Joe DiPietro News

Elvis Presley – aka “The King,” Tupelo's most famous favorite son and Memphis' most revered musical icon – sure had a lot of music in his catalogue of hits, and it seems that almost  all of it is included in the score of All Shook Up, the jukebox musical now onstage at Chaffin's Barn Dinner Theatre through August 30. There are so many songs, in fact, that opening night may have run longer than anticipated, yet those songs are so entertainingly performed and the show is so full of heart that you can't help but stick around until the end.

Theater in Tennessee has never been busier nor has it been more diverse than what you'll find onstage this weekend throughout the Volunteer State. From frothy and fun summer musicals that are sure to make you think - like All Shook Up at Chaffin's Barn and A Chorus Line at Cumberland County Playhouse - to new plays from Shawn Whitsell (his latest, Songs For Our Sons, premieres at Darkhorse Theatre on Friday night) and emerging playwright Che Pieper (his new script based on the book The Man With the Light in His Window debuts at The Theater Bug this weekend)…the magic of live theater is all around you…even in this heat and humidity! So pull your seersucker suits and sundresses out of the closet, get all gussied up and make your way to the relative cool of a darkened theater for some midsummer magic!

Jive along to the brassy beats of Beale Street in 1950s Memphis, where the birthplace of rock 'n' roll reels in an aspiring R&B DJ, who just happens to be white, to spark change in the deep South. Bringing powerhouse numbers to the suburban Atlanta stage, Aurora Theatre debuts its 20th Anniversary Peach State Federal Credit Union Signature Series with the regional premiere of the hit-musical sensation Memphis, playing tonight, July 23- August 30, 2015! A co-production with Theatrical Outfit, this tuneful tale is sure to strike a chord with music lovers of all ages!

Overflowing with Rock n' Roll, romance, and mistaken identities, the Elvis fueled Broadway Musical, ALL SHOOK UP, rides into Theatre at the Center, now through August 16th at 1040 Ridge Road in Munster, IN. Jeff Award-winning Artistic Director Bill Pullinsi joins forces with Jeff Award-winning Choreographer Danny Herman to co-direct the well-tuned, hot-rod musical, which continues Theatre at the Center's spectacular 25th Anniversary 2015 season. With a book by Tony Award-winning Joe DiPietro, nostalgic songs and sensational dance numbers, the hilarious musical will have audiences of all ages jumpin' out of their blue suede shoes. BroadwayWorld has highlights from the show below!

Overflowing with Rock n' Roll, romance, and mistaken identities, the Elvis fueled Broadway Musical, ALL SHOOK UP, rides into Theatre at the Center, July 16th through August 16th with a press opening on Sunday July 19th at 7 p.m. at 1040 Ridge Road in Munster, IN. Jeff Award-winning Artistic Director Bill Pullinsi joins forces with Jeff Award-winning Choreographer Danny Herman to co-direct the well-tuned, hot-rod musical, which continues Theatre at the Center's spectacular 25th Anniversary 2015 season. With a book by Tony Award-winning Joe DiPietro, nostalgic songs and sensational dance numbers, the hilarious musical will have audiences of all ages jumpin' out of their blue suede shoes!

In the age of Skype and FaceTime, families are closer than ever, or are they? Find out this summer, with Florida Studio Theatre's third Mainstage show, Over the River and Through the Woods by Joe DiPietro. Beginning tonight, July 22 in Gompertz Theatre, this funny family drama offers audiences a glimpse back to the days when Sunday family dinners were a regular tradition.

The Ogunquit Playhouse recently announced that star of stage, screen and television Valerie Harper would star in the role of the wealthy and stylish 'Millicent Winter' in the delightful Nice Work If You Can Get It, on stage tonight, July 22, to August 15.

