Jeffrey Ellis - Page 89

Today, our spotlight falls on Blair Goldberg, who's a member of The Nutty Professor's extraordinary ensemble. Get to know her here, then when you see her it won't feel quite so intrusive and nosey when you ask her about the time her haltar top came undone (oh, hell: she has haltar top experience! Give the woman the key to the city now, Mayor Dean…she's definitely one of us!)…

But The Music Man? Come on, the classic Meredith Willson musical chestnut is as corny and all-American as you can possibly get (let's face it, Willson is the master of that particular genre of musical theater occupied by The Music Man and The Unsinkable Molly Brown-plus he wrote the Oscar-nominated score for William Wyler's The Little Foxes, which is one of my all-time favorite movies: "The grits didn't hold they heat"), it's pure hokum and there is absolutely nothing at all cynical about it. So why the heck does it make me respond with some emotional fervor?

Elton John's pop music influences will be readily apparent for audiences when they sit down at the Keeton Theatre for a performance of his Tony-Award-winning Broadway musical Aida, directed by Ralph Gabriel for Circle Players. Using Verdi's classic opera as a source, Elton John and lyricist Tim Rice have created an accessible musical inspired by Motown, dance music, reggae and gospel.

Directed by Kate Adams-with musical direction by Ginger Newman-The Larry Keeton Theatre will present Into the Woods, Stephen Sondheim's musical retelling of classic fairy tales, July 12- 28 at the Donelson venue. Appearing in the Keeton Theatre production are an all-star group of actors and actresses including Mallory Gleason as The Witch, Janette Bruce as The Baker's Wife, Anthony Just as The Baker, Laura Crockarell as Cinderella and Jonathan Perry as Jack.

Music City has officially gone "Nutty" with the arrival of the company, cast and crew of the Broadway-bound musical The Nutty Professor has taken up residence at Tennessee Performing Arts Center's James K. Polk Theatre to make final preparations for their first preview on July 24. Led by director Jerry Lewis, upon whose 1963 classic movie comedy the musical is based, the company was introduced to Nashville media during a press conference Wednesday morning.

Ohmigod…ohmigod, you guys…Elle Woods-the sharp-as-a-tack, pink-clad heroine of movies and musical theater-is brought to life in Woodbury in an exuberant, if technically flawed, production of Legally Blonde, The Musical, onstage at The Arts Center of Cannon County through July 21. Directed by Mary Ellen Smith and choreographed by Maggie Richardson, Legally Blonde features a fresh-faced, youthful cast who bring the show's characters to the stage with an exhilarating sense of purpose that succeeds even despite an overly ambitious set design that slows down the plot's pacing.

Nine-time First Night Award-winner Martha Wilkinson directs Derek Whittaker, Debbie Kraski and a cast of Nashville's stage favorites in the Chaffin's Barn Dinner Theatre production of Fiddler on the Roof, opening Thursday, May 31, and running through July 8 at the theater in West Nashville.

Led by the maniacally perfect Billy Ditty as the appropriately named "Leading Player," the 14-member ensemble deliver a thoroughly focused performance, never straying from the job at hand to endanger the success of the production. That focus is necessary, of course, given the intimate confines of the playing space and the amount of action that transpires on that postage stamp-sized stage. The action, in fact, never stops and choreographer Shepherd-obviously channeling the spirit and the nature of the master Fosse himself-gives the actors a lot to do. Quite frankly, this may be one of the best choreographed musicals ever mounted at the Boiler Room, so evocative is every movement and so expertly performed is every number.

Lindsay Mapes takes on the role of Elle Woods in Legally Blonde, The Musical, the next production at Woodbury's Arts Center of Cannon County. Directed by Mary Ellen Smith, the Tony Award-nominated musical runs tonight, July 6 through July 21.

Nashville Shakespeare Festival will perform Much Ado About Nothing, an enduring audience favorite among the playwright's comedies, from August 16 through September 16 at Centennial Park. Noted Nashville photographer Jeff Frazier recently captured the spirit of the production in his quartet of promotional photos for the production.

Ginger Rogers danced her way into the hearts of millions-and into the arms of Fred Astaire-in some of filmdom's best-loved musicals. Beginning July 27, Cumberland County Playhouse gives you the chance to see Ginger's awe-inspiring story brought to life in Backwards in High Heels, a new musical set to some of the 20th century's best-known music.

Derek Whittaker and Charlie Winton star as Oscar Madison and Felix Unger in Chaffin's Barn Dinner Theatre's production of The Odd Couple, the timeless Neil Simon comedy opening Thursday, July 12, and continuing through August 19.

SAVE THE DATE: The 2012 First Night Honorees, Most Promising Actors and the First Night Star Award winners will be revealed on Monday, July 23, at the First Night Preview Party...details to follow.

Directed by John Carpenter, board president of Lakewood Theatre, in addition to Lauren Moore the cast includes Heather Alexander as odd seamstress Popeye Jackson, Jill Braddock-Watson as former Miss Firecracker Elain Rutledge, Michael Welch as the troubled and charming Delmount Williams, Daniel DeVault and Asa Ambrister sharing the role of Mac Sam, and Laura Lindsey as pageant coordinator Tessy Mahoney.

Cris Cunningham, Andrew Gumm and Henry Gottfried star in John Holleman's Pokerface, running at Nashville's Darkhorse Theater July 5-14. Following the Nashville run, Holleman reports that Pokerface-an adaptation of his 1996 play Fish or Cut Bait-will travel north for a brief Chicago run.

Today's spotlight falls on the lovely and talented Memory Strong, the Nashville-based actress, singer and mother of four(!) who's always on the go, it seems. Tonight, she opens in Don Coyote, the original musical for kids that's written by Donna Driver and based upon the time-honored tale of Don Quixote. It plays for three shows at The Larry Keeton Theatre in Donelson and the multi-talented Memory plays the mom of the play's protagonist Scott (played by Charlie Webb). Directed by Ben Dassau, in his directorial debut, it also stars Steve Mogck as Scott's dad.

Kristin Chenoweth was in Nashville last night, performing her critically acclaimed concert act just for me-oh, sure, there were another 2,000 or so people in the audience, as well, who thought she was singing just for them-but she and I both know the truth. She looked straight into my heart and sang every one of my favorite songs and, in the process, she touched my heart in a way only someone who really knows me can do.

Who's who in Tennessee theater? Sometimes, without a program in your hand, it's difficult to know who's playing whom-hence, our newest feature: Hey, Jef, Here's My Headshot...featuring some of the Volunteer State's best-known-or soon-to-be-known all over the freakin' world-thespians. And have you ever wondered who the amazing photographers are who make them look so damn good? We're gonna tell ya…Today's actor/subject/model is the beautiful, talented and very busy Heather Corwin (the First Night Award-winning actress from Nashville now makes her home in California), photographed by Natalie Young (who may be contacted via www.natalieyoungla.com).

Brighton Collectibles has partnered with Nashville Children's Theatre (NCT) for their Brighton Loves Kids Across America campaign. This fundraising endeavor focuses on the sale of Brighton's unique Americana bracelet, and the company will donate 50% of proceeds to NCT.

Based on the classic book by Tennessee-born Frances Hodgson Burnett, The Secret Garden tells the story of Mary Lennox, a 10-year-old spoiled and sickly girl who, after the death of her parents from cholera, is sent to live with her uncle, Archibald Craven. There she meets Martha, a maid on the grounds, her brother Dickon, who can talk to animals and is able to grow anything with a little bit of soil and Colin, a boy who has given up the will to live, believing he is doomed to be a hunchback like his father.