SAVE THE DATE: Nashville Theater Calendar for October 22, 2018

Looking into the future, 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 October 22, 2018, to help you plot your course through the end of the year...

Through October 26 Sweeney Todd, The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, presented by Cumberland County Playhouse, Crossville. This classic Tony award winning musical (also a popular movie starring Johnny Depp) is a tasty, thrilling, theatrical treat that has simultaneously delighted, shocked, and awed audiences for decades. An infamous tale, Sweeney Todd, an unjustly exiled barber, returns to nineteenth century London, seeking vengeance against the lecherous judge who framed him. The road to revenge leads Todd to Mrs. Lovett, a resourceful proprietress of a failing pie shop, above which, he opens a new barber practice. Mrs. Lovett's luck sharply shifts when Todd's thirst for blood inspires the integration of an ingredient into her meat pies that has the people of London lining up... and the adventure has only just begun! Attend the tale of Sweeney Todd and be blown away by the lavish sets, costumes, and top-notch talent that bring this exhilarating story to life. For more information, go to www.ccplayhouse.com or call (931) 484-5000 for tickets.

Read Jeffrey Ellis' review of Sweeney Todd, The Demon Barber of Fleet Street: /nashville/article/BWW-Review-Director-McDonald-Raises-the-Bar-With-CCPs-Remarkable-SWEENEY-TODD-20181021

Through October 27 The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, presented by The Larry Keeton Theatre, 108 Donelson Pike, Nashville. Directed by Suzanne Spooner Faulk, musical direction by Jane Kelley and choreography by Cary Street. For more information, go to www.thelarrykeetontheatre.org; for reservations, call (615) 883-8375.

Read Jeffrey Ellis' Thursday 5(+1) with Jena Salb and Jason Scott of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee: /nashville/article/Thursday-51-Jena-Salb-Jason-Scott-from-The-Keetons-25TH-ANNUAL-PUTNAM-COUNTY-SPELLING-BEE-20181011

Through October 27 Spirit, presented by the Bell Witch Fall Festival, Adams. Paul Cook directs a cast that includes JJ Rodgers, Danny Proctor, Jeffrey Austin Smith, Howard Snyder, Lane Wright and more in this retelling of the Bell Witch legend in the town where the Bell family continues to live. For tickets and other information, go to www.bellwitchfallfestival.com

Through October 27 The Rocky Horror Show, presented by the Roxy Regional Theatre, 100 Franklin Street, Clarksville. Sean P. Kincaid and Jessica Caracciolo star as Brad Majors and Janet Weiss, two cleancut young people on their way to visit an old college professor. When they run into trouble and seek help at the freaky Frankenstein mansion, little do they know that Dr. Frank N. Furter - played by a stiletto-wearing, fishnet stocking-clad Drew Stairs - is in the midst of one his maniacal experiments! For more information, go to www.roxyregionaltheatre.org or call (931) 645-7699 for tickets.

Through November 3 A Doll's House, Part 2, presented by Nashville Repertory Theatre at TPAC's Andrew Johnson Theatre. Nashville Rep artistic director Rene D. Copeland directs the regional theater premiere of Lucas Hnath's Tony Award-winning play starring Cheryl White as Nora. For more information, go to www.nashvillerep.org.

Read Jeffrey Ellis' review of A Doll's House, Part 2: /nashville/article/BWW-Review-Nashville-Reps-Stunning-and-Provocative-A-DOLLS-HOUSE-PART-2-20181015

Through November 3 Evil Dead: The Musical, presented by Radical Arts at Music Valley Event Center, Nashville. An interactive performance, Evil Dead: The Musical thrusts its audience into the bloody world of Candarian demons with a "Splatter Zone" in the first few rows of seating. VIP ticket purchases include access to the Splatter Zone, possible cast interactions, and a Radical Arts t-shirt to shield from (fake) blood staining. Don't miss this groovy show presented by Middle Tennessee's edgy independent theater. Catch this cult-classic-turned-musical at the Music Valley Event Center every Friday through Sunday, with a special Halloween performance, from October 12 through November 3. As the Candarian demons say, "JOIN US" for this bloody hilarious show. Doors open at 7 pm. Beverages and concessions will be available in the lobby, along with displays of props used in the show. For tickets, go to www.radicalarts.org.

