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Tulsa-born singer-songwriter Kaitlin Butts is inviting fans inside Kait B’s Honky Tonk Saloon with the release of Hello, Honky Tonk: The Mini Musical, a 30-minute visual production that brings the characters and stories from her latest album to life.
Written by Butts and co-directed with longtime friend and collaborator Chris Beyrooty, the mini musical features eight songs from her critically acclaimed fourth studio album, Hello, Honky Tonk. The project introduces viewers to the colorful personalities and larger-than-life characters who inhabit Butts’ honky tonk universe. (watch above)
Taking on the role of Master of Ceremonies, Butts welcomes viewers into the saloon and introduces the regulars who populate the bar. The production gives fans an immersive look at the stories, personalities and nightlife inspiration behind the album.
“Getting to welcome everybody into Kait B’s Honky Tonk Saloon is truly a dream come true,” Butts shares. “This whole project has been such a labor of love, from writing the songs to bringing them to life on screen. It really fed my inner theater kid in the best possible way.”
The mini musical features eight tracks from Hello, Honky Tonk: “The Bartender,” “Everybody Wanna Sing a Country Song,” “Still Got It,” “The Joker,” “Bacon Naked (Take It from Me),” “What More Could You Want,” “Crazy I Can Be” and “Midnight, I’ll Always Be Yours.”
Butts’ theatrical vision extends to the production’s visual details, including costumes and character styling. Working alongside stylist Cathy Hahn, Butts contributed drawings and collages to help shape the looks of the saloon’s colorful cast. The dress featured on the album artwork, for example, began with a sketch by Butts before Hahn brought the design to life.
The mini musical expands on the concept behind Hello, Honky Tonk, a 14-track album inspired by the honky tonks and nightlife that have shaped Butts’ life and career. Recorded in Nashville with producer Tofer Brown, the album unfolds like a musical set inside a neighborhood bar, where every character has a story to tell.
Drawing inspiration from the vaudeville vignettes of Chicago and Disney World’s Country Bear Musical Jamboree, Butts blends theatrical storytelling with traditional country influences ranging from Merle Haggard and Roger Miller to the Chicks and Miranda Lambert.
Hello, Honky Tonk follows Butts’ 2024 album Roadrunner!, a bold reimagining inspired by Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Oklahoma! The album appeared on multiple year-end best-of lists and featured her viral song “You Ain’t Gotta Die (To Be Dead To Me).”
