CRITICS' CHOICE: What's Happening in Tennessee This Weekend?

Looking for something fun to do in Nashville - say, in the next few days or so? That doesn't involve running in the Country Music Marathon? Have no fear, gentle BWW Nashville readers, our team of writers have done the necessary legwork - we're all about saving you time, keeping you out of the marathon traffic and helping you make informed decisions about how to spend your entertainment dollar, after all - and we are delighted to present you with our very first, official Critic's Choice column, filled to the veritable brim with suggestions for great stuff going on around our fair state. (We realize that we did a test drive, of sorts, earlier this week...but this is the real thing, we swear!) Now, get out there and have some fun, y'all! And while you're at it, you'll be doing some good for the community by supporting the arts in the Volunteer State!

Running April 24-26, Nashville Ballet welcomes spring with the return of the Shakespeare classic A Midsummer Night's Dream featuring the Nashville Symphony at TPAC's Andrew Jackson Hall.

The family-friendly production, which premiered in 2010, follows three intertwining plots: the marriage of Duke of Athens, the entangled romance between two sets of lovers, and a dispute between the King and Queen of the Fairies. The mischievous Puck tries to set things right with a love potion, but unexpected consequences lead to a hilarious series of events over the course of one fateful

"As the original romantic comedy, A Midsummer Night's Dream uses slapstick humor and never-ending mischief to tell a story that's ultimately about relationships," Nashville Ballet artistic director and CEO Paul Vasterling said. "Our version breathes new life into this beloved tale through projected surtitles and color-coded wardrobe, making it accessible for all ages."

This year's presentation displays the talents of Nashville's residency arts organizations and several guest artists. A youth cast of more than 40 students age 8-18 from School of Nashville Ballet perform as fairies and nymphs. The Nashville Symphony performs Felix Mendelssohn's score under guest conductor Beatrice Affron of the Pennsylvania Ballet Orchestra. The Nashville Children's Choir led by Co-Director Madeline Bridges offer their voices as angels. Renowned guest vocalist sopranos Julie Cox and Vicki

"The Nashville Ballet's A Midsummer Night's Dream is the most magical version of the play I've ever seen," Nashville Shakespeare Festival executive artistic director Denice Hicks, arguably Nashville's most well-informed Shakespearean type, contends. "The comedic character work of the dancers is especially brilliant, and you won't see more romantic lovers anywhere."

Tickets start at $28 and can be purchased in person at the TPAC box office in downtown Nashville, by phone at (615) 782-4040 or at www.nashvilleballet.com.

Opening Friday, April 24: Imaginary Theatre Company presents Robert Harling's Steel Magnolias, directed by Robert Coles, through May 10, at Eastland Baptist Church 1215 Gallatin Avenue. Evening shows are at 7:30 p.m., matinees at 2:00 p.m. For details, go to www.imaginarytheatrecompany.com or call the box office at (615) 538-7620.

Cole's cast includes: Kate Adams as M'Lynn; Britt Byrd as Shelby; Heather Vaughn Alexander as Truvy; Angela Gimlin as Annelle; Beth Woodruff as Clairee; and Ann Street-Kavanaugh as Ouiser.

Harling's iconic play sets the action in Truvy's beauty salon in Chinquapin, Louisiana, where all the ladies who are anybody come to have their hair done. Helped by her eager new assistant, Annelle (who is not sure whether or not she is still married), the outspoken, wise-cracking Truvy dispenses shampoos and free advice to the town's rich curmudgeon, Ouiser, ("I'm not crazy, I've just been in a bad mood for forty years"); an eccentric millionaire, Miss Clairee, who has a raging sweet tooth; and the local social leader, M'Lynn, whose daughter, Shelby (the prettiest girl in town), is about to marry a "good ole boy." Filled with hilarious repartee and not a few acerbic but humorously revealing verbal collisions, the play moves toward tragedy when, in the second act, the spunky Shelby (who is a diabetic) risks pregnancy and forfeits her life. The sudden realization of their mortality affects the others, but also draws on the underlying strength-and love-which give the play, and its characters, the special quality to make them truly touching, funny and marvelously amiable company in good times and bad.

