THE FRIDAY FIVE (on Thursday): THE MUSIC MAN's Jones-Benton, Best & Pewitt

Opening tonight at The Larry Keeton Theatre in Donelson is a sparkling new revival of Meredith Willson's The Music Man, directed and choreographed by Stephanie Jones-Benton, with musical direction by Ginger Newman. Featuring a roster of the Keeton Theatre's favorite stars, the show runs through October 28.

What better way to get in the mood to join the citizens of River City, Iowa, for a walk down memory lane - featuring Willson's iconic and time-honored score that features "Seventy-six Trombones," "Till There Was You," "(Ya Got) Trouble," "Goodnight, My Someone," "The Wells Fargo Wagon" and "Gary, Indiana" - than by getting to know some of the people responsible for bringing the show to life. Yessiree, it's time for The Friday Five (on Thursday), featuring director Stephanie Jones-Benton, along with actors Brian Best (who plays Marcellus) and Tonya Pewitt (Marian, the Librarian).

Stephanie Jones-Benton, director

What was your first "live onstage" taste of theater? My first production was Celebrate 100 Years of Music at Pull-Tight Theater. I was performing the show with my dad and he was supposed to do a huge toe touch in the beginning of one dance number. The day of opening, someone put glitter on the floor to make the stage pop, and my dad runs out and hits the glitter perfectly. It causes him to jump up losing control, and tears his patella tendon off of his knee. He fell to the ground and the music stopped. While he was waiting to be taken to the hospital, he told me to go to the pianist and fix my music entrances, since all of his solos went into mine. I was 12. I learned the show must go on very young, and in a way I will never forget. Did I mention my dad was performing in the show the next weekend in a leg brace?

What is your favorite pre-show ritual? A big cuppa joe is all I need to get ready for the show.

What's your most memorable "the show must go on" moment? Unfortunately, I have had a lot of these, but I still thing the drama with my dad still tops the list!

What's your dream role? Christine in Phantom of the Opera!

Who's your theatrical crush? Johnny Benton. I guess he is more of an opera crush.

BONUS QUESTION: Tell me something about yourself that would surprise people. I am a high anxiety person. Right before I walk onstage, whether I have done the show once on 568 times, I have a minor panic attack that I will forget everything. It is terrifying. But I continue to do it, because theatre brings joy to others.

Brian Best, playing Marcellus

What was your first "live onstage" taste of theater? That depends if you mean the first performance I did or the first performance I saw. My Mom says I sang before I talked. When I was two, my parents would take me to Shakey's Pizza every Friday night dressed in a suit, bow tie and straw hat. They had a sing-a-long screen at the front of the restaurant and they would stand me on top of the table to sing for the folks. My love of entertaining started early. The first professional show I ever saw was Annie at The Arie Crown Theatre in Chicago. After seeing that show, I knew that I wanted to be on stage. In fact, I kind of wrote my own version to perform for my stuffed animals called Andy, about Annie's twin brother!

What is your favorite pre-show ritual? First, I like to thank God for giving me the chance to do what I love. Then I like to encourage my castmates so that they will have the best show possible. I never really get nervous, but I like to wait till the overture to put my costume on...unless it is a complex costume. The slight fear of not being ready in time helps me do my best!

What's your most memorable "the show must go on" moment? I do a lot of kids' camps and my favorites to work with are Salvation Army Camps. The kids in these camps are from some terrible situations; they are craving attention, wanting to feel special and longing for hope. A few years ago, I did a camp and took a group of kids that sang with me, The "B"Attitudes (I am BB...I love the alliteration here!). The night before the kids arrived a huge storm came through and knocked out the power. These kids came from areas where they had just lost their homes due to flooding and were now possibly going to be sent home before camp even started...that would have been devastating for their tender hearts. So, The "B"Attitudes and I gathered our props, brought them into the dining room, set up a generator and did a mini program so we could share joy with them in some capacity. While we were doing that program, news came that the power would be back on shortly and the kids would be able to stay!!

What's your dream role? There are quite a few roles I would absolutely love to play. The Baker in Into The Woods and anything that Nathan Lane has done would be a few. But the part I would give anything to play is The Cowardly Lion; I have wanted to play that part since I was a little boy!

Who's your theatrical crush? Such a hard question. Locally, I have two HUGE theatre crushes. Both of
these young ladies can sing their socks off, have incredibly versatile voices and can play any kind of part...serious or comical. One is our Marian...Miss Tonya Pewitt! The other is my dear friend Jenny
Norris-Light. If you are talking about big names...Bernadette Peters and Kristin Chenoweth. But honestly, the crushes on Tonya and Jenny arebigger!

BONUS QUESTION: Tell me something about yourself that would surprise people. This may be surprising to some of my theatre friends...but I have been nominated for a Dove Award for the children's musical Promise U! which I co-wrote with Melody Morris and Kathie Hill. Also, my children's ministry
BB Angelo has been onstage all across the country including events at The Brooklyn Tabernacle and The Billy Graham Crusade.

Tonya Pewitt, playing Marian Paroo

What was your first taste of "live, onstage" theater? My first live onstage moment was when I was five-years-old for my dance recital. My first show I ever did was Bye Bye Birdie at the Nashville Dinner Theatre which is now The Larry Keeton Theatre. But when I was in third grade at my dance recital and we got through with our dance, I ran offstage to my aunt who was waiting in the wings and told her "I want to be on stage forever!

What's your favorite pre-show ritual? I don't really have a particular pre show ritual. It usually changes with each show.

What's your most memorable "the show must go on moment"? My most memorable "The show must go on moment" is when I got laryngitis and completely lost my voice when I was in Sweet Charity. Luckily, my character was a smoker so it worked out well.

What is your dream role? Kate Monster in Avenue Q

Who is your theatrical crush? Sadly, I do not have a theatre crush.

BONUS QUESTION: Tell me something that would probably surprise most people. I was never in a play/musical till I was in college. I was a late bloomer.

• The Music Man. By Meredith Willson. Directed and choreographed by Stephanie Jones-Benton. Music direction by Ginger Newman. Meredith Wilson's treasured tale of traveling salesman con man Harold Hillman posing as a boys' band director in small town Iowa. Marian, the musically inclined librarian, is not blind to Harold's tricks, and both may find something more than they intended. Fall in love with the music all over again! Show runs October 8-24 at The Larry Keeton Theatre, 108 Donelson Pike, Nashville. Curtain is at 7 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, and at 2 p.m. Sundays, with dinner seating beginning one hour prior to start of the show.

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