Courtenay Collins News

The Suzi Bass Awards, Inc. revealed nominations for the 2013-2014 Atlanta professional theatrical season this evening to theatre patrons and industry artists. The Suzi Nomination Party, which rotates venues, was hosted this year by Actor's Express in the King Plow Arts Center of Atlanta. Guest announcers included performers Christy Baggett, Laura Cole, Danielle Deadwyler, and Tess Malis Kincaid.

'Hello Dolly...it's so nice to have you back where you belong.' I have to admit, prior to seeing the ebullient production of 'Hello Dolly!' at Georgia Ensemble Theatre, I generally considered the musical, by Jerry Herman (music and lyrics) and Michael Stewart (book), to be a relic of a bygone era, based on a play of an era even more bygone (Thornton Wilder's 1938 comedy 'The Merchant of Yonkers,' reworked as 'The Matchmaker' in 1955). However, after seeing this joyful production, directed by Suzi Award winner Heidi Cline McKerley, I must concede that this heart-warmingly energetic show is in fact back where it belongs, on stage entertaining audiences young and old.

If you haven't had the chance to catch up on your theater news, look no further than today's recap of all things theater - exclusive features, interviews, reviews and more! - around the Broadway World for the week of April 8!

Since it's founding in 1992, Georgia Ensemble Theatre has generally produced a small musical each year, but in its 20th season, G.E.T. is presenting one of the grandest shows in Broadway history, 'Hello Dolly!' Their production is directed by Suzi Award winner Heidi Cline McKerley (Horizon Theatre's 'Avenue Q') and choreographed by her husband Jeff (who also stars as Cornelius), who won two Suzis; Best Actor and Best Choreography for the New American Shakespeare Tavern's 'Cabaret.' Music direction is by Bill Newberry. The show opens April 11th and runs through April 28th.

Georgia Ensemble Theatre (GET), North Fulton's only professional theatre company, will close its 2012-2013 20th anniversary season-long celebration with the classic Broadway musical, Hello, Dolly! by Jerry Herman and Michael Stewart, directed by Heidi Cline McKerley running April 11-28, 2013, at the Theatre's home, the Roswell Cultural Arts Center, 950 Forrest Street, Roswell, GA. This production is generously sponsored by the Kimberly-Clark Corporation.

The Alliance Theatre ends its milestone 40th season by returning to the elegant and moving sounds of Jacques Brel, presented under the warm glow of candlelight in the style of a Parisian cabaret. Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris, one of the most enduring musical revues of all time, is being re-staged on a radically reconfigured Alliance Stage. The addition of two-person tables and four-person, semi-circular booths (banquettes) right on the expanded stage promises a night of shared emotion and romance. Alliance Artistic Director Susan V. Booth will direct the hit musical production where guests can sit back and sip wine in a unique environment styled after a hot French nightspot. Media night is Wednesday, Apr. 22, 2009 at 8 p.m. Tickets are available at the Woodruff Arts Center Box Office by calling 404.733.5000 or online at www.alliancetheatre.org.

The Alliance Theatre ends its milestone 40th season by returning to the elegant and moving sounds of Jacques Brel, presented under the warm glow of candlelight in the style of a Parisian cabaret. Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris, one of the most enduring musical revues of all time, is being re-staged on a radically reconfigured Alliance Stage. The addition of two-person tables and four-person, semi-circular booths (banquettes) right on the expanded stage promises a night of shared emotion and romance. Alliance Artistic Director Susan V. Booth will direct the hit musical production where guests can sit back and sip wine in a unique environment styled after a hot French nightspot. Media night is Wednesday, Apr. 22, 2009 at 8 p.m. Tickets are available at the Woodruff Arts Center Box Office by calling 404.733.5000 or online at www.alliancetheatre.org.

Playwright Julia Brownell's Smart Cookie is a wickedly funny comedy about how a shocking surprise helps a wealthy Manhattan socialite become the woman she never realized she wanted to be. The clear favorite of the 2008 Kendeda Graduate Playwriting Competition judges, this World Premiere play combines laugh-out-loud humor with a provocative story about social image and the powers that can change a person's attitudes.

Playwright Julia Brownell's Smart Cookie is a wickedly funny comedy about how a shocking surprise helps a wealthy Manhattan socialite become the woman she never realized she wanted to be. The clear favorite of the 2008 Kendeda Graduate Playwriting Competition judges, this World Premiere play combines laugh-out-loud humor with a provocative story about social image and the powers that can change a person's attitudes.

Managing Maxine, a World Premiere by Janece Shaffer, directed by Susan V. Booth will play at the Alliance Theatre from October 8 - November 2, 2008

Managing Maxine, a World Premiere by Janece Shaffer, directed by Susan V. Booth will play at the Alliance Theatre from October 8 - November 2, 2008