Brian Russell News

Members of the Nashville theater community will gather today to lay to rest - and celebrate the thriving legacy - of A.W. 'Big John' Chaffin, the founder of Music City's first professional theater company and the patriarch of one of the first families of Tennessee theater.

It's your last week to vote for the 2014 BroadwayWorld Nashville Regional Awards! Check out the latest live stats as of December 26th. Voting closes at the end of the year, in under one week!

Time is ticking on your last chance to vote for the 2014 BroadwayWorld Nashville Regional Awards! Check out the latest live stats as of December 19th. Voting closes at the end of the year!

Voting has now opened for the 2014 BroadwayWorld Nashville Regional Awards! Check out the latest live stats as of December 4th.

Voting has now opened for the 2014 BroadwayWorld Nashville Regional Awards! Check out the latest live stats as of December 4th.

Although it seems hard to believe, Thanksgiving is this Thursday and as we reflect on the people, places and things that have made us truly happy this year and makes us most thankful, in general, we're also considering what things theatrical for which we are especially grateful in 2014.

The latest in unauthorized gossip and buzz from the heart of Chicago's showtune video bars, and musical theater news from Chicago to Broadway. The 2014 BroadwayWorld Chicago Award nominations are announced, Lyric presents 'Porgy' and 'Carousel,' 'Camelot' opens, 'Ring Of Fire' and 'Annie' return, 'Annie' and 'Ani' hit screens, parodies of 'Guffman,' the Merman/Mormon thing, Rudolph and Tupperware, and a suburban 'Garden!'

One of Investigation Discovery's (ID) guiltiest pleasures, FATAL VOWS, is back for a third season with even more tantalizing tales of love turned lethal. From blushing brides turned cold-blooded killers, to smitten grooms with shocking dark sides, FATAL VOWS returns to examine the criminal psychology behind these deadly divorces. Stacy Kaiser, a licensed psychotherapist and relationship expert, and Dr. Brian Russell, an attorney as well as a forensic and clinical psychologist, guide viewers through these crimes of passion, examining each couple to better understand how the marriage turned from flawed to fatal. Premiering tonight, November 8 at 9/8c on Investigation Discovery, season three features all-new stories of love gone wrong, including a professional football player with a violent temper, a greedy, young wife looking for a pay-out, and a husband whose violent criminal past haunts an entire family.

One of Investigation Discovery's (ID) guiltiest pleasures, FATAL VOWS, is back for a third season with even more tantalizing tales of love turned lethal. From blushing brides turned cold-blooded killers, to smitten grooms with shocking dark sides, FATAL VOWS returns to examine the criminal psychology behind these deadly divorces. Stacy Kaiser, a licensed psychotherapist and relationship expert, and Dr. Brian Russell, an attorney as well as a forensic and clinical psychologist, guide viewers through these crimes of passion, examining each couple to better understand how the marriage turned from flawed to fatal. Premiering Saturday, November 8 at 9/8c on Investigation Discovery, season three features all-new stories of love gone wrong, including a professional football player with a violent temper, a greedy, young wife looking for a pay-out, and a husband whose violent criminal past haunts an entire family.

One of Investigation Discovery's (ID) guiltiest pleasures, FATAL VOWS, is back for a third season with even more tantalizing tales of love turned lethal.

Mercury Theater Chicago, 3745 N. Southport Avenue, presents Theater at the Center's production of RING OF FIRE: THE MUSIC OF JOHNNY CASH, a thrilling musical celebration of 'The Man in Black', running from April 30 through June 28, 2015.

While a storm raged in Fish Creek outside Peninsula Players Theatre (PPT) on a Thursday evening, inside actor Christine Mild generated her own songstress fury starring in the musical memoir "Always..Patsy Cline." PPT's memorable production directed by Brian Russell retells Cline's short yet stellar country music career, through the stories related by Louise Seeger, a friend she met in Houston when on tour. Louise relates her chance meeting with Cline at the Esquire ballroom, where afterwards Cline spends the night at Louise's house, and the friendship lasts until Cline's untimely death in a plane crash at the young age of 30 (b.1932-d.1963).

