BWW Reviews: Osborne & Eppler's SOUTHERN FRIED NUPTIALS Walks Down the Aisle in Bethlehem UMC Premiere
Granted, most of my research can be credited to two plays by J. Dietz Osborne and Nate Eppler (known professionally as the eponymously named Osborne and Eppler, in the spirit of Rodgers and Hart, Rodgers and Hammerstein, Kaufman and Hart and George and Ira…Gershwin…which sorta ruins the sound of my sentence, but what can you do?), an impressive and noteworthy Nashville playwriting team, who seemingly have cornered the theatrical market on such Dixiefied ceremonies and celebrations in their comedies Southern Fried Funeral (which was debuted by Franklin's Bethlehem Players in 2010) and Southern Fried Nuptials (now onstage at Bethlehem Methodist Church in its world premiere production). I'll be sure to include them in the footnotes when my findings are published.
BWW Reviews: KISS ME, KATE at The Keeton Theatre is Musical Theatre At Its Best
With a score filled with so many Cole Porter tunes that you're fairly drunk with delight after hearing them, the expert direction and choreography of musical theatre aficionado Kate Adams-Johnson, and a cast of extraordinarily gifted performers breathing vigorous life into the time-honored text, the new production of Kiss Me, Kate at The Keeton Theatre should be atop your list of must-see theatrical events in this very busy month of February. Sam and Bella Spewack's witty, sparkling script is brought to life with flourish, proving this period piece-which was named winner of the very first Tony Award for best musical-to be, in fact, a timeless classic, a musical theatre masterpiece that deserves to be seen over and over again.
Photo Coverage: First Night: The After-Party 2011
When the last performers had sung the final song and the late honoree had been feted, the crowds at Belmont University's Troutt Theatre for the presentation of First Night, the Nashville Theatre Honors' 2011 Gala Concert, headed downtown to Cummins Station for the After-Party at The Listening Room Cafe.
BWW Interviews: On the LINE with Jessica Higgins of Keeton's A CHORUS LINE
In the cast, there's a blend familiar faces from local theater productions and a whole slew of newcomers. During the run-up to the show's opening night, we introduced you to members of Kate's cast - and now that the show is up and running, we're happy to introduce you to another cast member...Jessica Higgins...
BWW Reviews: A CHORUS LINE at The Keeton Theatre
There comes a moment, very early on in Kate Adams-Johnson's A Chorus Line (which opened last night at The Keeton Theatre) in which, one by one, each of the actors is caught in the spotlight, with some portentous musical underscoring that heightens the emotional impact of the moment. But what's really telling about that sequence of illumination is how evocatively it telegraphs the stories of each of the actors in the cast. You can tell, almost imperceptibly, what it is that separates the pretenders from the contenders...
BWW Interviews: On The LINE: Donna Driver of Keeton Theatre's A CHORUS LINE
Director Kate Adams-Johnson, aka Nashville's busiest choreographer, is putting yet another cast through its paces in preparation for yet another opening night. Only this time, she's serious. Very serious. The show she's helming this time, you see, is every dancer's holy grail: A Chorus Line. In the cast, you'll find a blending of familiar faces and newcomers. During the run-up to the show's June 9 opening night, we'll introduce you to Kate's cast - and, as you'll see, some of them have much to learn about being interviewed by 'Nashville's favorite theater critic.' Next up is Donna 'The Pride of Irvine' Driver...obviously, this ain't her first time at the rodeo...
