SAVE THE DATE: Nashville Theater Calendar for November 5, 2018

Looking ahead, you'll find a number of new productions on tap for your entertainment pleasure, thanks to the efforts of theater companies all over Middle Tennessee. Here's our calendar for November 5, 2018, to help you plot your course through the end of the year...

Through November 5 The Caucasian Chalk Circle, presented by The Hillsboro Players at Hillsboro High School, 3812 Hillsboro Road, Nashville. Bertolt Brecht's The Caucasian Chalk Circle, adapted by Eric Bentley, is presented November 1-5, with curtain at 7 p.m. each evening at the Hillsboro High School Auditorium, Tickets range from $5 (for students) to $10 (general admission) and $13 (premium seating). Tickets are available online at www.hillsboroplayers.com.

Read Jeffrey Ellis' High School Drama interview with The Caucasian Chalk Circle's Tim Russell: /nashville/article/High-School-Drama-Hillsboro-High-Schools-Tim-Russell-20181030

Through November 10 The Old Man and The Old Moon, presented by Cumberland County Playhouse, Crossville. A one-of-a-kind theatrical experience, The Old Man and the Old Moon will enchant audiences of all ages with spellbinding storytelling, ingenious puppetry, and a rousing Celtic-inspired folk score! The beguiling tale begins with the Old Man, whose job is to periodically fill the leaky moon with light. When his wife sails off in search of a mysterious song, he abandons his duties, throwing the world into chaos, as he searches for his lost love, his fading memory, and ultimately, himself. New York Magazine calls it "an all-ages journey into the frontiers of undiluted imagination." For details, go to www.ccplayhouse.com or call (931) 484-5000 for tickets.

Through November 10 Brooklyn: The Musical, presented by Street Theatre Company at Z. Alexander Looby Theater, 2301 Rosa L. Parks Boulevard, Nashville. Hallie Long plays the title role, with Terrell Hunt, Brooke Leigh Davis, Teal Davis, Carly Rose, Kaylea Frezza, Sydney Hooper, Tyler Inabinette and Mindy Tolbert in supporting roles.

Read Jeffrey Ellis' review of Brooklyn: The Musical: /nashville/article/BWW-Review-Street-Theatre-Companys-BROOKLYN-THE-MUSICAL-Caps-a-Remarkable-2018-Season-at-STC-20181026

Through November 10 Neighborhood 3: Requistion of Doom, presented by Vanderbilt University Theatre at Neely Auditorium, Vanderbilt University campus, Nashville. Steve Moulds, Coe artist in residence, directs the play by Jennifer Haley. In a claustrophobic suburban landscape, everyone's playing the new video-game sensation, Neighborhood 3. Teenagers are desperate to hack their way through an army of zombies. Parents, on the other hand, are frantic about their children's growing addiction. Hilarious and haunting, this horror-comedy hybrid blurs the line between the virtual and the real.

Through November 11 A Midsummer Night's Dream, presented Center for the Arts, Murfreesboro. For more information, go to www.boroarts.org or call (615) 904-2787.

Read Payton McCarthy's review of A Midsummer Night's Dream: /nashville/article/BWW-Review-A-MIDSUMMER-NIGHTS-DREAM-at-Murfreesboro-Center-For-The-Arts-20181104

Through November 11 Godspell, presented by Lipscomb University Theatre at Collins Auditorium, Lipscomb University campus, Nashville. Scott Baker directs a cast led by Patriq James as Jesus Christ and Sam Kell as John the Baptist/Judas. Kelsi Fulton music directs, with choreography by Kari Smith.