Opening Friday, April 24: Cumberland County Playhouse opens the revival of one of its most popular musicals, Singin' in the Rain. This stage adaptation of the beloved 1952 MGM film will star California natives and Playhouse newcomers Jake Delaney and Danny Boman as Don Lockwood and Cosmo Brown and Cumberland County native Katherine Walker Hill as ingénue Kathy Selden. Singin' in the Rain runs through July 12, and is directed by Britt Hancock.

Delaney most recently appeared in the national tours of The Addams Family and Fiddler on the Roof and Boman appeared in the national tours of My Fair Lady and Fiddler. Walker Hill, who first appeared on the Playhouse stage at the age of five when she played Mollie in Annie, received her BFA in Musical Theatre from Webster Conservatory and has been working as a professional actress in New York for nine years.

"I'm very happy to be at the helm of this iconic musical after playing the role of Don Lockwood in CCP's 2006 production. And I'm delighted to announce that some of the advanced tappers from our Triple Threat Education Program will be part of choreographer Leila Nelson's spectacular tap routines," Hancock says.

Associate Producing Director Bryce McDonald added, "Singin' in the Rain is always a crowd pleaser. It has a great story, a great score, wonderful characters, glamorous period sets and costumes... and, of course, it actually rains on stage!"

Singin' in the Rain is set in the Roaring Twenties when handsome, dashing Don Lockwood and his glamorous co-star Lina Lamont were the brightest stars in Hollywood. But times change, and 1927's advent of "talking pictures" caused the crash of careers and fortunes, as audiences quickly lost interest in silent films and many of their stars. Some stars thrived and new careers were born. The MGM film endures as "America's best movie musical" (according to the American Film Institute) because of its story of hope, resilience and the power of love and friendship to see us through tough times. That spirit shines through the stage adaptation, along with the razor-sharp comedy, sweet romance and the hit parade of unforgettable songs like "Singin' in the Rain," "Good Morning" and "Make 'Em Laugh."

Rounding out the cast are Leila Nelson as Lina Lamont, Bobby Taylor as producer R.F. Simpson and Jason Ross as director Roscoe Dexter, along with Playhouse favorites Daniel Black, John Dobbratz, Carol Irvin, Lindsey Mapes, Lauren Marshall, Michael Ruff, Caitlin Schaub and Chaz Sanders. - Jeffrey Ellis

Nashville Repertory Theatre's marketing director, Hollis Sienkiewicz reminds us that "It's closing weekend of our production of Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike! The Tony Award-winning comedy is hilarious, laugh-out-loud fare for spring. Don't miss your last chance to see the show The Tennessean's Amy Prough Stumpfl calls 'the perfect conclusion to Nashville Rep's 30th anniversary season,' and that director Nate Eppler calls 'weird and wonderful and downright odd and surprisingly touching.'" We laughed, we cried, it became a part of us...not since Cats have I been so moved...in other words, catch Vanya 'n'em while you can!

In fact, here's Nashville actress/director/wunderkind Rachel Agee's recent review from her Facebook feed (used with her kind and generous permission): "Here is my imitation of me watching Vanya & Sonia & Masha & Spike (and Tamiko and Jen) last night: HA. heh heh heh heh HAHAHAHA OMG WTF. HA HA *resuscitates older woman next to me who has passed out due to close proximity to Spike in Act I (just take my word for it)* HAHAHAHA Awwww! Look at Jennifer in her costume! *intermission on actor night = The Best* *back in the theater, loud ass guy talking full voice, I make this face right here, : ( the Berryessas stare him down, he shuts up, THANK YOU* HAHAHAH HA HA HA HA WHOA. Oh. Oh Martha. (so when you're an actor, sometimes when you see plays or movies or tv shows, even if you really like the actor you're watching, you can't help but think, "I would have done that differently" or "here's how I would have done it." You still enjoy and support the actor doing it, but it's just kind of a reflex you can't control. And then other times Martha Wilkinson does a scene and even if it's only her end of a phone conversation you're like, "Oh. Yeah. That was, yeah, eff me, I could not do that. That was...yeah. Shit yeah." (see also: Shelean Newman talking about her career in act I. Damn.) Then after the phone thing: HA HA HA HA OMG BOBBY WYCKOFF. And then I had this face right here - O.O Shit. Did Bobby Wyckoff just make me tear up by talking about Old Yeller in the middle of a comedic monologue? Ugh. What am I even doing with my life? I should just become an accountant. So. If you go see Vanya (and friends) at the Rep, which runs through Saturday, when you leave you will be very happy, you will want to BE Tamiko S. Robinson (did one of those puzzle pieces fly in her mouth? I don't know but, ugh, all the brilliant bits), you will want to put Jennifer Richmond in your pocket and carry her around with you all the time, you will definitely open the program during intermission to find out who the hell Brett Cantrell is (in a good way), and you may always picture Shelean, Martha and Bobby in their party costumes forever more. Because they just seem...right somehow. Anyway, if you wonder what makes me laugh out loud, it's this."

