Atlanta Theatre Newsroom Page 106

Announcing Theatrical Outfit's 2018-2019 Season Of Beauty
by BWW News Desk - May 14, 2018
Theatrical Outfit, Atlanta's second-oldest continuously-operating professional theatre, proudly announces its dynamic 2018-2019 Season of Beauty, which includes: The Book of Will, America's most-produced living playwright and Georgia native Lauren Gunderson's love letter to theatre's timeless superstar, Will Shakespeare; The Royale, Marco Ramirez's stylized, blazingly theatrical look at the high stakes, segregated world of boxing at the turn of the twentieth century based on the true story of fighter Jack Johnson; the return of our sparkling holiday smash hit Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley by Lauren Gunderson and Margot Melcon; Lee Hall's The Pitmen Painters, a humorous tale of character over class in the British mining community and high society art circles set between the World Wars; I Love to Eat, Pulitzer Prize nominee James Still's salty culinary voyage around the world of love, life, and comfort food starring Atlanta stage vet William S. Murphey as celebrity chef James Beard; Five Guys Named Moe, an exuberant musical overflowing with hit songs by R&B pioneer Louis Jordan; the return of our Unexpected Play Festival; and a jazz concert series from renowned trumpeter and vocalist Joe Gransden with special guest singers. Our 2018-2019 Season of Beauty, featuring five plays, one musical, and special events, offers something for everyone.

Sebastian Maniscalco Comes to the Fox Theatre
by BWW News Desk - May 14, 2018
A string of record-breaking sold out comedy appearances, a new top-ranked show on SiriusXM, "The Pete & Sebastian Show," and inclusion on Forbes' 2017's "The World's Highest Paid Comedians" who praised, "thanks to his enthusiasm and willingness to work, Maniscalco will likely continue to be on Forbes' list for years to come," comedian Sebastian Maniscalco is having an incredible year. People Magazine's "The people's comedian" is hitting the road for 15 cities in 2018 beginning with a January 5 opening in Montreal, Canada, where he was dubbed 'Stand Up Comedian of the Year' at Just For Laughs Festival. Comedian Sebastian Maniscalco makes his Atlanta stop at the Fox Theatre for one show only on Sunday, Nov. 18 at 7 p.m.

Christopher Sieber of CANDIDE at Alliance Theatre
by Amy Zipperer - May 13, 2018
Two-time Tony Award nominee Christopher Sieber is back in Atlanta where he's taking on the roles of Dr. Pangloss and The Narrator in Leonard Bernstein's 1956 operetta, Candide, a collaboration between Alliance Theatre and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. BroadwayWorld caught up with Christopher Sieber to talk about the project.

Hollywood And Broadway Character Actor Stars In Springer Comedy
by BWW News Desk - May 12, 2018
Brian Reddy has shared the big screen with Robert DeNiro, Joe Pecci, Pierce Brosnan and Richard Gere. He's been directed by Martin Scorsese, the Coen Brothers and Mike Nichols. He has appeared on Broadway with the likes of Scarlett Johansson, Patti Lupone and Sam Waterston.

Play Me Again Pianos Debuts New Public Piano For Chastain Park
by BWW News Desk - May 11, 2018
Play Me Again Pianos, a nonprofit charity dedicated to installing and permanently maintaining 88 public pianos throughout the Atlanta area, announced today its newest piano will open under the Pavilion at the Chastain Park Playground on Sunday, May 20, 2018 at 1:30 p.m. Play Me Again Pianos invites the community to a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the piano named "Melody." The event will feature a performance by a local young pianist, after which Melody will be available for everyone to play and enjoy.

Critical Crop Top Enters The Multiverse
by BWW News Desk - May 11, 2018
This month Critical Crop Top continues the 2018 season with a new live sketch show titled 'Critical Crop Top Enters the Multiverse.' It is written, directed and performed by returning CCT ensemble members as well as some new faces.

