CRITICS' CHOICE: Looking for weekend fun?

There are four new shows opening in the Middle Tennessee area this weekend, along with several other shows continuing their runs - Nobody's Perfect at Chaffin's Barn, KB Productions' The Trials and Tribulations of a Trailer Trash Housewife, Mary Poppins and Smoke on the Mountain at Cumberland County Playhouse, along with the final performance of Singin' in the Rain - so there's plenty of theater to keep you entertained through a hot July weekend. It's that time of year, so go have some fun!

Tevye, Golde, their daughters and all the other villagers of Anatevka find their way to Springfield this weekened as the Robertson County Players present Fiddler On the Roof at Springfield High School for a two weekend run.

Fiddler On the Roof is directed by Lewis Walling, produced by Danny Atchley, and stars J.R. Suter as Tevye and Lanie Shannon as Golde. Performances are Thursday, Friday, Saturday, July 9-18 at 7 p.m. with a special matinee performance at 2 p.m. on Saturday, July 11, at Springfield High School Theater. Advance tickets are $15 each and are available now at ticketsnashville.com.

"Brrr...it's cold in here...must be some Toros in the atmosphere..." If I had a dollar for every time I've uttered that phrase to my dog, Jessie, when coming in from a cold walk outside during the wintertime! And nothing makes me think of one of my favorite movies more so than that one line from the film version of Bring It On, now brought to life as a musical and opening at Woodbury's Arts Center of Cannon County.

Bring It On: The Musical takes you on a high-flying journey through friendship, forgiveness and determination. Bring It On: The Musical tells the story of the challenges and unexpected bonds formed through the thrill of extreme competition. With a colorful crew of characters, an exciting fresh sound and explosive dance with aerial stunts, this all new story is sure to be everything you hoped for and nothing like you expected.

To get tickets, call The Arts Center of Cannon County at (615) 563-2787 or go to www.artscenterofcc.com.

Avenue Q - described as a "puppet-filled comedy [which] follows a group of 20- and 30-somethings seeking their purpose in big-city life," opens Friday night, running through July 19, at Murfreesboro Little Theatre.

Winner of the Tony Award "Triple Crown" for Best Musical, Best Score and Best Book, Avenue Q is part flesh, part felt, part fur, and packed with heart, the laugh-out-loud musical tells the timeless story of a recent college grad named Princeton who moves into a shabby New York apartment all the way out on Avenue Q. He soon discovers that although the residents seem nice, it's clear that this is not your ordinary neighborhood. Together, Princeton and his new-found friends struggle to find jobs, dates, and their ever-elusive purpose in life.

Filled with gut-busting humor and a delightfully catchy score, not to mention puppets, Avenue Q is a truly unique show that has quickly become a favorite for audiences everywhere. Although the show addresses humorous adult issues, it is similar to a beloved children's show; a place where puppets are friends, Monsters are good and life lessons are learned.

For reservations, go to www.mltarts.com for further details.

Controversy continues to swirl in Tullahoma as PACT (Performing Arts for Children and Teens) presents its version of Jonathan Larson's Rent, opening this Friday night and running through July 19. Local pastors and some parents have expressed concern about the show's adult themes, but the production company vows to soldier on and give audiences a top-notch show of the iconic musical.

PACT implores audiences to "Come see Jonathan Larson's Pulitzer Prize-winning modern retelling of the classic Italian opera, La Boheme at South Jackson Civic Center." Robert Allen directs and Erica Petersen is music director.

Set in New York City during the AIDS epidemic of the late 20th century, Rent follows a group of eight young adults attempting to embrace the bohemian lifestyle. Follow them through a year of their lives as they encounter love, death, poverty, affliction, and addiction. Featuring a Grammy Award-winning soundtrack including songs such as "Seasons of Love" and "La Vie Boheme," this modern rock opera will have you on the edge of your seat from start to finish!

KB Productions' rendition of Del Shores' The Trials and Tribulations of a Trailer Trash Housewife continues through Saturday night at the Darkhorse Theater, in one of the year's most critically acclaimed shows.

It's just the latest in KB Productions' theatrical legacy: Mr. Producers Kirk and Powell are proud to present another play by the estimable Mr. Shores, this one starring Cat Arnold, Andrew Strong, LaQuita James, Beth Henderson, LaToya Gardner and John Todd, directed by Clay Hillwig. And, after the opening night performance, you can hang out at the Darkhorse Theatre to meet Del Shores.

There are only six performances - and tickets are available via http://kb-productions.eventbrite.com/ Performances of The Trials and Tribulations of a Trailer Trash Housewife are slated for Thursday, July 9, at 7:30 p.m.; Friday, July 10, at 7:30 p.m.; and Saturday, July 11, at 7:30 p.m.

Here's my take on the show, after seeing the opening night performance (with Shores in the audience, no less): "Shores' play, which focuses on the titular housewife Willadean Winkler (played to heart-stopping perfection by Cat Arnold) and her relationship with her mentally and physically abusive husband JD (Andrew Strong, in a performance that is almost too real to watch), is heartbreakingly genuine, sometimes too much so, making it difficult and discomfiting for the audience. Willadean's story (which, unless you are a soulless automaton, is likely to elicit tears and a feeling of disgust) may not be what one expects from Shores, whose raucously funny plays have delighted and bedeviled Southern theater-goers for years now. Yet, in all of his work, we've seen his heart fully on display and so we shouldn't be surprised that we can be so moved by a fictional, if thinly veiled, world he creates to show us the horror of that which lies beneath the surface.

