TPAC announces 2010-11 Broadway Season

The national tour of 9 to 5: the Musical will launch in Nashville this September, setting the stage for one of the most varied Broadway seasons in the history of the Tennessee Performing Arts Center as it celebrates its 30th anniversary.

The 2010-2011 season lineup includes award-winning musicals, new shows, and cutting-edge productions that cross cultures and generations-all touring here for the first time. Marking the seventh year of HCA/TriStar sponsorship, the upcoming season ticket series of HCA/TriStar Broadway at TPAC is:

9 to 5: The Musical, September 21-26, 2010, the new musical comedy with music and lyrics by Dolly Parton, adapted from the film about three unlikely friends who team up to take care of business in their office;

Dreamgirls, October 26-31, 2010, following the dramatic rise of a singing group with the sounds of 1960s R&B, soul and pop music in a polished and classy revival of the Tony Award-winning musical that inspired the Academy Award-winning film;

Blue Man Group, November 16-21, 2010, a thrilling, first-ever tour of its high-octane theatrical experience that gives audiences an escape from the ordinary with an explosion of comedy, music, and technology;

Shrek the Musical, January 25-30, 2011, the Tony Award-winning clever musical comedy from DreamWorks, based on the Oscar-winning film that's part romance, part twisted fairy tale and all irreverent fun for everyone;

In The Heights, March 22-27, 2011, the winner of four 2008 Tony Awards including Best Musical and the 2008 Grammy Award for Best Musical Show Album, telling the universal story of a vibrant community in New York's Washington Heights neighborhood; and

The New MEL BROOKS Musical Young Frankenstein, May 10-15, 2011, a wickedly funny re-imagining of the monster hit film, delivering the madcap humor of the movie in a spectacle of big, new production numbers for the stage.

"Launching the tour of 9 to 5: The Musical will be a fun and historic event for Nashville, Tennessee and TPAC. We loved the show in New York and this is absolutely the perfect place to rehearse and open the show before it tours to major cities nationwide. We're especially proud of the fact that Tennessee's own Dolly Parton wrote the score for the musical comedy adapted from the film," said Kathleen O'Brien, TPAC's president and CEO, noting that 2010 also marks the 30th anniversary of the movie's release and the catchy, Grammy-winning title song that reigned at the top of country, pop and adult charts.

'We've created a lineup for the rest of the series that meets the challenge of what they call 'a hard act to follow.' It's a powerful season, with remarkable variety in the stories, settings and styles of music. Audiences will enjoy a rich blend of comedy, drama, action, adventure and spectacular staging, hearing from many different voices that cross generations and cultures with universal appeal. You'll see yourself on stage-your history, hopes, and dreams-as you experience both the best traditions and new directions of Broadway musical theatre,' she said.

In addition to the shows in the season ticket series, HCA/TriStar Broadway at TPAC will include three specials-the return of audience favorites A Tuna Christmas (November 30- December 5, 2010), CATS (April 1-3, 2011) by popular demand, and the Nashville debut of the groundbreaking Spring Awakening (February 25-27, 2011), winner of eight 2007 Tony Awards, including Best Musical.

Season tickets for the six-show season are now on sale. The cost of the six-show package for the HCA/TriStar Broadway at TPAC series ranges from $145 to $400, depending on seat location and day of performance. Single tickets for the individual shows will be on sale to the general public approximately six to eight weeks prior to opening at TPAC.

Current season ticket holders have been mailed information on how to renew their season tickets for 2010-2011. TPAC Subscriber Services also is accepting new orders, processed on a 'first come-first served' basis after seating assignments for renewing season ticket holders are made. Season ticket holders receive a number of benefits including advance access to great seats, ticket exchange privileges and customer service on a dedicated phone line.

