“There weren’t many voices as bad as Jenkins’. There aren’t many theatrical experiences as good as SOUVENIR.” — Boston Globe

“Tone-deaf but utterly pitch-perfect … (A) loony triumph.” — NY Daily News

Naked Stages, the new professional theater wing of Green Room Projects (GRP), will present SOUVENIR, a comedy with music by Stephen Temperley, December 6-15 at Belmont’s Black Box Theater (2100 Belmont Boulevard).

SOUVENIR, by turns hilarious and poignant, tells the true story of musical novelty, Florence Foster Jenkins, through the eyes of her accompanist, Cosme McMoon. Much like William Hung of AMERICAN IDOL, Jenkins was famous for being under the delusion that she was a great singer when she was actually incapable of hitting two notes in tune.

Veteran Nashville musical star, Ginger Newman (The Rep’s EVITA and PIRATES OF PENZANCE) and talented newcomer Jeffrey Williams (Street Theater Co.’s BATBOY) bring this delightful comedy with music to sparkling life in a production directed by Executive Director Richard Northcutt.

Northcutt saw the production in New York and felt it was “one of the funniest and most endearing shows I’ve ever seen.”

“At its heart, SOUVENIR is a story about two people who, over a period of time, learn what true friendship is all about,” he said. “It’s a bit of a love story minus the sex but not the passion. Florence is a singer - or thinks she is - and Cosme is a musician and composer -or thinks he is. She is wealthy; he is not. She needs an accompanist, and he needs a job.

“The play is also about art. What is it? Can one be a true artist without creating art as society at large imagines it. Can one be a true musician-artist when the perfect notes are only in the head and heart, not the voice. Again, it sounds serious, but the playwright has done a masterful job in posing these questions and in putting the answers in the form of two marvelous characters telling a beautiful story.”

Northcutt has cast the veteran Newman opposite the newcomer Williams and is very happy with the results. “It’s really not possible to do this show without two superb musicians who also have great acting chops. And we are truly fortunate in that regard,” he said.

“The role of Florence is extremely challenging because it requires someone who is opera-quality, classically trained, and has a beautiful, expressive vocal quality. She also has to take wonderful pieces by Verdi, Guonod, and other composers and convincingly sing off-key, out-of-tune, without regard to tempo. That’s a herculean task. On top of all of that, she has to be a spot-on comedienne, so casting this role is very difficult.

“We are truly blessed in that Ginger Newman will be playing the Florence. Nashville theatergoers who know her work will agree that the role is perfectly cast. Those who don’t know Ginger are in for a spectacular treat.”

As for Williams? His musicianship is impeccable. “He has such an innate understanding of the character,” said Northcutt, “and his stage presence is very appealing.

“He works very well with Ginger, and their chemistry is apparent. Jeffrey is well-known on the Belmont campus for his performing abilities and recently gained very good notices for his work in BAT BOY, THE MUSICAL. I also appreciate his incredible work ethic and inventiveness. While he may be young, he has a tremendously promising future ahead of him.”

Newman has great respect for the real-life woman she portrays. “Florence’s first line in the play is, ‘What matters most is the music you hear in your head…The impossible ideal, as it were.’ She lived that,” Newman said. “It was her compass and she the very tiny ship in the vastness of a sea of music. Not many singers/artists have that courage or depth of passion to truly embrace what she did without hesitation. The play touches on music, and life, in very compelling ways, according to Newman. “Cosme said, ‘A singer takes a good deal on trust…An artist…finds his or her own true voice.’ He also said: “Singing is a kind of dreaming in public.’ These are some of the thoughts that I think define the play in a microscopic way.

“In the bigger picture we have a gorgeous story of two people who came together and changed each other’s lives forever. Not the typical love story, but one of a story of love. Love of music and the dedication to it as an art form fuses them together in an artistic soul-mating. While sometimes it seems ridiculous, it is always truthful, and yes, even painful.”

All performances start at 7:30 PM except for Sunday, Dec. 9, when curtain is at 4 PM. Wednesday, Dec. 12 is a “Pay What You Can” performance. Thursday, Dec. 13 will include a “Talkback Panel” following the show.

