MUSIC: Nicole Witt (Summer Issue)

When discussing columns with YOUR Williamson’s “designHer”, Amy Freese, she said that I should consider a story on her dear friend Nicole Witt.  She went on to describe all of Nicole’s amazing talents and that she knew we would connect.  Amy was right.  I had the pleasure of spending some time with Nicole during the week of the CMA Fest, and she was all that Amy said she was and more.

Nicole is a lot like me with a list a mile long of all the things she has going on in her life, but we both agree that when we’re not busy, we don’t feel normal.  Songwriting, singing and playing fiddle/violin in two bands (“Mama’s Blue Dress” and “More Than Rubies”) and being a mom are just a few things on Nicole’s list.  With the support of family a friends, she keeps it all in balance, giving her the opportunity to continue to use all her many talents.  Talents that she gives all the credit to God for having, as He is the number one priority in her life.

When Nicole and I met, it was at 12^th and Porter in Nashville before a “Mama’s Blue Dress” show.  I was already excited to see the group perform, but after seeing the line to get in wrapped around the corner of the building, my excitement grew.  Fortunately, YOUR Arts and Culture gal doesn’t have to wait in lines, and I got to be there during sound check for a little preview.  The vocals alone of these four female powerhouses will blow your socks off.  Add two fiddles, a guitar, an occasional mandolin and a bass drum made out of an old suitcase, and you’ve got high-energy country/bluegrass female greatness.  And the icing on the cake, literally, is a cakewalk and baked goods at every show made by a mom of one of the members.  The caramel bourbon rice crispy treat at 12^th and Porter might be one of the best sweet treats I have ever had.  I don’t know much about her blue dress, but that mamma can cook!

Nicole describes her other project, “More Than Rubies”, as faith-based contemporary/folk, worship music.  Together Nicole and Christa Wells make up this duo that recently had a cd release party at the Franklin Mercantile.  Nicole flip flops between touring with Christa and MBD.  She says both tours are important to her.  MBD gets her back to her family’s bluegrass roots, while MTR fills her need to spread the Gospel.

When I asked the seven-year Brentwood resident what her favorite part of Williamson County is, Nicole replied, “The people, the schools, the teachers.  I love my neighbors and my church.”  I think we can all agree that Williamson County is the most perfect place to raise a family, while pursuing music.  With Nicole’s beautiful family by her side, this nationally touring, award winning Nashville songwriter and multi-instrumentalist is definitely the perfect example!

Check out Nicole at nicolewitt.com.

ART: Bruce Monro's LIGHT at Cheekwood (Summer Issue)

Cheekwood Botanical Gardens proclaims, “Using an inventive array of materials and hundreds of miles of glowing optic fiber, Munro’s fascination with light as an artistic medium will transform Cheekwood’s beautiful gardens into an iridescent landscape.”  It certainly does!  I was able to experience Bruce Munro’s incredible light display this month.  It was awesome.

Hailing from the UK, Munro is an installation artist working in light.  He creates many different forms of the art, but large scale instillations are his “heart and soul” and best express what he loves about light.  He portrays this to the fullest extent at his exhibit at Cheekwood displayed now through November 10^th. 

I’ve been to Cheekwood many times during the day.  Its gardens are gorgeous and, the view of Nashville from the Museum of Art is breathtaking.  Now Cheekwood at night is just as magnificent, but in a completely different way.  Upon entering the LIGHT exhibit, you feel as though you have stepped into a magical place.  A friend who went with me to see it said, “It feels like we’re in ‘The Wizard of Oz’ ”.  

