Tony-Nominee John Carrafa to Choreograph ABC's NASHVILLE

Tony nominee John Carrafa will serve as choreographer for the new ABC drama series NASHVILLE, premiering Wednesday, October 10 at 10:00 p.m., PT/ET. Carrafa is the two-time Tony Nominated Broadway choreographer of URINETOWN and INTO THE WOODS and also received an Obie Award, Lucille Lortel Award and Dora Award, as well as nominations for Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards. His other choreography theater credits include Love! Valour! Compassion, Dirty Blonde and Dance of Death.

Carrafa has choreographed over 30 films and tv shows including Something Borrowed, The Other Guys, The Thomas Crown Affair, Bride Wars and The Polar Express. His TV choreography credits include Blue Bloods and The Big C. At the Nokia Center in Los Angeles, he was director/choreographer for the dark circus Cirque Berzerk. He also served as Creative Director and Choreographer for the NBA, directing, choreographing and producing televised arena shows with stars such as LL Cool J, Harry Connick Jr. and Mary J. Blige.

NASHVILLE stars Connie Britton (“Friday Night Lights,” “American Horror Story”) as Rayna Jaymes, Hayden Panettiere (“Heroes”) as Juliette Barnes, Powers Boothe (“MacGruber,” “24”) as Lamar Wyatt, Charles Esten (“Enlightened,” “Big Love”) as Deacon Claybourne, Eric Close (“Chaos,” “Without a Trace”) as Teddy Conrad, Clare Bowen as Scarlett O’Connor, Jonathan Jackson (“General Hospital”) as Avery Barkley, Sam Palladio as Gunnar Scott and Robert Wisdom as Coleman Carlisle.

The series follows music legend and entertainment icon Rayna Jaymes who has been one of the industry’s top female vocalists for two decades. After working tirelessly to elevate her game, Rayna suddenly discovers her passion for the business is not enough to compete with the new generation of talent lighting up the charts. She is reluctant to accept the emerging trend in the business and refuses to be steamrolled by her longtime label, which she helped build. When they give her an offer she can’t refuse, Rayna is forced to accept the harsh reality that she’ll have to start over and reinvent herself if she plans on being relevant.

R.J. Cutler (“The September Issue,” “The War Room,” “A Perfect Candidate”), Callie Khouri (“Thelma & Louise”), James D. Parriott (“Sons of Anarchy,” “Grey’s Anatomy”) and Steve Buchanan are executive producers of “Nashville.” The pilot was written by Callie Khouri and directed by R.J. Cutler. The series is produced by Lionsgate, ABC Studios and Gaylord Entertainment.