Southside Theatre Guild in downtown Fairburn announces a second performance of “Home for the Holidays”, featuring Robert Ray & Shea Johnson. The show will feature some of the world’s best-loved sacred songs of the season, performed to a contemporary beat. Enjoy an intimate evening of Christmas classics on Wednesday, December 22nd at 8:00 pm. (Dec. 21 show is sold out!) Tickets are $20 each and include a dessert after-party. For more info or to purchase tickets, www.STGplays.com or 1-800-838-3006.
SECOND SHOW ADDED - RESERVE EARLY - www.STGplays.com
Robert Ray and guest vocalist, Shea Johnson will perform an intimate evening of Christmas Classics on December 21st and 22nd at 8pm at Southside Theatre Guild in downtown Fairburn. The show, "Home for the Holidays" will feature some of the world's best-loved sacred songs of the season - performed to a contemporary beat, provided by jazz musicians - Rich Jones, Paul Fallat and John Willingham.
Also expect to hear Christmas standards such as "White Christmas", "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas", "Winter Wonderland", "Jingle Bell Rock", "Favorite Things", "Silver Bells", "I've Got my Love to Keep me Warm" and "I'll be Home for Christmas". Add to the roster some new Holiday favorites like Celine Dion's "Don't Save it All for Christmas Day", Whitney Houston's "Joy", Bette Midler's "From a Distance", Amy Grant's "Grown Up Christmas Wish" and Newsong's "Christmas Shoes."
As you can see, this is the place to sit back and soak in some last minute Christmas Spirit. The show will run 80 minutes - without an intermission with a complimentary wine and dessert party immediately after. All seats $20 ($23.39 including tax and handling) www.STGplays.com or 1-800-838-3006
Robert Ray is no stranger to Holiday music having performed the Opening Number for three WSB-TV Christmas Parades. He directed and produced "The 75th Anniversary of the Fox Theatre" which was the highlight of the 2005 holiday season. Robert is a Palmetto native and graduated from Campbell High School in Fairburn prior to moving to New York and working as a broadway actor and award-winning cabaret artist.
Shea Johnson balances her time as a speech and drama teacher at Landmark Christian School with her work as a professional actress and singer. She is currently featured in Stone Mountain's holiday commercial and has performed leading roles at Atlanta Lyric Theatre and the Highland Playhouse. Shea resides in Newnan with her husband and daughter.
Ray's orchestra has performed for three Underground Atlanta Peach Drops and at seven "1st Night Atlanta Celebrations."
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Theatrical Outfit Presents 'A Christmas Memory' Dec 15 - 23
Tom Key’s beloved one-man stage adaptation of the Truman Capote classic offers an intimate alternative to local seasonal spectaculars
For an exclusive run of only nine performances this holiday season, Theatrical Outfit will feature Executive Artistic Director, Tom Key, on stage for his one-man show adaptation of Truman Capote’s cherished story, A Christmas Memory. The performance will consist of two acts—the first act of holiday music by bluegrass band, The Georgia Potlickers, will complement the second act’s theatrical narration by Key: “The actor, the words and the audience’s imagination is all you need. Reader’s theatre really invites the audience to let their imagination run free.” An Alabama native himself, Key narrates the semi-autobiographical tale of seven-year-old Alabama boy, Buddy, and his unique friendship with his elderly eccentric cousin, like “a lost pair of kites hurrying towards heaven." Comedic, realistic, and with childlike charisma, the adventures in A Christmas Memory offer an intimate holiday event for the entire family.
Much like last season’s Amahl and the Night Vistors, A Christmas Memory delivers the same simplicity and charm of holiday storytelling—as if the audience is being entertained in Key’s own home. In fact, Tom Key had not originally intended to fully adapt Capote’s work, but was encouraged to do so by his family and friends, for whom he had made a holiday tradition of performing the work. In 1973, Key was asked by the local YMCA in Knoxville, TN to perform his adaptation during graduate school. However, it was not until after his tour of Cotton Patch Gospel in 1982 that Key was approached by several regional theatre companies to take A Christmas Memory to the stage, including the Alliance Theatre in the late 1980s. Most notable of A Christmas Memory’s presentations is that it was the first work to be performed at Theatrical Outfit’s newly-renovated downtown home, The Balzer Theater at Herren’s, on December 16, 2004. Of this performance, Wendell Brock wrote, “That Key can evince so much whimsy and filigree from Capote’s tales is a testament to his gift as a storyteller.” “…[A Christmas Memory] remains a rich and evocative glimpse of the vanishing South—and a wise commentary on the intricacies of friendship, kindness and giving” (Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 2004); all warm and resonant notes of the holiday spirit.
Tickets are $15 - $30 and are available now. For more information about show times and tickets, call the Box Office at 678.528.1500 or visit www.theatricaloutfit.org. Box Office is open Tuesday – Friday from noon – 6:00pm and prior to all performances. Group rates available. Theatrical Outfit in The Balzer Theatre at Herren’s, 84 Luckie Street, Atlanta, GA 30303.
For an exclusive run of only nine performances this holiday season, Theatrical Outfit will feature Executive Artistic Director, Tom Key, on stage for his one-man show adaptation of Truman Capote’s cherished story, A Christmas Memory. The performance will consist of two acts—the first act of holiday music by bluegrass band, The Georgia Potlickers, will complement the second act’s theatrical narration by Key: “The actor, the words and the audience’s imagination is all you need. Reader’s theatre really invites the audience to let their imagination run free.” An Alabama native himself, Key narrates the semi-autobiographical tale of seven-year-old Alabama boy, Buddy, and his unique friendship with his elderly eccentric cousin, like “a lost pair of kites hurrying towards heaven." Comedic, realistic, and with childlike charisma, the adventures in A Christmas Memory offer an intimate holiday event for the entire family.
Much like last season’s Amahl and the Night Vistors, A Christmas Memory delivers the same simplicity and charm of holiday storytelling—as if the audience is being entertained in Key’s own home. In fact, Tom Key had not originally intended to fully adapt Capote’s work, but was encouraged to do so by his family and friends, for whom he had made a holiday tradition of performing the work. In 1973, Key was asked by the local YMCA in Knoxville, TN to perform his adaptation during graduate school. However, it was not until after his tour of Cotton Patch Gospel in 1982 that Key was approached by several regional theatre companies to take A Christmas Memory to the stage, including the Alliance Theatre in the late 1980s. Most notable of A Christmas Memory’s presentations is that it was the first work to be performed at Theatrical Outfit’s newly-renovated downtown home, The Balzer Theater at Herren’s, on December 16, 2004. Of this performance, Wendell Brock wrote, “That Key can evince so much whimsy and filigree from Capote’s tales is a testament to his gift as a storyteller.” “…[A Christmas Memory] remains a rich and evocative glimpse of the vanishing South—and a wise commentary on the intricacies of friendship, kindness and giving” (Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 2004); all warm and resonant notes of the holiday spirit.
Tickets are $15 - $30 and are available now. For more information about show times and tickets, call the Box Office at 678.528.1500 or visit www.theatricaloutfit.org. Box Office is open Tuesday – Friday from noon – 6:00pm and prior to all performances. Group rates available. Theatrical Outfit in The Balzer Theatre at Herren’s, 84 Luckie Street, Atlanta, GA 30303.
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Atlanta Lyric to Stage Spectacular “42ND STREET”
“Come and Meet Those Dancing Feet” at The Strand Theatre in Marietta
Atlanta Lyric Theatre, the metro area’s only local professional musical theatre company presents “42nd Street,” the ultimate Broadway musical which opens December 3rd and plays through the 19th at the historic Strand Theatre in Marietta. Tickets are $30-$45, with discounts for seniors, students, groups and four pack season tickets that offer a savings as low as 30%!
“42nd Street” is an unforgettable tap-‐dancing extravaganza with a book by Michael Stewart and Mark Bramble, lyrics by Al Dubin and music by Harry Warren that features such hits as “We’re In The Money,” “Shuffle Off To Buffalo,” “You’re Getting To Be A Habit With Me,” and, of course, the title song!
The 1980 Broadway production won the Tony Award for Best Musical as did the 2001 Broadway revival for Best Revival. Based on the novel by Bradford Ropes and the subsequent 1933 film adaptation, “42nd Street” tells the story of a starry-eyed young actress named Peggy Sawyer who has come to audition for the new Julian Marsh musical that is about to open on Broadway. Unfortunately, Peggy can’t seem to work up the nerve to walk through the stage door until it’s too late--the audition is over. But not to worry! Peggy soon catches the eye of the famous director, and when the chorus turns up one girl short, Peggy gets her big break. But Peggy can’t seem to stay in the good graces of the show’s aging leading lady, Dorothy Brock, and on opening night, another Dancer accidentally pushes Peggy into Ms. Brock who falls and breaks her ankle. The furious director fires Peggy on the spot. Discouraged and ready to give up all her dreams of becoming a star, Peggy packs her bags and heads for the train station, but fate has other plans and Peggy may turn out to be a star yet!
Lyric Artistic Director Brandt Blocker directs, and nationally acclaimed choreographer Karen Hebert choreographs and stars as aging diva Dorothy Brock.
Starring in the role of Peggy Sawyer is Casey Leigh Thompson of Broadway’s “Legally Blonde.” Thompson was previously seen as Tiger Lilly in The Lyric’s “Peter Pan.” Playing Broadway director Julian Marsh is Atlanta’s award-winning actor Jeff McKerley who was in The Lyric’s “Beauty and the Beast,” “The Mikado,” and “Cinderella.” Last seen at Long Island’s Gateway Playhouse in “The Producers,” William James Daniels plays brash performer Billy Lawlor, while Atlanta’s Dustin Lewis and Mary Nye Bennett are featured as Broadway writers Bert Barry and Maggie Jones.
Others in the cast include Steve Hornibrook, Larry Ruth, Charles Green, Jason Kalish, Jennifer Smiles Plumley, Lauren Warnke, Courtney Godwin, Caroline Ann Freedlund, Becky Simmons, Becca Potter, Courtney Bowers, Elizabeth Neidel, Michael Malone, Michael McDonough, Aaron Carter, Fenner Eaddy, and Justin Thompson.
The design team for the show is led by scenic designer Lee Shiver; Jessica Coale is the lighting designer; Lindsey Paris is the costume coordinator; and Bobby Johnston is sound designer.
All performances are held at The Earl Smith Strand Theatre at 117 N. Park Sq., on the historic Marietta Square. For tickets and information call 404-377-9948 or visit www.AtlantaLyricTheatre.com.
