First Night's Top Ten for 2018 Announced in Nashville
By: Jeffrey Ellis Dec. 29, 2017
First Night's Top Ten for 2018 - critic Jeffrey Ellis' annual review of the best in Tennessee theater - were revealed last night during a live Facebook broadcast, with the hosts of Midwinter's First Night (Ashley Wolfe, J. Robert Lindsay, Tosha Pendergrast and Ben Pendergrast) announcing the productions and performances recognized among the best of 2017.
The 30-minute live presentation also included a discussion of the history of The First Night Honors in Nashville as well as a lively discussion about the 2017 theatrical season in Music City.
Winners of First Night Awards will be announced during Midwinter's First Night festivities on Sunday, January 28, at Music Valley Event Center in Nashville. That event will also feature live performances and "hijinks" starring the team of co-hosts and a coterie of local theater luminaries.
Last night's reveal serves as the announcement of nominees for First Night Awards recognition in the categories of outstanding plays, outstanding musicals, outstanding performances by actors/actresses and ensembles, outstanding directors, choreographers and musical directors. The history of First Night goes back to 1989 and the original presentation of the Dare Theatre Awards, which subsequently became known as the First Night Awards and is now primarily known for The First Night Honors, a Kennedy Center Honors-inspired presentation that has been on hiatus since the 2015 presentation.
Productions and performances honored occurred during calendar year 2017.
TOP TEN OUTSTANDING PLAYS FOR 2017
The Amish Project, Actors' Bridge Ensemble and Belmont University Theatre
Angels in America, Parts 1 & 2, ACT 1
The Elephant Man, Studio Tenn
The Hundred Dresses, Nashville Children's Theatre
The Motherfucker With the Hat, Destiny Theatre Experience
Raisin in the Sun, Nashville Repertory Theatre
Richard II, Nashville Shakespeare Festival and Lipscomb University Theatre
Sense and Sensibility, Nashville Repertory Theatre
Silent Sky, Woven Theatre
The Whale, Verge Theatre Company
TOP TEN OUTSTANDING MUSICALS FOR 2017
Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, Nashville Repertory Theatre
Fiddler on the Roof, Belmont University Musical Theatre
If I Were You, The Theater Bug
Mamma Mia, Chaffin's Barn Dinner Theatre
Million Dollar Quartet, Cumberland County Playhouse
Part of the Plan, Tennessee Performing Arts Center
Pirates of Penzance, Center for the Arts, Murfreesboro
Reefer Madness, ACT 1
Spamalot, Studio Tenn
The Secret Garden, Towne Centre Theatre
TOP TEN OUTSTANDING DIRECTORS OF A PLAY FOR 2017
Rene Copeland, A Raisin in the Sun, Nashville Repertory Theatre
Rene Copeland, Sense and Sensibility, Nashville Repertory Theatre
Laramie Hearn, Silent Sky, Woven Theatre
Kurt Jarvis, The Motherfucker With the Hat, Destiny Theatre Experience
Jaclynn Jutting, The Amish Project, Actors Bridge Ensemble and Belmont University Theatre
Jaclynn Jutting, The Whale, Verge Theater Company
Matt Logan, The Elephant Man, Studio Tenn
Sean Martin, Richard II, Nashville Shakespeare Festival and Lipscomb University Theatre
Ernie Nolan, The Hundred Dresses, Nashville Children's Theatre
Lane Wright and Jim Manning, Angels in America, Parts 1 & 2, ACT 1
TOP TEN (plus one) OUTSTANDING DIRECTORS OF A MUSICAL FOR 2017
Kim Bretton, Spamalot, Studio Tenn
Darryl Deason, Million Dollar Quartet, Arts Center of Cannon County
