THE PLAY'S THE THING: Ingram New Works Festival's Dean PoynorMay 9, 2019Today, we continue with our series of interviews, The Play's the Thing, focusing on the four emerging playwrights and their new works which will premiere over the next ten days at the Ingram New Works Festival. Next up is Dean Poynor, whose play The Second Avenue Subway will have its premiere public exposure in Nashville.
THE PLAY'S THE THING: Ingram New Works Festival's Lindsay JoelleMay 8, 2019Today, we continue a series of feature stories, focusing on the four emerging playwrights and their new works which will premiere over the next ten days at the Ingram New Works Festival. First up is Lindsay Joelle, whose play The Messengers will have its premiere public exposure in Nashville.
THE PLAY'S THE THING: Ingram New Works Festival's Riti SachdevaMay 7, 2019Today, we begin a series of feature stories, focusing on the four emerging playwrights and their new works which will premiere over the next ten days at the Ingram New Works Festival. First up is Riti Sachdeva, whose play Welcome to the Taj Palace (motel) will have its premiere public reading in Nashville.
BWW Review: Tennessee Women's Theater Project's Stunning Revival of SISTAS THE MUSICALMay 4, 2019Directed with grace and wit by Tennessee Women's Theater Project founder Maryanna Clarke, Sistas the Musical is now onstage through May 19 at The Z. Alexander Looby Theatre, located conveniently just off Rosa Parks Boulevard in north Nashville, a historically black enclave that has been central to the civil rights struggles of the citizens of Tennessee's capital city.
BWW Review: Wow! Wow! Wow, Fellas! Look at DOLLY Now, Fellas: She's Spectacular!May 1, 2019It only takes a moment to realize that composer/lyricist Jerry Herman, aided and abetted by book writer Michael Stewart (with an able assist from Thornton Wilder), knew exactly what he was doing when he created the classic Broadway musical Hello, Dolly!: put together a star vehicle for a quintessential theater diva, surround her with characters both irascible and lovable, then give them all a score that's delightfully hummable and danceable and a script that's appealingly daft, maybe even a little goofy.
BWW Review: Outrageous Comedy of 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE Continues to DelightApril 30, 2019That fact is proven every time we see a new staging of the Rachel Sheinkin/William Finn show, originally conceived by Rebecca Feldman. Now onstage at Murfreesboro's Center for the Arts, in an immersive production directed by Rachel Jones and brought to life by a stellar cast of promising young actors, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee guarantees every audience member will be engaged by the onstage antics of its young stars and the adults in their make-believe world who are responsible for ensuring the bee - rife with intrigue and true-blue competitive spirit - comes off without a hitch.
BWW Review: Christine Rowan is a Revelation in Cumberland County Playhouse's BRIGHT STARApril 28, 2019'Based on a true incident' seems a phrase best reserved for a hardboiled television detective series, circa 1954 - perhaps followed by a title card reading, 'A Quinn Martin Production' (if you're of a certain vintage, you'll get my meaning) - but in the case of Bright Star, the Tony Award-nominated musical by Steve Martin and Edie Brickell now onstage at Cumberland County Playhouse through June 6, it's definitely fitting.
BWW Review: Chaffin's Barn's Timely and Timeless LISTEN TO YOUR MOTHERApril 27, 2019As the magical floating stage descends from the upper recesses of Chaffin's Barn Dinner Theatre, anticipation grows and attention is directed to the half dozen actors seated upon the stage, their chairs as unique as the performers themselves. Gathered together by director Joy Tilley Perryman, the dozen actors who will be seen and heard in the company's performance of Listen to Your Mother, a collection of monologues on the subject of parenthood and the myriad relationships to be found among parents and children, were each cast for his or her particular strengths, whether it's their ability to tell a story or to engage an audience.
Mama Knows Best: Milstead, White & Walden from Chaffin's Barn's LISTEN TO YOUR MOTHERApril 25, 2019Today, in our final installment, our spotlight falls upon three Nashville actors - Mileah Milstead, Vicki White and Shelena Walden - who join their castmates for the show at Chaffin's Barn, located at 8204 Highway 100 in Nashville. For ticket information or reservations, call (615) 646-9977 or go to www.chaffinsbarntheatre.com.
Murfreesboro's ANALISA LEAMING Comes Home to TPAC With HELLO, DOLLY! TourApril 24, 2019For Analisa Leaming, playing Irene Molloy in the national touring company of Hello, Dolly! - which heads to Nashville next week for an eight-performance run at Tennessee Performing Arts Center's Andrew Jackson Hall - there are more reasons than usual to be exhilarated and excited for an impending opening night in a new city and venue.
Mama Knows Best: Talking with Kim Nygren & Shawn Whitsell from LISTEN TO YOUR MOTHERApril 24, 2019Members from the Chaffin's Barn's cast of Listen To Your Mother will tell us about their own moms and their lessons learned. Today our spotlight falls upon two Nashville theater veterans - Kim Nygren and Shawn Whitsell - who join their castmates for the show at Chaffin's Barn, located at 8204 Highway 100 in Nashville. For ticket information or reservations, call (615) 646-9977 or go to www.chaffinsbarntheatre.com.
Mama Knows Best: Talking with CJ Walton & Scott Stewart from LISTEN TO YOUR MOTHER at Chaffin's BarnApril 23, 2019Members from the Chaffin's Barn's cast of Listen To Your Mother will tell us about their own moms and their lessons learned. Today's interview subjects are Chandra J. Walton (but you can call her CJ) and Scott Stewart, who join their castmates for the show at the theater, located at 8204 Highway 100 in Nashville. For ticket information or reservations, call (615) 646-9977 or go to www.chaffinsbarntheatre.com.
BWW Review: 'Oh, What A Night!' With UNDER THE STREETLAMP and the Nashville SymphonyApril 20, 2019No matter how you describe them - although granted, 'handsome, charming, engaging and amazingly talented' comes readily to mind - nor how many times you've seen them (whether it's your first or twenty-first time), there's one thing you cannot help but think about Under the Streetlamp: These four guys really know how to put on a show!
Tomás and the Library Lady Finishes Up 18-19 Nashville Children's Theatre SeasonApril 20, 2019Based on the true story of Mexican-American author and educator Tomas Rivera, Tomas and the Library Lady - the final offering of Nashville Children's Theatre's 2018-19 season - is told in both Spanish and English, and follows the son of migrant farm workers as he discovers a surprising world of stories inside his local library with support from a special librarian.
Mama Knows Best: Talking with Molly Breen from Chaffin's Barn's LISTEN TO YOUR MOTHERApril 20, 2019Members from the Chaffin's Barn's cast of Listen To Your Mother will tell us about their own moms and their lessons learned. Today's subject is Molly Breen, who with Listen To Your Mother makes her debut at the theater, located at 8204 Highway 100 in Nashville. For ticket information or reservations, call (615) 646-9977 or go to www.chaffinsbarntheatre.com.