Performance Schedule
Dec 3, 4, 5 Friday & Sat. @ 8:00, Sun. @ 2:00
9, 10, 11, 12 Thurs., Fri. & Sat. @ 8:00, Sun. @ 2:00 16, 17, 18, &19, 2010
Thurs., Fri. & Sat. @ 8:00, Sat. & Sun. @ 2:00
---
Community News You Can Use
Click to read MORE news:
www.GeorgiaFrontPage.com
Twitter: @gafrontpage & @TheGATable @HookedonHistory
www.ArtsAcrossGeorgia.com
Twitter: @artsacrossga, @softnblue, @RimbomboAAG
Facebook: http://facebook.com/ArtsAcrossGA
www.FayetteFrontPage.com
Twitter: @FayetteFP
Atlanta Lyric Theatre, the metro area’s only local professional musical theatre company presents “42nd Street,” the ultimate Broadway musical which opens December 3rd and plays through the 19th at the historic Strand Theatre in Marietta. Tickets are $30-$45, with discounts for seniors, students, groups and four pack season tickets that offer a savings as low as 30%!
“42nd Street” is an unforgettable tap-‐dancing extravaganza with a book by Michael Stewart and Mark Bramble, lyrics by Al Dubin and music by Harry Warren that features such hits as “We’re In The Money,” “Shuffle Off To Buffalo,” “You’re Getting To Be A Habit With Me,” and, of course, the title song!
The 1980 Broadway production won the Tony Award for Best Musical as did the 2001 Broadway revival for Best Revival. Based on the novel by Bradford Ropes and the subsequent 1933 film adaptation, “42nd Street” tells the story of a starry-eyed young actress named Peggy Sawyer who has come to audition for the new Julian Marsh musical that is about to open on Broadway. Unfortunately, Peggy can’t seem to work up the nerve to walk through the stage door until it’s too late--the audition is over. But not to worry! Peggy soon catches the eye of the famous director, and when the chorus turns up one girl short, Peggy gets her big break. But Peggy can’t seem to stay in the good graces of the show’s aging leading lady, Dorothy Brock, and on opening night, another Dancer accidentally pushes Peggy into Ms. Brock who falls and breaks her ankle. The furious director fires Peggy on the spot. Discouraged and ready to give up all her dreams of becoming a star, Peggy packs her bags and heads for the train station, but fate has other plans and Peggy may turn out to be a star yet!
Lyric Artistic Director Brandt Blocker directs, and nationally acclaimed choreographer Karen Hebert choreographs and stars as aging diva Dorothy Brock.
Starring in the role of Peggy Sawyer is Casey Leigh Thompson of Broadway’s “Legally Blonde.” Thompson was previously seen as Tiger Lilly in The Lyric’s “Peter Pan.” Playing Broadway director Julian Marsh is Atlanta’s award-winning actor Jeff McKerley who was in The Lyric’s “Beauty and the Beast,” “The Mikado,” and “Cinderella.” Last seen at Long Island’s Gateway Playhouse in “The Producers,” William James Daniels plays brash performer Billy Lawlor, while Atlanta’s Dustin Lewis and Mary Nye Bennett are featured as Broadway writers Bert Barry and Maggie Jones.
Others in the cast include Steve Hornibrook, Larry Ruth, Charles Green, Jason Kalish, Jennifer Smiles Plumley, Lauren Warnke, Courtney Godwin, Caroline Ann Freedlund, Becky Simmons, Becca Potter, Courtney Bowers, Elizabeth Neidel, Michael Malone, Michael McDonough, Aaron Carter, Fenner Eaddy, and Justin Thompson.
The design team for the show is led by scenic designer Lee Shiver; Jessica Coale is the lighting designer; Lindsey Paris is the costume coordinator; and Bobby Johnston is sound designer.
All performances are held at The Earl Smith Strand Theatre at 117 N. Park Sq., on the historic Marietta Square. For tickets and information call 404-377-9948 or visit www.AtlantaLyricTheatre.com.
Performance Schedule
Dec 3, 4, 5 Friday & Sat. @ 8:00, Sun. @ 2:00
9, 10, 11, 12 Thurs., Fri. & Sat. @ 8:00, Sun. @ 2:00 16, 17, 18, &19, 2010
Thurs., Fri. & Sat. @ 8:00, Sat. & Sun. @ 2:00
---
Community News You Can Use
Click to read MORE news:
www.GeorgiaFrontPage.com
Twitter: @gafrontpage & @TheGATable @HookedonHistory
www.ArtsAcrossGeorgia.com
Twitter: @artsacrossga, @softnblue, @RimbomboAAG
Facebook: http://facebook.com/ArtsAcrossGA
www.FayetteFrontPage.com
Twitter: @FayetteFP
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Broadway Across America-Atlanta Holiday Package Announced
Help spread some Broadway magic with the gift that keeps giving all season long! The recently announced Broadway Across America – Atlanta Mini Season Package includes classics such as West Side Story and Hair, as well as a Tony Award nominated newcomer, Shrek the Musical, and the high-energy ballroom dancing spectacular, Burn the Floor.
“Our new holiday package enables theatre fans to gift an experience that will resonate throughout the year,” said Stephanie Parker, vice president of Broadway Across America – Atlanta. “This mini season line up features some of this season’s most anticipated shows at prices that can accommodate any budget.”
With packages starting as low as $52, reserving seats and spreading the joy to loved ones will be easier than ever for Atlantans. Tickets can be purchased through December 31 online anytime at www.BroadwayAcrossAmerica.com or by phone at 800-278-4447 (Monday-Friday from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.).
Show dates include:
West Side Story
January 25 – 30, 2011
Burn the Floor
March 22 – 27, 2011
Shrek the Musical
April 26 – May 1, 2011
Hair
May 17 – 22, 2011
About Broadway Across America
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, please visit BroadwayAcrossAmerica.com.
Clayton State Theatre Presents “Everything Goes, Episode One: Big Max Takes a Cab”
This November, the Clayton State Theatre brings audiences an original stage production, “Everything Goes, Episode One: Big Max Takes a Cab” – an entirely student developed musical featuring an all-student cast.
Preview nights for “Everything Goes” are Nov. 9 and 10 with the musical running Nov. 11, Nov. 12 and Nov. 13, all at 8 p.m. in the Clayton State Theatre, located in room G132 in the University’s Arts & Sciences building.. General admission is $5. Clayton State students receive free admission with their LakerCard.
Fourteen Clayton State Theatre students began developing “Everything Goes, Episode One: Big Max Takes a Cab” at the beginning of fall semester 2010. Under the tutelage of Clayton State Theatre Artistic Director Phillip DePoy, the students created the play’s title, characters, plot, and other elements through improvisation. The action centers on a 1920s speakeasy and features jazz numbers from that time period.
“The students did research on music in the 1920s, built a rough outline and improvised lines in class to create the script,” shares DePoy, who led theatre students in a similar creative process in 2005 when Clayton State Theatre produced its first student developed play, “Coffee Girl in a World of Good and Evil.” “This play, although weirdly close in theme to 1920s theatre, is really a parody that explores the foolishness and delight of that era of musical.”
Students in the cast of “Everything Goes, Episode One: Big Max Takes a Cab” include Brian Bryant, Kristy Bryant, Tiffany McClanahan, Bryan Meadows, Adrienne Garcia, Kathryn Hayes, LaDonna Williams, Tristan Santiago, Anissa Sivik, Chelisa Williams, Cody Wilson, and Angel Woods. Clayton State senior and Fayetteville native Kalani Fraser – who graduates with her Bachelor of Arts in Theatre from Clayton State this December – is stage manager. Clayton State theatre graduate Marie Banks is assistant stage manager for the production.
Also assisting in the production of “Everything Goes, Episode One: Big Max Takes a Cab” is Clayton State Director of Opera Dr. Kurt-Alexander Zeller, choreographer Nicole Livieratos and pianist and Clayton State alumnus Seth Davis. Adrienne Garcia, a cast member, created the murals as part of an internship.
“The process of developing a play drives some actors crazy, but other actors buy into it whole-heartedly,” says DePoy, recalling the support he received from the Clayton State student actors during both original Clayton State pieces in which he has been part. In addition to writing numerous plays himself, DePoy was the artistic director at Atlanta’s Theatrical Outfit when the theatre company developed a popular version of the British epic “Beowulf.”
For more information on “Everything Goes, Episode One: Big Max Takes a Cab,” contact DePoy at PhillipDePoy@clayton.edu or call (678) 466-4715.
Preview nights for “Everything Goes” are Nov. 9 and 10 with the musical running Nov. 11, Nov. 12 and Nov. 13, all at 8 p.m. in the Clayton State Theatre, located in room G132 in the University’s Arts & Sciences building.. General admission is $5. Clayton State students receive free admission with their LakerCard.
Fourteen Clayton State Theatre students began developing “Everything Goes, Episode One: Big Max Takes a Cab” at the beginning of fall semester 2010. Under the tutelage of Clayton State Theatre Artistic Director Phillip DePoy, the students created the play’s title, characters, plot, and other elements through improvisation. The action centers on a 1920s speakeasy and features jazz numbers from that time period.
“The students did research on music in the 1920s, built a rough outline and improvised lines in class to create the script,” shares DePoy, who led theatre students in a similar creative process in 2005 when Clayton State Theatre produced its first student developed play, “Coffee Girl in a World of Good and Evil.” “This play, although weirdly close in theme to 1920s theatre, is really a parody that explores the foolishness and delight of that era of musical.”
Students in the cast of “Everything Goes, Episode One: Big Max Takes a Cab” include Brian Bryant, Kristy Bryant, Tiffany McClanahan, Bryan Meadows, Adrienne Garcia, Kathryn Hayes, LaDonna Williams, Tristan Santiago, Anissa Sivik, Chelisa Williams, Cody Wilson, and Angel Woods. Clayton State senior and Fayetteville native Kalani Fraser – who graduates with her Bachelor of Arts in Theatre from Clayton State this December – is stage manager. Clayton State theatre graduate Marie Banks is assistant stage manager for the production.
Also assisting in the production of “Everything Goes, Episode One: Big Max Takes a Cab” is Clayton State Director of Opera Dr. Kurt-Alexander Zeller, choreographer Nicole Livieratos and pianist and Clayton State alumnus Seth Davis. Adrienne Garcia, a cast member, created the murals as part of an internship.
“The process of developing a play drives some actors crazy, but other actors buy into it whole-heartedly,” says DePoy, recalling the support he received from the Clayton State student actors during both original Clayton State pieces in which he has been part. In addition to writing numerous plays himself, DePoy was the artistic director at Atlanta’s Theatrical Outfit when the theatre company developed a popular version of the British epic “Beowulf.”
For more information on “Everything Goes, Episode One: Big Max Takes a Cab,” contact DePoy at PhillipDePoy@clayton.edu or call (678) 466-4715.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Broadway Baby Comes Home to Help Foster Children
Curtains Up, the non-profit performing arts company that mentors at-risk children to become confident and successful performers, invites the community to see their production of Annie at Onstage Atlanta on November 8 through November 13, 2010. Mary Stewart Sullivan, a Broadway performer, will star as the title role opposite Jennifer Salberg, founder of Curtains Up, as Miss Hannigan.
Jennifer started Curtains Up in 2004. She produces Broadway shows that inspire children and encourage them to reach for the stars. In addition, Curtains Up gives every child the opportunity to stand in the spotlight.
In 2005, Mary Stewart, at the age of four, learned how theatre could be fun and philanthropic from “Ms. Jen”. Thus, their magnetic force, which will be evident in Annie, began.
