isn’t entirely new to Best, having played her a couple of years ago in another local production of the show. I was fortunate enough to have seen Best in the production as well and found it quite interesting that under the direction of Bowie, this Edna seems a bit more real, more Waters-esque. Over the top, sure—it kind of comes with the territory—but the Roxy’s Edna seems to heart-wrenchingly wallow in self deprecation while simultaneously building up her daughter in an effort to not let her fall into her mother’s patterns. Best’s Edna also has a grittier, less polished look than his previous turn, whether a choice by the actor and director, or simply by necessity of whomever did Best’s Edna makeup. Either way, it works, especially when she gets the confidence boost she needs and realizes beauty comes in all shapes and sizes.

The Roxy’s Hairspray features a talented group of actors, singers and dancers. Gotta love the school deskograpy from the get go, as well as what I’ll dub the bellography during Tracy’s dreamlike I Can Hear the Bells.

The set, designed by Bowie and Emily Rourke seems at times a bit compact, especially the Turnblad house, but it’s effective and clever, after all, what better way to emphasize the stature of Edna and her mini-me, Tracy than to present a house that’s literally busting at the seams? If there was once drawback to the production, it would have to be the fact that the actors weren’t wearing mics. As mentioned at the top of this review, this was my first time to attend a show at the Roxy, and it was my own fault for not requesting tix earlier. Perhaps because of this, my seats were near the back of the venue and right in front of a wall-mounted speaker, which may have attributed to my inability to hear certain performers and musical numbers.

Nonetheless, thanks to my own familiarity with the show and the cast’s non-stop energy, enthusiasm and all-out apparent excitement to be performing in the show, Roxy’s Hairspray is indeed worth the drive to Clarksville.

Hairspray continues at Roxy Regional Theatre (100 Franklin Street, Clarksville, TN) with performances through Saturday, September 29. Tickets are $25 for Adults and $15 for children 13 and under. CLICK HERE for showtimes, tickets or more information. To find out more about Roxy Regional Theatre, 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.

Music City is getting schooled by a talented band of pre-teens; Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber’s ‘School of Rock’ at TPAC thru Sunday, September 16

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Members of the cast of “School of Rock”, National Tour at TPAC thru Sunday, September 16

Just days after a win at this year’s Creative Arts Emmy ceremony for last year’s NBC live musical presentation of Jesus Christ Superstar secured Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber’s much-deserved place as an EGOT winner (artists, performers and creatives who’ve been awarded each of the four major awards—Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony), the legendary Broadway composter’s School of Rock began the Nashville leg of their current national tour as the show opened to an enthusiastic crowd of all ages Tuesday, September 11 at TPAC’s Jackson Hall. The show continues at TPAC with shows through Sunday, September 16.

As the show’s title implies, School or Rock is exactly that, a musical laced with rockin’ tunes. Based on the 2003 comedy film starring Jack Black, School of Rock tells the story of a wannabe rock star who, as my late father would have said, is “living the life or Riley”. (google it, kids) Scraping by by way of the kindness of his best friend as he continues to pursue his rock n roll pipe dream, Dewey Finn unexpectedly finds himself substitute teaching a group of kids at a prestigious school. When he discovers they all posses heretofore unnurtured musical skills, Dewey sets out to cultivate a new rock band, developing a genuine concern for the kids, as well as his own true purpose, in the process. Played by former 2014 Book of Mormon Broadway star, Rob Coletti presents Dewey with a familiarity and ease that has the audience rooting from the slacker from the get. Attempting to steal the spotlight from his fellow hair-metal bandmate in the show’s concert-esque, albeit hilariously titled opening number, I’m Too Hot for You immediately reveals Dewey’s irreverent demeanor.

Easily one of the most joy-filled Lloyd Webber musical to hit the stage. A major part of that joy comes courtesy the show’s aforementioned younger cast members, mostly pre-teen, the dozen or show kids featured in the show play their own instruments, and they do so with confidence and talent far exceeding their young ages.

Among the talented youth band are: guitarist Mystic Inscho as Zack, bassist Leanne Parks as Katie, drummer Cameron Trueblood as Freddy and keyboardist Theo Michell-Penneron as Lawrence. Among the all-in musical highlights are Act 1’s You’re in the Band, Stick it to the Man and In the End of Time, as well as Act 2’s high-energy eponymous tune, School of Rock.

Borrowing a phrase from Dewey, himself, who may or may not have heard it in a Witney Houston song, after seeing these mega-musically gifted kids rock out during the entire show, I, too believe the children are our future.

In addition to Lloyd Webber’s genius score, School of Rock also features the work of lyricist Glenn Slater (Sister Act: The Musical, The Little Mermaid, and Lloyd Webber’s Phantom sequel, Love Never Dies) and book by Downton Abbey creator, Julian Fellows. , adding even more of an unexpected pedigree to the show.

While School or Rock isn’t exactly high-brow musical theatre, after all, our hero scams his way into a teaching job, and the plot features some major stereotypes like one girl’s two gay dads flitting around in overly-dramatic exasperation, and a staunch, career-driven female school principal who only has time for work. Nonetheless, Fellows’ clever and funny book presents these now seemingly un-PC characters with humor and heart, allowing the audience to not only laugh at the absurdity of the stereotypes, but to perhaps embrace them. After all, it’s easier to accept and understand things if they are presented with a wink.

Rob Colletti and Lexie Dorsett Sharp in “School or Rock”

In the role of Rosalie Mullins, the above-referenced school principal is Lexie Dorsett Sharp. Initially portrayed as a strict, but caring administrator, once she literally and figuratively lets her hair down in Act 2’s Where Did the Rock Go?, it’s evident why she was cast. Equally introspective and all-out show-stopping, it’s the most Lloyd Webber moment of the entire show and Dorsett Sharp not only rises to the occasion, she surpasses it giving Rosalie true diva status joining the ranks of Lloyd Webber’s best, including Eva, Grizabella and Christine.

It’s more than just the principle actors who attribute to the show’s rockstar quality, but also the entire ensemble. In adult roles, Layne Roate and Emily Borromeo are perfectly cast as Dewey’s put-upon roommate Ned and Ned’s overbearing, but well-meaning girlfriend, Patty.

As for the kids, in addition to the aforementioned band-mates, Sami Bray as Summer, the precocious and persnickety band manager, Grier Burke as Tomika, the seemingly shy new girl at school who not-so-surprisingly wow the audience with killer vocal skills as the lead singer, and Sammy Dell as Billy, the band’s flamboyant young stylist (draw your own conclusions about that one) are all equally charming, and as equally adept as scene-stealing as the rest of their co-stars, young or old.

On the subject of charm, anyone who’s ever felt like they weren’t measuring up to their parent’s ideals is gonna love Act 1’s bittersweet If Only You Would Listen, in which the kids give voice to…well, finding their own voice amidst their parent’s expectations and constant displeasure in the kids expressing who they are instead of who their parents want them to be. It’s the show’s most charming and heart-tugging tune.