Read Jeffrey Ellis' review of Godspell: /nashville/article/BWW-Review-Lipscomb-University-Theatres-GODSPELL-Filled-With-Heart-and-Soul-20181103

Read Jeffrey Ellis' interview with Godspell's Patriq James: /nashville/article/Patriq-James-Stars-in-Lipscomb-University-Theatres-homecoming-musical-GODSPELL-Nov-3-11-20181031

Through November 17 Hello Dolly!, presented by Arts Center of Cannon County, 1424 John Bragg Highway, Woodbury. Directed by Matt Smith. In 1890s New York City, the bold and enchanting widow Dolly Levi (Mary Ellen Smith) is a socialite-turned-matchmaker. Her latest clients seeking assistance are the cantankerous "half-a-millionaire" Horace Vandergelder (David Cummings) and a young artist named Ambrose, who is in love with Horace's niece, Ermengarde. Dolly's scheming soon involves Horace's employees as well as a New York hatmaker, as she tries to cover up her own secret romantic designs. For details, go to www.artscenterofcc.com or call (615) 563-2787.

Through November 18 Journey's End, presented by Lakewood Theatre Company, Old Hickory. Lakewood Theatre Company presents R.C. Sherriff's classic play about the futility and slaughter of the first World War. Go to TicketsNashville.com to purchase tickets.

Through December 22 Holiday Inn, presented by Cumberland County Playhouse, Crossville. Opening our Christmas season on the Mainstage is a new smash hit Broadway musical - Irving Berlin's Holiday Inn. Based on the classic film with music and lyrics by Irvin Berlin, Holiday Inn is a whole year of holidays in one wonderful musical! It features thrilling dance numbers, laugh-out-loud comedy, and a parade of Berlin hits including "Blue Skies," "Easter Parade," "Steppin' Out With My Baby," "Heat Wave," "White Christmas," "Cheek to Cheek",and many more! Jim has left showbiz behind to settle down on his Connecticut farm...but life just isn't the same without a bit of song and dance. Jim's luck takes a spectacular turn when he meets Linda, a spirited schoolteacher with talent to spare. Together they turn the farmhouse into a fabulous inn with dazzling performances to celebrate each holiday, from Thanksgiving to the Fourth of July. But when Jim's best friend Ted tries to lure Linda away to Hollywood, will Jim be able to salvage his latest chance at love? Don't miss this heartwarming, high energy, tap dancing extravaganza! For more information, go to www.ccplayhouse.com or call (931) 484-5000 for tickets.

Read Jeffrey Ellis' review of Holiday Inn: /nashville/article/BWW-Review-IRVING-BERLINS-HOLIDAY-INN-Kicks-Off-The-Holiday-Season-With-Style-at-Cumberland-County-Playhouse-20181104

November 8-10 Disney's Newsies, presented by Hume-Fogg Academic High School Theatre, 700 Broadway, Nashville. The amazingly popular musical about the New York newsboys strike of 1899 stars Michael Dunaway and Ava Locknar. Tickets are available at www.hfatheatre.com.

Read Jeffrey Ellis' High School Drama interview with Newsies' Ava Locknar: /nashville/article/High-School-Drama-Hume-Fogg-Academic-High-Schools-AVA-LOCKNAR-20181029

Read Jeffrey Ellis' High School Drama interview with Newsies' Michael Dunaway: /nashville/article/High-School-Drama-Hume-Fogg-Academic-High-Schools-MICHAEL-DUNAWAY-20181104

November 8-10 Footloose the Musical, presented by Franklin Road Academy Fine and Performing Arts, at the Middle School Theater. Curtain is a 7 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, with a 2 p.m. matinee on Saturday afternoon. Ross Bolen directs a student cast.

November 8-11 9 to 5, The Musical, presented by the Middle Tennessee State University Theatre Department at the Dorethe Tucker Theatre, Murfreesboro. For tickets, go to mtsu.edu/mtsuarts or call (888) 718-4253.

November 8-18 Miracle on 34th Street, presented by the Robertson County Players, at Springfield Middle School Theatre, Springfield. Connie Smith directs the musical by Meredith Willson, with Daniel Rushing as choral director and Dr. Wade Smith as orchestra director and featuring the Robertson County Community Band. Performances are at 7 p.m. for evening performances, with 2 p.m. Sunday matinees on November 11 and 18.

