Nashville’s famed The Bluebird Cafe will be getting the theater treatment. On Thursday (September 7) producer Steve Buchanan announced a new musical titled Bluebird. Grammy Award winner and Tony Award nominee Wayne Kirkpatrick and Don Chaffer are co-writing the book, music and lyrics to the musical, which will celebrate Nashville’s songwriting scene.
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“To have the opportunity to tell the Nashville songwriter’s story within a theatrical setting is, for me, the best of both worlds,” Kirkpatrick said in a release. “Don and I have created a parallel world to the real world that we know and love. This is truly a passion project for us. We have lived the songwriter’s life for over 30 years. It is our community and lifeblood, and we feel honored and fortunate to be a part of it. The Bluebird is our Ryman Auditorium, our Carnegie Hall. If you know, you know. I can’t wait to share it with those who don’t.”
[RELATED: Lauren Daigle Debuts New Music at Nashville’s Bluebird Cafe]
“The Mother Church of Songwriting,” The Bluebird Cafe has played a major part in finding talented songwriters and up-and-coming stars. Both Taylor Swift and Garth Brooks were famously discovered during performances at the popular listening room and later went on to sign record deals and build a global fan base.
The venue often features three or four songwriters performing ‘In the Round,’ a style made famous at the Bluebird where performers take turns playing their original music and sharing the stories behind their songs. The Bluebird Cafe also served as the home to recent album release parties for Lauren Daigle and Jordan Davis.
“I believe theater is the ideal vehicle to tell a vibrant and honest story about the creative community that the Bluebird inspires and nurtures,” said Bluebird General Manager Erika Wollam Nichols. “It’s incredibly exciting to watch this musical take shape.”
Buchanan added: “Wayne and Don are the perfect storytellers for this project as their lives have intertwined with characters of all ages and all walks of life that are on this journey. They know what it means to follow your dreams. The songs they have written for the musical are perfect for the stage and the story they tell feels timeless.”
(Lauren Daigle performs at The Bluebird Cafe. Photo Credit: Annie Reuter / American Songwriter)
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