With a rockin’ soundtrack, a charming and ridiculously talented cast and more than a few life lesson to be learned, School of Rock is a two-hour electric eclectic elective everyone in Music City should audit, because when Head Master Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber offers to teach musical theatre, you better sit up, take notes and…at least in this case…ROCK OUT!

School of Rock continues at TPAC’s Jackson Hall with performances through Sunday, September 16 with evening performances at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, September 14 & 15, a Saturday matinee at 2 p.m., a Sunday matinee on the 16th at 1p.m. and a final Sunday evening performance at 6:30. Tickets to School of Rock range in price from $40 to $95. Earlier this week, TPAC announced special Rush Ticket availability for each performance at a discounted rate of $25. To take advantage of the Rush Ticket price, show up at the venue’s box office just inside the lobby at TPAC 90 minutes before showtime. Click Here for tickets or more information.

Not in Nashville, but interested in seeing School of Rock? Follow the show on social media at the official School of Rock site HERE, or on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

While School or Rock is the first show of TPAC’s 2018/2019 Broadway season, it’s only the beginning. Next up is The Play That Goes Wrong with performances October 9-14. CLICK HERE for tickets, or more information about TPAC’s full upcoming 2018-2019 Broadway season. You can also keep up with the latest from TPAC on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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

 

 

 

Studio Tenn has created a monster hit with newly written reimagining of ‘Frankenstein’; limited run continues with performances thru Sunday, September 9

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Euriamis Losada stars as The Creature in Studio Tenn’s gorgeous retelling of “Frankenstein” on stage thru Sunday, September 9 (all photos by MA2LA/Courtesy Studio Tenn)

Broadway quality original theatre is ALIVE and well courtesy Studio Tenn’s latest offering, Frankenstein, onstage at Jamison Theatre in The Factory at Franklin. Opening just last weekend, on Friday, August 31, the show will wrap it all-too-brief World Premiere run with three remaining shows this weekend.

Having penned Studio Tenn’s hugely popular musical The Battle of Franklin, playwright A.S. Peterson has collaborated with the company to retell the story of Frankenstein. What’s more, 2018 marks the bicentennial of when novelist Mary Shelley first published the tale in what is widely considered the first gothic horror tale.

As with most Studio Tenn productions, first and foremost, it’s simply a gorgeous production. Matt Logan, Studio Tenn’s genius Artistic Director is once again, not only at the helm as the show’s director, but also onboard as Costume and Scenic Designer. From the first glimpse of the set, there’s a sense of the familiar, with a medical skeleton, a bookcase full of what’s presumed to be medical journals and such to the left and an eerie wooden casket and graveyard to the right. All these elements are necessary and recognizable to anyone who’s read Shelly’s original tale of a not-so-mad scientist who discovers he as the power to reanimate the dead. While those elements are expected, it’s the stunningly gorgeous glass structure center stage that breathes new life into the centuries old tale. Logan has constructed a central focus set piece that at various times during the show seems reminiscent of stained glass, a kaleidoscope, a patchwork quilt, a broken mirror or perhaps the burgeoning industrial age, prompting the audience to evoke associations with everything from Dr. Frankenstein’s God-like power of creation, the literal construction of another human being, the idea that we are all part of a greater picture or perhaps, or most accurately, what we see as broken in others is usually a reflection of our own shortcomings. Then again, maybe it’s just a pretty set piece (I highly doubt that). That’s the beauty of Logan’s design, it’s open to interpretation.

Expected from any Studio Tenn production, the cast of Frankenstein is top-notch. Jared Reinfeldt as Dr. Victor Frankenstein is handsome an earnest as he struggles to maintain a romantic relationship with his betrothed while simultaneously attempting to measure up to his father and the memory of his late mother.

Jared Reinfeldt and Euriamis Losada as Master and Creation.

Euriamis Losada as The Creature is mesmerizing. Unlike many interpretations of the story, this creature speaks and when he does its with a powerful booming voice. As handsome as his creator, Losada shaved his head for the role, and though its covered with a patchwork of stitches—perhaps a visual tie to the above-referenced patchwork look of the background set piece—his beauty shines through. Fitting, as a recurring theme of the piece is to not judge one for their outward appearance, but rather their inner beauty. Losada’s Frankenstein is equally effective whether lumbering around menacingly or revealing his scared uncertain side. I loved the visual detail of the hem of The Creature’s cloak being ragged and mud clodded, a perfect subliminal reference to the struggles he’s endured hiding away from society. Just another serene Matt Logan touch.

Doomed Lovers Reinfeldt and Morgan Davis as Victor and Elizabeth

Morgan Davis is cast as Elizabeth Lavenza, Frankenstein’s cousin who also just so happens to be his love interest (it is the early 1800s after all). Her beauty is only enhanced by Logan’s gorgeous, detailed and period-accurate costumes. Her black and grey gown is simply stunning. Like her co-stars, Davis’ Elizabeth, through her no-holds-barred dialogue with Frankenstein, reinforces the ideal of everyone feeling like an outsider from time to time. She also perfectly represents the changing attitudes of women and their place in society. Also appreciated, a single line in which Davis’ Elizabeth casually notes that perhaps she’ll write a book about Victor’s experiments, a clever tip-of-the-hat to the fact that it was indeed a female who wrote the story of Frankenstein.

Appearing in dual roles is Henry Arnold as both Victor’s father, Alphonse Frankenstein and the seafaring Captain Winthrop. As usual, Arnold, a staple of Nashville area theatre, turns in a fantastic performance…times two. Rounding out the stellar cast are Regan Holmberg, Amanda Card, Austin Olive, Matthew Rose, Margaret Rodgers and Liam Searcy.

Being a bit of a Frankenstein fan myself, I appreciate the playwright’s nods to, not only the original source material, but also iconic adaptations through the ages. While the original novel tells the tale by way of letters written by a sea captain to his sister, playwright Peterson honors that origin by having Dr. Victor Frankenstein mysterious appear aboard Captain Winthrop’s ship at the top of the action, where he commences to tell the story of what brought him their. Not long after, The Creature also appears to tell his side of the story. When this sequence occurs, I literally got chills when the aforementioned mirrored background suddenly morphed into what can only be described as the vastness of outer space, thanks to lighting designer Stephen Moss and technical director Mitch White. Appropriately, when The Creature speaks of his creation, the background projects an endless seas of microscopic stars in the galaxy, a literal allusion to the creation.

The Creature speaks of his creation

Another nod to previous incarnations of the story occurs in Frankenstein’s appearance. I for one appreciate the wink to James Whale’s 1931 Universal Pictures film…no Frankenstein’s not square- headed with bolts jutting out of his neck like film’s iconic Boris Karloff, but he is wearing similar footwear…YES, Studio Tenn’s Frankenstein is seen with ultra-sensible orthotics.  Also in reference to the film is a scene involving a flower and another involving a kindly old blind man (played with his usual humor by frequent Studio Tenn actor, Garris Wimmer).

While Peterson’s script does indeed pay homage to previous incarnations, he adds his own twist to this new adaptation. One twist involves the shocking outcome of an encounter with Frankenstein’s little brother (charmingly portrayed by young Micah Williams), but I’ll save the details of that twisted scene for those attending the show.

