A lyrical drama that premiered at the
Z Alexander Looby Theatre in Nashville, TN on June 10th 2022
About The Producers
Dream 7 in conjunction with our now Executive Director, Vida Finley, are honored to partner with A Rossi Turner Studios (A.R.T.S) to breathe life into MUSIC CITY JUBILEE the story of Nashville’s own historical HBCU 2021 Grammy Award winning Fisk Jubilee Singers.
Vida Finley
Executive Director of
Dream 7 Productions
Vida Finley graduated from the University of Tennessee -Knoxville May 1989, with a B.A. in Speech and Theatre Communications and Audiology. Her multi-faceted professional arts career spans over 35 years including acting on Broadway in Dark Cowgirls & Prairie Queens with The Carpetbag Theatre of Knoxville, TN. She is also known as a certified Wolftrap Teaching Artist, curriculum writer for the United Methodist Church, stage manager for Absinthe Cabaret, national voice-over artist, as well as a former director and co-producer for Gil Williams Productions and the Centers for Disease Control and prevention.
She has also recently co-authored a children’s book with her sister, Julia Thomas, "You Can’t Buck Christmas", and is excited for Dream 7’s collaboration with A.R.T.S. as well as to be one of the playwrights along with Christan Riley of the lyrical drama, Music City Jubilee, the story about the original Fisk Jubilee singers. She recently did a master class at Cumberland University in Lebanon, TN. for Women’s History month to kick off Dream 7/A.R.T.S. workshop series. Dream 7 Theatre Productions was founded by Michael Walker in 2002. Vida is a founding member as well and the second Executive Director of Dream 7 since February of 2020. Dream 7 Theatre Productions is the only independent African-American theatre company in the Middle TN Region, currently celebrating it’s 20th year Anniversary.
Rossi Turner
Founder of A.R.T.S.
Mr. Turner’s vast experience as a dance and theatre performer, close ties to the Greater Nashville community and teaching artist background of over 30 years will be vital to the success of this performance piece; as well as musical theatre workshops for African American youth in the Metro Center and Rose Park areas.
Musical Theatre was made popular during the Harlem Renaissance by artists such as Josephine Baker, Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, Eubie Blake and Ma Rainey just to name a few. Sadly, other than Porgy and Bess, The Wiz, Bring in Da Noise, Bring in da Funk, there are few musicals highlighting the African American experience. It is a deficiency in the African American community due to the lack of intentional diversity within the performing arts community.
Dream 7 Theatre Productions and A Rossi Turner Studios are excited to revive this lost genre within our youth and community as we infuse them into the actual production scheduled for June of 2022.
