News

Leading Improv and Comedy Touring Company Will Perform With The Audience For a Night of Fun and Laughs

Are you sick and tired of jokes that make you feel sick and tired? Don’t let it all get you down! The Second City has the fix. Edgy, thought-provoking and always spectacularly funny, Chicago’s legendary sketch and improv comedy theater brings, ”The Cure for The Common Comedy,” to the Franklin Theatre on Saturday, September 2^nd at 8pm.

Recognized as one of the most influential and prolific comedy theatres in the world,

The Second City is celebrating nearly six decades of producing cutting-edge satirical revues and launching the careers of generation after generation of comedy’s best and brightest (Mike Myers, Steve Carell, Stephen Colbert, Tina Fey).

Tyler Samples, Director, describes the six veteran performers as “funny and weird” playing characters that everyone will undoubtedly find familiar. Samples adds, “They’re planning to do a lot of improv and audience interaction, to the point where it will feel like they’re playing to a group of friends. It’s a moment in time specific to what is in the room and who’s watching. A lot of silly versions of everyday things, family dynamics, adult children and their parents, couples and first dates.”

The Second City continues to produce the premiere comic talent in the industry and has grown beyond a single stage to become a diversified entertainment company. Training centers in Chicago, Toronto, and Los Angeles teach thousands of students every week, and four touring companies perform Second City revues all over North America and abroad. The Blue Co. will be the cast for the Franklin Theatre show.

Tickets for The Second City can be purchased online at www.FranklinTheatre.com or by calling the Box Office at 615-538-2076.

“THE SECOND STORY:  A WRITER’S NIGHT REIMAGINED”

July 21 show features Ruby Amanfu, Peter Cooper, Bob DiPiero and Dennis Matkosky

Middle Tennessee is blessed with a remarkable creative community, especially in the realm of songwriting. Many of these great talents are regularly featured in “songwriter rounds” where the actual writers of hit songs not only perform them, but share the story behind the music.

The historic Franklin Theatre has been working on a new twist to the traditional “rounds” to showcase the writers and also weave the talents of other types of writers (authors, poets, playwrights) into the evening. They’re calling the concept “The Second Story.”

According to Franklin Theatre executive director Dan Hays, “The Second Story is a writer’s night ‘reimagined.’ We invite an author to take at least one song from the three featured songwriters that evening and to reimagine the music and words and weave the song from each of them into an entirely new short story. In short, they come up with a ‘second’ story inspired by the songs. The author then tells that story – on stage – and the selected songs are performed and woven into the presentation for the audience.“

The evening also opens up with a traditional “songwriter round” of performances, so there’s plenty of great music from everyone involved.

“Our first two presentations of this concept have been magical evenings. The music has been stellar from the songwriters and the stories created by the authors have mesmerized audiences with wonderful tales and laughter and some wonderful unexpected twists,” says Hays.

On Friday, July 21, “The Second Story” will weave together words and music of these accomplished artists:

Ruby Amanfu: Whether lending vocals to Beyoncé’s album, or writing and performing Grammy-nominated songs, the Ghana-born, Nashville-reared artist has generated a succession of critically acclaimed projects. Her single “Sugah” reached No. 3 on Billboard’s airplay chart in 2003. Songs penned by a variety of acts, including Kelly Clarkson, Lene Nystrom, Sanne Salomonsen, Rachael Lampa, and the Duhks (for which she received Grammy recognition). Ms. Amanfu is also a part-time actor currently appearing as herself on the current season of “Nashville.”

Bob DiPiero: Hall of Fame Songwriter Bob DiPiero is one of Nashville’s most prolific and consistent songwriters with over 1,000 songs recorded by other artists and 15 #1 hits. His songs have been featured in TV shows, commercials and movies and, in 2011, his song “Coming Home” from the Country Strong movie soundtrack was nominated for both an Oscar and Golden Globe Award. Among his countless awards are 50 BMI Million-Air honors and multiple Songwriter of the Year awards.

