About Us

Nashville Theatre School (NTS) is a musical theatre school, offering training in singing, dancing and acting. NTS was founded in 2016 by Vanessa Garner.

Our Staff

Originally from Houston, TX, Vanessa began her career in musical theatre at the age of 7 in New York City in the off-broadway production of “Really Rosie”, where she played the role of Kathy and recorded the cast album. Upon returning to Houston, she performed with both Theatre Under the Stars and Houston Grand Opera, while attending the High School for Performing Arts. After graduating from Houston’s High School for Performing and Visual Arts, Vanessa appeared in the national tour of “Bye, Bye, Birdie” with Tommy Tune and Ann Reinking.

Vanessa graduated from Belmont University with a Bachelors in Business Administration / Music Business in Nashville, while performing at Opryland in “And the Winner Is”. Vanessa also performed with Opryland Productions in The Opryland Hotel’s “A Country Christmas” as well as at The Alabama Theatre in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina for a season.

In 2000, Vanessa wrote and recorded a solo album, “A Letter Home to You”. Her record received national radio airplay, as well as a “Just Plain Folks” award in 2001. Her song “Not the One” was featured on the hit TV show “Dawson’s Creek”.

Vanessa soon returned to her musical theatre roots and began teaching musical theatre at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts (RAFA), in Houston, TX. Producing over 25 musicals for children and overseeing RAFA’s Broadway Studio Workshop program. In addition to working with RAFA students, she also produced 6 main stage professional productions for Bay Area Houston Ballet & Theatre (BAHBT), along side director Kevin Cahoon. Vanessa served as the Artistic / Executive Director for RAFA & the interim Artistic Director for BAHBT between 2013-2015. In 2016, Vanessa began teaching musical theatre classes to preschool and elementary school aged children here in Nashville. Within a year, the program grew into Nashville Theatre School, producing 2 mainstage musicals a year, 3 Summer Intensive performances each Summer and a full program of classes in music, theatre and dance.

Vanessa has lived in Nashville for the last 24 years and is married to Grey Garner; they have two children, 18 year old Will and 15 year old Hattie Grey that attend Ensworth.

Photo Credit: Claire Wise

TONY Award Nominee, Kevin Cahoon has originated roles in the Broadway productions of Shucked, The Wedding Singer, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, The Lion King, the revival of The Rocky Horror Show, and he made his Broadway debut in The Who’s Tommy. His Off Broadway credits include Hedwig and the Angry Inch ( also Boston, San Fransisco,The Edinburgh Festival), How I Learned to Drive (Second Stage Theatre), The Shaggs: Philosophy of The World (Playwrights Horizons), The Foreigner (Roundabout Theatre Company, Lucille Lortel Award nomination), The Wild Party (Manhattan Theatre Club), and Hair and Babes in Arms (City Center Encores!).

Mr. Cahoon’s regional credits include The Guthrie Theater, The Old Globe ( Craig Noel Award nomination for Love’s Labor’s Lost), The Williamstown Theatre Festival, Bard SummerScape, The Ahmanson Theatre, The Berkshire Theatre Festival, and created the role of Jr. Jr. in Moonshine: That Hee Haw Musical written by Shane McAnally, Brandy Clark, and Robert Horn, which is now running on Broadway as Shucked, where he originated the role of Peanut and was nominated for a Tony Award for his performance.

On television, Kevin played Earl Clark on FOX’S “Monarch” opposite Susan Sarandon. Kevin has also played Bobby Barnes on Season 3 of ‘Glow’ and portrayed Hugo on ‘A Series of Unfortunate Events’, both for Netflix. He has had recurring roles on “Nurse Jackie,” “Modern Family’, and ’ Six Degrees and guest roles on “NCIS,” “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,” “The Good Wife,” “Odd Mom Out,” “Black Box,” “The Mentalist,” “Franklin & Bash,” “Canterbury’s Law,” “Law & Order,” and “Law & Order: Criminal Intent,” among others.

His film credits include I Am Michael, Mars Needs Moms, The Curse of the Jade Scorpion, The Thing About My Folks, Sudden Manhattan, and the documentaries SqueezeBox! and Whether You Like It or Not: The True Story of Hedwig. With his band Ghetto Cowboy, they won the OUTmusic Award for their debut album Doll. As a director, Mr. Cahoon has directed numerous productions for The Ars Nova Theatre in NYC, the comedy duo Tastiskank ( Aspen Comedy Festival Breakout Award Winner ), two consecutive galas for New York Theatre Workshop starring Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Rachel Dratch, Patti LuPone, Ben Platt, and others. He has directed the critically acclaimed revival of ‘The Nerd’ for the George Street Playhouse

Originally from Carmel, Indiana, Emily Ann Urbanski moved to Nashville in 2016 to study musical theater at Belmont University. Since the age of 5, she has studied numerous dance styles. As she got older, Emily became an assistant for tap and jazz classes ranging from preschool to high-schoolers. Emily performed with her studio’s Ballet Theatre, Junior Pacemate dance team, and Musical Theatre Company through which she performed at venues including Kings Island, Indiana Pacers and Butler University basketball games, and Disney World.

