Idina Menzel named as Ambassador for Kids' Night on Broadway

In an interview with Broadway World, Idina, who will be starring in the new Broadway musical If/Then, said:

When I first went to Broadway, it was a life-changing experience. There's something magical about walking through the theatre district and seeing the marquees and the lights. Nothing compares to a live Broadway performance! As an adult, I still have that nostalgic feeling I had as a child. It's important that kids come to theatre because they get to see life through different characters. The arts are so important in general, and I'm so grateful that my career awards me with so many special opportunities to connect with young people. I'm honored to be the Kids' Night on Broadway National Ambassador and extra thrilled that this year's cause-related component is our arts-centered foundation, A Broader Way, which enables expression, empowerment, and enlightenment. As does Broadway.

Kids' Night on Broadway is a program that allows children ages 6 - 18 to see participating Broadway shows for free when their parents purchase a full-price ticket. 

TPAC will host a Kids' Night on Broadway with half price tickets* to the opening night of Sister Act on March 11, 2014.  To purchase tickets, visit TPAC.org/SisterAct and use the code KIDS. 

*This limited offer is available in Price Levels 2-5 only. Tickets must be purchased in multiples of 2. Limit 6 tickets per household. 

Do You Know Desi?

With opening night of I Love Lucy Live on Stage less than a month away, we've been learning new things about Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball that we didn't know before and we wanted to share that knowledge with all of you! 

• Desi Arnaz first became famous when he popularized the song "Babalu" in 1947, which is a tribute to an Afro-Cuban god. 
  
  
  
  
• Desi was the son of Desiderio Alberto Arnaz, the mayor of Santiago, Cuba and a member of the Cuban House of Representatives and Dolores de Acha, whose father was one of three founders of Bacardi Rum. 
  
   
• Although Desi Arnaz is not credited with inventing the conga line, he is credited with popularizing it thanks to his role in the 1940 movie Too Many Girls.
   
• Lucy's maiden name on the show I Love Lucy was McGillicuddy.
• Desi introduced live audiences and also helped develop the three-camera shoot that is still used for sitcoms today. 
  
  
  Be sure to catch the "I Love Lucy Christmas Special" Friday, December 20 at 7 PM on CBS and get your tickets for I Love Lucy Live on Stage playing January 14 - February 2, 2014 at tpac.org/lucy!    

You're Going To Want This Soundtrack

Frozen, Disney's 53rd animated feature based on Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale The Snow Queen, opened over the weekend to record-breaking numbers. The movie centers on Princess Anna (voiced by Kristen Bell) and her race to find her sister, Elsa (voiced by Idina Menzel) before the kingdom of Arendelle becomes stuck in eternal winter. 

Not only does the movie star the voice talents of Broadway great Idina Menzel, it also features the resident Prince of Broadway, Santino Fontana from Rogers + Hammerstein's Cinderella as Prince Hans. Josh Gad who won a Tony Award for his portrayal of Elder Cunningham in The Book of Mormon plays the voice of Olaf the snowman. Kristoff is voiced by Jonathon Groff, who originated the role of Melchior Gabor in Spring Awakening and appeared in several episodes of Glee as Jesse St. James. 

Along with phenonmenal singers, the soundtrack will offer music written by Tony Award winner Robert Lopez, the composer of The Book of Mormon and Avenue Q. 

Combine all of that talent with Disney's storytelling skills and you have a movie that is sure to charm movie-goers of all ages! 

ON SALE NOW: Ghost and Sister Act

Although Ghost and Sister Act are two very different movies, they have a few things in common. 

1. The hilarious Whoopi Goldberg starred in both. 

2. Both musicals are coming to TPAC this season! 

3. Both are on sale now! 

From a technical standpoint, Ghost the Musical and Sister Act the Musical are distinct in their own ways, but they both have heart-warming stories to back up the fantastic original music. 

Here's Paul Kieve, the "illusions designer" for Ghost the Musical, providing a behind-the-scenes look at how he approached the creation of jaw-dropping stage magic for this one-of-a-kind musical experience. See you if you can figure how they do it. Ghost plays February 25 to March 2, 2014. 

Find out what happens when the TPAC Review Crew dress up as Sister Act nuns, escape from TPAC, and go sightseeing in Nashville. Keep a lookout for Capitol Hill, Legislative Plaza, Musica, the Parthenon, the men's room at the Hermitage Hotel, and lower Broadway. Special thanks to Jeni's, Bill at Walkin' Nashville music tours, Bolton's and Wanna B's. Sister Act the Musical plays March 6-11, 2014.

Be sure to visit tpac.org/ghost and tpac.org/sisteract  for tickets!

Psst! Special deals will be announced for Black Friday and Cyber Monday soon! Sign up for our StageLinks at tpac.org/stagelinks to receive the news!

REVIEW: Tennessee Rep Delivers an Impeccable ‘Earnest’

Photo by Shane Burkeen courtesy Tennessee Repertory Theatre.

Tennessee Repertory Theatre’s production of Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest, is now playing at TPAC’s Andrew Johnson Theater and getting rave reviews. Check out the latest from Evans Donnell at ArtsNash:

“The entire cast – which also includes Bobby Wyckoff doubling as servants Lane and Merriman, Denice Hicks as Cecily’s governess Miss Prism and Brian Webb Russell as the Rev. Canon Chasuble – are in command of moment and mirth throughout. Each has impeccable timing, and their actions and reactions are precisely what one would think they should be for each character. Carter and Landham are particularly impressive in their attacks; it’s not hard to fall into the trap of overdoing their characters’ pomposity such that Bracknell and Gwendolyn become boorish, but both actors avoid that trap with deliveries that breathe fresh life into characters I’ve seen at least 30 times on stage or screen over the years.”

Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest, directed by Rene Copeland, runs through November 2. Performances are at 6:30 p.m. Tuesdays-Thursdays; 7:30 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays; and 2:30 p.m. Oct. 19 and 26 as well as Nov. 2. 

For tickets call (615) 782-4040 or visit www.tennesseerep.org