Theatre Bristol brings “The Mockingbird Sings” back to its ARTspace Stage Sept. 6-8 and 11-12, leading into the Bristol Rhythm and Roots Reunion Festival. This is a special presentation of this uniquely Bristol recording sessions story with a Bristol-area cast. Tickets are on sale for this limited engagement staged reading and live music presentation at www.theatrebristol.org/tickets.
“The Mockingbird Sings” weaves a story of love and the history of country music leading up to the recordings and discoveries of Jimmie Rodgers, Pops Stoneman, The Carter Family and many others. “The Mockingbird Sings” was written by Dr. Nancy Hamblen Acuff, Terry Harkleroad and Sharon Cort.
Our Eddie Snow, played by Reece Wheeler, is at a crossroads, influenced by generations of music through his grandmother Eula Mae Broome, played by Susan McNabb. The wishes of his mother, Lucy Snow played by Samantha Beaird, come up against the time he’d rather spend playing music with friends Royal Campbell played by Reece Hilt, and Royal’s friends played by Katrina Compton and Carter Bresowar and Arlee McKerr played by John Snyder.
King University student Mary Martha, played by Mary Ellis Glymph, tires of Ray English, played by Ned Zeiler, and falls for “our Eddie,” as narrator Martha Hawk calls him. With Mary Martha, Eddie finds his courage and ventures out to WOPI radio with announcer Troy, played by CanJoe* John, on to the Bristol recording sessions, and all the way to the Grand Ole Opry. Along the journey, Eddie gets schooled in the blues by the train porter Toney played by Freddy Heath and inspired by an Old Codger played by Richard Albright.
Ralph Peer, played by Ned Zeiler, and Monique Peer, played by Baleigh McKeehan, travel to Bristol to record the music of Pops Stoneman played by John Snyder with Stoneman children Abby Cheek, Skylar Scheuer and Kate Zeiler, Jimmie Rodgers played by Richard Albright, the Carter family with Barbara Walton as Maybelle, Martha Hawk as Sara, and Jeff Benedict as A.P., and one Eddie Snow. In a featured role, CanJoe* John is played by none other than CanJoe* John.
“The Mockingbird Sings” band includes music director Barbara Walton on upright bass, Dennis Farris on banjo and Jeff Benedict on banjo and mandolin, Chloe Campbell and Rob Nicar on fiddle, Martha Hawk on autoharp, and John Snyder and Baleigh McKeehan on guitar.
With support from media sponsor 96.3 The Possum, “The Mockingbird Sings” will be on the ARTspace stage Friday, Saturday and Sunday Sept. 6-8 and Wednesday and Thursday Sept. 11-12. Tickets are $15 for adults plus fees and $10 for seniors and students plus fees and are available at www.theatrebristol.org/tickets.
For more information, visit www.theatrebristol.org, follow TheatreBristolTN on Facebook, call 423-212-3625, or email info@theatrebristol.org.