Photo Flash: Aurora Theatre Rounds Out Stellar 2017-18 Season with RIPCORD
by BWW News Desk - May 10, 2018
There's something humorous brewing in Lawrenceville! David Lindsay-Abaire's laugh-out-loud comedy, Ripcord is set to round out Aurora Theatre's 2017-2018 season, May 10-June 3, 2018. Audiences will follow the territory battle between Abby and Marilyn, roommates at a senior living facility with clashing personalities, and the hilarity that ensues when the tumultuous pair pushes the envelope to win a seemingly harmless wager.

Core Dance Presents EnCORE DANCE ON FILM At The Decatur Arts Festival
by BWW News Desk - May 10, 2018
Core Dance, the award-winning contemporary dance organization based in Decatur, GA and Houston, TX, will present EnCORE Dance on Film on Friday, May 25, 2018 from 5:00-10:00p.m. at Core Studios, 139 Sycamore Street, Decatur Square. The event is part of ArtWALK at the Decatur Arts Festival, and features dance works specifically choreographed for the camera from around the world. These performances are free and open to the public. More info is available at coredance.org.

Newnan Theatre Company Presents NOISES OFF!
by BWW News Desk - May 10, 2018
Newnan Theatre Company is pleased to announce the opening of the raucous comedy Noises Off by Michael Frayn on Today, May 10th. The show will run through May 20th. It will be presented in the NTC Mainstage arena.

Join The BWW Atlanta on Stage Facebook Group
by BWW News Desk - May 09, 2018
BroadwayWorld is excited to announce we're launching a new Facebook Group for the Atlanta Theatre community, bringing together performers, audience members, theatre groups, and more to create a local space for discussion and networking.

Aurora Announces Theatre Expansion
by BWW News Desk - May 09, 2018
The City of Lawrenceville, together with partners from design firm Stevens & Wilkinson, unveiled design plans at its May Council meeting for a new $26-million arts and cultural facility right in the heart of the Historic Downtown District. The facility will cover over 50,000 square feet of space including a new 525-seat mainstage theater, Cabaret theater, education space for classes and practice rooms, office space and will connect to the existing Aurora Theatre in Downtown. The mainstage, once constructed, will host one of the largest live performing arts stages in the state of Georgia.

Alliance Theatre And Atlanta Symphony Announce Imaginative Staging Of CANDIDE
by BWW News Desk - May 09, 2018
The Alliance Theatre is pleased to announce its upcoming production of CANDIDE, directed by Alliance Theatre Jennings Hertz Artistic Director Susan V. Booth with musical direction by Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Music Director Robert Spano. Performances are May 9 - 20, 2018 in Symphony Hall, while the Alliance Theatre undergoes a complete renovation. Opening night is Friday, May 11.

Atlanta Lyric Theatre Presents TARZAN, the Stage Musical
by BWW News Desk - May 08, 2018
Atlanta Lyric Theatre presents this high flying, family musical June 8-24, 2018. Based on Disney's epic animated musical adventure and Edgar Rice Burrough's Tarzan of the Apes, TARZAN features heart-pumping music by rock legend, Phil Collins, and a book by Tony Award-winning playwright, David Henry Hwang. TARZAN, the stage musical, performs at the Jennie T. Anderson Theatre (548 South Marietta Pkwy., Marietta). For tickets, reservations and group pricing visit www.AtlantaLyric.com or call 404-377-9948.

Newnan Theatre Company Presents NOISES OFF!
by BWW News Desk - May 07, 2018
Newnan Theatre Company is pleased to announce the opening of the raucous comedy Noises Off by Michael Frayn on Thursday, May 10th. The show will run through May 20th. It will be presented in the NTC Mainstage arena.

The Atlanta Opera Presents Sondheim's SWEENEY TODD
by BWW News Desk - May 07, 2018
The Atlanta Opera closes its 2017-18 mainstage season with Stephen Sondheim's seminal musical, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. This production of Sweeney Todd remains faithful to the original Broadway show, and features an all-star cast, including Michael Mayes in his role debut as Sweeney Todd, and Maria Zifchak as Mrs. Lovett. Timothy Myers will conduct in a company debut, and Albert Sherman, who has directed Sweeney Todd under the mentorship of Harold Prince, will serve as production director.

