Sunday, March 29, 2009

Movin' Out Coming to Fox Theatre May 1 - 3

MOVIN’ OUT, the Tony Award-winning new musical conceived, choreographed and directed by Twyla Tharp and based on 24 classic songs by Billy Joel, comes back to Atlanta for a special engagement at The Fabulous Fox Theatre May 1 – 3, 2009, presented as a season special by Fidelity Investments Broadway Across America - Atlanta. Tickets are on sale now.

Critics say MOVIN’ OUT revolutionized musical theatre as we know it. “So exhilarating and soul-stirring, it practically bursts out of the theatre,” said Time Magazine. “Movin’ Out is electrifying! The union of Tharp and Joel is one made in heaven,” raved the Chicago Tribune.

Told through the choreography of Twyla Tharp and more than two dozen of Billy Joel’s songs, MOVIN' OUT is the story of lifelong friends through two turbulent decades that change them and the world around them forever. Songs like “It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me,” “We Didn’t Start the Fire,” and “Pressure” all come together to weave a musical backdrop which beautifully complements Tharp’s innovative choreography. The songs and dance take audiences through a poignant narrative comprised of three main elements: post-World War II idealism, the Vietnam War and its subsequent unrest, and finally, survival.

Many will recognize MOVIN’ OUT’s main characters, as they come straight from Joel’s lyrics. There’s Brenda and Eddie from “Scenes from an Italian Restaurant,” Tony and Sergeant O’Leary from “Movin’ Out,” Judy from “Why, Judy, Why,” and James from “James”—and their story is told completely through dance, with no dialogue whatsoever. MOVIN’ OUT is “a story told without language,” Tharp says. “The movement and the action tell the story—the experience, the emotional resonance, comes from action rather than language.”

The Broadway production of MOVIN’ OUT played for over three years, closing on December 11, 2005, after 28 previews and 1,303 regular performances. It joined the pantheon of great Broadway dance musicals when it surpassed the runs of Contact, Fosse and Bring in ‘Da Noise/Bring in ‘Da Funk. MOVIN’ OUT received two 2003 Tony Awards – one for Ms. Tharp (Best Choreography) and one for Mr. Joel (Best Orchestrations).

MOVIN’ OUT features a scenic design by Kelly Tighe, costume design by Suzy Benzinger, lighting design by Donald Holder and sound design by Duncan Robert Edwards. Musical Supervision is by Rob Cookman.

The performance schedule for MOVIN’ OUT at The Fox Theatre is as follows:

Friday, May 1…………………..8:00 p.m.
Saturday, May 2……………….2:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.
Sunday, May 3………………1:00 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.

Ticket prices start at $25.00 (subject to change) and are available for purchase through authorized ticket agents, including The Fox Theatre box office, Ticketmaster outlets, online at www.ticketmaster.com or by phone at 1-800-982-2787. Group discounts of 15 or more are available by calling 404-881-2000.

The Fox Theatre is located at 660 Peachtree Street NE, Atlanta, Georgia 30308. For more information, please call (404) 881-2100.

Broadway Across America: Owned and operated by British theatre producer John Gore (CEO) and entertainment industry veteran Thomas B. McGrath (Chairman), Broadway Across America presents first-class touring Broadway musicals and plays, family productions and other live events throughout a network of 43 North American cities. Broadway Across America is also dedicated to the development and production of new and diverse live theatre for productions on Broadway, across America and throughout the world. Broadway Across America most recently produced Irving Berlin’s WHITE CHRISTMAS on Broadway, while current and upcoming productions include WEST SIDE STORY, BLITHE SPIRIT, MINSKY’S, and the DeafWest production of PIPPIN. Broadway tours include DORA THE EXPLORER, FROST/NIXON, SPAMALOT, CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG and FIDDLER ON THE ROOF. For more information or to purchase tickets through an authorized agent go to BroadwayAcrossAmerica.com.
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Thursday, March 26, 2009

Atlanta's Most Cherished Southern Story, Driving Miss Daisy, Journey's Home

Theatrical Outfit
Apr 22 - May 17

It’s been twenty-one years since Driving Miss Daisy by Atlanta native Alfred Uhry, made its Southeastern premiere on the Alliance stage, where it had a successful two-year run with Robert J. Farley as director; this spring, Farley returns to direct the play at Theatrical Outfit at the Balzer Theater at Herren’s from April 22 through May 17, 2009.

