Author: Y Kendall

Courage and Commitment: Mullikin, the Nashville Ballet, and Giselle

Part I: The Lead-in Muhammad Ali once said “He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life.” Ably preceded by the example of director emeritusRead More

Americanafest at the Schermerhorn

Coming Home to Their Roots: Renée Fleming and Béla Fleck at Schermerhorn

Though generally associated with the Nashville Symphony, Schermerhorn has hosted a wider variety of musical styles in recent years. On September 13, 2026, this respected venue stretched out once moreRead More

To Dolly

When my brothers and I were young, we had patterns, nothing obtrusive, just gentle patterns. They loved music. All kinds of music. They loved the gospel music of our blackRead More

Lilying the Gilded Age: Fleurs de Ville Returns to Cheekwood

  In 2016, Fleurs de Ville [FdV] inaugurated their extraordinary version of “floral storytelling.” In 2026, this  Vancouver-based artistic tour de force was honored as the cinema category’s “Best IntegratedRead More

The New Wagnerians:  HipHopera at City Winery

What does German-born musical entrepreneur Richard Wagner have in common with Nigerian-born musical entrepreneur Babatunde Okinboye? Gesamstkunstwerk. It’s a mouthful, but Wagner  (pronounced RI-kard VAG-ner) had the flamboyant idea thatRead More

new in Middle Tennessee:

Introducing Clarksville Community Theatre

He saved up memories of childhood joys at theater camp in Chicago. He saved them through a family move to rural Kentucky, through his teenage years, through his college studiesRead More

A Preview of the Nashville Ballet's 'Sherlock'

Practical Artistry: A Three-Lens View into Nashville Ballet Magic

Recently, MCR Journalist Y. Kendall was able to attend one of the Nashville Ballet’s glamourous Relevé Society events ahead of their exciting spring performance of the Attitude Series which includesRead More

Urban Musical Theatre at TPAC

From South Pacific to South Georgia: The Color Purple

In 1949, only a few years after the casualties of World War II, the famed team of Rodgers and Hammerstein premiered a musical that dealt courageously with controversial issues ofRead More

Early Music City’s Oratorio Festival: Hallelujah!

As part of the two-day Music City Oratorio Festival, Early Music City hosted two very different, but equally engaging events:  a panel discussion and a singalong. For the discussion, IRead More

Holidays at Cheekwood

Famed Former White House Florister Returns to Cheekwood

Through the creative imagination of Cheekwood directors and staff, Nashville is on its way as a hub for world-class floristry. For those new to the term, “floristry” is used whenRead More