Overall, the show is a surprisingly fresh take on Shelley’s original. With a bit of editing in Act 1 to tighten up some unnecessarily lengthy scenes, this show deserves a full run. Perhaps, as they did with the playwright’s previous work for Studio Tenn, they’ll revisit Frankenstein for a lengthier run during a future season, or perhaps Peterson could follow up with The Bride of Frankenstein. After all, by play’s end, there seems to be an obvious choice for who could play the title role as Morgan Davis’ Elizabeth seems reminiscent of Billie Piper’s performance as Lily from the recent Showtime series, Penny Dreadful.

Frankenstein wraps it’s run this weekend with a 2 p.m. matinee and a 7 p.m. evening show Saturday, September 8 and a final Sunday matinee at 2 p.m. on September 9. CLICK HERE for tickets.

Up next for Studio Tenn is their annual One Night Only Patron Party on Thursday, October 4, followed by the One Night Only Gala on Friday, October 19. Their 2018/2019 season continues with Disney’s Beauty and the Beast from Friday, December 7-Sunday, December 30. Then, it’s 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.

Minnie Pearl musical debuts at Chaffin’s Barn Dinner Theatre; limited run continues through September 13

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Melissa Silengo as Cousin Minnie Pearl (photo by Michael Scott Evans/courtesy Chaffin’s Barn Dinner Theatre)

For their Thursday, September 6 matinee, Chaffin’s Barn Dinner Theatre unveiled the World Premiere musical, Minnie Pearl: All the News from Grinder’s Switch”, penned by Belmont University Professor of Music Business, Dr. Don Cusic. Directed by Chaffin’s own Joy Perryman, the musical examines how Sarah Cannon came to create her beloved character, Cousin Minnie Pearl, a staple on both  Nashville’s famed Grand Ole Opry and the long running CBS television series Hee Haw. From her first “HOWDEE” on WSM radio’s Opry broadcast in 1940, until her final appearance a half a century later, Cannon’s Minnie Pearl made her mark as one of our nation’s premiere female comedienne. Minnie Pearl: All the News from Grinder’s Switch continues it’s limited run through September 13.

Fresh off her return engagement as Mother Superior in Sister Act, Chaffin’s Artistic Director, Martha Wilkinson appears as Sarah Cannon as she reveals the genesis of Cousin Minnie. Melissa Silengo, who just closed her role as Katherine Plummer in Circle Players’ brilliant production of Disney’s Newsies, will play Cannon’s on-stage alter-ego, Minnie Pearl. Of her two leading ladies, Perryman said, “Both of these talented women are incredibly gifted in the same ways as Minnie Pearl. They both have the comedic chops to land a joke squarely on target and both sing like nobody’s business!” Of the duo’s musical talents (to which I too can attest), Perryman continued, “The duet that ends Act 1 might just prove to be the biggest showstopper this year”.

On playing Cousin Minnie, Silengo exclaimed, “I am so honored to have the chance to play such a well-loved Nashville legend”. Addressing the familiarity of the character, Silengo continued, “It seems everyone knows Minnie Pearl to some degree, even if it is only her price tag, and I am excited to get to know her from the inside out”. Noting more than a passing physical resemblance to Queen of Cornpone, she revealed, “A few times, people have said I reminded them of Minnie Pearl, and I always took it as a complement”. “Hopefully, I will remind people of her in the show”, noted the young Minnie co-star.

When asked about her involvement in the show itself, Silengo gushed, “I am so excited to do this show with a super-talented cast and Joy Tilley-Perryman directing at the Barn, where I know audiences will eat it up (along with the buffet). Joy knows comedy so well, especially the Southern variety,  and I trust that she can help me craft my performance with the timing and whit that Minnie Pearl deserves.” Borrowing one of her character’s trademark phrases, Silengo concluded, “I’m just so proud to be here!”

As Silengo mentioned, Cannon’s Minnie Pearl was known for wearing a straw hat brimmed with flowers and a still-present price tag. Country comedy aficionados can quickly tell you that price tag read $1.98. Legend has it, Cannon simply forgot to take the tag off before wearing the hat onstage, but thanks to her quick-wit, she cleverly worked it into her routine and decided the tag would stay. While Cousin Minnie Pearl was known for the aforementioned straw hat (tag included), she also quickly developed a signature style that usually included a gingham print dresses, complete with frilly pantaloons, white stockings and black Mary Janes.

In addition to Wilkinson and Silengo, Minnie Pearl: All the News from Grinder’s Switch will also feature Minnie’s frequent comedy partner, Rod Brasfield. Brasfield, as played by Chaffin’s favorite, Everett Tarlton. For those not in the Opry know, Brasfield began his career in the 1920s, but gained national recognition when Grand Ole Opry founder, George Hay hired him to appear on the Opry in 1944. Four years later, divine intervention occurred when Brasfield was teamed with Cannon’s Cousin Minnie created a hilarious duo. Unlike other comedy duos of the day, where one member of the team usually played the straight man, setting up the laughs for the other, Minnie and Brasfield volleyed the jokes back and forth, delivering alternate punch-lines. The two continued to frequently appear together over the next decade until Brasfield’s untimely death in 1958.

When asked about Tarlton’s portrayal of Brasfield, director Perryman predicted, “He will prove to be a more than able partner to Melissa’s Minnie”. Perryman continued by warning, “She just has to make sure he doesn’t steal the show!”

Rounding out the cast of Minnie Pearl: All the News from Grinder’s Switch are Maggie Richardson, Curtis Lemoine, Loren Ferster and Chase Miller. Of the remainder of the cast, Perryman divulged, “We have a fantastic ensemble that will be assisting in every way”.

As the show’s title might indicate, the character of Minnie Pearl is front and center in Chaffin’s production, but it does indeed touch on the woman behind the comedy classic. That stands to reason because, of course Sarah Cannon, herself, was quite a remarkable woman. Having well-established her Minnie Pearl character as a beloved part of country music, Cannon was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1985, undergoing radical treatment, including a double mastectomy. Following this personal trial, Cannon became spokeswoman for the Nashville-based women’s hospital where she received her treatment. It was as Sarah Cannon, not her fictitious alter Minnie Pearl that she took on this task. The facility was later rechristened The Sarah Cannon Cancer Center. The Sarah Cannon Research Facility is also housed in this location. As the result of a debilitating stroke in 1991, Cannon retired her Minnie Pearl character after fifty one years at The Grand Ole Opry. She passed away five years later, on March 4, 1996 but as Chaffin’s Barn Dinner Theatre’s current production proves, her legacy and laughter live on.

Having already SOLD OUT yesterday’s matinee, as well as the show’s Friday, September 7 evening performance and Thursday, September 13’s matinee, you only have two remaining chances to see this show with limited tickets still available for Saturday, September 8’s 7:30 p.m. evening performance (doors open for dinner service at 5:30 p.m) or the Sunday, September 9’s 2 p.m. matinee (door open for lunch service at noon). Evening and Sunday tickets are $62 ($37 Show Only and $18 for Children 12 and under ). As an alternative to their truly delicious buffet dinner, which features prime rib, other meats and an array of vegetable, salad and side options, Chaffin’s recently added yet another dining options with their Small Plate a la carte menu featuring separate pricing per item. Group Rates are also available. CLICK HERE or call the box office at 1-800-282-2276 for tickets or more details.