November 8-December 23 Disney's The Little Mermaid, presented by Nashville Children's Theatre, 25 Middleton Street, Nashville. Ernie Nolan directs and choreographs, with musical direction by David Weinstein. Catherine Birdsong stars as Ariel, with Corbin Williams as Prince Eric and Galen Fott as Triton. Other cast members include Piper Jones, James Rudolph, Isaac Brotzman, Jonah M. Jackson, Darci Wantiez, among others. Performances are at 7 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, and at 2 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays from November 9-December 23. (No performance on Sunday, November 11.)

Read Jeffrey Ellis' interview with The Little Mermaid's Catherine Birdsong and Corbin Williams: /nashville/article/Birdsong-and-Williams-Come-Full-Circle-to-Play-THE-LITTLE-MERMAIDs-Ariel-and-Prince-Eric-for-NCT-20181101

November 9-25 A Gentleman Mind Reader, presented by Razorglass Productions at The Barbershop Theater, 4003 Indiana Avenue, Nashville. The Gentleman Mind Reader follows an evening with Christopher Ellis, a man who can actually read minds. Out of work and chasing the success of his now deceased grandmother, he is confronted with one final chance to prove his worth in a family "blessed" with clairvoyance. This one-man show is written and starring reformed magician Will Pryor.

November 10 72 Steps, presented by NB2 and Nashville Ballet, at Harpeth Hall School. Inspired by Tennessee's vital role in the ratification of the 19th Amendment, Nashville Ballet will debut Gina Patterson's 72 Steps at Harpeth Hall School's Frances Bond Davis Theatre this Saturday, November 10, at 2 p.m. The performance is free and open to the public. Commissioned by the League of Women Voters (LWV) of Nashville and their Perfect 36 Supporters, 72 Steps explores themes of basic human rights, civic responsibility and the ongoing battle for a more equitable society through the lens of the suffrage movement.

Read Jeffrey Ellis' This Dancer's Life interview with 72 Steps' Molly Yeo: /nashville/article/This-Dancers-Life-NB2s-MOLLY-YEO-20181105

November 11 and 13 AUDITIONS for On Golden Pond at Pull-Tight Players, St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Franklin. Time is 7 to 9 p.m. both evenings. There are roles available for 2 women, 3 men, and 1 teenage boy (boys 12 and older only please). There will be cold readings from the script. Headshots/resumes are welcome, but not required. Performance dates are January 25, 26, 27, 31, February 1, 2, 3, 7, 8, 9. Rehearsals will begin the week of November 26. Please bring a list of any conflict dates with you to auditions. If you have any questions, please feel free to email director Heather Bottoms at heather.bottoms@gmail.com.

November 13-18 Irving Berlin's White Christmas, presented by the national touring company of the Broadway hit, HCA/TriStar Heath Broadway at TPAC Series, at Tennessee Performing Arts Center's Andrew Jackson Hall. Nashville's own Jeremy Benton stars. Go to www.TPAC.org for details, or call (615) 782-4040 for tickets.

November 16 Broadway Princess Party, at Tennessee Performing Arts Center, Nashville. Once upon a time...Broadway's OG Cinderella, Belle, Jasmine and their guiding Fairy Godfairy - Laura Osnes, Susan Egan, Courtney Reed and Benjamin Rauhala - set out to create an inclusive princess experience for people of all ages. The result? Broadway Princess Party! Grab your besties and join the #PrincessPosse in a kingdom near you! Ballgowns are optional, but don your tiara or go full cosplay - there are princess prizes for those who dress up! Curtain's at 7 p.m. For tickets, go to www.tpac.org or call (615) 782-4040.

Read Jeffrey Ellis' interview with Broadway Princess Party's Laura Osnes and Susan Egan: /nashville/article/Laura-Osnes-and-Susan-Egan-on-the-Magical-and-Miraculous-Powers-of-THE-BROADWAY-PRINCESS-PARTY-20181107

November 15-December 29 Elf, presented by Chaffin's Barn Dinner Theatre, 8204 Highway 100, Nashville. Directed by Martha Wilkinson. For more information, go to www.ChaffinsBarnTheatre.com or call (615) 646-9977.

