BWW Previews: MARY POPPINS, BRING IT ON, TARZAN Highlight 2015 ACCC Season

Broadway musicals of the most recent vintage will find a new home in Tennessee in 2015 as The Arts Center of Cannon County plans an impressive and ambitious season of shows. Ranging from two Disney classics (Mary Poppins and Tarzan) to two productions based on hit films (Bring It On and Ghost) and a riveting courtroom drama (12 Angry Men), the Woodbury-based theater company promises an upcoming season that will delight audiences while bolstering ticket sales.

The season's offerings include:

• The Jungle Book, February 14 and 21, 2015. Directed by Mary Wilson. Based on the Rudyard Kipling novel, the plot follows Mowgli, a feral child raised in the Indian jungle by wolves, as his friends Bagheera, the panther, and Baloo, the bear, try to convince him to leave the jungle before the arrival of the evil tiger Shere Khan.
• Tarzan: The Musical, March 20-April 4, 2015. Directed by Darryl Deason. Based on the Disney Film of the same name, Tarzan: The Musical is based on the classic story of a young boy raised by gorillas. The songs, by Phil Collins, include "You'll Be in My Heart" and "Two Worlds." Deason is joined by music director Allison Hall and choreographer Lauren Johnson. 2013 First Night Most Promising Actor Cody Rutledge, now a student at University of Memphis, designs the production.
• School House Rock! Live! May 9 and 16. Directed by Brittany Goodwin. Based on the classic 1970s cartoon, this fast-paced musical teaches audiences with clever, catchy tunes. A certified pop culture phenomenon comes to the musical stage as the Saturday morning cartoon series continues to teach history, grammar, math and more!
• King of the Road: The Roger Miller Story, May 29-June 13. Directed by Donald Fann. Ted Swindley (the author of Always, Patsy Cline and Honky Tonk Angels) brings us the true story of legendary country music artist (and award-winning Broadway musical creator) Roger Miller. Featurng many of Miller's classic songs.
• Bring It On: The Musical, July 10-25. Directed by Weslie Webster. Focusing on the competitive world of cheerleading and over-the-top team rivalries, Bring It On: The Musical is loosely based on the 2000 movie of the same name, with music and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda (In The Heights), Tom Kitt (Next to Normal) and Amanda Green and book by Jeff Quinn (Avenue Q).
• Ghost, the Musical, August 7-22. Directed by Scarlett Turney. Based on the movie that brought Whoopi Goldberg an Oscar, Ghost the Musical is the story of lovers Sam and Molly, who are attacked as they are returning to their apartment. When Sam dies, he is caught between the real world and the next, when he realizes Molly is in danger. A medium, Oda Mae Brown, helps Sam get in touch with Molly to warn her. Featuring the classic tune "Unchained Melody" that helped catapult the film to pop culture notoriety.
• 12 Angry Men, October 2-17. Directed by Terry Deason. This classic courtroom drama, made famous in both TV and film adaptations, tells the story of a jury as they deliberate the guilt or innocence of an 18-year-old man on trial for the murder of his father.
• Mary Poppins, November 6-21. Audiences are guaranteed a "supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" experience with this stunning musical adaptation of the book by P.L. Travers. Join Mary, Bert, Michael and Jane as they take a wondrous journey of imagination and joy in this dazzling production.