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Jeffrey Ellis - Page 41

Jeffrey Ellis

Jeffrey Ellis is a Nashville-based writer, editor and critic, who's been covering the performing arts in Tennessee for more than 35 years. In 1989, Ellis and his partner launched Dare, Tennessee's Lesbian and Gay Newsweekly which later became known as Query. Ellis is the recipient of the Tennessee Theatre Association's Distinguished Service Award for his coverage of theater in the Volunteer State and was the founding editor/publisher of Stages, the Tennessee Onstage Monthly.  He is a past fellow of the National Critics Institute at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre Center and is the founder/executive producer of The First Night Honors - the history of which can be traced to 1989 and the first presentation of The First Night Awards - which honor outstanding theater artisans from Tennessee in recognition of their lifetime achievements and also includes The First Night Star Awards and the Most Promising Actors recognition. Midwinter's First Night honors outstanding productions and performances throughout the state. An accomplished director, Ellis helmed productions of La Cage Aux Folles, The Last Night of Ballyhoo and An American Daughter, all in their Nashville premieres, as well as award-winning productions of Damn Yankees, Company, Gypsy and The Rocky Horror Show. Ellis was recognized by The Tennessean as best director of a musical for both Company and Rocky Horror. Since 2015, Ellis has been increasingly in demand as a director by a variety of Tennessee theater companies and he has helmed productions of Picnic (Circle Players), The Last Five Years (VWA Theatricals), The Miss Firecracker Contest, Cabaret, My Fair Lady, Daddy's Dyin'...Who's Got the Will?, South Pacific, Winter Wonderettes and The Wizard of Oz (The Larry Keeton Theatre), The Little Foxes (ACT 1), The Boys in the Band (Jeffey Ellis Presents), Singin' in the Rain (Arts Center of Cannon County) and The Secret Garden (Center for the Arts, Murfreesboro) and, in 2020, the 70th anniversary season production of La Cage Aux Folles for Circle Players. Later this year, he will be directing Beautiful: The Carole King Musical for Center for the Arts.




LEARN MORE ABOUT Jeffrey Ellis

First Show:

EVITA, starring Patti LuPone

Favorite Stories:



MY FAIR LADY, Starring Patterson, Lane, Cavin and Robinson Opens 2/16
MY FAIR LADY, Starring Patterson, Lane, Cavin and Robinson Opens 2/16
February 3, 2017

Erica Patterson takes on the iconic role of Eliza Doolittle in the upcoming production of Lerner and Loewe's My Fair Lady, running February 16-March 4 at The Larry Keeton Theatre in Donelson. Cavender Lane will play the supercilious Henry Higgins, with Chris Cavin as Colonel Pickering and Elliott Winston Robinson as Alfred P. Doolittle in the revival, directed by veteran Nashville director (and current senior contributing editor to BroadwayWorld.com/Nashville) Jeffrey Ellis.

'9 to 5 Change It!' Awards Presented During Run of CFTA Musical
'9 to 5 Change It!' Awards Presented During Run of CFTA Musical
February 1, 2017

Murfreesboro's Center for the Arts presents Dolly Parton's hit Broadway musical - 9 to 5, The Musical - running February 10-26, during which they will recognize local women who have made a difference in the workforce with the presentation of "9 to 5 Change It!" Awards.

STAGE TUBE: 'I'm In Love With a Monster'
STAGE TUBE: 'I'm In Love With a Monster'
January 31, 2017

Despite W.C. Fields' warning about working with children and animals, you can now add another role to David Perlman's already impressive resume: adoring dad to a lovable pooch named Winnie Travid, the equally adorable, winsome and mischievous Chihuahua/terrier mix with whom he co-starred in A Dog Story off-Broadway, and who now is the star of his latest music video tribute, set to Fifth Harmony's 'I'm In Love With a Monster.'