November 16-18 Side Show, presented by Belmont University Musical Theatre at Massey Auditorium, Belmont University campus, Nashville.

Read Jeffrey Ellis' Collegiate Theatrics interview with Side Show's Maggie Hutchison: /nashville/article/Collegiate-Theatrics-Belmont-Universitys-MAGGIE-HUTCHISON-20181029

Read Jeffrey Ellis' Collegiate Theatrics interview with Side Show's Macy Medford: /houston/article/Collegiate-Theatrics-Belmont-Universitys-MACY-MEDFORD-20181104

November 16-December 23 A Sanders Family Christmas, presented by Cumberland County Playhouse, Crossville. THE FINAL SEASON: Celebrate and rejoice with the Sanders family one last time in this heartwarming sequel to Connie Ray and Alan Bailey's wildly successful bluegrass gospel musical Smoke on the Mountain! It's December 24, 1941, and America is going to war. So is Dennis Sanders of the Sanders Family Singers. Join Pastor Mervin Oglethorpe and the spirit filled Sanders Family as they send Dennis off with hilarious and touching stories and twenty-five Southern Gospel Christmas favorites.

November 23-December 22 A Christmas Story, presented by Nashville Repertory Theatre at TPAC's Andrew Johnson Theatre. Nashville Rep will pack away its sets and costumes for their annual holiday season offering of the play based upon the hit film after a decade-long run. For more information, go to www.nashvillerep.org.

November 23-December 29 The Game Show Show, presented by Chaffin's Barn Dinner Theatre, 8204 Highway 100, Nashville. For more information, go to www.ChaffinsBarnTheatre.com or call (615) 646-9977.

November 25-December 1 TPS 2018 Reading Festival, presented by Tennessee Playwrights Studio at Darkhorse Theatre Chapel, 4610 Charlotte Avenue, Nashville. The festival showcases early drafts of plays that were developed through the Studio's monthly workshops and read by Nashville actors. Playwrights were selected via a competitive application process early in 2018. The public readings of these works-in-progress, read and directed by Nashville and Chattanooga-based artists, are free. A panel of theatre professionals will lead post-performance discussions and audience input will be solicited to assist playwrights as they continue to develop their scripts.

Sunday, November 25 7:30 p.m. Kingdom - a play about Snow White and climate change by Claudia Barnett. Directed by Leah Lowe. Cast: Tamara Todes, Chandra Walton, Ted Welch, Robert Chambers, Jessica Anderson, Patriq James, Josh Inocalla, Candace Kirkpatrick, Molly Breen. Inspired by the true story of a Norwegian valley that never sees winter sun, Kingdom (a play about Snow White and climate change) traces a hundred years of environmental hubris, including attempts to split atoms, tame a waterfall, and transmute air, culminating in a radical act of community as an artist conducts sunlight onto town square. Kingdom presents history as a parable, focusing on a blind girl who thrives in darkness and the personified conflict between natural history and unnatural selection.

Tuesday, November 27 7:30 p.m. Black and Blue (Or The Man in the Pantry) by Matt Garner. Directed by Beki Baker Cast: Chip Arnold, Karen Sternberg, David Ian Lee, Ethan Jones, Brian Russell, Beki Baker. Everyone and everything is abandoning Tom...that is to say...everyone except the man in the pantry.

Thursday, November 29 7:30 p.m. NEC COMPUNCTI by Louis Johnson. Directed by Shawn Whitsell. Cast: Patriq James, Robert Chambers, Gabe Atchley, Howard Snyder, Leonard Ledford III, Jalen Dukes, Lexi Nimmo, Kalee Smyth. This is NOT a play about the wrongfully convicted! That bastard's guilty as sin! As Josiah "Big Joe" Morgan spends his final days on death row, his previous life outside his tiny cell snaps into sharp focus. How did he get there, and can he deny the seemingly inevitable?

