Tennessee Performing Arts Center Breaking News

TPAC Ends TicketMaster Agreement on July 1

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 12:53:00 -0600

Author: Amanda Virgillito Saad

The Tennessee Performing Arts Center begins to sell its own tickets this month, concluding 29 years of sales through Ticketmaster as of July 1.

Customers can continue to purchase tickets for TPAC performances in ways they always have—online and at the box offices within the arts center and at Davis-Kidd Booksellers.

Watch inside video of the Legally Blonde cast on the road!

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 15:29:00 -0600

Author: Chris Szalaj

The cast of Legally Blonde is posting inside video of themselves from the road. Meet members of the cast before they come to town! The host of this show is Becky Gulsvig, and although she won't be our Elle in Nashville (Original Broadway Elle Woods Laura Bell Bundy and MTV Star Lauren Zakrin will be playing Nashville) she takes us on a great behind-the-scenes look!

MUTEMATH to play War Memorial on November 8!

Mon, 15 Jun 2009 05:50:00 -0600

Author: Heather White

More Performances Announced for the Tony Telecast

Wed, 3 Jun 2009 10:15:00 -0600

Author: Jennifer Wright

It’s show time - almost! The June 7 American Theatre Wing Tony Awards® telecast is sure to be an exciting event, with more celebrity appearances and live musical performances than ever before. Neil Patrick Harris is the host. For the first time, fans can watch the show on a giant outdoor screen in Times Square.

Breaking News

On June 2, it was announced that the Tony telecast will include the following additional performances: Dolly Parton along with the cast of 9 to 5: The Musical; Elton John with the cast of Billy Elliot, The Musical; Liza Minnelli; Stockard Channing; and the band Poison along with the cast of Rock of Ages will be taking the stage.

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Wonderful 'Wicked' this way comes

Mon, 1 Jun 2009 12:00:00 -0600

Author: Jennifer Wright

'Wizard of Oz' prequel selling out in city after city

By Fiona Soltes
FOR THE TENNESSEAN

The bewitching hour awaits.

This Saturday, come 8 a.m., single tickets go on sale for the long-anticipated HCA/TriStar Broadway at TPAC run of Wicked. The show doesn't actually arrive in Nashville until September, but beware: Tickets for the multiple award-winning prequel to The Wizard of Oz tend to sell out fast. So fast, in fact, that the show has broken house records in every city in which it has played since March 2005. In Chicago, producer David Stone says, tickets for an initial seven-week run were gone in hours.

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How to get tickets to Broadway's biggest blockbuster

Mon, 1 Jun 2009 10:07:00 -0600

Author: Amanda Virgillito Saad

There are Two Elles in 'Blonde'

Tue, 26 May 2009 13:31:00 -0600

Author: Amanda Virgillito Saad

Neil Patrick Harris to host Tony Awards June 7

Mon, 18 May 2009 03:19:00 -0600

Author: Amanda Virgillito Saad

The Dead Weather to play War Memorial Auditorium on July 30

Tue, 12 May 2009 12:00:00 -0600

Author: Heather White

Happy Days � A New Musical is rockin' and rollin' all week long right here in Music City

Fri, 8 May 2009 13:37:00 -0600

Author: Jennifer Wright

Last night marked the opening night of the Nashville run of the Broadway touring company of Happy Days: A New Musical at TPAC's Jackson Hall. A new musical, yes, but a very familiar story. This version of Happy Days, first workshopped in 2006, is just what you think it is, a musical retelling of the Garry Marshall-created 70s sitcom that took a sweetly nostalgic look at the 50s. The result is a family friendly romp thru the last year of the 50s as Jefferson High Senior Richie Cunningham, Ralph Malph, Potsie Webber, Mary Beth, Joanie, Chachi, Fonzie, Pinky Tuscadero and Mr. and Mrs. C discover the value of family and friends while saving their beloved Arnold's Drive-In from being demolished and turned into a parking lot.

