Watch Kaitlin Butts' 'Hello, Honky Tonk: The Mini Musical'
(EBM) Tulsa-born singer-songwriter Kaitlin Butts is swinging open the saloon doors and welcoming the world inside Kait B's Honky Tonk Saloon with the release of Hello, Honky Tonk: The Mini Musical, out now.
Of her new album the Nashville Scene opined, "if Butts were to create her own stage musical, the songs on Hello, Honky Tonk would be a perfect fit." And now she has! Written by Butts and co-directed with friend and frequent collaborator Chris Beyrooty, the 30-minute mini musical brings eight songs from her critically acclaimed fourth studio album, Hello, Honky Tonk, to life on screen, introducing the colorful cast of characters who populate her larger-than-life honky tonk universe.
A labor of love for the woman NPR called "Nashville's most promising big thinker," the theatrical production offers fans an immersive introduction to the characters, stories and personalities found on the album, transforming her love letter to honky tonks and nightlife into a full-fledged musical experience. With "musical theater chops plus tireless charisma," according to Garden & Gun, Butts steps into the role of Master of Ceremonies, ushering viewers through the saloon and introducing the regulars who inhabit the bar. Watch Hello, Honky Tonk: The Mini Musical HERE.
"Getting to welcome everybody into Kait B's Honky Tonk Saloon is truly a dream come true," shares Butts. "This whole project has been such a labor of love, from writing the songs to bringing them to life on screen. It really fed my inner theater kid in the best possible way. I've always seen my songs visually, and getting to create an entire world around them and invite everybody in has been one of the most rewarding things I've ever done. I hope everybody finds their favorite regular, grabs a drink and stays awhile."
The mini musical features eight songs from Hello, Honky Tonk: "The Bartender," "Everybody Wanna Sing a Country Song," "Still Got It," "The Joker," "Bacon Naked (Take It from Me)," "What More Could You Want," "Crazy I Can Be" and "Midnight, I'll Always Be Yours."
Butts' theatrical vision extends beyond the music and performances to the production's carefully considered visual details, with the artist deeply involved in styling and creating the distinctive looks that bring the honky tonk's characters to life. Working alongside stylist Cathy Hahn, Butts regularly shares her own drawings and collages as inspiration. The dress featured on the album artwork, for example, began as a sketch by Butts before Hahn helped bring the design to life. Originally a costume designer, Hahn was the ideal collaborator to help Butts create something unique, theatrical and entirely her own.
The mini musical builds on the imaginative world of Hello, Honky Tonk, a love letter to the honky tonks and nightlife that have shaped Butts' life and career. Inspired in part by the vaudeville vignettes of Chicago and Disney World's Country Bear Musical Jamboree, the album unfolds like a musical set inside a neighborhood bar, where every character has a story and every night brings a new scene with No Depression declaring it "invites us all into a place and to a night we'll never forget."
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