Friday, November 30 7:30 p.m. The Odd Evangelical by Gaye Jeffers. Directed by Blake Harris. Cast: Anne Swedberg, Grace Holtz, Kaleb Moran, Terrance Wright, Maggie McNulty, Autumn Hemmelgarn. A dark comedy about faith, politics, and marriage, The Odd Evangelical is shocking and hilarious. Lynn, an Evangelical church admin, meets a former crime reporter, Mary Greed, who challenges her ideas about faith and the function of the church. Through a long sleepless night, Lynn and her husband, Gardner, are visited by visions of Blessed and Reason in a weird game of dodgeball as questions of God and country, fear and safety are addressed between bites of Little Debbie cakes and surprise visitors from the past.

Saturday, December 1 7:30 p.m. Fan Me with a Brick by Kenley Smith. Directed by Alicia Haymer. Cast: Miranda Pepin, Alicia Haymer, Nikki Staggs, Carmen Ridley, Ang Madeline-Johnson, Christopher Bosen, LaTia Lewis, Eric Bulter, Brianna Booker, Shawn Whitsell, Ethan Jones, Beth Henderson. When Victoria sets out to learn more of her family's history, she opens a portal to a past full of loss, pain and indomitable perseverance. Her mother reluctantly joins her, and the two women uncover old wounds - a scandalous affair in segregated Virginia, a stolen child, a lost parent, a horrific accident - that linger unhealed in the present. The play is based on actual events. Original research by Yalewa Sparrowhawk.

November 29-December 8 Mary Poppins, presented by Audience of One Productions at The Capitol Theatre, Lebanon. Mary Poppins is the story of the Banks family who live in a big house in London on Cherry Tree Lane. Things are not going well for the family, the children, Jane and Michael, are out of control and are in need of a new nanny. Jane and Michael have their own ideas about what sort of caretaker they should have, while their parents-and, in particular, Mr. Banks-are insistent on someone strict for the job. When a mysterious young woman named Mary Poppins appears at their doorstep, the family finds that she's the answer to their prayers, but in the most peculiar way. Mary Poppins takes the children on many magical and memorable adventures, but Jane and Michael aren't the only ones she has a profound effect upon. Even grown-ups can learn a lesson or two from the nanny who advises that "anything can happen if you let it." Tickets: http://prod1.agileticketing.net/WebSales/pages/info.aspx?evtinfo=164148~c27b6327-1c15-4c85-84f1-e763f23c38a2&epguid=194fd3f0-e86f-4164-85ad-c27cc81b985e&

November 29-December 15 A Tuna Christmas, presented by The Renaissance Players at the Gaslight Dinner Theatre, Dickson. - November 29-December 15. Brett Myers and Bryce Conner will star in this hilarious sequel to Greater Tuna. It's Christmas in the third smallest town in Texas. Radio station OKKK news personalities Thurston Wheelis and Arles Struvie report on various Yuletide activities, including hot competition in the annual lawn display contest. In other news, voracious Joe Bob Lipsey's production of "A Christmas Carol" is jeopardized by unpaid electric bills. Many colorful Tuna denizens, some you will recognize from Greater Tuna and some appearing here for the first time, join in the holiday fun! Matinees - Doors open at 11:30 a.m. - Lunch is served at 12 noon; Dinner - Doors open at 6 p.m. - Dinner is served at 6:30 p.m. Food will be provided by Dickson's own Front Porch. Tickets can be purchased at www.renplayers.com, or by calling (615) 593-5520.

November 29-December 16 A Christmas Carol, the Musical, presented by The Larry Keeton Theatre, 108 Donelson Pike, Nashville. For more information, go to www.thelarrykeetontheatre.org; for reservations, call (615) 883-8375.