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.

October 23 Pinot & Puppets, presented by Next Chapter Society at The Barbershop Theater, 4003 Indiana Avenue, Nashville. Join us for a spooky evening benefiting the Nashville Public Library Foundation. Wear your costume to win prizes for the best dressed during this festive fall fete. Your ticket includes access to our open bar of local craft beer and wine, and some of Nashville's finest fare. Pinot & Puppets will feature a 30-minute performance of The Ordeal of Dr. Trifulgas, a creepy Jules Verne short story performed by the Nashville Public Library Puppet Truck.

October 24-November 4 The Phantom of the Opera, 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. Go to www.TPAC.org for details, or call (615) 782-4040 for tickets.

Read Jeffrey Ellis' feature about Phantom Phans: /national-tours/article/THE-PHANTOM-OF-THE-OPERA-Why-Are-Its-PHANS-So-Obsessed-With-Andrew-Lloyd-Webbers-Musical-20181016

Read Jeffrey Ellis' interview with The Man Behind the Mask: Quentin Oliver Lee of The Phantom of the Opera: /national-tours/article/The-Man-Behind-the-Mask-Quentin-Oliver-Lee-of-THE-PHANTOM-OF-THE-OPERA-20181019

October 25 Fronteras Americanas (American Borders), presented by Nashville Story Garden and OZ Arts Nashville at The Cordelle, 45 Lindsey Avenue, Nashville. Aaron Muñoz directs René Millán in this play about about immigration, geography, identity formation, and the significance of home. Cocktails by J.Jackson & The Picnic Tap, Empanadas by Que Delicias Catering. 6:30 p.m. Cocktail Hour, 7:30 p.m. Performance. $10 Tickets and more information at www.nashvillestorygarden.org/artistslounge

October 26-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.

October 28 and 29: AUDITIONS for Singin' in the Rain at Arts Center of Cannon County, Woodbury. Jeffrey Ellis directs, with musical direction by Allison Hall and choreography by Maggie Richardson. Roles available for men and women 14 years old and up. The role of Kathy Selden has been cast. All other roles available. Please prepare 32 bars of a musical theatre style song with sheet music that is clearly marked and in the correct key. An accompanist will be provided. Come prepared for a dance audition with a tap combination. There will be cold readings from the script. Rehearsals begin in December with a read-through happening in late November. Performance Dates: February 9-23, 2019. For questions about auditions for Singin' in the Rain, please contact producer Lindsey Duggin at (615) 563-2787 or by email at Lindsey@artscenterofcc.com.

October 28 and 29: AUDITIONS for Avenue Q at Circle Players, Nashville. Brian Jones directs, with musical direction by Wesley King. Please bring a headshot and resume and prepare 32 bars of a Broadway song in the style of the show along with sheet music for accompanist or CD. You may be asked to perform a cold reading from the script or to sing a song from the show. Please bring a list of all conflicts between now and January 20. No performance conflicts will be accepted. The production team will do its best to work around rehearsal conflicts. General age ranges: 18 to 35. Performance dates: January 10-20, 2019. For more information, go to www.CirclePlayers.net.

November 1-3 It Can't Happen Here (Part 1), presented by The Humanity Theatre Project at Darkhorse Theater, 4610 Charlotte Pike, Nashville. Based on Sinclair Lewis' dystopian novel of the same name, It Can't Happen Here presents a cautionary, semi-satirical look at the fragility of democracy. Suggested donations of $10 will be accepted at the door. Reservations and additional information is available at www.humanitytheatreproject.com.

November 2-10 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.

November 2-11 A Midsummer Night's Dream, presented Center for the Arts, Murfreesboro. For more information, go to www.boroarts.org or call (615) 904-2787.

November 2-11 Godspell, presented by Lipscomb University Theatre at Collins Auditorium, Lipscomb University campus, Nashville.

November 2-17 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 is a socialite-turned-matchmaker. Her latest clients seeking assistance are the cantankerous "half-a-millionaire" Horace Vandergelder 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.

November 2-18 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.

November 2-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.

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 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 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.

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.

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 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 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 6-22 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.