Nashville Shakespeare Festival enters its 20th anniversary season

O&AN and the Nashville Shakespeare Festival want to send you and a guest to see Hamlet at The Troutt Theater on Belmont Blvd. All you have to do to enter is send an email to thebard@nashvilleshakes.org with “Hamlet” in the subject line. Be sure to include a day-time phone number in your entry. The contest ends Feb. 2 at 5 p.m. For more information on the play visit www.nashvilleshakes.org. Good luck!

More about The Nashville Shakespeare Festival and Hamlet...

The Nashville Shakespeare Festival is kicking off its 20th anniversary season with a winter production of "Hamlet."

The production, the Festival’s first public winter production since 2002 and its first as a professional theater in residence at Belmont University, “promises to be friendly to first-time viewers and intriguing to the seasoned Shakespeare fan,” said "Hamlet" director Denice Hicks.

Hicks’ mission for this production of "Hamlet" is to put the spotlight on the main character, played by Nashville favorite Pete Vann, like no other production of "Hamlet" has.

According to Hicks, Vann will play "the most personable, sympathetic Hamlet anybody has ever seen." The rest of the cast, which includes four Belmont students in addition to the seven professional actors, will present their characters such that each is focused on helping Hamlet tell his story.

This is the first time that the Festival has worked with Belmont on a production, and by making the Troutt Theater its new winter home, the Festival will be able to further its mission of not only entertaining, but also educating.

“We have partnered with several universities and colleges across the mid-South,” explained the Festival’s executive director, Nancy VanReece. “Locally, we continue to work with Vanderbilt University, MTSU and TSU, among others in a variety of ways. However, Belmont is the first winter home for a consistent collaboration as a theater in residence. We are already planning for 2009 and 2010 programming there.”

“We are honored to be among the other professional companies using this beautiful facility,” said Hicks, “and we are excited to incorporate the Belmont students and faculty into our production.”

Belmont University theater department chairman Paul Gatrell designed the set, Tony Award-winner Franne Lee is the costume designer and MTSU professor Anne Willingham is responsible for the lighting design.

Performances, beginning Jan. 17, and will be held Thursday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2:30 p.m., through Feb. 2.

Tickets are on sale at www.nashvilleshakes.org. Group discounts are available. School matinée performances and in-school "Hamlet" workshops are offered, and an ASL-interpreted performance is set for Sunday, Jan. 27.

For more information, call the Nashville Shakespeare Festival at (615) 255- 2273 or visit www.nashvilleshakes.org.

WhistlePig + Alfa Romeo F1

SHOREHAM, VT (September 13, 2023) — WhistlePig Whiskey, the leaders in independent craft whiskey, and Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake are waving the checkered flag on a legend-worthy release that’s taking whiskey to G-Force levels. The Limited Edition PiggyBack Legends Series: Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake Barrel is a high Rye Whiskey selected by the Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake drivers, with barrels trialed in their wind tunnel to ensure a thrilling taste in every sip.

The third iteration in WhistlePig’s Single Barrel PiggyBack Legends Series, the Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake Barrel is bottled at 96.77 proof, a nod to Valtteri Bottas’ racing number, 77, and the precision of racing. Inspired by Zhou Guanyu, the first Chinese F1 driver, this Rye Whiskey is finished with lychee and oolong tea. Herbal and floral notes of the oolong tea complement the herbaceous notes of WhistlePig’s signature PiggyBack 100% Rye, rounded out with a juicy tropical fruit finish and a touch of spice.

Keep readingShow less
by Spectrum Medical Care Center

Nurse Practitioner Ari Kravitz

When I started medical transition at 20 years old, it was very difficult to get the care I needed for hormone replacement therapy because there are very few providers trained in starting hormones for trans people, even though it’s very similar to the hormones that we prescribe to women in menopause or cisgender men with low testosterone.

I hope more providers get trained in LGBTQ+ healthcare, so they can support patients along their individual gender journey, and provide the info needed to make informed decisions about their body. I’ve personally seen my trans patients find hope and experience a better quality of life through hormone replacement therapy.

Keep readingShow less

Descanso Resort swimming pool and lounge area

Descanso Resort, Palm Springs' premier destination for gay men, just received Tripadvisor's highest honor, a Travelers' Choice "Best of the Best" award for 2023. Based on guests' reviews and ratings, fewer than 1% of Tripadvisor's 8 million listings around the world receive the coveted "Best of the Best" designation. Descanso ranked 12th in the top 25 small inns and hotels category in the United States. Quite an accomplishment!

Open less than two years, Descanso Resort offers gay men a relaxing and luxurious boutique hotel experience just minutes away from Palm Springs' buzziest restaurants, nightclubs, and shopping. Descanso has quickly established itself as a top destination for sophisticated gay travelers, earning hundreds of 5-star guest reviews and consistently ranking in Trapadvisor's top positions alongside brother properties Santiago Resort and Twin Palms Resort.

Keep readingShow less