This year, with the help of her Curtains Up background, Mary Stewart landed the role and played Jojo in Seussical with the Atlanta School of the Performing Arts. During that production, the magic of Broadway struck. At eight years old, she received the call of a lifetime and was whisked away to perform as the daughter of Tony Award Winner Norbert Leo Butz in Enron, A true story of false profits. Mary Stewart returns to Atlanta to play Annie and help Curtains Up support foster children.
All of the ticket money from Annie will go to at-risk and foster children.
For tickets and more information please call 404-459-0409 or visit www.curtainsupinc.org
---
www.ArtsAcrossGeorgia.com
Twitter:
@artsacrossga
@softnblue (music & dance)
@RimbomboAAG (books, authors +)
Facebook: http://facebook.com/ArtsAcrossGA
Jennifer started Curtains Up in 2004. She produces Broadway shows that inspire children and encourage them to reach for the stars. In addition, Curtains Up gives every child the opportunity to stand in the spotlight.
In 2005, Mary Stewart, at the age of four, learned how theatre could be fun and philanthropic from “Ms. Jen”. Thus, their magnetic force, which will be evident in Annie, began.
This year, with the help of her Curtains Up background, Mary Stewart landed the role and played Jojo in Seussical with the Atlanta School of the Performing Arts. During that production, the magic of Broadway struck. At eight years old, she received the call of a lifetime and was whisked away to perform as the daughter of Tony Award Winner Norbert Leo Butz in Enron, A true story of false profits. Mary Stewart returns to Atlanta to play Annie and help Curtains Up support foster children.
All of the ticket money from Annie will go to at-risk and foster children.
For tickets and more information please call 404-459-0409 or visit www.curtainsupinc.org
---
www.ArtsAcrossGeorgia.com
Twitter:
@artsacrossga
@softnblue (music & dance)
@RimbomboAAG (books, authors +)
Facebook: http://facebook.com/ArtsAcrossGA
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Stop Dreaming and Come See Irving Berlin's White Christmas at the Fabulous Fox Theatre Nov 2 - 7
"You’re sure to catch the spirit of the season when you come to see our big holiday musical, Irving Berlin’s WHITE CHRISTMAS,” states Christopher B. Manos, Producer of Theater of the Stars. “This delightful romantic musical comedy has it all…glorious Irving Berlin songs, spectacular dance numbers, and gorgeous sets and costumes. Bring your loved ones to the Fabulous Fox Theatre for a heart-warming celebration of Americana from November 2-7. Tickets are on sale NOW at all Ticketmaster locations, the Fox Theatre Box Office, by calling 800-982-2787 and online at www.ticketmaster.com.”
Irving Berlin’s WHITE CHRISTMAS is a delightful new musical based on the 1954 smash hit Paramount movie. It tells the story of two army buddies, Bob and Phil, who have a successful song- and-dance act after the war. With romance in mind, the two follow a duo of beautiful singing sisters to a Christmas gig at a Vermont lodge, which just happens to be owned by their former Army commander. The boys soon realize they are the only guests at the resort because there is no snow! In order to help the General, they come up with a scheme to bring in a crowd. They decide to stage their newest Broadway revue, as well as make a special television appeal to all their Army pals to show up on Christmas Eve. The show features classic Irving Berlin hits such as “Blue Skies,” “Sisters,” “Happy Holiday,” “Count Your Blessings Instead of Sheep,” “I Love a Piano” and the unforgettable title song, “White Christmas.”
Starring as crooner Bob Wallace is John Scherer. He most recently appeared on Broadway in Lovemusik, directed by the legendary Harold Prince. He also worked with Mr. Prince in 3hree at the Ahmanson in Los Angeles. He starred in the Broadway and film versions of Andrew Lloyd Webber's By Jeeves, written and directed by Sir Alan Ayckbourn. Other Broadway credits include Sunset Boulevard and The Most Happy Fella (NYC Opera). He toured nationally in 42nd Street and Cats. He received critical acclaim for his performance as George M at the Goodspeed Opera House. Film and television credits include The Shield, Crossing Jordan, Law and Order (all three series), Titus and The Guiding Light.
Amy Bodnar reprises the role of Betty Haynes after playing it at the Tony award winning Denver Center. On Broadway, Amy played Laurey in the recent revival of Oklahoma and was in the original production of Ragtime. She starred as Marguerite in the national tour of The Scarlet Pimpernel, as well as performing as Betty Schaefer in the Canadian company of Sunset Boulevard.
Denis Lambert plays the other half of Wallace & Davis as the dashing Phil Davis. He starred on Broadway in A Chorus Line and off-Broadway in Yank!, Zorba and Finian's Rainbow. His other credits include the 1st National Tours of A Chorus Line and The Producers.
Shannon M. O’Bryan stars as Betty’s sister and matchmaker, Judy Haynes. Her Broadway credits include: Irving Berlin’s White Christmas, 42nd Street, City Center’s Encores!, productions of Face The Music, Follies and Of Thee I Sing. Other favorites include: Gypsy, Grease, American In Paris (with Leslie Caron), the 1st National Tour and Theater of the Stars production of 42nd Street.
Starring as the cheerful but nosey inn manager Martha is Ruth Williamson. Her Broadway credits include: Irving Berlin’s White Christmas, La Cage Aux Folles, The Music Man (Outer Critics Nomination), Epic Proportions, Little Me , Guys & Dolls, Smile, Musical Comedy Murders, and Annie. She’s had roles in these movies: Evan Almighty, The Producers, Legally Blonde II, Family Man, Malcolm X, Foreign Student, Easy Six, Psycho Beach Party and Die Mommie, Die! Her television credits include Monk, Medium, The O.C., The Practice, ER, Star Trek: Enterprise, Law & Order, Hannah Montana and Mrs. Grubman on Nip/Tuck.
Erick Devine stars as the commanding General Waverly. His Broadway credits include: Ragtime, Sid Caesar & Co., Cats, Seussical and National Tours of Big River, Ragtime, Me & My Girl (Helen Hayes Award Nominee, D.C.), Grand Hotel, Annie Get Your Gun (with Cathy Rigby). He performed in A Sondheim Tribute at Carnegie Hall and Of Thee I Sing and Allegro at City Center's Encore! He directed Candide & HMS Pinafore (with Kristin Chenoweth), Anything Goes (with Kelli O'Hara), Annie Warbucks (with Gavin MacLeod) and The Unsinkable Molly Brown (with Cathy Rigby).
Tony Lawson will portray high powered producer Ralph Sheldrake and starring as the General’s adorable granddaughter Susan Waverly is 11 year-old actress Mary Peeples. Other cast members include Don Rey as the neurotic Stage Manager, Mike Nulty and James Young as the delightful Ezekiel Foster.
Ensemble members are: Adinah Alexander, Andrew Black, Scott Brateng, Melinda Cowan, Con O’Shea-Creal, Brandon Davidson, Jenny Florkowski, Megan Jimenz, Matthew Kirk, Janelle Neal, Amanda Paulson, Ashley Peacock, Kristyn Pope, Kelly Sheehan, Haley Swindal, Merrill West, and Richard Riaz Yoder.
Irving Berlin’s WHITE CHRISTMAS features Music and Lyrics by Irving Berlin with Book by David Ives and Paul Blake and is based upon the Paramount Pictures film written for the screen by Norman Krasna, Norman Panama, and Melvin Frank.
This brand new production of Irving Berlin’s WHITE CHRISTMAS is produced by Atlanta’s Theater of the Stars. The show will have previews at the Municipal Auditorium in Chattanooga, TN on Oct 29-30 and then tour to the following cities:
Fabulous Fox Theatre in Atlanta, GA – Nov 2-7
The Peace Center in Greenville, SC – Nov 9-14
The Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts in Hartford, CT – Nov 16-21
Proctors in Schenectady, NY – Nov 22-28
David A. Straz, Jr. Center for the Performing Arts in Tampa, FL - Nov 30-Dec 5
Blumenthal Performing Arts Center in Charlotte, NC – Dec 7-12
Broadway In Chicago at the Bank of America Theatre in Chicago, IL – Dec 15-Jan 2
The creative team includes direction by Norb Joerder, choreography by Randy Skinner, scenic design by Anna Louizos, scenic supervision and adaptation by Kenneth Foy, lighting design by Ken Billington, and sound design by Peter Fitzgerald and Erich Bechtel. The tour is produced by agreement with R&H Theatricals, an Imagem Company. The official tour web site is: www.whitechristmasthemusical.com.
Irving Berlin’s WHITE CHRISTMAS will play the Fabulous Fox Theatre in Atlanta from November 2-7, 2010. Performances are Tuesday-Friday at 8 pm, Saturday at 2 pm & 8 pm, and Sunday at 1:30 pm & 7 pm. Tickets are on sale NOW at Ticketmaster outlets, 800-982-2787 and www.ticketmaster.com. Ticket prices range from $25-$70. Special group rates are available through the Fox Theatre Group Sales Department at 404-881-2000.
Theater of the Stars celebrates its 58th Anniversary as one of the nation’s premier regional theater companies. A civic not-for-profit cultural treasure, Theater of the Stars is dedicated to presenting and producing the best in musical theater. To learn more about our history of excellence, visit www.theaterofthestars.com.
---
www.ArtsAcrossGeorgia.com
Twitter:
@artsacrossga
@softnblue (music & dance)
@RimbomboAAG (books, authors +)
Facebook: http://facebook.com/ArtsAcrossGA
Georgia Shakespeare is excited to announce... the Winner of the Search for Ralphie, Lead Role in 'A Christmas Story'
“You’ll shoot your eye out, kid!”
Georgia Shakespeare announces that the city-wide competition The Search for Ralphie has come to a pitch-perfect conclusion. After four open calls across the city, semi-finals and finals rounds, 13-year-old Cooper Driskell has been selected to portray Ralphie on stage in this December’s production of A Christmas Story. The competition also sought and found six other kids’ roles: Ralphie’s brother and his friends.
Georgia Shakespeare is thrilled to produce the regional premiere of A Christmas Story, directed by Drew Fracher, written by Philip Grecian, based on the motion picture “A Christmas Story” (© 1983 Turner Entertainment Co., Distributed by Warner Bros.), written by Jean Shepherd, Leigh Brown and Rob Clark and based on the book In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash by Jean Shepherd. The show runs December 7-26; evening performances begin at 7pm.
“The Search for Ralphie” took place across Atlanta over four successive weekends in September, beginning at the Decatur Book Festival, moving to Imagine It! The Children’s Museum of Atlanta, then to Chocolate Perks in Duluth, and winding up at Bloomingdale’s Lenox Square. Overall, the judges saw over 150 auditions in this process.
"Auditions were a blast, all the kids did a tremendous job and made the decision process difficult in giving me so many possibilities!” says director Drew Fracher. “I'm so impressed with the quality of the casting pool here in Atlanta and can't wait to get started with our talented bunch."
The semi-finals brought ten “Ralphies” before the judges, and were conducted at the Atlanta Parent Magazine Family Block Party on October 9. On October 16 and 17, five “Ralphies” came before the judges at finals, conducted at Georgia Shakespeare.