Wrapping up its run this Saturday at Bethlehem United Methodist Church, Play, On! is presented by the Bethlehem Players, the church's community theatre troupe, including local actors Jim Maden, Mark McNulty and Ginny Welles. The production takes place in the Grassland area of Franklin, 2419 Bethlehem Loop Road, through Saturday, April 25.

Written by Rick Abbot and directed by Johnny Peppers, this is the farcical tale of a theatre group trying desperately to stage a play in spite of maddening interference from a haughty author who keeps revising the script. Peppers says many have called Play, On! a love letter to community theatre: "We call the Bethlehem Players our version of church softball and this play within a play definitely embodies that spirit of a crazy, madcap team sport. Community theatre is so much fun for the audience because you have friends, neighbors and local actors having a blast giving the audience an escape for the evening and a lot of laughs," Peppers said. "This play and cast will not disappoint."

In Play On! a community theatre troupe is rehearsing "Murder Most Foul," a fictional play written by Phyllis Montague (played by founding Bethlehem Players member, Ginny Welles). Phyllis constantly makes changes to the script, including adding and deleting scenes and rewriting entire subplots. This frustrates the director and performers, who have to open the play in four days. To add to the problems, the cast and crew are starting to get on each other's nerves. After intermission, the audience sees opening night of "Murder Most Foul," which includes all the hijinks and foul-ups that make community theatre what it is.

Peppers' cast for the production includes many Bethlehem Church Members and actors from the Nashville area: Art Ankrum, Susan Davis, Flynt Foster, Lori Hetherington, Robbin Holland, Jim Maden, Mark McNulty, Debbie Robinson, Janie Varn and Ginny Welles.

Play, On! is presented April 24 at 7:00 p.m., and April 25 at 4:00 p.m. With limited seating, $15 per person general admission tickets are available via TicketsNashville.com or by calling the Bethlehem ticket line at 615-669-BPAC (2722).

Shakespeare turns 451 this month - but he doesn't look a day over 450, am I right? - and Nashville Shakespeare Festival is in the mood to celebrate on Sunday, April 26 at 3 p.m. at the Downtown Nashville Public Library! From music to crafts to the popular Biggest Balcony Scene Ever, there's something for everyone-including birthday ice cream provided by Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream! William Shakespeare himself will even be in attendance!

At 3:15 pm join NSF for the Sixth Annual Biggest Balcony Scene Ever: Everyone present will play Romeo or Juliet in a mass recitation of the famous balcony scene. ("Currently the record is held by Boston at 160 participants, that's only 20 more than we had last year! So bring all your friends and help us beat that record," implore NSF staffers.)

Following the balcony scene, attendees are encouraged to stay for free family entertainment, including a Costume Contest: Fun prizes will be given in the following categories: best star-crossed couple, most creative, and best young Shakespearean. Do you miss the wonderful music of Shakespeare in the Park 2014 As You Like It and Winter Shakespeare 2015 Twelfth Night? Now is your chance to hear some of it again, with music provided by Stan Lawrence (Music Director, As You Like It) and Rolin Mains (Composer, Twelfth Night). Birthday cupcakes will be provided on a first come, first serve basis, and for the first time, Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream will be on hand to serve free ice cream to the first 150 people helping wish Shakespeare a happy 451st birthday.

For more information, visit www.nashvilleshakes.org/ShakespearesBday.htm or call (615) 255-2273 to get the lay of the land, as it were.