Little Women - The Broadway Musical, the remarkable new production based on the classic novel by Louisa May Alcott, is coming to TPAC’s Andrew Jackson Hall for eight performances. Headlining the tour, direct from Broadway, is recording concert and theater star Maureen McGovern.

“With Little Women, we’re delivering two things our audiences love – creative new shows and celebrities,” said Kathleen O’Brien, TPAC’s president and CEO. “Fresh from Broadway, this musical has just the right elements – beautifully written songs, a timeless story, astonishing talent – to put a new spin on a classic story. Add Maureen McGovern’s amazing voice to the mix, and this is a hit.”

Based on Alcott's own family experiences, Little Women - The Broadway Musical, follows the adventures of Jo, Meg, Beth and Amy March as they grow up in Civil War America. The beloved story of the March sisters is timeless and deals with issues as relevant today as when they were written. Now, for the first time ever, this wonderful narrative has been brought to life as an exhilarating new musical filled with glorious music, dancing and heart. Little Women - The Broadway Musical embodies the complete theatrical experience, guaranteeing a night filled with laughter, tears, and a lifting of the spirit.

Maureen McGovern’s portrayal of Marmee garnered her a Drama Desk Award nomination and glowing reviews on Broadway. “Superb!,” said The Wall Street Journal. “Maureen McGovern, with her strong, vibrant singing and glowing maternal warmth, is a lovely Marmee in every way!,” praised the Star-Ledger. McGovern previously starred on Broadway in The Pirates of Penzance, Nine and 3 Penny Opera, and in the Broadway national tour of The King and I. Her regional credits include Elegies, Dear World, Letters From ’Nam, The Lion in Winter, The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, Of Thee I Sing, Let ’Em Eat Cake!, The Sound of Music, South Pacific, Guys & Dolls and I Do, I Do. McGovern appeared in the films The Towering Inferno and Airplane! and also in the DreamWorks animated video Joseph: King of Dreams. A two-time Grammy nominee, her 25 recordings include critically-acclaimed tributes to George Gershwin, Alan and Marilyn Bergman, Harold Arlen and the Oscar-winning gold record “The Morning After.” McGovern’s website is www.maureenmcgovern.com.

Joining Maureen McGovern in Little Women - The Broadway Musical are Kate Fisher as Jo March, Renée Brna as Meg, Louisa Flaningam as Aunt March, Gwen Hollander as Amy, Autumn Hurlbert as Beth, Michael Minarik as John Brooke, Stephen Patterson as Laurie, Robert Stattel reprises his Broadway role as Mr. Laurence, and Andrew Varela, also from the Broadway production, as Professor Bhaer.

Produced by Ken Gentry, Randall Wreghitt and Dani Davis, Little Women - The Broadway Musical features book by Allan Knee, music by Jason Howland and lyrics by Mindi Dickstein. The musical is directed by Susan H. Schulman, with choreography by Michael Lichtefeld.

For more information, please visit www.littlewomenonbroadway.com.

Tickets for Little Women - The Broadway Musical range from $18-69, depending upon performance times and seat locations. For tickets, visit the TPAC Box Office (Downtown or at Davis-Kidd Booksellers in Green Hills), online at www.tpac.org, or any Ticketmaster outlet. Tickets may also be purchased by calling Ticketmaster at 615/255-ARTS (2787). For information on offers for groups of 20 or more, call TPAC Group Sales at 615/782-4060.

TPAC Education’s adult program, InsideOut, offers two opportunities to enhance your experience of Little Women - The Broadway Musical. InsideOut will host “From Page to Stage” at Davis-Kidd Booksellers on Wednesday, November 16, from 3:30-4:30 p.m., where members of the cast will perform a reading, and technical crew will discuss their experiences taking the play from the page to the stage. Also on Wednesday, November 16, playwright and actress Carolyn German will direct the audience through the process of creating musical theater from a beloved novel. This activity will include improvisation and audience participation, and will take place at TPAC’s Polk Theater Lobby from 6:15-7:00 p.m. Space is limited for these free, public events, so call 615/687-4291 to RSVP or visit www.tpac.org/education for more information.

The Tennessee Performing Arts Center is proud to announce a new service for blind and visually impaired patrons, made possible in part by a gift from the Mid-Tennessee Association of the Blind. Beginning with the tour of Little Women - The Broadway Musical, on Thursday, November 17, audio description will be available for select performances of the Broadway Series at TPAC. A trained describer provides a live, objective narrative of the visual elements on the stage, in between the actors’ dialogue. Fifteen minutes prior to the performance, and during intermission, the describer gives additional commentary on the performance. Audio description headsets are available from the floor manager at the entrance to Andrew Jackson Hall. Among other accessibility services, TPAC provides wheelchair seating and sound amplification at every performance. Sign interpretation for hearing impaired patrons is provided on the Sunday matinee of each Broadway tour, including Little Women at 1:00 p.m. on Sunday, November 20. For more information on accessibility services at TPAC, call Melissa Brett at 615-687-4292.

Tennessee Performing Arts Center’s official sponsors include American Airlines, Cadillac, Coca-Cola and The Hermitage Hotel. Show media sponsors for Little Women - The Broadway Musical are WJXA Mix 92.9, WSMV Channel 4 News and The Tennessean.

The Tennessee Performing Arts Center is a private, non-profit corporation dedicated to providing and supporting the presentation of the performing arts to the citizens of Tennessee. Its four stages are home to Broadway in Nashville at TPAC, Nashville Ballet, Nashville Opera, The Nashville Symphony, Tennessee Repertory Theatre and a variety of special engagements. TPAC administers one of the largest and most comprehensive arts-in-education programs in the United States, offering learning opportunities for children and adults. The organization has served more than 1.4 million students from pre-school to high school over the past two decades. For more information, visit the web site, www.tpac.org.

Dates: November 15-20, 2005, Andrew Jackson Hall

Location: Tennessee Performing ArtsCenter (TPAC), 505 Deaderick Street, Nashville

Times: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday; 7:30 p.m. Wednesday; 7:30 p.m. Thursday; 8:00 p.m. Friday; 2:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. Saturday; 1:00 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Sunday

Tickets: $18-69, available at www.tpac.org, TPAC Box Office (Downtown or at Davis-Kidd Booksellers in Green Hills), all Ticketmaster outlets; or by calling Ticketmaster, 615/255-ARTS (2787)

Web sites: www.tpac.org; www.ticketmaster.com; www.littlewomenonbroadway.com