The first instillation is called Water-Towers.  It is comprised of 40 structures built out of more than 10,000 one-liter recyclable plastic bottles filled with water, laser-cut wood layers, and fiber optics connected to LED projectors and sound system.  Munro chose the music to represent many nations.  African tribal songs were playing during my visit.  There are nine more instillations through out the gardens and museum.  They were all incredible.  A couple of my favorites were Fireflies in the Bamboo Garden and Field of Light in the Museum of Art Lawn and surrounding gardens.  “The bamboo garden at Cheekwood has presented me with an opportunity to create a magical space of illuminated springs amongst the bamboo. I hope that it instills a sense of wonder and surprise to those that see it,” said Munro about Fireflies.  Field of Light consists of a landscape of 20,000 lighted glass spheres, each rising from the ground on a slender stem and is designed to utilize the existing pathways in the garden to allow people to wander through it and view it from various different perspectives.

I feel as though I cannot do the exhibit justice with descriptions.  You just have to see it for yourself.  However, another instillation that I must mention is Light Reservation.  What is so interesting about this one is that it is described as “an assembly of tipi-like structures made from spent fluorescent tubes”.  However, I didn’t really see it as “tipis”, until I took a picture of it with a slow shutter speed (see right).   It appears more like diagonal flashes of light to the naked eye, but the camera tells a different story.  “The installation is about my enthusiasm for the imagination; but I also hope that Light Reservation presents people with an opportunity to ponder both the good and bad aspects of our recent history,” said Munro. 

 

I hope this story has inspired you to spend an evening at Cheekwood.  You will not be disappointed!  The exhibit is available for viewing Wednesdays – Fridays from 7pm-11pm.  For more information go to www.cheekwood.org.

THEATER: Studio Tenn

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again.  I love Broadway in New York.  Love it.  However, as I’m sure you know, just to see one show is no small fee.  I just added it all up with the current prices.  If I wanted to leave today and head to the Big Apple, it would all cost me about $500 and that’s for a cheap flight, cheap hotel, not the best seats in the theater and going alone.  Also, I would have to leave my husband and children to “fin for themselves” for more than a day, and the world just seems to fall apart when Momma’s gone!  So I’ve been thinking of writing a letter…

Dear Broadway,

 I love you, but I have a mortgage and children to feed.  Could you please send some of your finest actors to Franklin, Tennessee?  We have some great theaters, and I think you’ll especially like the one on Main Street.  Oh, and I really want to only pay about 10% of the price that I costs me to come to you.  Is that too much to ask?

Sincerely,

Your Frugal Fan in Franklin

Well, it seems that someone beat me to it.  Well, maybe not the letter, but the same idea; and from that, Studio Tenn was born.  I recently had the privilege to sit down with Studio Tenn’s Matt Logan (Executive Vice President and Artistic Director) and Jake Speck (President and Managing Director) to really dive in to what Studio Tenn is all about and what makes it so unique.

Matt and Jake both have extensive experience on Broadway, including production, acting and casting.  They love it but wanted to come back to their Tennessee roots to bring Broadway quality shows to Williamson County.  They do audition locally.  The last season has been predominately Nashville actors, which they are proud of.  However, they want the best cast possible so they pull from Broadway, when they feel it is necessary. For The Sound of Music, Ben Davis (Les Miserables, La Boheme) and Jessica Grove’ (A Little Night Music, Les Miserables) were brought in to play Captain and Maria Von Trapp.  Conrad John Schuck, who is currently on Broadway in Nice Work If You Can Get It, was in Studio Tenn’s Twelve Angry Men.  Jake actually performed in Twelve Angry Men, as well; and he played Bob Gaudio in Broadway’s Jersey Boys.  “We have found that it’s a beautiful blend to have the best of the best here and the best of the best there,” Matt said.  “The magic that happens with that is pretty exciting.  The actors that have made TN their home and have a renewed sense of why they do it.”  

Matt and Jake agree that plays written in the South are much more successful on stage here.  The most deeply gratifying show that Matt has directed is The Glass Menagerie.  “Tennessee Williams is never going to get better than the South,” he said.  “New York can’t pull it off like the South can.”  This season’s Smokey Joe’s, which cast included Melinda Doolittle (see MUSIC), is another great example of that statement.