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Tommy Emmanuel returns to Nashville on July 31

Fri, 8 May 2009 09:00:00 -0600

Author: Heather White

Les Claypool starts summer escapade; stops in Nashville July 6th

Tue, 21 Apr 2009 12:00:00 -0600

Author: Heather White

Mike Birbiglia at TPAC - September 17!

Fri, 17 Apr 2009 07:00:00 -0600

Author: Heather White

2009-2010 Broadway Season Announced in the Tennessean

Wed, 15 Apr 2009 08:23:00 -0600

Author: Chris Szalaj

The Tennessee Performing Arts Center has announced the next line-up of Broadway tours coming to Nashville as part of the 2009-2010 season of HCA/TriStar Broadway at TPAC.

A three-week engagement of Wicked opens and anchors the six-show season, which features legends of popular entertainment and stories that bring to life more than a century of American history. See the whole story for a complete list of shows.

Announcement of 2009 Tony Award Nominees � May 5

Tue, 14 Apr 2009 15:04:00 -0600

Author: Jennifer Wright

A pair of past Tony Award®-winners will be on hand on Tuesday morning, May 5 to announce the nominations for the American Theatre Wing’s 2009 Tony Awards. You can get the nominations list here at TonyAwards.com, or see the announcement event live on the Clear Channel Spectacolor HD video screen in New York City’s Times Square.

Lin-Manuel Miranda, composer/lyricist of the 2008 Tony-winning Best Musical, In the Heights, joins Cynthia Nixon, the much-lauded stage and screen veteran whose most recent Broadway appearance earned her a Tony Award as Best Actress in a Play, to do the honors.

The nominations announcement, which is sponsored by IBM, will take place at 8:30 a.m. ET at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center. As in past years, CBS will broadcast portions of the event live during “The Early Show.” In New York City, NY1 News will provide live cable TV coverage.

Miranda and Nixon will reveal the recipients of nominations in each of the 27 competitive categories. Productions that opened during the 2008-2009 Broadway season on before the April 30 cut-off date may be eligible for Tony Awards this year. In addition, there will be an announcement of the Regional Theatre Tony Award recipient, and of any Special Tony Awards that the Tony Awards Administration Committee may choose to bestow.

The Tony ceremony will take place on June 7, 2009 at Radio City Music Hall®, and will be broadcast live that evening on CBS at 8/7c.

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Oh, What a Night - Jersey Style

Mon, 30 Mar 2009 12:00:00 -0600

Author: Jennifer Wright

Oh, what a fabulous night it was at TPAC.

I have heard nothing but great things about Jersey Boys since it opened on Broadway, and tonight I finally got to experience it on its opening night preview in Nashville.

Growing up in NY, right across the bridge from NJ, I spent a lot of time in our sister-state listening to Jersey Boys Bruce Springsteen and Bon Jovi. However, I missed out a previous generation of NJ music from legends like Frank Sinatra and The Four Seasons. Tonight, the musical sounds of NJ's past were alive and well in Music City in a production that sounded nothing short of amazing.

Jersey Boys played to a thrilled Nashville audience who got to experience the magical musical ride of four super-talented guys who went from a street corner in NJ to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

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Rabbit Hole stuns, Jersey Boys rocks, Like It Was the Last Day

Wed, 25 Mar 2009 12:00:00 -0600

Author: Chris Szalaj

Jersey Boys fever engulfed Nashville last weekend (see below), but Tennessee Repertory Theatre also opened a local premiere at TPAC, and the company's staging of David Lindsay-Abaire's Rabbit Hole through April 4 is worthy of the work's Pulitzer Prize-winning status. Director David Alford has assembled a stellar cast, and that's particularly important to the telling of this bittersweet tale of a family striving to overcome deep heartache.

Last night's Jersey Boys cast party

Wed, 25 Mar 2009 09:26:00 -0600

Author: Dara Carson

from Jonathon Pinkerton's blog

Review: Jersey Boys serves as reminder of theater's power

Tue, 24 Mar 2009 12:00:00 -0600

Author: Jennifer Wright

By EVANS DONNELL • For The Tennessean • March 21, 2009

I like films and TV but Jersey Boys reminds me why I’ll always love theater.

