Jeffrey Ellis News

A square little town in a square little state in the middle of a square decade is about to be changed forever as All Shook Up! takes over the stage. Natalie, a young mechanic, dreams of love, adventure and of one true love who'll take her away from her dreary surroundings. Natalie's best friend Dennis has long had a secret crush on her. Since the Mayor outlawed everything that's fun, it seems like the whole drab town is singing the blues.

Luckily (for me and for you, the rest of the audience who may or may not have seen the show in any of its multiple onstage incarnations), director Patrick Kramer, choreographer Kate Adams-Johnson and musical director Randy Craft have fashioned a rendition of Hairspray-that indomitable musical about one determined and ambitious Baltimore teenager in 1962-that fairly snaps, crackles and pops with its fresh delivery, its clever staging and the laudable and thoroughly committed performances of a cast of thousands.

Loretta Lynn, whose multi-decade career has firmly established her as one of Nashville's most legendary performers, introduced Zooey Deschanel (Grammy and Golden Globe nominee and star and producer of Fox's hit sitcom New Girl) to her audience last night during a performance at Opry Country Classics at the "mother church of country music," the Ryman Auditorium in downtown Nashville. In much the same way that Lynn revealed that Sissy Spacek would be taking on the challenge of playing her on film-a role that ultimately won her the Academy Award for her critically lauded, transformative performance-she gave her blessing onstage to Deschanel.

Today's spotlight falls upon Darin Richardson, who is currently onstage in Circle Players' Hairspray, getting his 1960s teen heartthrob on as Link Larkin, playing opposite Whitney Vaughn as Tracy Turnblad. For Richardson, it's just the latest in a long list of onstage roles, which includes his recent role in The Keeton Theatre's Kiss Me, Kate, and a stint at the Miracle Theatre in Pigeon Forge, where he and castmates were forced to sort of re-write The Good Book when Jesus got stuck in the tomb. Seriously. So, gentle readers, read on…and find out more about the handsome and talented Darin Richardson, and go to The Larry Keeton Theatre and see him in Hairspray (he's there for the next two weekends).

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 lovely and talented Keri Pisapia, photographed by Kristy West.

Kim Bretton directs the Nashville premiere of Donald Margulies' Time Stands Still, presented by Actors Bridge Ensemble at Belmont University's Black Box Theatre, tonight May 11 through May 20.

Holly Amber stars in Christopher Durang's Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All For You, opening tonight (May 10) and continuing through May 20. Directed by Ryan Vogel, who does double-duty playing one of Sister Mary Ignatius' troubled former students, the play is presented at BWW Tennessee Theatre Award-winning Out Front on Main, located at 1511 E. Main Street in historic downtown Murfreesboro.

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 Blair Allison, photographed by Bennett Farkas.

Ralph Pape's Say Goodnight, Gracie tells the story of life, dreams, high school reunions and Devil Dogs. It is New York City, 1976, and we meet five members of the first Television Generation: Jerry, a struggling actor, his girlfriend Ginny, a secretary, Steve, a prankish would-be poet and television writer, Bobby, a musician who has been scraping by with dates in small clubs in suburban New Jersey, and his girlfriend, Catherine, a beautiful and rather kinky airline stewardess.

Arthur Kipps (played by Rodney Pickel), a middle-aged lawyer, has been haunted for years by a series of events he experienced as a young man. Hoping to free himself of his nightmares at last, Kipps hires a young actor (Sean Hills) to help him tell his tale. As the two men dive deeper and deeper into the story, however, they begin to find that some things can never be put to rest.

Paul Vasterling along with our guest choreographers have been working hard the last couple weeks putting together their pieces for Emergence. We put together a little 'behind the scenes' glimpse for you of the creative process and we hope to see you at the performance next weekend!

Norma Desmond sings about them "out there in the dark" in Sunset Boulevard, Lauren Bacall dealt with a particularly sinister and deranged one in her 1981 film The Fan, and virtually everyone you know who had taken to the stage in a show anywhere around the world can regale you with stories about their wild and woolly antics. "They," of course, are the fans, the audiences, the people for whom theater is presented every night.

The Last Five Years runs through May 27. Tickets are only $16 for adults and $14 for students and seniors, with specials including Talk-Back nights, Student nights, and Starving Artist nights. For specific show information, and to purchase tickets, visitwww.streettheatrecompany.org. Performances are at Street Theatre, 1933 Elm Hill Pike, just off the Briley Parkway. For more information, call 615-554-7414.

Broadway veterans Jessica Grove and Ben Davis will star as Maria Rainer and Captain Georg Von Trapp in Studio Tenn Theatre Company's upcoming production of Rodgers and Hammerstein's The Sound of Music, playing at the historic Franklin Theatre May 31-June 17.

What happens when you put a choreographer in the same room with visual artists and musicians and tell them to come up with "something original"? It remains to be seen, but those creative collaborations will be the focus of Nashville Ballet's upcoming Emergence, presented May 17-19.

Sarah Ruhl's critically acclaimed play In The Next Room (or The Vibrator Play) highlights ACT 1's 2012-13 season, which is revealed today. Also on the season: a new adaptation of Dark of the Moon, Neil Simon's Broadway Bound and Ibsen's classic A Doll's House.

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 handsome, talented and peripatetic Michael Adcock (who will be part of the cast of The First Night Honors' staged reading of Mart Crowley's The Men From The Boys in August),photographed by Jenna Henderson (whom you can contact via www.jhendersonstudios.com).

Robyn Berg directs the sold-out Nashville production of Dustin Lance Black's 8, a play chronicling the historic trial in the federal constitutional challenge to California's Proposition 8, presented by Rhubarb Theater Company on Monday, May 7, at Darkhorse Theater.

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 damn good? We're gonna tell ya...Today's actor/subject/model is the handsome and talented David McGinnis photographed by Mark Denman.

Coppelia is being presented as a special tribute to Royce Flavel "Lee" Green (1946-1997), as a special tribute to honor his memory by his lifelong friends in the Nashville theater and dance communities. During the 1970s to the 1990s, Green was a driving force in Nashville and Middle Tennessee theater, directing and acting in a variety of memorable shows for companies like Theatre Nashville, Circle Players and the St. Augustine Players.