The judges were radio and TV personalities Holly Firfer and Tom Sullivan; Atlanta-based actor Brad Sherrill; Whole World Improv Theatre’s Artistic Director Chip Powell; Georgia Shakespeare’s Producing Artistic Director Richard Garner and Education Director Allen O’Reilly, and A Christmas Story Director Drew Fracher.
The cast is announced:
Ralphie – Cooper Driskell
Randy – Ian L’Abate
Flick – Eric Broner
Scut Farkas – Whit Weinman
Schwartz – Giovanni Tortorici
Esther Jane – Shea Jones
Helen – Alice Garriga
Ralph (the narrator) – Allan Edwards*
The Old Man – Mark Kincaid*
Mother – Sherman Fracher*
Miss Shields – LaLa Cochran
*Indicates member of Actors' Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States
Ralphie Parker wants just one thing for Christmas, just one thing: an Official Red Ryder Carbine-Action 200-Shot Range Model BB Rifle with a Compass in the Stock. But can Ralphie survive the last several days before Christmas and overcome the seemingly insurmountable obstacles to his owning the precious Red Ryder BB gun? “You’ll shoot your eye out, kid.”
---
www.ArtsAcrossGeorgia.com
Twitter:
@artsacrossga
@softnblue (music & dance)
@RimbomboAAG (books, authors +)
Facebook:
http://facebook.com/ArtsAcrossGA
Georgia Shakespeare announces that the city-wide competition The Search for Ralphie has come to a pitch-perfect conclusion. After four open calls across the city, semi-finals and finals rounds, 13-year-old Cooper Driskell has been selected to portray Ralphie on stage in this December’s production of A Christmas Story. The competition also sought and found six other kids’ roles: Ralphie’s brother and his friends.
Georgia Shakespeare is thrilled to produce the regional premiere of A Christmas Story, directed by Drew Fracher, written by Philip Grecian, based on the motion picture “A Christmas Story” (© 1983 Turner Entertainment Co., Distributed by Warner Bros.), written by Jean Shepherd, Leigh Brown and Rob Clark and based on the book In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash by Jean Shepherd. The show runs December 7-26; evening performances begin at 7pm.
“The Search for Ralphie” took place across Atlanta over four successive weekends in September, beginning at the Decatur Book Festival, moving to Imagine It! The Children’s Museum of Atlanta, then to Chocolate Perks in Duluth, and winding up at Bloomingdale’s Lenox Square. Overall, the judges saw over 150 auditions in this process.
"Auditions were a blast, all the kids did a tremendous job and made the decision process difficult in giving me so many possibilities!” says director Drew Fracher. “I'm so impressed with the quality of the casting pool here in Atlanta and can't wait to get started with our talented bunch."
The semi-finals brought ten “Ralphies” before the judges, and were conducted at the Atlanta Parent Magazine Family Block Party on October 9. On October 16 and 17, five “Ralphies” came before the judges at finals, conducted at Georgia Shakespeare.
The judges were radio and TV personalities Holly Firfer and Tom Sullivan; Atlanta-based actor Brad Sherrill; Whole World Improv Theatre’s Artistic Director Chip Powell; Georgia Shakespeare’s Producing Artistic Director Richard Garner and Education Director Allen O’Reilly, and A Christmas Story Director Drew Fracher.
The cast is announced:
Ralphie – Cooper Driskell
Randy – Ian L’Abate
Flick – Eric Broner
Scut Farkas – Whit Weinman
Schwartz – Giovanni Tortorici
Esther Jane – Shea Jones
Helen – Alice Garriga
Ralph (the narrator) – Allan Edwards*
The Old Man – Mark Kincaid*
Mother – Sherman Fracher*
Miss Shields – LaLa Cochran
*Indicates member of Actors' Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States
Ralphie Parker wants just one thing for Christmas, just one thing: an Official Red Ryder Carbine-Action 200-Shot Range Model BB Rifle with a Compass in the Stock. But can Ralphie survive the last several days before Christmas and overcome the seemingly insurmountable obstacles to his owning the precious Red Ryder BB gun? “You’ll shoot your eye out, kid.”
---
www.ArtsAcrossGeorgia.com
Twitter:
@artsacrossga
@softnblue (music & dance)
@RimbomboAAG (books, authors +)
Facebook:
http://facebook.com/ArtsAcrossGA
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
The Santaland Diaries by David Sedaris November 26, 2010 – January 2, 2011
Horizon Theatre reprises the outrageous holiday comedy The Santaland Diaries written by NPR comic genius David Sedaris. With more holiday sneer than cheer, this rebel without a Claus recounts the true-life tale of an out of work writer who must take a job as a Macy's Department Store elf.
Box office 404.584.7450 or visit http://www.horizontheatre.com.
TICKET INFORMATION*
Tuesday – Friday 8 PM: Tickets $25General, $40 VIP
Saturday 8:30 PM: Tickets $30 General, $45 VIP
Sunday 6 PM: Tickets $30 General, $45 VIP
*Ticket prices are subject to change. *8% sales tax will be added to all ticket orders. Group, Student & Senior discounts available
---
www.ArtsAcrossGeorgia.com
Twitter:
@artsacrossga
@softnblue (music & dance)
@RimbomboAAG (books, authors +)
Read our other Arts related blogs:
http://artsacrossga.blogspot.com/ (All Arts)
http://musicmattersga.blogspot.com/ (Music)
http://georgiaswriter.blogspot.com/ (GA Authors)
http://rimbombo.blogspot.com/ (Book reviews)
http://artzapalooza.blogspot.com/ (Art reviews)
http://dancingacrossgeorgia.blogspot.com/ (Dancing)
http://gaclicks.blogspot.com/ (Photography)
http://secalls.blogspot.com/ (Auditions, Calls, Contests)
http://georgiahappenings.blogspot.com (Events)
Box office 404.584.7450 or visit http://www.horizontheatre.com.
TICKET INFORMATION*
Tuesday – Friday 8 PM: Tickets $25General, $40 VIP
Saturday 8:30 PM: Tickets $30 General, $45 VIP
Sunday 6 PM: Tickets $30 General, $45 VIP
*Ticket prices are subject to change. *8% sales tax will be added to all ticket orders. Group, Student & Senior discounts available
---
www.ArtsAcrossGeorgia.com
Twitter:
@artsacrossga
@softnblue (music & dance)
@RimbomboAAG (books, authors +)
Read our other Arts related blogs:
http://artsacrossga.blogspot.com/ (All Arts)
http://musicmattersga.blogspot.com/ (Music)
http://georgiaswriter.blogspot.com/ (GA Authors)
http://rimbombo.blogspot.com/ (Book reviews)
http://artzapalooza.blogspot.com/ (Art reviews)
http://dancingacrossgeorgia.blogspot.com/ (Dancing)
http://gaclicks.blogspot.com/ (Photography)
http://secalls.blogspot.com/ (Auditions, Calls, Contests)
http://georgiahappenings.blogspot.com (Events)
Madeline’s Christmas at Horizon Theatre
Based on the book by Ludwig Bemelmans
Book and lyrics by Jennifer Kirkeby
Music by Shirley Mier
December 11, 2010 – January 2, 2011
Back by popular demand: A family holiday musical based on the beloved Madeline books.
“In an old house in Paris that was covered with vines lived twelve little girls in two straight lines,” begins the story of Madeline. This holiday season will be unlike any other for Madeline and her friends. While on their morning walk with Miss Clavel, the girls come down with the flu, and as they take to their bed, many wonder if they will be able to go home for Christmas. With the arrival of a mysterious stranger, Madeline and the other girls get a holiday adventure beyond their wildest dreams. A musical play adapted from Ludwig Bemelmans’ delightful book. A holiday treat for the whole family! This charming musical adaptation will be sure to enchant audiences at Horizon Theatre Company this Holiday Season.
Box office 404.584.7450 or visit http://www.horizontheatre.com.
TICKET INFORMATION*
Adult $15 & Children $12
December 11, 2010 – January 2, 2011
Saturdays and Sundays @ 1:00 & 3:30 PM**
**no show on December 25th
School Day Performances:
Tuesday & Wednesday December 14th and 15th at 10:30 am
Weekday performances: Monday, December 13 @ 6:30 PM Tuesday-Wednesday, December 14-15 @ 10:30 AM Monday, December 20 @ 1:00, 3:30 & 6:30 PM Tuesday-Friday, December 21-24 @ 1:00, 3:30 PM Monday - Friday, December 27-31 @ 1:00, 3:30 PM *Ticket prices are subject to change. *8% sales tax will be added to all ticket orders. Group discounts available
---
www.ArtsAcrossGeorgia.com
Twitter:
@artsacrossga
@softnblue (music & dance)
@RimbomboAAG (books, authors +)
Book and lyrics by Jennifer Kirkeby
Music by Shirley Mier
December 11, 2010 – January 2, 2011
Back by popular demand: A family holiday musical based on the beloved Madeline books.
“In an old house in Paris that was covered with vines lived twelve little girls in two straight lines,” begins the story of Madeline. This holiday season will be unlike any other for Madeline and her friends. While on their morning walk with Miss Clavel, the girls come down with the flu, and as they take to their bed, many wonder if they will be able to go home for Christmas. With the arrival of a mysterious stranger, Madeline and the other girls get a holiday adventure beyond their wildest dreams. A musical play adapted from Ludwig Bemelmans’ delightful book. A holiday treat for the whole family! This charming musical adaptation will be sure to enchant audiences at Horizon Theatre Company this Holiday Season.
Box office 404.584.7450 or visit http://www.horizontheatre.com.
TICKET INFORMATION*
Adult $15 & Children $12
December 11, 2010 – January 2, 2011
Saturdays and Sundays @ 1:00 & 3:30 PM**
**no show on December 25th
School Day Performances:
Tuesday & Wednesday December 14th and 15th at 10:30 am
Weekday performances: Monday, December 13 @ 6:30 PM Tuesday-Wednesday, December 14-15 @ 10:30 AM Monday, December 20 @ 1:00, 3:30 & 6:30 PM Tuesday-Friday, December 21-24 @ 1:00, 3:30 PM Monday - Friday, December 27-31 @ 1:00, 3:30 PM *Ticket prices are subject to change. *8% sales tax will be added to all ticket orders. Group discounts available
---
www.ArtsAcrossGeorgia.com
Twitter:
@artsacrossga
@softnblue (music & dance)
@RimbomboAAG (books, authors +)
Broadway Across America - Atlanta and Dress for Success Hosting Drive During Dreamgirls
Wednesday, Oct 13
Atlantans invited to spread some magic with donation and discounted tickets
Broadway Across America - Atlanta is partnering with Atlanta’s Professional Women’s Group, the job retention program of Dress for Success, to help make dreams come true for teenage girls throughout Atlanta during the engagement of DREAMGIRLS. On Wednesday, October 13 from 11 a.m. – 8 p.m., members of Atlanta’s Professional Women’s Group will be onsite at Fox Theatre accepting donations of evening dresses and accessories.
