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HomeAchieversCusic's 'Minnie Pearl' Musical Earns Strong Reviews Opening Weekend

Cusic’s ‘Minnie Pearl’ Musical Earns Strong Reviews Opening Weekend

Don CusicThe musical “Minnie Pearl: All the News from Grinder’s Switch” saw a sell-out opening weekend Sept. 7, 8 and 9 at Chaffin’s Barn Dinner Theater. The musical was written by Belmont University Professor of Music Business and music historian Don Cusic. The musical focuses on how the character Minnie Pearl came to be created and cultivated by Sarah Ophelia Colley Cannon. It also shares stories from times at the Grand Ole Opry, intertwined with original songs to show more of who the character Minnie Pearl was.

Aimed at showing the audience two sides of the story, both Pearl’s and Cannon’s, Cusic includes a switch in the second act to focus on the lesser known side of the country comedian, Cannon as her true self. According to Broadway World Nashville, there are “moments of emotional resonance that make the larger-than-life character of Sarah Cannon more accessible.”

The show features two separate actresses for the parts of Pearl and Cannon individually. Broadway World Nashville says the dual casting “works beautifully in Cusic’s slight play, giving audiences a glimpse into the process of how Sarah became Minnie and, in turn, the evolution of a seemingly cornpone comic helped her become an entertainment legend.”

Cusic is working on another musical to be released Oct. 1 that is based on a musical timeline of Nashville and titled “Nashville Sound.”

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