November 30-December 8 The Wolves, presented by Actors Bridge Ensemble at The Darkhorse Theater, 4610 Charlotte Pike, Nashville. Actors Bridge Ensemble celebrate their 12th annual collaborative production with the Nashville premiere of The Wolves by Sarah DeLappe. The Wolves was a finalist for the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and is among the "Top Ten Most Produced Plays of 2018-19" according to American Theatre Magazine. The Belmont Black Box Theater is being transformed into an indoor soccer arena complete with astroturf. The cast has their own soccer coach, Brent Maddox, who is helping them prepare for the physical demands of the play. Directed by First Night Award winner Jaclynn Jutting, the cast includes Lucy Buchanan, Riley Walker, Hayley Pellis, Penelope Gerosa, Sammi Gainer, Tea Sherrill, Rachel Mackall, Anna Jenkins, Emily Peterson, and CJ Tucker.

Read Jeffrey Ellis' preview of Actors Bridge Ensemble's production of The Wolves: /nashville/article/Change-of-Date-and-Venue-for-Actors-Bridge-Ensembles-Production-of-THE-WOLVES-20181107

November 30-December 9 It's a Wonderful Life, presented by The Renaissance Players at the Renaissance Center at Freed-Hardeman University, Dickson. In our American culture It's a Wonderful Life has become almost as familiar as Dickens' A Christmas Carol. The story is a natural for a stage adaptation: the saga of George Bailey, the Everyman from the small town of Bedford Falls, whose dreams of escape and adventure have been quashed by family obligation and civic duty, whose guardian angel has to descent on Christmas Eve to save him from despair and to remind him-by showing him what the world would have been like had he never been born-that his has been, after all, a wonderful life. This faithful adaptation has all your favorite characters: George and Mary Hatch, Clarence, Uncle Billy, Violet, and, of course, the Scrooge-like villain, Mr. Potter. This fine dramatization not only celebrates the faith of the season, it also celebrates the American philosophy of life: hard work, fair play and the love and support of one's family and community will be rewarded. Auditions are October 8 at 6:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at www.renplayers.com, or by calling (615) 593-5520.

November 30-December 16 Miracle on 34th Street, Center for the Arts, Murfreesboro. For more information, go to www.boroarts.org or call (615) 904-2787.

November 30-December 16 Lips Together, Teeth Apart, presented by Rogue Stage Ensemble at The Barbershop Theater, Nashville. A beachside home on Fire Island proves a strange setting for two straight couples - sister and brother Chloe and Sam, and their spouses John and Sally - on the Fourth of July. Upon his recent death from AIDS, Sally's brother David bequeathed her the Fire Island house, surrounded by friendly, partying gay neighbors on either side of the fence. Terrence McNally's play is an indictment of ignorance and stagnancy in the fight against AIDS, as well as a powerful look inside dissolving marriages, lost hopes and dreams and the looming capricious nature of death.

December 6-9 The Seventh Annual Winter Concert, presented by The Theater Bug, 4809 Gallatin Pike, Nashville. Come join 50+ of Nashville's talented young performers for a night of music, dance and fun in the seventh annual Winter Concert - a perfect way to celebrate the Winter Season for all ages, with holiday fun for the whole family! Curtain is at 7 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, with a 6 p.m. curtain on Sunday. Call (615) 838-7358 for details.

December 6-22 It's a Wonderful Life (Radio Play), presented by Artists Community Theatre at 12545 Old Hickory Boulevard, Antioch. Directed by Teri Beck.

December 7-22 A Christmas Carol, presented by Towne Centre Theatre, 136 Frierson Street, Brentwood. For details, go to www.TowneCentreTheatre.com.

December 7-30 Disney's Beauty and the Beast, presented by Studio Tenn at Jamison Theater, The Factory at Franklin. For tickets, go to www.studiotenn.com, or call (615) 541-8200.

December 13-23 Peter Pan and Tinker Bell: A Pirate's Christmas, at TPAC's James K. Polk Theatre. Nashville's own Diana DeGarmo plays Tinker Bell in the production that will introduce an English holiday tradition to Nashville audiences: Christmas Panto. Go to www.TPAC.org for details, or call (615) 782-4040 for tickets.

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