When a donation is made, the donor will receive a voucher that can be exchanged at the Fox Theatre box office (660 Peachtree Street N.E.) for half-priced admission to DREAMGIRLS. Each half-price ticket will be valid for the best seat currently available in the top two tiers of tickets. Donors will get to experience the smash hit musical on October 13 for the bargain price of $16 or $23.
Each year the Professional Women’s Group plans a community service project. This year, members will collect and sort the formal attire and give the donations to various local organizations that provide prom gowns to teens who cannot afford to purchase them. They will also help the girls “shop” and get ready for their big night.
Full of onstage joy and backstage drama, DREAMGIRLS tells the story of an up-and-coming, 1960s singing girl group, and the triumphs and tribulations that come with fame and fortune. Hopeful talents Deena Jones, Lorrell Robinson and Effie White are performing as The Dreamettes when ambitious agent Curtis Taylor, Jr. discovers them. He lands them a job as backup singers for the soul and rock ‘n’ roll sensation James “Thunder” Early and begins to guide their quickly rising career. However, when the beautiful Deena emerges as the star of the group rather than the full-voiced Effie, the girls are brought to personal and professional crossroads.
---
www.ArtsAcrossGeorgia.com
Twitter:
@artsacrossga
@softnblue (music & dance)
@RimbomboAAG (books, authors +)
Atlantans invited to spread some magic with donation and discounted tickets
Broadway Across America - Atlanta is partnering with Atlanta’s Professional Women’s Group, the job retention program of Dress for Success, to help make dreams come true for teenage girls throughout Atlanta during the engagement of DREAMGIRLS. On Wednesday, October 13 from 11 a.m. – 8 p.m., members of Atlanta’s Professional Women’s Group will be onsite at Fox Theatre accepting donations of evening dresses and accessories.
When a donation is made, the donor will receive a voucher that can be exchanged at the Fox Theatre box office (660 Peachtree Street N.E.) for half-priced admission to DREAMGIRLS. Each half-price ticket will be valid for the best seat currently available in the top two tiers of tickets. Donors will get to experience the smash hit musical on October 13 for the bargain price of $16 or $23.
Each year the Professional Women’s Group plans a community service project. This year, members will collect and sort the formal attire and give the donations to various local organizations that provide prom gowns to teens who cannot afford to purchase them. They will also help the girls “shop” and get ready for their big night.
Full of onstage joy and backstage drama, DREAMGIRLS tells the story of an up-and-coming, 1960s singing girl group, and the triumphs and tribulations that come with fame and fortune. Hopeful talents Deena Jones, Lorrell Robinson and Effie White are performing as The Dreamettes when ambitious agent Curtis Taylor, Jr. discovers them. He lands them a job as backup singers for the soul and rock ‘n’ roll sensation James “Thunder” Early and begins to guide their quickly rising career. However, when the beautiful Deena emerges as the star of the group rather than the full-voiced Effie, the girls are brought to personal and professional crossroads.
---
www.ArtsAcrossGeorgia.com
Twitter:
@artsacrossga
@softnblue (music & dance)
@RimbomboAAG (books, authors +)
Driving Miss Daisy at the Legacy Theatre, Tyrone
Show Dates: October 15th-October 31st
Show Times: Friday-Saturday 8PM and Saturday-Sunday 3PM
Ticket Prices: Adults $25, Seniors 60 and older/Students 13 and older $22, and Children 12 and under $15
Group Rates: Groups with 20 people or more get tickets for only $20 per person! The group leader also receives a free ticket!
Join The Legacy Theatre for three more weekends of this amazing show! Winner of the 1988 Pulitzer Prize and the Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Off-Broadway play. A warm-hearted, humorous and affecting study of the unlikely relationship between an aging, crotchety white Southern lady, and a proud, soft-spoken black man. A long-running Off-Broadway success and an Academy Award-winning film. Rated PG.
To purchase tickets please visit www.thelegacytheatre.org, or call 404-895-1473
Show Times: Friday-Saturday 8PM and Saturday-Sunday 3PM
Ticket Prices: Adults $25, Seniors 60 and older/Students 13 and older $22, and Children 12 and under $15
Group Rates: Groups with 20 people or more get tickets for only $20 per person! The group leader also receives a free ticket!
Join The Legacy Theatre for three more weekends of this amazing show! Winner of the 1988 Pulitzer Prize and the Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Off-Broadway play. A warm-hearted, humorous and affecting study of the unlikely relationship between an aging, crotchety white Southern lady, and a proud, soft-spoken black man. A long-running Off-Broadway success and an Academy Award-winning film. Rated PG.
To purchase tickets please visit www.thelegacytheatre.org, or call 404-895-1473
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
A Christmas Carol - Alliance Holds One Day Sale Oct 11
Just like October has probably snuck up on you (yes, it's true, it's October), Christmas will be here before you know it. But Christmas doesn't really arrive in Atlanta until you've seen A Christmas Carol here at the Alliance.
To ensure that you get the best seats at the best prices for this year's edition, you'll want to mark your calendars for Monday, October 11, for our One Day Sale!
What is the One Day Sale?
On Monday, October 11, tickets to select performances of A Christmas Carol will be Buy One, Get One at 50% Off! Available performances are linked below. For this offer, please use Promo Code ONEDAYSALE. If purchasing online, please note that all tickets are listed as being 25% off - these savings are equivalent to buy one, get one 50% off. The One Day Sale offer is not valid on previously purchased tickets and it is based on availability.
Available Dates
November 26 at 8 p.m. »
November 27 at 2:30 p.m. »
November 27 at 8 p.m. »
November 28 at 2:30 p.m. »
November 28 at 7:30 p.m. »
December 3 at 8 p.m. »
December 5 at 7:30 p.m. »
To ensure that you get the best seats at the best prices for this year's edition, you'll want to mark your calendars for Monday, October 11, for our One Day Sale!
What is the One Day Sale?
On Monday, October 11, tickets to select performances of A Christmas Carol will be Buy One, Get One at 50% Off! Available performances are linked below. For this offer, please use Promo Code ONEDAYSALE. If purchasing online, please note that all tickets are listed as being 25% off - these savings are equivalent to buy one, get one 50% off. The One Day Sale offer is not valid on previously purchased tickets and it is based on availability.
Available Dates
November 26 at 8 p.m. »
November 27 at 2:30 p.m. »
November 27 at 8 p.m. »
November 28 at 2:30 p.m. »
November 28 at 7:30 p.m. »
December 3 at 8 p.m. »
December 5 at 7:30 p.m. »
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Guests Help Solve Gwinnett Historic Courthouse Murder Mystery
Gwinnett County Parks & Recreation will partner with Page2Stage Productions and Stacey Sparks Events to present “The Haunting on the Square,” a chilling murder mystery dinner event at the Gwinnett Historic Courthouse. Leading up to Halloween, the event will take place 7:00-9:00pm on Fridays, including October 8, 15, 22, and 29.
Guests will explore designated areas of the Courthouse with paranormal guides. When spirits surface from a 100-year-old murder, it will be up to visitors to solve the mystery at the Courthouse. (Please note that all events and historical depictions for this murder mystery are fictional.)
Prior to the murder mystery event, the Gwinnett Historic Courthouse will serve a buffet dinner consisting of a penne pasta bar with options of grilled chicken, beef meatballs or grilled vegetables, as well as marinara or alfredo sauce. Italian salad, fresh parmesan, garlic bread, chocolate mousse dessert shooters, and tea and coffee service will also accompany the dinner.
This event features improvisation from Page2Stage performer favorites including Jason Caldwell, Kate Rasnick, Ariel Stewart, and Ilene Miller. Jonathan Strickland also joins the cast, the senior writer from HowStuffWorks.com and an Atlanta improv artist. Beth Peters, assistant director of Ghosts of Georgia Paranormal Investigations, consults on the project to create realistic elements of ghost hunting and encounters.
Admission is $30 per person for Gwinnett County residents, $50 per person for non-residents and is suitable for ages 16 and up. Reserved tables for 10 are also available for $250 (a $50 discount). Advanced registration is required. Gwinnett Historic Courthouse is located at 185 W Crogan Street in downtown Lawrenceville.
For more information and to register, call 770-822-5450 or visit www.gwinnettparks.com.
Guests will explore designated areas of the Courthouse with paranormal guides. When spirits surface from a 100-year-old murder, it will be up to visitors to solve the mystery at the Courthouse. (Please note that all events and historical depictions for this murder mystery are fictional.)
Prior to the murder mystery event, the Gwinnett Historic Courthouse will serve a buffet dinner consisting of a penne pasta bar with options of grilled chicken, beef meatballs or grilled vegetables, as well as marinara or alfredo sauce. Italian salad, fresh parmesan, garlic bread, chocolate mousse dessert shooters, and tea and coffee service will also accompany the dinner.
This event features improvisation from Page2Stage performer favorites including Jason Caldwell, Kate Rasnick, Ariel Stewart, and Ilene Miller. Jonathan Strickland also joins the cast, the senior writer from HowStuffWorks.com and an Atlanta improv artist. Beth Peters, assistant director of Ghosts of Georgia Paranormal Investigations, consults on the project to create realistic elements of ghost hunting and encounters.
Admission is $30 per person for Gwinnett County residents, $50 per person for non-residents and is suitable for ages 16 and up. Reserved tables for 10 are also available for $250 (a $50 discount). Advanced registration is required. Gwinnett Historic Courthouse is located at 185 W Crogan Street in downtown Lawrenceville.
For more information and to register, call 770-822-5450 or visit www.gwinnettparks.com.
SCAD Performing Arts Department Opens 2010/11 Season with Tony Award-winning Play, “Art”
October 21–24
Season continues with the introduction of SCAD’s improvisational theatre, a world-premiere dance piece, a multi-media adaptation of Ray Bradbury’s “Fahrenheit 451” a comedy about an adolescent Charlie Brown, and the classic musical “Hair”
The SCAD performing arts department will kick off its 2010/11 season with the Tony Award-winning comedy, “Art,” by Yasmina Reza, adapted by Christopher Hampton and directed by Vivian Majkowski. The show will run at Arnold Hall Auditorium, 1810 Bull St., Thursday, Oct. 21–Saturday, Oct. 23 at 8 p.m., with a matinee Sunday, Oct. 24 at 3 p.m.
Reza’s 90-minute comedy is about three friends who find their friendship tested when one of them buys a very expensive white painting. His friends' surprising reactions touch off a series of personal confrontations. This witty, intelligent and often funny play explores the power of art to engage the imagination and the enduring bonds of friendship.
French playwright Yasmina Reza won the Tony Award for “Art,” which has been produced worldwide and translated into more than 30 languages. British playwright Christopher Hampton won an Academy Award for the screen adaptation of his play “Dangerous Liaisons” and was nominated for his adaptation of “Atonement.”
When ”Art “opened on Broadway, Ben Brantley of The New York Times called it a “very funny play,” and John Heilpern of New Yorker declared, “We can’t be friends anymore if you don’t enjoy ‘Art.’”
