Season Time

Theatre Bristol is in the middle of discussions for its 50th Anniversary season.  In this process there are a lot of conversations by all members of the board and staff. I have given some suggestions, and the one I am most hopeful for is a musical called "The Burnt Part Boys" by Tysen and Miller.  Please allow me to make a circle to explain why I think this is a perfect choice for Theatre Bristol.

My hometown is Bristol, TN. Also know as the Birthplace of Country Music, because the first county music recordings were done there. As part of the heritage of Bristol, a city that sits on the TN and VA state line and has "the worlds fastest half mile" NASCAR track, the city helped found an organization called "the Birthplace of Country Music Alliance".  The BCMA hold concerts, brings in entertainers, and holds a yearly 3 day festival every year (Bristol Rhythm and Roots Reunion).  The R&R Festival is a HUGE deal in town, 17 stages, each with 16 to 20 acts over the weekend. Ralph Stanley, Sam Bush, Doc Watson, The Avett Brothers, John Cowan, Langhorne Slim, Del McCoury, and Emmylou Harris.  

Theatre Bristol is a venue for the festival every year, the 120 seat theatre has amazing acoustics, so much so that WETS-FM (the local NPR station) records the performances to air at later dates on Rhythm and Roots Radio. 

The Burnt Part Boys is set in a West Virginia coal mining town in the 1960's and told with music that fits the R&R style. 

I suggested the dates be the weekend before R&R and the 2 weeks after. With the festival taking place on the set for the show. I also suggested teaming up with BCMA to help find the needed musicians needed to play for the show. Also negotiating the contract with BCMA to allow Theatre Bristol to have their stage for 1 hour to do a sing thru of the music. If BCMA was interested in reaming up with Theatre Bristol I think this could be a once in a lifetime event. The writers of the show might be interested in coming in and being a part of the performance. 

To me there is nothing more than showcasing the towns heritage and theatre has a very unique way of doing it.  The Barter Theatre has written numerous pieces that follow Ralph Stanley, The Carter Family, and others. This last year they did a production of Ring of Fire at the Carter Family Fold in Hiltons, VA.  BCMA and Theatre Bristol should be teaming up yearly to do just this type of show. It is not only good PR for both organizations but also shows how involved both are with the community as a whole, instead of one doing shows and the other putting a festival on once a year.