Following Minnie Pearl: All the News from Grinder’s Switch, Chaffin’s will present Disney’s Newsies onstage September 20-October 27. CLICK HERE for tickets, as this one’s sure to be another popular show for Chaffin’s. 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.

Review: Keeton Theatre proves local audiences will never get enough of ‘Steel Magnolias’

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The cast of The Larry Keeton Theatre’s “Steel Magnolias” onstage thru Saturday, September 1. (photo by Jenny Steiner/courtesy The Keeton Theatre)

Steel Magnolias, Robert Harling’s sentimental stage play about six women who share life’s ups and downs during weekly visits to their local Louisiana beauty shop, has been an audience favorite since it’s debut in 1987. The subsequent 1989 film adaptation starring Dolly Parton and company only served to solidify the piece as a bonafide part of southern pop culture, so It should come as no surprised that nearly every theatrical season includes at least one theatre company in the Nashville area mounting a production of the stalwart southern favorite. This year, than honor/burden is in the hands of Donna Driver as she directs The Larry Keeton Theatre’s current production, continuing its three-week run with performances thru Saturday, September 1.

Appropriately, I chose to attend a Sunday matinee performance of The Larry Keeton Dinner Theatre’s Steel Magnolias. I literally came directly from church. As my friend and I arrived, we sat at a table of ladies, only adding to the magnolia mystique. Befitting any church social or as we call it, dinner on the ground, the delicious pre-show meal consisted of potato salad, mixed veggies, a healthy portion of sliced ham and a dinner roll. Pickup up on the much-lauded color scheme of Shelby Eatenton’s wedding, there was even a creamy jello-based delicious pink dessert, I’m just not sure if the dessert color was blush of bashful. If you’re familiar with Steel Magnolias—and why wouldn’t you be?—you’ll get the reference.

For this visit to Truvy’s Beauty Spot in the fictional town of Chinquepin Parish, Louisiana, director Donna Driver and her creative team offer a wonderfully detailed setting. While enjoying the meal, I had ample time to check out the set. Many previous incarnations of Steel Magnolias that I’ve attended have chosen to line three or four beauty stations side by side facing the audience, while this allows the actors to look towards the audience as they deliver their lines, it also basically ignores the rest of the space and stagnates the action to front and center. Luckily, Driver and company smartly utilize the entire stage, and in doing so, create a totally believable version of Truvy’s Beauty Spot. Instead of a row of beauty chairs, two beauty stations face each other center stage with a lighted, framed invisible mirror between them. Congratulations to Driver and her husband, Kevin Driver, who designed the set, as well as scenic construction team members Jessi Boyer and Randall Seymour for this more realistic placement of the beauty stations. Kudos also to the show’s director for keeping the actresses from looking straight through the non-existent mirror, but rather, leaning or walking around to address their co-stars positioned in the beauty station on the other side of the divider. Continuing the realness of the shop, the entrance to the shop is located in the back left corner of the stage, a wash station back center and an unseen kitchen, back left. The walls, adorned with family photos, an inspirational saying or two and an array of 80s-era decor, including the minute detail of wallpaper boarders running along the top of each wall, reinforces the 80s vibe. Also of note, design-wise, is the inclusion of a sprig of magnolia blossoms atop the shop’s waiting area. Not only a staple of design for the day, a nice wink to the show’s title. I had almost forgotten my own mom’s similar wall decor, which may or may not still be hanging in her living room (Note to self to notice next time I’m home for a visit).

On the subject of attention to detail, property mistress Melanie Ray and costumer Amy Slade deserve special mention for perfectly capturing the look and feel of the now-iconic late-80s. You gotta love the fact that following a casual reference to Cher, one of the ladies is seen thumbing through what appears to be a period-authentic copy of McCalls magazine with the Moonstruck star on the cover. Another nice atmospheric detail comes when the boom box plays Manic Monday and a few other late-80s tunes.

For the Keeton’s Steel Magnolias, director Diver has enlisted the talents of a great mix of actresses familiar to Keeton and Nashville’s theatrical community alongside a few Keeton newcomers.

Making her Keeton debut as Truvy (the Dolly Parton role for the unfortunately uninformed) is Kristian Dambrino. A former pageant girl herself, Dambrino looks and dresses more like the love-child of a younger, prettier Married with Children’s Peggy Bundy and Full House’s Kimmy Gibbler than the iconic portrayal Dolly gave the role of Truvy in the film, and that’s not exactly a bad thing. Dambrino brings the sass and sex appeal to the role that’s expected. What’s more, she does so without simply mimicking Dolly’s version of the character. Perhaps because of her own pageant history, Dambrino also seems to actually be able to ‘do’ hair, as she is seen taking down rollers, back-coming and creating a believable up-do all the while extolling words of wisdom and wise-crack as called-for in the show’s dialogue. Kudos also to Dambrino’s Truvy for being one of only a couple of the ladies to truly embrace the southern adage of “the bigger the hair, the closer to God”. After all, Steel Magnolias is, and always should be, a hair-raising dramedy.

Also making her Keeton debut is Meredith Daniel as Annelle Dupuy, Truvy’s quirkily shy new assistant. I’ll just say it…Daniel gives one of the most engaging and entertaining performances of the show. As written, the character undergoes the most changes throughout the show and Daniel embraces those transformations to the fullest. Even when she’s not the focus of the action, thanks to direction from Driver and what I can only assume is the actress’ own innate sense of being present in the action of the piece, Daniel turns in the most complete and thoroughly spellbinding performance of the show. From clutching her cross necklace or franticly flipping through her Bible for words of inspiration and solace during risqué conversation, to timidly attempting to hand a glass of water to an irritated Ouiser, I couldn’t take my eyes off Daniel’s Annelle.

Cast as Shelby Eatenton is Brianne Waters. Quite often Shelby is played with a penchant for over-exaggeration. I personally blame Julia Roberts’ gigantic mouth for that, as the image of her diabetic freak-out in the movie version is forever emblazoned in my mind. Refreshingly, Waters plays Shelby a little closer to the vest. When it comes time for the famed “drink your juice, Shelby” scene, her diabetic episode is played much more internally, only adding to the drama. The kindness Waters’ Shelby shows Daniel’s Annelle and the more serious tone of the scene with Shelby’s mother, nicely showcase Waters’ talents.

Speaking of Shelby’s mother, Kate Adams is fantastic as M’Lynn Eatenton. While her character’s hair/wig never quite achieves brown football helmet status, Adams embraces M’Lynn’s steel magnolia status to the fullest. In a classic scene, when M’Lynn and Shelby discuss Shelby’s medically ill-advised pregnancy, Adams exemplifies the unwavering emotion and immeasurable concern anyone who has a mother…or is a mother…can surely identity with. During the aforementioned “drink your juice, Shelby” scene, Adams’ M’Lynn is composed and in control. On a personal note, having had my share of medical issues as a child, and being blessed with an equally composed mom, this scene always makes my eyes sweat. Thanks to Adams’ nurturing but firm portrayal, this time was no exception.