The toe-tapping, heartfelt musical "Always…Patsy Cline" created and originally directed by Ted Swindley is based on a true story. It opens Sept. 3 at Peninsula Players Theatre, America's oldest professional resident summer theater and Door County's theatrical icon. "Always…Patsy Cline" features more than 25 of Cline's classic songs and will run for seven weeks closing Sunday, Oct. 19 with a 4 p.m. matinee.

Peninsula Players Theatre, America's Oldest Professional Resident Summer Theater and Door County's theatrical icon, announces cast members for its 79th season, running June 17 through October 19, 2014. The mix of plays includes a world premiere comedy, a classic thriller, a frighteningly funny farce, the Midwest premiere of a Civil War drama and a musical featuring a music icon.

Investigation Discovery, the only network devoted to compelling true stories of mystery and suspense, today announced an unprecedented slate of 11 all-new series and 22 returning hits for the 2014-15 upfront season

From the iconic songbook of Johnny Cash comes a unique musical about love and faith, struggle and success, rowdiness and redemption, and home and family. Theatre at the Center, 1040 Ridge Road, Munster, Indiana, ignites their 2014 season of Premieres with RING OF FIRE- THE MUSIC OF JOHNNY CASH. The production opened last night, Sunday, February 23. More than 35 of Cash's hit songs including 'I Walk the Line', 'A Boy Named Sue,' 'Folsom Prison Blues' and the title tune, paint a musical portrait of The Man in Black that promises to be a foot-stompin', crowd-pleasin' salute to the uniquely American Legend. Leading the cast as 'Johnny Cash' will be Kent Lewis with Jeff Award-winner Cory Goodrich starring as 'June Carter' and Michael Goodman as 'Young Johnny'. Four talented multi-instrumentalist/performers round out the cast - Greg Hirte, Malcolm Ruhl, Billy Shaffer, and William Underwood.

From the iconic songbook of Johnny Cash comes a unique musical about love and faith, struggle and success, rowdiness and redemption, and home and family. Theatre at the Center, 1040 Ridge Road, Munster, Indiana, ignites their 2014 season of Premieres with RING OF FIRE- THE MUSIC OF Johnny Cash tonight, February 20 through March 30 with a press opening Sunday, February 23.

From the iconic songbook of Johnny Cash comes a unique musical about love and faith, struggle and success, rowdiness and redemption, and home and family. Theatre at the Center, 1040 Ridge Road, Munster, Indiana, ignites their 2014 season of Premieres with RING OF FIRE- THE MUSIC OF JOHNNY CASH Thursday, February 20 through March 30 with a press opening Sunday, February 23.

Building on their reputation for presenting quality theatrical productions that are simultaneously entertaining and enlightening, Theatre at the Center, 1040 Ridge Road, Munster, IN announced today their exciting 2014 season, an unprecedented season full of never before seen Chicagoland premieres. The area premiere of RING OF FIRE: THE MUSIC OF JOHNNY CASH, a unique musical about love and faith, struggle and success, rowdiness and redemption, and home and family runs February 20 to March 30. Another Chicago area premiere, MIRACLE ON SOUTH DIVISION STREET, a warm and humorous play about a working class family living in Buffalo, New York runs May 1 to June 1. Fans of the television hit The Beverly Hillbillies should mark their calendars for the World Premiere of THE BEVERLY HILLBILLIES, THE MUSICAL. Featuring many well-known and beloved characters from the series, the production runs from July 10 to August 10. In the first North American production since its Broadway debut at the Lincoln Center, the madcap musical WOMEN ON THE VERGE OF A NERVOUS BREAKDOWNbased on the Spanish film of the same name runs September 11 to October 19. For the holidays, the Chicago area premiere musical A CHRISTMAS MEMORY, based on Truman Capote's famous short story, runs November 13 to December 14.

Universal Music Group (UMG) announced today that it has partnered with Russell Simmons, Brian Robbins and Steve Rifkind to launch All Def Music