In those two decades, Driving Miss Daisy has been around the block a few times, winning both a Pulitzer Prize for its Off-Broadway production in 1987 and an Academy Award for Best Picture for its 1989 film version (for which Uhry wrote the screenplay). The first of Uhry’s “Atlanta Trilogy” of plays about Jewish life in Atlanta (which includes The Last Night of Ballyhoo and Parade), Driving Miss Daisy is largely autobiographical, with the characters fashioned after Uhry’s own grandmother Lena Fox and her chauffeur Will Coleman, and contains many references to local landmarks and sites, as well as to the City’s past: an ice storm that paralyzed Atlanta, the bombing of The Temple, and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s speaking engagement at The Biltmore.

In a series of simple and evocative vignettes spanning the years from 1948 to 1973, the play chronicles the servant-employee relationship and the developing bond of friendship between Daisy Werthan, an irascible, strong-willed Jewish matron living in the affluent Druid Hills neighborhood, and her chauffeur Hoke Coleburn, the dignified yet affable African American hired by her concerned middle-aged son Boolie Werthan, a shrewd businessman who refuses to let his mother continue driving after a series of car accidents make her uninsurable.

Driving Miss Daisy is highly reflective of the changing racial and social climates in the Deep South during this era; it works on many levels to demonstrate how status, wealth, discrimination and prejudice colored Daisy’s world and how, over time, her deepening affection for Hoke tore down many of those barriers.

Of his decision to direct the play again, Robert J. Farley remarks, “Driving Miss Daisy is Atlanta’s play, one of its most enduring theatrical legacies, and now at Theatrical Outfit, it will be a whole new legacy, with a completely different cast and in downtown Atlanta. What better place to do it?”

Indeed, Theatrical Outfit is uniquely situated to present this play, since its renovated space in downtown Atlanta was once the famous Herren’s Restaurant, the first eating establishment to voluntarily desegregate in 1962, and just around the corner from Forsyth Street, where Miss Daisy had her humble childhood upbringing. The playwright Uhry explained why he thought Driving Miss Daisy became such a surprise hit, “I wrote what I knew to be the truth, and people have recognized it as such…these were two people who came to love each other and had no means at all of telling each other.”

Interestingly, in the spring of 1987, director Farley was in the New York audience of the very first premiere of Driving Miss Daisy at Playwrights Horizons; he was a guest of the actress playing Daisy, Dana Ivey, an Atlanta native and daughter of Mary Nell Santacroce, whom Farley cast in the lead role for his Alliance production. A written interview with Farley about that memorable evening and his additional thoughts on the play and the Theatrical Outfit production appears on the theater’s website (www.theatricaloutfit.org).

The stellar cast for this production, whom Farley calls “the cream of the crop,” include Jill Jane Clements as Daisy Werthan, Rob Cleveland as Hoke Coleburn and William S. Murphey as Boolie Werthan. Clements directed Theatrical Outfit’s fall production of A Lesson Before Dying and this winter appeared as Amanda in Southern Comforts at Georgia Ensemble Theatre (and at Theatrical Outfit last winter), as Mrs. Reeves in The Chase, Ima in The Immigrant, and Mama Lilly in Hank Williams, all at Theatrical Outfit; she received the 2007 Suzi Bass Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in Theatre in the Square’s production of Turned Funny. Rob Cleveland has appeared in over fifty professional stage productions around the country and is an associate artist with GA Shakespeare, whose Theatrical Outfit credits include: I’m Not Rappaport, The Complete Works of Wm. Shakespeare, Abridged, and Master Harold and the Boys; he was most recently seen in High John the Conqueror and African Folktales (Theatre in the Square), and his film credits include That Darn Cat and Drumline. William S. Murphey was in Theatrical Outfit’s productions of The God Committee, The Chase, and A Lesson Before Dying; additionally he has appeared at Theatre in the Square in Room Service, The Poetry of Pizza, and the one-man comedy Fully Committed (Jennie Award for Best Actor) and at Georgia Ensemble in Our Town, Season’s Greetings!, and Lying in State.