Yet another quotable Steel Magnolia line “Here, hit Ouiser” comes late in the show when M’Lynn is dealing with the greatest loss any mother can endure. That line is delivered by Clairee Belcher, and is aimed towards Ouiser Boudreaux. The show’s odd couple, if you will, Clairee is the town’s former first lady, who just so happens to be best friends with Ouiser, the town’s grumpy old lady.

While Shirley MacLaine’s Ouiser is one of my favorite movie characters ever, it often seems lazy and uninspired for an actress to try to mimic her characterization for the stage. Thankfully, Deb Moore’s Ouiser doesn’t even try to duplicate MacLaine’s interpretation, instead offering a more realistic version. If you’re from the south,s surely you know more than one bitter old lady who’d rather hang with their dog than expose her true kindly nature. That, my friends is Moore’s Ouiser. One thing I love about her portrayal is that Moore’s Ouiser is unapologetically ill-tempted. Instead of simply being a bit of comic relief in her absurdity, as the character proudly boasts, “I’m not crazy, I’ve just been in a very bad mood for the past forty years”. I’ve never believed that line more and I can definitely relate.

Rounding out the cast is Linda Speir as Clairee, the actress’ fourth time in the role. I interviewed Speir for her second portrayal, and earlier this year, I interviewed and reviewed her third turn as Clairee. During that interview, I made the declaration that she should be cast as Clairee in all local productions going forward, so it was nice to see the Keeton agreed with me. Interestingly, when I interviewed her earlier this year, I asked her if her Clairee changes from production to production. She said it did and that the different casts and direction brought out something different to her portrayal. Having seen her interact with two casts now, and under the direction of Driver, I can absolutely attest to the fact that she spoke the gospel truth. Looking simply regal as Chinquepin Parish’s former first lady, Speir’s Clairee is the glorious personification of the well-bred southern woman. While Harling’s script never calls for Clairee to utter the classic “bless your heart”—you know, the ultimate dagger-shooting backhanded remark—Speir’s Clairee does get the chance to say some of the most outlandish things, but she does so in such a classy, molasses-laden way that should she actually slap Ouiser, Ouiser would likely thank her for it.

While the aforementioned accolades for the actresses’ portrayals are indeed warranted, enough can not be said for the director. Having witnessed more than my share of marginal Steel Magnolias performances over the years…even before the past decade of reviewing shows, I willingly attended productions of the show simply because I adore it…I’ve seen some doozies. Driver’s direction goes beyond duplicating the beloved film version. She returns the nuanced and quirky nature of Harling’s written word and thereby elevates the Keeton’s Steel Magnolias to the treasured status it deserves.

One final note. Between the action of the show’s final two scenes, he choice to include an audio snipped of Dolly Parton’s Eagle When She Flies, specifically the song’s third verse containing the lyrics: “Gentle as the sweet magnolia, strong as steel her faith and pride”, perfectly describes Harling’s beloved work…and Keeton’s faithful and moving presentation of Steel Magnolias.

Steel Magnolias wraps its three-week run at The Larry Keeton Dinner Theatre (108 Donelson Pike) with evening performances Thursday, August 30 thru Saturday, September 1 with dinner service at 6 p.m. and show  beginning at 7 p.m. Dinner and Show tickets are $30 for Adults, $20 for Children 12 and under OR Show Only tickets for $25 for Adults or $15 for Children 12 and Under. Thursday night’s show is SOLD OUT, as has been the majority of the run. Limited tickets are available for Friday and Saturday night performances. Call 615.883.8375 for tickets and availability.

Next up at The Larry Keeton Dinner Theatre from Thursday, October 11-Saturday, October 27 is The 25 Annual Putnam Country Spelling Bee directed by Suzanne Spooner-Faulk. CLICK HERE for tickets or more information.

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

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

Review: Renaissance Players’ ‘Church Basement Ladies’ serves up a heavenly smorgasbord of laughter and music

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The cast of Renaissance Players’ “Church Basement Ladies”

Let me start this review by saying, I almost didn’t post it at all. Not because the show isn’t hilarious…it is. Not because the accompanying dinner isn’t church-social-worthy…it is. I almost didn’t review the show because, quite frankly, after seeing it last weekend, the remaining performances through tonight SOLD OUT earlier this week. That said, I feel Renaissance Players Gaslight Dinner Theatre production of Church Basement Ladies is indeed due any and all praise.

I’ll also admit I had never heard of Church Basement Ladies, perhaps because I didn’t grow up in the midwest and wasn’t raised Lutheran. After doing a little research, I discovered Church Basement Ladies is the musical adaptation of of Janet Letnes Martin‘s and Suzann Nelson’s 1997 book, Growing Up Lutheran. Oh, wait…I do remember that title from my years of working at Tower Books. In case you’re still not familiar…Think Nunsense, but replace Catholicism with Lutheranism and swap out the sassy nuns for a group of ladies who, as the primary cooks in the church kitchen, are the backbone of the community. Being raised Church of Christ and knowing a few church ladies myself, I can totally relate.

For Renaissance Players’ Church Basement Ladies, Brett Myers, fresh off his starring role as Seymour in Little Shop of Horrors, steps behind the scenes to direct. For his cast, he’s enlisted the help of two of his former Little Shop co-stars, Tory Gunn and Leslie Kopischke, as well as first time Ren Players Abigail Nichol and Lindsay Terrizzi Hess. Rounding out the cast is Brian Best, having most recently appeared in Audience of One’s West Side Story.

Set in 1965, Church Basement Ladies takes place in the titular church basement, which houses the aforementioned kitchen, as well as the Pastor’s office and an unseen–but key to a few subplots–boiler room. Designed and constructed by Jon Kopischke, Marc Pearson and Scott Mollenhour, the set is perfectly charming. If you’ve ever stepped foot in a church basement, or fellowship hall, you’re feel right at home as it’s complete with a refrigerator (the light actually turns on when the door opens), a stove and a freezer big enough to hide a bride or cool a menopausal church lady, but I digress.

With Closer to Heaven (in the church basement) as the show’s opening number, it’s quickly evident this isn’t some thought-provoking theatrical piece. Other clever titles range from The Pale Food Polka, My Own Personal Island (the above referenced menopausal number) and Dead Spread, a little ditty about funeral food. These are just a few of my favorites. There’s also For Good (NO, not the Wicked one) but like Elphaba’s change of heart tune, this one also encompasses on of the show’s ah-ha moments.

Gunn as Vivian, Kopischke as Mavis and Terrizzi Hess as Karin portray the main three church ladies. Gunn is the epitome of the know-it-all, self-appointed ruler of the roost as Vivian. She plays her as a doddering old lady who’s equal parts sweet and bitter. While the entire cast does an affable job with the musical numbers, it’s Gunn’s voice that shines in many of the show’s group numbers.