Cori Laemmel, If I Were You, The Theater Bug
Tim Larson, The Secret Garden, Towne Center Theatre
Jason Lewis, Reefer Madness, ACT 1
Bryce McDonald, Million Dollar Quarter, Cumberland County Playhouse
Bradley Moore, Mamma Mia, Chaffin's Barn Dinner Theatre
David Shamburger, Fiddler on the Roof, Belmont University Musical Theatre
Dave Ragland, Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill, Wild Card Productions
Lynne Taylor Corbett, Part of the Plan, Tennessee Performing Arts Center
Jason Tucker, Bloody, Bloody Andrew Jackson, Nashville Repertory Theatre
TOP TEN OUTSTANDING MUSICAL DIRECTORS FOR 2017
Jo Lynn Burks, Fiddler on the Roof, Belmont University Musical Theatre
William Crim, The Wiz, Circle Players
Kelsi Fulton, Sister Act, Chaffin's Barn Dinner Theatre
Stephen Kummer, Part of the Plan, Tennessee Performing Arts Center
Rollie Mains, Reefer Madness, ACT 1
Laura Matula, If I Were You, The Theater Bug
Ron Murphy, Million Dollar Quartet, Cumberland County Playhouse
John Ray, The Secret Garden, Towne Centre Theatre
Noah Rice, Big River, The Larry Keeton Theatre
David Weinstein, She Loves Me, Lipscomb University Theatre
FIRST NIGHT'S TOP TEN OUTSTANDING CHOREOGRAPHERS FOR 2017
Peter Fields, The Wiz, Circle Players
Stephanie Jones-Benton, Reefer Madness, ACT 1
Anna Perry, Fiddler on the Roof, Belmont University Musical Theatre
Lynne Taylor Corbett, Part of the Plan, Tennessee Performing Arts Center
Tosha Pendergrast, Big River, The Larry Keeton Theatre
Everett Tarlton, Mamma Mia, Chaffin's Barn Dinner Theatre
Everett Tarlton, Sister Act, Chaffin's Barn Dinner Theatre
Emily Tello Speck, 9 to 5: The Musical, Belmont University Musical Theatre
Emily Tello Speck, Spamalot, Studio Tenn
Kari Smith, She Loves Me, Lipscomb University Theatre
TOP TEN OUTSTANDING ACTORS IN A PLAY FOR 2017
Geoff Davin, Angels in America, Part 1, ACT 1
Drew Freeman, The Amish Project, Actors Bridge Ensemble and Belmont University Theatre
Eddie George, A Raisin in the Sun, Nashville Repertory Theatre
Macon Kimbrough, Angels in America, Part 2, ACT 1
Shawn Knight, The Whale, Verge Theater Company
Brent Maddox, The Elephant Man, Studio Tenn
Taylor Novak, The Elephant Man, Studio Tenn
Barry Scott, The Hundred Dresses, Nashville Children's Theatre
Matt Smith, The Motherfucker With the Hat, Destiny Theatre Experience
Santiago Sosa, Sense and Sensibility, Nashville Repertory Theatre
A Raisin in the Sun
TOP TEN OUTSTANDING ACTRESSES IN A PLAY FOR 2017
Caroline Amos, Richard II, Nashville Shakespeare Festival and Lipscomb University Theatre
Cat Arnold, Angels in America, ACT 1
Amanda Bell, The Amish Project, Actors Bridge Ensemble and Belmont University Theatre
Megan Blevins, The Motherfucker With the Hat, Destiny Theatre Experience
Carrie Brewer, Richard II, Nashville Shakespeare Festival and Lipscomb University Theatre
Meredith Daniel, Silent Sky, Woven Theatre
Lauren Frances Jones, A Raisin in the Sun, Nashville Repertory Theatre
Megan Murphy Chambers, The Elephant Man, Studio Tenn
Tamiko Robinson Steele, A Raisin in the Sun, Nashville Repertory Theatre
Chandra Walton, Clybourne Park, Circle Players
Jackie Welch, A Raisin in the Sun, Nashville Repertory Theatre
TOP TEN OUTSTANDING ACTORS IN A MUSICAL FOR 2017
Ryan Bowie, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Roxy Regional Theatre
Kevin Compton, Pirates of Penzance, Center for the Arts, Murfreesboro
Teal Davis, Big River, The Larry Keeton Theatre
