Featuring Live Performances and Q&A with Creative Team

Studio Tenn Theatre Company and the Franklin Theatre invite members of the media and the public to attend Studio Tenn’s 2012-2013 Season Reveal on Tuesday, April 17, at 2:00 p.m. at the Franklin Theatre. Attendees will have the opportunity to see special “sneak peek,” live performances of next season’s shows and experience the state-of-the-art theatre venue firsthand.

There will also be a Q & A session with Jake Speck, Managing Director of Studio Tenn Theatre Company and Matt Logan, Artistic Director of Studio Tenn Theatre Company. Both Speck and Logan are coming off of a highly successful premiere season at The Franklin Theatre and have promised “more theatrical heights to come.”

Doors will open at 1:30 p.m.

EVENT DETAILS

Tickets to Studio Tenn Theatre Company’s highly anticipated encore musical production “The Sound of Music” went on sale to the public today at 10 a.m. at FranklinTheatre.com.

”The Sound of Music” will be staged at the Franklin Theatre May 31 through June
10 and will comprise an 8-piece pit orchestra and a cast of more than 20 people.

Studio Tenn’s Managing Director Jake Speck said he expects “The Sound of Music”
to be one of the most highly anticipated shows in the theatre company’s three-year
history. “We cannot imagine a better fit for Franklin and Williamson County than
this beloved family classic,” Speck said. “We are very excited to bring a Broadway-caliber
production of ‘The Sound of Music’ to Main Street this summer.”

Speck and company Artistic Director Matt Logan decided to add the musical to Studio
Tenn’s 2011-2012 season after the overwhelming successes of “Guys and Dolls” in
August 2011, the debut theatrical production at the Franklin Theatre. The company
has seen continued success with subsequent plays, “A Christmas Carol”—which sold
out so rapidly, two encore performances were added-and “The Miracle Worker,” the
inspirational true story of Helen Keller and her Teacher Annie Sullivan, which
wrapped up last weekend.

At each performance of “A Christmas Carol” and “The Miracle Worker” the audience
was given an exclusive opportunity to purchase advance tickets to “The Sound of
Music”. As a result, hundreds of tickets have been reserved prior to the public
”on sale” date. “That’s completely unprecedented,” said Speck of the pre-sale participation.
”If that’s any indication of the demand for this show, ‘The Sound of Music’ may
well turn out to be our most popular production yet.”

Tickets to Studio Tenn Theatre Company’s “The Sound of Music” go on sale at 10 a.m.
on Wednesday, March 7 at FranklinTheatre.com [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1109467970473&s=1748&e=001HTyASYqQrilDohwxclw-7FHz5HUZ8B2Yc2Aqy71T0CTHfgGXRiEEpbPplqvXHOkGHCAjLr57xRAeD1_YRPzaHe8A8VOlAxI8b5mep5Avol7txxI4inVnwQ==].
Purchases may also be made over the phone beginning at noon on Wednesday by calling
the Franklin Theatre box office at (615) 538-2076. For more information, visit StudioTenn.com
[http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1109467970473&s=1748&e=001HTyASYqQrik6N63_vQkZvkNzBt18dSnKEtYv6x_b4BljDp0XP_wQluIdBUx38wKLnGNr9g513XkQdK18SsiSBkuddt7q7O79nIVOZvPI5NdF661Fv8ZgLg==].

Studio Tenn's live production of The Miracle Worker opens Thursday night at Franklin Theatre at 7 p.m. for a run that continues through March 4.

Doors open at 6 pm. for the iconic play. Tickets are available at www.franklintheatre.com.

At Opening Night of Studio Tenn’s “A Christmas Carol” Thursday at the Franklin Theatre, the crowd went wild before the performance even began. Company Managing Director Jake Speck and Artistic Director Matt Logan greeted the audience with an announcement that Studio Tenn would stage a fourth production, “The Sound of Music,” as part of their 2011-2012 season.

Speck said the announcement—met with resounding cheers—was due to the unprecedented success and popularity of both “A Christmas Carol” and the company’s Franklin Theatre debut production, “Guys And Dolls.”

