"I like the idea that this musical is not typically boy meets girl," Martha explains. "Obviously, I love musicals, and this one really speaks to me."
Of john & jen, she contends that she loves the contemporary sound of Lippa's music and the element added by Greenwald's script which focuses on the language and emotion of the piece.
"This exploration of this kind of familial relationship (brother and sister, then mother and son) I find extremely intriguing and unique and of course, put it to music and you got me," she says. "Musical theatre is my my passion. A musical is very much a living art form - possessing a brain, a heart and courage. The brain being its intelligence and style, the heart being the genuineness and honesty with which it's performed and the courage or "guts" to do something exciting and different with it.
"To me, john & jen has all these qualities and hopefully Patrick and I can bring it to a fully realized wonderful life."
It was Wilkinson's idea to bring the show to the Nashville stage in the current production being readied for opening night, so she approached Johnny Peppers with the idea of producing the show through his company, 3Ps Productions.
"I could think of no other person I'd rather perform it with than Patrick Waller. During Sweeney Todd we had such a great time working together and developed this truly wonderful bond and mutual respect for each other as performers and friends. That's one of the perks of performing: you meet some of your best friends in life while doing what you love."
Theatre is certainly what Martha loves best, although over the years she's become an accomplished businessperson and arts administrator. As artistic director for Chaffin's Barn Dinner Theatre, she annually selects 10 to 12 shows for the venue, lending her expertise to the hiring of directors, conducting auditions and selecting actors for the productions, as well as working on the technical aspects of the shows.
She credits the largesse of Janie and John Chaffin, the people who put the "Chaffin" in Chaffin's Barn, for their support of 3Ps Production's staging of john & jen. "They've been exceptionally supportive of this effort and have helped out in countless ways," she says. "They couldn't have done more for us, quite honestly."
- john & jen. Music by Andrew Lippa. Lyrics by Tom Greenwald. Book by Andrew Lippa and Tom Greenwald. Directed by Martha Wilkinson. Musical direction by Tim Fudge. Presented by 3Ps Productions, produced by Johnny Peppers. Starring Martha Wilkinson and Patrick Waller. February 4-20. At Backstage at the Barn at Chaffin's Barn Dinner Theatre, 8204 Highway 100, Nashville. For reservations, call (615) 646-9977. Tickets are $25; house opens at 7 p.m., with curtain at 8 p.m. No buffet is included, but dessert and bar service are offered.