Dennis Matkosky is the Grammy award-winning, Academy and Golden Globe nominated responsible for such iconic radio smashes as “Maniac” (#1 in 18 countries), “I Need You” (LeAnn Rimes) and “You’ll Think Of Me,” the pop-crossover #1 smash by Keith Urban. From “Flashdance” to Rascal Flatts, he has penned hits for Diana Ross, Boz Scaggs, Smokey Robinson and Kenny G (to name a few).

Peter Cooper: The storyteller for the evening is an author, songwriter, Grammy-nominated musician, a country music historian, and a senior director, producer, and writer at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. His recent book, Johnny’s Cash & Charley’s Pride: Lasting Legends and Untold Adventures in Country Music, was recently released to great acclaim. named one of Nashville’s “10 Most Interesting People” by Nashville Arts & Entertainment magazine. Kris Kristofferson wrote, “Peter Cooper looks at the world with an artist’s eye and a human heart and soul.”

Tickets can be purchased at www.franklintheatre.com or by calling the Box Office at 615-538-2076. Live music shows presented by the Franklin Theatre are sponsored by Jackson National Life.

The historic Franklin Theatre will celebrate the fifth anniversary of its reopening in June and invites the community to a special series of complimentary movies, backstage tours and a music concert to say thanks for helping make it an important cultural showplace in such a short period of time. The historic movie house reopened in 2011 to inspire, enrich and connect our community as a world-class music venue and multi-purpose arts facility after an $8.5 million rebuild.

In just its first five years, over 350,000 patrons have laughed, cried and been touched by award winning musical talents from most every genre, world class live theater, special movie experiences, and scores of community and business events. As a new centerpiece on Franklin’s renowned Main Street, it has spurred a new emphasis on music and art in Williamson County that complements the area’s Civil War history, unique shopping and amazing local food scene. The venue now averages more than 600 events each year and contributes a direct annual economic impact of $3.8 million.  As a non-profit recipient of the community’s generosity, the theater’s leadership is especially proud to have helped area charities host events that have raised over $3 million since reopening.

To celebrate its patrons, several complimentary events are planned. Ticket reservations will begin at 11 AM on May 27th

June 11 at 10 AM, 1, 4 & 7 PM – Free Movie Day

Celebrating the Franklin Theatre’s longest tradition of movies on Main Street, the Franklin Theatre will screen classic movies all day for free. Movies will include the original Snow White & The Seven Dwarfs, American Graffiti, and The Sting. Patrons are also encouraged to bring a canned food donation for OneGenAway, a charitable organization that provides food to the hungry. Movies will be shown at 10 AM, 1, 4 & 7 PM.

June 19 all afternoon – Open House and Backstage Tours

You’ve seen the marquee and possibly the lobby and auditorium…but have you been backstage and heard the whole story about the Franklin Theatre? Tours to be given on the hour from 1:00 PM until 5:00 PM.

June 24 at 8 PM – SHEL Live Performance/Album Release

Celebrating the Franklin Theatre’s newest tradition, live music, nationally recognized Americana band and Franklin favorites, SHEL join us for an album release concert. The show will be complimentary, but please reserve tickets in advance. We’ll also encourage a donation that evening to Tails of the Trail, an animal advocacy group.

July 1 at 7 PM – Art Scene at the Theatre

Also celebrating their fifth anniversary is Franklin Art Scene. Franklin’s monthly art crawl takes participants through downtown Franklin’s historic buildings, and celebrates Williamson County’s unique artistic talent. Visit us to see an art exhibit as well as an artist creating works on site. Following Art Scene, at 9:30 PM the Franklin Theatre will present a screening of Saving Banksy.

Originally opened in 1937 as Franklin’s Main Street movie house, the Franklin Theatre was shuttered in 2007 amid rising rents and operational costs. A massive fundraising effort and total renovation allowed the theatre to reopen in 2011 as a world-class music venue that continues its original purpose as a movie house.

The Franklin Theatre has hosted a remarkable talent roster of award winning artists including Sheryl Crow, Art Garfunkel, The Judds, Michael McDonald, Amy Grant & Vince Gill, Ronnie Dunn, Michael W. Smith, Guy Clark, Ray Price, Del McCoury, Jars of Clay, Switchfoot, Leon Russell, Mac Davis, Little River Band and many, many more. The theatre has also served as a backdrop for a host of television productions, videos, webcasts, live album recordings and the ABC network series Nashville.

