Join us this year as Pull-Tight celebrates 50 years of providing quality theatre to Williamson County and the greater Nashville community. In recognition of our 50th Anniversary Season, we polled Pull-Tight patrons for their favorite productions that have graced our stage. We are delighted to present a selection of “audience picks” from the past, as well as one final new show “to grow on.”
South Pacific
Music by Richard Rodgers
Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II
Book by Oscar Hammerstein II and Joshua Logan
Adapted from the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel Tales of the South Pacific by James Michener
Directed by Iain S.J. Macpherson
August 3-5, 9-12, 16-18
Deeply evocative of a special place and time, this enduring classic premiered in 1949 on Broadway and won 10 Tony Awards, including Best Musical. The 2008 Broadway revival won seven Tonys. Its parallel love stories, themes of military camaraderie, and unshrinking exploration of racial prejudice make it timeless. Features the beloved songs “Bali Ha’i,” “I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair,” “Some Enchanted Evening,” “There Is Nothin’ Like a Dame,” “Younger Than Springtime,” and “I’m in Love with a Wonderful Guy.”
Lend Me a Tenor
by Ken Ludwig
Directed by Daryle Tallent
October 5-7, 11-14, 18-20
For a stimulating evening full of mistaken identities, romantic complications, and slamming doors, it doesn’t get much better than this favorite work heralded as “one of the classic comedies of the 20th century” by The Washington Post. Opening in 1986 on the West End and in 1989 on Broadway, the show garnered nine Tony nominations and won two. A world-famous tenor appearing for one night only as Otello is accidentally given a double dose of tranquilizers and passes out. A staff member gets into costume to take his place, and the fun begins. “Non-stop laughter.” – Variety
Performed on the Pull-Tight stage in 1994
A Christmas Carol: A Live Radio Play
From the novella by Charles Dickens
Adapted by Kevin Connors & Joe Landry
Directed by JK Gregg
November 30, December 1-2, 6-9, 13-15
For many of us, Christmas isn’t Christmas without the opportunity to see some form of this beloved story, but how to keep it fresh? For the first time we present this live 1940s radio broadcast version of the Dickens classic. A small group of actors brings the story to life, complete with vintage commercials, live sound effects, and musical underscoring to lead Scrooge through his journey of discovering the true meaning of Christmas and of life.
A Christmas Carol has been performed in various forms on the Pull-Tight stage in 1979, 1980, 1981, 1985, 1987, 1990, 1995, 2000, 2005, and as the musical Scrooge! in 2016
On Golden Pond
by Ernest Thompson
Directed by Heather Bottoms
January 25-27, 31, February 1-3, 7- 9
This 1979 play, adapted to a beloved motion picture in 1981, takes us into the marriage of Ethel and Norman Thayer as they return to their summer home for the 48th year. When their middle-aged daughter leaves her teenage stepson with them for the summer, family wounds are uncovered. The boy becomes the grandchild the elderly couple have longed for, and lessons are learned in all three generations. “While On Golden Pond is loaded with humorous one-liners … it also contains important themes such as love, connections, and burying the hatchet in order to pursue a fresh start.” – Chicago Stage Standard
Performed on the Pull-Tight stage in 1997
Steel Magnolias
by Robert Harling
Directed by Lenny West
March 29-31, April 4-7, 11-13
Before audiences experienced the Ya-Ya Sisterhood or any Fried Green Tomatoes, Steel Magnolias set the standard for stories of female bonding. The play opened off-Broadway in 1987 and was adapted into a hit movie in 1989. The story takes place at Truvy’s beauty salon in Chinquapin, Louisiana, revolving around beloved characters Ouiser (“I’m not crazy … I’ve just been in a very bad mood for forty years”); Clairee (“If you can’t say anything nice about anybody, come sit by me”); and Truvy (“Honey, time marches on, and eventually you realize it’s marchin’ across your face.”) “Harling has given his women sharp, funny dialogue … The play builds to a conclusion that is deeply moving.” – NY Daily News
Performed on the Pull-Tight stage in 1992 and 2004
Big Fish
Music and Lyrics by Andrew Lippa
Book by John August
Directed by Justin McIntosh & Jacob Heinz
May 31, June 1-2, 6-9, 13-15
We end our season with something entirely fresh and new, a musical that opened in 2013 based on the novel by Daniel Wallace and the film by Tim Burton. Edward Bloom is a traveling salesman with a lot of larger-than-life stories. When his son Will is about to have a child of his own, he becomes determined to find the truth behind his father’s epic tales. We join the magical journey as figures from Edward’s past come to life onstage. Songs include “Be The Hero,” “Stranger,” “Time Stops,” “Fight the Dragons,” “I Don’t Need A Roof,” and “How It Ends.” “A big, beautiful, glorious show.” – Entertainment Weekly
Never before seen on the Pull-Tight stage!
