The Wicked Tickle is back in business! The critically acclaimed Music City begins performances tonight at St. Luke’s Theatre and will open on Wednesday, June 24. 

The production has released “First Look” production photos in advance of the "First Look" performance.

Actress and recording artist Lauren Pritchard, known professionally as LOLO (Broadway: original cast of Spring Awakening; Albums: Wasted in Jackson, In Loving Memory of When I Gave a Shit), has joined the company in the role of ‘23’. She will begin performances on Friday, June 19. The role of ‘23’ will be played by Grace Bernardo tonight, Wednesday, June 17, and Thursday, June 18. Cast member Casey Shuler has taken a leave of absence from the production due to a personal matter. 

Music City opened to rave reviews last year and was extended three times by popular demand in its award-winning run at BEDLAM. The show features original and existing songs by multi-platinum songwriter J.T. Harding, including showstoppers “Smile,” “Sangria,” and “Somewhere In My Car,” written for such artists as Darius Rucker, Keith Urban, Blake Shelton, Uncle Kracker, Dierks Bently, and Florida Georgia Line, an original book by playwright Peter Zinn (Rumspringa, Somewhere With You), and is directed by BEDLAM’s artistic director Eric Tucker. 

The cast of Music City features Drew Bastian (Off-Broadway: Measure for Measure; National Tour: Hair) as Newt, Jonathan Judge-Russo (Off-Broadway: Falling, Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me) as Drew, Julianne B. Merrill (Broadway: music teams for Chess, Real Women Have Curves, SMASH!, among others) as Wyn, Lauren Pritchard (Broadway: original cast of Spring Awakening; Albums: Wasted in Jackson, In Loving Memory of When I Gave a Shit) as ‘23,’ Leenya Rideout (Broadway: War Horse; Company; Cabaret) as Tammy/Leeanne, Andrew Rothenberg (Off-Broadway: BEDLAM’s The Assassination of Julius Caesar..., Signature Theater’s Curse of the Starving Class) as Bakerman/Stucky Stiles, and Stephen Michael Spencer (Broadway: Clyde’s; Off-Broadway: Medea: Re-Versed) as T.J. Understudies are Grace Bernardo, Danny Hayward and Megan Loomis.

Band members include Ann Klein (Lead Guitar, Mandolin, Lap Steel), Julianne B. Merrill (Keys) and Tony Tino (Bass).

Music City follows two young singer-songwriters into The Wicked Tickle, an East Nashville bar that serves up cheap beer, open mics, and dreams of big breaks. The bar regulars bravely pursue love and music in the face of addiction, poverty, and haunting pasts. But in Nashville, heartbreak is the only thing they hand out for free. Music City is an intimate, gritty, and thrilling take on the world of beers, guitars, sawdust, and sunshine.

Scenic Design is by Clifton Chadick, assisted by Buffy Cardoza; Costume Design is by Kindall Houston Almond; Lighting Design is by Eric Southern; and Sound Design is by Jane Shaw. Choreography is by John Heginbotham. Associate Director is Caitlin Morley. Production Manager is Joshua Bernard. Music Supervisor/Music Director is Julianne B. Merrill. Associate Music Supervisor/Arranger/Sub MD is PJ Ju. Production Stage Manager is Diane Healy. Assistant Stage Manager is Deanna Kahn.

Music City was nominated for two 2025 Drama Desk Awards, including Outstanding Musical and Outstanding Scenic Design of a Musical (Clifton Chadick), and a 2025 Off-Broadway Alliance Award for Best Musical. 

If you are interested in tickets and learning more, please click HERE.

From left to right, Jonathan Judge-Russo as Drew, Grace Bernardo as '23,' Stephen Michael Spencer as T.J., courtesy of Jeremy Daniel.