Arts & Culture

There never seems to be a shortage of arts and culture events to attend in middle Tennessee. Here are just a handful of upcoming art exhibits, music events, plays and more that we can not wait to see!

JULY 23 The Abrams Franklin Theatre franklintheatre.com This Ontario-bred country duo’s eighteen-year career has greatly influenced their songwriting, which has a lasting emotional impact on their fans across cultural divides. John and James have gone through many stages of their career, their deep and intrinsic love of country music and that they cannot remember life before they started making country music.

JULY 26 – AUGUST 7 Hamilton Tennessee Performing Arts Center tpac.org Hamilton is the story of America then, told by America now. Featuring a score that blends hip-hop, jazz, R&B and Broadway, Hamilton has taken the story of American founding father Alexander Hamilton and created a revolutionary moment in theatre. With book, music and lyrics by LinManuel Miranda, direction by Thomas Kail, choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler, and musical supervision and orchestrations by Alex Lacamoire, Hamilton is based on Ron Chernow’s acclaimed biography.

JULY 29 The Righteous Brothers Schermerhorn Symphony Center nashvillesymphony.org Join Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Bill Medley and his new partner Bucky Heard as they take you on a nostalgic journey through the legendary musical stylings of one of the greatest rock and roll duos of all time. Experience their biggest hits, including “Unchained Melody,” “Rock and Roll Heaven,” Medley’s Grammy-winning Dirty Dancing theme “The Time of My Life” and much more!

JULY 29 – AUGUST 13 The Play That Goes Wrong Pull Tight Theatre pull-tight.com The Play That Goes Wrong has delighted audiences since its 2012 London debut. The farcical playwithin-a-play follows the Cornley Drama Society’s production of “The Murder at Haversham Manor.” Despite their best efforts, the production rapidly goes from bad to utterly disastrous, with madcap mishaps.

AUGUST 9 - AUGUST 14 Harper Lee’s: To Kill a Mockingbird Tennessee Performing Arts Center tpac.org All rise for Academy Award® winner Aaron Sorkin’s adaptation of Harper Lee’s Pulitzer Prizewinning masterwork. The New York Times Critic’s Pick, TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD, is “the most successful American play in Broadway history.” (60 Minutes). Rolling Stone gives it five stars, calling it “an emotionally shattering landmark production of an American classic.”

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It All Starts With a Song

MAY WE ALL : A NEW COUNTRY MUSICAL WITH FLORIDA GEORGIA LINE’S BRIAN KELLEY PHOTOGRAPHY BY BEN CHRISTENSEN

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JENNY ANDERSON

BY AMELIA ROSE SMITH

Brian Kelley is an American musician, best known as a member of the Nashville-based duo Florida Georgia Line (FGL). In addition to his success as an artist and music producer, Brian is the co-producer of May We All, a country music musical set to debut at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center on June 15th. May We All takes the audience to “the town that sings,” called Harmony, Tennessee. The story follows Jenna Coates, a local sensation who left her hometown of Harmony, to pursue her dreams of stardom in Nashville. Four years later, Jenna still has not landed a record deal nor has a dime to spare, so she returns home. The musical follows Jenna as she reconnects with those she loved, makes peace with her past and fights to save the small town she loves!

The idea of May We All came about in 2017 when Michael Barret from Lively McCabe Entertainment approached Brian and his cousin, Stephen Snedden (co-owner of CuzBro Productions), about creating a country music musical. Between Michael’s expertise in Broadway, musical licensing and everything the industry entails, and Brian’s success as an artist and music producer, it seemed like the perfect opportunity! Immediately, Brian and Stephen were intrigued by this fresh, new concept that had never been done before. “It was a no-brainer; blending both worlds felt like the perfect fit and the pieces to the puzzle were connecting so easily,” explains Brian.

Brian tells how the process of creating this musical has been different than creating an album. “It’s a longer game than making a record; In the past, it has taken about one or two years at most, which is a quicker turnaround than a show of this magnitude.” He goes on to say: “This musical is a different process. We are always editing the script and story and really fine-tuning everything. It takes patience.”

The musical takes a twist on the traditional casting of a show by incorporating a rotating lineup of country music guest artists who will step into the role of “Bailey Stone.” Brian Kelley will make his debut as Bailey on June 15th, the musical’s opening night. The star-studded roster expected to perform includes: Alana Springsteen, Alexandra Kay, BRELAND, Canaan Smith, Caleb Lee Hutchinson, Chris Ruediger, Cooper Alan, Danielle Bradbery, Jamie O’Neal, Lainey Wilson, Lindsay Ell, LOCASH, Nick Fradiani, Robyn Ottolini, Scarlett Burke, Thomas Mac, Tigirlily, Trent Harmon and many more.

The show includes an authentic country score of songs by Dolly Parton, Chris Stapleton, Johnny Cash, Kasey Musgraves, Keith Urban and more top chart country songs. The set list also includes two original songs written by FGL’s Brian Kelley and Tyler Hubbard. Brian explains that hearing these songs live a different life through the story of May We All allows the audience to find different perspectives.

It takes a team, and this crew is working hard to create a musical for people of all ages to enjoy! Brian, along with the rest of the cast, hopes to see May We All evolve into a touring show, traveling to places where country music tours go. So, bring your kids, grandparents, siblings and friends to enjoy a night of song, story and a taste of Nashville’s country music culture!