KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — A musical financially supported by a Knoxvillian, set in Knoxville and inspired by one of Knoxville's greatest literary figures will be staged this fall by the University of Tennessee's Clarence Brown Theatre.
Its title, fittingly, is "Knoxville".
The musical is based on the late James Agee's biographical "A Death in the Family", which tells the story of a family's loss when a father is killed in a car crash in Campbell County in the 1910s.
The posthumously published novel won a Pulitzer Prize and inspired a 1960s movie treatment called "All the Way Home".
You'll be able to see performances of the musical in September at CBT. Season subscriptions are available now. Other shows scheduled in the 2024-25 season include "Inherit the Wind", perennial favorite "A Christmas Carol" and "The Play That Goes Wrong".
"I can think of no better place for the show to continue its journey than the city it is set in and named after. Nor could I think of a better place for Agee's seminal work to be brought to the stage. Agee and that book are wound tightly into the fabric of the city," said Ken Martin, CBT artistic director.
Individual tickets for "Knoxville" go on sale in August.
The UT campus is just the second staging for the musical.
It had its world premiere in Sarasota, Fla., on the stage of the respected Asolo Repertory Theatre. Knoxvillian and philanthropist Roy Cockrum was a significant force behind the staging of the Florida debut, and he remains a strong financial backer for the Tennessee run.
Cockrum has become a major benefactor of the performing arts nationwide since 2014 when he won nearly $260 million in a Powerball lottery drawing. He's helped various companies including Steppenwolf, the Asolo and the Goodman.
Cockrum said his interest in turning Agee's book into a musical began after he ran into Frank Galati, a former professor of his at Northwestern University, in Florida. Galati, a Tony Award-winner and Academy Award-nominee, told Cockrum that he was working on a musical adaptation of the Agee story.
"We were very eager to help make it happen," Cockrum said.
Galati had put together a team for "Knoxville" that included people from the Broadway show "Ragtime". Development was underway when the pandemic hit. "Knoxville" finally made its debut in Sarasota in 2022.
Interest immediately arose to bring the musical to its titular home here in East Tennessee.
Martin, who came to UT in fall 2022, said a CBT board member promptly wanted to know how soon "Knoxville" would be coming to town. Martin reached out to Galati to start the planning process, but then Galati died in January 2023.
"After that, I waited several months and reached out to the agents of the composer/lyricist. They agreed to the idea and it just took off from there," Martin recalled.
"I had heard there was interest in taking the show to Broadway, but that process had been interrupted by the illness death of Frank Galati last year," Cockrum said. "I was thrilled to hear that Clarence Brown had been working to attain the rights for a Knoxville production and we were very glad they asked The Roy Cockrum Foundation for support."
Martin said the cast and production for "Knoxville" is "stellar," and includes "Tony Award-winners, Academy Award-nominees, Broadway director/choreographer and talent that has graced the stage from the West End to B'way, to film and TV."
The story is beautiful and yet heartbreaking, Martin said. With the show, CBT gets to produce top-notch professional theatre while continuing its mission to train theater artists, he said.
In 2018, Cockrum's Knoxville-based foundation provided a grant that helped stage a production of Leonard Bernstein's "Candide," featuring both a theater company and the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra.
"We are just thrilled that the good folks here in Knoxville are going to have the next opportunity to enjoy this amazing new work," Cockrum said. "I hope as many people as possible come out to see it. James Agee fans, musical fans and folks who just like stuff named Knoxville ought to get their tickets early. Don't miss this one!"
Tom Cervone, CBT's managing director, said the program couldn't have presented "Knoxville" without Cockrum and the foundation's unspecific financial support.
"Knoxville is going to be a big production, so we are incredibly honored by and grateful for the generous support of the Roy Cockrum Foundation to help us bring such a special show to our East Tennessee community."
