Bill Nutt, Correspondent
Fans of “Nashville” are preparing sing the blues.
The TV series, centered on the professional and personal lives of country musicians, is reaching the end of its sixth and final season. But in at least one respect, “Nashville” still thrives and will be coming to New Jersey this weekend.
Charles Esten, who plays veteran country musician Deacon Claybourne on the show, and Clare Bowen, who portrays up-and-coming singer-songwriter Scarlett O’Connor, have been performing a series of joint concerts around the country.
The two artists, who have solo music careers separate from the show, will play the Mayo Performing Arts Center Saturday, March 31.
Esten said he is grateful that these concerts allow him to stay in touch with the Deacon and with the fans who have supported “Nashville.” “In a real way, Clare and I don’t have to fully say goodbye to these characters,” he said.
“We get to go out on the road and play these concerts,” he said. “We play the songs from the show and our own songs.” Esten indicated that he and Bowen also play covers that he hopes will please and surprise the audience.
The two musicians complement each other well, according to Esten. “Clare makes music that is so ineffably pretty,” he said. “Then I have my own songs.” Esten and Bowen will both be backed by Sixwire, a band of seasoned country musicians.
Esten’s career serves as a nexus of music, acting, and comedy. “When I was a kid, my dad asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, and I said a clown,” he recalled. “I always wanted to make people laugh.”
At the same time, he also wrote songs, influenced in part by such artists as Hank Williams (a favorite of his father), Merle Haggard, the Beatles, and Bruce Springsteen.
“What I loved about music was that you could move people,” he said. “I remember watching the movie ‘Rocky,’ and hearing that music made me want to drink raw eggs and run up a flight of stairs.”
An interest in performing brought Esten to London in the 1990s. He spent two years starring in “Buddy,” a stage musical about rock ’n’ roll pioneer Buddy Holly.
He also auditioned for the British version of the improv show “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” “Everything came together –comedy, music, and acting,” Esten said. “The tie that binds them all is to make people feel something.”
Returning the States, Esten appeared in a number TV series, sometimes for single episodes and sometimes for full character arcs. (He noted that his appearances on “The Office” particularly helped raise his profile.)
In the early 2010s, he heard about “Nashville,” a musical drama series being created by Callie Khouri, the award-winning screenwriter of “Thelma and Louise.”
“I read the script, and I know I wanted to play a guy named Deacon Claybourne,” Esten said. “It’s such a great name! More important, something felt right about it.”
“Nashville” debuted to critical acclaim in 2012. After four seasons, it was dropped by ABC, but fan response led to the series being picked up by CMT for a fifth and eventually a sixth season. The final episodes started airing this past January.
“It’s bittersweet,” said Esten about the end of the series. “The sweet part is that we know it’s ending, so we get to bring it to what we hope is a good conclusion. It’s been a great ride.”
Touring with Bowen has also been a pleasure, Esten said. “In character, we’re grizzled old Deacon and emotional, caring Scarlett,” he said. “But onstage, we can be the friends that we are.”
Esten said that “Nashville” has touched people deeply because (like the best country music) it has dealt honestly and unflinchingly with life’s ups and downs.
“The ‘Nashville’ fan base appreciated that we treated these situations truthfully,” Esten continued. “People have told us that the show and the music have helped them through their own tough times, and that’s no small thing.”
Esten has no plans post-“Nashville.,” apart from touring. “It’s been a sweet respite to not have to ask what’s next for six years,” he said. “I hope that someone has a great idea for a script or a show that will allow me to explore a different character.”
IF YOU GO
CHARLES ESTEN AND CLARE BOWEN
WHAT: Two stars of the country-oriented TV series “Nashville” perform their own music, as well as songs written for their on-screen characters and select covers.
WHEN: 8 p.m. Saturday, March 31
WHERE: Mayo Performing Arts Center, 100 South St., Morristown
TICKETS: $39 to $89
INFORMATION: 973-539-8008 or www.mayoarts.org
STORY HIGHLIGHTS:
Charles Esten and Clare Bowen will perform at the Mayo Performing Arts Center in Morristown Saturday, March 31.
Esten and Bowen star in TV series “Nashville” as, respectively, veteran country musician Deacon Claybourne and up-and-coming singer-songwriter Scarlett O’Connor.
The two artists will perform music from their own solo recording careers, as well as songs written for their on-screen characters and covers of vintage country songs.
