Bradshaw, Hickman Lead Cast of Studio Tenn's GUYS & DOLLS

Jersey Boys veterans Jared Bradshaw and John Hickman will join Nashville's own Carrie Tillis and Laura Matula to head the cast of Studio Tenn's production of Guys & Dolls, running August 18-28 at the Franklin Theatare, kicking off the company's second season - their first in their new venue.

Studio Tenn, tapped by the Franklin Theatre to be its resident theatre company for the 2011-2012 season, made quite a splash with their critically acclaimed 2010-2011 season, and their upcoming productions promise more of the same. Following Guys & Dolls, Studio Tenn will present a revival of its A Christmas Carol December 8-18, which will also be held during Franklin's Main Street "Dickens of a Christmas Festival," and The Miracle Worker, running February 23-March 4, 2012. 

Studio Tenn's managing director Jake Speck once again will serve as executive producer, and the company's artistic director Matt Logan will direct and design the piece, with musical direction by Stephen Kummer. The show's choreography will be led by New York choreographer Micah Shepard, who has assisted Tony Award-winning choreographer Andy Blankenbuehler extensively and appeared in the first national tours of 9 to 5 and High School Musical.

The Guys & Dolls cast will be led by Broadway leading men Jared Bradshaw (Jersey Boys, Forbidden Broadway) as Nathan Detroit and John Hickman (Jersey Boys) as Sky Masterson. Carrie Tillis (daughter of country legend Mel Tillis) will appear as Sarah Brown and Nashville actress Laura Matula (Street Theatre Company's Evita and Chess and Boiler Room Theatre's Rent) will star as Miss Adelaide, while Nashville actors Patrick Waller and Matthew Carlton are cast as Nicely Nicely Johnson and Arvide Abernathy.

Tickets for the  2011-12 season are now available online at 20% off the regular ticket prIce Through August 15. Individual tickets to Guys & Dolls are also currently on sale on the calendar page of FranklinTheatre.com. For more information, please visit StudioTenn.com.

Pictured: Jared Bradshaw

Jeffrey Ellis is a Nashville-based writer, editor and critic, who's been covering the performing arts in Tennessee for more than 25 years. He is the recipient of the Tennessee Theatre Association's Distinguished Service Award for his coverage of theatre in the Volunteer State and was the founding editor/publisher of Stages, the Tennessee Onstage Monthly. He is a past fellow of the National Critics Institute at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre Center and is the founder/executive producer of The First Night Honors, held during Labor Day Weekend, which honor oustanding theater artists in Tennessee in recognition of their lifetime achievements and includes The First Night Star Awards and the Most Promising Actors. Midwinter's First Night, held the first Sunday in January after New Year's Day, honors outstanding productions and performances throughout the state. Further, Ellis directed the Nashville premiere of La Cage Aux Folles, The Last Night of Ballyhoo and An American Daughter, as well as award-winning productions of Damn Yankees, Company, Gypsy and The Rocky Horror Show, with Ellis honored by The Tennessean as best director of a musical for both Company and Rocky Horror.

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