PARADISE
A TOWN OF SINNERS & SAINTS
THE MOVIE
A bluegrass musical comedy where good & evil fight for the soul of a dried up coal mining town.
PREMISE OF THE FILM
At first glance, the musical town of Paradise, appears stereotyped and backwards. But, its history fought slavery, doesn’t care if their Mayor is a gay germaphobe, and welcomes diversity with open arms. Unfortunately, bad luck continues to plague them at every turn.
Ms. LOUANNE KNIGHT, the conscience and frustrated virgin of the town, has recently lost her momma, the matriarch, and is ready to move to Nashville in search of love and a career in music. But, before she can, a fast talking, smarmy, REV. JOHN CYRUS MOUNTAIN strolls into town with his ex-stripper assistant, CHASTITY, with a big idea to put Paradise back on the map. He has convinced a Hollywood production company to create a Reality TV Show around the town, Boom to Bust!… the search for the most downtrodden, desolate, desperate piece of crap town in America!
PETER MARTINEZ, a handsome, yet confused Producer, is showing up that day to start shooting provided that the release forms have all been signed. Reverend Mountain’s divine plan is to use the money from the Reality Show to build Paradise the biggest and baddest mega church anyone has ever seen, over the entrance to the old abandoned coal mine.
The Preacher and the new rooster in town, Peter, go on a mission to convince Louanne and the other oddball members of the town to sign, because this show will change their lives forever. Louanne, the lone holdout, finally gives in, putting the town above her own self interests.
The Reality Show reveals long held secrets and causes tensions between the townsfolk as well as Hollywood and the town’s new Preacher. It all builds to a climax in a showdown between good and evil.
(The musical has 19 original songs)
A Taste of The Music of Paradise
THE PRODUCTION TEAM
BRAD WILSON (Producer)
In 1985 Brad Wilson began an eleven year alliance with Academy Award winning actor Robert Duvall, operating ROBERT DUVALL PRODUCTIONS in New York. This alliance encompassed eighteen feature films, among them: COLORS with Sean Penn, DAYS OF THUNDER with Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman, FALLING DOWN with Michael Douglas and the critically acclaimed WRESTLING ERNEST HEMINGWAY with Richard Harris and Shirley MacLaine.
Wilson also worked with Duvall on some of his most memorable television roles, including the CBS miniseries LONESOME DOVE and the HBO epic STALIN shot in location in Moscow, for which Duvall won the Golden Globe for Best Actor.
In 2000 Mr. Wilson became Vice President of Development and Production and a producing partner at HEMISPHERE ENTERTAINMENT and produced a slate of films including THE GHOST CLUB staring Britt Robinson filmed on location in South Carolina and released in December 2003. His suspense thriller ONE OF THEM and the family film UNDERCOVER KIDS enjoyed successful releases. THE GRIFT a 1940s period film was shot on location in Tennessee and released in 2007 by SHORELINE ENTERTAINMENT. SET APART starring Richard Roundtree and John Schneider was released in September 2009 by PROVIDENT/SONY FILMS. ANGELS LOVE DONUTS with The Crosswise Players filmed in Dallas and BECOMING JESSE TATE with Amanda Waters and Bailey Ann Borders filmed in Nashville were both released in 2010 by BMG. THREE BLIND SAINTS, filmed on location in Kansas City, was released in 2012. His film SLIP TUMBLE & SLIDE staring Katharine Ross and Scott Wilson was released in 2015, CHRISTMAS ON SALVATION STREET, was released November 2014. MY MANY SONS, based on the life of the most winning basketball coach no one knew, Don Meyer, was filmed in Nashville was released in 2016. MEANEST MAN IN TEXAS based on the book of the same name was released in 2019.
His films have won awards at the Berlin Film Festival, The America Cinema Foundation, The Chicago Film Critics Association, Emden International Film Festival, Nederlands Film Festival, Westchester New York International Film Festival, Stony Brook Film Festival and The Santa Clarita International Film Festival.
He recently finished filming in 2021m THE FURRY FORTUNE here in LA based on the book.
*Everyone of the films Brad was involved in came in on time, and on budget.
JUSTIN WARD (Director)
Justin Ward began his career working in film development for Mick Jagger at Jagged Films, then went on to work under such talented directors as Robert Redford, Terrence Malick, and Norman Jewison,
Ward's debut feature film was "The Meanest Man In Texas," which he co-wrote and directed, and was accepted into 14 film festivals, with 31 nominations and won 21 awards. The film was distributed this summer digitally on Amazon Prime. Ward's second feature film, "Relish," which he also wrote, directed and produced, has already won 20 awards, including Best Feature Film and Best Original Screenplay at the Madrid International Film Festival, and Best Drama Feature at the Burbank International Film Festival. The film can also be found on Amazon Prime.
