Tennessee Rep Closes Season With Pump Boys and Dinettes 4/23-5/14

Tennessee Repertory Theatre will present its production of the Tony-nominated, toe-tapping musical Pump Boys and Dinettes created by John Foley, Mark Hardwick, Debra Monk, Cass Morgan, John Schimmel, and Jim Wann. Pump Boys and Dinettes runs April 23 - May 14 at TPAC's Johnson Theater.

Drive a ways outta town, and you'll come to a filling station run by L. M. and Jim. Across the blacktop is the Double Cupp Diner, operated by Rhetta and Prudie Cupp. To look at it, you wouldn't know that this little stop on Highway 57 is where all the action is. But trust us, once the boys get that guitar and bass fiddle revved up, you wont want to be anywhere else. Packed with hummable, hilarious songs like "Be Good or Be Gone." "Tips," and "TNDPWAM (The Night Dolly Parton Was Almost Mine)," Pump Boys & Dinettes is a foot-stomping good time that will make you want to order a big slice of cherry pie and a second cup of coffee before you hit the road in search of life's simple pleasures.

"We wanted to have a great piece of fun to close the season with," says Tennessee Rep Producing Artistic Director René D. Copeland. "Pump Boys and Dinettes is a great mix of music, comedy, and theatre. If you don't know it, you're in for a treat. The "Pump Boys" provide all the instrumental accompaniment right there on stage, so it is right up the alley of the gifted actors/musicians we have here in Middle Tennessee. It's been on my list for a long time. It's just a foot-stomping good time and a great way to close out the 2010-11 season."
The production stars Nashville favorite Martha Wilkinson as Rhetta Cupp. The multi-talented actress has been featured recently in Tennessee Rep's The 39 Steps, Steel Magnolias, and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (for which she won Best Actress Awards both from Nashville Scene and the Tennessean).

"This is my third production of Pump Boys and Dinettes, and I cannot wait," explains Wilkinson. "It is a show that provides good solid entertainment, great music, and funny stories. It is a great escape for the audience, and I love singing this music--such a fun mix of styles and harmonies. All of the characters are somebody we all know and love. It is just feel-good fun that takes you away from the trials and tribulations of the day."
In addition to Wilkinson, the cast features Brad Albin, Jeff Boyet, Brooke Bryant, Taylor Jones, and Jeffrey Williams.

Since 1985, Tennessee Repertory Theatre has been a critically acclaimed regional theatre, creating the highest quality professional productions and by serving as a prime cultural, educational, and economic resource within the Nashville and Middle Tennessee communities. Tennessee Rep produces work that is designed, built, and rehearsed in Nashville by highly skilled actors, designers, directors, and technicians. A non-profit organization, Tennessee Rep is committed to consistently delivering thought-provoking theatre each year. For more information on the Tennessee Repertory Theatre, please visit www.tennesseerep.org.

 

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