For more information on the HCA/TriStar Broadway at TPAC series, visit www.tpac.org/broadway, where season subscriptions may be purchased on-line; call TPAC Subscriber Services at 615/782-6560 (or 1-800/410-4216, outside of the Nashville calling area) or visit the TPAC Box Office at 505 Deaderick Street or Davis-Kidd Booksellers in The Mall at Green Hills. For information on seating for groups of 20 or more, call the TPAC Group Sales Office at 615/782-4060.

This series is supported by The HCA Foundation on behalf of HCA and the TriStar Family of Hospitals. Institutional sponsors for TPAC include American Airlines, Coca-Cola, Dasani and NovaCopy. Nissan is a Sustaining Partner for TPAC. 9 to 5: The Musical is presented in partnership with Bank of America, Dreamgirls is presented by Doubletree Hotel Nashville Downtown, and Blue Man Group is presented by Fidelity Offset Printing, Inc.

Here's a rundown of the six-show series and specials with descriptions provided by the producers of each tour:

HCA/TriStar Broadway at TPAC (six-show series):

9 to 5: The Musical
9 to 5: The Musical is a hilarious story of friendship and revenge in the Rolodex era. This new musical comedy, direct from Broadway, is based on the hit movie and features DOLLY PARTON's original hit title song along with her new Tony Award(r) -and Grammy-nominated score. The book is by PATRICIA RESNICK (co-writer of the original screenplay). 9 to 5: The Musical tells the story of three unlikely friends who conspire to take control of their company and learn there's nothing they can't do -- even in a man's world. Outrageous, thought-provoking and even a little romantic, 9 to 5: The Musical is about teaming up and taking care of business... it's about getting credit and getting even...and it's about to open in Nashville!

Dreamgirls
CATCH THE DREAM! Direct from Harlem's world famous Apollo Theater in New York City, a sensational new stage production of DREAMGIRLS comes to TPAC! Full of onstage joy and backstage drama, DREAMGIRLS tells the story of an up-and-coming, 1960s singing girl group, and the triumphs and tribulations that come with fame and fortune. With music by Academy(r) Award nominee Henry Krieger and book and lyrics by Tony(r) and Grammy(r)-Award winner Tom Eyen, DREAMGIRLS features the unforgettable hits: 'And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going,' 'One Night Only' and 'Listen.' Broadway director and choreographer Robert Longbottom along with some of Broadway's top designers, re-envision this Tony(r) and Academy(r) Award winning musical so it sparkles like never before!

Blue Man Group
BLUE MAN GROUP is best known for their wildly popular theatrical shows and concerts which combine comedy, music, and technology to produce a totally unique form of entertainment. The New York Times heralds the show as 'One of the most delightful performance pieces ever staged.' E! Entertainment News exclaims, 'BLUE MAN GROUP is what every live performance aspires to be.' Although it is impossible to describe, people of all ages agree that BLUE MAN GROUP is an intensely exciting and wildly outrageous show that leaves the entire audience in a blissful, euphoric state. With no spoken language, BLUE MAN GROUP is perfect for people of all ages, languages, and cultures. This fall, BLUE MAN GROUP takes to the road on its first U.S. theatrical tour. This unique experience is a form of entertainment like nothing else; guaranteed to be an outing you will never forget!

Shrek The Musical
SHREK THE MUSICAL, based on the Oscar(r)-winning DreamWorks film that started it all, brings the hilarious story of everyone's favorite ogre to life on the stage. In a faraway kingdom turned upside down, things get ugly when an unseemly ogre - not a handsome prince - shows up to rescue a feisty princess. Throw in a donkey who won't shut up, a bad guy with a SHORT temper, a cookie with an attitude and over a dozen other fairy tale misfits, and you've got the kind of mess that calls for a real hero. Luckily, there's one on hand... and his name is Shrek.
Featuring a terrific score of 19 all-new songs, big laughs, great dancing and breathtaking scenery, USA Today proclaims SHREK THE MUSICAL, 'ALTOGETHER IRRESISTIBLE. A BIG FAT HIT!'
SHREK THE MUSICAL is part romance, part twisted fairy tale and all irreverent fun for everyone!

