Bristol, Va.-Tenn. (April 4, 2023) – The Birthplace of Country Music Museum will host members of the cast and other collaborators of Barter Theatre‘s upcoming production of “Keep on the Sunny Side: The Songs and Story of the Original Carter Family” at 7:00 p.m. ET, April 11, as part of the museum’s monthly Speaker Sessions series. The public is invited to attend in person at the museum or online via Zoom. There is no charge to participate.
Playwright Douglas Pote, director Nick Piper, and Eugene Wolf, who did vocal arrangements, will join the Speaker Sessions program, giving audiences a sneak peek into the upcoming revival of this popular stage show.
“We are thrilled our friends at the Barter are bringing ‘Keep on the Sunny Side’ back to the stage,” said Dr. Rene Rodgers, head curator at the museum. “It’s a wonderful homage to The Carter Family and their music, and this Speaker Sessions event will give us the chance to look behind the curtain of the production with its creator.”
When A. P. Carter convinced his wife Sara and his sister-in-law Maybelle to record with him at the 1927 Bristol Sessions, he had no idea he was about to change his life – and the world – forever. “Keep on the Sunny Side” features Carter Family classic songs such as “Bury Me Under the Weeping Willow,” “Keep on the Sunnyside,” “Wildwood Flower,” and “Will the Circle Be Unbroken.”
“Keep on the Sunny Side: The Songs and Story of the Carter Family” is coming to the Gilliam Stage at Barter Theatre April 22–May 20. Tickets are on sale now at BarterTheatre.com. The play is a product of Barter Theatre’s Appalachian Festival of Plays and Playwrights.
Those who wish to attend the Speaker Sessions program in person at the museum are asked to RSVP. If you would like to join via Zoom, please register. You may do either by visiting the Events page at BirthplaceOfCountryMusic.org.