"Hillwig directs his actors with an even-handedness that renders the story more compelling and more disturbing. Pulling no punches, while punctuating the action with a heightened sense of theatrics and an oftentimes lighter touch to leaven the script's dramatics with humor, Hillwig and his cast make you forget that you're watching a play. Instead, you feel trapped in an uneasy, uncomfortable drawing room comedy/drama from which you hope to escape, but to which you are fatally drawn in the desire to see justice served for poor, sweet Willadean, her absent children and all those around her - even JD, whose demons are just as apparent as the damnable life he shares with the woman he claims to love so deeply, yet he dehumanizes with every word (both screamed at her and left unspoken) in those moments when you are most likely to feel the palpable tension between the two."

Miss Jeanne's Theatre presents Red, White and Tuna, the further adventures of beloved characters first introduced to audiences in the hit play "Greater Tuna," by Jaston Williams, Joe Sears and Ed Howard. Miss Jeanne's Theatre is located at the Music Valley Event Center, 2416 Music Valley Drive, Suite 150 in Nashville and there's plenty of free parking.

This installment again takes place in Tuna (the third smallest town in Texas) and centers around the excitement of the big 4th of July Celebration and Tuna High School Reunion. Who will win the title of Reunion Queen? Will Reverend Spikes be released from prison in time for the event? Are the rumors true about recent UFO sightings? Will Vera Carp's hairdo hold up in the record-breaking heat?

All these questions (and more) will be answered as award-winning actors Patrick Goedicke and Asa Ambrister bring to life twenty of Tuna's most unforgettable citizens (in a series of outrageous, lightning-speed costume changes). You'll laugh your boots off!

These are non-dinner shows, but refreshments will be available to purchase. Tickets are $14 general admission; $12 Seniors/Students/Military. Reservations may be made by calling (615) 902-9566
Walk-ins will be accepted the day of performance. Red White and Tuna plays through July 12, with shows at 7:30 p.m. on Fridays and 2:30 p.m. on Sundays.

Southern hospitality is served up with a groaning board of traditional culinary delights at Chaffin's Barn Dinner Theater, where the Martha Wilkinson-directed Nobody's Perfect continues its run through July 19. Her cast features Bonita Allen, John Mauldin, Lane Wright and Elizabeth Walsh.

Here's a sampling from our review: "With a deft hand, Wilkinson stages the rather gentle comedy that focuses on evolving gender roles, replete with a feminist press trying to find new material for its readers, a shy statistician trying to score it big as a writer, a bumbling grandfather who's only slightly pervy, a rebellious teenager who really loves her dad no matter her vocal protests, a successful businesswoman who longs for a romantic attachment and the requisite man in drag playing a middle-aged Southern belle.

"You pair all that with the Barn's groaning board of Southern/country victuals, a genuinely warm greeting from Annie in the box office as you arrive, a broad smile from Cecilia Lighthall as she commands the front desk and hands you off to an actor doing double-duty as host, and a hug from co-owner Janie Chaffin that ensures you're at home, and you won't find an entertainment option more appealing anywhere. Top it off with peanut butter pie or crème brulee (served up by the gracious and attentive Adam Burnett) and you're justthisclose to heaven in West Nashville.

"Nobody's Perfect is not perfect, but then really what is? However, under Wilkinson's guiding influence and the altogether understated, yet wonderfully on-target, performances of her quartet of actors, it nonetheless delivers a pleasant summer's night diversion."

For reservations, call (615) 646-9977; for more information about all of this season's shows at the Barn, go to www.dinnertheatre.com.

Mary Poppins continues to fly over the rooftops of London via a sumptuous new production at Cumberland County Playhouse through August 16! This high-flying family musical features delightful songs from the classic Disney film including the Academy Award-winning "Chim Chim Cheree," "A Spoonful of Sugar," "Step in Time" and "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" and has been the winner of 44 major theatre awards from around the globe.

Mary Poppins has captivated audiences for generations with its enchanting story, unforgettable songs and dazzling dance numbers. Mary Poppins is the story of a mysterious nanny who magically appears at the Banks household in Edwardian London to care for Jane and Michael Banks. Adventure abounds as she whisks them away to meet dancing chimney sweeps, shopkeepers and an array of colorful characters. Nicole Bégué Hackmann will return to the Playhouse stage as Mary Poppins and Jake Delaney will play Bert.

Nicole Bégué Hackmann has appeared in dozens of Playhouse productions since 2003, including My Fair Lady, Ragtime, LES MISERABLES, The King and I, A Little Night Music, Camelot and many more.Jake Delaney made his Playhouse debut in April as Don Lockwood in Singin' in the Rain.

Playhouse favorites Jason Ross and Lauren Marshall play Mr. and Mrs. Banks. Each of the Banks children will feature two different young actors alternating in the roles. Jane Banks will be played by Sophie Burnett and Sara Swafford, while Simon Berman and Eli Choate will share the role of Michael Banks. Rounding out the cast are Kathryn Berman, Daniel Black, Cory Clark, Kevin Corkum, Jensen Crain, John Dobbratz, Molly Dobbs, DeAnna Etchison, Katherine Walker Hill, Carol Irvin, Lina Lee, Lindsey Mapes, Jennie Nasser, Patty Payne, Kate Louise Prender, Evan Price, Angela Robbins, Michael Ruff, Chaz Sanders, Chance Wall and Weslie Webster.

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