Christian / Gospel

Nashville Elvis Festival Returns to Franklin Theatre and Paragon Studios March 28-31, 2019

Join fans from around the world for the 3rd Annual Nashville Elvis Festival – March 28-31, 2019. Nashville Elvis Festival is a premier Elvis event unlike any other, celebrating the music and legacy of Elvis Presley. Join us for a weekend of live music performances, celebrity appearances, an Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist competition and more! Nashville Elvis Festival is hosted by TOM BROWN!

9 of the events will be held at the Historic Franklin Theatre, with additional events taking place at Paragon Studios and ALOFT Hotel. For detailed event descriptions and a complete festival schedule, please visit www.NashvilleElvisFestival.com!

FRIDAY, MARCH 29

10:00 AM – ELVIS IN CONCERT: Cote Deonath & Michael Cullipher with special guest DEAN Z

Join award-winning Elvis Tribute Artist Michael Cullipher and 2018 Images of the King champion Cote Deonath, plus very special guest DEAN Z, for a career-spanning tribute to Elvis, covering Elvis hits from the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s! Filled with costume changes and electric performances, you’ve never seen an Elvis tribute event quite like this. Don’t miss this official Nashville Elvis Festival kickoff concert event!

2:00 PM – ELVIS TRIBUTE ARTIST CONTEST – ROUND 1

Come watch 20 of the top Elvis tribute artists from around the world compete in Round 1. All tribute artists will be backed by the EAS Band. The winner of the Nashville Elvis Festival ETA Contest will advance to Graceland’s Ultimate Elvis® Tribute Artist Contest™ to be held in Memphis in August 2019.

7:00 PM – ELVIS IN CONCERT: Diogo Light & Brandon Bennett

Join us for this special concert event featuring two of the world’s top Elvis Tribute Artists backed by the EAS Band! First up, Brazil’s DIOGO LIGHT (our 2018 winner and runner up at the 2018 Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist world championship), followed by 2008 Ultimate Elvis® Tribute Artist world champion BRANDON BENNETT. Don’t miss this event!

SATURDAY, MARCH 30

10:00 AM – ELVIS IN CONCERT: Louisiana Hayride featuring Riley Jenkins and special guests

Three months after Elvis recorded “That’s All Right” in 1954, he made his first of several appearances on the storied Louisiana Hayride. Join us at Franklin Theatre as we commemorate those early performances with a historic recreation that will be the talk of the festival. Don’t miss this very special glimpse into the early years of Elvis featuring Riley Jenkins!

2:00 PM – ELVIS TRIBUTE ARTIST CONTEST – ROUND 2

Come watch 20 of the top Elvis tribute artists from around the world compete in Round 2. All tribute artists will be backed by the EAS Band. The winner of the Nashville Elvis Festival ETA Contest will advance to Graceland’s Ultimate Elvis® Tribute Artist Contest™ to be held in Memphis in August 2019.

7:00 PM – ELVIS TRIBUTE ARTIST CONTEST FINALS + ELVIS IN CONCERT: Dean Z

The Top 10 Elvis tribute artists will compete in the Final Round. All tribute artists will be backed by the EAS Band. The winner of the Nashville Elvis Festival ETA Contest will advance to Graceland’s Ultimate Elvis® Tribute Artist Contest™ to be held in Memphis in August 2019. Immediately following the Finals, DEAN Z, the 2013 Ultimate Elvis® Tribute Artist Contest™ world champion will present a live concert event that is sure to be a highlight of your festival experience!

SUNDAY, MARCH 31

10:00 AM – ELVIS GOSPEL LIVE!

Join the EAS Band along with Dean Z, Diogo Light, Cote Deonath, Michael Cullipher, Riley Jenkins, Jeff Lewis, Gary Chapman and Terry Blackwood of The Imperials for a very special concert event featuring the Grammy Award-winning Gospel Music of Elvis Presley.

2:00PM – ELVIS MOVIE SPECIAL EVENT: “VIVA LAS VEGAS” featuring a LIVE performance by Cote Deonath

Join us for this very special Elvis movie event! We’ll be screening the MGM hit Viva Las Vegas, followed by a special live performance celebrating the music from the film by award-winning Elvis Tribute Artist Cote Deonath. In celebration of the 1964 release, all seats for this event only will be $19.64!

7:00 PM – JOHN SCHNEIDER IN CONCERT **BONUS CONCERT**

John Schneider is best known for the iconic role of “Bo Duke” on The Dukes of Hazzard, as well as CW’s Smallville and his current series, Tyler Perry’s The Haves and the Have Nots on OWN. He also recently danced his way into America’s heart on Dancing with the Stars! In addition to his extensive acting career, John is a celebrated country music artist with 4 #1 singles and 10 albums to his credits. His very first hit was 1981’s cover of Elvis Presley’s “It’s Now Or Never,” which reached #4 on the Billboard Country chart. It remains the top charting Elvis cover of all time in any genre to date. This is a separately ticketed event and is not an official part of the Nashville Elvis Festival.

***Click here for tickets to see JOHN SCHNEIDER with Special Guest Gary Chapman!***

For All Events & Tickets at The Franklin Theatre CLICK HERE.

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The National Museum of African American Music will present the first public screening of “Charley Pride: I’m Just Me” a feature-length documentary episode of the PBS series “American Masters” at the Franklin Theatre in Franklin, Tenn., on Feb. 8 at 7 p.m.

“Charley Pride: I’m Just Me” traces the improbable journey of Charley Pride, from his humble beginnings as a sharecropper’s son on a cotton farm in segregated Sledge, Miss., to his career as a Negro League baseball player and his meteoric rise as a trailblazing country music superstar. A panel featuring filmmaker Barb Hall and Dr. Dina Bennett, senior curator at NMAAM, will immediately follow the film’s conclusion.

“Helping shine a light Charley Pride’s story, struggles and incredible musical talent through this documentary represents the kinds of stories our museum wants to tell,” said H. Beecher Hicks III, CEO and president of NMAAM. “He’s truly a one-of-a-kind, trailblazing artist whose place in our nation’s and our culture’s musical history is undeniable.”

“At a time when African American singers were more notable for R&B hits, Charley Pride followed his passion for country music, overcoming obstacles through determination and raw talent to make a lasting impact on the genre and create a legacy that continues today,” said Michael Kantor, executive producer of “American Masters.”

Tickets can be purchased from the Franklin Theatre website here. A portion of the proceeds from the screening will benefit the National Museum of African American Music.

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.