The lovely and talent ladies of Nashville's Music City Burlesque are a reason to be proud of living…read morein this city. Beautiful and skilled burlesque dancers who make me proud to be a woman! Most of their performances are at Marathon Music Works, though I have also seen shows at Darkhouse Theater and Exit In (I have reviews for all the venues) but the Marathon shows are the best. They have a Cabin Fever show each winter which is worth braving the cold for. They have done special shows with the touring Suicide Girls and with local songwriters. The tickets are always reasonably priced so there's no excuse not to go. These ladies are not strippers. They are dancers, classical and edgy. So many people I know are nervous about going to one of their shows but these are classy, fun girls providing classy, fun entertainment. The crowds are energetic and great to be a part of. The dancing is about tantalizing, teasing, enticing...and it's fun! Their skits are a combination of dance and humor and beauty. I would highly recommend attending one of these shows. You will not be disappointed. I am proud to say I attend every show I can and I bring anyone I can with me, and everyone has fun...so check out their website and check out their shows!

True burlesque performers, with one eye focused on the origins of the art and another on the…read morecutting edge. These girls have it all! Every member brings their own style, grace, and energy to each act. There are the burlesque purists, the sex bombs, the comics and the alternative performers. If you are new to Nashville, a long time fan, or just passing through: add an McB show to your to do list.

Had an amazing girls trip that included line dancing with stompin' grounds. We learned two dances…read moreand received videos of both! Such a fun fantastic memory to make and keep. The only thing I would say is dancing space was a little tight not sure if they can do a bigger studio but still 5/5!!!!!

An iconic Nashville activity come to life! Registration through the website was very easy and…read moreprovided step by step instructions on where to go, what to bring and how to get in. Reminder, that if you are over 21 please bring an ID, makes it easier to get through the front door on Broadway. As an alternative, there is an entrance through the alley between the bars on Broadway and the Ryman that accesses all/most of the bars. After going all the way to the top floor with an amazing view, our instructor Jason checked us in. He did a fabulous job, explaining the process, breaking down the line dance and taking some amazing video to keep to show all your friends and family what a fabulous dancer that you are. HA! They send the video a few days after the experience and its included in your fee. My suggestion would be to either build more time into the lesson to grab drinks between or pay a bit more and have a bar tender upstairs. They do provide immediate access to water because boy shaking it makes you thirsty. Had a fabulous time and definitely encourage visitors to give this a try.

This was an experience I was NOT ready for but very happy that this is now a locked in memory that…read moreI got to experience. For a bachelor party, one of the guys booked tickets for us to go to a show. I personally knew none of the lineup that was performing throughout the evening but still wanted to go and check this out anyways. Walking up to the place, nothing too special. As you got closer, the flair started to show of how great this place is. Then walking in....WOW! Not what I expected at all. The decor is incredible. It's so hard to explain so you have to see it for yourself. Likewise when you get in to your seats (we were on the first level), sitting down to look at the stage is just something so unique and different from a typical music venue. Usually the shows are broadcasted live to a radio station, so they really put out a good show each night. You could lightly talk to people around you during the shows, so it wasn't incredibly loud like most places. The lights that were behind the different performers felt so nice on your eyes too. Everyone sounded great and the last guy had been performing for over 50 years! They still brought him out and he put on a heck of a closing performance! It was sad to walk out of this place. My friends felt the same way, we did a lap of the place and stuck around in the gift shop for a bit to continue absorbing the evening. We still even stood outside for a while taking pictures. The Grand Ole Opry...is something! Words can barely describe this place. You have to see it yourself, pictures don't do the justice.

It's no Ryman, but I understand the dollar signs that built the new(er) Opry building. Lots of…read morephoto ops around the entrance. Can accommodate lots of country music fans (and tourists); and at least the truly grand old Ryman continues to host many wonderful shows. Warning for those staying at the Gaylord and walking over to the Opry for a show. You'll already have walked A LOT inside the Gaylord, and it's a good ways from there on the path to the Opry. We had one of the rooms closest to the Opry side Gaylord exit and it was still a solid mile walk each way. If that's a bit far for you, and you're thinking you'll just take a break mid walk, there is no resting point, not a single bench, between the hotel and opry. We'll certainly see how convenient ride share is for our next Opry concert. The benches (not seats) at least are cushioned, so they emulate the church pews of the Ryman, with a touch more comfort. Signs show the venue getting a little worn. For example, there was no running water in any of the sinks in the men's room. We'll be back. How can you not.