The thrilling energy connecting us to this worldwide smash show’s terrific actors cannot be duplicated on the big or small screens. You’re not in a seat at Tennessee Performing Arts Center’s Jackson Hall anymore — you’re with the Four Seasons in New Jersey and elsewhere through the ups and downs of their remarkable American dream.

Yes, the unforgettable songs – including such all-time greats as “Sherry,” “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” “Rag Doll,” “Walk Like a Man,” “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You,” “Working My Way Back to You” and “December 1963 (Oh, What a Night)” – are here. But this is not just a musical revue.

Jersey Boys also tells how Bob Gaudio — the legendary songwriter/producer/singer/musician is now a Nashville resident and attended Friday’s “press opening” performance — Frankie Valli, Nick Massi and Tommy DeVito transformed their street-corner harmonies into the emotionally resonant music millions have embraced for more than four decades. It also relates the personal bumps and bruises on that fascinating journey.

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Demetri Martin is coming to TPAC on April 16!

Thu, 19 Mar 2009 17:34:00 -0600

Author: Heather White

Celtic Woman returns to Nashville on June 17th

Wed, 11 Mar 2009 12:00:00 -0600

Author: Heather White

Special '9 to 5' offer for TPAC patrons

Tue, 10 Mar 2009 15:55:00 -0600

Author: Andrew Cole

Tennessee's own Dolly Parton will soon add another credit to her impressive resume - Broadway composer. Parton has written the music and lyrics for "9 to 5: The Musical" which begins performances at New York's Marquis Theatre on April 7. TPAC patrons have access to an exclusive ticket offer valid for a limited tim eonly.

Answers to your WICKED questions

Wed, 4 Mar 2009 11:02:00 -0600

Author: Chris Szalaj

The Broadway blockbuster Wicked will open and anchor the 2009-2010
season of “HCA/TriStar Broadway at TPAC” with a three-week engagement
at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center, September 2-20.

By late April, TPAC will announce the other five titles in the six-show season ticket package touring to Nashville through spring 2010. Meanwhile, TPAC is taking “down payments” on season tickets – the only way to guarantee seats for Wicked and to accommodate the timeline requested by the producers of this show. For more information, visit www.tpac.org/wicked or call TPAC Subscriber Services at 615-782-6560 or 1-800-410-4216. Wicked is expected to go on sale to the general public between mid-May and early June.

CLICK HERE for questions TPAC has received from people interested in season tickets. We hope these answers are helpful.

Jersey Boys contest!

Mon, 2 Mar 2009 14:31:00 -0600

Author: Dara Carson

Enter to win an exclusive "Jersey Boys" prize package!

Last dance with farewell tour of Riverdance

Fri, 27 Feb 2009 12:00:00 -0600

Author: Jennifer Wright

The phenomenon that is Riverdance, a stunning show of traditional Irish step dancing, music and special effects, is at TPAC this week as part of its farewell tour.

Padraic Moyles was just 18 years old when he first joined the cast of Riverdance in 1997. And though the show’s principal dancer/dance captain has celebrated many milestones in the last decade or so — performing around the globe, earning his certification as a qualified Irish Dancing teacher and even marrying fellow cast member Niamh O’Conner — Moyle’s obvious dedication remains unchanged.

“There’s something so unique about Riverdance,” he said of the show’s long-running success. “Bill Whelan’s music is just amazing. It stands on its own even without the dancing. But when you put it all together, it’s the perfect blend of entertainment and one of the best shows out there.”

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Riverdance Kids' Night on Broadway and Winter Sale

Thu, 26 Feb 2009 12:00:00 -0600

Author: Jennifer Wright

Kids' Night on Broadway
Buy one ticket and receive a ticket for a child under 18 free. Use Password: KIDSNIGHT to receive discount.
Limited to the performance on Sunday, March 1 at 6:30pm, price level 2 only. Discount not valid on previously purchased tickets.

