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The Tennessee premiere of The Hiding Place, based on Corrie ten Boom’s inspirational work, and adapted for the stage by A.S. Peterson, not only marks the debut production of the newly formed Rabbit Room Theatre, but also the first presentation of Matt Logan Productions whose founder and namesake is one of our area’s most creative individuals. Both the playwright and producer Logan, who also serves as the show’s director, are well-known to Nashville area theaterati, having collaborated previously on a local production of the historical musical, The Battle of Franklin, as well as a visually stunning adaptation of Frankenstein—both for Studio Tenn, the Franklin-based theatre company Logan co-founded alongside Jake Speck. Speaking of Speck, it was during his time with A.D. Players in Houston that The Hiding Place made its world premiere just a couple years ago. But back to the current presentation…For their debut, Rabbit Room Theatre has taken residence in the beautiful Soli Dio Center on the campus of Christ Presbyterian Academy, as the show continues through July 23. It’s a full-circle mention that not only did Logan attend CPA, but he was also a member of the team who designed the gorgeous venue of Soli Did Center. Heck, he even created the initial sketches for the design of the theatre’s beautifully intricate proscenium.

As I revealed in the intro to my recent Rapid Fire 20 Q with cast members of A.S. Peterson’s adaptation of Corrie ten Boom’s The Hiding Place, other than my own childhood memory of somehow being aware of a mid-70s movie version, starring Julie Harris, Jeanette Clift and Arthur O’Connell, my knowledge of ten Boom’s book was strangely limited. I say strangely limited because virtually everyone I mentioned the show to, either they had read ten Boom’s work, or their parents and grandparents were devotees of her inspiring story.

While I may have only known the basics of ten Boom’s story—that of her Dutch Christian family aiding in the hiding and relocating of Jewish citizens during Germany’s Nazi invasion of Holland during the 1940s—I was indeed very familiar with many members of the creative team Logan assembled for this beautiful retelling.

As she had done in the above-mentioned World Premiere in Houston, Nan Gurley, a venerable presence of the Nashville theatre community leads the cast as Corrie ten Boom. Due to a brief illness, Gurley was unable to perform the role during the show’s opening weekend, so her understudy, Rona Carter, stepped in and stepped up. Having seen Carter in a number of shows over the years, most recently as Anne Marie in Nashville Repertory Theatre’s A Dolls House Part 2, I knew she would turn in a brilliant performance. I was not disappointed. As Logan said in his opening night speech when noting the cast change, “the theatre community could not work if we didn’t have understudies who are dynamite and are ready to go”. He was right. Carter’s portrayal of Corrie ten Boom as written by playwright Peterson, breathes a breathe of beautifully balanced confidence, faith, unconditional caring for her fellow man, and yes, even a touch of humor in times so desperately in need of all. Not being the biggest history buff myself, I have to admit I was apprehensive about reviewing this show because I don’t feel qualified to speak on things of which I’ve paid only the minimal attention, but Carter’s, and I’m certain, Gurley’s portrayal of ten Boom made me want to know more. From the opening scene, I was invested. It should be noted that Gurley returned to the production, assuming the lead role from the second weekend and will continue through the final performance, thus allowing Carter to assume a trio of supporting roles, covered opening weekend by swing cast member, Wesley Paine.

Even though the story takes place in the distant past, a past many would rather forget, there’s no denying recent events indicate we might not be so removed from the horrors as we’d like to be.

Lending magnificent support to the lead actress as the other members of the ten Boom family are Carrie Tillis as younger sister, Betsie ten Boom, John Schuck as the family patriarch, Casper ten Boom and Garris Wimmer as brother, Willem ten Boom.

Tillis’ Betsie is a constant reminder of something my parents used to tell me. No matter what you’re dealing with, there are others dealing with much worse. As Betsie, Tillis not only finds the light in even the darkest of situations, she radiates it. Some of that is acting, some of that is the actress herself. A joy to watch on stage and a joy to know in real life.

John Schuck was last seen onstage in Love Letters earlier this year. With an acting resume that ranges from film, TV and the stage with projects equally as varied, from a memorable role in Robert Altman’s award-winning film, M*A*S*H and appearing alongside Reba on Broadway in Annie Get Your Gun,(side note: Reba was there opening night supporting her former Broadway co-star) to equally versatile roles in TV classics like McMillan and Wife, The Golden Girls, and even a wonderfully fun, tongue-in-cheek turn as Herman Munster in a late 80s-early 90s The Munsters Today, rebooting the 60s horror/comedy family sitcom, The Munsters, John Schuck is, in every sense of the word, an actor’s actor.  His presence, his voice, his experience all influence and illuminate his performance whether starring in musical theatre, like my favorite, White Christmas, or, in this case, a heart-wrenching serious drama. In early scenes with real-life young sisters, Annabelle and Caroline Wolfe, playing pre-teen versions of Corrie and Betsie, Schuck is jovial but stern, caring, but authoritative. Once the sisters become adults, Schuck’s Casper grows with them, positioning and encouraging them to take their rightful places as the new generation of ten Booms.

Garris Wimmer, rounding out the ten Boom family as brother Willam, has more limited stage time, but makes the most of his portrayal as their kindhearted male sibling. He also appears later on in the production in a couple of minor roles including a jewish prisoner and a Red Cross worker.

The remaining members of the ensemble cast are a great mix of familiar faces to the Nashville  theatre community, as well as some impressive newcomers. Familiar faces in The Hiding Place include Chip Arnold, Ross Bolen and Matthew Carlton. With decades of stage experience between them, as always, all three actors a joy to watch. Then there’s Christi Dortch. Dortch falls somewhere between familiar and newcomer, only because since her return to Nashville a couple decades ago, she’s become more familiar behind the scenes, at TPAC, no less. This production marks a bit of a return to performing onstage. I’m here to tell you, her performance as The Beast, a female guard in the Nazi concentration camps, is eerily entertaining. Yes, I know how that sounds, given the subject matter, but she’s just so good at being bad.

Nathaniel McIntyre as Pickwick, one of the key figures in the underground network offering aide and solace to the jews, finds a wonderful balance between dedication to the cause and a much-needed occasional lightheartedness regarding Betsie. Also of note is Jonah M. Jackson as Otto, a seemingly stalwart young man who, early on, works closely with the ten Booms at their watch shop, but who later figures prominently in an altogether different manner. It’s his late interaction with Corrie that brings the primary theme of the show—the idea of unwavering forgiveness—home.

Quite different from the story structure of ten Boom’s original book, or the aforementioned 70s film, this stage iteration begins in the time just before the Nazi occupation of The Netherlands. As time passes, and Germany’s occupation of the Dutch countryside grows, the ten Booms learn of—and make the decision to become part of—the Dutch underground.

Thanks largely to require reading of The Diary of  a Young Girl by Anne Frank, this overall subject matter isn’t completely unfamiliar to even the less studious like myself. What makes the ten Booms story their own is their religious beliefs. As Christians, they felt it their faith, their fortune, their privilege and duty to help those in need, in spite of their religious differences.

On the subject of religion, given the fact that the production is about a Christian family, coupled with this presentation taking place on the campus of a Christian school, it should be no surprise that the spiritual overtones are plenty. In act two of the 2 1/2 hour-long production, there’s even a clever, if ever-so-mildly heavy-handed visual reference likening a restrained Jewish prisoner to Jesus on the Cross. In the more than capable hands of director, Logan, that scene actually works, for it is, after all, a story of faith and the basic practice of human kindness that ten Boom lived by example.

I’ve said for years that Logan is a master of his craft. Whether designing the perfect set, complete with the smallest of almost unnoticeable, but key, details, or directing with a keen eye, unmatched by most, Logan leaves nothing undone. A creative assist from Mitchell White, another of Logan’s longtime collaborators, working herein as Associate Scenic Designer and Scenic Construction, brings Logan’s vision of the ten Boom watch shop (on an impressive rotating stage designed by White). Later in the show, when the action turns to the more devastating locale of the Nazi camps, Logan proves he’s just as adept at creating a more somber environment outfitted by the sparseness of prison bunks of drab grey. Throughout the show, there’s a creative usage of translucent panels for the hint of walls, with the shadows on the other side simply amplifying the drama. Moss Lighting’s Stephen Moss is also key in focusing the audience’s eye on all the action with his keen expertise and astute attention to Logan’s vision as both set designer and director.

Mention should also be made of the show’s wig and makeup supervisor, Allison Hearn, and wardrobe supervisor, Lauren Terry for further manifesting both the playwright’s and the director’s visions. Adding to the realism, drama, intensity of the piece, Don Chaffer’s music score is precise and poignant. Light and joyful when needed, and dark and thoughtful during the more serious and intense moments. The musical score is purposefully and effectively underproduced, lending believability that it might have actually been composed during the time in which the play takes place and is the perfect companion to the story of faith, forgiveness and kindness.

The Hiding Place continues its run through July 23 at Christ Presbyterian Academy‘s The Soli Deo Center, with performances Thursday, July 14 thru Sunday, July 17 this week and Friday & Saturday, July 22 and 23, next week. For specific date and times or to purchase tickets, CLICK HERE. Check out The Rabbit Room online or follow them on Facebook and Instagram.

As always, if you wanna follow JHPEntertainment to find out who I’m chatting with for my next Rapid Fire Q&A, or for my take on the latest local and national theatre, music and movie offerings, find us at JHPEntertainment on Facebook, JHPEntertainment on Instagram  and JHPEntertainment on Twitter.

Got an event or show we should know about, drop us a line at the Contact tab. Till then, #GoSeeTheShow!

Having worked in the book industry for nearly a decade back in my early post-college days, I had the great fortune of not only meeting Stephen King when my local bookstore (remember those?) hosted the celebrated author during a signing. I also saw him and fellow authors Amy Tan, Mitch Albom, Dave Barry, Matt Groening, Scott Turow and others perform their unique music talents under the band name Rock Bottom Remainders during that same time. Plus, who doesn’t love a good Stephen King story, so when I heard Playhouse 615 was presenting the Tennessee premiere of William Goldman’s stage adaptation of Misery, based on King’s 1987 bestseller that then became a hugely successful 1990 film, I was intrigued to say the least. Having opened earlier this month, the show wraps its run this weekend with performances Friday and Saturday evenings June 17 and 18 at 7:30p.m. and a final matinee at 2:30p.m. on Sunday, June 19.

I dare say if you’ve not read Misery, chances are you may have seen the movie. Full disclosure: while I absolutely devoured the book when it was release in ’87, I somehow never saw Kathy Bates’ Oscar-winning turn as Annie Wilkes opposite James Caan’s Paul Sheldon. I also had sort of forgotten that the stage version even existed, even though the 2015 Broadway run starred Bruce Willis and Laurie Metcalf. The latter of which received a Tony nomination for her performance.

Considering it has been thirty something years since I read the source material, when my friends and I attended a Playhouse 615’s Sunday matinee, I pretty much entered the theatre not knowing what to expect. I gotta admit, I was pleasantly surprised. Playhouse 615, located in a tiny strip of shops at 11920 Lebanon Road in Mt Juliet, TN, is a hidden jewel among the area’s theatre community. From its nondescript exterior, you’d never even know it’s theatre space, and once inside, you just have to marvel that artist director, Joel Meriwether and company are able to achieve what they do in this intimate space.

