“Music City” playing at the Theatre at St. Luke’s on W 46th Street is a honky tonk of a good time. Set in the country music capital, Nashville, Tennessee, it tells the engaging story of two talented, up-and-coming country music songwriters who give you a taste of their talent at The Wicked Tickle, an east Nashville bar where people can come in, strut their stuff at the open mic, drink, and dream. Playwright Peter Zinn brings the audience into the world of the country music singer, a world that could be full of heartache, hard times, a little romance, and even addiction.
The music business can be difficult to negotiate and is often a hard taskmaster. You could be on top for a brief moment, and then right back down in the next. As you sit at an intimate table, the actors perform from different locations in the room. They walk around you, singing and telling a story that is very engrossing. The country western performances are delightful to hear.
T.J. is trying to make it in the business with his older brother Drew, and 23 (yes, that is the character’s name) has dreams of being the country music singing star and songwriter that her mother Tammy once hoped to be. When you look at the country music business through Zinn’s eyes, you also see the ugly side of the business as Tammy shares her regrets and tells her story of woe.
The way in which these characters are interconnected is quite interesting. This is truly a feel-good musical and will have you smiling at the end.
The cast brings this to life with such passion, energy, and joy you can’t help but be swept up. Stephen Michael Spencer is touching, passionate, and determined as T.J. Lauren “LOLO” Pritchard is stunning as 23. She plays this role with a great deal of heart, pain, and compassion. Jonathan Judge-Russo is captivating as Drew, the older brother who had to grow up too soon and now feels responsible for T.J. Leenya Rideout is versatile and tremendous in her dual roles as Tammy/Leeanne. Andrew Rothenberg is mesmerizing as Bakerman/Stucky Stiles.
The production has a welcoming vibe and a wonderful creative team with scenic design by Clifton Chadick, costume design by Kindall Houston Almond, lighting design by Eric Southern, sound design by Jane Shaw, choreography by John Heginbotham, and music supervision and direction by Julianne B. Merrill.
Get your cowboy boots and your 10-gallon hat on and go on down to see “Music City!” For tickets, visit musiccitythemusical.com.