For 12 years prior, Ward produced and directed over 300 hours of sports, culinary, music and travel series for such networks as CBS, NBC, NBC Sports, CBS Sports, Spike TV, FOX, Fox Sports Net, The NFL, Warner Bros., Disney, and The Travel Channel. Ward also helped develop, direct and produce the documentary series "UFC Countdown," and "UFC All Access," and was the showrunner on "Inside the UFC," all on Spike TV.
In 2011, Ward created, directed and executive produced the documentary film series "Rock Stars," on the National Geographic Channel.
TOM SAGE and BILL ROBERTSON (Writer/Producers)
Tom and Bill have been writing comedy together for many years. Both are alumni of National Lampoon Magazine, ran a sketch comedy show out of NY and Boston, called “Heavily Medicated Fairy Tales” worked on “Blind Date”, had “Paradise” produced three times in LA and at a regional theater in Austin, TX, and had Broadway knocking on their door prior to Covid kicking in. The team has also sold two feature film scripts to the Lifetime Movie Network (one aired in Dec. 2018), wrote for a PBS kids show, “Ditty Doodle Works” and comedy for radio legend, Rick Dees.
CLIFF WAGNER (Composer)
Originally from Mississippi, gained nation wide exposure on FOX TVs “The Next Great American Band” and played to over 10 million people each week with his band The Old #7 . They not only appeared on six of the final shows but finished 7th out of 8,000 bands who originally tried out for the show. This was due to the huge number of fans who showed their support each week by voting to keep Cliff Wagner on the show. His album “Hobo’s Lullaby” was #28 on the AMA Americana Chart and #9 on the Euro Americana Chart.
TOR CAMPBELL (Co-Producer)
Tor is one of three of Northwestern’s first all-black MFA directing cohort, possibly making them the first all-black MFA directing cohort at a United States university. Tor's experience is wide and varied, and he has extensive creative direction credits both domestically and internationally—most notably in The Venetian Hotel & Sands in Macau, China. On a national level, he has choreographed and directed numerous productions, including his recent short film “Lovers Discretion.” He has also directed stage productions of Dreamgirls and Beauty & the Beast at two renowned LA Theaters. He was the choreographer for Paradise during two runs in LA and at the regional production at the Austin Playhouse. He has directed/choreographed for: ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, Macau Cultural Arts Center, Macau Stadium, Paris Bennett Tour, Ann Nesby Tour, Bollywood Awards, Venetian, Las Vegas & Sands Macau, Sheraton Korea, Hollywood Park Casino, Alice Tully Hall, Hansberry Sands Theater Events, George Faison Firehouse Theater, Playboy Club. He has independently developed several innovative Performing Arts programs, encompassing the many varied aspects of the Musical Theater experience. He taught at UC Irvine, and Juilliard.
Austin Stage Reviews:
“You won’t likely see a finer musical in Austin this year, so see Paradise before it ends! ”
“Musicals this charming just can’t be beat and performances are selling like hotcakes, so act now. Y’all don’t want to miss this one! ”
“Paradise holds up as a warm, funny, goofy and clever piece of musical comedy, with a dynamite bluegrass sound that is worth checking out... ”
“It’s a hysterical, knee-slapping comedy, another evolution in a genre that stretches way back...”
Los Angeles Stage Reviews:
“Avenue Q meets Book of Mormon meets Elmer Gantry... It shocks while it comments... I thoroughly enjoyed it!”
“Don’t miss it...hysterically funny.
Cast is absolutely sensational…scores big in every way.”
“Kudos to director Michael Myers for his brilliant direction of a show destined to take the country by storm when it goes out on its first national tour! Highly entertaining!”
“A seamless flow of action… satisfying and successful. There are many pleasures on display. The creative team have a winner on their hands that could go the distance.”
“This is a not-to-miss musical, charming, funny, and very much up-to-date. Never a dull moment in Paradise. Music lovers – this is a show made for you. ”
“Toe-tapping, laugh-a-minute. Talented cast, backed up by a four-man bluegrass band that really rocks!”
“Paradise furthers this small company’s high standing. The four-man band is a huge part of the enjoyment…they keep the house a-rockin. ”
