Memphis Attractions and Entertainment
MEMPHIS MUSIC
Simply put, Memphis music is legendary. With a legacy that includes
such blues greats as B.B. King and Albert King; the "King"
himself, Elvis Presley; Sun Studio; and Stax Records, music is a part
of everyday life here in the Bluff City. Music is a big part of Memphis
nightlife as well. As a result, the
list of local venues that offer live, popular music-jazz, rock, blues,
and country-is far too long to list here. Memphis magazine, the Memphis
Flyer, and the Commercial Appeal publish listings of major concerts and
nightclub performances. As for classical music, opera, and ballet, the
following are just part of what's available:
Memphis Ballet - www.balletmemphis.org
Each year, Memphis Ballet holds a regular season of performances. A
special Christmas performance of Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker is an
annual holiday treat for young and old alike. The company includes
professional dancers and offers touring programs to local schools and
artistic organizations.
Memphis Symphony Orchestra - www.memphissymphony.org
The Memphis Symphony Orchestra offers a full concert season, featuring
internationally acclaimed guest artists. In addition, the orchestra
gives a series of "pops" concerts, chamber concerts, and
youth concerts. The Sunset Symphony, traditionally the climaxing event
of the annual Memphis in May International Festival, is perhaps the
Memphis Symphony's best-loved event-and with tens of thousands of
listeners lining the river bluff, certainly its best-attended.
Opera Memphis - www.operamemphis.org
Memphis opera company has been bringing the world's biggest voices and
the best of Verdi, Puccini, and Mozart to regional audiences. Opera
Memphis also sponsors special concerts, as in the past with world-
renowned artists such as Leontyne Price and Joan Sutherland.
MEMPHIS SPORTS
Some of America's most avid sports enthusiasts live in the Memphis
area, and they have plenty here to keep them entertained. From the
Liberty Bowl Football Classic during the holiday season to the Kroger
St. Jude International tennis tournament in midwinter and the Federal
Express/St. Jude Classic professional golf championship in summer,
Memphians each year have hosted some of the world's greatest sportsmen!
For the amateur athelete in Memphis, there are some 6,700 acres of
parkland in more than 200 parks within the city limits. The Memphis
Park Commission sponsors a huge array of sports programs, including
softball, soccer, and basketball. A facility for virtually every sport
is available in Memphis, from
table tennis to target shooting. Golf courses are especially plentiful
here, and there are more than 80 public tennis courts, as well as
scores of private club courts. For the general outdoorsman, Memphis
sits in the middle of one of the richest hunting and fishing areas in
the nation.
Memphis International Motorsports Park -
www.memphismotorsports.com
If it's the roar of the engine and the excitement of heavy-duty
automobile speed that gets your adrenaline running, then Memphis
Motorsports Park may be your ticket to excitement. Located in north
Shelby County near Millington, this 600-acre raceway offers every high-
speed thrill from drag racing to Atlantic Formula competition. The park's
season runs from early spring to autumn and features local and regional
favorites, including the National Hot Rod Association Mid-South
Nationals, the World of Outlaws Sprint Car races, and Super Chevy
Sunday.
Memphis River Kings - www.riverkings.com
1992 saw the return of professional hockey to Memphis. The Memphis
RiverKings, members of the Central Hockey League, play in front of
packed houses at the Mid-South Coliseum on winter nights. Regular
season competition begins in November and continues through mid-March.
Memphis Red Birds - www.memphisredbirds.com
Minor League Baseball team that plays at Autozone park in the heart of
downtown.
University of Memphis Tigers - www.gotigersgo.com
If you're wanting a ticket to a Tiger basketball or football game,
you'd better plan to get in line early and contend with some of the most fiercely
loyal sports fans in the country.
NBA Memphis Grizzlies - www.grizzlies.com
The Inagural Season for this NBA Basketball team began in Memphis in
the fall of 2001. The Memphis Grizzlies play in the FedExForum (a new
center open in Fall 2004). Ticket pricing is some of the lowest in the
league. Fun for the whole family.
MEMPHIS THEATER
Memphis has one of the most active theater communities in the nation.
Here is a list of its principal theater venues:
The Orpheum Theatre - www.orpheum-memphis.com
From Broadway Plays, to Orchestra Performances, Famous Entertainers
and Children's Educational Programs, the Orpheum has a lot of exciting
productions.
Circuit Playhouse
This small (140-seat) theater specializes in new scripts and off-
Broadway plays performed by unpaid professionals. Circuit Playhouse has
won a variety of local and regional awards, especially for its work with
the handicapped. Its Theatre for the Deaf, called "Show of
Hands," has received many honors as well.
Germantown Community Theater
This 119-seat facility features six productions a year by one of the
state's best small community theaters. It has, in fact, placed in the
Tennessee Festival of Community Theaters. Each year, as something of a
Germantown tradition, the theater presents "The Best Christmas
Pageant Ever."
McCoy Theater at Rhodes College
One of the most daring venues for theater in the city, this 150-seat
facility was the site in 1985 of an eight-hour, two-day-long, full-scale
production of "Nicholas Nickleby," making it one of only a
handful of companies in the nation to attempt that play. The theater
concentrates on less-traditional productions. One very popular
perennial, which is offered every spring, is a community-oriented
benefit concert performed by well-known actors. McCoy offers four
"town and gown" performances annually, featuring both the
college's talent and actors from the community at large.
Playhouse on the Square
Playhouse is the only resident professional theater in Memphis,
featuring paid full-time actors. It offers eight productions a year, at
least two of which are designed to appeal to young audiences as part of
the theater's community service program for schools. The theater also
offer changing exhibits in its lobby, which also functions as an art
gallery.
Theatre Memphis
Theatre Memphis is one of the nation's best community theaters. In
addition to many regional awards, the theater has received several
national and international honors. Its 435-seat main theater offers
major productions ranging from "The Sound of Music" to "
Steel Magnolias". Seasonal attractions include "A Christmas
Carol," while each summer children can look forward to the
theatre's special program-ShoWagon. Theatre Memphis also has an
adjacent, 100-seat Little Theatre that specializes in more innovative
work, and also is the venue for acting and technical classes three
times a year.
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