The Performing Arts

The Tennessee Performing Arts Center (TPAC)

A major renovation completed in fall 2003 gave the drab, utilitarian Tennessee Performing Arts Center (TPAC), 505 Deaderick St. (tel. 615/782-4000; www.tpac.org), a much-needed makeover. Glass walls and an electronic marquee now illuminate the formerly nondescript, concrete exterior of Nashville's premier performance facility. The center houses three theaters: the Andrew Johnson, the James K. Polk, and the Andrew Jackson, whose expanded lobby now dazzles patrons with a 30-foot waterfall and other aesthetic touches. The three spaces can accommodate large and small productions (ticket prices range $10-$45). Resident companies based here include the Nashville Ballet (tel. 615/244-7233; www.nashvilleballet.com), which each year stages two full-length ballets and two programs of selected pieces; the Nashville Symphony (tel. 615/255-5600; www.nashvillesymphony.org), which presents a mix of classical and pops concerts, as well as a children's series; and the Nashville Opera (tel. 615/292-5710; www.nashvilleopera.org), which mounts four lavish productions annually.

TPAC, as locals know it, is also home to two theater companies. The Tennessee Repertory Theatre (tel. 615/244-4878; www.tnrep.org) is the state's largest professional theater company. Its five seasonal productions run from September to May and include dramas, musicals, and comedies. TPAC's other resident theater company is Circle Players (tel. 615/255-9600, a community group nearing its 50th anniversary. This company does six productions per season and seems to take more chances on lesser-known works than the Rep does.

In addition to productions by Nashville's main performing-arts companies, TPAC also hosts various acts such as Blue Man Group, which kicked off the Fall 2003 season, and an annual "Broadway Series" (tel. 615/782-4000) that brings first-rate touring productions to Nashville between October and June. Tickets to TPAC performances are available either at the TPAC box office or through Ticketmaster (tel. 615/255-9600).

If you plan to peruse the performing arts, consider calling the concierge before you arrive. Offer a tip in exchange for having your tickets ready and waiting for you.

Other Venues & Series Around The City

Looking beyond TPAC, you'll find a wide array of performances in the Great Performances at Vanderbilt series (tel. 615/322-2471; www.vanderbilt.edu), which is staged at Vanderbilt University's Langford Auditorium, 21st Ave. S (tickets $10-$30). Each year, this series includes more than a dozen internationally acclaimed performing-arts companies from around the world. The emphasis is on chamber music and modern dance, but touring theater productions and classical ballet companies are also scheduled. To reach Langford Auditorium, take 25th Avenue South off West End Avenue, and then turn left on Garland Avenue. The Nashville Municipal Auditorium, 417 Fourth Ave. N. (tel. 615/862-6390), was for many years the site of everything from circuses to revivals. Today the aging, dome-roofed venue plays host to everything from rock icons like Bob Dylan to children's shows fronted by Bob the Builder. Plus, there's always the occasional rodeo, boxing match, or "monster-truck" mash. A stone's throw away, the new Gaylord Entertainment Center, 501 Broadway (tel. 615/770-2000; www.gaylordentertainmentcenter.com), is now the venue of choice for major rock and country music concerts, ice shows, and, of course, NHL hockey courtesy of the Nashville Predators.

During the summer months, outdoor performances enliven many venues around the city. The busiest of these is the AmSouth Amphitheatre, 3839 Murfreesboro Pike (tel. 615/641-5800; www.amsouthamphitheatre.com), which hosts numerous name performers (tickets $16-$40). Pop, country, jazz, rock, ethnic, and classical music all take the stage under the stars here. Reserve a seat or spread out with a blanket and have a picnic on the grassy slopes.

The "Dancin' in The District" series brings free concerts by national acts (usually rock) to downtown Nashville's Coliseum every Thursday night from June to August. Admission is $3. Performances (by bands such as Hootie and the Blowfish and the Indigo Girls in 2003) take place between 5 and 10pm. For more information, call tel. 615/329-2556. The Frist Center for the Arts offers Frist Fridays on the last Friday of every month (May-Sept). Free admission includes live music and appetizers outside on the courtyard, along with entry into the Frist's galleries. 5:30-9pm. For more information, call tel. 615/244-3340.

Check the Nashville Scene to see who's performing at these concerts during your visit. Farther away, the verdant grounds of Cheekwood Botanical Gardens and Museum of Art, 1200 Forrest Park Dr. (tel. 615/353-2163; www.cheekwood.org), are the site of annual summer concerts by the Nashville Symphony each June.

If you enjoy dinner theater, you may want to check out Chaffin's Barn Dinner Theatre, 8204 Tenn. 100 (tel. 800/282-BARN [2276] or 615/646-9977; www.dinnertheatre.com), housed in a big old Dutch-colonial barn 20 minutes outside of Nashville (tickets, dinner, and show $40 adults, $20 children 12 and under; show only, $28 adults, $20 children). The dinner is an all-you-can-eat country buffet (think fried catfish, slabs of ham, green beans, and fruit cobblers and berry shortcakes) and plays are generally time-tested musicals and contemporary comedies. In 2004 shows will run the gamut from Cabaret and Annie Get Your Gun to Arsenic and Old Lace. Performances are Tuesday through Saturday (dinner 6-7:30pm; shows 8pm) and Sunday (buffet is served noon-1:30pm; show 2pm). Reservations are required and must be paid for 24 hours in advance. Senior and children's matinees are also offered at discounted prices. To reach Chaffin's Barn, take I-40 west to Exit 199 (Old Hickory Blvd.) and head south to Old Harding Road (Tenn. 100), turn right, and continue for 4 miles (6.5km).

And then, of course, there's the Belcourt Theatre, 2102 Belcourt Ave. (tel. 615/383-9140; www.belcourt.org), where you can catch the latest art-house film releases and other cinematic fare that's all but ignored by today's modern multiplexes. Live entertainment is staged here occasionally as well (fitting, as the venue was one of the early homes of the Grand Ole Opry).

Opry bound? Be aware that not all country stars are members of the grand ol' gang. So if you're hoping to see, say, George Strait, Wynonna, or the Dixie Chicks, look elsewhere. Many fans might not realize that Opry members are invited performers who must agree to a certain number of Opry appearances. Consequently, due to scheduling conflicts or other concerns, not every country singer who's a household name is represented.

But plenty of them are. At press time, the Opry's stellar roster included: Trace Adkins, Bill Anderson, Clint Black, Garth Brooks, Jim Ed Brown, Roy Clark, John Conlee, Skeeter Davis, Diamond Rio, Little Jimmy Dickens, Joe Diffie, Holly Dunn, The Gatlin Brothers, Vince Gill, Billy Grammer, Tom T. Hall, Emmylou Harris, Jan Howard, Stonewall Jackson, Alan Jackson, George Jones, Hal Ketchum, Alison Krauss, Patty Loveless, Loretta Lynn, Martina McBride, Del McCoury, Reba McEntire, Lorrie Morgan, The Osborne Brothers, Brad Paisley, Dolly Parton, Charley Pride, Jeanne Pruett, Del Reeves, Riders In The Sky, Ricky Van Shelton, Jean Shepard, Ricky Skaggs, Ralph Stanley, Marty Stuart, Pam Tillis, Randy Travis, Travis Tritt, Ricky Van Shelton, Porter Wagoner, Steve Wariner, The Whites, and Trisha Yearwood.