Kathleen O'Brien News

It's the official kick-off to summer, what with the Memorial Day Weekend upon us already - seriously, where did the time go? - and while we're certain your calendar is filled with cookouts, fireworks (we don't save all the sparklers for July 4th do we?) and swimming (if it warms up enough here in frosty Tennessee, where it's in the 50s as I type). But being the theatrical fanatic that we (using either the editorial "we" or the royal "we"…just take your pick) are, we would like to humbly suggest you make your way to the theater in the next few days to get some artistic inspiration.

The Tennessee Performing Arts Center (TPAC) will celebrate its 35th anniversary with a storybook lineup that blends long-awaited returns with six of the hottest Broadway titles in its upcoming 2015-16 HCA/TriStar Health Broadway at TPAC series and Broadway special engagements.

When you're spending all your time on the road, life can be…well, challenging…even if you are Sasha Allen, who stars as The Leading Player in the completely spectacular and altogether magical national touring company of Pippin, the Tony Award-winning Stephen Schwartz musical that's been mesmerizing audiences all over the country just as certainly as the recent Broadway revival became the talk of the Great White Way.

The Tennessee Performing Arts Center announces its offices will be open today and this evening's, Thursday, February 19, performance of the national tour of JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT, will go on as scheduled at 7:30 p.m. with doors opening at 7:00 p.m.

Frigid temperatures that have accompanied this week's ice and snow throughout the South continues to wreak havoc on performance schedules at Middle Tennessee theaters, with some companies already cancelling performances Tuesday and Wednesday nights, and even one Thursday night performance already shuttered.

The Tennessee Performing Arts Center announces the cancellation of this evening's, Wednesday February 18, performance of the national tour of JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT, previously scheduled for 7:30 p.m. in Andrew Jackson Hall. TPAC had previously cancelled the Tuesday evening performance.

Disney Theatrical Productions and the Tennessee Performing Arts Center announce that the Tony Award-winning smash hit musical, NEWSIES, will make its Nashville debut with a limited one-week engagement at TPAC's Andrew Jackson Hall, May 26-31.

The Tennessee Performing Arts Center announced today the cancellation of tomorrow evening's (February 17), performance of the national tour of JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT, previously scheduled for 7:30 p.m. in Andrew Jackson Hall.

As Kinky Boots continues its national tour, which sets down roots in Nashville for a week's worth of performances at TPAC starting Tuesday, February 3, Harvey Fierstein talks about the journey of the musical and his collaboration with Cyndi Lauper and Jerry Mitchell…

One of Broadway's quintessential renaissance men, Jerry Mitchell talked about the genesis of Kinky Boots the Musical and his unique collaboration with Cyndi Lauper and Harvey Fierstein

First-time Broadway composer Cyndi Lauper, who first conquered the music charts back in the 1980s, recently sat down to talk about her Kinky Boots experience and to share the show's impact on her own life - which provided much of her inspiration as she approached the project.

Nashville's non-profit Tennessee Performing Arts Center (TPAC) created a record-breaking economic impact of more than $64 million during its 2013-14 season. The impact, based on the nationally accepted formula from Americans for the Arts, is one of four records broken by the organization during the banner year, according to its annual report released today at a partnership event

In 1964, the beloved stop-motion animated television classic, 'Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,' made its network television debut delighting audiences across the country. Fifty years later, the longest-running and highest-rated television special comes to life, live on stage with RUDOLPH the RED-NOSED REINDEER: THE MUSICAL at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center's James Polk Theater for a limited, one-week engagement, tonight, December 16-21.

Experience the thrilling 2013 Tony Award-winning musical, PIPPIN - described as 'an eye-popping, jaw-dropping, VISUALLY STUNNING extravaganza. THE THRILL OF THE SEASON!' by NY1 - when it makes its Nashville debut at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center's Andrew Jackson Hall for a limited, one-week engagement March 10-15, 2015.

You will not believe it! The last time we gave you a Music City Confidential (number seven), the London Olympics were winding up, LaToya Gardner and Kevin Mead were starring in Circle Players' Aida, Maggie Richardson and Cody Rutledge were headlining Xanadu at the Arts Center of Cannon County, and Music City was caught up in Nutty Professor fever! Today marks the return of Music City Confidential and we hope you'll be feeling particularly thankful for edition number 8.

KINKY BOOTS, the smash-hit musical that brings together four-time Tony Award-winner Harvey Fierstein and Grammy Award-winning rock icon Cyndi Lauper, will play Tennessee Performing Arts Center's Andrew Jackson Hall for a limited, one-week engagement February 3-8, 2015.

The national tour of JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT, directed and choreographed by Tony Award-winner Andy Blankenbuehler, retelling the Biblical story of Joseph, his eleven brothers, and the coat of many colors will play Tennessee Performing Arts Center's Andrew Jackson Hall for a limited, one-week engagement February 17-22, 2015.

A new theatrical touring production of BLUE MAN GROUP returns with new sound, set, and video design to create an entirely new, high-impact visual experience at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center's Andrew Jackson Hall for a limited, one-week engagement from January 6-11.

In 1964, the beloved stop-motion animated television classic, 'Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,' made its network television debut delighting audiences across the country. Fifty years later, the longest-running and highest-rated television special comes to life, live on stage with RUDOLPH the RED-NOSED REINDEER: THE MUSICAL at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center's James Polk Theater for a limited, one-week engagement, December 16-21.

The Tennessee Performing Arts Center announced it will provide the sponsorship of the Nashville performance of ONCE to the Newseum Institute's First Amendment Center in honor of John Seigenthaler, who died in July.