Winter Sale
$5 off tickets to the February 24, 25, 26 performances. Use password: FOURLEAFCLOVER to buy now.
Offer valid on all price levels, but not valid on previously purchased tickets.

Riverdance taps into TPAC one last time

Thu, 26 Feb 2009 12:00:00 -0600

Author: Jennifer Wright

By Fiona Soltes • FOR THE TENNESSEAN • February 24, 2009

Touring with Riverdance for the past seven years, Kelly Isaac has seen a variety of reactions to the Irish step dance show. Two, however, stand out: First, a Japanese ovation that was so long he had gone back to the dressing room and changed out of costume before it was over. And second, the surprised look he still gets when he admits his style of dance is African-American tap, not Irish hard shoe.

"A lot of people who haven't seen (Riverdance), they just don't know what it's all about," says Isaac, a teacher and tap dancer who has performed with the likes of Gregory Hines, Savion Glover, Ted Levy and Henry LeTang. "They think it's just this line of Irish dancers for two-and-a-half hours, and that could put you off a little bit."

Instead, the show, which returns to TPAC this week, includes a variety of dance styles — including the aforementioned American tap as well as Russian folk and Spanish flamenco — representative of the diverse cultures the Irish encountered while emigrating from their home country for political and economic reasons.

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TPAC's first Women's Day on Broadway � The Pajama Game

Mon, 16 Feb 2009 13:15:00 -0600

Author: Jennifer Wright

Don't miss TPAC's first Women's Day on Broadway, Saturday, February 21, 2009!

This exciting event includes up to a $20 ticket discount* on The Pajama Game, as well as exciting pre-show activities.

To reserve tickets, please contact TPAC Group Sales at groups@tpac.org or 615-782-4060.

Brentwood High School Graduate Takes the TPAC Stage in The Pajama Game

Fri, 13 Feb 2009 12:00:00 -0600

Author: Jennifer Wright

Brentwood High School graduate and music alum Thomas DeMarcus will be on stage at TPAC February 17-22 with the cast of The Pajama Game. A Tennessee native, Thomas has been involved with various theater companies in Nashville including Boiler Room Theatre, Pull-Tight Players and Chaffin's Barn Dinner Theater.

4 Great Ways to Save!

Joan Baez ~ Live in Concert!

Wed, 11 Feb 2009 17:20:00 -0600

Author: Heather White

Come See �LOVE OVERBOARD� at TPAC on Saturday, March 7th

Fri, 6 Feb 2009 13:50:00 -0600

Author: Heather White

James Taylor is coming to TPAC on May 13 for one night only!

Fri, 6 Feb 2009 13:44:00 -0600

Author: Heather White

WICKED TICKETS: Be first in line

Tue, 3 Feb 2009 12:00:00 -0600

Author: Chris Szalaj

Become a 2008-2009 Season Ticket Holder now to guarantee your WICKED tickets!

By purchasing season tickets to the 2008/2009 HCA/TriStar Broadway at TPAC series, you will be among the first in line to buy tickets for WICKED, coming to TPAC September 2009.
Buy online now for under $100 to see all four remaining 2008/2009 shows.
Subscribe now online: http://www.tpac.org/broadway

Exciting Internship Opportunities at TPAC

Thu, 29 Jan 2009 12:00:00 -0600

Author: Jennifer Wright

TPAC’s Marketing department is looking for a Graphic Design Intern and a New Media Marketing Intern for the Spring or Summer 2009 semesters.

If you are or know a junior/senior-level college student majoring in Graphic Design or a sophomore/junior/senior-level student interested in the emerging field of New Media Marketing, please:
• Visit www.tpac.org/about/employment.asp
• E-mail graphics@tpac.org

Winter Sale on Riverdance Tickets!

Tue, 27 Jan 2009 17:19:00 -0600

Author: Golriz Lucina

Save $5 on Riverdance tickets for the Feb 24, 25, 26 performances! The password for the discount is FOURLEAFCLOVER. Offer valid on all price levels but not valid on previously purchased tickets.

