Country Entertainment
April Theater Roundup

by Doug Dyer

With spring and its warm weather upon us, the focus for leisure activities in Middle Tennessee and elsewhere shifts outdoors. But in the month of April, plenty of choices remain if you still are feeling the last of the winter chill and need to go on an adventure to another country, solve a mystery or laugh at some good jokes, all from the comfort of your theater seat.
Nashville and the surrounding area feature numerous stage productions, concerts, dinner theaters or comedy shows to cater to anyone’s taste. This is nowhere close to enough space to list them all, but Country Entertainment wanted to spotlight a few of the notables that might pique your interest as we get into the heart of spring.

Theater
Sure, you can always go to the movies. Watching a live production, however, can whisk one right into the story. You see the characters’ pain, you feel their excitement. One of the largest theater venues in Nashville is the Tennessee Performing Arts Center, where you can see the lights of Broadway one night and laugh at Robin Williams the next. April offers a diverse menu at TPAC, with Alfred Hitchcock’s “The 39 Steps” at the Tennessee Repertory Theater and the highly acclaimed Broadway musical “Cats” at TPAC’s Jackson Hall. The Nashville Ballet and Nashville Opera also have performances on the docket as well. Visit tpac.org or call 615-782-4000 for show and ticket information … The Belcourt Theatre located in the heart of Hillsboro Village offers live performances in addition to music and independent film events. No blockbusters here, though, only the essence of filmmaking. April will feature an assortment of short films and documentaries, in addition to the MDI International Film Premiere April 14, which features “Drawing Back the Curtain,” a documentary about Media Design Imaging and its work with indie filmmakers and businesses to create new ways to communicate their message. Log onto belcourt.org or call 846-3150 for more about this or other events at the Belcourt … Other local productions in April include “Godspell” at Pull-Tight Theatre in Franklin (pull-tight.com); “Crimes of the Heart” at Boiler Room Theatre (boilerroomtheatre.com); and “The Foreigner” at Chaffin’s Barn Dinner Theatre (dinnertheatre.com), and many more.

Music
This is Music City USA, so there is never a shortage of live music to be found anywhere in the area. But for a break from the norm, the Nashville Symphony offers pumpkin coaches and guitar symphonies during April. The SunTrust Classical Series April 7-9 features works by Conni Ellisor, Rachmaninoff and Bruckner, while Dvorak’s Eighth Symphony will be the presentation April 21-23. The Guitar Orchestra of Barcelona performs April 14, and the Schermerhorn Center will host Show Hope’s 2nd Annual Spring Celebration with Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “Cinderella.” More information is available at nashvillesymphony.org.

Comedy
A good laugh can cure even the greatest ailments. And in today’s world, one can never have enough laughs. Zanies Comedy Club is always happy to oblige when it comes to a variety of genres and personalities from across the comedy spectrum. Mark Curry from “Hangin’ With Mr. Cooper” will take the Zanies stage in April, along with Jon Reep from “Last Comic Standing” and Natasha Leggero, who has appeared on E!’s “Chelsea Lately.” Other notables on the horizon at Zanies are Killer Beaz, Kevin Pollack, James Gregory, Kathleen Madigan and Rob Schneider. Call Zanies at 269-0221 or visit nashville.zanies.com for a complete calendar and ticket information.