That’s the thing though, the intimacy of venue is absolutely perfect for this particular work, for all of the action of Misery takes place within the confines of a small farmhouse nestled in the western slope of the Rocky Mountains. As in the book and the film that preceded this adaptation, the story centers ‘round a famous writer, Paul Sheldon who’s known to retreat to Silver Creek, Colorado whenever he’s working on his next novel. Among those who know Sheldon’s penchant for getting away from it all to concentrate on his writing, is his self-professed biggest fan, the seemingly unassuming owner of said farmhouse. The set-up of how these two meet happens before the curtain rises, when Paul’s vehicle careens off the road and crashes near Annie’s farm. As the action begins Paul (played by Harry Marsh) is heard writhing and moaning in pain as he wakes in a strange bed. I’m just gonna say it, when I saw the show, at first I thought the painful cries a tad overdone, but luckily as the action continued, the wailing subsided, but I digress. We soon learn that Annie (played by Ann Street-Kavanagh) happened upon Paul, managed to get him out of the wreckage and brought him to her farmhouse to recover.

We also soon learn the reason she didn’t seek medical attention is that the roads are blocked from a snowstorm and the phone lines dead…or are they? Now, unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past three decades, you likely know a little more of the plot. Turns out Annie may or may not be completely obsessed with Paul, to the point of psychotic episodes as he regains his strength and begins to question their extended solitude.

Marsh’s Paul Sheldon is entertaining to watch, a looming presence of a man, confined and captive. But it’s Street-Cavanagh’s Annie that makes the show a truly sinisterly thrill-ride. She manages to find a perfect off-balance between meek, good-natured, christian woman literally and figuratively becoming the good samaritan to helpless Paul to vindictive, abusive captor. One note of concern, whenever Annie is headed into a fit of rage, Mitchell Miller, who’s credited in the show’s playbill as ‘lighting execution’ chooses to flash a strobe erratically. When this first occurred during the performance I attended, I initially thought there was some technical glitch and the lights were malfunctioning. This effect might be better served to begin when Annie starts to rage and the strobe continue throughout her fit, ending when she seemingly returns to her more calm self. Just an observation.

Speaking of technical aspects of the show, kudos to Meriwether, who also serves as the show’s ‘sound execution’….I guess that makes him ‘sound executioner’, befitting the gruesomeness of the piece. Throughout the show I noted time and time again the perfect accompanying interstitial music, from haunting versions of such known tunes as Amazing Grace, Every Breath You Take, I Will Always Love You, Hurt and more, plus a little Liberace for good measure (there’s motion of Lee in the script). These musical interludes quickly became another character for me.

In popular culture, there’s a term called ‘Easter eggs’. It refers to the inclusion of images, sight gags, jokes or other references that fans might recognize. King frequently includes Easter eggs in his work and Misery is no exception. It may contain the ultimate Easter egg. I mean, let’s face it, Paul Sheldon IS basically a fictionalized version of Stephen King, what with retreating to write, being the author of multiple bestsellers and all. So to further wink towards King, Meriwether and the show’s prop  and set departments have peppered the set with winks to the author and his other works. At one point, when the local sherif (Joe Russell) pays a visit, he sips coffee from a mug emblazoned with a graphic from IT, King’s ’86 horror classic that in recent years has become a hugely successful film franchise. There’s also a floor runner in the hallway, the pattern of which will conjure images of creepy twins for anyone who’s seen King’s 1980 masterpiece, The Shining, for it’s the same pattern as the hallways of the Overlook Hotel. Even the religious iconography throughout Annie’s farmhouse is a nod to King’s Carrie. Heck, I may be reaching, but you could even say there’s a bonus nod to Carrie coupled with Firestarter when things between Annie and Paul get a little…shall we say…heated. These little extras, while perhaps unnoticed by some casual audience members, were indeed appreciated by this King fan.

Street-Kavanagh and Marsh also deserve praise for the physicality of the show. From Marsh’s Sheldon attempts to escape while bound to a wheelchair to the height of the action when Street-Kavanagh renders Sheldon immobile by way of the now-classic mallet and woodblock scene, these two performers approach the physical aspects of their respective roles with gusto and visceral emotion. With only two performances left, if you’re looking for something to do this weekend, check out Playhouse 615’s Misery. Tickets are $18 and may be purchased online CLICK HERE or at the door. For details on upcoming shows at Playhouse 615, check out their website or find them on Facebook.

As always, if you wanna follow JHPEntertainment to find out who I’m chatting with for my next Rapid Fire Q&A, or for my take on the latest local and national theatre, music and movie offerings, find us at JHPEntertainment on Facebook, JHPEntertainment on Instagram  and JHPEntertainment on Twitter.

Got an event or show we should know about, drop us a line at the Contact tab. Till then, #GoSeeTheShow!

Prior to attending the Music City Opening Night performance of the current National Tour of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!, which continues at TPAC’s Jackson Hall through Sunday, May 8, I had heard a wide range of opinions about Daniel Fish’s Tony-winning revival. Heck, I’d even formed a few preconceived notions myself, considering the original 1943 production, and Hollywood’s iconic film adaptation that followed a decade later are the stuff of which legends are made.

Among the rumblings, folks seem to be out of joint for a variety of reasons. Some feel it’s too dark and brooding. Others don’t care for the ‘checking every box’ overly-politically correct nature of the casting, or the striped down consolidation of the action now all taking place at a barn dance, rather than the typical multiple set-changes. Still others apparently have their petticoats in a twist because of the amped-up sexual tension, potentially triggering subject matter and interesting choices concerning everything from the choreography to the over-exaggerated accents.

I’m here to tell you, within the first few minutes, for me at least, very little of that mattered. Even as the audience made their way to their seats, Jackson Hall was lit a little brighter than usual, thanks to the curtain being up on the stage and Scott Zielinski’s overly-saturated bright white lighting making the sparse set almost glow. As for the set, Laura Jellinek’s simply but purposeful stark set which seems to depict the interior of a barn or social gathering spot with a few rows of picnic tables and a wall lined with rows and rows of gun racks full of rifles. The play is set in Indian Territory in 1906, after all.  This might not be the farmhouse, surrey, corale or paddocks to which audience have grown accustomed, nonetheless, it still seems familiar and easy.

In preparation for my recent Rapid Fire 20Q during which I chatted with members of the cast of Oklahoma!, I fell down a YouTube rabbit hole and discovered an old black and white clip of an early stage mounting of the show, so as soon as I saw the scrim that covers the back of the stage with it’s simple graphic of a farmhouse and a barn set along the great expanse of the land, I realized it’s a brilliant nod to Lemuel Ayers’ original Broadway set design for that early scrim is almost identical. From the familiar opening number, Oh What a Beautiful Morning, now presented in a less-than-optimistic slower tempo, it’s indeed evident this is not only a revival, but a complete reimagining. Sean Grandillo’s Curly, completely opposite the usual strapping buck of a leading man, is a slight young young thing…with straight hair at that. But here’s what he has going for him in spite of his less-than-intimidating presence, this Curly’s got swagger, confidence, a strong tenor voice and can play a mean lick on his guitar.

On the subject of the show’s soundtrack, gone are the sweeping full orchestrations of previous incarnations, replaced instead by a 7-piece on-stage orchestra. Alright, calling it an orchestra seems a little grandiose. In keeping with this new Oklahoma!, it’s more like a house-band made up of Andy Collopy who serves as conductor, as well as playing the accordion and drums; associate conductor, Dominnic Lamorte, who also plays upright bass; Rick Snell on mandolin & electric guitar; Liz Faure on pedal steel, acoustic and electric guitar; Justin Hiltner on Banjo, Libby Weitnauer on Violin (come on, that’s a fiddle) and Grace Hartman Parce on Cello. I mention the band early on simply because Daniel Kluger’s new orchestrations and arrangements are a vital part of why this production skews darker than we’re used to.

Another genius aspect of this incarnation is that while the tempo of the tunes and the emotion and intonation of the delivery may have changed, the lyrics, and for that matter, the dialogue is the exact same as it has always been. A prime example of how this affects the mood and meaning of the show is seen when Curly attempts to woo Laurey (Sasha Hutchings) as he describes the fancy horse-drawn surrey he intends to take her to the comping social in. With no change at all in the lyrics, but a slower, more seductive delivery, he describes taking her on a date, keeping her out all night and waking up still in the surrey together. The tune’s lyrics “whoa! You team, and just keep a-creepin’ at a slow clip clop. Don’t you worry with the surrey with the fringe on the top” suddenly take on a new meaning. Is Curley telling Laurey not to worry if anyone see’s their surrey ride of shame the next morning as the top of the carriage will keep their secret? Maybe. Maybe not.

As for Laurey, Hutchings strikes a gorgeous, tall figure of a woman and her voice possesses a raw throaty quality. It’s almost as if she’s singing from the back of her mouth and not at full power, but it kinda works. It adds to Laurey’s predicament of being the object of affection to more than one man. I do have to say this, though. Both my companion for the evening and I noticed Hutchings kept futzing with her hair, constantly doing an almost exaggerated sweeping motion with her hand, pushing it up and presumably away from her face. It became an odd distraction for me and my friend.

Hennessey Winkler is cast in the role of Will Parker, who takes on the next song in the show, Kansas City, a tune that extols the fabulousness of the nearby modern town. In the playfully capable hands of Winkler, who was quoted in a recent interview admitting Ado Annie was a dream role, until he transitioned to male, you gotta wonder though, have they indeed “gone about as far as they can go”? While singing about a particularly voluptuous female he encountered at a burlesque show, he recalls, “One of the gals was fat and pink and pretty. As round above as she was round below”. Y’all! Those lyrics! And again, thanks to his delivery, that description takes on a whole other super-sexualized meaning. Made all the more obvious by Winkler picking up a shucked ear of corn on the nearby picnic table and holding it just so, as to suggest…how shall I say this…the early 1900s equivalent of today’s eggplant emoji. Hilariously, a similar suggestive ideal comes later when the ladies all shuck corn, then violently begin to break the cobs in half as they toss them into a barre during Many a New Day. I can’t be the only person who saw these not so subtle things and thought these bawdy campy thoughts, right?

Speaking of camp, enter Ado Annie played by trans actress and activist, Sis. Here’s the deal, I myself am a member of a couple of less-than-equally-represented demographics, one being I was born with a neuromuscular disorder that now requires I use forearm crutches to walk, so when Fish debuted his Oklahoma! on Broadway coinciding with the show’s 75th anniversary and he cast wheelchair-using actress/singer Ali Stoker as Ado Annie, who subsequently won the Tony, I was all for it. Now, when the tour was announced and Stoker’s star was on the rise, I figured she wouldn’t join the tour, but I had kinda thought they might cast another wheelchair’d actress. Nope. Sis won the role. Again preconceived notions and my own thoughts of the powers that be overcompensating for decades of Broadway literally and figuratively being the great white way, by checking all the boxes was my initial reaction. But the minute Sis breaks into Ado Annie’s signature song, I Cain’t Say No, I was done…in the best way possible. Sis, who is the very definition of a big, Black, beautiful woman, owns that song, the stage and everything that comes with it. As if the first few verses aren’t enough, she goes to the rear of the stage, grabs the mic from the stand by the band, comes back to the edge of the stage and breaks out into a rollicking reprise. Plus, the juxtaposition of Winkler’s Will Parker and Sis’ Ado Annie, is a perfect comedic role reversal in every sense of the word. Yes, it’s ok to laugh, ‘cause guess what, they’re totally in on it.

