Jeffrey Ellis - Page 107

A Lincoln impersonator looking for a really good time, a Middle Eastern immigrant looking to rent a room, World of Warcraft devotees giving their friend an ultimatum, and a sexy co-worker looking for a promotion - those are just a few of the diverse characters to be found among the 12 exciting new plays at The Ten Minute Playhouse. Set for November 6 and 7 at the Darkhorse Theater, The Ten Minute Playhouse presented by New Works Nashville features a collection of new plays by Middle Tennessee playwrights performed in staged readings by local talent.

Myth, an original musical by Blackbird Theater co-founders Wes Driver and Greg Greene and composer Michael Slayton, will be presented in front of an audience for the first time on Saturday, November 12, at Lipscomb University's Shamblin Theater.

Nashville audiences will be treated to a stage adaptation of one of the internet's biggest pop-culture phenomenon as ACT 1 presents a Fann-made, Permission Granted, Unofficial production of Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, running November 18-December 3 at The Darkhorse Theatre.

Now onstage at Dickson's Renaissance Center, in a sparkling production from The Center's Mind Enriching Theatre sure to delight, A Year With Frog and Toad is a delightful romp of a tale that explores the importance of friendship between two very similar, yet very different, people. 'People?' you ask. Yes, people; anthropomorphic though they may be, Frog and Toad are as multi-dimensional as any person could possibly be. Richly drawn, artfully crafted and winningly enacted by the five-person cast, A Year With Frog and Toad is sweetly charming, featuring a musical score that's sure to set your feet a-tapping.

Even before they hit the stage for Lipscomb University Theatre's production of Hairspray, it's pretty clear that cast members Renna Taylor, Nicolette Carney, Justin Boyd, Darius Cal and Carolanne Deaton truly are 'the nicest kids in town.' Bringing the hit musical to life for Nashville audiences, which will include a large contingent of alumni in town for homecoming (Hairspray runs November 3-6 in Collins Auditorium on the David Lipscomb University campus), the large ensemble of more than 40 actors are hard at work, sharpening their skills, running lines, rehearsing like it's nobody's business and immersing themselves in plenty of 1960s pop culture and nostalgia.

Bringing the hit musical to life for Nashville audiences, which will include a large contingent of alumni in town for homecoming (Hairspray runs November 3-6 in Collins Auditorium on the David Lipscomb University campus), the large ensemble of more than 40 actors are hard at work, sharpening their skills, running lines, rehearsing like it's nobody's business and immersing themselves in plenty of 1960s pop culture and nostalgia.

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.

Even before they hit the stage for Lipscomb University Theatre's production of Hairspray, it's pretty clear that cast members Jamin Craig, Leslie Marberry, Ashley Cobb, Graf Thurman and Mike Knox truly are 'the nicest kids in town.' Bringing the hit musical to life for Nashville audiences, which will include a large contingent of alumni in town for homecoming (Hairspray runs November 3-6 in Collins Auditorium on the David Lipscomb University campus), the large ensemble of more than 40 actors are hard at work, sharpening their skills, running lines, rehearsing like it's nobody's business and immersing themselves in plenty of 1960s pop culture and nostalgia.

Billed as 'a special event like no other that the region has hosted or produced,' the professional actors of Barter Theatre will be backed by a full symphony orchestra when the theatre joins forces with Symphony of the Mountains for two unprecedented performances of Cabaret.

Even before they hit the stage for Lipscomb University Theatre's production of Hairspray, it's pretty clear that cast members Nick Hogan, Tyler Ashley, Shelby Smith, Virginia Lodholtz and Day Day Wells truly are 'the nicest kids in town.' Bringing the hit musical to life for Nashville audiences, which will include a large contingent of alumni in town for homecoming (Hairspray runs November 3-6 in Collins Auditorium on the David Lipscomb University campus), the large ensemble of more than 40 actors are hard at work, sharpening their skills, running lines, rehearsing like it's nobody's business and immersing themselves in plenty of 1960s pop culture and nostalgia.