Tickets are $30. Preview performances are Wed., April 22 – Fri., April 24 at 7:30 pm, and opening night is Sat., April 25 at 7:30 pm. Performance times are Weds. through Sats. at 7:30 pm and Sundays at 2:30 pm; Saturday matinees are May 2 & 16 at 2:30 pm. Special performances include $10 Seniors matinee on Wed., May 13 at 2:30 pm; Student matinees on Weds., April 29 & May 6 at 11 am; Dinner Theater at City Grill ($45) on Thurs., May 7 at 5:00 pm; American Signed Language Performance on Sun., May 3 at 2:30 pm; Talkback with cast following the performance on Fri., May 8. Recommended for all ages.

Group discounts are available (call 678.528.1497) and $10 student tickets day of show, with student ID. Box office hours are noon to 6 pm Tues. through Fri. and prior to curtain; 678.528.1500; www.theatricaloutfit.org. Show Sponsors are Kilpatrick Stockton, LLP and Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. Educational programming support is provided by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and The Coca-Cola Company.
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Sunday, March 22, 2009

Gallery Players Murder Off The Cuff Coming to Baja's in Newnan on April 5

It was recently announced that Senoia actor Joey Waldrop had left the Fayette-based Gallery Players improvisation troupe (run by Offshoot Productions) in order to accept a position at Disney Studios in Florida. That same (and an earlier) announcement stated that another Cowetan, Chrisi Talyn of Palmetto, had recently joined Gallery Players. It was also announced that the schedule of performances of its latest show Murder Off The Cuff would remain the same -- the only difference is that Waldrop will no longer be a part of Gallery Players. Murder Off The Cuff takes improvisation to a new level -- the audience is involved! To see what this really means, you will need to attend a performance of it.

One of these performances will be held at 7 PM on Sunday April 5 at a Newnan venue, namely Baja's at 385 Jackson Street, at the intersection of 34 bypass and Hwy 29, directly across the street from the Coweta-Fayette EMC building. This can be considered a Dinner Theatre performance because it will include a taco buffet dinner. The $20 tickets include the cost of the dinner.. They can be picked up at Baja's or charged by phoning there (770-683-3474) or purchased with a check made out to Offshoot Productions and mailed to P.O. Box 2462, Peachtree City, GA 30269.

Information on the Gallery Players is available from its Founder/Director Dr. Susan Steadman at (770) 631-2362 or offshootpr@aol.com or by visiting its website www.offshoot.org.

Information on Baja's is available on their website http://bajasnewnan.com. They are known for their great food and their great entertainment and for providing a fun atmosphere in their restaurant.

- Forrest Schultz, Coweta Arts Tidbits
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Sunday, March 15, 2009

Theatrical Outfit Announces Its 2009-10 Season; Launches with World Premiere of the Opera King

Theatrical Outfit begins its 33rd season with the world premiere of KING, with libretto, music, and lyrics by Douglas Tappin. The story of a preacher from Atlanta, this glorious musical tribute to the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., blends the operatic form with indigenous gospel, blues and other contemporary musical influences and features a cast of twenty-five and a fifteen-person orchestra. While the actual run dates for Theatrical Outfit’s upcoming productions are being finalized, KING is scheduled for the month of September, 2009, and is the pitch-perfect start to the five-show season, which includes both classic and new works. For ages 10 and up for adult themes.

Following KING, the 2009-10 Theatrical Outfit season also includes:

Around The World In 80 Days (October – November, 2009) Adapted by Mark Brown from the novel by Jules Verne.

The original “Amazing Race,” this comedy/adventure, set in 1872, is a high-spirited romp through different continents, cultures and time zones that puts one man’s life and fortunes at risk. After making an outrageous wager, the unflappable Phileas Fogg and his man-servant Passepartout, embark on an extraordinary itinerary and global race against the clock, all the while eluding a misdirected detective. Complete with angry natives, typhoons, runaway trains and a damsel in distress, 80 Days is a delightful odyssey for the entire family. For all ages.
“Action and hilarity to spare.” - Boston Globe

Brownie Points (February, 2010) by Janece Shaffer

This new comic drama by the popular Atlanta playwright masterfully mirrors modern families and society through the multi-cultural mayhem of a Brownie troop’s camp-out in the north Georgia mountains. When a fierce, unexpected storm strands a group of mothers and daughters overnight in the woods, ethnic prejudices, some latent, others blatant, bubble to the surface and force the adults to examine which is deeper—the shared experience of motherhood or the divisive judgments of their upbringing. Brownie Points is both touching and comical in its portrayal of race, stereotypes and how people relate to each other, both unwittingly and intentionally. For age 12 and up, for adult language.