Tickets for “Art” are $15 for general admission; $10 for seniors, military and students; $5 with a valid SCAD ID; and free with valid SCAD ID on Thursday, Oct. 21 only. Tickets may be purchased in person at the Savannah box office window, located at the Trustees Theater, 216 E. Broughton St., by calling 912.525.5050, or by logging onto www.tickets.scadboxoffice.com.
2010/2011 SEASON
The 2010/2011 SCAD performing arts season will continue with:
• “The Improv Show,” SCAD performing arts’ first series of improvisational theater events. Nov. 11–14 at the Mondanaro Theater, 217 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
• “La Traversée,” a world premiere dance piece conceived and choreographed by Vincent Brosseau about the immigrant experience. Feb. 10–13, at the Lucas Theatre, 32 Abercorn St.
• “Fahrenheit 451” by Ray Bradbury, adapted from his novel of the same name, directed by SCAD performing arts artistic director Sharon Ott, a multimedia adaptation of the classic American novel about a futuristic world in which the media controls the masses, censorship prevails over intellect and books are illegal. March 9–13 at the Lucas Theatre, 32 Abercorn St.
• “Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead” by Bert Royal, directed by Mark Tymchysyn, a comedy about the “Peanuts” gang as typical angst-ridden teenagers, May 5–8, at the Mondanaro Theater, 217 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
• “Hair: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical” with book/lyrics by James Rado and Gerome Ragni, music by Galt McDermott, directed by SCAD performing arts chair Michael Wainstein. “Hair” is one of the great American musicals of the 20th century, about the counter-culture sexual revolution and anti-Vietnam War movement of the ‘60s. May 12–22 at the Lucas Theatre, 32 Abercorn Street.
Season continues with the introduction of SCAD’s improvisational theatre, a world-premiere dance piece, a multi-media adaptation of Ray Bradbury’s “Fahrenheit 451” a comedy about an adolescent Charlie Brown, and the classic musical “Hair”
The SCAD performing arts department will kick off its 2010/11 season with the Tony Award-winning comedy, “Art,” by Yasmina Reza, adapted by Christopher Hampton and directed by Vivian Majkowski. The show will run at Arnold Hall Auditorium, 1810 Bull St., Thursday, Oct. 21–Saturday, Oct. 23 at 8 p.m., with a matinee Sunday, Oct. 24 at 3 p.m.
Reza’s 90-minute comedy is about three friends who find their friendship tested when one of them buys a very expensive white painting. His friends' surprising reactions touch off a series of personal confrontations. This witty, intelligent and often funny play explores the power of art to engage the imagination and the enduring bonds of friendship.
French playwright Yasmina Reza won the Tony Award for “Art,” which has been produced worldwide and translated into more than 30 languages. British playwright Christopher Hampton won an Academy Award for the screen adaptation of his play “Dangerous Liaisons” and was nominated for his adaptation of “Atonement.”
When ”Art “opened on Broadway, Ben Brantley of The New York Times called it a “very funny play,” and John Heilpern of New Yorker declared, “We can’t be friends anymore if you don’t enjoy ‘Art.’”
Tickets for “Art” are $15 for general admission; $10 for seniors, military and students; $5 with a valid SCAD ID; and free with valid SCAD ID on Thursday, Oct. 21 only. Tickets may be purchased in person at the Savannah box office window, located at the Trustees Theater, 216 E. Broughton St., by calling 912.525.5050, or by logging onto www.tickets.scadboxoffice.com.
2010/2011 SEASON
The 2010/2011 SCAD performing arts season will continue with:
• “The Improv Show,” SCAD performing arts’ first series of improvisational theater events. Nov. 11–14 at the Mondanaro Theater, 217 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
• “La Traversée,” a world premiere dance piece conceived and choreographed by Vincent Brosseau about the immigrant experience. Feb. 10–13, at the Lucas Theatre, 32 Abercorn St.
• “Fahrenheit 451” by Ray Bradbury, adapted from his novel of the same name, directed by SCAD performing arts artistic director Sharon Ott, a multimedia adaptation of the classic American novel about a futuristic world in which the media controls the masses, censorship prevails over intellect and books are illegal. March 9–13 at the Lucas Theatre, 32 Abercorn St.
• “Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead” by Bert Royal, directed by Mark Tymchysyn, a comedy about the “Peanuts” gang as typical angst-ridden teenagers, May 5–8, at the Mondanaro Theater, 217 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
• “Hair: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical” with book/lyrics by James Rado and Gerome Ragni, music by Galt McDermott, directed by SCAD performing arts chair Michael Wainstein. “Hair” is one of the great American musicals of the 20th century, about the counter-culture sexual revolution and anti-Vietnam War movement of the ‘60s. May 12–22 at the Lucas Theatre, 32 Abercorn Street.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Center for Puppetry Arts Presents Charlotte’s Web, Opening September 30
This month, E.B. White’s classic children’s book Charlotte’s Web hits the stage at the Center for Puppetry Arts. A celebration of compassion, friendship and ingenuity, this charming tale has captivated generations with its enduring story of the lengths to which friends will go to help each other. Adapted for the stage by Joseph Robinette, Charlotte’s Web presents the adventures of that terrific pig Wilbur and his barnyard friends through the magic of puppetry.
The story begins one morning on Mr. Arable’s farm where the family awakes to find that a litter of pigs has been born during the night. Farmer Arable is pleased with the pigs, except for the runt of the litter, which he considers to be small and worthless. The farmer wants to kill the pig, but Mr. Arable’s daughter, Fern, protests. Fern rescues the runt and names him Wilbur. Fern cares for Wilbur until he grows bigger and must be moved to her Uncle Homer’s farm.
On Homer Zuckerman’s farm, Wilbur, young and innocent, is confused and scared by the other animals on the farm. Wilbur misses the Arable farm - especially Fern - until he befriends Charlotte, a gray spider who lives above his pen in the barn. Charlotte is wise and teaches Wilbur about true friendship. When Wilbur finds out that he is being fattened up to be slaughtered, Charlotte uses her amazing ability to weave words into her web above Wilbur’s pen. The words describe Wilbur as “Some Pig,” “Radiant” and “Terrific.” The miracle in Zuckerman’s barn attracts the attention of the press. The news spreads quickly throughout the community about “Zuckerman’s Famous Pig.”
With Charlotte’s help, Wilbur becomes a celebrity and is saved from the slaughterhouse. Soon afterward, the time comes for Charlotte to lay her egg sac. After she accomplishes this, Charlotte becomes weak and dies. Wilbur is greatly saddened, but pledges to care for the egg sac until the baby spiders hatch. As Charlotte’s children emerge from the egg sac, Wilbur begins to understand that life is ongoing and ever-changing and that friends are never forgotten.
“Charlotte’s Web is a classic story that shows the courage, love, and respect that true friendship can inspire. These characters are timeless, hilarious, and very real” comments director Michael Haverty.
Dressed in black from head to toe, the show’s five puppeteers remain in the shadows as they manipulate their puppets in the lighted playing areas, a technique called “Czech Black” puppetry as Czech Black technique as it originated in the Czech Republic of Central Europe. The puppets in this show are controlled by a mechanism in back of their heads that the puppeteers use to make the characters turn their heads, look up and down and focus on objects and other characters.
Families can have fun exploring their creativity, before or after the show, in the Create-A-Puppet Workshop, where they can create their own Wilbur Pig Hand Puppet; admission is included in the All-Inclusive ticket cost.
Charlotte’s Web opens on September 30 and will host special preview days on September 28 and 29 at 10:00 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. each day. The show will run September 30 through October 31 at the following times:
· Tuesday – Friday: 10:00 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.
· Saturday: 11:00 a.m., 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m.
· Sunday: 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m.
To welcome fall weather and the opening weekend of Charlotte’s Web, Center for Puppetry Arts will be transformed into a fun-filled fairground, with activities and entertainment for all. On Saturday, October 2 and Sunday, October 3, guests are invited to don their best costumes and enjoy FREE family-friendly amusement, while learning more about the world of puppetry. Visitors will have the opportunity to vote on a favorite puppet from the Center’s museum in the “Best of Show” competition. A blue ribbon will be awarded to the winning puppet, which will be announced on the Center’s Facebook fan page. Other entertainment will include a County Fair Photo Booth--complete with props like handlebar mustaches and a prize-winning apple pie-- and games with exciting prizes like free tickets, finger puppets and an autographed cast photo.
All-Inclusive Tickets for patrons two-years-old and older are $16.00 ($14.82 + tax) and include admission to the performance, Create-A-Puppet Workshop (or Create-A-Puppet To-Go Kit), and all museum exhibits. Membership and group rates are available. ORDER TICKETS ONLINE AT WWW.PUPPET.ORG OR CALL THE TICKET SALES OFFICE AT: 404-873-3391.
Charlotte’s Web is produced by special arrangement with DRAMATIC PUBLISHING, Woodstock, Illinois.
---
www.ArtsAcrossGeorgia.com
Twitter:
@artsacrossga
@softnblue (music & dance)
@RimbomboAAG (books, authors +)
The story begins one morning on Mr. Arable’s farm where the family awakes to find that a litter of pigs has been born during the night. Farmer Arable is pleased with the pigs, except for the runt of the litter, which he considers to be small and worthless. The farmer wants to kill the pig, but Mr. Arable’s daughter, Fern, protests. Fern rescues the runt and names him Wilbur. Fern cares for Wilbur until he grows bigger and must be moved to her Uncle Homer’s farm.
On Homer Zuckerman’s farm, Wilbur, young and innocent, is confused and scared by the other animals on the farm. Wilbur misses the Arable farm - especially Fern - until he befriends Charlotte, a gray spider who lives above his pen in the barn. Charlotte is wise and teaches Wilbur about true friendship. When Wilbur finds out that he is being fattened up to be slaughtered, Charlotte uses her amazing ability to weave words into her web above Wilbur’s pen. The words describe Wilbur as “Some Pig,” “Radiant” and “Terrific.” The miracle in Zuckerman’s barn attracts the attention of the press. The news spreads quickly throughout the community about “Zuckerman’s Famous Pig.”
With Charlotte’s help, Wilbur becomes a celebrity and is saved from the slaughterhouse. Soon afterward, the time comes for Charlotte to lay her egg sac. After she accomplishes this, Charlotte becomes weak and dies. Wilbur is greatly saddened, but pledges to care for the egg sac until the baby spiders hatch. As Charlotte’s children emerge from the egg sac, Wilbur begins to understand that life is ongoing and ever-changing and that friends are never forgotten.
“Charlotte’s Web is a classic story that shows the courage, love, and respect that true friendship can inspire. These characters are timeless, hilarious, and very real” comments director Michael Haverty.
Dressed in black from head to toe, the show’s five puppeteers remain in the shadows as they manipulate their puppets in the lighted playing areas, a technique called “Czech Black” puppetry as Czech Black technique as it originated in the Czech Republic of Central Europe. The puppets in this show are controlled by a mechanism in back of their heads that the puppeteers use to make the characters turn their heads, look up and down and focus on objects and other characters.