With a strong foundation in dance, Emily began singing and acting with local theaters when she was 8. In high school, she continued to occupy her time in the performing arts department participating in the plays, musicals, and as a council member and dance captain of The Ambassadors showchoir. Emily has taken private voice lessons for 7 years and has continued performing and pursuing musical theatre in college and around Nashville.

Since beginning college, she has had the opportunity to be the dance assistant for the spring musical "9 to 5" and choreographing numbers for the First-Year Showcase at Belmont. Some of Emily’s past shows include Bring it on (Skylar), Legally Blonde (Brooke Wyndham), Godspell (Celisse), White Christmas (Susan) and most recently appeared in Studio Tenn's production of Grease! understudying Diane Degarmo in the role of Sandy.

Emily’s passion truly lies in a balance between performing and teaching and she is thrilled to continue to do so with Nashville Theatre School!

In a critically acclaimed performance that Entertainment Weekly said "ignited the stage," Brian Charles Rooney made a spectacular Broadway debut as Lucy Brown in "The Threepenny Opera" for The Roundabout Theatre Co., co-starring Alan Cumming & Cyndi Lauper; and was subsequently awarded The Lys Symonette Award for Dramatic Excellence by The Kurt Weill Foundation.

The New York Times has praised Brian for multiple performances, including the role of Dionne Salon in the new hit Off-Broadway musical, "Bedbugs!!!” Brian is the recipient of three New York Musical Festival Awards for Outstanding Performance by a Lead Actor, including performances in "Bedbugs!!!," co-starring Tony Winner Lena Hall & "Bayonets of Angst," co-starring Tony Nominee J Robert Spencer. 

Brian won the Connecticut Critics Circle Award for "Best Actor in a Musical" as Candy Darling in Anna Jacobs & Maggie Kate Coleman's new musical "POP!  Who Shot Andy Warhol?" at Yale Repertory Theatre, co-starring Randy Harrison (TV’s “Queer As Folk”), Leslie Kritzer (“Beetlejuice”), and Emily Swallow (TV’s “The Mandalorian”); and recently joined Kristin Chenoweth and composer Andrew Lippa, at Lincoln Center, in "I Am Harvey Milk," an oratorio celebrating the life of the famous activist. Brian also joined Nathan Lane & Megan Mullally (TV’s “Will & Grace”) in the Carnegie Hall Concert Production of "Guys & Dolls.”  As a featured soloist, Brian toured North America with UK Pop legend Petula Clark in "The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber,” singing hits from Jesus Christ Superstar & The Phantom of the Opera.

Brian has also appeared in sold out engagements at both Feinstein's / 54 Below & Joe's Pub, and as a soloist with the Oregon, Seattle, & Albany Symphony Orchestras. Many of these performances can be seen on YouTube or via the singing actor’s website. Currently, Brian performs in NYC, Nashville, LA, Miami, and other cities across the country, while maintaining a home-base in Nashville with partner, Brian (yes, they have the same first name) and their son, Christian (a student at SBA), and maintaining a consistent presence as one of Nashville Theatre School’s Voice Instructors.  

As an instructor, Brian helps students focus on developing & utilizing techniques that create healthy habits, meant to keep a singer telling rich musical stories for their entire lives!  Maintenance of vocal health, vowel purity, correct placement, and specificity with regard to acting are the pillars of Brian’s way of teaching. He holds both a BA in Drama and a BS in Psychology, with a focus on Child Development, from Duke University, and a Certificate in Dramatic Performance from the Tony Award winning American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco.

www.briancharlesrooney.com

Born and raised in Severna Park, Maryland, Ella Green is a Nashville based performer. Growing up with an orchestra conductor as a father and a singer as a mother, making music has been one of the most important parts of her life since she was born. She has been vocally trained in many different styles, with a foundation in classical technique. She began her training and the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University - Preparatory Institute. Here she studied classical vocal techniques with an emphasis in legit musical theater styles.

From there she went on to attend Belmont University to pursue a BFA in Musical Theater. There she studied many vocal styles including Jazz, Pop, Musical Theater (legit and belt), Classical, and Country. She also studied dance styles including Ballet, Tap, Jazz, and Modern. Some of Ella's performing credits include Alice Murphy in Bright Star (Belmont University), Martha in The Secret Garden (Live Arts Maryland), Rona Lisa Peretti in 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Murfreesboro Center for the Arts), and Marmee in Little Women (Belmont University), "Light of the World" soloist in Godspell (Infinity Theatre Co.), and others.