The Sunset Limited (March - April, 2010) A Novel in Dramatic Form by Cormac McCarthy
A startling encounter on a New York subway platform leads two strangers to a dilapidated tenement where a life or death decision begs the existential question: is there light at the end of the tunnel? In a split-second intervention, the character Black, a Christian ex-con, prevents the character White, a nihilistic and world-weary professor, from hurtling himself in the path of an oncoming commuter train. The ensuing philosophical sparring between the two sparks an intriguing articulation of opposing belief systems and the internal debate between innate human isolation versus transcendent communion. Published in 2006 and first performed at Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theatre, The Sunset Limited has been praised as “deft, spare, and full of artful tension,” and contains the brilliant, often darkly humorous, dialogue for which McCarthy is celebrated. For age 16 and up, for adult themes and language.

“This is mind-expanding theater at its best.” - Chicagocritic.com

Blues in the Night (April - May, 2010) Conceived and Originally Directed by Sheldon Epps
Tony-nominated, this scorching Broadway musical, set in a seedy Chicago hotel, is a full-out compilation of blues songs that interweaves stories of life, loss and love through the unrivalled tunes and lyrics of Bessie Smith, Duke Ellington, Johnny Mercer, Harold Arlen, and many more. For age 16 and up, for adult themes.

“…crowd-pleasing appeal…knock ‘em dead vocalizing…” Variety

In addition to our regular season, Theatrical Outfit will present these two must-see co-productions:

Cotton Patch Gospel (Summer, 2009) Written by Tom Key and Russell Treyz, with music and lyrics by Harry Chapin

A gem of musical theater, Cotton Patch Gospel adapts Clarence Jordan's "Cotton Patch" versions of the gospels of Matthew and John for the stage, transplanting the story of Jesus into the mid-20th-century American South and considering what might have happened had Jesus been born in Georgia--with Gainesville standing in for Bethlehem, Valdosta for Nazareth and Atlanta as the fateful Jerusalem. This perennial favorite plows new ground with an all-new cast and is co-produced with Third Coast Productions. For all ages.

“Cotton Patch Gospel is the musical that asks: Would the people of today’s world know a savior if they saw him?…the underlying message is spiritual…it’s deeply moving…” Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Amahl and the Night Visitor (December, 2009) Composed and written by Gian Carlo MenottiThis vocal score is a new and revised edition of the well-known opera that made television history on Christmas Eve, 1951, and is in collaboration with the Georgia State University School of Music. Haunting and vivid musical interpretations capture the humble life of a crippled child and his impoverished mother and describe one mesmerizing evening when traveling magi from the East mysteriously seek rest with them. Among the unforgettable songs are Don't Cry Mother Dear; From Far Away We Come; Good Evening!; Come In!; Have You Seen a Child?; Dance of the Shepherds; and All That Gold. In one night’s brief encounter, gifts both spiritual and material are bestowed on Amahl, who is miraculously healed and able to join the kings on their quest to find the Christ child. For all ages. “Amahl is the modern equivalent of a medieval mystery play…not biblical but an invented fable…Menotti’s music is attractive and unfailingly lyrical.” – The New York Times

For more information, call the box office at 678.528.1500 or visit www.theatricaloutfit.org. Theatrical Outfit, 84 Luckie Street, Atlanta, GA 30303.
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Get Carried Away by a MONSTER Season of Broadway Hits in 2009-2010

Broadway Across America –Atlanta Announces NEW Season of Blockbuster Atlanta Premieres and Fan Favorite Specials

Fidelity Investments Broadway Across America – Atlanta presents a season of monster hits direct from the Great White Way in 2009-2010 at The Fabulous Fox Theatre. Atlanta audiences will get carried away with five highly anticipated debuts, including Broadway blockbusters MARY POPPINS, YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN, the new 2008 Tony Award® winning production of SOUTH PACIFIC as well as Tony Award® winners IN THE HEIGHTS and SPRING AWAKENING.

