FRIDAY 5 (+1): MY FAIR LADY at The Larry Keeton Theatre

Lerner and Loewe's classic Broadway musical My Fair Lady - based on George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion - opens tomorrow night at The Larry Keeton Theatre in Donelson, featuring Erica Patterson (and her understudy Ashley Wolfe, who takes on the iconic role for three performances) as Eliza Doolittle, surrounded by a bevy of Nashville's finest leading men, including Cavender Lane, Elliott Winston Robinson, Chris Cavin, Austin Jeffrey Smith and George Hardimon IV.

The production, which takes on a decided Downton Abbey feel with its 1924 setting in this mounting, runs through March 4, and features an ensemble of players, many of whom are known to theater-goers in the region, as well as a number of new, fresh faces making their Nashville stage debuts.

Today, four of those stellar ensemble members take on our Friday 5 (+1) questions to give you, gentle readers, some inside scoop on what makes them tick - theatrically speaking - and to offer some reasons why you should come to see their show! Enjoy...

Barrett Thomas, Zoltan Karpathy

What was your first "live onstage" taste of theatre? My first onstage appearance was in a church musical at age seven alongside my younger brother. My dad's recording of the performance shows I had little interest in adhering to the choreography, but I certainly contributed my own exuberant freestyle to the production!

What's your favorite pre-show ritual? My favorite preshow ritual is exercise the morning of a performance. It helps clear my mind and calms any nerves I might have.

What's your favorite "the show must go on" memory? A show-must-go-on moment that happened recently was during The Wiz. I had to ditch my blocking to take down a clothesline that had been inadvertently left up earlier in the show. Dorothy getting strangled during the Tornado would have entailed a much bleaker production than the director had in mind!

What's your dream role? Lumière in Beauty and the Beast.

Who's your theatrical crush? My theatrical crush is the entire original Broadway cast of The Light in the Piazza. I went to see them five times during undergrad at NYU and never got enough.

Why should people come see your show? People should come see My Fair Lady to experience the sublime talents of Erica Patterson before the Broadway stage steals her away from Nashville.

Natalie Royal Herb, The Queen of Transylvania

What was your first "live onstage" taste of theatre? If we're getting technical, my first "live onstage" experience was at age five, when I sang "The Smile on Your Face" at my aunt's wedding. A whole year later (at the ripe old age of six), I was the blue Lollipop Guild munchkin in my small town's community theatre performance of Wizard of Oz. I also made a cameo appearance as a flying monkey, which is something I highly recommend trying at least once in your life.

What is your favorite pre-show ritual? In my non-musical theatre life, I'm a songwriter/artist. Before each show, I like to find somewhere quiet to just be alone for at least a minute or two. I picture myself on the stage, I picture the audience in front, and then I erase every single one of them until I'm alone in the venue. I have to remind myself that I'm about to perform for an audience, but I'm also doing something for myself. When I'm on stage, I'm my most vulnerable self, and this minute or two of alone time beforehand allows me to relax and let the audience in.

What's your dream role? Ooh, this is a good one! I was lucky enough to play Maria (my dream role) in my high school's performance of The Sound of Music years ago. I see so much of myself in her character, so it was such a thrilling experience bringing her to life. But I would love to tackle a role that is completely UNLIKE my own personality. Maybe Mrs. Lovett (Sweeney Todd) or Amber Von Tussle (Hairspray), just for a fun challenge.

What's your most memorable "the show must go on" moment? In my songwriter/artist life, I've played numerous shows where the sound cuts out mid-song, a wailing baby decides to join in, the lights are so hot I feel like I'm literally melting, etc... and I always come out unscathed for the most part. I never consider these moments to be "failures", because they all just add to the overall experience and truly emphasize the magic of live performance.

When it comes to sports, though, it's an entirely different story. I was a gymnast when I was younger, but throw in a ball of any kind, and I'm done. I joined a basketball league in 7th grade, and in what I believe was our very first game ever, I botched it big time. One of my teammates passed me the ball, and I started to dribble and run at the same time (not an easy feat for me). As I was nearing the basket, my right shoe just completely fell off of my foot, I tumbled to the ground, and sent the ball flying (not towards the basket). I lost my dignity right along with some game points for my team, but I put my shoe back on, and I KEPT GOING. I don't think I scored a single point the entire game, but I stuck with it for the whole season - 'cause, ya know, the show must go on.

Who is your theatrical crush? Currently...Jake Gyllenhaal. Ummm have you seen his recent practice performance of "Finishing the Hat," (from his upcoming Broadway debut in Sunday in the Park With George)? I've always thought of him as a great actor, but who knew the man also had some vocal chops?