Other standout performances come by way of Benj Mirman as Ali Hakim and Barbara Walsh as Aunt Eller. Mirman’s Hakim, the Persian peddler who finds himself unexpected betrothed to Ado Annie at her father’s (Mitch Tebo) insistence, gets his shining moment with It’s a Scandal, It’s a Outrage. As for Walsh’s Aunt Eller, she gets a section of choice comebacks and knowing glances throughout the show, as well as featuring prominently during most of the all-in moments.

Then there’s Christopher Bannow’s Jud Fry, in spite of the fact that Jud doesn’t really say much during the first half of the show, thanks to director Fish’s keen sense of anticipation, even when Jud is just sitting there at one of the picnic tables while Curly flirts with Laurey, he can be seen, reacting. Doing things as seemingly inconsequential as shifting in his seat, or sitting up a little straighter when Laurey walks near him or listening more intently when she’s talking. All of this leads up to one of the show’s most volatile and creative scenes.

Curly, realizing Jud also has his eye on Laurey, pays Jud a visit. While there, he goes so far as to suggest that Jud hang hmself, explaining by the lyrically sinister Pore Jud is Daid that if he offs himself, he will finally garner the love and empathy of Laurey and the entire town. Adding to the drama of this scene, the entire theatre goes completely black and the two men talk to each other using handheld mics. Suddenly out of the darkness, Jud’s face is projected in black and white on the scrim behind the stage, thanks to a member of the crew and a handheld video cam. It’s at this precise moment that the rows of seats between the audience and the actors effectively disappear, making the audience truly feel part of the show. Interesting, considering the fact that during the show’s Broadway run, it was housed in the very intimate Circle In The Square Theatre, a 776 seat theatre in the round, where the audience surround the stage on all four sides. Furthermore, during the first act of the Broadway run, the cast literally made chili and cornbread which they served to the audience during intermission.

Of course that intimacy isn’t possible for a National Tour, but the dimming of the lights and then the projection of the actors faces in severe close up, for that moment, bridges the distance and effectively achieves that closeness. Jud’s Lonely Room follows and his isolation and emotion during this song, simply heart wrenching.

The blackout effect is successfully used a second time when Laurey and Curly get a little intimate on a date, unfortunately, the smacking of their lips into their handheld mics during this scene turn a heated romantic moment into an uncomfortable exaggeration.

Another major difference between traditional mountings of the show and the current version is the fact that the Dream Ballet, originally choreographed by Agnes de Mille, and the stuff of which legends are made, has shifted from the end of Act 1 just after Laurey solo’s on Out of My Dreams, to the top of Act 2. Not only that, gone are the stunningly ethereal movements of most of the cast members and they bring to life Laurey’s dream/nightmare of being torn between two men. Instead, a single barefoot dancer emerges wearing an iridescent white t-shirt emblazoned with the message “Dream Baby Dream”. This might be my one biggest disappointment with the update. I get that it’s modern dance, but scooting across the stage like a puppy with a clogged gland, that’s not dance, that’s just bizarre. Now, I’m no dancer, though I did win the dance contest at homecoming in high school one year, but let’s face it, it was a popularity vote, but I digress. Again, my companion for the evening had a little to say about this particular moment. She is a trained dancer, so there’s some merit in her reaction. She too felt as if we were watching the equivalent of a young child performing for the family in the living room after Sunday dinner, noting the lack of proper extensions and a pointless pointe. That said, we both appreciated the final seconds of the Dream Ballet, when an ensemble member joined the soloist onstage and they embrace whilst the lighting shifts, casting their shadow large across the wall. Another beautiful nod to the original and the film version.

The story’s still-shocking conclusion is handled in an interesting way when the groom and his intended are about to say their I Dos and they’re interrupted by a third party. There’s a gunshot, the after effects of which result in the white-clad marital couple staining not only their wedding attire with the red splatter of the moment, but potentially also staining their future happiness. (How’s that for an attempt at not spoiling a 75-year-old musical theatre moment?

With that the rollercoaster of emotion that is Oklahoma! ends, and just like any good traditional musical theatre icon, the cast, even the daid one, returns to the stage for curtain call and one last rousing version of the titular tune. And yes, the audience stood for a well-deserved ovation.

Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!  continues in Nashville at TPAC’s Jackson Hall with performances thru Sunday, May 8. CLICK HERE for tickets.

Not in Nashville? Oklahoma! continues its North American Tour with dates across the US through the fall. CLICK HERE for show dates and locations or follow Oklahoma! on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

For more from Benj Mirman and Christopher Bannow check out their Instas.

As for TPAC, next up is the World Premiere presentation of May We All: A New Country Musical, June 7-July 17. Be sure to check out TPAC online and on socials by clicking any of the following:  TPAC.org, TPAC on Instagram, TPAC on Facebook, TPAC on Twitter and TPAC on YouTube.

As always, if you wanna follow JHPEntertainment to find out who I’m chatting with for my next Rapid Fire Q&A, or for my take on the latest local and national theatre, music and movie offerings, find us at JHPEntertainment on Facebook, JHPEntertainment on Instagram  and JHPEntertainment on Twitter.

Got an event or show we should know about, drop us a line at the Contact tab. Till then, #GoSeeTheShow!

Having first been announced Disney and Cameron Mackintosh’s Mary Poppins as an intended part of their 2020 season, Nashville Repertory Theatre’s Mary Poppins, as directed by Micah-Shane Brewer, made its debut last week on April 28 to a near-sold out crowd at TPAC’s Polk Theatre, featuring some of the Nashville theatre community’s most-beloved actors, as well as a few newer faces. Unable to attend opening night, but it being one of my favorite shows, I was thrilled to catch the show during its second evening performance.

While the literary world was first introduced to self-professed practically perfect nanny Mary Poppins in author P. L. Travers‘ 1934 children’s book of the same name, as well as seven subsequent sequels through 1988, it’s likely Julie Andrews‘ iconic portrayal in Disney’s 1964 film that most think of when they hear the name. In 2004, the theatrical division of Disney, who had already enjoyed success by adapting both Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King for the Broadway stage, did the same for Mary Poppins. With Book by Julian Fellows (yes, that Julian Fellows, of Downton Abbey and The Gilded Age fame) and additional music and lyrics by George Stiles and Anthony Drewe, added to original music featured in the Disney film by Richard and Robert Sherman, the creative team breathed new life into the magical world of Poppins, her jack-of-all-trades friend Bert and The Banks family who reside at No. 17 Cherry Tree Lane.

Upon entering the Polk Theatre last weekend, my eye immediately fixed upon the the scrim concealing the set, as the canvas curtain features the exterior of the familiar row of houses on Cherry Tree Lane. What struck me so what the illustration-like nature of the scene for it looks as if it might have somehow been rendered in pen and ink, not unlike the drawings by Mary Shepard that accompanied the original books by Travers when the stories were first published. According to the program, Scenery for Nashville Rep’s production of Mary Poppins has been provided by Music Theatre of Wichita and designed by J. David Branson. When the scrim rises, the interior set pieces of 13 Cherry Tree Lane continue to pay homage to Shepard’s illustrations with corners and shadows created by hashmarks and layering of color. 

For Nashville Rep’s Mary Poppins, has cast Nashville Rep newcomer, Christine McNeal in the title role. Among McNeal’s theatrical credits, a solo show at 54 Below and an international tour as Daphne in Scooby Doo Live. Near the top of the show, upon decided for herself that she’ll be hired by The Banks family to take charge of their young children Jane and Michael, McNeal’s Mary Poppins extols her qualifications in Practically Perfect, the first of many gloriously infectious tunes; some new, some carried over from the Disney film as mentioned above. Under the direction of director Brewer, McNeal is playing the role with a hint more prudent sternness than I’ve seen in the past. The children seem to have a genuine respect for her as their Nanny. That said, McNeal also finds interesting layers in the often single-dimensional character perhaps taking to heart the lyrics from A Spoonful of Sugar, “In ever job that must be done, there is an element of fun. Find the fun and snap! The job’s a game”. McNeal gets the job of portraying Mary Poppins done, but again, to borrow a lyrical phrase…”in the most delightful way”.

The aforementioned Banks family comes to life by way of Geoff Davin as Mr. George Banks, Natalie Rankin as Mrs. Banks and two sets of young actors alternating the roles of the Banks’ offspring and Mary Poppins’ charges, Michael and Jane Banks. At various performances, Jackson Benfield & Danny Davis play Michael, while Mia Blaise Campbell and Sarah Hedrick alternate duties as Jane. The night I saw the show, the children were played by Benfield and Campbell.

Davin as Mr. Banks, has the daunting task of being the family’s business-minded task master. A role he plays to the hilt, balancing a seemingly stern exterior with the deeper love and first priority of his family’s success and happiness. The softer side of Mr. Banks is revealed in Act 1’s lighthearted Cherry Tree Lane and the thoughtful A Man Has Dreams. The latter of which gets a reprise near the end of Act 2. Interestingly, Mr. Banks’ more self deprecating number, Good for Nothing which is in some stage versions that I’ve seen in the past, was absent from this production.

Rankin is fabulous as Banks’ loving wife with a mind of her own. She hold’s her on as wife, mother and lady of the house with an undeniable feistiness. Musically, Rankin’s high point as Winifred Banks comes in the sentimental but telling, Being Mrs. Banks.

As Jane and Michael, Benfield and Campbell light up every scene they’re in, as I’m sure their cohorts do during their alternate appearances. Their interaction with McNeal’s Mary Poppins and the rest of the cast is truly blissful. I particularly enjoyed Benfield and Campbell’s mischievousness regarding their behavior around Gavin’s Mr. Banks. They also seem to genuinely be having a blast as Michael and Jane during many of the show’s familiar moments with Mary and Bert.

Speaking of Bert, the man of many occupations who’s got the inside track on Mary Poppins. Also making his Nashville Rep debut, Jeremy Benton is happiness personified. Having first seen Benton  in the National Tour of Broadway’s Anything Goes, then again in the tour of White Christmas, I’ve known for a while the Tennessee native is an accomplished singer/dancer/actor…a true triple threat. Benton is front and center in many of the evening’s breathtaking dance sequences, as well he should be. Having seen several iterations of the show, both on Broadway, on tour and regional, I was curious if Nashville Rep would present the full Step in Time experience where Bert magically walks up the wall of the proscenium, then proceeds to perform a tap-tastic upside down dance across the ceiling. Indeed they did and Benton is not only gravity-defying, he does this with excitement, energy and an obvious abundance of joy. Y’all! It’s truly one of the most spectacular theatrical moments I’ve ever been witness to in my life. I think because it happens in a theatrical company I have grown to love and being performed by a talent I’ve come to truly admire and consider one of my theatre crushes, just makes it all the more special.