The 2009-2010 season will also include three season specials along with its host of first-run Atlanta premieres.

Kicking off the season in November, IN THE HEIGHTS, winner of four 2008 Tony Awards including BEST MUSICAL, is a sensational new show about chasing your dreams and finding your true home.

YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN, the classic Mel Brooks movie, is ALIVE! Theatergoers will have a monstrously good time at this spectacular new production, winner of the 2008 Outer Critics Circle Award and the Broadway.com Audience Award for BEST MUSICAL!

Winner of eight 2007 Tony Awards including BEST MUSICAL, SPRING AWAKENING will have Atlanta audiences buzzing in March 2010. This show is recommended for mature audiences only.

Winner of seven 2008 Tony Awards including BEST MUSICAL REVIVAL, Lincoln Center Theater’s new production of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s SOUTH PACIFIC will continue the award-winning season.

Beginning in April 2010, the world’s most famous nanny will land at The Fox Theatre! Broadway’s magical hit musical, MARY POPPINS, flies into town to delight Atlanta families.

IN THE HEIGHTS
November 3 – 8, 2009
The Fabulous Fox Theatre
With an amazing cast, incredible Tony Award-winning dancing and a thrilling Tony Award-winning score, IN THE HEIGHTS is an exhilarating journey into a vibrant Manhattan community - a place where the coffee is light and sweet, the windows are always open, and the breeze carries the rhythm of three generations of music. Experience the next chapter of the classic American story at the most joyous, exciting and award-winning new musical on Broadway. Find out what it takes to make a living, what it costs to have a dream, and what it means to be home…IN THE HEIGHTS.

YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN
January 26 – 31, 2010
The Fabulous Fox Theatre
This wickedly inspired re-imagining of the Frankenstein legend follows bright young Dr. Frankenstein (that's Fronkensteen) as he attempts to create a monster--but not without scary and hilarious complications. The brains behind the laughter is mad genius and three-time Tony Award winner Mel Brooks himself--who wrote the music and lyrics and co-wrote the book- along with his record-breaking team from The Producers: five-time Tony-winning director and choreographer Susan Stroman and three-time Tony-winning writer, Thomas Meehan. Don't miss the sensational cast delivering all your favorite moments from the classic film, plus brand-new show-stopping numbers for the stage, including "Transylvania Mania," "He Vas My Boyfriend" and “Puttin' on the Ritz." This show contains mature subject matter.

SPRING AWAKENING
March 9 – 14, 2010
The Fabulous Fox Theatre
Broadway's most talked about new musical is now the biggest Tony Award Winner in years. SPRING AWAKENING is the groundbreaking fusion of morality, sexuality and rock & roll that has awakened Broadway like no other musical in years. Winner of 8 Tony Awards including BEST MUSICAL, SPRING AWAKENING celebrates the unforgettable journey from youth to adulthood with a power, a poignancy and a passion you will never forget. "HAUNTING AND ELECTRIFYING! This brave new musical has a shivery sensual allure unmatched by anything in the theatre right now." – Charles Isherwood, The New York Times. "A GROUNDBREAKING JOLT OF GENIUS!" ---Clive Barnes, NY Post. This show is recommended for mature audiences only. A powerful coming of age story, SPRING AWAKENING deals with Mature Themes, Sexual Situations and Strong Language. Visit www.SpringAwakening.com to learn more.

Rodgers & Hammerstein’s SOUTH PACIFIC
April 6 – 11, 2010
The Fabulous Fox Theatre
“Simply Wonderful! Beguiling Theatrical Magic!” hails the New York Post for the breathtaking new production of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s SOUTH PACIFIC. A stunning reinvention produced by Lincoln Center Theater, SOUTH PACIFIC swept the 2008 Tony Awards®, winning seven honors including Best Musical Revival and Best Director for Bartlett Sher. Set on a tropical island during World War II, the musical tells the sweeping romantic story of two couples and how their happiness is threatened by the realities of war and by their own prejudices. The beloved score’s songs include “Some Enchanted Evening,” “I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair,” “This Nearly Was Mine” and “There is Nothin’ Like a Dame.” USA Today cheers, “★★★★! Gorgeous! SOUTH PACIFIC doesn’t just float; it soars!”

