News

John Tesh

After more than three decades as a world-renowned entertainer and composer, John Tesh’s recording and live concert career continues with his new show “Grand Piano Live” that includes a stop at the Franklin Theatre on Friday, October 27^th at 8pm.

Tesh is a six-time Emmy Award winner, two-time GRAMMY nominee, with three gold records, seven Public Television specials and 8 million records sold who established himself as one of the most prolific and successful composers of the 90s. With 50-plus recordings into his multi-faceted musical and broadcast career, John Tesh’s highly successful and varied career path includes a string of #1 radio hits, 12 years as an investigative journalist, a 10-year run as anchor on Entertainment Tonight, broadcast host and music composer for the Barcelona and Atlanta Olympic Games, and the unique distinction of composing what critics have hailed as, “The greatest sports theme song in television history,” the NBC SPORTS’ NBA Basketball Theme.

The Los Angeles resident also spent the early days of his broadcasting career working as a news anchor at WSM-TV in Nashville.  Tesh said of his upcoming show, “This is really a homecoming for me; anchoring the news with Dan Miller and Pat Sajak; competing for stories against Oprah Winfrey; and watching Steve Martin get his start at the Exit Inn. I can’t wait to get on stage and not only share my songs on piano but also reminisce about my time in the town that shaped my future!”

Whether at the solo piano, with a 12-piece ‘big band’ or an 80-piece orchestra, Tesh’s ability to create a unique journey for concert fans with music and storytelling has taken him from the Red Rocks Amphitheater and the Coliseum in Rome to Carnegie Hall and The Kennedy Center. John’s live television concerts, including the seminal ‘Live at Red Rocks,’ have raised more than 20 million dollars for Public Television.

Tickets for this one night exclusive engagement are available online at FranklinTheatre.com or by calling the Box Office, 615.538.2076.

Leading Improv and Comedy Touring Company Will Perform With The Audience For a Night of Fun and Laughs

Are you sick and tired of jokes that make you feel sick and tired? Don’t let it all get you down! The Second City has the fix. Edgy, thought-provoking and always spectacularly funny, Chicago’s legendary sketch and improv comedy theater brings, ”The Cure for The Common Comedy,” to the Franklin Theatre on Saturday, September 2^nd at 8pm.

Recognized as one of the most influential and prolific comedy theatres in the world,

The Second City is celebrating nearly six decades of producing cutting-edge satirical revues and launching the careers of generation after generation of comedy’s best and brightest (Mike Myers, Steve Carell, Stephen Colbert, Tina Fey).

Tyler Samples, Director, describes the six veteran performers as “funny and weird” playing characters that everyone will undoubtedly find familiar. Samples adds, “They’re planning to do a lot of improv and audience interaction, to the point where it will feel like they’re playing to a group of friends. It’s a moment in time specific to what is in the room and who’s watching. A lot of silly versions of everyday things, family dynamics, adult children and their parents, couples and first dates.”

The Second City continues to produce the premiere comic talent in the industry and has grown beyond a single stage to become a diversified entertainment company. Training centers in Chicago, Toronto, and Los Angeles teach thousands of students every week, and four touring companies perform Second City revues all over North America and abroad. The Blue Co. will be the cast for the Franklin Theatre show.

Tickets for The Second City can be purchased online at www.FranklinTheatre.com or by calling the Box Office at 615-538-2076.

“THE SECOND STORY:  A WRITER’S NIGHT REIMAGINED”

July 21 show features Ruby Amanfu, Peter Cooper, Bob DiPiero and Dennis Matkosky

Middle Tennessee is blessed with a remarkable creative community, especially in the realm of songwriting. Many of these great talents are regularly featured in “songwriter rounds” where the actual writers of hit songs not only perform them, but share the story behind the music.

The historic Franklin Theatre has been working on a new twist to the traditional “rounds” to showcase the writers and also weave the talents of other types of writers (authors, poets, playwrights) into the evening. They’re calling the concept “The Second Story.”

According to Franklin Theatre executive director Dan Hays, “The Second Story is a writer’s night ‘reimagined.’ We invite an author to take at least one song from the three featured songwriters that evening and to reimagine the music and words and weave the song from each of them into an entirely new short story. In short, they come up with a ‘second’ story inspired by the songs. The author then tells that story – on stage – and the selected songs are performed and woven into the presentation for the audience.“

The evening also opens up with a traditional “songwriter round” of performances, so there’s plenty of great music from everyone involved.

“Our first two presentations of this concept have been magical evenings. The music has been stellar from the songwriters and the stories created by the authors have mesmerized audiences with wonderful tales and laughter and some wonderful unexpected twists,” says Hays.

