Kate Adams-Johnson News

Director Kate Adams-Johnson, aka Nashville's busiest choreographer, is putting yet another cast through its paces in preparation for yet another opening night (this one's fast approaching on Thursday, June 9). Only this time, she's serious. Very serious. The show she's helming for this particular opening night, you see, is every dancer's holy grail: 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 June 9 opening night, we've introduced you to members of Kate's cast - and next up is an actor who might be a new face to you: Adam Henry, smart, talented, charming and good-looking - and he gives good quote.

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, seems to be 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 next up is a relative Nashville theater newbie: Abby Horrell, who is so young (she's a rising senior at University School of Nashville) that even the movie version of A Chorus Line was out before she was born. But she's obviously talented and has a good head on her shoulders - plus she already knows how to answer the difficult questions...

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 next up is her longtime collaborator, the fearless actor/director/choreographer/raconteur Tim Larson, with whom she's worked on numerous musicals of the past few years, including the critically acclaimed Titanic, in which Larson and company sunk a ship.

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...

Director Kate Adams-Johnson, aka Nashville's busiest choreographer, is putting yet another cast through the paces in preparation for another opening night. But this time, she's serious. Very serious. The show, you see, is every dancer's favorite musical: A Chorus Line. Kate's cast is a blending of familiar faces and newcomers and so over the next few weeks, you'll get to know the members of The Keeton Theatre's cast - as you'll see, some of them have much to learn about being interviewed by 'Nashville's favorite theater critic.' Next up is Chad Ray...who has quickly learned his way around a tricky interviewer on just his second show...

Director Kate Adams-Johnson, aka Nashville's busiest choreographer, is putting yet another cast through the paces in preparation for another opening night. But this time, she's serious. Very serious. The show, you see, is every dancer's favorite musical: A Chorus Line. Kate's cast is a blending of familiar faces and newcomers and so over the next few weeks, you'll get to know the members of The Keeton Theatre's cast - as you'll see, some of them have much to learn about being interviewed by 'Nashville's favorite theater critic.' Next up is Erin Spencer...who should know the drill by now...

Director Kate Adams-Johnson, aka Nashville's busiest choreographer, is putting yet another cast through the paces in preparation for another opening night. But this time, she's serious. Very serious. The show, you see, is every dancer's favorite musical: A Chorus Line. Kate's cast is a blending of familiar faces and newcomers and so over the next couple of weeks, we're introducing the members of The Keeton Theatre's cast to you. As you'll see, some of them have much to learn about being interviewed by 'Nashville's favorite theater critic.' First up is Andy Mann...

Clint Jefferies' The Three Musketeers, a musical retelling of the classic Alexandre Dumas tale of the young D'Artagnan, who leaves home to seek for adventure and glory in Paris with the King's Musketeers, will be presented by Donelson's Larry Keeton Theatre, March 11-27.

Clint Jefferies' The Three Musketeers, a musical retelling of the classic Alexandre Dumas tale of the young D'Artagnan, who leaves home to seek for adventure and glory in Paris with the King's Musketeers, will be presented by Donelson's Larry Keeton Theatre, March 11-27.

Clint Jefferies' The Three Musketeers, a musical retelling of the classic Alexandre Dumas tale of the young D'Artagnan, who leaves home to seek for adventure and glory in Paris with the King's Musketeers, will be presented by Donelson's Larry Keeton Theatre, March 11-27.

To see Erin Spencer dance is to fall a little bit in love with her. Talented and determined, ambitious and creative...she's kind of a force of nature. One of the growing number of dancers in the Nashville area who focus on theatrical performances - she has a heady resume of performance with several theater companies here - she's gaining a much-deserved reputation as an exceptional performer with an amazing work ethic.

As a dancer and choreographer, Cary Street's a pretty recognizable face in Nashville theater circles, having worked with Circle Players, Boiler Room Theatre, Towne Centre Theatre, Mansker Players, The Larry Keeton Theatre and so many more Tennessee theater companies. And that makes her an ideal choice to kick off This Dancer's Life, our newest series of interviews about the people who pursue their dreams of art and performance in Nashville.

Think about it: What if you were watching The King and I and when Anna and the King of Siam started to sing 'Shall We Dance' and they just stood there, it just wouldn't have much of an impact, would it? Or if all those budding chorus members in A Chorus Line just stood around and talked about dancing but never did even the most basic shuffle-ball-change...sounds pretty bleak, doesn't it? That's where choreographers come into the picture; they collaborate with the director, the music director and the cast members to create movement that elevates every musical comedy. Without them, the action remains stagebound and static. A choreographer allows your heart to soar along with the performers onstage, making musical comedy all the more compelling and transformative. These talented men and women created remarkable and memorable work in 2010 as First Night's Top Choreographers...

If you find yourself venturing outside of New York, and you want to see some really good musical theater, what should you do? Allow me to suggest a visit to my neck o' the woods: A trip to Nashville might provide you with exactly what you seek. After all, in a city perhaps best known throughout the world as Music City USA, what else could you expect but some exceedingly well-cast, well-produced, well-played and well-sung musical theater? We're lousy with exceptional singers and musicians and, as a result, musical theater is alive and well - and thriving - in Nashville. And here's my list of the Best Musicals of 2010...

Donelson's Larry Keeton Theatre will present the turn-of-the-century classic Meet Me in St. Louis, November 5-21, directed and choreographed by Kate Adams-Johnson, with music direction by Ginger Newman. The show, based on the beloved 1944 MGM movie, contains many of the popular songs from its film counterpart including 'The Trolley Song', 'The Boy Next Door', 'Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas' and 'Meet Me In St. Louis.'

Truth be told, 'Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas' is one of my all-time favorite holiday songs - sweetly sentimental, blending holiday hope with a certain melancholic sensibility that is perfect for the season. Thankfully, Casey Gilbert's rendition of the song (long associated with the unparalleled Judy Garland) in The Keeton Theatre's production of Meet Me in St. Louis is beautifully sung and Kate Adams-Johnson directs that particular scene with a seasoned hand and an imaginative, visual aesthetic.

Donelson's Larry Keeton Theatre will present the turn-of-the-century classic Meet Me in St. Louis, November 5-21, directed and choreographed by Kate Adams-Johnson, with music direction by Ginger Newman. The show, based on the beloved 1944 MGM movie, contains many of the popular songs from its film counterpart including 'The Trolley Song', 'The Boy Next Door', 'Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas' and 'Meet Me In St. Louis.'

Donelson's Larry Keeton Theatre will present the turn-of-the-century classic Meet Me in St. Louis, November 5-21, directed and choreographed by Kate Adams-Johnson, with music direction by Ginger Newman. The show, based on the beloved 1944 MGM movie, contains many of the popular songs from its film counterpart including 'The Trolley Song', 'The Boy Next Door', 'Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas' and 'Meet Me In St. Louis.'

Final casting has been announced for the professional world premiere of the New York Musical Theater Festival hit, Gay Bride of Frankenstein, which will play Seacoast Repertory Theatre in Portsmouth, NH October 15 - 31, 2010.

Final casting has been announced for the professional world premiere of the New York Musical Theater Festival hit, Gay Bride of Frankenstein, which will play Seacoast Repertory Theatre in Portsmouth, NH October 15 - 31, 2010.