Christine Zimmerman’s choreography crushes it with her faithful nod to original choreography featured in the Broadway show. An Associate Professor of Dance at Ball State, Mary Poppins also marks Zimmerman’s first Nashville Rep show. Yup. She’ll be back.

Special mention has to be made of Katie Bruno, Jonah M. Jackson and Dennis R. Elkins. Bruno and Jackson play The Banks Family’s house staff, Mrs. Brill and Robertson Ay, respectively. These two obviously feed off each other perfectly giving the audience some of the show’s best snark and silliest slapstick physical comedy moments. I always think of character actresses like Mary Wickes and Hermione Baddeley when I see Bruno in a supporting comedic role. Interestingly, both Wickes and Baddeley themselves have ties to Poppins. Wickes played the lead in a 1949 TV adaptation, while Baddeley played the maid in the Disney film. Jackson goes all in for laughs, pratfalls and all leading into and out of one of the show’s most popular numbers, A Spoonful of Sugar.

As for Elkins, who plays Admiral Boom, the Park Keeper and the Bank Chairman, where has this treasure of a character actor been? According to his bio, he’s got more than two decades of theatre experiences in Tennessee, Georgia and Colorado and is currently working with Encore Theatrical Company in Morristown, but I’ve a feeling now that Nashville Rep has featured him in this myriad of charming character roles, each of which he plays to the hilt, Nashville audiences will surely see more of him.

Then there’s the magical unicorn of a talent, Jennifer Whitcomb-Oliva. Whitcomb-Oliva pulls triple-duty in Mary Poppins appearing first near the end of Act 1 as Mrs. Corry, then briefly as the Statue of Queen Victoria, and finally as Miss Andrew, George Banks’ own Nanny, three characters created and expended when the musical was adapted for the stage. When Mary takes the children on a walk in the park, they encounter Mrs. Corry, who runs the Talking Shop, a place to buy conversations and gingerbread stars. What? What else pairs well with letters of the alphabet for sale? Come on, it’s Mary Poppins, just go with it. That leads to an all-in moment and another familiar tune, Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. With a brightly colored costume and wonderfully whacky wig for Whitcomb-Oliva it’s another moment in the show I dare anyone who sees it to try not to sing and clap along. On that note, as my friend, Bryce and I were walking into the lobby, I ran into Nashville Rep’s Executive Director, Drew Ogle. As we chatted, he mentioned that opening night he, and the cast were surprised when the audience randomly, unanimously erupted into syncopated applause during a couple of the numbers. I guess they’re used to it by now, because the same spontaneous magic happened the night I attended.

While Whitcomb-Oliva’s Mrs. Corry is a hand-clapping delight, it’s her more playfully sinister turn as the strict Miss Andrew that’s simply marvelous. As the darkly-dressed villainous Miss Andrew, complete with a Jane Russell-esque swirl of gray among her severely styled raven-colored wig, Whitcomb-Oliva revels in the role during the lyrically frightful Brimstone and Treacle near the top of Act 2 and again during a good vs. evil mashup of Brimstone and Spoonful with McNeal’s Mary Poppins towards the end of the show.

Speaking of that moment, the larger than life birdcage that (Spoiler Alert!) soon houses Miss Andrew, features a giant version of Mary Poppins’ parrot umbrella topper, complete with winking eye. Gorgeous!

I can’t review Nashville Rep’s Mary Poppins without special mention of Denise Hicks. Hicks, a legend among the Nashville theatre community, plays not only Miss Lark, the puppy-carrying neighbor to the Banks family, but she’s also featured as the Bird Woman, the elderly lady who sells bird seed for “tuppence a bag”. Knowing Hicks was cast in the role, as Bryce and I settled into our seats, I leaned over and told him to avert his glance away from me during the heart-wrenching moment when Hicks’ Bird Woman sings Feed the Birds, and as certain as Mary Poppins comes in on the east wind, when Feed the Birds happened, I was once again thankful that masks are still being required in the theatre because my eyes began to sweat as I sobbed uncontrollably.

As for the technical aspects of the show, musical director and conductor,Randy Craft and the in-house orchestra, Nate Stasser, Ming Aldrich-Gan, Michael Meadows, Brad Williamson, Melodie Chase, Harry Ditzel, Michelle McClary, Robbie Shankle, Matthew Davich, Garen Webb and Casey Brefka do a tremendous job bringing music—familiar and new—to life.

Sound designer Tanner Roman and Lighting designer Mike Wood and every single person involved in this production deserves high praise for the stunningly beautiful job they’ve done. In particular, Nashville Rep’s resident costume goddess, Lori Gann-Smith and her incredible team, who according to a recent  behind-the-scenes post on The Rep’s socials, reveals they constructed a mind-boggling 80 pieces for the show. From Mary Poppins’ signature blue topcoat, flower-festooned black straw hat and ever-present parrot umbrella to her iconic white with red accented Jolly Holiday dress and from Bert’s chimney sweep tattered clothing to his white and red striped jacket and bright white pants park attire and everything in between it’s all there and looking lovelier than ever.

There’s a line in Anything Thing Can Happen, the show’s final number that says, “If you reach for the heavens you get the stars thrown in”. Nashville Rep’s Mary Poppins has certainly done both, reached for and attained heavenly musical theatre status and the show’ is certainly chocked full of stars!

Mary Poppins continues through May 8 at TPAC‘s Polk Theatre. CLICK HERE to purchase tickets or for more information. In case you missed it, CLICK HERE to check out my recent Rapid Fire 20Q when I got the chance last week to chat with Mary Poppins’ stars Christine McNeal, Jeremy Benton, Geoff Davin and Natalie Rankin.

While Mary Poppins marks the end of Nashville Rep’s current season, they’ll be back with their 22-23 Season in the fall starting with RENT September 16-25, The Cake October 21-30, Elf: The Musical December 21-January 1, August Wilson’s Fences March 3-5, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time March 24-April 2 and Violet May 12-21. Season Tickets just went on sale earlier this week. CLICK HERE to purchase Season Tickets or for more info. Check out Nashville Rep online HERE and follow them on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram.

As always, if you wanna follow JHPEntertainment to find out who I’m chatting with for my next Rapid Fire Q&A, or for my take on the latest local and national theatre, music and movie offerings, find us at JHPEntertainment on Facebook, JHPEntertainment on Instagram  and JHPEntertainment on Twitter. Got an event or show we should know about, drop us a line at the Contact tab. Till then, #GoSeeTheShow!

Ask anyone “Where were you on 9/11?” and you’ll get a myriad of responses, but that’s the thing, you’ll get an answer. Like Kennedy’s assassination a generation before and the bombing of Hiroshima the generation before that, if you lived through these moments in American history, you’ll always remember exactly where you were and what you were doing. Now, ask the inhabitants of Gander, Newfoundland, a seeming unassuming island town located on the northeast corner of the Canadian providence of Newfoundland and Labrador, and you’ll get a decidedly unique answer. The National Tour of Broadway’s Come From Away, currently on tour at TPAC’s Jackson Hall April 19 thru 24, provides a heartfelt look into the minutes, hours and days after 9/11 during which 38 planes carrying nearly 7000 passengers from across the globe were diverted to Gander International Airport.

With book, music and lyrics by married creatives Irene Sankoff and David Hein, Come From Away begins with the rock-solid uptempo Welcome to the Rock, in which the Mayor of Gander, played by Kevin Carolan joins the rest of the company as they poke a little lyrical fun at themselves with such lines as “Welcome to the rock if you come from away, you’’ probably understand about a half of what we say”. Then just as quickly, they extol the best aspects of their small town living with “They say no man’s an island, but an island makes a man ‘specially when one comes from one like Newfoundland”.

Half spoken word, have lyrical, the opening number also serves to offer a brief bit of exposition, explaining that Gander International Airport was, in its heyday, one of the largest airports in the world, a favorite of international flights as a refueling stop. Most of the cast is introduced during this opening number, many of whom are based on real-life Gander residents.

Marika Aubrey plays Annette, a primary school teacher at Gander Academy, but it’s her heartfelt turn as Beverly Bass, the first female American Airlines pilot, that steals the show. Captaining a Boeing 777 from Charles de Gaulle Airport to DFW when the terrorist attack occurred, Bass’ flight was among the 38 diverted to Gander.

Sharone Sayegh is Bonnie, a local SPCA worker, mom of three. Savegh’s Bonnie offers some of the show’s sweeter moments as she not only shows concern for the humans diverted, but also the animals aboard the flights, including a cat in need of its daily medication, a vocal little dog and a pair of bonobo apes, one a fan of slinging his own poop, the other, an expectant mom-to-be.

Bonnie is married to air traffic controller, Doug, played by Chamblee Ferguson. Ferguson also appears as Nick, a British oil engineer. Christine Toy Johnson plays Diane a traditional southern divorcee from Texas, who, once her worries about her son’s safety on that day are eased, experiences a new lease on life when she embarks on a romance with Nick.

James Earl Jones II plays Bob, an uneasy New Yorker who goes from worrying why everyone is so nice to embracing the kindness of others.

Jeremy Woodard and Nick Duckart play Kevin T and Kevin J., vacationing boyfriends (yes they’re both named Kevin and as they say in the context of the show, “it was cute for a while”) who also work together at an environmental energy company Kevin T founded.

Julie Johnson as Beulah, head of the Gander Legion, has a son who’s a local firefighter, thus instantly bonding her to Hannah, played by Danielle K. Thomas. Harter Clingman plays Oz, Gander’s good-natured constable…in a police force of two. Julia Knitel as Janice, the local TV station’s rookie reporter, becomes the voice of the town for the rest of the world when thrown into the action on her first day on the job.

With a stripped-down set designed be Beowulf Boritt (Be More Chill, A Bronx Tale, 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, among others), Come From Away focuses on the relationships of its characters. As evidenced by the character descriptions above, those relationships are plentiful. Among my personal favorites, the budding romance between Diane and Nick and the frankly unexpected acceptance of the relationship between Kevin and Kevin. The bar scene is just one of the show’s many examples of humor and heart.

On the subject of humor and heart, the show walks a perfect line between the two. After all, a musical about 9/11, but removed from the true horror of ground zero to a virtually unknown island on the eastern coast of the continent…sheer genius. Without spoiling some of this brilliance, key phrases, words or scenes to watch for include: Titanic, Xanax, The Mayors, Top Six Cardiologist and Kiss the Fish.

Speaking of Kiss the Fish, that moment comes courtesy the laugh-filled Screech In, lead by Kevin Carolan as The Mayor initiates a few newly christened Newfoundlanders during a moment of joy at a local pub. This is followed by a gloriously music-filled moment showcasing the company’s band, who provide the music throughout the show, but are front and center during this scene. The band consists of Cameron Moncur, Isaac Alderson, Kiana June Weber, Billy Bivona, Martin Howley, Sean Rubin, Steve Holloway & Ben Morrow. Oh, and don’t go anywhere after the initial curtain call…trust me. On opening night, Music City proved its name worthy and greatly appreciative and that’s all I’ll say about that.