On Friday, July 21, “The Second Story” will weave together words and music of these accomplished artists:

Ruby Amanfu: Whether lending vocals to Beyoncé’s album, or writing and performing Grammy-nominated songs, the Ghana-born, Nashville-reared artist has generated a succession of critically acclaimed projects. Her single “Sugah” reached No. 3 on Billboard’s airplay chart in 2003. Songs penned by a variety of acts, including Kelly Clarkson, Lene Nystrom, Sanne Salomonsen, Rachael Lampa, and the Duhks (for which she received Grammy recognition). Ms. Amanfu is also a part-time actor currently appearing as herself on the current season of “Nashville.”

Bob DiPiero: Hall of Fame Songwriter Bob DiPiero is one of Nashville’s most prolific and consistent songwriters with over 1,000 songs recorded by other artists and 15 #1 hits. His songs have been featured in TV shows, commercials and movies and, in 2011, his song “Coming Home” from the Country Strong movie soundtrack was nominated for both an Oscar and Golden Globe Award. Among his countless awards are 50 BMI Million-Air honors and multiple Songwriter of the Year awards.

Dennis Matkosky is the Grammy award-winning, Academy and Golden Globe nominated responsible for such iconic radio smashes as “Maniac” (#1 in 18 countries), “I Need You” (LeAnn Rimes) and “You’ll Think Of Me,” the pop-crossover #1 smash by Keith Urban. From “Flashdance” to Rascal Flatts, he has penned hits for Diana Ross, Boz Scaggs, Smokey Robinson and Kenny G (to name a few).

Peter Cooper: The storyteller for the evening is an author, songwriter, Grammy-nominated musician, a country music historian, and a senior director, producer, and writer at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. His recent book, Johnny’s Cash & Charley’s Pride: Lasting Legends and Untold Adventures in Country Music, was recently released to great acclaim. named one of Nashville’s “10 Most Interesting People” by Nashville Arts & Entertainment magazine. Kris Kristofferson wrote, “Peter Cooper looks at the world with an artist’s eye and a human heart and soul.”

Tickets can be purchased at www.franklintheatre.com or by calling the Box Office at 615-538-2076. Live music shows presented by the Franklin Theatre are sponsored by Jackson National Life.

The historic Franklin Theatre will celebrate the fifth anniversary of its reopening in June and invites the community to a special series of complimentary movies, backstage tours and a music concert to say thanks for helping make it an important cultural showplace in such a short period of time. The historic movie house reopened in 2011 to inspire, enrich and connect our community as a world-class music venue and multi-purpose arts facility after an $8.5 million rebuild.

In just its first five years, over 350,000 patrons have laughed, cried and been touched by award winning musical talents from most every genre, world class live theater, special movie experiences, and scores of community and business events. As a new centerpiece on Franklin’s renowned Main Street, it has spurred a new emphasis on music and art in Williamson County that complements the area’s Civil War history, unique shopping and amazing local food scene. The venue now averages more than 600 events each year and contributes a direct annual economic impact of $3.8 million.  As a non-profit recipient of the community’s generosity, the theater’s leadership is especially proud to have helped area charities host events that have raised over $3 million since reopening.

To celebrate its patrons, several complimentary events are planned. Ticket reservations will begin at 11 AM on May 27th

June 11 at 10 AM, 1, 4 & 7 PM – Free Movie Day

Celebrating the Franklin Theatre’s longest tradition of movies on Main Street, the Franklin Theatre will screen classic movies all day for free. Movies will include the original Snow White & The Seven Dwarfs, American Graffiti, and The Sting. Patrons are also encouraged to bring a canned food donation for OneGenAway, a charitable organization that provides food to the hungry. Movies will be shown at 10 AM, 1, 4 & 7 PM.

June 19 all afternoon – Open House and Backstage Tours

You’ve seen the marquee and possibly the lobby and auditorium…but have you been backstage and heard the whole story about the Franklin Theatre? Tours to be given on the hour from 1:00 PM until 5:00 PM.

June 24 at 8 PM – SHEL Live Performance/Album Release

Celebrating the Franklin Theatre’s newest tradition, live music, nationally recognized Americana band and Franklin favorites, SHEL join us for an album release concert. The show will be complimentary, but please reserve tickets in advance. We’ll also encourage a donation that evening to Tails of the Trail, an animal advocacy group.

July 1 at 7 PM – Art Scene at the Theatre

Also celebrating their fifth anniversary is Franklin Art Scene. Franklin’s monthly art crawl takes participants through downtown Franklin’s historic buildings, and celebrates Williamson County’s unique artistic talent. Visit us to see an art exhibit as well as an artist creating works on site. Following Art Scene, at 9:30 PM the Franklin Theatre will present a screening of Saving Banksy.

Originally opened in 1937 as Franklin’s Main Street movie house, the Franklin Theatre was shuttered in 2007 amid rising rents and operational costs. A massive fundraising effort and total renovation allowed the theatre to reopen in 2011 as a world-class music venue that continues its original purpose as a movie house.

