STAGE TUBE: First Night: Honors Gala highlights

With almost 150 performers taking to the stage of Belmont University's Troutt Theatre on Sunday night, September 4, members of the theater community throughout Tennessee joined together to fete the six members of the 2011 Class of First Night Honorees.

Two-time First Night Award winner David Compton was the evening's host, which featured tributes to each of the six honorees -- Pam Atha, Dan Brewer, Gary C. Hoff, Danny Proctor, Layne Sasser and Helen Shute-Pettaway -- with "mini-musicals" and dramatic/comedic scenes designed to spotlight their lifetimes of achievements and accomplishments.

Kicking off with "Another Op'nin', Another Show," performed by headliner Corrie Miller and a cast of 24 singers and dancers, the evening's program of entertainment featured a plethora of Tennessee stage stars taking the stage throughout the night, including: Tonya Pewitt, Stephanie Jones-Benton, Laura Matula, Tamiko Robinson, Jenny Norris-Light, Jennifer Whitcomb-Oliva, Jennifer Richmond, Trey Palmer, Trish Crist, Rachel Agee, Michael Kitts, Ben Gregory, Daniel W. Black, Greg Pendzick, Lindy Pendzick, JoAnn Coleman, Leila Nelson, Ali Gritz, Kandace Williams, Bonnie Keen, Nancy Allen, Matt Baugher and Ginger Newman, along with the cast of 13 the Musical (from Circle Players) led by Delaney Amatrudo, Christian Albright-Redden and Zuri Lyles, and The Renaissance Players' production of Hello, Dolly! featuring Marilyn Fair, Linda Sue Simmons Runyeon, Bryan J. Wlas and Nathan W. Brown.

Members of the 2011 Class of Most Promising Actors -- Erik J. Christensen, Devin Clevenger, Elliott Cunningham, Thomas Harton, Casey Hebbel, Tyler Henry, Faith Kelm, MaryKathryn Kopp, Hannah McGinley, Maggie McNulty, Evan Montgomery, Lindsay Phillpott, Austin Price, Brandy Rogers, Chaz Sanders and Christy White -- performed a medley of "Our Time" from Sondheim's Merrily We Roll Along and Jason Robert Brown's "A New World" from Songs for a New World.

Presenters included Melissa Hade, Tim Holder, Molly Breen Shawn Whitsell, Lisa Marie Wright, Lucy Turner, Amanda Card-McCoy, Jamie Farmer, Nate Eppler, Dietz Osborne, Kelvin Amurgey, Billy Ditty, Brooke Bryant and Ann Street-Kavanaugh.

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