Kopischke’s Mavis is strictly played for laughs, think Mama’s Family’s Mother Harper mixed with the often outrageousness of any given Betty White role. An achievement in itself, considering Kopischke’s youth.

Terrizzi Hess, whom I first became aware of when she starred in The Keeton Theatre’s South Pacific, is enjoyable as Karin, the youngest of the church ladies, who’s poised to take the helm when and if a changing of the guard ever occurs within the ranks of the church basement. Cast as the mother to Nichol’s character, Terrizzi Hess plays the role with a kindness, while not allowing herself to be taken advantage of. Taking the lead on several of the musical numbers, Terrizzi Hess proves she’s got the talent to do so.

As Karin’s daughter, Signe, Nichol’s frequent visits home provide many of the show’s set-ups, as they coordinate with holidays and special occasions in which the church ladies would be in the basement preparing meals. Nichol’s Signe represents the changes, not just among the church ladies, but in the world around them as she have ventured out beyond their small town and the sanctuary of…well, their sanctuary. But just when you think the show might tackle some more serious issues, there’s a will-they or won’t-they wedding instead. While the entire show is kitschy and cute, one near-finale scene gets a little too outrageous for my taste, reminding me of some of many of the farcical shows local dinner theatre’s tend to have a penchant for.

On the subject of outrageous, Best’s Pastor Gunderson is uncharacteristically played down from the usual scene-stealing I associate with Best. Yes, he gets to guffaw it up in a bunny suit (Hey, the remains shows are SOLD OUT, so it’s not really a SPOILER, right) but it’s when he deals with the show’s more tender moments, like the death of a dedicated church employee that Best is, well…best (I”ll never stop using that when reviewing show’s he’s in…I mean, it’s right there in the name). Best serves up the laughs and the more serious emotions with equal finesse.

Speaking of serving…the dinner portion of Renaissance Players’ at the Gaslight Dinner Theatre serves up a delicious meal, catered by The Front Porch, located in nearby downtown Dickson, is the stuff of which Sunday dinner’s on the ground are made. I truly love that the area dinner theatres have all stepped up their food-game in recent years, and I credit it to The Gaslight Dinner Theatre, who’ve consistently served delicious fare from the beginning.

If you missed out on Renaissance Players’ Church Basement Ladies, considering virtually the entire run was SOLD OUT, I’m convinced saying a little prayer might bring Vivian, Mavis, Karin, Signe and The Pastor back to The Gaslight Dinner Theatre. After all, like the above-referenced Nunsense, there are–to date–five sequels to the original, including Church Basement Ladies 2: A Second Helping. If Renaissance Players is smart, they’ll be securing the rights to that one for next season.

Up next for The Renaissance Players, upstairs at the Renaissance Center in the auditorium, is Disney’s Alice In Wonderland Jr. with shows September 21-September 30. CLICK HERE for tickets. To keep up with the latest from Renaissance Players, follow them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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Review: Street Theatre founder Cathy Street returns to mine plenty of talent in surprisingly poignant ’Burnt Part Boys’

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On the heels of previous mountings of the classic Three Penny Opera, the slightly more obscure Eclipsed and the quirky Title of Show, Street Theatre Company continues to showcase the theatre’s ability to offer up rarely presented theatre with their current production, The Burnt Part Boys; on-stage thru September 1. What’s more, Cathy Street, the company’s founder has briefly returned to Nashville to direct with musical direction from STC’s Artistic Director Randy Craft and a mood-enhancing set courtesy Will Butler.

While the story of a West Virginia coal mine set to reopen in 1962, on the tenth anniversary of a fatal cave-in that took the lives of several of the small town’s men might not seem the stuff of which musicals are made, in the more than capable hands of Street and the top-notch cast she’s assembled, The Burt Part Boys is an unexpectedly emotional coming-of-age story, the likes of which Nashville’s theatre community has rarely seen.

Surprisingly, The Burnt Part Boys isn’t the first musical to broach the subject of a mining town, lest we forget Billy Elliott the Musical, the lesser-known Floyd Collins and the oft-rumored in-the-works Loretta Lynn forthcoming autobiographical musical, but thanks to Street Theatre’s current production, it’s certain to ignite interest going forward.

Kayla Petrille, Seth Bennett and Chamberlin Little in STC’s “The Burnt Part Boys” (photos by Sarah Johnson/courtesy Street Theatre Company

The Burnt Part (named for the section of the mine where the aforementioned fatal accident occurred) is of particular interest brothers Jake (Nick Fair) and Pete (Seth Bennett) and their respective best pals Chet (Shane Kopischke) and Dusty (Chamberlin Little). As the play opens, Jake and Chet, both now grown men, are excited about the reopening of the mine and the chance to carry on their late-fathers’ legacies as they take up the literal torch to join the miners. Meanwhile, armed with a bit of TNT borrowed from Jake’s locked work-kit, younger brother Pete, who was only a toddler when the mine shut down, has other ideas, as he convinces his friend Dusty to join him on an mission to stop the mine from reopening. Along the way the two younger boys enlist the help of Francis (Kayla Petrille), orphaned by the incident, to be Sacagawea to their Lewis and Clark.

Poignantly featured throughout the piece as the men lost in the mine’s now legendary cave-in are Imari Thompson, Tyler Evick, Elliott Robinson, and Brooks Bennett. Rounding out the cast is Mike Baum as Pete and Jake’s father (and a myriad of other characters summoned courtesy Pete’s imagination.

With a hefty nod to the storytelling abilities of Mark Twain, playwright Mariana Elder has created a cast of likable young characters. To their credit, each of Street’s actors not only makes the most of their individual roles, but also portrayed this in such a nuanced way that they are uniquely their own.

Making his Street Theatre debut, Fair plays Jake with a bit of self-assuredness mixed with a sense of duty and responsibility. Poised to take up the mantle of leader for the new miners, Fair’s Jake comes across as a natural leader. Fair’s nuanced portrayal emphasizes Jake’s commanding presence by stranding tall, never slouching and walking across the stage with chest-out and arms swinging in perfect synchronized movement.  Conversely, when scenes involving his younger sibling, Jake’s nurturing side is revealed, offering the audience a different side of the seemingly stand-offish Jake.

Nick Fair and Shane Kopischke as Jake and Chet in STC’s “The Burnt Part Boys”

Kopischke’s Chet, on the other hand, while outwardly boasting about his latest romantic conquests, simultaneously talks of contentment with being Jake’s right hand man, revealing a more obvious internal self-doubt and sense of place. The above-referenced nuances of characterization are most evident in Kopischke’s Chet. In finding his character, the actor has adapted a forward-pelvic-thrusted stance and way of walking leading with his hips, perhaps to reinforce the fact that he’s no longer the little boy who lost his father in the mines. It’s a sort of redneck swagger that visually says “I’m the man, don’t f with me”.

Having seen both Fair and Kopischke in shows since they were youngsters, and knowing they have known each other since they were young, it’s nice to see them both mature as actors and to witness their growth as musical performers as well. The fact that they have a friendship off-stage certainly benefits the duo’s onstage chemistry.

