One might think that coming to grips with the Clarence Brown Theatre’s latest production, an intensely provocative staging of Inherit the Wind, would be an easy task. In truth, as theatre-goers in 2025, we often struggle with the image that a dramatic mirror reflects for us. The 1955 play by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee is a fictionalized take on the 1925 “Scopes Monkey Trial” in Dayton, Tennessee, and as such, cannot avoid the obvious plot debate of science vs. religion that shamefully defined the original trial. The playwrights, though, were anxious to broaden their premise so that it encompass more dramatic territory—in this case, the freedom to think without fear. Current day issues were also a factor.
Theatre
“What are we doing here, that is the question. And we are blessed in this, that we happen to know the answer. Yes, in the immense confusion one thing alone is clear. We are waiting for Godot to come … ”
― Samuel Beckett, Waiting for Godot
Review: Kander & Ebb’s ‘Chicago’ Dazzles at the Tennessee Theatre –
There are a few musicals that simply cry out “BROADWAY” at their very mention and, inarguably, Chicago is one of them. The original production of the John Kander, Fred Ebb, and Bob Fosse musical goes back 50 years to 1975, enjoying a New York run of 936 performances. A 1996 revival production of Chicago is still running on Broadway with more than 11,000 performances under its belt. That revival production with direction by Walter Bobbie and choreography by Ann Reinking (after Bob Fosse’s original choreography) has also spawned a number of National Tours, including the current one that is making a stop in Knoxville this week at the Tennessee Theatre for eight performances through Sunday, February 16.
Off Script with First Take Co.
BY HAYLEY WILSON When you think of professional theatre, you might have a few…
Q&A with CBT’s ‘Inherit the Wind’ Director Katie Lupica
Upcoming at Clarence Brown Theatre is a production of Inherit the Wind, the 1955 Jerome…
Review: TKD’s ‘Dancing at Lughnasa’ – Reaping a Bitter Harvest
Sometimes, our memories, even of hard and testing times, return to us sweetly, like a fleeting song. That’s how playwright Brian Friel remembers one summer from his childhood in rural Ireland in 1936, a moment on the brink of devastating change to his family’s livelihood. Theatre Knoxville Downtown presents Friel’s play based on these memories, ‘Dancing at Lughnasa’, directed by Barry Wallace, a conflicting and bittersweet contemplation on memory, hope, and the painful inevitability of change.
Review: ‘Shucked’ National Tour — A Musical Feast of Puns and Groaners
BY ALAN SHERROD All you probably need to know about the musical Shucked is…
Review: River & Rail’s ‘It’s A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play’ – A New Holiday Tradition?
One of the most interesting ironies of the American cinema is that the now-classic holiday television vehicle, the 1946 Frank Capra film, ‘It’s A Wonderful Life,’ was not initially successful, either financially or critically, despite its director and its star, James Stewart. While it was nominated for five Academy Awards, it failed to win any; critics in the post-war years were generally complimentary, but found it too “simple-minded” and overly sentimental. Falling into Hollywood’s version of obscurity, the film languished and its copyright was eventually allowed to expire in 1974, an event that ironically set the stage in the 1980s for its subsequent television appearances and belated popularity.
The current River & Rail Theatre Company production, ‘It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play’—an adaptation by Joe Landry— runs at the Old City Performing Arts Center through December 22.
Review: TKD’s ‘My Three Angels’: Criminally Fun
BY HAYLEY WILSON The Christmas season is upon us, which means a slew of…
Review: ‘Tina: The Tina Turner Musical’ at the Tennessee Theatre
Tina: The Tina Turner Musical, now in its second National Tour run, is making a stop in Knoxville this week for eight performances at the Tennessee Theatre. This quintessential biographical jukebox musical follows the rise and rock queen-dom of Anna Mae Bullock, who would eventually triumph as the super-star Tina Turner.
Review: CBT’s ‘A Christmas Carol’ Returns — And So Should You
The current Clarence Brown Theatre version of A Christmas Carol which opened this past weekend is an adaptation by Edward Morgan and Joseph Hanreddy with music by John Tanner. This popular version first appeared on the CBT stage in 2016 and returned for three more years before the pandemic closure of 2020. It returned in 2023 and has now been freshened and energized for a 2024 run through December 21. Those theatre-goers who may have seen the production last year, or before, will certainly want to consider a return. This 2024 staging is CBT’s best by far—both in performances and visual delights.