Why should people come see your show? Have you ever wondered where - exactly - the rain in Spain stays? What about where hurricanes hardly ever happen? To find out these answers (and more), you'll have to come to our show. You'll experience a concoction of hoity toity highbrows mixed with drunken low-lives and oodles of entertainment, so I guess you could say there's truly something for everyone! But really - this supremely talented cast has been working tirelessly for the last month and a half (under brilliant direction) to bring this show to life. Come check it out. Wif a little bit a luck, you'll dance all night with us! (Okay, and... scene.)

John Mark Redding, Higgins' Valet

What was your first "live onstage" taste of theatre? Singing as an ensemble member of The Phantom of the Opera, at the Bishop Center for Performing Arts.

What is your favorite pre-show ritual? Observing myself in the mirror for three minutes. Great for bringing out the role which you are going to present.

What's your dream role? Jean Valjean from LES MISERABLES.

Who is your theatrical crush? Rowan Atkinson.

Why should people come see your show? Because everyone loves art which comes from the heart, and that's what we are creating with My Fair Lady.

What's your most memorable "the show must go on" moment? During Freed-Hardeman University's production of Carousel, as Billy Bigelow was dancing on a table, one of the legs broke, and it sagged like a sinking ship, with Billy still aboard. My friends and I held up the table as he finished out the number. It was quite a fun night.

Maggie Jackson, Higgins' housekeeper Mrs. Pearce

What was your first "live onstage" taste of theatre? I performed in my first dance recital in 1999, at age six, but I think what was more formative for me as an actress was the first time I played a character onstage. I was in seventh grade, and our theme for the Spring recital at the Bellevue Dance Center was "Give My Regards to Broadway." My class was performing a jazz number to "King of New York" from Newsies, and our instructor had stressed to us the importance of making sure we informed our movements with boyishness. I loved that dance so much, but didn't realize until recently that what I adored about it was that it was my first theatrical performance.

What is your favorite pre-show ritual? I'm a really big fan of energy circles! Whether it involves tongue twisters, a group stretch, screaming and flailing any existing nerves out, or making a "friendship pizza", the times I feel best about going onstage with a cast is when we've taken that moment to connect with each other before we all go mutter lines to ourselves in our respective corners until "places" is called.

What's your dream role? I've always wanted to be Crystal, Chiffon, or Ronette in Little Shop of Horrors. I definitely have a soft-spot for soulful, Fates-esque ladies who periodically appear from The Shadows in shows to offer sassy narrative through song.

What's your most memorable "the show must go on" moment? My senior year at university, I was in a musical revue called Broadway on the Cumberland, for which I had been costumed in a lovely floor-length strapless white evening gown that I would wear for the entirety of act two. One night, as I'm quick-changing at intermission, the tiny, evil hidden zipper in my dress decided it wasn't going to work anymore. Of course, I had a feature in "You Never Had It So Good" from State Fair coming up in which there was a huge dance break. So, with minutes to go until I'm supposed to be onstage, I am safety pinned into this dress (that I was later seam-ripped out of) with a mink on, standby offstage left, in case something happens. (Reassuring.) In the middle of the number, one of my pins popped while I was singing, and I was just like, "Welp...guess I'm gonna get stabbed while we do this. And maybe my boobs will fall out by the end of it, but by god, I'm gonna be known as the girl who kept dancing even though her boobs flew out of her dress mid-shimmy, because THE SHOW MUST GO ON." Luckily, one of the guys in the quartet backing me discreetly incorporated pulling the pin out of my dress into his choreo, and my bosom remained tamed throughout the performance's duration, so at least there's a happy ending?

Who is your theatrical crush? Honestly, it's our incredible music director, Ginger Newman. SHHHHH. DON'T TELL GINGER.

Why should people come see your show? People should come see our production of My Fair Lady because it's never a bad time to reacquaint with a classic--especially through theatre, since live scenes, however familiar, are never experienced the same way twice. Plus, I think 2017 is a perfect time to weigh the themes addressed in this work.

About the show: Erica Patterson will take on the iconic role of Eliza Doolittle in the upcoming production of Lerner and Loewe's My Fair Lady, running February 16-March 4 at The Larry Keeton Theatre in Donelson. Cavender Lane will play the supercilious Henry Higgins, with Chris Cavin as Colonel Pickering and Elliott Winston Robinson as Alfred P. Doolittle in the revival, directed by veteran Nashville director (and current senior contributing editor to BroadwayWorld.com/Nashville) Jeffrey Ellis.

