FIVE of Nashville's hottest divas take to the stage 3/28

Five of Nashville's hottest young theatrical divas will take to the stage on Monday, March 28, in the aptly named FIVE, a cabaret performance at Street Theatre Company that is described as "a show full of variety and emotion that showcases the best in each of its performers, set to a simple and classic piano score."

FIVE features the talents of Erin Parker, Melodie Madden Adams, Megan Murphy Chambers, Cori Laemmel and Laura Matula. Born as the brainchild of Parker, FIVE is the culmination of her desire to showcase local Nashville talent and creativity and grew from her aims at putting on her own one-woman show.

"I have been working on cabaret and small performance ideas for years, but I am the queen of thinking myself into paralysis," Parker says. "Oh, if I had a dollar for every time I had a 'brilliant' idea and never did anything with it...I recently made a resolution to stop doing so much thinking and to actually start doing. In this case, the first and most important part of the 'doing' was surrounding myself with smart, creative, talented people."

According to Parker, "One led to two, which led to three, and now FIVE!"

Parker reached out to her top choices, whom she considered to be "women who embodied...talent, creativity, a love of theater and all things musical, and the perfect combination of mutual admiration and respect."

Parker is a veteran singer-actress who performs regularly in Nashville as well as across the country in stage and musical Theater Productions that showcase her vocals, onstage persona and versatility as a performer. Most recently, she was seen in Chess in Concert at Street Theatre Company.

Adams, described as "a timeless throwback of classic beauty, smooth vocals, and acting chops to boot, lends her overflowing bag of tricks to the sheer betterment of FIVE." Adams opens in Boiler Room Theatre's upcoming Crimes of the Heart and was last seen onstage in I'll Be Seeing You at Chaffin's Barn Dinner Theatre.

Chambers, touted as "the comical genius and overall bad-ass singer-actress extraordinaire," is a local favorite in the Nashville theater community with a bulging resume of theatrical triumphs. Most recently, she was seen in I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change and Macabaret at STC.

Laemmel, who has graced almost every stage possible in the local theater scene, recently made her debut with Tennessee Repertory Theatre in Yankee Tavern and was in Nashville Children's Theatre's most recent mounting of Seussical the Musical..

Matula completes the quintet, fresh off her much-heralded performance in Chess in Concert this past February with Street Theater Company and last fall starred as Mimi in Boiler Room Theatre's Rent. Matula will also be trading off on keyboards with Jeffrey Williams.

FIVE is the first production of the newly formed MAS Nashville, a collective of theater professionals working together to support and showcase the best that Nashville has to offer. MAS carries a double meaning to its members as well.

"It is a Mutual Admiration Society of individuals who desire to build up and highlight the talent and enthusiasm in each other, but also MAS - Because There's Always Room for More. More talent, more variety, more opportunity, more support, and (hopefully) reaching more audiences," according to a press release.

"With that theme in mind MAS Nashville presents it's first show, FIVE. Taking its inspiration from five iconic divas, FIVE is a show full of variety and emotion that showcases the best in each of its performers, set to a simple and classic piano score. No flash, no set, no glitz (well, maybe a few rhinestones), but a whole lot of self-possessed knock out performances of everything from Broadway to pop, killer vocals, laughs, a few good cries, and a whole lotta love."

FIVE, presented by MAS Nashville plays one night only, on Monday, March 28 at 7:30 p.m. at Street Theatre Company, 1933, Elm Hill Pike. Tickets are available at the door for $10 (bring a headshot or resume and get your ticket half off). Find MAS Nashville on Facebook for more details and information on how to reserve tickets.

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