For tickets and more information about these events, visit: www.franklintheatre.com or call 615-538-2076.

The Franklin Theatre is located at 419 Main Street, Franklin Tennessee.

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Media Information Contact:

Brian Solomon

brian@franklintheatre.com

615-538-2079

“Run Free: The True Story of Caballo Blanco,” a feature-length documentary about ultra-running legend Micah True, will screen at the Franklin Theatre in Franklin, TN, on Wednesday, March 16 at 7 p.m. The one-night-only event is sponsored by the Nashville Striders running club.

Micah True, better known as Caballo Blanco – the White Horse – was the focal character of Christopher McDougall’s 2009 best-selling book “Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen” about the Tarahumara Indians of northern Mexico. Also known as the Rarámuri, or Running People, they are some of the best long-distance runners in the world.

Caballo Blanco was an enigmatic visionary who lived and ran with the Tarahumara after moving to remote Copper Canyon in the 1990s, and who created the fifty-mile Copper Canyon Ultra-Marathon to honor their running traditions and aid in their sustainability. Now in its thirteenth year, the race attracts hundreds of local Tarahumara to the village of Urique to compete alongside some of the best runners in the world. All race finishers receive five hundred pounds of corn, which the international runners traditionally donate to the local Tarahumara, commemorating the spirit of sharing, or “kórima,” which is a way of life among the natives of Copper Canyon.

The documentary is directed by Sterling Noren, a filmmaker from Seattle who met Micah True in 2009. Most of the material for the film was recorded in the weeks leading up to the 2012 race. Shortly after that race, Micah True disappeared in the Gila Wilderness of New Mexico during his daily run, prompting ultra-runners from all over the country to drop everything and join in the search. His body was recovered several days later, found on a trail in a deserted canyon by some of his friends.

“We wanted to tell the story of Micah True in a way that was exciting and authentic, so that viewers could get a sense of what an amazing and inspiring person he was,” said Noren. “Micah’s vision lives on and his legacy is honored in this film. The film shares Micah’s compelling message of love, hope and kórima with the world while helping sustain the people and culture that meant so much to him. We’re honored to be part of this project and are committed to keeping Micah’s mission alive.”

“Micah’s genuine passion for honoring the sacred running traditions of the Tarahumara people was the essence of his being,” said Maria Walton, executive producer of the film and Micah True’s girlfriend at the time of his death. “We made this film to share Micah’s vision of hope for the Tarahumara culture and empower people everywhere with his joy of running.”

The 90-minute film recently won the 2015 Bud Greenspan Memorial Film and Video Award, presented by the Track & Field Writers of America. In addition, the film also was named winner of the prestigious Award of Excellence from the IndieFEST Film Awards, which recognizes film, television and new media professionals who demonstrate exceptional achievement in craft and creativity, contributing to profound social change. The IndieFEST Film Awards said of its latest winners, “The IndieFEST is not an easy award to win. Entries are received from around the world from powerhouse companies to remarkable new talent. The judges were pleased with the exceptional high quality of entries,” of which Run Free was singled out for its creative excellence.

The film was also named the Best Documentary at the 2015 Arizona International Film Festival.

Most recently, the film won a silver medal at the 2015 Spotlight Documentary Film Awards, which designated Run Free: The True Story of Caballo Blanco as one of the top 250 independent documentaries produced anywhere in the world in 2015.

A percentage of the film’s profits, including from DVD sales, will go to benefit Norawas de Rarámuri (Friends of the Running People), the non-profit agency founded by Micah True to preserve traditional Tarahumara culture. Norawas de Rarámuri works to provide maize, non-GMO seed corn, and cash awards for participating Tarahumara runners, both men and women alike. On this way, the organization offers Tarahumara families nutrition during drought and support for a tradition of small farms necessary to both physical and cultural survival.

Tickets for the event are $11 in advance at www.franklintheatre.com/tickets/more or $15 at the door the night of the show. There is a $2 per ticket preservation fee charged by the theater and online ordered are assessed a $3 transaction fee. The Franklin Theatre is located at 419 Main St. in Franklin.