Weird Sisters Announces 2018 Season
by BWW News Desk - May 07, 2018
The Weird Sisters Theatre Project, a professional theatre company founded in 2012 and committed to creating theatre by women, for everyone, announced their 2018 season today. The Weird Sisters are bringing a season of magic to Atlanta, with exciting new venues, designers and artists featuring in a strong season that builds on the energy and innovation of last summer.

Synchronicity Theatre To Produce Lauren Gunderson's THE TAMING
by BWW News Desk - May 07, 2018
Atlanta's Synchronicity Theatre will close out its 20th Anniversary Season with Lauren Gunderson's "crackling modern political farce," The Taming. Performances run from June 1 to June 24, 2018. For tickets or more information, please visit synchrotheatre.com or call 404-484-8636.

Critical Crop Top Enters The Multiverse
by BWW News Desk - May 07, 2018
This month Critical Crop Top continues the 2018 season with a new live sketch show titled 'Critical Crop Top Enters the Multiverse.' It is written, directed and performed by returning CCT ensemble members as well as some new faces.

HAMILTON Will Hold a #HAM4HAM Lottery In Atlanta
by BWW News Desk - May 07, 2018
Producer Jeffrey Seller and Fifth Third Bank Broadway in Atlanta announce a digital lottery for HAMILTON tickets will begin in conjunction with the show's first performance (May 22) in Atlanta at the Fox Theatre. Forty (40) orchestra tickets will be sold for every performance for $10 each. The digital lottery will open at 11:00 AM ET on Sunday, May 20 for tickets to the Tuesday, May 22 performance. Subsequent digital lotteries will begin two days prior to each performance.

Dad's Garage Launches Campaign To Lure Famous Artist To Perform Short-form Improv
by BWW News Desk - May 03, 2018
Dad's Garage has one request of world-famous artist, performer, restauranter, and Atlanta icon Ludacris: come to Dad's Garage and perform short-form improv with us.

Play Me Again Pianos Debuts Its Thirteenth Free Public Piano
by BWW News Desk - May 02, 2018
Play Me Again Pianos, a nonprofit charity dedicated to installing and permanently maintaining 88 public pianos throughout the Atlanta area, announced today its newest piano will open at Mount Vernon Presbyterian Church on Saturday, May 12, 2018 at 2 p.m. Play Me Again Pianos invites the community to gather outside the Fellowship Hall for a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the piano named "Happy." The event will feature a performance by a local young pianist, after which Happy will be available for everyone to play and enjoy.

