Jeffrey Ellis - Page 13

Certainly, if you're lucky enough to spend a scant two hours in the company of Cumberland County Playhouse's Forever Plaid - comprised of Chris Hallowes, Ross Griffin, Paul Gary and Justin Burr - you'll feel like you've been good, thanks to their heavenly harmonies, delightful performances and all-around good-guy affability.

'Based on a true incident' seems a phrase best reserved for a hardboiled television detective series, circa 1954 - perhaps followed by a title card reading, 'A Quinn Martin Production' (if you're of a certain vintage, you'll get my meaning) - but in the case of Bright Star, the Tony Award-nominated musical by Steve Martin and Edie Brickell now onstage at Cumberland County Playhouse through June 6, it's definitely fitting.

As the magical floating stage descends from the upper recesses of Chaffin's Barn Dinner Theatre, anticipation grows and attention is directed to the half dozen actors seated upon the stage, their chairs as unique as the performers themselves. Gathered together by director Joy Tilley Perryman, the dozen actors who will be seen and heard in the company's performance of Listen to Your Mother, a collection of monologues on the subject of parenthood and the myriad relationships to be found among parents and children, were each cast for his or her particular strengths, whether it's their ability to tell a story or to engage an audience.

Today, in our final installment, our spotlight falls upon three Nashville actors - Mileah Milstead, Vicki White and Shelena Walden - who join their castmates for the show at Chaffin's Barn, located at 8204 Highway 100 in Nashville. For ticket information or reservations, call (615) 646-9977 or go to www.chaffinsbarntheatre.com.

For Analisa Leaming, playing Irene Molloy in the national touring company of Hello, Dolly! - which heads to Nashville next week for an eight-performance run at Tennessee Performing Arts Center's Andrew Jackson Hall - there are more reasons than usual to be exhilarated and excited for an impending opening night in a new city and venue.

Members from the Chaffin's Barn's cast of Listen To Your Mother will tell us about their own moms and their lessons learned. Today our spotlight falls upon two Nashville theater veterans - Kim Nygren and Shawn Whitsell - who join their castmates for the show at Chaffin's Barn, located at 8204 Highway 100 in Nashville. For ticket information or reservations, call (615) 646-9977 or go to www.chaffinsbarntheatre.com.

Bright Star - the five-time Tony Award-nominated musical with "a glorious score and moving story," according to Cumberland County Playhouse's producing director Bryce McDonald - opens in Crossville this Friday night, April 26 and continuing through June 6.

Tennessee Women's Theater Project presents the revival of the most popular show in company history when SISTAS the Musical opens at the Z. Alexander Looby Theatre for a May 3-19 run.

H-I-L-A-R-I-O-U-S and H-E-A-R-T-W-A-R-M-I-N-G are just two of the words audiences will learn how to spell after experiencing the Tony Award-winning musical comedy  hit The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee - onstage April 26-May 5 at Murfreesboro's Center for the Arts.

Members from the Chaffin's Barn's cast of Listen To Your Mother will tell us about their own moms and their lessons learned. Today's interview subjects are Chandra J. Walton (but you can call her CJ) and Scott Stewart, who join their castmates for the show at the theater, located at 8204 Highway 100 in Nashville. For ticket information or reservations, call (615) 646-9977 or go to www.chaffinsbarntheatre.com.

No matter how you describe them - although granted, 'handsome, charming, engaging and amazingly talented' comes readily to mind - nor how many times you've seen them (whether it's your first or twenty-first time), there's one thing you cannot help but think about Under the Streetlamp: These four guys really know how to put on a show!

Based on the true story of Mexican-American author and educator Tomas Rivera, Tomas and the Library Lady - the final offering of Nashville Children's Theatre's 2018-19 season - is told in both Spanish and English, and follows the son of migrant farm workers as he discovers a surprising world of stories inside his local library with support from a special librarian.

Members from the Chaffin's Barn's cast of Listen To Your Mother will tell us about their own moms and their lessons learned. Today's subject is Molly Breen, who with Listen To Your Mother makes her debut at the theater, located at 8204 Highway 100 in Nashville. For ticket information or reservations, call (615) 646-9977 or go to www.chaffinsbarntheatre.com.

On the heels of a year that BroadwayWorld.com called 'their best season ever,' Nashville Repertory Theatre will kick off the celebration of its 35th season with a slate of shows designed to appeal to the most discerning of audiences. Nashville Rep artistic director Rene D. Copeland announced the slate last week during a cocktail party at Cabana restaurant in Hillsboro Village, much to the delight - and applause - of those gathered for the big reveal.

Here in the south, we revere our mamas, y'all, often expressing our loyalty and devotion to the woman who raised us in a myriad of ways. Rarely a day passes that we don't give mama credit for teaching us a lot of things during our lifetime, whether it's the proper technique of frying chicken, how to starch a shirt and then iron it in such a way to rival the best professional launderers in the business or, perhaps most significantly, how to fold a fitted sheet properly.

Under The Streetlamp - the critically acclaimed musical group that's returning to Nashville this weekend for a trio of performances with The Nashville Symphony - was formed when four friends, who had appeared together in the Chicago production of the Tony Award-winning musical Jersey Boys, decided they should continue their collaboration after the show was shuttered.

Nashville audiences will be treated to premieres of Tony Award winners Dear Evan Hansen and Hamilton, along with revivals of Once On This Island and My Fair Lady, during the upcoming 2019-20 Broadway at TPAC series, which was revealed last night by TPAC president and CEO Kathleen O'Brien - her final season reveal following a storied 30-year career at the performing arts center - in Andrew Jackson Hall.

Daring to dream, to allow one's imagination to soar and one's creativity to thrive is at the core of theater and thanks to a clever and engaging retelling of a time-honored fable now onstage at Nashville's Darkhorse Theatre - Jack and the Giant, the latest offering of ACT 1's 2018-19 season - audiences are reminded of the power of live performance to transport them to another world.

Last time we had the opportunity to talk to Katie LaMark she was on tour with the 20th Anniversary production of Rent, which at the time was heading to Music City for a stand at Tennessee Performing Arts Center. The time was October, 2016, and we were immediately taken by her easy manner, her obvious charm and her appreciation for where she found herself in her career. Now she's back on-tour, playing the role of Sherrie in the 10th anniversary national tour of Rock of Ages, heading back to Nashville this weekend for a three-performance run at TPAC this Friday and Saturday, April 12 and 13. And we're happy to report, she's just as great an interview as ever!

Bold, brash and totally bonkers - but only in the very best of ways to be found in a big Broadway musical - The Producers scores another hit for Murfreesboro's Center for the Arts (where its run ends this weekend), thanks to strong direction by Chris McLaurin and Natalie Quinn and to a cast of actors who are in on all the jokes and are game to do it up right for their audiences. The result is a zany, fast-paced, totally uproarious and completely ridiculous night of theater that pokes fun at everyone while telling the tale of two producers yearning to strike it rich with the worst show ever to play the Great White Way.