MARY POPPINS
April 29 – May 16, 2010
The Fabulous Fox Theatre
Combining the best of the original stories by P. L. Travers and the beloved Walt Disney film, the Tony® Award-winning MARY POPPINS is everything you’d hope for in a Broadway musical—and more. Produced by Disney and Cameron Mackintosh, the show includes such wonderful songs as “Chim Chim Cher-ee,” “A Spoonful of Sugar,” “Let’s Go Fly a Kite” and, of course, “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.” The NY Daily News hails MARY POPPINS as “a roof-raising, toe-tapping, high-flying extravaganza!” Don’t miss all the magic of Broadway’s super hit musical, and let your imagination take flight.

The 2009-2010 Broadway Across America – Atlanta season includes:

IN THE HEIGHTS November 3 – 8, 2009

YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN January 26 – 31, 2010

SPRING AWAKENING March 9 – 14, 2010

SOUTH PACIFIC April 6 – 11, 2010

MARY POPPINS April 29 – May 16, 2010

The 2009-2010 Broadway Across America – Atlanta season specials will include:

DORA THE EXPLORER August 21 – 23, 2009

RADIO CITY CHRISTMAS November 19 – 22, 2009

MAMMA MIA! February 9 – 14, 2010

Broadway Across America – Atlanta’s 2009-2010 season packages are on sale now with prices ranging from $87 – $387. Season ticket prices will vary depending on the number of shows chosen, the number of performances, show time, day of the week and seating location. New subscriptions may be ordered online at www.BroadwayAcrossAmerica.com, via phone by calling 1-800-278-4447 Monday through Friday, 10:00am to 5:00pm; or via fax at 1-800-535-2929. As part of an eco-friendly initiative, Broadway Across America – Atlanta will be sending renewal invoices to subscribers via email this year and encouraging patrons to subscribe online for the new season.

Broadway Across America – Atlanta is also offering a four-part installment payment plan this year to help ticket buyers with season purchases, and early birds can take advantage of a special discount offer. Those who purchase or renew a subscription before April 2 will receive $10 off the price of each season package ordered.

Tickets to individual shows in the 2009-2010 Season are not available for purchase at this time. Single-show tickets typically go on sale to the general public 6-8 weeks prior to Opening Night. However, Season Ticket Holders have the unique opportunity to purchase additional tickets before they go on sale to the public. For more information on the 2009-2010 Season, or to order online, please visit www.BroadwayAcrossAmerica.com. Reservations for groups of 20 or more for individual shows can be made at this time by calling 404-881-2000.

Performances are Tuesday through Friday at 8:00 p.m., Saturday at 2:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m., and Sunday at 1:00 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. (All times are subject to change). An audio described performance for the visually impaired and an American Sign Language-interpreted performance for the deaf are available for each pre-determined Saturday matinee of each presentation.

Broadway Across America: Owned and operated by British theatre producer John Gore (CEO) and entertainment industry veteran Thomas B. McGrath (Chairman), Broadway Across America presents first-class touring Broadway musicals and plays, family productions and other live events throughout a network of 43 North American cities. Broadway Across America is also dedicated to the development and production of new and diverse live theatre for productions on Broadway, across America and throughout the world. Broadway Across America most recently produced Irving Berlin’s WHITE CHRISTMAS on Broadway, while current and upcoming productions include WEST SIDE STORY, BLITHE SPIRIT, MINSKY’S, and the DeafWest production of PIPPIN. Broadway tours include DORA THE EXPLORER, FROST/NIXON, SPAMALOT, CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG and FIDDLER ON THE ROOF. For more information or to purchase tickets through an authorized agent go to BroadwayAcrossAmerica.com.
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Monday, March 9, 2009

CHITTY Lands in Atlanta at The Fabulous Fox Theatre April 21–26, 2009

** Tickets On Sale Now**

CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG, the most FANTASMAGORICAL Broadway musical in the history of everything, flies into Atlanta’s Fox Theatre beginning April 21 through April 26 for eight performances only! The special debut engagement is presented by Fidelity Investments Broadway Across America – Atlanta as part of its 2009 season. Based on the timeless novel by famed James Bond author and creator Ian Fleming, the production features music and lyrics by the legendary Sherman brothers, composers of Mary Poppins. The national tour features an original script and fresh adaptation directed by Ray Roderick.