Tickets for each show are $20 online and $25 at the door*. Substantial discounts are available to groups and seniors by contacting GRP.

* We are in the process of switching over to Tickets Nashville, an online ticket service that will allow you to purchase advance tickets from this site.

NASHVILLE SCENE theater critic, Martin Brady, reports his pleasure this week with Naked Stages’ production of The MERCHANT of VENICE by declaring that “the cast members … are a joy to watch.” He sites Lane Davies for his “cooly assured” performance of Shylock, the moneylender. Davies, he says, avoids the “stereotypical pitfalls” of the role with his “strong and confident” performance. Ruth Cordell, he continues, offers a “pliant and vulnerable” Portia while Marin Miller, Ensemble member Richard Northcutt, and “newcomers” Taylor Jones and Darci Stebbins are singled out for their engaging performances.

Martin credits AD Mark Cabus‘ cagey staging of the play for keeping the audience “on edge.” It’s Cabus’ “deft handling,” he says, that leaves “tantalizing” questions in the audience’s mind as to key relationships and plot points throughout the play. He admires the abridged script (running at under two hours), which still allows for savoring “the Bard’s marvelous language.” He concludes with saying, “Cabus pushes a few buttons, but he does it gently while still honoring the play’s genius.”

If you haven’t seen Naked Stages’ The MERCHANT of VENICE yet, you still have four performances left: Wednesday through Saturday, October 17-20, at Belmont’s new Black Box Theater (2100 Belmont Avenue). Call 615-460-8500 for tickets.

To read the full review, click here.

Naked Stages is proud to announce TV and stage veterans Lane Davies (SANTA BARBARA, LOIS AND CLARK) and Ruth Cordell (ALLY MCBEAL, ALIEN NATION) as stars of our inaugural production of The MERCHANT of VENICE at Belmont’s new Black Box Theater. “We’re delighted to have actors of Lane and Ruth’s caliber with us as we start our first full season,” said Founding Artistic Director Mark Cabus and MERCHANT director. “This is a controversial play and we have no intention of running from that controversy. Lane and Ruth are brave artists and embrace the provocative nature of this story with us. ”

Ms. Cordell appears as “Portia,” the wealthy heiress whose beauty is matched only by her intelligence, while Mr. Davies portrays the volatile “Shylock,” the Jewish moneylender intent on revenge. Our stellar cast is rounded out with Nashville favorites Marin Miller as “Nerissa,” Ensemble members Jon Royal as the “Prince of Morocco,” and Richard Northcutt as “Antonio.” Taylor Jones and Ensemble member John Mauldin make their area stage debuts with this production as “Bassanio” and the “Prince of Arragon,” respectively, while Belmont University student actor Zack McMann appears as “Lorenzo,” in conjunction with the company’s new accredited intern program. The design team boasts Emmy and Tony-winning Franne Lee producing costumes with Ensemble members Sean Williams and Chris Wilson creating the set and lights.

“MERCHANT deals with the kinds of human conflict often spotlighted on the evening news,” Cabus continues, “so our presentation must be as timely. We’ve gathered some of Nashville’s brightest theater artists to explore this deeply relevant story. As always, Green Room, and now Naked Stages, promises a unique theatre experience. We promise Shakespeare in modern dress fashioned to reveal our modern world.”

Our collaboration with the Valhalla Shakespeare Project continues to grow and this play is no exception. Two performances of MERCHANT will take place at Valhalla Farms in Cannon County (3081 Jimtown Rd., Bradyville) prior to opening at the Black Box Theater. Both shows, whether on Saturday, October 6, or Sunday, October 7, are 3 PM matinees and free to the general public.

The Nashville opening for The MERCHANT of VENICE is Thursday, October 11, at Belmont Univerisity’s new Black Box Theater, 2100 Belmont Boulevard. Additional performances run October 12-14 and 17-20. All performances start at 7:30 except for our Sunday matinee, which is at 4 pm. Wednesday nights are “Pay What You Can” performances. The second Thursdays of each run will include a “Talkback Panel” comprised of area experts from fields relevant to the play that’s being presented.