As for the younger trio, Seth Bennett’s Pete comes across as the boy next door. Charming, kind, and full of determination. Alluding back to my Mark Twain, comparison, he’s definitely the Tom Sawyer of the piece.

Seth Bennett and Chamberlin Little as Pete and Dusty in STC’s “The Burnt Part Boys”

Pete’s best friend, Dusty is played to perfection by Chamberlin Little. If Pete is Tom Sawyer, think of Little’s Dusty as Tom’s faithful friend Jim, albeit much younger and, in a nice change of pace, the only of the characters whose home life is ideal, considering Pete has both is parents and as the story frequently reminds us, always has plenty of Alpha Bits cereal in stock in the family pantry. Chamberlin plays Dusty with an eagerness and devotion to his friend Pete, but with reservation about their pending mission to stop the mine from reopening. Their relationship showcases a more balanced friendship that that of Jake and Chet. While the older boys seems to be content with what would appear to almost be status differences, Dusty and Pete are equals in their friendship.

Continuing with the Twain allegory, Petrille’s Frances can be seen as equal parts Huck Finn and Becky Thatcher. Having survived in the woods near the Burnt Part since her father’s death in the mines, she’s got the street smarts—or, more accurately wood smarts of Huck Finn, but when her defenses are down, their an obviously attraction to Pete, allowing her to be just a little bit Becky Thatcher.

While Evick, Robinson, Thompson and Bennett have only limited on-stage time as the original miners, when their voices blend for the ensemble numbers, its a joyful sound indeed. Perhaps because Street Theatre is housed in the auditorium of a church, the term raise the rafters certainly applies. Limited as their appearances are, they’re key to the story and the outcome. There’s truly not a miscast actor amongst the ensemble or the entire show.

Given the fact that Pete was so young when the mining accident occurred, it’s evident he looks up to older brother, Jake as a father figure. Through dialogue and a few clever fantasy sequences, Pete’s penchant for movies of the day, as they relate to historical figures like Sam Houston, Davy Crockett and Jim Bowie is also revealed. Reinforcing the hero status of his late father, you gotta love that Baum not only plays the boy’s dad, but also appears (hilariously so, I might add) as John Wayne, Houston, Bowie and Crockett in these fantasy sequences.

The score, with music by Chris Miller and lyrics by Nathan Tysen, is absolutely beautiful with traces of period-authentic mountain music that doesn’t rest entirely on bluegrass, also incorporating the gentle resonances of mid-century gospel and more classic show tunes of the era. The tunes throughout are enjoyable, with some even evoking unexpected emotions. Heck, my eyes may or may not have sweated a time or two during the show. From Kopischke and Fair’s Eight Hours and Bennett’s telling Man I Never Knew to each and every fantasy segment featuring Baum, the songs, while perhaps not as earworm-worthy as your average Disney musical, do indeed serve the show well.

That said, to be honest, the only song I truly remember is the humorous Davy Crockett, midway through Act 1 as performed by Baum as Crockett and the rest of the company. No, they don’t do a cover of the 1955 chart-topper theme from TV’s Fess Parker-starring western (as sung by then-future Days of Our Lives legend Bill Hayes), instead, it’s a clever little ditty in which Pete imagines Davy helping him break down the fence at the entrance of The Burnt Part. With simple, but noteworthy lyrics about why Davy Crockett hates fences, there’s a definitely SPOILER ALERT hidden within the words of this song.

While that may be the only song I remember, most likely because of my affinity for all things related (even remotely) to Days of Our Lives, the show is peppered with some quite beautiful songs that, in the more than capable talents of cast members like Fair, Bennett and Petrille, serve to not only move the story along, but to also, as indicated above, move the audience as well.

With the majority of the action taking place on the side of the mountain leading to the mine, the choice by director Street and set designer Butler to not go literal with a slanted mountainside, but rather to feature a stripped-down set constructed intricately, but visually simply, of wooden slates, reminiscent of the interior of the mine shaft itself, is truly inspired. Also notable, the movement of the actors as they scale the mountainside, thanks to Street’s astute direction, it comes across as realistic, and not overly-done. Drawing the audience into the physical (and emotional) struggle of these young people as they head to their destiny.

Congrats also to lighting designer Katie Gant, whose subtle, but powerful use of lighting, from a simple flashlight to the dead miner’s headlamps, only adds to the power of the piece.

One final note…with Pete, Dusty and Frances on a course to prevent the mine from opening, and Jake and Chet hot on their their tail like Sam Houston racing to victory in San Jacinto, the fate of our five is blissfully left to interpretation, but thanks to Street’s thoughtful and meticulous direction, there are indeed hints to their fate throughout the play, whether it be as subtle as a spoken promise that comes to fruition in a single action near play’s end, or a shared glance between actors, the hints are their, it’s just perfectly left for the audience to decide, should they choose.

Street Theatre Company’s The Burnt Part Boys continues on the perfectly intimate stage located in the west wing of Holy Trinity Community Church (6727 Charlotte Pike, Nashville, TN 37209) with performances at 7 :30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, August 24 & 25 and Thursday, August 30 thru Saturday, September 1. CLICK HERE for tickets or more information. Next up for Street Theatre is Bklyn: The Musical, on stage November 2-17. Follow Street Theatre Company on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for all the latest.

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.

Review: EXTRA!! EXTRA!! Circle Players presents Broadway-quality production of Disney’s ‘Newsies’: on stage thru August 26

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Circle Player’s “Newsies”, onstage at Looby Theatre thru August 26 (photo courtesy Circle Players)

When the performance rights to Disney’s Newsies recently opened up enabling regional theaters across the country to present the show, about half a dozen Nashville area organizations snatched them up like a New Yorker snatches up their morning paper. Just last month an all-youth production garnered praise for the area’s first of many productions to come. With so many coming productions of Newsies on the horizon, leave it to Circle Players, Nashville’s oldest continuing theatre company, to seize the day by setting the bar extremely high with their current presentation of Newsies, on stage at the Looby Theatre, now through Sunday, August 26.

Based on the eponymous 1993 musical film which fictionalized the real-life New York Newsboy’s Strike of 1899, set to tunes by musical legend Alan Menken, Newsies made the unorthodox backwards transition from screen to stage with a Broadway debut in 2012. Proving just as popular as the modern classic film, the stage adaptation of Newsies reached an even broader audience (and a generation of new fans) when the Broadway production was filmed and released in movie theaters with special screenings in early 2017 and later available for digital download. If there’s one thing Disney knows how to do, It’s give the kids what they want.

So too does Circle Players know how to give the people what they want, having previously scored big with their productions of other Disney favorites including The Little Mermaid and The Hunchback of Notre Dame, so it’s the perfect marriage for Circle Players to present yet another Disney Theatricals production with Newsies.

Speaking of the perfect marriage, by choosing Jim Manning as the show’s director, with Tosha Marie Pendergrast as the show’s choreographer, Circle has found a powerhouse creative team to be reckoned with. Manning, known for his attention to detail as one of Music City’s most gifted set designers and Pendergrast, one of Nashville’s rising choreographers to watch have come together to create a truly Broadway-quality production.