While the show is full of entertaining musical numbers, 15 in total, and the majority of them performed by the entire company, it’s not exactly the sort of show you’ll leave the theatre humming your favorite just-witnessed tune. That said, in the moment, musical moments like 38 Planes, 28 Hours, On The Edge and Somewhere in the Middle of Nowhere are moving, thought-provoking and emotional.

Perhaps the most emotional musical moment comes with Prayer, as Jeremy Woodard and fellow cast mates sing a medley of faith-based tunes ranging from Prayer of St.Francis to Osseh Shalom. Regardless of what faith you might practice, it’s moments like this that have the potential to restore faith in not just your fellow human, but yourself.

In a glorious moment of empowerment, Marika Aubrey’s Captain Beverly and the female members of the cast come together for the beautiful written and performed Me and the Sky, on the surface, a simple narrative of Captain Bass’ life and career, but it’s so much more than that. Even as I headed home after Opening Night in Nashville, I kept remembering four simple words from this song…”I am suddenly alive”.

If you want to feel suddenly alive and be reminded to be kind to others and be in the moment, come from wherever you are to see Come From Away at TPAC’s Jackson Hall thru Sunday, April 24. CLICK HERE for tickets.

Not in Nashville, Come From Away continues its North American Tour with shows across the US and Canada through the fall. CLICK HERE for show dates and locations or follow Come From Away on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube & TikTok.

As for TPAC, as their Broadway Season and Special Presentations continue, next up is Oklahoma!, May 3-8 followed by the World Premiere presentation of May We All: A New Country Musical, June 7-July 17. Be sure to check out TPAC online and on socials by clicking any of the following:  TPAC.org, TPAC on Instagram, TPAC on Facebook, TPAC on Twitter and TPAC on YouTube.

As always, if you wanna follow JHPEntertainment to find out who I’m chatting with for my next Rapid Fire Q&A, or for my take on the latest local and national theatre, music and movie offerings, find us at JHPEntertainment on Facebook, JHPEntertainment on Instagram  and JHPEntertainment on Twitter.

Got an event or show we should know about, drop us a line at the Contact tab. Till then, #GoSeeTheShow!

If you know me at all, you know I’m not much of a history buff and to be perfectly transparent, I know very little about politics or the ins and outs of government, so when I heard a show called What the Constitution Means to Me was playing TPAC’s Polk Theatre as part of their current Broadway season, my initial inclination was to skip it. Then, I did a little research, even checking out the filmed adaptation currently available on Amazon Prime, and within minutes I wasn’t just in, I was intrigued. After all, any show who’s lead performer recalls having an imaginary friend named Reba McIntyre (no relation to the beloved country music icon), and I’m immediately vested. Add to that, the playwright’s ability to work an unexpected laugh centered ‘round Penny Johnson, the Catskills dancer who received a botched abortion in the now-classic film, Dirty Dancing, and I’m not just intrigued, I’m kinda all about it. Cleverly devised, the pop culture mentions only scratching the surface of what playwright Heidi Schreck has achieved with her Pulitzer Prize nominated show, now at TPAC’s Polk Theatre starring Cassie Beck.

Beyond the clever references, which also include a quick Wonder Twins mention, sweet childhood memories of a sock monkey, his descendant and his best friend, there’s also equally clever and surprisingly easily understandable lessons about the show’s titular subject matter by why of playwright Schreck’s lightly fictionalized personal and familial stories.

At the top of the play, Beck introduces herself as Heidi. With Shreck having originally performed the role during its Broadway 2019 debut in the days before the pandemic darkened theatre for nearly two years and also starring in the aforementioned Amazon Prime film version, Beck has her work cut out for her. Not only is she playing the woman who created the though-provoking piece, she also plays her as a young teenager. Worry not though, as Beck more than rises to the challenge, perfectly embodying both versions of Schreck with ease and conviction.

Early on Beck’s Heidi, dressed in a bright yellow blazer, informs the audience that she’ll be navigating the role occasionally as Schreck’s younger self, who at age 15 became a scholarship-winning constitutional debater appearing at numerous American Legion-sponsored debates where the Dirty Dancing and Salem witch trial-obsessed teen spoke on the founding document as a crucible or a witches’ cauldron, noting with humor her occasional opponent in these teenage debates frequently used the analogy of a patchwork quilt to describe the same document.

Under the direction of Oliver Butler, who also directed the Broadway production, Beck’s teenage Heidi is confident, a little cocky and surprisingly downright hilarious at times. I say surprisingly, because, come on…it’s a show about the Constitution. Who’d have thought it would be so dang entertaining? Beck is equally at east as modern-day Heidi as she shares the playwright’s words convincingly as though they were her own. It’s that ability, coupled with the universality that while the stories may indeed be those experienced by Heidi and conveyed now via Beck, they’re not entirely unique, but instead universally relatable.

Throughout the play Beck’s Heidi shares a number of the playwright’s often heart wrenching stories of multi-generational events, all with unsuspected ties to the wording of the constitution, in particular, Amendments 9 and 14. These memories range from Heidi’s great-great-grandmother, a mail order bride, who died of ‘melancholy’ in her mid-30s a patient of a mental hospital, to themes of immigration, spousal abuse, abortion, equality and more during the show’s hour and forty-minute run-time. Pretty heady subject matter, but again, thanks to Schreck’s carefully constructed stream of consciousness dialogue that’s peppered with equal parts heart, humor and eye-opening information, it all adds up to an enjoyable and informative event.

In addition to personal and family stories impacted by the document, Heidi also occasionally cites actual proceedings in which the Constitution and its interpretation has come into question. One such instance is 2005’s Castle Rock vs Gonzales in which an indigenous Colorado woman who had taken a restraining order against her abusive husband sought help from the police, who repeatedly refused. Her husband later kidnapped and murdered their three daughters. The woman sued the Castle Rock police. The Fourteenth Amendment was invoked and she won the case. Sadly the city appeared and the verdict was eventually overturned by the Supreme Court. During Heidi’s monologue about the case, mind-boggling audio of Antonin Scalia, who wrote the final decision, is played for the audience. In it, we’re privy to the decision that even though the Amendment says law enforcement ‘shall’ protect its citizens, it doesn’t mean they ‘must’.

Y’all. The fact that I retained this bit of info is further proof that the playwright, director and star have brilliantly come together to present the subject matter in such a way that even the least history/politically-minded audience member can and will take something away from this unique theatrical experience.

As mentioned earlier, Beck not only plays blazered teenage Dirty Dancing-referencing Heidi, she also takes on Heidi’s modern day persona. Even the tongue-in-cheek way she transitions out of teen Heidi into adult Heidi is sheer genius. She literally takes off the yellow blazer and says she’s gonna be adult Heidi from now on. It’s the quirky little details, simple as they are, that keep the audience engaged and entertained.

Joining Beck’s Heidi onstage in what is otherwise essentially a one-woman-show is Gabriel Marin, who appears as a Legionnaire. Primarily Marin sits quietly and only speaks when he, as the Legionnaire, informs teenage Heidi what her speech topic is, or to quell the applause from the audience. Once Heidi begins addressing the audience as her adult self she even makes a joke at Marin’s expense stating that she’s not really sure why he’s still there. A bit later, Marin steps out of the Legionnaire role to speak as himself as he shares an early experience of machismo mentality. I must admit, while Marin’s dialogue was interesting, that of Schreck’s Broadway co-star, as seen in the filmed version, and his personal story of suppressing traditionally though of as more feminine feelings as a young man, seemed a bit more impactful.

Near the show’s final third, Beck steps off the American Legion set, and in doing so, steps away from the character of Heidi, teen or otherwise, and performs the final few minutes as the actress, Beck, herself. She reveals she attended college in nearby Memphis, shares a bit about her background as an actress and then invites Jocelyn Shek, a high school junior from Los Angeles versed in debate to join her onstage for a live debate centered ‘round the idea of abolishing or keeping the Constitution. (at some designated performances Emilyn Toffler, a teenage trans actor/debater from LA, steps into the role as Beck’s debate opponent). While TPAC ushers distribute pocket-sized books of the Constitution (donated by the ACLU), Marin once again acts as moderator for the debate segment. At the end of their debate, a random audience member, who now represents the audience as a whole, is asked to judge who won the debate. Once they vote, they’re instructed to read from a corresponding card revealing their decision. This live debate segment and the rando audience participation assures each performance end in a way unique to itself. You know, kind of how each and every person’s interpretation of the Constitution has the potential to not only mean something unique to each and every one of us, but also the ability to potentially affect each and every one of us in a truly unique way.

What the Constitution Means to Me continues at TPAC thru Sunday, April 3. Then, as they continue their current Broadway Season and Special Presentations, next up at TPAC, it’s Come From Away, April 19-24, followed by Oklahoma!, May 3-8 and the debut presentation of May We All: A New Country Musical, June 7-July 17. Be sure to check out TPAC online and on socials by clicking any of the following:  TPAC.org, TPAC on Instagram, TPAC on Facebook, TPAC on Twitter and TPAC on YouTube.

You can also follow What The Constitution Means to Me via their Official Site or on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

As always, if you wanna follow JHPEntertainment to find out who I’m chatting with for my next Rapid Fire Q&A, or for my take on the latest local and national theatre, music and movie offerings, find us at JHPEntertainment on Facebook, JHPEntertainment on Instagram  and JHPEntertainment on Twitter.

Got an event or show we should know about, drop us a line at the Contact tab. Till then, #GoSeeTheShow!

Of all the show’s in this season’s Broadway at TPAC lineup, the National Tour of Summer: The Donna Summer Musical, currently on stage at TPAC’s Jackson Theatre through Sunday, March 27 is THE musical I have most been looking forward to seeing this year. Partly because Donna Summer has always been among my personal Top Five Divas and mostly because I was fortunate enough to have met her a few times during her years living right here in Music City.

I first met her while at lunch with a friend when we spotted her in line ahead of us and my friend commented that she “looks like Donna Summer”. I believe my response was “That’s because it IS Donna Summer. Still not convinced, a few minutes later, my friend approached her and asked if she was who he thought she was. She laughed and said, “I am if you think I’m Donna Summer.” My friend and I fanboy’d a bit before leaving her to enjoy her lunch. You know how when you meet someone, you then see them everywhere? Well, not long after that chance encounter, Donna Summer and her two youngest daughters began shopping in the children and young adult sections of the bookstore where my friend and I worked. It was during those shopping excursions that I sort of got to know her and my admiration and appreciation only increased.

All that to reiterate how excited I was to attend Opening Night earlier this week. Now, I have to also admit that prior to seeing the show, fan that I am, I was aware of a few things in the Queen of Disco’s career and life that might make for a very drama-filled biopic…Kelly Rowland, I’m talking to you!. I also had seen reviews of Summer: The Donna Summer Musical lamenting the fact that the book by Colman Domingo, Robert Cary and director Des MacAnuff is unbalanced and often-times weak, and while that’s true, honestly, who cares? When the music is as recognizable and as brilliantly performed by this talented troupe of singers and dancers, truthfully, the acting and story are secondary.