We saw one of the historic and influential Bollywood movies that shaped Indian cinema. Glad to see…read moreinstitutions like Belcourt still preserving the art of old school films and theatre.

The venue was small but quaint. The concession stand gave us free filtered water to drink in loo of…read morea $4 bottle of water. The seats in the theatre were not particularly comfortable after 2.5 hours, but we endeavored to persevere because we loved Ralphie 'May and came to support his wife and children. The movie "Come what May" was a documentary produced by his wife and was an inward look at his life as a comedian, husband and father. He is loved and missed very much. RIP, Ralphie.

Over the years I've heard jokes about "Community Theater" but this is the first time I've ever…read moreactually been to one. It's a unique, but fun, experience. Imagine coming to a friendly strangers house and watching friendly strangers perform a play for you in their living room. That's the Lakewood Theater experience. The better half and I saw 39 Steps, and it was thoroughly enjoyable. The players do a wonderful job of telling a story with a bare minimum of props and some pretty decent acting. If you are looking for a Broadway experience, you'll probably be disappointed but if you are looking for some fun in an intimate setting I highly recommend it.

STILL SCRATCHING MY HEAD!…read more Let's be honest, Lakewood Theatre is a very small, very old, slightly neglected theater. HOWEVER, this little theatre really delivered when it came to their recent production of A Christmas Carol. My husband and I were simply bewildered by the talent here as it is a very small town and this venue does not exactly scream: Talent resides here! According to one audience member, the theatre has been around for approximately 30 years but the building is quiet a bit older and this is most evident with the seats. The wooden seats are super narrow and somewhat uncomfortable for those that are fluffier than most. They appear to be at least fifty years old. The production was very professional as was the cast. My husband and I both agreed that this group of talented actors and actresses deserve a larger and much nicer space. Regardless of the venue, the play did not suffer one bit. We enjoyed every aspect of it including the singing and instrumental performances. This play was perfect for the entire family and proudly represented the spirit of Christmas. Lakewood is a great little theatre and worth checking out if you are looking for great plays and performances.

It's difficult to enter the theater if you have limited mobilty. Your two choices are very steep…read morestairs or a very long winding uphill wheelchair ramp. Once inside, you enter a dark theater with stadium type seating. There were no handrails on the way to your seat, which we would have appreciated. The restrooms are stage left & many stairs to navigate. BUT the theater itself is lovely. The performance we saw was top-notch. All employees at theater very helpful. The feel of the theater is so nice.

My playwright friend asked me: "So, what did you do in Nashville?"…read more"I meant to tell you, I saw a play!" "...What??" "It was an Ibsen play. A Doll's House." "...You went to Tennessee to see theatre?" "Well, I-- "You went to /Tennessee/ to see theatre?" "Yes. It was community theatre, too!" "Oh, god." It's not that my friend's cynicism was totally misplaced. I'd give the production itself 3 stars - the actors lapsed back into a slight Southern twang on occasion, which was distracting. And I personally wasn't a fan of the director's work. I prefer more creative license, thought put into light/set/timing/etc. A play is more than just its script! (Another theatre friend told me: "I've always imagined the set of that play to be just a door." BRILLIANT) Also, I hated the stadium seating. Heads potentially blocking your view is easier to deal with than having to gaze downward the whole time. Still, I'm all for supporting local arts, and the theatre and the production company that had put on the show (Act I) are great. We went to a 2:30pm Sunday matinee, because we're old people. Actually, yes, everyone else was a senior, aside from a young woman with a horribly intrusive cough. The theatre space, set in an old creaky church, was probably less than 20% full. The bathroom was pretty ancient looking. We were confused about the parking situation since there was no street parking available and no signage, and ended up in the McDonald's lot around the corner. Tickets were only $12. Credit cards are accepted; they use the Square card reader hooked up to an iPad. Otherwise, there's a low-budget feel to all of it, and it's really up to you whether to take it as dreary or endearing. Worth a visit as a tourist? Sure, if you're curious about Nashville's community theatre scene, or if like me you've been starved for theatre for too long in your ridiculously expensive home city.

The whole experience was amazing and very well organized. Andrea was great, she was definitely…read morepatient with our group of 11 softball girls. They learned 2 routines and continued to use them at the beginning of every softball game that week.