Families can have fun exploring their creativity, before or after the show, in the Create-A-Puppet Workshop, where they can create their own Wilbur Pig Hand Puppet; admission is included in the All-Inclusive ticket cost.
Charlotte’s Web opens on September 30 and will host special preview days on September 28 and 29 at 10:00 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. each day. The show will run September 30 through October 31 at the following times:
· Tuesday – Friday: 10:00 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.
· Saturday: 11:00 a.m., 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m.
· Sunday: 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m.
To welcome fall weather and the opening weekend of Charlotte’s Web, Center for Puppetry Arts will be transformed into a fun-filled fairground, with activities and entertainment for all. On Saturday, October 2 and Sunday, October 3, guests are invited to don their best costumes and enjoy FREE family-friendly amusement, while learning more about the world of puppetry. Visitors will have the opportunity to vote on a favorite puppet from the Center’s museum in the “Best of Show” competition. A blue ribbon will be awarded to the winning puppet, which will be announced on the Center’s Facebook fan page. Other entertainment will include a County Fair Photo Booth--complete with props like handlebar mustaches and a prize-winning apple pie-- and games with exciting prizes like free tickets, finger puppets and an autographed cast photo.
All-Inclusive Tickets for patrons two-years-old and older are $16.00 ($14.82 + tax) and include admission to the performance, Create-A-Puppet Workshop (or Create-A-Puppet To-Go Kit), and all museum exhibits. Membership and group rates are available. ORDER TICKETS ONLINE AT WWW.PUPPET.ORG OR CALL THE TICKET SALES OFFICE AT: 404-873-3391.
Charlotte’s Web is produced by special arrangement with DRAMATIC PUBLISHING, Woodstock, Illinois.
---
www.ArtsAcrossGeorgia.com
Twitter:
@artsacrossga
@softnblue (music & dance)
@RimbomboAAG (books, authors +)
Monday, September 20, 2010
High on list of things to do: Go see @PageantAtlanta
I'm already laughing... and all I did was watch people TALK about seeing Pageant Atlanta at the 14th Street Playhouse! I know we've told you about it before on here, but we're hearing so many comments about the play that we had to share again. A bunch of our friends have been to see it and they are unanimous in their praise.
It's playing through October 24th so you have plenty of opportunities to see it once, or maybe twice! I think this one is going to become a cult fave based on what I'm hearing. I'll let you know 'cause I'm going to see it, too. www.PageantAtlanta.com for half-price ticket offer.
Here are a few people talking about seeing it:
www.ArtsAcrossGeorgia.com
@softnblue
@artsacrossga
@rimbomboaag
It's playing through October 24th so you have plenty of opportunities to see it once, or maybe twice! I think this one is going to become a cult fave based on what I'm hearing. I'll let you know 'cause I'm going to see it, too. www.PageantAtlanta.com for half-price ticket offer.
Here are a few people talking about seeing it:
www.ArtsAcrossGeorgia.com
@softnblue
@artsacrossga
@rimbomboaag
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Georgia Shakespeare is Pleased to Announce The World Premiere of The Odyssey: a Journey Home
Based on the work of Homer
Directed by Richard Garner
Adapted by Richard Garner and Georgia Shakespeare’s Associate Artists
Opening Night, October 8
Georgia Shakespeare announces the World Premiere of The Odyssey: the Journey Home, based on the work of Homer, adapted by Richard Garner and the Associate Artists of Georgia Shakespeare, and directed by Richard Garner. The show runs October 7-31 and there are several special events planned during the run to honor and raise awareness for veterans.
In celebration of the 25th Anniversary Season, Richard Garner, Producing Artistic Director, and Georgia Shakespeare kick off “The Icarus Project” a 10-year long program that will produce company-generated and/or company-adapted work, giving the company’s Associate Artists a vehicle through which they may flex different muscles and work from the other side of the table. The program launches with The Odyssey: a Journey Home.
In this clever adaptation of Homer’s breathtaking epic, the physical, psychological and emotional challenges Odysseus overcomes in his return from fighting the Trojan wars mirror those of the modern warrior. Returning from war is a journey that only begins with arriving home. The Odyssey: a Journey Home examines the issues around re-entry and explores the actuality of “coming home”.
“Our veterans arrive home in a matter of hours, versus Odysseus’ 10-year trip, but their journey doesn’t end at home’s threshold. In many ways, it is just beginning,” says Garner. “And yet, the parallels between Odysseus and today’s soldiers are stunning. It’s been a real eye-opener to explore this concept of warriors and to realize how very little has changed over these hundreds of years.”
The cast features Joe Knezevich (in his 12th season at Georgia Shakespeare) as Odysseus, Chris Kayser (21st season) as Zeus, Carolyn Cook (16th season) as Athena and Neal A. Ghant (6th season) as Poseidon, among others.
SPECIAL EVENTS
Free and Open to the Public:
On Saturday, October 30, at 4:30pm, The ArtReach Foundation, Inc., will host a symposium to discuss issues facing veterans today. The panel will also discuss the play and how Odysseus’ journey, and the demons he faced along the way, represent issues veterans are facing upon returning home currently. The panel consists of The ArtReach Foundation Founder and Executive Director, Susan Anderson; Psychiatrist and Chair of the Board of Directors of The ArtReach Foundation Christina O’Hara; and Georgia Shakespeare’s Producing Artistic Director and The Odyssey: a Journey Home director and adapter, Richard Garner.
Free and Discounted Tickets for Military Guests
Georgia Shakespeare will give away 50 tickets per performance to military personnel with a valid ID, on a first-come, first-served basis. Each military guest with an ID will be given two tickets, and the opportunity to purchase up to two more at the discounted rate of $15 each.
---
www.ArtsAcrossGeorgia.com
Twitter:
@artsacrossga
@softnblue (music & dance)
@RimbomboAAG (books, authors +)
Directed by Richard Garner
Adapted by Richard Garner and Georgia Shakespeare’s Associate Artists
Opening Night, October 8
Georgia Shakespeare announces the World Premiere of The Odyssey: the Journey Home, based on the work of Homer, adapted by Richard Garner and the Associate Artists of Georgia Shakespeare, and directed by Richard Garner. The show runs October 7-31 and there are several special events planned during the run to honor and raise awareness for veterans.
In celebration of the 25th Anniversary Season, Richard Garner, Producing Artistic Director, and Georgia Shakespeare kick off “The Icarus Project” a 10-year long program that will produce company-generated and/or company-adapted work, giving the company’s Associate Artists a vehicle through which they may flex different muscles and work from the other side of the table. The program launches with The Odyssey: a Journey Home.
In this clever adaptation of Homer’s breathtaking epic, the physical, psychological and emotional challenges Odysseus overcomes in his return from fighting the Trojan wars mirror those of the modern warrior. Returning from war is a journey that only begins with arriving home. The Odyssey: a Journey Home examines the issues around re-entry and explores the actuality of “coming home”.
“Our veterans arrive home in a matter of hours, versus Odysseus’ 10-year trip, but their journey doesn’t end at home’s threshold. In many ways, it is just beginning,” says Garner. “And yet, the parallels between Odysseus and today’s soldiers are stunning. It’s been a real eye-opener to explore this concept of warriors and to realize how very little has changed over these hundreds of years.”
The cast features Joe Knezevich (in his 12th season at Georgia Shakespeare) as Odysseus, Chris Kayser (21st season) as Zeus, Carolyn Cook (16th season) as Athena and Neal A. Ghant (6th season) as Poseidon, among others.
SPECIAL EVENTS
Free and Open to the Public:
On Saturday, October 30, at 4:30pm, The ArtReach Foundation, Inc., will host a symposium to discuss issues facing veterans today. The panel will also discuss the play and how Odysseus’ journey, and the demons he faced along the way, represent issues veterans are facing upon returning home currently. The panel consists of The ArtReach Foundation Founder and Executive Director, Susan Anderson; Psychiatrist and Chair of the Board of Directors of The ArtReach Foundation Christina O’Hara; and Georgia Shakespeare’s Producing Artistic Director and The Odyssey: a Journey Home director and adapter, Richard Garner.
Free and Discounted Tickets for Military Guests
Georgia Shakespeare will give away 50 tickets per performance to military personnel with a valid ID, on a first-come, first-served basis. Each military guest with an ID will be given two tickets, and the opportunity to purchase up to two more at the discounted rate of $15 each.
---
www.ArtsAcrossGeorgia.com
Twitter:
@artsacrossga
@softnblue (music & dance)
@RimbomboAAG (books, authors +)
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Rent, the Modern Broadway Tour de Force, is Coming to the University of West Georgia
Performances will run from Sept. 29 – Oct. 2 at 7:30 p.m., with matinee performances Oct. 2 and Oct. 3 at 2:30 p.m. in UWG’s Townsend Center Mainstage Theatre. Tickets are $10 for adults, $7 for seniors, and free with a UWG Student ID.
Rent, written by the ever-inspiring Jonathan Larson, is the story of 20-something artists living the bohemian lifestyle in the lower east side of Manhattan in the early 1990s. Artists, filmmakers, and musicians, along with many other colorful characters, live in the throes of young love, passion and ambition with the unifying belief that “it’s better to burn out than fade away.” Larson was living proof to such a bold claim. Just before the debut of his masterpiece, Larson died at the age of 35, during the final rehearsal of Rent. Almost two decades later, this Pulitzer Prize winning musical is world-renowned, rendering Larson immortal through his art.
The UWG production will pay particular homage to the street artists of New York City in the late 1980s. For more information call (678) 839- 4722.
Rent, written by the ever-inspiring Jonathan Larson, is the story of 20-something artists living the bohemian lifestyle in the lower east side of Manhattan in the early 1990s. Artists, filmmakers, and musicians, along with many other colorful characters, live in the throes of young love, passion and ambition with the unifying belief that “it’s better to burn out than fade away.” Larson was living proof to such a bold claim. Just before the debut of his masterpiece, Larson died at the age of 35, during the final rehearsal of Rent. Almost two decades later, this Pulitzer Prize winning musical is world-renowned, rendering Larson immortal through his art.
The UWG production will pay particular homage to the street artists of New York City in the late 1980s. For more information call (678) 839- 4722.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Horizon stages World Premiere of New South Play Festival "Night Blooms"
Atlanta’s own Margaret Baldwin finds a local home for the World Premiere of Night Blooms at Horizon Theatre. On a historic night in 1965 Selma two families deal with conflicts and find their differences are not necessarily black and white, Night Blooms, Sept 24 - Oct 24, 2010.
Inspired by Baldwin’s own family history during this historic period in Selma, the playwright began development with a question: “How did people deal with generational conflicts within their own families at a time when massive change and social tensions are suddenly knocking on their front door?” Baldwin answers this by focusing the play on an “everyday family redefining their relationships on a night of historic change”.
Through Baldwin’s research into that period in Selma’s history, she found that few things are as simple as they might first appear. “The more you dig into it, the more you see the complexities of the individuals and their relationships with each other.”