KST Studio Offers Winter Showcase of Voice Students 2/4
KST Studio Offers Winter Showcase of Voice Students 2/4
January 31, 2017

Singer and vocal coach Katherine Sandoval Taylor of Murfreesboro presents her voice students in the KST Studio of Voice Winter Showcase this coming Saturday, February 4, at 7 p.m. at Washington Theatre at Patterson Park.

Lindsey Mapes Named Education Director at Arts Center of Cannon County
Lindsey Mapes Named Education Director at Arts Center of Cannon County
January 31, 2017

Lindsey Mapes has been named education director at Woodbury's Arts Center of Cannon County, assuming the position previously held by Scarlett Turney, who recently retired from the position after some 34 years of involvement at ACCC.

Nashville Mayor Megan Barry To Speak At ONE NIGHT OF EMPATHY
Nashville Mayor Megan Barry To Speak At ONE NIGHT OF EMPATHY
January 31, 2017

Nashville mayor Megan Barry and Metro Nashville Arts Commission executive director Jen Cole will be among the featured speakers at "One Night of Empathy," an event using theater as a catalyst for discussions about empathy, presented by The Humanity Project on Tuesday, February 28 at 7 p.m. at the Z. Alexander Looby Theater in Nashville.

Alicia Haymer Directs DETROIT '67 For Actors Bridge
Alicia Haymer Directs DETROIT '67 For Actors Bridge
January 31, 2017

Alicia Haymer directs the Nashville premiere of Detroit '67 by Dominique Morisseau, as Actors Bridge Ensemble's 21st Season continues February 24-March 4, at the Darkhorse Theater.

The Artistry of GENTLEMAN'S GUIDE's Makeup Designer Brian Strumwasser
The Artistry of GENTLEMAN'S GUIDE's Makeup Designer Brian Strumwasser
January 24, 2017

Clearly, Brian Strumwasser is an artist, having garnered inspiration and expressed his creativity through a variety of media throughout his life. Beginning with painting and fine arts, the circuitous journey of life has eventually led him to his current career as a noted make-up designer for the national touring company of the Broadway hit, Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder.

BWW Review: THE ODD COUPLE Leads Off the Next 50 Years at Chaffin's Barn
BWW Review: THE ODD COUPLE Leads Off the Next 50 Years at Chaffin's Barn
January 15, 2017

Nashville's historic and iconic Chaffin's Barn Dinner Theatre - now led by Norma Luther, the gracious and charming new owner - launches its second half century on the venerated chow and bow circuit with a sparkling new revival of Neil Simon's equally historic and iconic The Odd Couple, now onstage through February 12. Directed by longtime artistic director and the doyenne of Music City theater, Martha Wilkinson, this iteration of Simon's hilarious play about two mismatched friends who attempt to navigate the waters of post-divorce life together is performed by a stellar cast of local actors who breathe new life into their characters and somehow manage to give audiences a fresh perspective on the enduring comedy.

BWW Review: Circle Players and TSU's Dazzling and Delightful THE WIZ
BWW Review: Circle Players and TSU's Dazzling and Delightful THE WIZ
January 14, 2017

And, lord! What a cast Larson has assembled for his unique take on the musical - which again was catapulted into the cultural zeitgeist thanks to the critically acclaimed televised version from NBC last year of the show that features the music and lyrics of Charlie Smalls and book by William F. Brown - and what a collective of creative types he's once again pulled together to bring his vision to the TSU stage.

Onstage at The Barn 50: NANCY ALLEN Shares Some Musical Memories
Onstage at The Barn 50: NANCY ALLEN Shares Some Musical Memories
January 14, 2017

Today our special series Onstage at The Barn: Memories from The First 45 Years continues with actress Nancy Allen, who first set foot on that magical levitating stage in a production of The Robber Bridegroom, directed by Rene Dunshee Copeland, which remains brilliantly etched in the minds of Nashville theatre-goers who were on-hand for the production.