The largest running club in Middle Tennessee with more than 1,000 members, the Nashville Striders running club is a non-profit organization whose mission is to promote running, walking and general fitness as lifelong endeavors. The club’s aim is to help runners achieve their fitness goals, whether as a primarily social runner to the most competitive runner. For more information, go to www.nashvillestriders.com.

For more information about the film, go to www.runfreemovie.com.

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For more information or to arrange interviews with principals of the film, contact promoter Garry Harrington at gharrington3165@hotmail.com or 603-209-5010.

Franklin, TN (January 26, 2016) Gateway Chamber Orchestra proudly presents Enchanting Tales, 7:30 pm, February 8, at the Franklin Theatre. The Monday evening concert spotlights award-winning composer Jeffrey Wood’s world premiere of Different Bodies. The performance opens with Rossini’s charming Il signor Bruschino Overture, taking the audience through a full spectrum of contrasting musical fables and emotional tales, concluding with Maurice Ravel’s popular Mother Goose, a magical work that tells the story of Sleeping Beauty and other fairy tales.

Inspired by Kenneth Sherman’s book written about the infamous Elephant Man, Different Bodies, features acclaimed baritone, Jeffrey Williams. Composer Wood says, “Sherman’s book gives a personal point of view that allows Joseph Merrick a voice that is at once tragic and ironic: Sherman’s Merrick is a man fully aware of his strange appearance and bizarre life but oddly still able to embrace his peculiar reality.

At the same time, Sherman manages to make this most unusual individual a kind of Everyman: a marginalized person, an outsider looking in; physically unable to be part of the world around him, but ultimately unable to distance himself entirely from it. He contemplates his place in the day to day life of the world around him, trying to understand humanity from his unique perspective as an outsider to that humanity, while at the same time still being a part of it. Sherman’s Elephant Man is more than the sum of Merrick’s life and extraordinary physical appearance: it is a deeply human story.”
Enchanting Tales with Jeffrey Williams, baritone
Monday, February 8, at 7:30 p.m. 
The Franklin Theatre

Giochinno Rossini – Il signor Bruschino Overture
Jeffrey Wood – Different Bodies (world première)
Maurice Ravel – Ma mère l’oye (Mother Goose)

FEBRUARY 8, 2016, Single CONCERT Tickets:
Adults: $25 | $30 | $40 | Student/Active: $15 • $20 • $30
Tickets for February 8 concert: CLICK HERE

 
SPRING SUBSCRIPTION SERIES PRICING (Two concerts*Best Value)
Adults: $40 | $50 | $65
Student/Military: $24 | $32.50 | $50
Two-concert series: Spring Subscriptions are available by phone at (615) 538-2076, and online by clicking HERE. 

Box Office hours: Sunday & Monday, Noon-5:00 pm
Tuesday – Saturday, 11:00 am-6:00 pm
JEFFREY WOOD did his undergraduate work in composition and piano at Oberlin College and graduate work at the State University of New York at Stony Brook, where he earned Master’s degrees in piano and composition and a Ph.D. in composition, working under Gilbert Kalish and David Lewin.

Wood’s compositions have been performed and recorded throughout the country and have received many awards including those from BMI, ASCAP, as well as the Bates Memorial Prize. He was the highest prizewinner at the Stroud Festival International Competition in Great Britain and was named Distinguished Composer of the Year by the Music Teacher’s National Association. Wood was one of eight composers awarded in the 1995 Young American’s Art Song Competition sponsored by G. Schirmer/Associated Music Publishers. Wood’s oratorio Lamentationes Ieremiæ Prophetæ (Lamentations of Jeremiah the Prophet)for chorus, soloists and orchestra was premièred at the War Memorial Auditorium in Nashville with the Nashville Chamber Orchestra. This work was subsequently nominated for the Pulitzer Prize.

Wood has held the Individual Artist Fellowship in Composition from the Tennessee Arts Commission and was awarded the Richard M. Hawkins Award for scholarship and creativity by Austin Peay State University. As a pianist Wood has worked with composers such as Roger Sessions, Thea Musgrave, Mario Davidovsky, Frederic Goossen, Alan Hovhaness and Ernst Křenek in performances of their keyboard music. He is presently Professor of Music at Austin Peay State University, Clarksville, Tennessee.

