Linda Speir Leads DADDY'S DYIN' Cast at The Keeton Theatre

Veteran Nashville actress Linda Speir will make her Larry Keeton Theatre debut as the matriarch in Del Shores' Daddy's Dyin'...Who's Got the Will, the next production on the stage of the Donelson theater, running April 20-May 6.

Cast as Mama Wheelis, Speir leads a cast that includes Keeton Theatre favorite Tonya Pewitt as Sara Lee Turnover, Memory Strong-Smith as Lurlene Turnover Rogers, Natalie Royal as Evalita Turnover, Jonathan Hunter as Harmony Rhodes, Benny Jones as Orville Turnover, Drew Dunlop as Buford "Daddy" Turnover and Natalie Lewis as Marlene Turnover. Pewitt, Strong-Smith and Royal are making their returns to the Keeton stage after earlier roles, while Hunter, Jones, Dunlop and Lewis join Speir in making their first appearances at the venue.

The Hollywood Reporter says: "Set in a small Texas town in anytime, U.S.A., Daddy's Dyin' concerns the reunion of a family gathered to await the imminent death of their patriarch, who has recently suffered a physically as well as mentally disabling stroke. In essence, however, it is not the story of the impending demise of the father or of the drafting of his will, but of a rebirth of the spirit of the family unit. Without becoming ponderous, losing a sense of humor or pandering to timeworn cliches about Texans or Texas drawls, the story shares many elements of a good summer novel: it's a fast, delicious, easy read with funny moments, tense moments, touching moments, and characters you care about."

Jeffrey Ellis, who made his Keeton Theatre directorial debut in 2016 with Beth Henley's southern gothic comedy The Miss Firecracker Contest, will once again take the helm of the production. His revival of the classic Lerner and Loewe musical My Fair Lady just closed after a record-setting run at the theater and followed Cabaret, which he co-directed with company artistic director Jamie London. The two will re-team for the season finale production of Disney's Mary Poppins.

Austin Jeffrey Smith, who previously has appeared in The Music Man, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Annie Get Your Gun, Cabaret and My Fair Lady, will take on the role of production stage manager for Daddy's Dyin'...Who's Got the Will.

Tickets for Daddy's Dyin'...Who's Got the Will are now on sale at www.thelarrykeetontheatre.org or by calling (615) 883-8375.

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.

About the cast:

Drew Dunlop has been acting off and on since 1995. He took to the stage in February of 2016 after an eight-year hiatus, with this being his sixth role since his return. His credits include Jay Gatsby in The Great Gatsby, Doc Gibbs in Our Town, and Jonathan Brewster in Arsenic and Old Lace among others. Drew also has written and directed a play about homelessness performed as a part of Act 1's One Act Wednesdays series. He is excited to be performing at the Larry Keeton Theatre in this challenging role.

Benny Jones has been involved in theater as an actor and director since 1990. He has been privileged to play such roles as Anthony in Sweeney Todd, The Scarecrow in Wizard of Oz, Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet, Whizzer in Falsettos and Hamlet in Hamlet. He studied Theater at Austin Peay State University and Monterey Peninsula College. He was last seen as Mr. Van Daan in the Roxy Regional Theater's production of The Diary of Anne Frank.

Natalie Lewis has been active in community theater for most of her life and has worked with many theaters in Middle Tennessee, including: Lakewood Theatre, HPAC, Encore Theater, Mel-O-Drama, Circle Players, Act I and The Robertson County Players. Some of her favorite roles include Mary in It's a Wonderful Life, Alice in You Can't Take it With You, Truvy in Steel Magnolias, and Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan in M*A*S*H, for which she was nominated for Best Actress in Nashville's BroadwayWorld Awards. Most recently, Natalie made her directorial debut with RCP's Anne of Green. This is Natalie's first production with The Larry Keeton Theater as well as her first time to work with director Jeffrey Ellis and this incredible ensemble of actors. When Natalie isn't onstage, she spends her time with the boys that she loves the most: her amazing husband, Jon, and their adorable son, Bastian.

Tonya Pewitt is thrilled to be a part of this production! At the Keeton, some of her favorite roles have been Annie Oakley in Annie Get Your Gun, Marian Paroo in The Music Man, Sister Amnesia in Nunsense, Anna Leonowens in The King and I, Ado Annie in Oklahoma!, Betty Haynes in White Christmas and Roxie Hart in Chicago. Some of her other favorites have been Adrianna in Comedy of Errors (Nashville Shakespeare Festival), Tracy Turnblad in Hairspray (Street Theatre Company), Princess Fiona in Shrek the Musical (Circle Players) and Rose of Sharon in Grapes of Wrath (Circle Players).

Natalie Royal Singer-songwriter Natalie Royal has been writing and performing since she was 5 years old. In 2009, she made the move from Charlotte, North Carolina to Nashville, to pursue a Bachelor of Arts in Songwriting at Belmont University. Royal was selected as the recipient of the ASCAP Songwriters scholarship in 2011 for her song, "Savor" and shortly after had the opportunity to share the stage at The Bluebird Cafe alongside Kathy Mattea, Pat Alger, and Jon Vezner during Tin Pan South's annual music festival. She released her most recent album, Harbinger, in 2016 and it has since garnered critical acclaim from numerous publications (e.g., American Songwriter and Relix magazines). While songwriting has taken a prominent role in her life, Royal is no stranger to the world of theater. From performing in small community theater roles as a young child to Maria (Sound of Music) and Anita (West Side Story) in high school, these productions have always held a special place in her heart. It's been 8 years since her last audition, but recently, Royal has found herself back on the theatrical stage in My Fair Lady at The Keeton. This time, she might be here to stay.

Linda Speir has performed at various theatres in the Nashville area for the past 30 years. She was last seen at Chaffin's Barn as Chris in Rumors. Some of her other favorite roles include Nora in Better Late for Groundworks Theatre, Monica in Bad Seed at Street Theatre, Geneva in Christmas Belles at the Boiler Room, Beline in The Imaginary Invalid at for Act I, Birdie in Little Foxes at the Roxy Regional Theatre and Ann in Judevine for Actor's Bridge. Linda also occasionally does some commercial work and works part time at Vanderbilt in their Standardized Patient Program. She is thrilled to make her debut at Keeton theatre in such a fun role. Thank you, Jef.

Memory Strong-Smith is thrilled to be playing Lurlene in Daddy's Dyin': Who's Got The Will? by Del Shores and directed by Jef Ellis at the Keeton Theater. She is currently the Executive Director of ACT 1 Theater Co and a First Night Star Award Winner. She was last seen on stage in Center for the Arts in Murfreesboro's productions of 9 to 5: The Musical as Judy, Sheree in The Dixie Swim Club and as Prudence in Beyond Therapy. She hasn't been on the Keeton Theater's stage in quite a while but is excited to bring Lurlene to life for the Donelson Audiences! "Thank you to Jef for giving me this opportunity and to my darling, Matt, for being my co-everything. IFLY!

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