Summer: The Donna Summer Musical falls in the theatrical category known as a jukebox musical, basically a musical stage show that features well-known music, rather than new tunes written specifically for the show. Often, jukebox musicals like Summer, not only showcase one particular artist’s music, but like The Cher Show, Tina and a favorite right here in Nashville, Always, Patsy Cline, they tell the story of the artist known for the tunes featured.

One thing that sets Summer: The Donna Summer Musical apart from other jukebox musicals is that we get not one, not two, but three Donnas. By this I mean three actresses play Donna during three distinctive periods of her life and career. First there’s Amahri Edwards-Jones as Duckling Donna—Donna the early years. Next, there’s Charis Gullage as Disco Donna—Donna at the height of her 70s sensation. Lastly, Brittny Smith plays Diva Donna—Donna of her post disco era and last few years of the singer’s much too short life. That’s right, three times the Diva, three times the attitude and three times the talent. Each of these ladies manages to embody Donna perfectly in their respective era and they do so with voices that are indeed reminiscent of Donna during the various stages of her recording career.

Even before curtain, as the audience filters in, disco music by contemporaries of the diva blast on the sound system, perfectly creating the mood. Once the curtain rises, Smith’s Diva Donna, apparently emulating Summer’s final concert appearance, welcomes the audience to what she refers to as the concert of a lifetime. That double-entendre line serves as a plot reveal for what is to come is a non-linear narrative waffling back and forth between various timelines of the diva’s life.

As Diva Donna, Smith opens the show alongside the mostly female cast with the appropriately lyric’d The Queen is Back, a lesser-known Summer tune from her seventeen and final studio album, 2008’s Crayons. While the song’s title and lyrics are a good start, the show really begins when Smith eases into I Feel Love, Summer’s huge 1977 hit, confirming it’s the songs that brought us here.

Smith’s Donna is confident, yet retains an air of restrained, something that comes with a life lived. Smith’s Diva Donna is also the story’s narrator. This is mostly achieved by banter with the audience, much like many artists do during an actual concert. She also frequently interact with the other versions of herself extolling advice or warning, things that only come after experience, which are again, primarily for the benefit of the audience. When not belting classics like I Feel Love, Smith also appears as Mary Gaines, Summer’s—né LaDonna Adrian Gaines’ mother. This is achieved in the simplest of fashion…literally, for when Smith is Mary, she simply dons a dowdy overcoat, a scarf or a church hat. If the book ever truly focused on dialogue for more than just a spoken interlude between songs, this might be hard to follow, but as it is, Smith’s transitions between Diva Donna and Mother Mary are obvious and easy.

Charis Gullage’s Disco Donna, likely the most iconic and best remembered Donna for even the casual fan, definitely looks the part and she sings the role splendidly. Early on, Gullage is charged with recreating one of Summer’s most-rumored and notorious early career moments, the moment when she allegedly laid on the studio floor in the dark to record the provocative, sultry and down-right O-emulating vocals for Love to Love You Baby. Mega fan that I am, I found it interesting that this retelling gives Donna all the credit–and the girl power–for recording the vocals in this manner, while various sources over the years have indicated that it was famed producer and record exec, Giorgio Moroder who suggested/insisted she record it this way.

Here’s a good place to mention that this show, which credits Summer’s husband Bruce Sudano as a story consultant, really showcases Summer’s resilience and strength as a female artist in a male-dominated and controlled industry, something sadly as true today as it was during her career heyday.

The action then hits the rewind button as Duckling Donna, innocently and blissfully embodied by Amahri Edwards-Jones takes to the stage for the title track from 1977’s I Remember Yesterday. Another all but forgotten track, 1979’s On My Honor, perfectly fits the early Donna narrative while simultaneously spotlighting Jones’ breathtakingly beautiful vocal skills.

While the show is resplendent with massive hits like MacArthur Park (we are treated to all three Donnas taking on this one), Heaven Knows (a bit of foreshadowing as this one features Disco Donna and future husband Bruce Sudano played by John Guaragna), No More Tears and more, again, as a lifelong fan, I truly enjoyed some of the deeper catalogue dives.

Once such moment comes with a quick little snippet of White Boys, half the song, Black Boys/White Boys from the musical Hair. That’s right! Early in her career, Donna Summer appeared in a German production of Hair. Within the context of our story, this song is quite effectively used to show Summer’s dating life in a very fun, tongue-in-cheek manner.

On the flipside, some of Summer’s more dramatic moments, albeit primarily glossed-over, also take full advantage of the artist’s extensive catalog. A prime example comes in the inclusion of a song called Pandora’s Box another track from her Love to Love You Baby 1975 release, used in the musical to reveal the conflict of young Donna who hid the truth of sexual abuse by a family friend, which, according to the show’s narrative, seems to have been the start of blurred lines between love and control by various men in her life, both personal and professional. These men include her father, Andrew Gaines (played, I might add, by former Nashvillian, Porter Lee Anderson, III), first husband, Helmuth Sommer (Francisco Risso), Giorgio Moroder, David Geffen (both roles played by Kyle Southern), record producer Neil Bogart (Christopher Lewis) and aforementioned second husband, Bruce Sudano (played by the aforementioned John Guaragna).

Speaking of the male cast and characters, the one casting misstep for me comes in the head-scratching decision to cast a female in not one, but two male speaking roles, without even the slightest effort to lower her speaking voice or even take on more masculine mannerisms. Not sure why this choice was made. Maybe current restrictions on the size of the cast, but even so, why not have one of the handful of male ensemble members take on these small, but noticeable male characters? Nothing against the actress playing them, but it basically reminded me of an all-girls school production where the girls play all the roles. It’s not like this is some sort of statement or a reversal of Shakespeare or anything. Just seemed a interesting casting option.

Back to the actual male members of the cast, Guaragna, as Sudano, and Gullage’s Disco Donna appear in one of the show’s silliest but simultaneously sweet and entertaining moments as they are seen onstage in what can only be described as the theatrical equivalent of bumper cars while Disco Donna drives around listening to and singing along to…On The Radio. Now, according to the storyline, while the two had met in the studio, this traffic jam jammin’ meet cute symbolizes the start of their romantic relationship.

There’s also a healthy nod to the umbrellaography of Singin’ in the Rain, around this time, courtesy the show’s choreographer Natalie Caruncho and associate choreographer Angelica Beliard. Not gonna lie…the day after I saw the show, while in my car, I did indeed turn up On The Radio and sang at the top of my lungs, so well played Summer and company, well played.

Other highlights comes with Bad Girls (complete with a quick mention of rough street life in her early days), She Works Hard For the Money (Donna’s struggle to be more in control of her own career) and Dim All The Lights (the death of a friend and business associate at a crucial point in her career). And while I Believe in Jesus is meant to reaffirm, to some audience members Donna’s born-again era still holds a sour note as it was during that time that Donna may or may not have made comments during a particular concert equating the AIDS crisis to God’s punishment on the gay community, long her biggest audience. The show glosses over this, almost making fun of it with the Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve comment, but then gets right back on track with Donna revealing she, like so many others, not only lost fans because of the remarks, but also lost friends to the devastation of the disease.

Musically, the show gets back on track as well, with Unconditional Love, which features Smith’s Diva Donna alongside her costars and ensemble members portraying Donna’s three daughters. Another drama comes to light as the show nears its end. Again, mega fan that I am, I gotta admit, knowing what was coming, my eyes began to sweat as Diva Donna and family learn she has cancer.

Also once again, the show manages to lift spirits with Disco Donna and company heating things up one last time for Hot Stuff before all three Donnas and the entire company take to the stage for an all-in disco dancin’, hand-clappin’, on your feet, party to end all parties Last Dance.

Summer: The Donna Summer Musical continues it’s Music City run at TPAC’s Jackson Hall with shows through Sunday. CLICK HERE for tickets. Not in Nashville? The National Tour continues with stops in Binghamton, NY, Worchester, MA, Erie, PA, Huntington, WV, Knoxville, TN and more with dates on through till, well, SUMMER! For details on the remaining tour dates, or more info on the show, CLICK HERE or follow the show on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

Next up for TPAC as they continue their current Broadway Season and Special Presentations it’s What the Constitution Means to Me  on stage March 29-April 3, followed by Come From Away, April 19-24, Oklahoma!, May 3-8 and the debut presentation of May We All: A New Country Musical, June 7- July 17. Be sure to check out TPAC online and on socials by clicking any of the following:  TPAC.org, TPAC on Instagram, TPAC on Facebook, TPAC on Twitter and TPAC on YouTube.

As always, if you wanna follow JHPEntertainment to find out who I’m chatting with for my next Rapid Fire Q&A, or for my take on the latest local and national theatre, music and movie offerings, find us at JHPEntertainment on Facebook, JHPEntertainment on Instagram  and JHPEntertainment on Twitter.

Got an event or show we should know about, drop us a line at the Contact tab. Till then, #GoSeeTheShow!

For their current production, Nashville Children’s Theatre is presenting Peter Pan: Wendy’s Adventure to Neverland, an all-new story by NCT’s own Ernie Nolan with music and lyrics by David Weinstein making its World Premiere. Onstage now through March 27, this newly created escapade involving everyone’s favorite boy who’ll never grow up is, of course, based on the beloved works of J.M. Barrie.

While Barrie’s enchanting novel, Peter and Wendy was published in 1911, the character Peter Pan first appeared within the pages of Barrie’s 1902 novel, The Little White Bird. Within that work, geared towards an adult audience, by the way, Barrie devoted half a dozen chapters to newborn Peter, who mysteriously leaves his London nursery for an unexpected adventure in Kensington Gardens where fairies and feathered friends teach him to fly. Two short years after the book’s publications, Barrie expanded on the character of Peter Pan for a Christmastime-debut stage play, Peter Pan, or The Boy Who Wouldn’t Grow Up. The play proved so successful that Barrie’s publisher got the idea to take the chapters of The Little White Bird that featured Peter Pan, and release them as their own book titled Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens. Fully realizing there was more magical life in the character, Barrie expanded the tales of Peter and friends for the aforementioned 1911 novel.

As the audience enters the theatre the ghost light is seen giving just enough light to the stage. For those not familiar, the ghost light is a single bulb on a stand, centerstage left illuminated to light the way for crew and others who might be in the theatre between performances. During the last two years, the ghost light has taken on an more symbolic meaning to the theatre family worldwide as that time between performances lasted longer than anyone ever imagined. That makes what happens next with the ghost light even more poignant, as a member of the company approaches it mysteriously captures the light in their hand and, invoking the powers of pixie dust, enchantingly transfers the ghost light’s amber glow to the string of lights above the stage doubling as the night’s sky glittering with stars. Witnessing this, I remembered seeing a post from NCT’s Ernie Nolan. Posted on the show’s opening morning, it was a photo of a line of school buses parked outside the theatre as the company welcomed children back to the audience for the first time since the pandemic. In that moment, in my mind, the ghost light became Nashville Children’s Theatre and the celestial beings suspended high above the stage, represented the hundreds of children whose first theatre experiences wait inside that theatre.