“We are so glad to see such a healthy demand for professional live theater here in Franklin and Williamson County, and we want to keep feeding that demand,” Speck said. “We are especially excited about “The Sound of Music” because it hasn’t been done in this [Nashville area] market for several years.”

Though tickets to “The Sound of Music” will not go on sale to the public until March 5, 2012, an exclusive pre-sale package including tickets to “The Miracle Worker” (Feb 23-March 4) and “The Sound of Music” is being offered to patrons of “A Christmas Carol” throughout the run of the show (Dec 8-18). The pre-sale combo ticket will be available to the public beginning December 19.

“We want to thank our closest fans and supporters by giving them first dibs on tickets to “The Sound of Music,” which may well turn out to be our most popular show of the season,” Speck said. “There’s certainly a possibility we could sell out “The Sound of Music” before the public on-sale date. If you want a guaranteed seat, the combo tickets are your best bet.”

Demand for Studio Tenn tickets has been on the rise throughout their inaugural season at the Franklin Theatre. In fact, the company decided to open up two additional performances of “A Christmas Carol” after the initial 10-show run came within 5% of a total sellout just days after Thanksgiving.

Speck said he has equally high hopes for The Sound of Music. “It’s such a treasure of musical theater,” he said of the show. “We cannot wait to bring it to the Franklin Theatre stage.”

About Studio Tenn

Studio Tenn, proudly tapped by the Franklin Theatre to be their resident theatre company for the 2011-2012 season, made quite a splash with their highly lauded inaugural 2010-2011 season, and their upcoming productions have fulfilled their promise to be even more stellar. Following “A Christmas Carol”, “The Miracle Worker” is set for Feb. 23rd-March 4th. And just announced, “The Sound of Music” will wrap up the season in for May and June 2012.

Showcasing this city’s great artistic talent alongside Broadway stars, the first four shows from this young company–”Our Town,” “Hello Dolly!”, “A Christmas Carol”, and “The Glass Menagerie”, were heavily lauded by audiences and critics alike.

Studio Tenn Theatre Company is lead by Artistic Director Matt Logan and Managing Director Jake Speck, both Nashville natives who made good on Broadway and have brought their experience back home to middle Tennessee. Studio Tenn was founded in the Fall of 2009 by Logan, a nationally recognized director and artist, along with Emmy Award-winning producer Philip Hall and Broadway and film actress Marguerite Lowell Hall. The company’s inaugural production of Thorton Wilder’s “Our Town” was an enormous success and enough to convince Studio Tenn’s founders this was something that should continue. Shortly thereafter, Jake Speck left the Broadway production of “Jersey Boys” where he played the lead role of Bob Gaudio to join Studio Tenn as its Managing Director.

Studio Tenn’s mission boldly states that they will “use a rich combination of talent from Nashville and Broadway to bring classic works of drama and musical theatre to life in Middle Tennessee; and provide innovative educational programs designed to entertain, educate and inspire the rising artists of our unique community.”

___________________

Coming Up Next:

The Miracle Worker
February 23-March 4, 2012

Tickets on sale as of November 11, 2011.
William Gibson’s three-act play tells the inspirational story of Anne Sullivan’s struggle to teach the blind and deaf Helen Keller how to communicate.

The Sound of Music

May 31-June 10, 2012

Tickets go on sale March 5, 2012

*Pre-sale opportunity for those who purchase tickets to The Miracle Worker beginning December 19, 2011.
For more information, visit StudioTenn.com or FranklinTheatre.com.

Middle Tennessee theatre company Studio Tenn kicks off its inaugural season at the legendary Franklin Theatre on August 18-28 with a production of the classic Broadway musical "Guys and Dolls."

Featuring a score by Frank Loesser, "Guys and Dolls" tells the tale of two big-city gamblers and the women who love them. Leading the talented ensemble cast are Jared Bradshaw and John Hickman, of Broadway's "Jersey Boys." Individual tickets are on sale now at www.franklintheatre.com. Also online, Studio Tenn season tickets are available at 20% off the regular price through August 12.

Set for a 10-day run, "Guys and Dolls" is the first-ever professional live theatre production at the Franklin Theatre.