Save $10 on a pair of tickets to The Pajama Game

Tue, 27 Jan 2009 15:46:00 -0600

Author: Chris Szalaj

WEB SAVER OFFER
Save $10 on a pair of tickets to see The Pajama Game. CLICK HERE to make your purchase now using password: VALENTINE. This offer is good for any performance time and date. Don't delay, buy your tickets now!

Bacchanalian Society of Nashville Wine Tasting Event

Wed, 21 Jan 2009 12:00:00 -0600

Author: Jennifer Wright

Sponsor Organization: Tennessee Performing Arts Center
When: January 22, 2009
Where: TPAC's Main Lobbies - 505 Deaderick Street, Nashville, TN 37243
Time: Registration begins at 7:00PM
Designated Wine: Australian Reds
Ticket Price: Pre-Pay $10/person Click here to pre-pay now
Pay at the Door $15/person
Parking: Some Free parking is available on the street nearby and at meters on surrounding streets. Here is a map of Nashville parking lots.
Additional Info: Pre-payment is not required, but is greatly encouraged. It will secure your spot and decrease your wait time at check-in. This event is 21 and up. Identification will be checked at the door.

TPAC presents a wonderful 'Wizard'

Wed, 14 Jan 2009 15:26:00 -0600

Author: Jennifer Wright

Evans Donnell's review of The Wizard of Oz for The Tennessean, January 14

Cardinals add second show!

Mon, 12 Jan 2009 17:01:00 -0600

Author: Heather White

RIVERDANCE: Kid's Night on Broadway - Buy 1, get 1 free!

Mon, 29 Dec 2008 16:45:00 -0600

Author: Chris Szalaj

Buy one ticket and receive a ticket for a child under 18 free. Limited to the performance on Sunday, March 1 at 6:30pm, price level 2 only. Discount not valid on previously purchased tickets.

Use Password: KIDSNIGHT to receive discount when buying.

Joan Baez at TPAC's Polk Theater!

Fri, 19 Dec 2008 15:16:00 -0600

Author: Heather White

Outback Concerts is proud to bring Joan Baez to TPAC's Polk Theater on Friday, February 27, 2009. Tickets go on sale Monday, December 22, 2008 at 10:00am.

Channel 4 spotlights TPAC Education, accessibility services

Wed, 17 Dec 2008 13:04:00 -0600

Author: Andrew Cole

WSMV's Terry Bulger recently paid a visit to an HOT performance of "Amahl and the Night Visitors" where the Tennessee School for the Blind experienced the show using a hands-on approach.

Save $20 on a pair of The Pajama Game tickets - Learn how now!

Mon, 15 Dec 2008 13:49:00 -0600

Author: Chris Szalaj

DONATE A PAIR OF CHILDREN'S PAJAMAS & SAVE $20 ON A PAIR OF TICKETS
TPAC partners with Pajama Program to bring smiles and warmth to Tennessee's children in need.

Donate $7 to TPAC Education this holiday season

Mon, 15 Dec 2008 09:00:00 -0600

Author: Chris Szalaj

Donating even a small amount like $7 can help one child make it to TPAC and enjoy a live theatrical performance. Donate today at www.tpac.org/donate.

Meet Christi Dortch, TPAC's Senior Director of Programming and Product Development

Mon, 15 Dec 2008 05:43:00 -0600

Author: Chris Szalaj

Read about the challenges of programming a Broadway season for a performing arts center, and how Christi goes about solving them! This should answer alot of questions you may have about the inner-workings of what comes to Nashville and when!

Do you know a kid who would like to become a part of Broadway?

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 16:23:00 -0600

Author: Chris Szalaj

The Tennessee Performing Arts Center is a member of The Broadway League, the national association of the Broadway industry, in New York and nationwide. We have just received word that the League is accepting applications through December 1 for a brand new Kids Advisory Board.

Tuna Does Vegas is almost here!

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 08:00:00 -0600

Author: Chris Szalaj

Tuna Does Vegas is just around the corner, so read all about this hilarious new show that is by the same guys that brought you Greater Tuna and A Tuna Christmas.