In The Heights
IN THE HEIGHTS tells the universal story of a vibrant community in New York's Washington Heights neighborhood - a place where the coffee from the corner bodega is light and sweet, the windows are always open and the breeze carries the rhythm of three generations of music. It's a community on the brink of change, full of hopes, dreams and pressures, where the biggest struggles can be deciding which traditions you take with you, and which ones you leave behind.

The New MEL BROOKS Musical Young Frankenstein
The classic Mel Brooks movie is ALIVE...and it's headed here! You'll have a monstrously good time at this spectacular new production, winner of the 2008 Outer Critics Circle Award and the Broadway.com Audience Award for BEST MUSICAL! Don't miss the sensational cast delivering all your favorite moments from the classic film, plus brand-new show-stopping numbers for the stage, including 'Transylvania Mania,' 'He Vas My Boyfriend' and 'Puttin' on the Ritz.' This wickedly inspired re-imagining of the Frankenstein legend follows bright young Dr. Frankenstein (that's Fronkensteen) as he attempts to create a monster--but not without scary and hilarious complications. The brains behind the laughter is mad genius and three-time Tony(r) winner Mel Brooks himself--who wrote the music and lyrics and co-wrote the book- along with his record-breaking team from
The Producers: five-time Tony-winning director and choreographer Susan Stroman and three-time Tony-winning writer, Thomas Meehan.

HCA/TriStar Broadway at TPAC specials:

A Tuna Christmas
Season's Greetings from A TUNA CHRISTMAS, the hilarious sequel to the hit comedy, Greater Tuna, starring Tony(r) Award-nominated Joe Sears and Jaston Williams. Master comedians Sears and Williams, with their deft comedic timing, trademark characterizations and split-second costume changes, portray all 24 citizens of Tuna, the third smallest town in Texas, where the Lions Club is too liberal and Patsy Cline never dies! This time, it's 24 hours before Christmas and the delightfully eccentric characters are attempting to cope with seasonal traumas such as a disaster prone little theatre production of A Christmas Carol, and a yard-decorating contest being sabotaged by a mysterious Christmas phantom.

Spring Awakening
The winner of 8 Tony Awards, including Best Musical - told by Duncan Sheik and Steven Sater through 'The most gorgeous Broadway score this decade' (Entertainment Weekly) - SPRING AWAKENING explores the journey from adolescence to adulthood with poignancy and passion you will never forget. The landmark musical SPRING AWAKENING is an electrifying fusion of morality, sexuality and rock & roll that is exhilarating audiences across the nation like no other musical in years. Join this group of late 19th century German students on their passage, as they navigate teenage self-discovery and coming of age anxiety in a powerful celebration of
youth and rebellion in the daring, remarkable SPRING AWAKENING. 'Broadway may never be the same again!' NY Times

CATS
There's no better way to introduce your family to the wonders of live theater than with the magic, the mystery, the memory of CATS. What began as a musical about cats after Andrew Lloyd Webber picked up a book of poems in an airport bookshop has become one of the longest running shows in Broadway's history. Winner of seven Tony Awards including Best Musical, CATS features 20 of Andrew Lloyd Webber's timeless melodies, including the hit song, 'Memory.'

"Spring Awakening is unlike any other production that New York or Nashville has ever seen, truly an edgy, new direction in the Broadway musical that has drawn new audiences into the theatre," said O'Brien. "Before and during the engagement at TPAC, we'll be working with a wide variety of community partners on educational and enrichment initiatives to complement seeing the show. Based on a play written in 1891, Spring Awakening is set in Germany in that time period, boldly exploring issues that remain relevant with energetic and creative music and staging."

"At a time when so many resources are available to us, we encourage our patrons to learn more about all of the shows on our schedule before seeing them at TPAC. Listen to the music, watch performance clips, read the study guides, and please call us to talk about any of the titles in our series," she said.

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