Built in 1937, the historic facility reopened in June following a four-year restoration. As part of the restoration, the Heritage Foundation of Franklin & Williamson County — who owns the theater — added a $1.5-million sound and lighting system to support live entertainment in addition to traditional movie screenings.

"The Franklin Theatre is one of the last surviving movie houses in the South," said Heritage Foundation Executive Director Mary Pearce. "Now, we're proud to offer movies, music and more — including world-class live theatre with Studio Tenn."

Studio Tenn was founded in 2009 by nationally known director and artist Matt Logan, Emmy Award-winning producer Philip Hall, and Broadway and film actress Marguerite Lowell Hall. The company's mission is simple: "Use a rich combination of talent from Nashville and Broadway to bring classic works of drama and musical theatre to life in Middle Tennessee, and provide innovative educational programs designed to entertain, educate and inspire rising artists."

Jake Speck, Studio Tenn's managing director, said the company's goal is to bring Broadway-caliber theatre to Middle Tennessee." The history and vision of the Franklin Theatre brings an exciting new dimension to our work," Speck said. "We are delighted to partner with an organization that shares our passion for high-quality and exceptional entertainment."

In addition to "Guys and Dolls," Studio Tenn will present "A Christmas Carol" on December 8-18 in conjunction with downtown Franklin's "Dickens of a Christmas Festival." Studio Tenn's inaugural season at the Franklin Theatre concludes on February 23-March 4 with "The Miracle Worker."

Visitors heading to the Franklin Theatre for "Guys and Dolls" can find area information, including lodging, online at www.visitfranklin.com .

The legendary Franklin Theatre, which re-opens June 3, announced that critically acclaimed Studio Tenn will be the resident live theatre company, presenting classic plays and musicals as part of the new mission to offer the highest quality live entertainment in Middle Tennessee.

Additionally, the Franklin Theatre and Studio Tenn unveiled the 2011-2012 season.

Tickets for the 2011-12 season are now available online, at 20% off the regular ticket price through July 1. To purchase tickets, check out www.franklintheatre.com. Or for more information, go to www.studiotenn.com.

The schedule for the season is:

August 18-28 — “Guys and Dolls”
Featuring a score by Frank Loesser, the classic musical tells the story of a group of small-time gamblers and the ladies in their lives.

December 8-18 — “A Christmas Carol”
The retelling of Charles Dickens’ classic novel takes a miser on a journey of self-redemption, and coincides with Franklin’s annual Dickens of a Christmas festival.

February 23-March 4 — “The Miracle Worker”
William Gibson’s three-act play tells the inspirational story of Anne Sullivan’s struggle to teach the blind and deaf Helen Keller how to communicate.

The historic Franklin Theatre, built in 1937, re-opens to the public on Friday, June 3, after undergoing a multi-million-dollar restoration. As part of the restoration, the theater installed a world-class sound and lighting system to accommodate live entertainment, including concerts and plays.

“The Franklin Theatre is one of the last surviving movie houses in the South,” said Mary Pearce, Executive Director of the Heritage Foundation of Franklin & Williamson County, which owns the theater and led its restoration. “Now, we’re proud to offer movies, music and more — including world-class live theatre.”

Pearce added: “Studio Tenn has earned a great reputation in a very short period of time. We’re proud to call them partners.”

Studio Tenn was founded in 2009 by nationally known director and artist Matt Logan, Emmy Award-winning producer Philip Hall, and Broadway and film actress Marguerite Lowell Hall. The company’s mission is simple: “Use a rich combination of talent from Nashville and Broadway to bring classic works of drama and musical theatre to life in Middle Tennessee, and provide innovative educational programs designed to entertain, educate and inspire rising artists.”

Jake Speck, who played one of the lead roles in the Broadway production of “Jersey Boys,” serves as Studio Tenn’s managing director. “Studio Tenn’s goal is to bring New York-caliber theatre to Middle Tennessee in a way that is ‘uniquely Tennessean,’” Speck said. “The history and vision of the Franklin Theatre brings an exciting new dimension to our work.”

He added: “We are delighted to partner with an organization that shares our passion for high-quality and exceptional entertainment.”