We hired New Boots for a private lesson for our team building activity while visiting Nashville. We…read morehad a blast and our instructor was so great. She adapted well in the moment to our various levels of comfort and ability to learn the dances.

One Saturday in August of 2010, I was having lunch at Panera with my then-girlfriend now-wife. We…read morewere discussing our plans for the day, and what we could do in the evening. It so happened that my eyes fell upon a pretty grim and ominous looking poster tacked to the community billboard at the back of the Panera. "Twilight of the Gods - Great minds die alike." A play by a new theater company in Nashville called Blackbird Theater. Curious, I looked it up on my phone and found it interesting enough that I bought us tickets for that very night. Since that first night, we've seen 3 other productions by Blackbird Theater: Arcadia, Magic and their current production, Amadeus. Blackbird Theater is a Nashville theater company by Greg Green and Wes Driver. They bill themselves as theater for the "intellectually adventurous," - in other words they specifically select plays that are challenging - in their dialog, in their ideas, in their acting and also in their production. From my experience they certainly deliver on all these. Production quality: From their very first play, I've always been impressed with their production quality. From the stage, to the props and wardrobes, to the acting - they've always have managed to create scenes specific to their era and to the mood. Acting: They've also been very skilled at finding impressive talent for their roles: In Twilight of the Gods, they had to cast for Mark Twain, Rasputin, Annie Oakley, Nietzsche and more. When you've got characters who are so well known to the public, it's easy for them to appear as caricatures, but in every case I've found the roles to be very convincing. Play selection: While I've missed two plays out of the 6 shows they've now done, from the 4 that I've seen I would say that while I definitely appreciate the plays they select, they are also not for everyone. As I mentioned, they select plays which tackle difficult material - philosophical, scientific, mathematical. That being said, the plays are far from being college lectures - they are entertaining, they are emotional, and even thrilling. As an example: The first play they had put on, Twilight of the Gods, was written by themselves (Wes Driver and Greg Green). It's a murder-mystery with notable Victorian people as the main characters. To put it brief: Clue for Grown Ups. The premise is that a wealthy intellectual is able to find historical luminaries reincarnated into present day people. With some convincing, he is able to transform these people back into their former selves - upon which they take on the appearance and mannerisms of the figures. The man's goal is to create a more enlightened age by specifically choosing a set of people who were experts in their own rites, and can discuss issues in a productive way. These discussions begin to be interrupted as the people are suddenly killed off - one by one. I managed to catch their current production, Amadeus, on opening night. Having seen the film, I wasn't sure what to expect. To put it simply, I was blown away. It was profound material and delivered better than Hollywood. For a play to span more than 30 years of time means a lot of scenes, and for characters to age. The actor who played the lead role, Salieri, was incredible as he transitioned back and forth between the young Salieri to the old. Most importantly, they managed to capture the mood, music and emotion of the story in a way that was deeper than the film (I could hear sniffles and tears of the audience). My major criticism unfortunately is with the venue - Blackbird Theater has all its shows at Lipscomb's Shamblin Theater. The theater itself is not bad: I like its proximity to some restaurants and coffee shops you can visit during intermission, and the main area is set up with circular tables that give the stage production more depth as those at the tables often feel more immersed within the play. What is really problematic for me are the chairs - which is not something I'd normally complain about. Shamblin Theater's chairs are awful - they are stiff, and upright in such away that three-quarters of the way through the production, you find yourself with a stiff lower back, and neck. The chairs are so bad they can sometimes become distracting, as you can't find a comfortable position. All in all, I'll finish off by saying that I look forward to future productions by Blackbird Theater, and there's a lot that can be said about a theater company when my only complaint is with the chairs. I encourage everyone (even those who may be intimidated by the idea of "intellectual theater") to give Blackbird Theater a shot - they're a small, local theater company that puts on high quality productions with ticket prices far less than what you'd find at TPac.

From the owner: Blackbird Theater produces two shows a year - original works and rarely seen plays by artists like…read moreStoppard, Shaw, and Sondheim. Our Mission: To create entertaining, enlightening stage productions that reawaken audiences to the thrill of theater. Our shows will be intellectually challenging and imaginatively rendered, focusing on inventive original works, rarely produced plays by renowned playwrights, and one-of-a-kind special events--all of which celebrate the vitality and immediacy of the live theater experience. Blackbird - Nashville's most intellectually adventurous theater.