Self-esteem in the Nashville theater community can be a precarious thing. At heart, this is a music town, and there are other forms of art and entertainment that consistently compete with theater for public attention and the almighty discretionary dollar. These realities were clear in 2006 when the Metro Arts Commission slashed funding to some small yet important theater companies, while big dogs like the Nashville Symphony and Nashville Opera still got to eat heartily from the public trough.
But theater is an elemental form. Someone always wants—no, needs—to get up on a stage and shout to the rooftops. Fact is, 2006 was a notable year in Nashville theater. There were plenty of audience-worthy shows, and the city once again proved that this is a place where actors do high-quality work. Here were the top stories and developments of the year.
Lion King in Nashville After consistently missing the city in its previous big tours, this blockbuster finally came to TPAC. As expected, it pulled out all the musical stops and was bold and breathtakingly slick.
Belmont University and Nashville Children’s Theatre These institutions both began major theater-building expansions, which are scheduled for completion next year. The developments mean more performance space in general, larger playing areas and opportunities for cooler shows in fresh surroundings.
John Holleman and Company—no longer on the fringe This troupe scored a victory for Nashville’s indigenous theater scene by being invited to the 10th annual New York International Fringe Festival. The company got glowing reviews and proved that imaginative approaches to stage art are alive and well in the heartland.
Important new plays take a bow Nashville saw the premiere of several high-profile original works, including faith/doubt, The Doyle and Debbie Show, My Secret Weapon and Shelter.
Boiler Room Theatre marks a birthday This company celebrated a milestone, making it to five years in existence, no small feat for a start-up company committed to producing mostly musicals.
Rhinoceros at People’s Branch Theatre Multitalented Nashville theater fixture Matt Chiorini directed a brilliant production, in which all of the progressive company’s signature performance styles reached their high-water mark. The bittersweet coda is Chiorini’s departure from PBT for a new job in Arkansas. He’ll be sorely missed.
Tennessee Repertory Theatre proved less is more The state’s most important professional theater gingerly continued to retool its business model, resulting in a trend toward small, arty shows in the black-box atmosphere of Johnson Theater.
Denice Hicks returned to Nashville Shakespeare Festival The company needed a stabilizing force and got one. Hicks’ first production on her second go-round as artistic director was a highly visual, ethnically influenced production of Macbeth.
Debut of Shades of Black Theatre Showcase Nashville’s first-ever monthlong festival of plays presented by African American community theaters made its debut in August at the Darkhorse Theater. It was an important local development, as black theater artists took a more formal, consolidated approach to having their voices heard.
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