T.K. Habtemariam of SORDID LIVES at Out Front Theatre Company
by Amy Zipperer - May 02, 2018
Sordid Lives, a dark comedy by Del Shores, is playing at Out Front Theatre Company this month. BroadwayWorld caught up with T.K. Habtemariam, an Atlanta-based actor who plays Earl "Brother Boy" Ingram in Out Front's upcoming production, to talk about the show. I haven't seen this show before, but I've done a little bit of reading. So, it's about a woman named Peggy who trips over her lover's wooden legs in a hotel room and dies. Yeah. Exactly. And it's funny that her name is Peggy, too. It is? Yeah. I mean, because the fact that she dies because of the wooden legs. Peg-gy. That's really funny. I'm interested to know how your character figures into this story. Brother Boy…Earl Ingram… probably was a little bit before his time, and at the age of 18, he was kicked out of his household for being one big old queer boy. And he was actually put into a mental institution for wanting to either impersonate women or for liking someone of the same sex. And, essentially, back when I was 18, I had a friend named Wardell, and he found out that I had a crush on hi, and he beat me up to a bloody pulp, and my mother, Peggy, who ends up tripping over her lover's wooden legs, put me in a mental institution because she believes the world is not ready for me and my place in this world. But Wardell, 20 years later, ends up busting me out of the mental institution. This is kind of interesting because when I read about the show online, it sounded like a straight silly comedy, but now it sort of sounds like it tackles some real issues. Oh, it's definitely a black comedy, and it definitely tackles a lot of issues. It's traditionally an all-white cast, and we color-flipped the main family, and we've kind of found ourselves in a new definition of the kind of topics that it tackles It was written in the 90s, and it kind of reflects the Southern mentality form the 90s, but now that we're putting it in the context of a black family, there are so many other social issues that are underlying that wouldn't have been beforehand. That was one of the questions that I was going to ask was how the story has changed because of this casting. This is the first all-African-American cast ever, right? Yes. It is. And it's such an honor for me to say I'm the first African-American Brother Boy because Leslie Jordan originated the role, and I remember seeing this movie in high-school and revisiting, I was like "Oh, my goodness. I actually did see this movie." And it is definitely a fantasy in the sense of what anyone of color could get away with. If there was anyone who was queer and of color in a mental institution for being gay, I don't know if that person would still be alive. And Wardell, who busts into the mental institution, comes in with a gun and busts me out, and we both tell this white lady to get the hell out of this place. If that were to happen in the 90s in South Texas, I promise you they wouldn't be alive. And, you know, it does bring in the idea of the interracial relationship, but that's kind of at the bottom of the barrel when it comes to all of the other issues that we cover. Even though I would like to say that Brother Boy has access to mental healthcare and someone who's queer and of color…that's kind of like the last group of people who get healthcare. And also there are moments where black women talk back to white men. There are moments when a black woman tells off a white man. There are moments, when it comes to social diversity back then… You know, we think of period pieces like To Kill a Mockingbird where we are so used to saying, "Okay. Well, at this time, black people were called niggers, so we're just going to have to expect it, you know?" But when it comes to things like I'm a black male in a mental institution for fantasizing about country queens like Tammy Wynette, and I do believe that my character would probably identify as a trans person but back then "trans" wasn't in our vocabulary, so there's the interesting discussion there to happen. So, it just kind of flares up a lot of things that couldn't have happened back then, but today we're using theatre as a way to tell a story that probably wouldn't have ever happened to bring up discussions today. We've had lots of conversations as a team about what these things mean to us today, and a lot of things have to be dug up. For instance, there's a line where a character calls somebody a mulatto. When we think of a white-trash family, we kind of accept the fact that they're going to poke fum at somebody being mixed, but how does it look when a white person says that to a black person? There have been some modifications, of course, with the generosity of Del Shores, where we've kind of said, "Can you rework this or find a way to make this…" And he was into that? He was willing to make those changes? Oh, yeah! He had to think about the script and rework it and rewrite some lines. There are some lines where - I am a black person, and we have to take into consideration that I wouldn't just idolize Tammy Wynette, you know? There are so many other queens at that time. We found moments where I can bring up Aretha Franklin and Tina Turner because that would be reflective of the culture and of the time. When you first auditioned for the role, what was it about the role that really resonated with you? I think that number one is my character type. You always have to think about what kind of roles you are peaked for, in all honesty. I'm usually someone who's taking someone down or who is being taken down. My character-type is the "betrayer" or the "betrayed." And Brother Boy is that kind of character. And then, I do drag as a little side passion project here in Atlanta, and I work with a predominantly queer POC group called Southern Fried Queer Pride, and I've had opportunities to perform in drag, write drag shows, and the play is kind of an amalgamation of both theatre and drag. And it's a cult classic role! Why wouldn't I want to be a part of it? And once I started meeting my castmates and we had rehearsals and what not, the bigger picture started panning out and I stated to see, "Oh, okay. This is what this is really all about." Do you have any projects coming up this summer that we need to know about? There's a passion project that I'm working on. It's kind of like the second installation of it. It's called Weavestock, and it's going to be through Country Fried Queer Pride. It's going to be hopefully happening sometime in August, and it's a project that I'm writing, directing, and being a part of. It's kind of like a play on Woodstock and Wigstock, a phenomenon that happened in New York in the late 80s and early 90s. Lots of drag icons used to perform at Wigstock. Weavestock is basically a celebration of all-black drag. It moves like a jukebox musical where there are written scenes with drag performances. A lot of times, you know, you have to create your own opportunities. Right now, I'm working on cultivating my writing skills and my directing skills and just hoping to create more opportunities for myself herein Atlanta. Sounds like you're on the right track! Looking forward to seeing the show.