The Broadway production of CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG received five Tony Award nominations, ten Outer Critics Circle Award nominations and four Drama Desk nominations during its Broadway run at the Hilton Theatre. It opened on April 28, 2005. The London production of CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG was nominated for three Laurence Olivier Awards in 2003, including Best New Musical, and won Best Musical at the Variety Club Awards in 2003. The production opened on April 16, 2002 to rave reviews and record-breaking business at the London Palladium and continues to sell-out on tour across the U.K.

This stage adaptation of CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG features a beloved score, including memorable classics such as “Truly Scrumptious,” “Toot Sweets,” “Hushabye Mountain” and the Oscar-nominated title song, “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.”

CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG was originally directed by Adrian Noble on Broadway. This newly conceived version, with direction and adapted script by Ray Roderick, features sets and costumes by renowned English designer Anthony Ward, additional set designs by Robert Bissinger and lighting by Charlie Morrison. New choreography is by JoAnn M. Hunter.

The national tour of CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG is executive produced by Daniel Sher of Big League Productions.

CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG will play at The Fox Theatre Tuesday, April 21 through Sunday, April 26. Performances during the week start at 8:00 p.m. Performances on Saturday are at 2:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. Sunday performances are 1:00 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.

Tickets for the Atlanta engagement of CHITTY will go on sale Sunday, February 22. Ticket prices start at $18.00 (subject to change) and are available for purchase through authorized ticket agents, including The Fox Theatre box office, Ticketmaster outlets, online at www.ticketmaster.com or by phone at 1-800-982-2787. Group discounts of 15 or more are available by calling 404-881-2000.

The Fox Theatre is located at 660 Peachtree Street NE, Atlanta, Georgia 30308. For more information, please call (404) 881-2100.

Visit www.chittyontour.com for more information.
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Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Georgia Shakespeare Cancels Shake at the Lake 2009

Company Plans to Bring Event Back for 25th Anniversary Season

Georgia Shakespeare's popular Shake at the Lake, free Shakespeare in Piedmont Park, has been put on hiatus for 2009, producing artistic director Richard Garner announced today. Citing the difficulty in raising the necessary funds to completely underwrite the cost of this free community program, Garner said that the company is optimistic the event will be back in 2010 as part of Georgia Shakespeare's 25th Anniversary Season.

"It has become clear over the last month that we will not be able to secure the full funding needed to present Shake at the Lake in 2009," Garner said. "While we are saddened that the event will not happen this year, we feel this is a fiscally responsible action taken to ensure ongoing stability of the company as we continue to serve our core mission of mainstage and educational programs. We look forward to working with our donors, the City of Atlanta, and our friends at the Piedmont Park Conservancy to ensure that Shake at the Lake is back in the park in 2010 as we celebrate our 25th Anniversary Season."

Shake at the Lake had been scheduled for May 7 - 11.

Georgia Shakespeare's 2009 season, which runs June 10 through November 1 at the Conant Performing Arts Center, includes: A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare (June 10 - July 31); Cat on a Hot Tin Roof by Tennessee Williams (June 25 - August 1); Titus Andronicus by William Shakespeare (July 9 - August 2); Alice in Wonderland based on the work of Lewis Carroll (July 18 - August 1); and Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare (October 8 - November 1).

In addition, Georgia Shakespeare will present a one-week engagement of Rick Miller's MacHomer, a one-man fusion of Shakespeare's Macbeth and the cultural phenomenon The Simpsons. Scheduled for August 26 - 30, MacHomer has been hailed as "a must see for all Simpson fans" by the Toronto Sun.

Subscription packages and Bard Card flex passes are currently on sale. For more information, call 404.264.0020 or visit gashakespeare.org.

Founded in 1986, Georgia Shakespeare creates thoughtful, bold and passionate interpretations of a diverse body of work rooted in Shakespeare and branching out to embrace the best writers and ideas of all eras. Through mainstage and education work, Georgia Shakespeare strives to entertain, to ignite the imagination and to creatively explore the journey of the human spirit.
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