It’s interesting to note that within the pages of The Little White Bird, Peter is first described as a boy who is “betwixt and between a boy and a bird”. That said, it’s evident that NCT’s Nolan and Weinstein did their homework, because the opening number of Peter Pan: Wendy’s Adventure to Neverland’s opening number is indeed titled Betwixt and Between.

In that opening number, the audience gets a first glimpse of a troop of actors who are about to perform the timeless tale of Peter Pan and Wendy Darling. Literally and figuratively at the helm is Megan Murphy Chambers as The Actress. Costumed for her role in the show within the show as Captain Hook, Chambers is a fantastical vision, complete with a faceted silver lamé hook! Just imagine if Helena Bonham Carter were cast as Hook in a production directed by Tim Burton, and you’re there. If it’s possible to have a crush on Captain Hook, I confess, I indeed have, especially in the form of one of my longtime theatre crushes, the commanding presence that is Megan Murphy Chambers.

Gerold Oliver as Peter Pan, with his perfectly playful approach to the role invites the audience along for the journey. No sooner than the play begins, a young girl comes up from the audience interrupting the action as she expresses doubt that magic and fairies exist.  As The Girl, Amanda Rodriguez finds the perfect balance between childlike innocence, wonder and questioning. Determined to waylay The Girl’s misgivings, Oliver’s Peter Pan and company, not only challenge The Girl to step into the role of Wendy, but also pose the challenge by way of the song If You Believe, knowing full well, even the simple magical effect of being on stage itself is likely enough to make her…and us believe.

As for the rest of the company, Nolan has gathered a truly enchanting ensemble. Joining Oliver, Rodriguez and Chambers are Jennifer Whitcomb-Oliva as Smee, Sarah Zanotti as Tinkerbell, Piper Jones as The Never Bird, Jonah Jackson as Tootles and Alex Pineiro as Slightly with Erika Johnson as Backstage Crew and Jack Tanzi as Assistant Stage Manager.

Whitcomb-Oliva’s Smee, like every role this uber-talented performer takes on, is blissfully fun. As adept at comedy as she is at possessing and beautifully sharing one of the richest voices the Nashville stage has ever seen, Whitcomb-Oliva, especially when volleying scenes with Chambers, is indeed perfection. The camaraderie between these two gifted performers is especially fabulous during Right Hand Man, a hilariously fun ditty full of double meaning of the funniest kind as Captain Hook may or may not be alternating the title meaning between Smee, his right hand man, and/or the aforementioned shimmering wrist accoutrement.

With a core audience ranging in ages from the very young, to the young at heart, Nolan and Winstein prove they are masters at their craft by keeping the action going at all times. To that end, come Jackson and Pineiro as Lost Boys Tootles and Slightly, respectively. For this production, Jackson and Pineiro’s Tootles and Slightly are firmly planted somewhere between the old school slapstick humor of Oliver and Hardy and the mildness antics of Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels as Lloyd and Harry in the Dumb and Dumber film franchise. The show’s next tune, Don’t Blame Me proves this point as these two actors, alongside Oliver’s Peter Pan and Zanotti’s Tinkerbell, attempt to weasel their way out of a bit of blame.

Adding to the spellbinding feel of the play, Tinkerbell appears in the form of a rod and arm puppet, beautifully constructed by MoonBull Studios, and brought to glorious pixie-dusted life by Zanotti. On the subject of puppetry featured throughout, MoonBull Studios also provides stick puppets, controlled by the actors playing Peter and Wendy as the beloved duo take to the skies. Mixing stick puppets with shadow puppetry, while flying, the actors and their puppets moved behind a fabric wall and the puppets take to the sky by way of their shadows. During this particular scene at the performance I attended, a enthusiastic young audience member seated just behind me to my left, audibly pointed out that he could see the actors legs and feet below scrim while there stick puppet selves hovered high above. At first I wondered why the scrim hadn’t been constructed as to fully conceal the actors’, then it dawned on me…If the actors had indeed been completely concealed during this moment, younger audience members’ minds might not have been challenged to realize just what all it takes to create such a fanciful moment. As it is presented, the audience is in on the magic of the performance, the magic that just might encourage them to one pursue taking to the stage themselves. Another type of puppet is utilized during the show as well, a fully articulated large-scale joined puppet, scarily appearing as Tick-Tock, the alligator.

While the show’s next number, Lagoon Toon—featuring Oliver’s Peter Pan, Whitcomb-Oliva and Jones as a couple of shell-wearing Mermaids, and ensemble members as various sea creatures—is cute, it might be a tad too reminiscent of a certain Under the Sea calypso tune from a particularly popular fish tale…or is that tail? Nonetheless, it offers yet another chance for the audience to marvel at the wonder of a full-scale (see what I did there?) musical number as presented by a near-perfect ensemble.

Another mostly all-in tune, If I Had a Mother, features Hook, Smee and various ensemble as The Pirates as they lament their lack of love, centering is squarely on the absence of a caring maternal figure. This number also moves the familiar plot along as they scheme to force Wendy into being that mother figure.

Speaking of that certain mermaid, and I was earlier, Piper Jones, who starred as Ursula in NCT’s The Little Mermaid in 2018, gets her moment to shine as The Never Bird during Never Say Never. Showcasing her marvelous voice, Jones is never better than when she’s front and center belting out a showstopper like this hummable tune.

The turning point in the thinking of the young addition to the company within the show comes when Rodriguez’s Wendy takes the lead on Do You Believe in Fairies. This is also the point in the show where the audience gets involved in a bit of call and response, and the answer is a resounding YES, of course we do indeed believe in fairies. I mean, you’d have to be a motherless, vile, lonely pirate not to, right?

With showtunes whose titles reveal the simple but enthralling plot of the rest of the show, Rodriguez then joins the Lost Boys and Tink for We Have a Mother. Then, for Peter Pan: Wendy’s Adventure to Neverland’s finale, the entire company wraps up the story and the show with With All of My Heart, and I’m here to tell you, I loved every second of this show…with all of mine.

This retelling contains all the expected elements of not only the beloved source material, but the equally beguiling animated Disney adaptation and even the more recent live action adaptations, but thanks to the creative imaginations of Nolan, Weinstein, and their entire creative team, including Scenic Designer, Scott Boyd, Lighting Designer, Scott Leathers, Costumer, Tommy Macon and others, it contains the perfect balance of familiarity peppered…no, Pixie Dusted…with a freshness that is bewitching indeed.

Peter Pan: Wendy’s Adventure to Neverland continues its engaging engagement with performances for school children during the week and public performances each Saturday and Sunday through Sunday, March 27. Click Here for tickets. Educators are encouraged to Click Here to book a field trip to see upcoming performances at Nashville Children’s Theatre.

Speaking of upcoming performances, next up for NCT, it’s another World Premiere from Ernie Nolan as the musical earworm Baby Shark comes to life on the stage April 2-June 19. Then, from June 25-July 17, Nashville Children’s Theatre presents the Nashville regional company premiere of The SpongeBob Musical to close out the current season.

For all the latest from Nashville Children’s Theatre, Check out their Official Site, or follow them on socials. You can find NCT on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

As always, if you wanna follow JHPEntertainment to find out who I’m chatting with for my next Rapid Fire Q&A, or for my take on the latest local and national theatre, music and movie offerings, find us at JHPEntertainment on Facebook, JHPEntertainment on Instagram  and JHPEntertainment on Twitter.

Got an event or show we should know about, drop us a line at the Contact tab. Till then, #GoSeeTheShow!

Tennessee Performing Arts Center revealed their coming 2022-2023  Broadway at TPAC season earlier today. Among the coming shows headed to TPAC’s Jackson Hall, there’s the return of the blockbuster hit musical, Hamilton, plus Music City debuts of seven shows and a special add-on engagement of a beloved classic.

To kick off the season from July 26 through August 7, 2022, Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Tony, Grammy, Olivier, Kennedy Center Special Presentation and Pulitzer Prize-winning masterpiece Hamilton will make it’s triumphant return to Nashville after having first played TPAC to sold-out audiences for an extended run back in December 2019/January 2020.

Making its Nashville debut from August 9 until August 14, 2022, TPAC will be home to Academy Award winner Aaron Sorkin’s recent adaptation of the Harper Lee classic, To Kill a Mockingbird, which 60 Minutes called “the most successful American play in Broadway history”. Directed by Tony winner Barlett Sheer, this national tour of the Pulitzer-winning classic will feature Emmy winning actor, Richard Thomas (The Waltons) in the lead role as Atticus Finch.

Marking another Music City premiere, Pretty Woman: The Musical will play TPAC’s Jackson Hall from September 27 through October 2, 2022. Based on the beloved film, the musical comes courtesy two-time Tony-winning director/choreographer choreographer Jerry Mitchell and film & stage producer Paula Wagner, whose credits include movies like Mission: Impossible, Vanilla Sky and The Others (all alongside her C/W Productions partner, Tom Cruise) and theatre credits such as Mothers and Sons, The Heiress and Grace. The musical features an original score by Grammy winner Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance, and a book by the movie’s legendary director Garry Marshall and screenwriter J. F. Lawton.

Two weeks ago, TPAC teased the coming Broadway season by revealing the next show, also making its Nashville debut. Running November 1-6, 2022, it’s eight-time Tony winner, Hadestown. At the 2019 Tony Awards, Hadestown took home honors for Best Musical, Best Original Score, Best Actor, Best Scenic Design, Best Lighting, Best Sound, Best Orchestration and a Best Director nod for Rachel Chavkin.

While not technically part of the 2022-2023 Broadway season, but rather a Special Add-On presentation, TPAC has also announced the return of one of the most beloved musical, Les Misérables, headed to TPAC January 10-15, 2023. Cameron Mackintosh presents the acclaimed production of Boublil and Schönberg’s Tony Award-winning musical phenomenon, Les Misérables. To take early advantage of this add-on special, Season Ticket Holders are urged to upgrade their season ticket package to include this added presentation.

Yet another Music City premiere performances comes February 21-26, 2023 as Six: The Musical, a spectacular stage show that transforms Henry the XIII’s ill-fated wives from Tudor Queens to Pop Princesses. You read that right. Instead of a yawn-inducing trip through the history of those famously divorced, beheaded, dead, divorced, beheaded, survived ladies, audiences are privy to a pop diva concert retelling written by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss. 

Just last week, TPAC offered another tease of the coming season with still another Nashville premiere, Ain’t Too Proud to Beg-The Life and Times of The Temptations, heading to TPAC March 21-26, 2022. Covering the legendary Motown groups iconic journey from the streets of Detroit to their 1989 inductions into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Ain’t Too Proud snagged 12 Tony nonitions, winning for Best Choreography at the 2019 Tony Awards ceremony. Featuring more than two dozen Temptations classics, Aint’ Too Proud proves once again why Billboard Magazine dubbed the group the Greatest R&B Group of all time. 