Matt’s hope is that the actors of Studio Tenn never try to be a copy of a person.  For example, he did not want Jessica Grove’ to be Julie Andrews.  He wanted her to own the role and make it her own.  “In the age of Pro Tools and Photoshop,” he said, “this city beckons for authenticity.”  He says he directs “in riddles”.  He doesn’t just tell the actors what to do.  He wants them to be in the driver seat and own it.  Hiring professionals make that possible.  I think a little bit of that theory is just Matt being humble.  Jake says, in Twelve Angry Men, he relied a lot on Matt’s direction.  He didn’t think the show would be easy, but he thought he knew it.  “ Matt never stops directing, when the show is already running,” Jake said.  “The general rule is to stop at opening night, but if Matt sees that something can be better, he will change it.”

 

Next on the bill for Studio Tenn is My Fair Lady, and I can’t wait to see it.  Matt and Jake are excited that this is the first musical that has been an all Nashville cast.  Playing Eliza Doolittle is Laura Matula.  “She’s one of the most talented ‘under the radar’ musical theatre talents in the country,” Jake said. “And she lives right here in Nashville!”

It was such a pleasure to spend time with Matt Logan and Jake Speck.  I could say so much more about them, but I will leave you with this…

These two incredibly talented men’s combined forces of theater greatness make Studio Tenn a great big diamond at the top of the box holding all of Williamson County’s treasures. 

Find out more about Studio Tenn at www.studiotenn.com. 

MUSIC: Melinda Doolittle (May Issue)

Like so many others, I used to be obsessed with American Idol.  Each week I would be on the edge of my seat waiting to see who made it through.  I was invested in the contestants and their stories.  It was probably my favorite show.  However, my obsession ended after Season Six.  Melinda Doolittle was voted off.  I. Was. Done.  I remember screaming at the TV “What???!!” and then crying.  Yes, crying.  It seems a little crazy now, but I, along with the judges and millions of Americans, fell in love with the soulful singer from Nashville.  She was phenomenal and no doubt deserving of the title of American Idol.  I’m not saying Jordin Sparks wasn’t incredibly talented as well, but Melinda was and will always be in my mind number one.  Six years later, I have finally had the honor of meeting Melinda.  I saw her at the Taste of Williamson, and without hesitation, I introduced myself.  As I expected, she was absolutely delightful.  She is such a kind and genuine person and was happy to meet with me for this story.   

I was able to join her in the studio during her Friday ritual of recording the online show IDOLOGY, where she and TV Lines’ Michael Slezak recap each weeks episode of Idol, giving their opinions on performances, who should stay, who should go, etc.  The show is a must see for Idol watchers.  Melinda is made to be in front of the camera with her captivating smile and lively personality.  I asked her if she is ever mean because I can’t even imagine that she can be!  She says that she is honest and tries to be nice but constructive.  The Idols watch the show every week and very often take Melinda’s advice.

When she’s not recording the show, Melinda is still hard at work on her music career.  She is so excited about the record she is currently working on.  She has put together what she calls her “A-Team”, including writer Jim Weatherly (“Midnight Train to Georgia”) and producer Tre’ Corley.  She said, “Tre’ can produce the living daylights out of a song and make me love the entire thing.”  She loves working with Tre’ because he can take her “old school” vibe and combine it with the current sound. Melinda sang a song for me that will be on the album.  She said that other than me, she has only let her momma listen to it.  The song is called “Give”, and it is beautiful.  When it is released, it will definitely “give” you chills.  It is about giving to others, and its sales will benefit the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt.  Melinda is also part of a compilation album featuring several artists, such as Amy Grant, Vince Gill and Alison Krauss, which will have songs written by patients of the Children’s Hospital and will benefit it, as well.  The album will be released on May 15^th. 

Melinda has been a Williamson County resident for several years.  She moved here after graduating from Belmont University.  She said she loves that Williamson County has the country and the city, and it is the best place to come home to after being on the road.  Our hometown girl’s voice is absolutely on the level of music divas such as Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey.  However, she does not have one ounce of any negative connotations that the name diva sometimes entails.  She is an authentic beauty on the inside and out.  Whatever she does, she will always have my vote!