Harriet Harms and Karla Cooper Kelso, longtime performing arts sign language intepreters at Nashville Children's Theatre (NCT), will be honored as the theater holds its 13th Annual Grand Day on Saturday, November 12. On this unique day, guests can enjoy a performance of Junie B. in Jingle Bells, Batman Smells! and a grand carnival.

Lindy Pendzick and husband Greg Pendzick take on the roles of Grace and her wisecracking spouse, with leading kids' roles played by Crossville's Mary Kemp, Ellie Burnett, Cory Clark, Phillip Hall, and Molly McKinney of Pikeville, plus Crossville's Katey Dailey, Chelsea Boelter, Aiden Morrison, Alli Crain, Perrianna Evans and Emery Smith, along with Andy Swafford of Bledsoe County, and Jacob Copeland of Jamestown.

First presented in 2010 by the Bethlehem Players (of Franklin's Bethlehem United Methodist Church), Southern Fried Funeral, now onstage through November 26 at Chaffin's Barn Dinner Theatre (where Osborne and Eppler staged their First Night Award-winning Rear Widow last year), is aging gracefully, taking on the patina normally reserved for the sterling silver serving pieces in that breakfront in the dining room. Lustrous and heartfelt - yet uproariously funny in a way that only Southerners can be - the story told in Southern Fried Funeral is authentic and genuine, farfetched and unbelievable.

Nashville's Nutcracker - one of the city's newest, yet most respected, holiday traditions - returns to Andrew Jackson Hall in the Tennessee Performing Arts Center, running December 9-18, with additional performances and new surprises to accompany its beloved characters and story.

Even before they hit the stage for Lipscomb University Theatre's production of Hairspray, it's pretty clear that cast members Justin Tays, Luciano Vignola, Jared Martin and Sydni Hayes truly are 'the nicest kids in town.'

With vampires such a hot topic (seriously, could the timing be any more perfect than now for the tale of a legendary bloodsucker like the Transylvanian Count?) in American popular culture, you'd think it would be a slam dunk for a theater company to stage a show like Dracula - and it would be if you had a better script to work with, the sharper focus of the creative team and more assertive direction. No matter how much fake blood you throw on the actors or makeup trickery you employ, if the actors are not all on the same page, your Dracula is more likely to drive a stake through the heart of the audience, rather than to delight them with stage magic that transports them to the play's other-worldly setting.

Without a doubt - and even before they take to the stage in Lipscomb University Theatre's production of Hairspray - it's pretty clear that the production's cast members are truly 'the nicest kids in town.' Bringing the hit musical to life for local audiences, which will include a large contingent of alumni in town for homecoming at the Nashville university (Hairspray runs November 3-6 in Collins Auditorium on the Lipscomb campus), the large ensemble of more than 40 actors are hard at work, sharpening their skills, running lines and rehearsing like it's nobody's business. And their spirit and energy is palpable!

Telling a universal tale of friendship and the power of love to overcome hardship, prejudice and the callous disregard of an ill-informed public, Wicked represents musical theater at its very best: The story intrigues you, the characters engage you, the music touches your heart in ways that might surprise you and the production's stunning design aesthetic provides you with an unparalleled visual feast. No wonder the national touring company has found its way back to Nashville a mere two years after it set records at TPAC, pumping millions of dollars into the Music City economy, only to do so once again, no doubt setting new records while entertaining an appreciative audience.

Celebrating the 40th anniversary of Stephen Schwartz's groundbreaking musical, Nashville's Trevecca Nazarene University's theatre department will present seven performances of Godspell October 27-November 5 at the Boone Convocation Center on the TNU campus at 333 Murfreesboro Road.

The Tennessee Arts Commission has issued a call for applications for its Individual Artist Fellowships for Fiscal Year 2013 (July 1, 2012 through June 30, 2013). Applications must be submitted electronically (online) and postmark or hand deliver printed copies with supporting documents to the Tennessee Arts Commission office by Monday, January 23, 2012 by 4:30 p.m. (CST).