Sarah Marie Jenkins News

Maine State Music Theatre (MSMT)'s 2014 season is 'still rockin' with their remarkable season closing production of the high-energy dance musical, FOOTLOOSE, running August 6 - 23.

For its third production of the season, Maine State Music Theatre has staged a dazzling revival of the beloved 1954 classic, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. The company, under the direction of Patti Colombo, delivers a joyous, heartwarming, foot stomping, breathtaking extravaganza of brilliant dancing, convincing characterization, and first-rate production values.

Choreographer and performer Grady McLeod Bowman (Broadway's Billy Elliot, South Pacific, Wonderland, The Pirate Queen) puts his own spin on the 'CUPS (When I'm Gone)' song, popularized by Anna Kendrick in Pitch Perfect, in the video below. Click to check it out!

Honeymoon in Vegas will star television, screen and stage icon Tony Danza (Who's the Boss?, Taxi, The Producers, A View From The Bridge, The Iceman Cometh) as Tommy Korman, a widowed and unscrupulous gambler looking for another shot at love. Leading the company are Tony nominee Rob McClure (Chaplin) as Jack Singer, Brynn O'Malley (Annie) as Betsy Nolan, Tony nomineeNancy Opel (Memphis, Urinetown) as Bea Singer, Matthew Saldivar (Peter and the Starcatcher) as Johnny Sandwich and David Josefsberg(Wedding Singer) as Tony Rocky/Roy Bacon

Apparently, it is Elvis Week in Nashville (at least according to the fine folks at Loveless Cafe), so before we head out to the theater for a full weekend of show openings and the like, a trip to West Nashville for a slice of the Loveless' Elvis pie is in order (for the uninitiated, that's peanut butter, banana, bacon and homemade whipped cream-the four basic food groups, according to The King.), so before we slip into a diabetic coma, here's installment #7 of Music City Confidential, all the news that's fit to print from onstage, offstage, backstage and beyond…

Nashville and the Tennessee Performing Arts Center (TPAC) host the Broadway-bound world premiere of "The Nutty Professor" Musical. Directed by Jerry Lewis, the show is a new musical comedy based on the 1963 film of the same name. The Broadway at TPAC Special Event began previews on July 24, and officially opened on July 31- running through August 19 in TPAC's James K. Polk Theater. Featuring music by Oscar, Emmy, th erecently deceased Tony and Pulitzer Prize winner Marvin Hamlisch (A Chorus Line) and a book and lyrics by three-time Tony Award winner Rupert Holmes (The Mystery of Edwin Drood), "The Nutty Professor" is a musical treat for the whole family, based on the classic 1963 film in which Lewis starred and co-wrote. BroadwayWorld brings you highlights from the Broadway-bound production below!

Throughout the day, company members had taken to social media to express their shock and grief at the news of Hamlisch's death. Hamlisch, one of the most honored music composers in history, had been scheduled to fly to Nashville this week to see the show for the first time. He was last in Nashville at the start of the company's rehearsals in Music City.

Tonight, in TPAC's James K. Polk Theatre, Michael Andrew, Marissa McGowan, Mark Jacoby, Klea Blackhurst, Jamie Ross and the rest of the ensemble will take to the stage to bring The Nutty Professor to life once more for a Nashville audience. Today, however, the company has been quietly reflective, taking to social media to express their shock and grief at the loss of their show's composer…

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.

Nashville and the Tennessee Performing Arts Center (TPAC) host the world premiere of "The Nutty Professor" Musical this month. Directed by Jerry Lewis, the show is a new musical comedy based on the 1963 film of the same name. The Broadway at TPAC Special Event began previews on July 24, and officially opens tonight, July 31- running through August 19 in TPAC's James K. Polk Theater. Featuring music by Oscar, Emmy, Tony and Pulitzer Prize winner Marvin Hamlisch (A Chorus Line) and a book and lyrics by three-time Tony Award winner Rupert Holmes (The Mystery of Edwin Drood), "The Nutty Professor" is a musical treat for the whole family, based on the classic 1963 film in which Lewis starred and co-wrote.

We've been doing our part to prepare ye the way, watching the action onstage, taking some furtive peeks backstage, listening to all the offstage gossip and venturing beyond the confines of the theater to gain the informed knowledge to see more shows in the Volunteer State than you ever thought possible. So, good people of the theaterati, read on and get all the information you need to know in this, our latest installment of Music City Confidential. This is #6…

Nashville and the Tennessee Performing Arts Center (TPAC) host the world premiere of "The Nutty Professor" Musical, opening tonight, July 24 and running through August 19. Directed by Jerry Lewis, the show is a new musical comedy based on the 1963 film of the same name. BroadwayWorld has a sneak peek at the rehearsals below.

Nashville and the Tennessee Performing Arts Center (TPAC) will host the world premiere of "The Nutty Professor" Musical this Summer. Directed by Jerry Lewis, the show is a new musical comedy based on the 1963 film of the same name.

Today the spotlight falls on Sarah Marie Jenkins. And I've gotta tell you, there's just something about Sarah-she's charming and funny and disarmingly appealing, she's pretty and talented and, well, you're just gonna love her. Hell, I've only shared emails and Facebook messages and posts with her and I'm already crazy about her (but in a talented girl-crush sort of way, not like some creepy stalker kind of way)! Seriously, if you're not just absolutely taken with her after reading this interview, then read it again.

The Broadway-bound THE NUTTY PROFESSOR musical, premiering this summer at TPAC in Nashville, will feature the talents of Broadway favorites Mark Jacoby, Marissa McGowan, and previously announced Michael Andrew. They will star as Dean Warfield, Stella, and Julius Kelp respectively. In the video below, Andrew chats about playing the iconic character!

BroadwayWorld has confirmed that the Broadway-bound THE NUTTY PROFESSOR musical, premiering this summer at TPAC in Nashville, will feature the talents of Broadwayfavorites Mark Jacoby, Marissa McGowan, and previously announced Michael Andrew. They will star as Dean Warfield, Stella, and Julius Kelp respectively.

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 Paper Mill Playhouse's production of Peter Pan, directed by Mark S. Hoebee with choreography by Patti Colombo, will close at the Millburn Theater on June 27, 2010. Peter Pan is generously supported by a gift from Allen and Joan Bildner and supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Directed by Mark S. Hoebee with choreography by Patti Colombo, Peter Pan opened last night, June 6, at the Millburn Theater at Paper Mill Playhouse in New Jersey. The production will run through June 27, 2010. BroadwayWorld was on hand to capture opening night!