Onstage at the Barn 50: Memories from the First Half-Century with Michael Edwards
Onstage at the Barn 50: Memories from the First Half-Century with Michael Edwards
January 13, 2017

In recognition of The Barn's 45 years of bringing the magic of live theater to the stage, we continue our special series of Onstage at The Barn: Memories from The First 45 Years, with actor Michael Edwards, who made his debut at The Barn in the 1970, continuing to work there until 1990. For many people from that era, Mike Edwards was-and still is, in so many ways-the face of Chaffin's Barn Dinner Theatre, the actor most recognizable for the long list of roles he played there.

EVITA, GOOD MONSTERS Claim Top Honors at Midwinter's First Night
EVITA, GOOD MONSTERS Claim Top Honors at Midwinter's First Night
January 10, 2017

Studio Tenn and Tennessee Performing Arts Center's joint venture to produce Andrew Lloyd Webber's Evita in Nashville resulted in the production claiming the top prize as "Outstanding Musical of The Year" at Sunday's Midwinter's First Night event at The Larry Keeton Theatre. Nashville Repertory Theatre's production of Nate Eppler's original play Good Monsters took the title of "Outstanding Play of The Year" in the annual ceremony that dates back to its origins in 1989.

First Night's Top Ten of 2017 Announced in Music City
First Night's Top Ten of 2017 Announced in Music City
December 28, 2016

First Night's Top Ten of 2017 - critic Jeffrey Ellis' annual review of the best in Tennessee theater - were revealed tonight during a live Facebook broadcast at 7:30 p.m. (CST), with Actor's Bridge Ensemble and Studio Tenn/TPAC leading the nods in this year's listing of categories.

Nashville's Historic Chaffin's Barn Dinner Theatre Sold to New Owner
Nashville's Historic Chaffin's Barn Dinner Theatre Sold to New Owner
December 28, 2016

Chaffin's Barn Dinner Theatre - the nation's longest running and continually operating dinner theater - has been sold just as the company is nearing the completion of its 50th season of shows in Nashville.

LONG JOHN SILVER Commandeers Nashville Children's Theatre Stage in 2017
LONG JOHN SILVER Commandeers Nashville Children's Theatre Stage in 2017
December 28, 2016

Nashville Children's Theatre (NCT) takes audiences on a swashbuckling, sea-fairing treasure hunt with Treasure Island, Scot Copeland's dramatization of Robert Louis Stevenson's epic coming-of-age tale, opening January 19 and running through February 5.

First Night's Top Ten of 2017 To Be Revealed Tonight
First Night's Top Ten of 2017 To Be Revealed Tonight
December 28, 2016

First Night's Top Ten of 2017 - critic Jeffrey Ellis' annual review of the best in Tennessee theater - will be revealed tonight during a live Facebook broadcast at 7:30 p.m. (CST).

Tim Larson Directs THE WIZ As Circle Players Kicks Off 2017
Tim Larson Directs THE WIZ As Circle Players Kicks Off 2017
December 28, 2016

Circle Players eases into 2017 and will 'Ease On Down The Road' - beginning January 6 - with its production of The Wiz, the musical that infuses L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz with a dazzling mix of rock, gospel and soul music to create a fun, family-friendly show that has become one of the most popular musicals of its time.

Durang's BEYOND THERAPY Set for 1/14 REPaloud Reading
Durang's BEYOND THERAPY Set for 1/14 REPaloud Reading
December 22, 2016

Tony Award-winning playwright Christopher Durang - this season's Ingram New Works Fellow at Nashville Repertory Theatre - will be on hand for a reading of his quirky comedy, Beyond Therapy, on Saturday, January 14, 2017, at OZ Arts Nashville.

Charlotte Maltby Cast As New Maria in SOUND OF MUSIC Tour
Charlotte Maltby Cast As New Maria in SOUND OF MUSIC Tour
December 15, 2016

Charlotte Maltby will join the cast as Maria Rainer in the national tour of Rodgers & Hammerstein's The Sound of Music, which premieres in Nashville with a one-week, limited engagement February 14-19, 2017, at Tennessee Performing Arts Center's Andrew Jackson Hall.



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