A Special Message from Wishing Chair Productions

The magic of literacy-based puppetry at NPL has taken all of us on a deeply creative, deeply joyous journey.

We are so grateful to the families who have discovered and delighted in our work across the years, joining us at Wishing Chair Production story times, Puppet Truck performances, and full-scale productions — each of which began with a book or story.

Now, we would be honored for you to join us once more as we celebrate the 10th anniversary of our beloved show, “String City: Nashville’s Tradition of Music and Puppetry."

“String City” is a co-production by NPL and the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, made possible in part by a special gift from Judy and Steve Turner to the Nashville Public Library Foundation.

We use marionettes, rod puppetry, shadow puppets, animation, and an ever-changing set to tell the story of country music as it relates to Nashville’s transformation into Music City.

For this 10th birthday, we’re incorporating four new artists into the show’s repertoire of nearly 100 puppets and 33 songs. That lineup already includes everyone from the Staple Singers to Johnny Cash and Taylor Swift. Our four new, surprise additions will only add to the richness of this show.

“String City” holds a special place in the hearts of the entire Wishing Chair crew.

I’ve cherished operating puppets like Hank Williams, Dolly Parton, Charley Pride, and Alison Krauss over these past 10 years.

We hope you’ll join us at 10:00 or 11:00 AM at the Country Music Hall of Fame any day between now and July 1 to experience “String City” and our new puppets.

~Bret Wilson, Wishing Chair Productions Program Manager~