Based on George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion, My Fair Lady has been hailed by critics and audiences for its heart and wit, and tells a story of transformation, gender politics and classism. Acclaimed professor and confirmed bachelor Henry Higgins (Lane) makes a wager with his linguistic colleague Colonel Pickering (Cavin) that in six months he can fully transform and pass off "gutter snipe" Eliza Doolittle (Patterson) as a duchess at an embassy ball. Through arduous training, day and night, Eliza learns how to speak English "properly," and transforms into a lady respected and adored by all classes. Along the way, she bewitches young Freddy Eynsford-Hill (J. RoBert Lindsey) into falling in love with her, and convinces a supposed linguistics expert that she is royalty.

Through her transformation process, Eliza forges a deep connection with Colonel Pickering and most especially with Professor Higgins. However, she finds herself in a difficult position, now too refined to go back to her old life and not with any means or desire to live life as a lady of leisure - especially by herself. When Higgins completely fails to acknowledge Eliza's role in her own transformation, she leaves his home. It is only then that Higgins realizes that he cares deeply for Eliza. The play ends with Eliza's return to Higgins' home, and the ending is left ambiguous - although in Ellis' vision, the ambiguity in the play's ending is less so - yet it is beloved for being both one of the cleverest and one of the most romantic plays of all time.

2016 First Night Star Award winner Jamie London (artistic director for the Senior Center for the Arts and The Larry Keeton Theatre) and 2015 First Night Honoree Larry Keeton are producers, with 2014 First Night Honoree (and the first winner of a First Night Award for Outstanding Leading Actress in a Musical) Ginger Newman as musical director. The show is choreographed by Lauri Gregoire, and Suzanne Spooner-Faulk is production stage manager. Tanis Westbrook is costume coordinator.

Ashley Wolfe will play Eliza Doolittle for three performances February 19, 23 and 26. Earlier in 2016, she stopped the show as Fraulein Kost in Ellis and London's production of Cabaret at The Keeton.

Patterson, who won both critical and audience acclaim as Sarah Brown in Circle Players' Ragtime and as Mary Magdalene in their recent staging of Jesus Christ Superstar, is a native of Memphis and a graduate of Tennessee State University in Nashville. Lane was previously seen as Jud Frye in Springhouse Theatre's Oklahoma! last summer after earning stellar notices as Thomas Jefferson in 1776 at Murfreesboro's Center for the Arts.

Cavin recently completed a run as Frank Butler in The Larry Keeton Theatre's Annie Get Your Gun, after making his debut at the venue in Cabaret, co-directed by London and Ellis last summer. Robinson, who has performed on various Nashville stages over the past several years, most recently starred as Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol at Lakewood Theatre in Old Hickory.

J. RoBert Lindsey, seen last summer as Clifford Bradshaw in Cabaret, will play Freddy Eynsford-Hill, with longtime Nashville actress Judy Jackson (who was part of Ellis' cast for his revival of Picnic in 2015) in the role of Mrs. Eynsford-Hill. Nashville theater stalwart Janet Coscarelli makes a long-awaited return to the local stage in the role of Mrs. Higgins. Maggie Jackson, most recently seen in The Keeton Theatre's production of Nuncrackers, will take on the role of Higgins' long-suffering housekeeper Mrs. Pearce.

In the roles of Jamie and Harry, Alfred P. Doolittle's cohorts and drinking pals, are Austin Jeffrey Smith (Cabaret, Annie Get Your Gun, Thoroughly Modern Millie) and George Hardimon IV. Barrett Thomas is cast as Zoltan Karpathy. Both Hardimon and Thomas were part of Circle Players' recent production of The Wiz.

Among the production's ensemble members are: Earl Landree, Brandon Hoyt, Natalie Royal Herb, Laura Simmons, John Mark Redding, Nathaniel James Hulme, Katie Earl, Sara Kistner, Ingrid Rekedal, Melissa Vinson, Tiffany Day, Gracie McGraw and Trevor Golter.

Dinner seating begins at 5:45 p.m. with curtain at 7 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, and seating at 12:45 p.m. for luncheon with curtain at 2 p.m. for Sunday matinees. Tickets for dinner and show are $30 for adults and $20 for children under 12; for show only tickets are $25 for and $15 for children under 12. There is a special show-only price of $18 per adult for Thursday night shows. Salmon upgrade for dinner is available for $7. Group rates for parties of 15 or more are also available. Call (615) 883-8375 for information and reservations,

Tickets are now on sale at www.thelarrykeetontheatre.org or by calling (615) 883-8375.

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