The Franklin Theatre has hosted a remarkable talent roster of award winning artists including Sheryl Crow, Art Garfunkel, The Judds, Michael McDonald, Amy Grant & Vince Gill, Ronnie Dunn, Michael W. Smith, Guy Clark, Ray Price, Del McCoury, Jars of Clay, Switchfoot, Leon Russell, Mac Davis, Little River Band and many, many more. The theatre has also served as a backdrop for a host of television productions, videos, webcasts, live album recordings and the ABC network series Nashville.

For tickets and more information about these events, visit: www.franklintheatre.com or call 615-538-2076.

The Franklin Theatre is located at 419 Main Street, Franklin Tennessee.

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Media Information Contact:

Brian Solomon

brian@franklintheatre.com

615-538-2079

“Run Free: The True Story of Caballo Blanco,” a feature-length documentary about ultra-running legend Micah True, will screen at the Franklin Theatre in Franklin, TN, on Wednesday, March 16 at 7 p.m. The one-night-only event is sponsored by the Nashville Striders running club.

Micah True, better known as Caballo Blanco – the White Horse – was the focal character of Christopher McDougall’s 2009 best-selling book “Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen” about the Tarahumara Indians of northern Mexico. Also known as the Rarámuri, or Running People, they are some of the best long-distance runners in the world.

Caballo Blanco was an enigmatic visionary who lived and ran with the Tarahumara after moving to remote Copper Canyon in the 1990s, and who created the fifty-mile Copper Canyon Ultra-Marathon to honor their running traditions and aid in their sustainability. Now in its thirteenth year, the race attracts hundreds of local Tarahumara to the village of Urique to compete alongside some of the best runners in the world. All race finishers receive five hundred pounds of corn, which the international runners traditionally donate to the local Tarahumara, commemorating the spirit of sharing, or “kórima,” which is a way of life among the natives of Copper Canyon.

The documentary is directed by Sterling Noren, a filmmaker from Seattle who met Micah True in 2009. Most of the material for the film was recorded in the weeks leading up to the 2012 race. Shortly after that race, Micah True disappeared in the Gila Wilderness of New Mexico during his daily run, prompting ultra-runners from all over the country to drop everything and join in the search. His body was recovered several days later, found on a trail in a deserted canyon by some of his friends.

“We wanted to tell the story of Micah True in a way that was exciting and authentic, so that viewers could get a sense of what an amazing and inspiring person he was,” said Noren. “Micah’s vision lives on and his legacy is honored in this film. The film shares Micah’s compelling message of love, hope and kórima with the world while helping sustain the people and culture that meant so much to him. We’re honored to be part of this project and are committed to keeping Micah’s mission alive.”

“Micah’s genuine passion for honoring the sacred running traditions of the Tarahumara people was the essence of his being,” said Maria Walton, executive producer of the film and Micah True’s girlfriend at the time of his death. “We made this film to share Micah’s vision of hope for the Tarahumara culture and empower people everywhere with his joy of running.”

The 90-minute film recently won the 2015 Bud Greenspan Memorial Film and Video Award, presented by the Track & Field Writers of America. In addition, the film also was named winner of the prestigious Award of Excellence from the IndieFEST Film Awards, which recognizes film, television and new media professionals who demonstrate exceptional achievement in craft and creativity, contributing to profound social change. The IndieFEST Film Awards said of its latest winners, “The IndieFEST is not an easy award to win. Entries are received from around the world from powerhouse companies to remarkable new talent. The judges were pleased with the exceptional high quality of entries,” of which Run Free was singled out for its creative excellence.

The film was also named the Best Documentary at the 2015 Arizona International Film Festival.

Most recently, the film won a silver medal at the 2015 Spotlight Documentary Film Awards, which designated Run Free: The True Story of Caballo Blanco as one of the top 250 independent documentaries produced anywhere in the world in 2015.

A percentage of the film’s profits, including from DVD sales, will go to benefit Norawas de Rarámuri (Friends of the Running People), the non-profit agency founded by Micah True to preserve traditional Tarahumara culture. Norawas de Rarámuri works to provide maize, non-GMO seed corn, and cash awards for participating Tarahumara runners, both men and women alike. On this way, the organization offers Tarahumara families nutrition during drought and support for a tradition of small farms necessary to both physical and cultural survival.

Tickets for the event are $11 in advance at www.franklintheatre.com/tickets/more or $15 at the door the night of the show. There is a $2 per ticket preservation fee charged by the theater and online ordered are assessed a $3 transaction fee. The Franklin Theatre is located at 419 Main St. in Franklin.

The largest running club in Middle Tennessee with more than 1,000 members, the Nashville Striders running club is a non-profit organization whose mission is to promote running, walking and general fitness as lifelong endeavors. The club’s aim is to help runners achieve their fitness goals, whether as a primarily social runner to the most competitive runner. For more information, go to www.nashvillestriders.com.

For more information about the film, go to www.runfreemovie.com.

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For more information or to arrange interviews with principals of the film, contact promoter Garry Harrington at gharrington3165@hotmail.com or 603-209-5010.