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The Gateway Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Gregory Wolynec, was formed in 2008 and is recognized as one of the leading new American ensembles. Comprised of professional musicians from Middle Tennessee and beyond, the GCO specializes in presenting traditional masterworks, overlooked treasures, and contemporary American compositions. The GCO’s recordings have received critical acclaim in publications such as the American Record Guide and Fanfare Magazine. Engaging 5,000 Middle Tennessee students annually with classical music through free performances, innovative educational outreach, and interactive Children’s Concerts, the GCO is committed to building new audiences for tomorrow. Visit gatewaychamberorchestra.com to learn more.

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Live Music and Christmas Film Fest Featured

FRANKLIN, Tennessee (October 14, 2015) – The marquee of the Franklin Theatre shines every day, but always seems to lift the spirits a little more during the Christmas season. Lights and wreaths will adorn the façade nearer to Thanksgiving, but tickets for events inside the historic landmark are already on sale.

A variety of live concerts and classic holiday-themed movies will again celebrate the venue’s 78-year tradition that is always a highlight for families and friends to enjoy.

Among the award winning musical artists slated for December are Mandy Barnett (Dec. 5), John Scofield & Jon Cleary (Dec. 10), Melinda Dolittle (Dec. 11), Suzy Bogguss (Dec. 12), John Berry (Dec. 15), Exile (Dec. 17), Phil Vassar (Dec. 18), Asleep at the Wheel (Dec. 19), and Cab Calloway Orchestra with two shows on New Year’s Eve.

Plans are also in the works for an extra special evening (Dec. 21) of songs and stories entitled “Simply Christmas” to be announced in the coming weeks.

The Franklin Theatre also announces a lineup of holiday films such as Polar Express, Elf, Grinch, Home Alone, It’s A Wonderful Life, and White Christmas. Though many are staples on television, there’s nothing like seeing them on the big screen where they originally came to life. A holiday movie on Main Street is an entirely different event when enjoyed with so many others.

“The holidays are a special time to create new memories and remember old ones with people you care about and want to enjoy special experiences with,” says executive director Dan Hays. “It’s a special time to get together and great music and the stories in film help us touch people with unique experiences. We’ve put together a calendar with the hope to get everyone in the spirit of the season.”

LIVE EVENT DATES

12/5      Mandy Barnett

12/10    John Scofield & Jon Cleary

12/11    Melinda Dolittle

12/12    Suzy Bogguss

12/15    John Berry

12/17    Exile – Chrismas CD Release Concert

12/18    Phil Vassar

12/19    Asleep at the Wheel

12/21    “Simply Christmas”

12/31    Cab Calloway Orchestra (Two Shows)

MOVIE DATES

11/21-11/25     Polar Express

11/22-11/25     Love Actually

11/23-11/25     Elf

11/25-11/25     Planes, Trains and Automobiles

11/27-11/29     How the Grinch Stole Christmas

11/29-12/01     Scrooged

12/02-12/03     Christmas Vacation

12/03-12/04     Die Hard

12/05-12/07     Home Alone

12/08-12/09     It’s A Wonderful Life

12/12,19,26      Elf

12/20-12/25     White Christmas

12/22-12/26     Holiday Inn

TICKETS

Tickets for all shows are available by calling the Franklin Theatre box office at 615-538-2076 or online at www.franklintheatre.com.  Advance ticket purchases are strongly encouraged due to holiday demand.

GIFT CARDS

Available in any denomination and valid for any theatre event or concessions, Franklin Theatre gift cards are available to purchase at the box office (in person) or by calling (615) 538-2076.

BALCONY RENTALS

Private groups may rent the Franklin Theatre’s 44-seat balcony for movies and concerts (based on availability) by calling 615-538-2083. No additional fees are associated with balcony rentals for pre-existing events. Balcony rentals include a private bar and restrooms.

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For further information, contact:

Brian Solomon

brian@franklintheatre.com

615-538-2079