Studio Tenn Announces In-Person Holiday Shows

Studio Tenn
photo from Studio Tenn

After an extended intermission due to the pandemic, Franklin’s professional regional theatre, Studio Tenn, will return with a packed holiday lineup of classic shows and events. Tickets for the shows are on sale at studiotenn.com.

Studio Tenn Presents: The Holidays includes two productions and one special event, with world-renowned casts and Studio Tenn’s trademark, unique spins on holiday favorites.

“To say we’re excited to perform in front of live audiences is an understatement,” said Todd Morgan, Studio Tenn’s executive director. “The holiday season seemed like an appropriate time to offer these productions and to say ‘thank you’ to so many people who’ve supported us throughout these challenging times. It’s great to be back.”

Patrick Cassidy, Studio Tenn’s artistic director, will direct a production for the first time since his arrival in Franklin. He will take on the beloved holiday classic It’s A Wonderful Life. Based on The Greatest Gift by Philip Van Doren Stern and adapted by Joe Landry, It’s A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play tells the story of an idealistic man questioning his life on a fateful Christmas Eve night. In a unique twist, the show transports the audience back to Franklin in the 1940s and the story unfolds with an ensemble of five actors bringing dozens of characters to life.

It’s A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play will run December 9-24 at the Jamison Theater in The Factory at Franklin.

In celebration of the Dickens of a Christmas Festival on Dec. 11, Studio Tenn will present two shows of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol: A Solo Performance by Mark Cabus in the Franklin Theatre. Cabus, who currently works as an adjunct professor at Belmont University, is a well-known writer, actor and director who has performed on stage and screen in productions around the world.

In perhaps his most challenging role yet, Cabus will take on more than 18 characters — from Scrooge to Marley’s Ghost, Mr. Fezziwig, Bob Cratchit and even Tiny Tim — engaging audiences with his quick wit and sharp skills, and capturing the haunting tale of an angry, old man bound to save his shrunken heart.

Additionally, Studio Tenn — in partnership with Franklin Theatre and Harpeth Hotel — will ring in the new year on December 31 with New Year’s Eve With Studio Tenn, hosted by Cassidy and featuring live music, incredible vocalists and special guests. The Harpeth Hotel will host an after-party once the activities at Franklin Theatre have ended. Tickets for the event will be available soon.

Studio Tenn will announce its 2022 season in the coming weeks.

ABOUT THE STUDIO TENN THEATRE COMPANY: Studio Tenn is a professional regional theatre company and a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization based in Franklin, TN. Its programming centers around innovative, custom-designed presentations of classic plays and musicals as well as an original “Legacy” series of theatrical concerts celebrating the work of time-honored musicians. Learn more at https://www.studiotenn.com/.