IMAGINARY WORLDS Returns By Popular Demand
by BWW News Desk - May 01, 2018
Imaginary Worlds returns this spring with a menagerie of all-new giant living plant sculptures sure to bring a smile as they take visitors on a fantasy journey throughout the Atlanta Botanical Garden, both at the Midtown and Gainesville locations.Back by popular demand, the exhibition, presented May 5 - October 28, recaptures the magic of the original blockbuster show from 2013 and 2014 with larger-than-life, topiary-like whimsical sculptures - only this time they're even bigger. And most of them have never been seen before."Imaginary Worlds was just so incredibly popular with our guests that we just had to bring it back - but with an all-new twist," said Mary Pat Matheson, the Garden's President & CEO.Imaginary Worlds will wow visitors with a storybook-themed world of sculptures, both indoors and out - most custom made for the Garden by the exhibition's creators, International Mosaiculture of Montreal. The nonprofit group has staged wildly successful exhibitions of its work around the world, and five years ago the Garden presented the first major exhibition of its kind in the United States.This time, the sculptures - steel forms covered in soil-and-sphagnum moss and planted with thousands of meticulously groomed plants - will be staged in 14 installations. At the Midtown garden, look for a giant Phoenix looming over the Alston Overlook, a Mermaid lounging beside Howell Fountain, a massive Dragon and Sleeping Princess near the Great Lawn, a prancing Peacock inside the Fuqua Orchid Center, and three towering Camels lumbering through the Skyline Garden, to name a few. At the Gainesville garden, the landscape will be adorned with a variety of characters, including a friendly Ogre, Panda ears and frolicking Frogs.This all-new cast of characters joins the gardens' permanent sculptures, Earth Goddess, Shaggy Dog and Frogs, which are legacies from the original exhibition."In addition to featuring all of the new characters, this exhibition is unique in that the sculptures are extremely large, much more so than the ones in the original show, and our own team of horticulturists will be planting them,' Matheson said, adding the Dragon, for example, is 21 feet tall and 26 feet long.The process for creating the sculptures takes nearly half a year. It began last fall when conceptual drawings for the pieces were developed in Montreal, metal frames were fabricated, and plant palettes were chosen. The empty frames were shipped to Atlanta in January, and the Garden's horticulturists began covering them with a mesh fabric and stuffing them with soil. Then the planting commenced - inserting more than 30,000 plants, primarily annuals, one by one. Because Atlanta's winters are too cold for the annuals to survive, the sculptures were built in sections that were planted inside a greenhouse just outside the city, then trucked to the Garden in spring for assembling on site. Intricate irrigation systems beneath the surface of the sculptures allow the plants to grow - and the creatures to flourish - in Atlanta's summer heat.Throughout the exhibition, guests will be able to also enjoy the sculpture in a whole new light at night - illuminated on Thursday evenings during Cocktails in the Garden.Imaginary Worlds is presented with support from The Home Depot Foundation and the Isdell Family Foundation,For news releases and photos, visit the media site at atlantabg.org/media.

Lyft And The Woodruff Arts Center Partner Up To Put Atlanta Arts & Culture 'In The Spotlight'
by BWW News Desk - May 01, 2018
Lyft, the nation's fastest-growing on-demand transportation company in the U.S., and The Woodruff Arts Center, one of the largest arts venues in the U.S., are today announcing their new partnership to make it easier for Atlanta arts patrons to get to and from art exhibitions and performances at the popular landmark.

Center For Puppetry Arts To Host FIZZ AND FOAM
by BWW News Desk - May 01, 2018
Pop the bottles! The Center for Puppetry Arts is hosting a fun-filled brunch party on Sunday, May 27. During Fizz and Foam, guests will enjoy mimosas while building and decorating their own foam mouth puppet with guidance from a dynamic Center for Puppetry Arts puppeteer and teaching artist duo. Attendees are encouraged try out their finished puppet at the Jim Henson TV Studio in the Worlds of Puppetry Museum. Fizz and Foam is the first event in a series of new adults-only special museum events the Center is debuting in the 2018-2019 season. Adults can look forward to the Puppet Party Series, which will kick off in August with after-hours evenings in the museum for adults.

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