Christopher Butler

GOOD MORNING, THEATERATI! It's Thursday, June 1, 2017 - or, as we like to call it #TheaterThursday, 'June is busting out all over…' as a song from Carousel reminds us, and there's no better way to kick off a new month than by planning our theater outings for the weekend! Tomorrow night at Cumberland County Playhouse, the company, cast and crew unveil the 2017 model of Smoke on the Mountain, which marks the 24th year of the musical playing in Crossville. Weslie Webster directs and her cast includes Daniel W. Black and Lauren Marshall as Sanders family father and mother Burl and Vera.

His day isn't complete unless he's checked a cow for pregnancy or helped a goat with pneumonia. Yeah, not your normal workday, but it's all in a day's work for seasoned veterinarian, Dr. Pol. Nat Geo WILD's No. 1 series The Incredible Dr. Pol returns for its fourth season, on Saturday, August 17, at 9 PM ET/PT to treat rural Michigan's finest furry friends, including horses, pigs, cows, sheep, alpacas, cats and dogs. With his get down and dirty approach to veterinary medicine, it is clear that illness isn't resting-and neither is Dr. Pol (For more information, visit www.natgeowild.com/drpol and follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/NGC_PR).

Let's face it: You have to give Paul Vasterling, the grand poobah (as both artistic director and CEO of Nashville Ballet, what other title suits him best?) of all things musical/dancical/theatrical in Music City, a whole bunch of credit for the imaginative-heretofore unexperienced-heights he has helped his company achieve and his city to claim as its own. The man has redefined the idea of collaboration while giving human form to the term "synergy" with his continuing efforts to push the creative envelope in a city filled with artistic types and their sometimes conflicting sensibilities.

Inspired by the original work choreographed by Vaslav Nijinsky and performed to the glorious music composed by Igor Stravinsky for the original Ballets Russes production, Nashville Ballet's rendition of Rite of Spring further underscores the company's artistic range and the depth of artistic director Paul Vasterling's bench, which is exemplified by Kayla Rowser and Jon Upleger in his thrilling, stirring Firebird that opens the evening's twin-bill of ballets.

If there is an onstage moment more breathtaking, more purely theatrical, than the one during Nashville's Nutcracker when the green upstage curtain falls at the end of the exquisitely danced "Waltz of the Flowers," I simply cannot recall it nor would I want to-for it is during that brief respite from an evening filled with stunning artistry and the revelatory staging of this time-honored holiday classic that you find yourself thoroughly done in, overwhelmed by the riches of the production that once again proves Nashville Ballet the city's leading arts entity.

With new and expressive choreography by Paul Vasterling - set to Prokofiev's timelessly beautiful 1944 score - Nashville Ballet opens its 26th season with a sumptuous remounting of Cinderella which captures, once more, the sheer artistry of the company's dancers while giving audiences exactly what they want when they go to the ballet: flights of fancy wrapped up in a gorgeously adorned, artistically crafted package.

To celebrate dance as an art form and fitness activity, Nashville Ballet will participate in National Dance Day on Saturday, July 30, by offering free sample classes and choreography provided by the hit realty show So You Think You Can Dance (SYTYCD).

To celebrate dance as an art form and fitness activity, Nashville Ballet will participate in National Dance Day on Saturday, July 30, by offering free sample classes and choreography provided by the hit realty show So You Think You Can Dance (SYTYCD).

Christopher Butler is one of the stars of Nashville Ballet, taking on some of the most challenging roles to be found for men in the canon of classical ballet and contemporary dance. He's also a critical and audience favorite, veritably dancing his way into the hearts of dance devotees during his career in Nashville.

With the North American premiere of Twyla Tharp's The Story Teller generating most of the buzz prior to opening night, Nashville Ballet's Director's Choice winter series provided a much-needed jolt of electricity to the city's midwinter arts calendar. But it was the exquisite pairing of Molly Sansone and Jon Upleger in Salvatore Aiello's completely sensual and mildly erotic Satto that truly turned up the heat in the company's annual salute to contemporary dance.

The resulting production that comes from Vasterling's unerringly skillful choreography and his clearly developed vision for the piece - exquisitely expressed through Baird's costume and scenic design, Scott Leathers' stunningly evocative lighting design and the beautiful music of Felix Mendelssohn performed by members of the Nashville Symphony under the baton of Nashville Ballet music director Paul Gambill - is a rousing and fitting conclusion to the company's 24th season, clearly paving the way to a stellar silver anniversary season that will open next fall with a full production of Swan Lake.

With each passing year and with each new offering, Vasterling and the other powers-that-be at Nashville Ballet gain new admirers for their troupe, whose skills are confidently and expertly highlighted by the choices made in regard to the company's repertoire. Clearly, Nashville Ballet has gained stature with its beautiful and much-lauded treatment of the classics, but it may well be contemporary offerings, such as those included in American Originals, that more assuredly showcase the company's extraordinary depth. Quite honestly, the panache with which each performance is delivered is awe-inspiring - and certain to lift the collective spirit and ward off even the most frigid temperatures.

Since its preeminence among the city's artistic entities became de facto, Nashville Ballet has consistently launched the real artistic season in Music City each year -- and with the return of Giselle to the company's program after a seven-year hiatus, the 2009-2010 season is off to a rousing start. One of the most beloved works from the classical repertoire, Giselle is a challenging undertaking for any company, but thanks to the vision of artistic director Paul Vasterling, Nashville Ballet's production is a visual feast, featuring stunning costumes, evocative lighting and gorgeous scenery.