By Mac Arthur Howard III NASHVILLE, TN— A beacon of talent is bringing the show back home. Tony-nominated actress Montego Glover will soon be taking the stage in Nashville as part of Broadway’s 2023 tour of acclaimed playwright James Lapine’s Into the Woods, hosted by Tennessee Performing Arts Center and staged in the Andrew Jackson Hall. The musical, published in 1986, takes the plots of classic Brothers Grimm-esque fairy tales like Cinderella, Little Red Red Riding Hood, and Jack and the Beanstalk and intertwines their stories and endings, exploring how each character’s dreams and wishes have affected their lives and…
Author: Mac Arthur Howard III
By Mac Arthur Howard, III NASHVILLE, TN — The 2023 Nashville Comedy Festival is officially underway, April 15 is bringing some of the biggest names in comedy to Music City for a week-long celebration of laughter and humor. With a lineup of comedians that includes Rickey Smiley, Karlous Miller, and David Spade and twenty-six other acts from around the country, this festival promises to be one of the most significant and exciting comedy events of the year. From stand-up showcases to improv performances and everything in between, the Nashville Comedy Festival offers something for everyone who loves to laugh. As…
By Mac Arthur Howard III BRENTWOOD, TN— Philanthropy and youth aren’t exactly words often associated with one another. But Nolan Griggs, Brentwood high school senior and junior professional golfer, seems dedicated to flipping that notion on its head. An eighteen-year-old Griggs, with his membership in the American Junior Golf Association (AJGA), has been putting his passion for the sport into raising money for those in need. Having found his love for golf when he was just twelve, Griggs has spent his teenage years as a golfer swinging for philanthropy. “You know, it just feels great to do things like this,”…
By Mac Arthur Howard III NASHVILLE, Tenn.—The Nashville Repertory Theatre’s production of Bekah Brunstetter’s ‘The Cake’ is telling an LGBTQ+ story that anyone can relate to. The show is about a conservative baker, Della, coming to terms with and trying to understand her friend whom she loves like a daughter, Jen’s, marriage to another woman. The play explores the reality that a conservative person has to face when something they never expect, and may not understand enters their life. “‘The Cake’ is a situation, queen or not, that anyone can find themselves in,” says LaurenShouse, a professor at Middle Tennessee…
By Mac Arthur Howard III NASHVILLE, TN— A sensation of musical fusion just rolled through the state of Tennessee. On August 6, Swedish singer and songwriter Sofia Talvik played the venue at Crosstown Arts in Memphis while on her summer tour. Talvik specializes in folk and americana music, inspired by the sounds of acoustic guitars and vocals, and uses her Swedish roots to bring a unique sound to her audience. “While touring I’ve found that people find my take on music interesting, especially in small towns,” Talvik said. “They hear there’s a Swedish woman singing folk music down the street,…
By Mac Arthur Howard III NASHVILLE, TN — Due to the turbulence of recent times, the economy of the United States has been experiencing some developments that have many people worried. Prices for goods from food and gas have been steadily creeping upwards and economic experts are expecting a full-on recession to begin in as short a time as next year. While this should obviously worry the general adult population, a recession represents a unique threat to the young adults of our nation as well. Many graduating high schoolers- of this year and the next- will have to face the…
By Mac Arthur Howard III NASHVILLE, TN — It has been two years since the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, but people all over the country are still healing from the new stress, struggles, and losses that the quarantines and shutdowns suddenly brought upon them. The damage that was wrought during this time to the mental health of countles people has been immeasurable. Luckily, people like Doctor Joanne Frederick, a licensed mental health professional, offer their services to all in need of mental advice. In her recent book, Copeology Dr. Frederick specifically shines a light on the various struggles that…
By Mac Arthur Howard, III KNOXVILLE, TN — The American prison system is meant to hold criminals apart from the rest of society, to keep them separate and isolated until they have served their time and are ready to reenter the public as newly productive members of society. Unfortunately, the current conditions of incarceration negatively and greatly affect an inmate’s ability to do this. One person alone can end up being imprisoned for well over two or three decades. All of that time is spent almost completely cut off from the outside world – its advancements and developments in technology,…
By Mac Arthur Howard III NASHVILLE, TN — Nearly 1,000 nonprofit organizations were brought together for a day of giving by the Community Foundation of Middle Tennesee for the Ninth Annual Big Payback event. The CFMT invited all of Tennessee to join them online as they kicked off the Big Payback with 978 nonprofit organizations from 36 of Tennessee’s counties. The 24-hour fundraising event began on May 4 at 6 p.m. and lasted until the 5th. The Big Payback is an effort to bring awareness of social issues and the actions these organizations are taking to address them to the…