Danny Young grew up in the small Wisconsin town of Viola (population 500), the son of a band director, so it should come as absolutely no surprise that he's now plying his trade as a professional musician-a drummer, to be exact-and he's part of the blue-ribbon orchestra playing a brand-new Marvin Hamlisch score every night during performances of The Nutty Professor, A New Musical now onstage at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center.
Now on its national tour, Memphis docks at the Pantages for two weeks only through August 12, and the production is thrilling from top to bottom with a great book, great score, sensational direction and choreography and a truly fantastic cast of triple threat actors, singers and dancers. Memphis is one those rare shows that gives the audience a realistic picture of radio and the emergence of television as it took possession of the nation in the early 50s.
Fairly exploding onto the stage, The Nutty Professor-the new musical based on the classic 1963 film comedy-opened at Nashville's James K. Polk Theatre last night in a vibrantly told and visually stunning production helmed by Jerry Lewis, the man who co-wrote the movie and, at this moment, is probably booking a ticket to Broadway . The story of nerdy Professor Julius Kelp and his transformation into the suave and sophisticated (if boorish) Buddy Love offers plenty of laughs to be certain, but perhaps surprisingly, there's a whole lot of heart to be found in Rupert Holmes' book, set tunefully to a classic Marvin Hamlisch score.
Tonight's the night: The brain trust behind The Nutty Professor, The New Musical will officially roll out the red carpet for the new musical's opening night at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center's James K. Polk Theatre. Directed by "the king of comedy" himself, Jerry Lewis, upon whose classic 1963 film comedy the brand new musical is based upon, The Nutty Professor company has already delivered a week of preview performances, garnering rave reviews from audience members. Nashville photographer Rick Malkin has captured some of the show's best moments in a collection of photographs we're happy to share with you today, only hours before the opening night curtain.
Tonight's the night: The brain trust behind The Nutty Professor, The New Musical will officially roll out the red carpet for the new musical's opening night at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center's James K. Polk Theatre. Directed by "the king of comedy" himself, Jerry Lewis, upon whose classic 1963 film comedy the brand new musical is based upon, The Nutty Professor company has already delivered a week of preview performances, garnering rave reviews from audience members.
The producers of the 2010 Tony Award-winning Best Musical MEMPHIS announced today that the production will recoup its $12 million investment as of its final performance on Broadway on Sunday, August 5, 2012 after 30 previews and 1,166 regular performances. MEMPHIS opened on October 19, 2009 at Broadway's Shubert Theatre (225 W. 44th Street), having begun previews on September 23rd.
In an ensemble filled with triple threats, Atlanta native Autumn Guzzardi is sure to claim her moment in the spotlight, plus she's a brand-new Nashvillian, moving here recently to make our fair city her homebase. We're thrilled she's here (for now!) and we want you to get to know her so that when she's online, waiting for a table at a local restaurant or trying to figure out where the hell Old Hickory Boulevard really is taking her, you'll know who you're talking to…
Williamstown Theatre Festival Artistic Director Jenny Gersten announced today the full cast and creative team for the World Premiere of WHADDABLOODCLOT!!! by Olivier Award-winning playwright Katori Hall, which will be presented from August 8 through August 19 (opening August 9) on the Nikos Stage. The cast began rehearsals today on the bucolic Williams College campus in preparation for their run as the last production of the 2012 season.
Hear co-creator Daniel Okrent and cast members Todd Susman and Audrey Lynn Weston from the off-Broadway hit OLD JEWS TELLING JOKES as they visit WNYC Radio's Leonard Lopate. Click below to listen!
MEMPHIS the 2010 Tony Award-winner for Best Musical, opens at the San Diego Civic Theatre tonight, July 24 for a limited engagement and will play through July 29th.
In an ensemble filled with impossibly gorgeous and charming triple threats, Kyle Vaughn (who has one deep dimple on the right side of his face) stands out from the crowd-his sunny disposition and leading man good looks are readily apparent, but even when he's standing onstage just waiting for the music to start, you can see that there's a bit of the scamp just itchin' to get out.
Today, our spotlight focuses in on the show's leading lady, the luminously beautiful Marissa McGowan, the actress who plays Stella Purdy, the love interest of the musical's repressed and shy Professor Julius Kelp and his suave and sophisticated doppelganger Buddy Love. During a media look-in at the company's rehearsals, McGowan knocked the socks off of all those cynical folk, delivering a beautiful rendition of a new Hamlisch-penned power ballad that we're likely to hear for years to come.
In fact, in his answer to our very first query, Jason Sparks (who is a swing in the show's ensemble) actually made me laugh out loud as he painted a picture of a childhood fairly brimming over with adventure and happy memories-not to mention an experience that may have destined him to time spent on an analyst's couch. Actually, though, Jason seems enormously well-adjusted and, it should come as no surprise that everyone seems to love him
Last week we launched The Nutty Five as our way of welcoming all these talented people into our midst-even the ones who have Nashville connections, like today's star of the show Danny Young, who is the drummer for The Nutty Professor band (who may be just as jazzed up about his new drum set for the show as he is working with Jerry Lewis).
Take a behind-the-scenes look at the Broadway-bound musical THE NUTTY PROFESSOR, premiering this summer at TPAC in Nashville, courtesy of set designer David Gallo, who posted the following photos on his Facebook page!
Marilyn Sokol, currently featured in the off-Broadway hit OLD JEWS TELLING JOKES will be interviewed on Sirius XM Radio's, 'Seth's Big Fat Broadway,' hosted by Seth Rudetsky, this Sunday July 8 at 5 PM ET, with multiple replays throughout the following week.
It's supposed to be 108 degrees in the Nashville area by week's end, which means stepping outside will likely leave you melted, quite literally and figuratively. But if you do have to venture out of doors, perhaps a trip to the theater is a good idea…it'll be dark and cool (with any luck, the AC will be working-and you know which theaters we're talking about) and you'll be entertained, perhaps even transported to another world. Or not. In the meantime, we present you with installment number four of Music City Confidential-our continuing effort to create a sense of community and build up some enthusiasm and excitement for the live theater industry here in our alarmingly sweaty region. So, press on, gentle readers and catch up on the latest adventures of the theaterati…
The producers of the 2010 Tony Award-winning Best Musical MEMPHIS announced tonight that the production will play its final performance on Broadway on Sunday, August 5, 2012 after 30 previews and 1,166 regular performances. MEMPHIS opened on October 19, 2009 at Broadway's Shubert Theatre (225 W. 44th Street), having begun previews on September 23rd.