Tyler Evick, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Circle Players
Cameron Gilliam, Reefer Madness, ACT 1
Ross Griffin, Million Dollar Quartet, Cumberland County Playhouse
Harley Jay, Part of the Plan, Tennessee Performing Arts Center
Stephen Hardy, Million Dollar Quartet, Arts Center of Cannon County
Gabe Hoyer, Fiddler on the Roof, Belmont University Musical Theatre
Everett Tarlton, Bloody, Bloody Andrew Jackson, Nashville Repertory Theatre
Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill
TOP TEN OUTSTANDING ACTRESSES IN A MUSICAL FOR 2017
Alexis Alduenda, Pirates of Penzance, Center for the Arts, Mufreesboro
Katherine Boettcher, The Secret Garden, Towne Centre Theatre
Molly Dobbs, Million Dollar Quartet, Cumberland County Playhouse
Sara Fetgatter, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Roxy Regional Theatre
Jamila Hunter, The Wiz, Circle Players
Kristina James, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Circle Players
Kate Morgan Chadwick, Part of the Plan, Tennessee Performing Arts Center
Rachel Potter, Mamma Mia!, Chaffin's Barn Dinner Theatre
Hannah Trauscht, If I Were You, The Theater Bug
Jennifer Whitcomb-Oliva, Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill, Wild Card Productions
TOP TEN OUTSTANDING ENSEMBLES IN A MUSICAL FOR 2017
Bloody, Bloody Andrew Jackson, Nashville Repertory Theatre
Bring it On, The Musical, Circle Players
Jekyll and Hyde in Concert, Street Theatre Company
Mamma Mia!, Chaffin's Barn Dinner Theatre
Million Dollar Quartet, Arts Center of Cannon County
Million Dollar Quartet, Cumberland County Playhouse
Part of the Plan, Tennessee Performing Arts Cetner
Pirates of Penzance, Center for the Arts, Murfreesboro
Smoke on the Mountain, Chaffin's Barn Dinner Theatre
The Wiz, Circle Players
TOP TEN OUTSTANDING ENSEMBLES IN A PLAY FOR 2017
The Amish Project, Actors Bridge Ensemble and Belmont University Theatre
Angels in America, Parts 1 & 2, ACT 1
Clybourne Park, Circle Players
The Elephant Man, Studio Tenn
The Motherfucker With the Hat, Destiny Theatre Experience
A Raisin in the Sun, Nashville Repertory Theatre
Richard II, Nashville Shakespeare Festival and Lipscomb University Theatre
Silent Sky, Woven Theatre
Steel Magnolias, Roxy Regional Theatre
The Whale, Verge Theatre Company
About Midwinter's First Night 2017:
J. Robert Lindsay, Benjamin Pendergrast, Tosha Pendergrast and Ashley Wolfe will share the stage as co-hosts of 2018 Midwinter's First Night, set for Sunday, January 28, 2018, at Music Valley Event Center in Nashville. Midwinter's First Night is the annual presentation of First Night founder and executive producer Jeffrey Ellis' First Night's Top Ten of 2018 and the announcement of winners of the BWW Nashville Awards, voting for which continues through the end of December.
"Mad, bad and dangerous to know," Midwinter's First Night is the cold weather follow-up - the more irreverent younger sibling, if you will - to the more august First Night Honors. The history of The First Night Honors and Midwinter's First Night goes back to the 1989 debut of The Dare Theater Awards, which subsequently became the First Night Awards and evolved into The First Night Honors which bowed in 2010.
Festivities get under way at 7 p.m. on Sunday, January 28, at Music Valley Event Center and will feature performances by some of the region's best-known stage performers.
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