Rehearsals  are drawing to a close as the bright lights of opening night begin to heat up at Nashville's Chaffin's Barn Dinner Theatre, where the cast and crew of the company's big summer musical, All Shook Up, get ready for their big debut on Thursday. With a cast of Nashville theater veterans – joined by some of the region's brightest up-and-comers – it promises to be a grand theatrical affair. We've been sharing some of the backstage gossip for the past couple of weeks and as our preview coverage concludes, we share a special “by the numbers” look at the show, courtesy of Christen Heilman Runyon…

The King's Head are very proud to announce that F*cking Men, Joe DiPietro's serio-comic contemporary adaptation of Arthur Schnitzler's La Ronde set within the gay subculture of a big city, has now been cast. The production will be playing at the King's Head in August.

?The Ivoryton Playhouse leaves the sunny tropical shores of the South Pacific in August and travels to the sizzling backstreets of '50s MEMPHIS.

Cockpit in Court continues its 2015 season with a special treat for murder mystery fans. An Evening of Murder consists of two murder mysteries for the price of one. The Book of Murder and Art of Murder will be presented each night of its run. The show runs from tonight, July 18th to August 2nd.

Overflowing with Rock n' Roll, romance, and mistaken identities, the Elvis fueled Broadway Musical, ALL SHOOK UP, rides into Theatre at the Center, now through August 16th with a press opening this Sunday, July 19th at 7 p.m. at 1040 Ridge Road in Munster, IN. Jeff Award-winning Artistic Director Bill Pullinsi joins forces with Jeff Award-winning Choreographer Danny Herman to co-direct the well-tuned, hot-rod musical, which continues Theatre at the Center's spectacular 25th Anniversary 2015 season. With a book by Tony Award-winning Joe DiPietro, nostalgic songs and sensational dance numbers, the hilarious musical will have audiences of all ages jumpin' out of their blue suede shoes. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!

New production images for MEMPHIS THE MUSICAL have been released, now featuring multi-platinum selling recording artist and songwriter Matt Cardle as radio DJ 'Huey Calhoun' and Queen of British Soul Beverley Knight as 'Felicia Farrell', the role she originated in the West End.  Check them out below!

Overflowing with Rock n' Roll, romance, and mistaken identities, the Elvis fueled Broadway Musical, ALL SHOOK UP, rides into Theatre at the Center, tonight, July 16th through August 16th with a press opening on Sunday July 19th at 7 p.m. at 1040 Ridge Road in Munster, IN.

Mid-Michigan's award winning professional theatre company, Williamston Theatre, located at 122 S. Putnam Street in downtown Williamston, ends their 2014-2015 Season with The Art of Murder by Joe DiPietro. Performances begin tonight, July 16 and run through Sunday, August 23.

Joan Raffe, Jhett Tolentino, and Douglas Denoff announced today that two time Tony Award-winner Joe DiPietro's 'delightfully deceitful' comedy, Clever Little Lies, will play off-Broadway's Westside Theatre Upstairs (407 West 43rd Street, between 9th and 10th Avenues), following critically acclaimed, sold-out runs at George Street Playhouse in 2013 and Guild Hall last summer. Starring Emmy, Grammy, and Golden Globe Award-winner Marlo Thomas and direction by David Saint, Clever Little Lies will begin previews on Friday, September 18th for an exclusive limited engagement through January 3rd, 2016. The official opening night is set for Wednesday, October 14th.

Cockpit in Court continues its 2015 season with a special treat for murder mystery fans. An Evening of Murder consists of two murder mysteries for the price of one. The Book of Murder and Art of Murder will be presented each night of its run.

Rehearsals got under way last week for Chaffin's Barn Dinner Theatre's big musical for the summer of 2015: All Shook Up. With a cast of Nashville theater veterans - joined by some of the region's brightest up-and-comers - you can rest assured that the rehearsal process will be just as much fun as the show itself. Throughout the next couple of weeks we'll be sharing 'diaries' from members of the cast and crew in anticipation of opening night on July 23.

I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change is a musical comedy with a history over two decades. Since premiering Off-Broadway in 1996, it has been seen internationally and is currently playing Above The Arts in London, starring Julie Atherton, Gina Beck, Samuel Holmes and Simon Lipkin.