From the moment the curtain rose during the opening weekend performance I attended, I marveled at Manning’s thoughtfully clever set. Rather than going the standard route of either presenting your stereotypical turn-of-the-century New York streetscape or a more stripped-down catwalk-laden industrial look, Manning chose to create his set by brilliantly crafting larger-than-life letter press print blocks and constructing them in a way to not only visually appeal and connect the viewer with imagery of how newspapers are printed, but to also double as the buildings and structures of the story. Pure creative genius, I tell ya.

Then there’s Pendergrast’s equally thoughtful choreography. From the show’s cheer-inducing wow-factor tumbles to what can only be called crutchography and some of the finest and completely synchronized tap and all-in dance number throughout, Pendergrast proves she’s a choreo dream come true.

Also making up Circle’s Newsies creative dream team are DaJuana Hammonds as the show’s musical director, and Kate Veglio as the production’s stage manager. Hammond and the eight piece orchestra she’s assembled—including lead keyboard-Nathan Girard, second keyboard-Francis Ho, guitarist-Dale Herr, bassist-Tom D’Angelo, percussionist-Dennis Palmer, trumpeter-Peter Duarte, woodwind-Raymond Ridley and cellist Julie Adams—perfectly punctuation the action and are proof positive why the show’s original score nabbed a Tony Award during the show’s Broadway run.

Unlike the labors of the director, the choreographer and the musical director, Veglio’s work as stage manger is, for the most part, unnoticed by even the most astute audience member. As stage manager, Veglio is charged with keeping thirty actors—yes there are thirty actors in Newsies—aware of rehearsal schedules, costume fittings and all manner of behind-the-scenes details the average patron probably never even takes into consideration.

Speaking of the thirty cast members, Circle’s Newsies features more than a few new faces and a nice mix of tried and true Circle favorites. Cast in the lead role of Jack Kelly, the newsboy who leads the charge for change by calling for the boys to strike and better pay, is Mike Sallee. The epitome of the triple-threat, Sallee is as gifted an actor as he is dancer and singer, and handsome to boot. Playing Jack with equal parts likability and determination, it’s easy to see why the other newsboys look to him for guidance and why rookie reporter Katherine (Melissa Silengo) is smitten.

Of Silengo’s performance as Katherine, she plays her with a sincerity and a healthy dose of moxie. When she and Sallee duet on Act 2’s Something to Believe In it is absolutely pure Disney magic.

Earlier I referred to some crutchography. For Newsies newbies, let me explain. One of Jack’s best pals goes by the nickname Crutchie because he walks with the aide of a crutch. Cast as Crutchie is Christian Redden. Having first reviewed Redden in Circle Players’ 13: The Musical back in 2011, I was anxious to see how he’d matured as a performer. Because I too walk with the aide of crutches, I was also interested to see how realistically his physicality was portrayed. No surprise Redden’s charm and talent has only flourished with the passage of time, Kudos to him, director Manning and choreographer Pendergrast for skillfully executing Crutchie with believability and dignity, and that aforementioned crutchography…bravo! (Side Note: during the post show meet and greet while chatting with Redden, I did suggest he not wear his long hair in a top-top sticking out the back of his newsboy cap, but rather tuck it behind his ears and wear it down behind the cap for the remainder of the run, as it was a bit distracting and not period accurate). Just another reason why I love my theatre community. Whether he heeds my advice or not, he received it with grace and kindness.

Dwayne Mitchell and Addison Bowen as brothers Davey and Les also turn in noteworthy performances. Leading the charge on the show-stopping Seize the Day near the end of Act 1, the final notes of the song were drowned out the night I attended by the audiences exuberant and well-deserved applause and cheers. Full Disclosure: My eyes may or may not have began to sweat during this all-in call-to-action scene. Mitchell’s Davey begins timid, but when the occasion (and script) calls for it, he tackles the role head-on turing in a near-perfect performance.

As for Bowen’s Les, she (yes, she’s a girl, a fact I didn’t realize until my grand-niece pointed it out) is a scene-stealer of the first degree, forcing the audience to watch her every move and react to her every line. Here’s hoping Circle utilizes the talents of these two while they can.

Like any good Disney story, you have to have at least a few adults in the mix, usually one on the side of the kids and one as the villain. Newsies is no exception. To that end Katharine Boettcher—who I readily admit is one of my current theatre crushes, having fallen under he spell first as Ursula in Circle’s The Little Mermaid, then continued my obsession when she played Lily in Town Center Theatre’s The Secret Garden—is once again perfectly cast, this time as Medda, the vaudeville chanteuse who befriends Jack and the boys and allows them to use her theatre to organize and carry out their strike. She may only have one solo in the entire show, Act 1’s That’s Rich, but she utilized the opportunity to prove why she landed the role. Gush-worthy indeed.

Opposing the strike, there’s Brian Jones newspaper magnate Joseph Pulitzer. Seemingly typecast, due largely because of his rich booming voice and innate ability to intimidate with one searing look, Jones is the perfect Disney villain. Unlike previous roles in prior Circle productions, the majority of Jones’ stage time is spoken and not sung. Effective at both, you still gotta love when he reveals his true business nature by way of the lyrics of Act 1’s The Bottom Line and its Act 2 reprise.

Other notable performances come courtesy William Robinson’s Romeo and Jake Rybczyk’s Tommy Boy, alongside Mitchell’s Davey. Each time these guys dance/tumble across the stage, the audience is wowed. Not to be completely outdone by the boys, Megan Castleberry and Kinsey Burchett as Buttons and Blue turn in a few impressive dance moves of their own, as did the entire company. I swear, not a misstep to be seen from the whole cast, and if there was, with so much action and excitement on stage, who’d notice?

Also watch-worthy are Carter Wright’s Specs, Nick Spencer’s Governor Roosevelt, Sawyer Latham as Morris, Nicholas Page as Mike, Tyler Inabinette as Spot, Austin Jeffrey Smith as Albert and Clay Hillwig in multi-roles of Weizel, Jacobi and the Mayor of NYC.

With a cast of thirty, all of them giving their performance 100%, I could go on and on ad nauseam singing the praises of each and every cast member, and believe me, they each deserve it. The entire cast shines throughout, from Carrying the Banner and the powerful The World Will Know to  Act 2’s Brooklyn’s Here and each reprise of the aforementioned Seize the Day, Circle’s Newsies is sure to go down in Nashville history as headline-making, record-breaking musical theatre.

Circle Players’ Newsies continues its three-week run at the Looby Theatre (2301 Rosa Parks Blvd) with performances through Sunday, August 25. Thursday-Saturday evening performances begin at 7:30 p.m. Sunday matinee performances are at 3 p.m. The Sunday, August 19 performance will be a special Sing-A-Long Sunday during which the audience is encouraged to join in the fun by belting out their favorite tunes along with the cast. Tickets for Thursday performances are $15. Tickets for Friday-Sunday are $20. CLICK HERE to purchase tickets.

After Newsies, Circle Players will present Hair directed by Jason Lewis. 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.