Continuing the string of premieres is Disney’s Aladdin, onstage May 2-7, 2023. Based on the 1992 animated classic, Aladdin brings one of the most treasured stories to life with a book by Chad Beguelin (Elf The Musical, The Wedding Singer, The Prom), It also features many of the familiar tunes by Alan Menken, Howard Ashman and Tim Rice. Adding more magic to the piece, the stage music also includes three songs by Menken and Ashman that were originally written for the film, but never used, plus new tunes by Menken and Beguelin.

Closing out the season is still another Nashville premiere as 1776: The Musical comes to TPAC from June 20-25, 2023. Fed up with living under British rule, John Adams attempts to persuade his fellow members of the Continental Congress to vote in favor of American Independence. But how much is he willing to compromise in the pursuit of freedom? Jeffrey L. Page and Diane Paulus (A.R.T. Terrie and Bradley Bloom Artistic Director) direct a new production of the Tony Award-winning musical, reexamining this pivotal moment in American history with a cast that reflects multiple representations of race, gender, and ethnicity.

Of the coming Broadway Season, TPAC President and CEO, Jennifer Turner said in a press release issued earlier today, “We’re thrilled to bring a new season of the hottest Broadway titles directly to your door. You don’t need to go to New York to see the latest shows because as a season ticket holder, you can experience all of them here at home with great savings and other benefits.”  Turner continued,“It’s an honor to serve our city and region with world-class theatrical entertainment and this spectacular lineup featuring fresh perspectives of some of the most captivating, human, and inspiring stories for our time.”

Season ticket packages are available starting Monday, Feb. 28, through March 25. Packages start as low as $40 per show when you book all eight shows. Season ticket holders receive the best seats at the best price compared to purchasing shows individually and are entitled to additional exclusive benefits, such as easy exchange privileges, flexible payment plans, and savings on additional single tickets for any 2022-23 Broadway show at TPAC.

For full benefits, pricing and seat map, visit TPAC.ORG/Broadway, where season tickets may be purchased, or call TPAC Patron Services at 615-782-6560.

For updated entry policies and other health and safety information, visit TPAC.ORG/PatronHealth.

Be sure to check out TPAC online and on socials by clicking any of the following:  TPAC.org, TPAC on Instagram, TPAC on Facebook, TPAC on Twitter and TPAC on YouTube.

As always, if you wanna follow JHPEntertainment to find out who I’m chatting with for my next Rapid Fire Q&A, or for my take on the latest local and national theatre, music and movie offerings, find us at JHPEntertainment on Facebook, JHPEntertainment on Instagram  and JHPEntertainment on Twitter.

Got an event or show we should know about, drop us a line at the Contact tab. Till then, #GoSeeTheShow!

 

On Tuesdays we wear pink. No, that’s not an autocorrect or typo. It was just the apparent preferred outfit of the day (#OOTD if you speak internet abbreviations) of many patrons attending Nashville’s Opening Night of Mean Girls National Tour and the hilarious Broadway show settles in at TPAC now thru Sunday, February 13 for their Music City tour stop. Of course the fit choice and misquote above are in reference to one of Mean Girls’ most quotable quotes when The Plastics, the girls that rule the school proudly proclaim to new girl Cady, “On Wednesdays we wear pink”.

Based on 2004’s teen comedy of the same name, from the brilliant mind of SNL alum, Tina Fey, the Mean Girls musical presents a cautionary tale about teens trying to fit in while simultaneously hoping to stand out. Though it’s based on the 2004 film, and does indeed contain the majority of the source material’s now quotable lines and catchphrases, the creative team wisely chose to update the pop culture references. This is evidenced even before the action begins as the scrim on stage is projected with images from the burn book, revealing current trash talk slang and digs.

As mentioned, this is a cautionary tale. Heck, the opening number is even titled A Cautionary Tale, in which emo-ish Janis (Mary Kate Morrisey) and the fabulously “too gay to function” Damian Hubbard (Eric Huffman), though song, neatly explain the primary plot of how far one would go to be popular.

The subjects of Janis and Damian’s warning are new students Cady Heron (Danielle Wade) and the aforementioned Plastics: Karen Smith (Jonalyn Saxer), Gretchen Wieners (Megan Masako Haley) and Plastics’ queen bee, Regina George (Nadina Hassan). Offering a hilariously relatable take on the tried and true fish out of water scenario, Cady’s family have recently moved from Kenya to Illinois, and as Cady soon learns and extols in the show’s second number It Roars, she’s basically traded one jungle for another. Even the school mascot is a lion and It Roars cleverly marks the similarities between the animals of the jungle and the animalistic traits of teens. As if the lion mascot and pride lands comparisons weren’t blatant enough, even the LED set design of It Roars smartly spoofs that other pride lands musical…you know the one. In fact, it just wrapped its latest Nashville visit last month, but I digress.

On her first day at North Shore High, Cady meets Janis and Damian. In the cafeteria, Damian channels the likes of Gene Kelly and Old Hollywood musicals as he poses the age old high school hierarchy query Where Do You Belong?. Y’all! I’m here to tell you the number’s all-in, over-the-top tray-ography is the best high school musical lunchtime number since Hot Lunch from OG high school musical movie, Fame. Think Stomp meets 42nd Street and you’re almost there.

Meet the Plastic, simply does as it suggests, it serves to introduce Cady (and the audience) to Regina and company. Regina begins the number with a sultry and seductive sequence that beautifully showcases Hassan’s vocal talents. Next up, it’s Gretchen’s intro featuring a fast-paced frantic tempo, perfectly mimicking the character’s position in regards to Regina. Masako Haley plays the unconfident second fiddle to the hilt. Lastly, Saxer’s Karen wraps the intro in the most concise and brief way imaginable. Spot on for the seemingly vapid Karen.

As is the case with most teen stories, in addition to the clique system, there’s also, inevitably, a love story. To that end, meet Aaron Samuels (Adante Carter), with his chisled features, no wonder Cady finds herself falling in Stupid Love at first sight. Spoiler Alert: Aaron is Regina’s ex. (Ok, so that shouldn’t be a spoiler alert to many, considering the movie upon which all this is based was released nearly 20 years ago).

Next up, it’s time for Morrisey’s Janis to shine as she warns Cady not to get too close to Regina in Apex Predator. Not to sound as dim as Karen, but I had never heard the term before, so I looked it up. This is one of my favorite moments in the entire show. Here’s the thing though, the entire show is filled with favorite moments. While attending Tuesday’s performance, my friend Kat Bailess and I found ourselves saying “that’s my favorite number so far” after pretty much every single numbers.

Not long after, Masako Haley’ Gretchen gets the spotlight in the telling What’s Wrong with Me? With lyrics like “Mama called me beautiful but I don’t believe that anymore”, it’s an anthem of uncertainty, that’s no double relatable to each and everyone who’s ever had even the slightest doubt about their place in the world. I’ve a feeling these past two years have made us all a little more uncertain on this front. Again, a prime example of the variety of tunes featured throughout the show. Some might say that makes this production formulaic, but to me, if honors the genre of musicals as a whole, from the expected big production numbers to the more intimate glimpses into the characters’ very souls.

Sexy follows. For fans of the movie, this is the Halloween costume party sequence. Saxer’s Karen is brilliantly funny in this number, as are some of the costumes, including Sexy Corn, Sexy Jaws, Sexy Abe Lincoln, Sexy Eleanor Roosevelt and yes, Sexy Rosa Parks. Choreo for this number also lives up to its name with a little shimmy, shake and the occasional bump & grind. Pretty sure I saw nods to everything from Hamilton to Magic Mike amongst the moves throughout Mean Girls, and I loved every one of them.

The remainder of Act 1 continues to escalate the drama. First Regina reveals to Aaron that Cady has a crush on him while simultaneously—and purposely—luring him back to her with Somebody Gets Hurt. Janis, Damian and Cady join forces to retaliate during Revenge Party. Then Fearless sees a shift in power as Cady stands up to Regina and in doing so, gets support from Karen and Gretchen, all four numbers lay the groundwork for the action of Act 2.

Following intermission, Damian, realizing Cady’s in too deep advises with the show’s most tap-tactic number, Stop. Next, Gretchen offers up a reprise of What’s Wrong With Me?. Then Kevin G (Nashville’s own Kabir Bery) who’s been primarily background during Act 1, steps front and center alongside Cady, Gretchen, Karen and the ensemble for the high energy Whose House is This? There’s just something magical about seeing a performer back in their hometown and whether the majority of the audience knew it or not, the energy of that performance was high octane fabulousness.

Another highlight of Act 2 comes midway through with World Burn. Yes, this is the moment when Regina takes the Burn Book and uses it to take down Cady. The lighting, the digital images and Regina’s stark, sinister monochromatic black on black fit blend perfectly illuminate the sinister nature of her actions.

Of course, like all teen drama, real of fictionalized, everything eventually wraps up in a neat little happy ending package but not before yet another high energy rap courtesy Kevin G, more revelations from Cady and a touching final number, I See Stars.

As she had done for the 2004 film, Tina Fey wrote the book of the musical, while husband Jeff Richmond (30 Rock, SNL, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt and more) wrote the music and Nell Benjamin (Legally Blonde, Because of Winn Dixie) crafted the lyrics. The entire creative team deserves praise, including director and choreographer Casey Nicholaw, scenic designer Scott Pack, costumer Gregg Barnes, et al.

Mean Girls continues its Nashville tour stop through Sunday, February 13. Curtain for Tuesday the 8th -Thursday the 10th is at 7:30p.m. Friday the 11th’s performances begins at 8p.m. Saturday the 12th and Sunday the 13th are two show days with a Saturday matinee at 2p.m., a Saturday evening performance at 8p.m. and a Sunday matinee at 1 and early evening performance at 6:30p.m. CLICK HERE for tickets or more information.

As TPAC continues their commitment to their patron’s safety, certain protocols are in place. To that end, attendees age 12+will be required to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test dated within 72 hours of their selected performance. All patrons age 6+ must wear masks inside the venue. CLICK HERE for more on TPAC‘s Patron Health initiative.

Not in Nashville or can’t make it to TPAC for Mean Girls? Be sure and check out Mean Girls‘ official site for future dates as the national tour continues. You can also follow Mean Girls on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram.

For the latest on TPAC and their upcoming Broadway Season and Special Presentations, including The Prom, Dear Evan Hansen, Summer: The Donna Summer Musical, What the Constitution Means to Me, Come From Away, Oklahoma! and May We All, be sure to check out TPAC online and on socials by clicking any of the following:  TPAC.org, TPAC on Instagram, TPAC on Facebook, TPAC on Twitter and TPAC on YouTube.

As always, if you wanna follow JHPEntertainment to find out who I’m chatting with for my next Rapid Fire Q&A, or for my take on the latest local and national theatre, music and movie offerings, find us at JHPEntertainment on Facebook, JHPEntertainment on Instagram  and JHPEntertainment on Twitter. Got an event or show we should know about, drop us a line at the Contact tab. Till then, #GoSeeTheShow!