Tickets for each show are $20 for adults and $15 for students and can be purchased through the Belmont University ticket system (615-460-8500). Substantial discounts are available to patrons who purchase tickets from members of the group’s ensemble prior to opening night. Information on other discounts for groups, students and seniors is available by contacting us through this site.

“It’s clichéd, but there is something for everyone in this season and The MERCHANT of VENICE is just the beginning,” Cabus said. “We promise Nashville audiences the finest quality theater we can possibly offer and to carry them on a thought-provoking, entertaining, and enlightening ride.”

Green Room Projects is changing its status as a professional performing arts company. With the coming of our first full season, we’ve decided to reintroduce ourselves to the Nashville community as Naked Stages. This new moniker embraces not only our personal vision of spare, unadorned theatrical stagings, the proverbial “empty space,” but also of the theater’s ability to expose the human condition to its bare essence, to strip nature to its most fundamental.

Green Room will continue its excellence in arts education and community outreach while Naked Stages presents itself as the theater production wing of the company at Belmont’s Black Box Theater. Under the watchful eyes of Executive Director Richard Northcutt, Founding Artistic Director Mark Cabus, and our talented Ensemble of theater artists, Naked Stages promises to be a major contender in the ever-expanding Nashville theater community.

Green Room Projects, in conjunction with Valhalla Shakespeare Project, is proud to host general auditions for its 2007-2008 season on August 25 and 26, Upstairs at Bongo Java at 2007 Belmont Avenue in Nashville. The casting call for active Equity actors is Saturday, the 25th, from 9 AM to Noon and 1 to 4 PM, and for non-Equity actors Sunday, the 26th, 2 PM to 6 PM.

Green Room is an equal opportunity employer with roles available for adult actors, regardless of race, age, or gender, in THE MERCHANT OF VENICE, SOUVENIR*, TWELFTH NIGHT, and ANGELS IN AMERICA: Part One “Millennium Approaches.” We ask that no actors under 18 years of age attend, please. There are a limited number of Equity Special Appearance contracts available, however we do not provide housing or transportation.

Please prepare two contrasting monologues totalling no more than three minutes in length along with a recent picture and resume. Actors are seen on a first come, first served basis. A sign-up sheet will be made available with the monitor.

* We are specifically looking for a middle-aged adult male actor with strong classical piano skills and accompanist experience.

We are so excited!  It’s going to be a great year.

This October, Green Room Projects is one of three Nashville area professional theaters invited to take up residency at the new Belmont University Theater Complex.  Along side the Nashville Shakespeare Festival and Actors Bridge, we begin a partnership with Belmont’s Theater Department, performing in the new Black Box Theater and offering students opportunities to work and study alongside Nashville’s finest professional theater artists through accredited internships. 

We’re also producing our first full season this year.  We’re especially proud to be featuring the Nashville professional premieres of two Pulitzer and Tony Award-winning plays, Doug Wright’s one man tour de force, I AM MY OWN WIFE, starring Mark Cabus, and the greatest American drama of our generation, ANGELS in AMERICA: Part One “Millennium Approaches”, by Tony Kushner. 

Green Room’s collaboration with the Valhalla Shakespeare Project continues to grow with two of Bill’s most important works, the provocative The MERCHANT of VENICE, and the popular TWELFTH NIGHT.  For those of you who saw our two companies come together with this past season’s HAMLET, you know we’re determined to challenge and entertain you with our modern interpretations of these classic plays.

For the Holidays, we’re pleased to present SOUVENIR by Stephen Temperley, a sparkling new comedy with music,  starring the lovely Ginger Newman.  And, back by popular demand, we’re presenting Mark Cabus in his  critically acclaimed solo performance of A CHRISTMAS CAROL, for a special three night fundraiser. 

Like we said, it’s going to be a great year.  We hope you’re as eager as we are for the fall season to begin.  Please join us this October at the beautiful new Belmont University’s Black Box Theater as Green Room asks you to “Let Your Imagination SOAR.”

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