Night Blooms is a product of the New South Play Festival where Horizon is at the forefront of developing and showcasing new work by Southern writers about who we are today in the New South. This World Premiere production is sponsored by the Macy’s Foundation.
About the Play
Two families – one white and one black – cope with change in Selma in 1965. On the day of the march, the Stafford household laughs, cries, celebrates a bloom, and waits for news when an unexpected freedom fighter appears on their doorstep. Night Blooms is a moving story of ordinary people and extraordinary change.
About Margaret Baldwin
Margaret Baldwin is a local playwright, director and performer. Born and raised in Atlanta, she has produced her plays, solo, and ensemble performance works throughout US. Her most recent play, Her Little House, received a National 2004 AT&T Onstage Award for its world premiere at Horizon Theatre Company. Other recent works on Atlanta stages include Alice Through the Wonderglass (2003), a play for young audiences commissioned and produced by Synchronicity Performance Group, and The Wet Nurse Sings, a solo work Margaret wrote and performed as part of Synchronicity’s Anton Acts Out (2002). The Wet Nurse Sings and another solo work, The Deepest Part of the Creek, will be published this spring in a book of monologues edited by the Playwrights’ Center in Minneapolis, MN. Margaret has an MFA from the Iowa Playwrights Workshop and is a member of the Dramatists Guild.
The Artistic Team/Cast
Heading up the creative team is director Karen Robinson
Night Blooms Artistic Team
Scenic Designer Jeffrey Weber
Lighting Designer Mary Parker
Costume Designer Sydney Roberts
Sound Designer Tom Jenkins
Prop Designer Kate LaFoy
The Cast
Lucinda Carter - Jill Jane Clements*
Ruth Stafford - Lala Cochran
Lucy Stafford - Bethany Anne Lind
Shep Carter - Tom Thon*
Geneva Willis - Marguerite Hannah*
Raynelle Willis - Brittney London
Clayton Carter - Harrison Long*
*Member of Actors Equity Association
Ticket Information
Performances of Night Blooms, Sept 24 – Oct 24, 2010:
Wed & Thurs, 8 PM
Friday, 8 PM,
Saturday Matinee, 3 PM, (10/02, 10/09, 10/16)
Saturday, 8:30 PM
Sunday, 5 PM
Opening Night, 8 PM
Tickets range from $20-$35 and may be purchased by calling the Box Office at 404.584.7450 or visiting www.horizontheatre.com. Horizon Theatre Company is located in Little Five Points at the corner of Euclid and Austin Avenues (1083 Austin Avenue). All seating is General Admission. Groups of 10 or more receive $3 off per ticket. Reserved seating for groups of 25 or more is available. For more information on booking a group, call the box office at 404.584.7450.
About Horizon Theatre Company
Horizon Theatre Company, 1083 Austin Avenue, connects people to each other, the community and the world through professional, contemporary theater. For more information about tickets, group sales, or to receive a season brochure, call 404.584.7450 or visit www.horizontheatre.com.
Horizon Theatre Company is grateful for the sponsorship by the Turner Voices initiative of Turner Broadcasting, who provides generous support to the 2010 season. Additional major funding is provided by the Metro Atlanta Arts Fund, as well as the Fulton County Commission under the guidance of the Fulton County Arts Council. Horizon Theatre is also supported in part by the Georgia Council for the Arts through appropriations of the Georgia General Assembly. The Council is a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts. Additional funding is provided by the City of Atlanta, Office of Cultural Affairs.
---
www.ArtsAcrossGeorgia.com
Twitter:
@artsacrossga
@softnblue (music & dance)
@RimbomboAAG (books, authors +)
Read our other Arts related blogs:
http://artsacrossga.blogspot.com/ (All Arts)
http://musicmattersga.blogspot.com/ (Music)
http://georgiaswriter.blogspot.com/ (GA Authors)
http://rimbombo.blogspot.com/ (Book reviews)
http://artzapalooza.blogspot.com/ (Art reviews)
http://dancingacrossgeorgia.blogspot.com/ (Dancing)
http://gaclicks.blogspot.com/ (Photography)
http://secalls.blogspot.com/ (Auditions, Calls, Contests)
http://georgiahappenings.blogspot.com (Events)
---
Inspired by Baldwin’s own family history during this historic period in Selma, the playwright began development with a question: “How did people deal with generational conflicts within their own families at a time when massive change and social tensions are suddenly knocking on their front door?” Baldwin answers this by focusing the play on an “everyday family redefining their relationships on a night of historic change”.
Through Baldwin’s research into that period in Selma’s history, she found that few things are as simple as they might first appear. “The more you dig into it, the more you see the complexities of the individuals and their relationships with each other.”
Night Blooms is a product of the New South Play Festival where Horizon is at the forefront of developing and showcasing new work by Southern writers about who we are today in the New South. This World Premiere production is sponsored by the Macy’s Foundation.
About the Play
Two families – one white and one black – cope with change in Selma in 1965. On the day of the march, the Stafford household laughs, cries, celebrates a bloom, and waits for news when an unexpected freedom fighter appears on their doorstep. Night Blooms is a moving story of ordinary people and extraordinary change.
About Margaret Baldwin
Margaret Baldwin is a local playwright, director and performer. Born and raised in Atlanta, she has produced her plays, solo, and ensemble performance works throughout US. Her most recent play, Her Little House, received a National 2004 AT&T Onstage Award for its world premiere at Horizon Theatre Company. Other recent works on Atlanta stages include Alice Through the Wonderglass (2003), a play for young audiences commissioned and produced by Synchronicity Performance Group, and The Wet Nurse Sings, a solo work Margaret wrote and performed as part of Synchronicity’s Anton Acts Out (2002). The Wet Nurse Sings and another solo work, The Deepest Part of the Creek, will be published this spring in a book of monologues edited by the Playwrights’ Center in Minneapolis, MN. Margaret has an MFA from the Iowa Playwrights Workshop and is a member of the Dramatists Guild.
The Artistic Team/Cast
Heading up the creative team is director Karen Robinson
Night Blooms Artistic Team
Scenic Designer Jeffrey Weber
Lighting Designer Mary Parker
Costume Designer Sydney Roberts
Sound Designer Tom Jenkins
Prop Designer Kate LaFoy
The Cast
Lucinda Carter - Jill Jane Clements*
Ruth Stafford - Lala Cochran
Lucy Stafford - Bethany Anne Lind
Shep Carter - Tom Thon*
Geneva Willis - Marguerite Hannah*
Raynelle Willis - Brittney London
Clayton Carter - Harrison Long*
*Member of Actors Equity Association
Ticket Information
Performances of Night Blooms, Sept 24 – Oct 24, 2010:
Wed & Thurs, 8 PM
Friday, 8 PM,
Saturday Matinee, 3 PM, (10/02, 10/09, 10/16)
Saturday, 8:30 PM
Sunday, 5 PM
Opening Night, 8 PM
Tickets range from $20-$35 and may be purchased by calling the Box Office at 404.584.7450 or visiting www.horizontheatre.com. Horizon Theatre Company is located in Little Five Points at the corner of Euclid and Austin Avenues (1083 Austin Avenue). All seating is General Admission. Groups of 10 or more receive $3 off per ticket. Reserved seating for groups of 25 or more is available. For more information on booking a group, call the box office at 404.584.7450.
About Horizon Theatre Company
Horizon Theatre Company, 1083 Austin Avenue, connects people to each other, the community and the world through professional, contemporary theater. For more information about tickets, group sales, or to receive a season brochure, call 404.584.7450 or visit www.horizontheatre.com.
Horizon Theatre Company is grateful for the sponsorship by the Turner Voices initiative of Turner Broadcasting, who provides generous support to the 2010 season. Additional major funding is provided by the Metro Atlanta Arts Fund, as well as the Fulton County Commission under the guidance of the Fulton County Arts Council. Horizon Theatre is also supported in part by the Georgia Council for the Arts through appropriations of the Georgia General Assembly. The Council is a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts. Additional funding is provided by the City of Atlanta, Office of Cultural Affairs.
---
www.ArtsAcrossGeorgia.com
Twitter:
@artsacrossga
@softnblue (music & dance)
@RimbomboAAG (books, authors +)
Read our other Arts related blogs:
http://artsacrossga.blogspot.com/ (All Arts)
http://musicmattersga.blogspot.com/ (Music)
http://georgiaswriter.blogspot.com/ (GA Authors)
http://rimbombo.blogspot.com/ (Book reviews)
http://artzapalooza.blogspot.com/ (Art reviews)
http://dancingacrossgeorgia.blogspot.com/ (Dancing)
http://gaclicks.blogspot.com/ (Photography)
http://secalls.blogspot.com/ (Auditions, Calls, Contests)
http://georgiahappenings.blogspot.com (Events)
---
Alliance Theatre Presents the World Premiere of 'The Nacirema Society Requests the Honor of Your Presence at a Celebration of Their First One Hundred Years'
October 20 – November 14, 2010
Alliance Theatre artistic director Susan V. Booth and New York Times best-selling author Pearl Cleage collaborate this fall on the world premiere of The Nacirema Society Requests the Honor of Your Presence at a Celebration of Their First One Hundred Years. This romantic comedy takes a lighthearted look into one of Southern society’s grandest traditions, the annual cotillion. As the new African-American debutants prepare for their introduction into the exclusive Nacirema Society of Montgomery, Alabama, their strong-willed grandmothers work behind the scenes to manage young love, the revelation of old flames, and the glare of the national spotlight. The Nacirema Society boasts a combination of some of the nation’s finest actresses, including the Tony Award winning Trezana Beverly, Atlanta’s own Andrea Frye, and acclaimed television, film and stage actress Jasmine Guy.
The play, produced in partnership with the Alabama Shakespeare Festival, will launch in Montgomery, Alabama on September 24th before continuing on to Atlanta for the October 27th opening. This unique collaboration between two of the southeast’s most iconic theaters underscores Atlanta’s commitment to developing nationally significant new plays that elevate and speak to the cultural heritage of our community. As Pearl Cleage’s first new play in over a decade, this lively production filled with love, intrigue and comedy, brings the famed novelist back to her playwriting roots.
“In recent years, I’ve witnessed an evolution in theater in which productions are relying less on stereotypes or cultural norms of a specific demographic, and more on telling stories of love, joy, loss, and everything in between that have universal appeal,” says Cleage. “I hope The Nacirema Society will encourage people to move beyond focusing simply on the political and social climate of this period in our nation’s history and enjoy a wonderful romantic comedy that appeals to audience members across all generations.”
The Nacirema Society is the third production in the Alliance’s 42nd season roster, following the lively Charles Dickens-inspired Twist, and Sammy and Me, a tribute to late world-class entertainer Sammy Davis, Jr.
“In a season ranging from world premiere musicals to Pulitzer worthy dramas, The Nacirema Society represents the best of what the Alliance does, and what the Alliance can do in partnership with one of our city’s leading artists,” said director Susan V. Booth. “To welcome the incomparable Pearl Cleage home to our stage with this sparkling new masterwork is a gift for our audiences, our communities and for all of us lucky enough to work on this project.”
Six of the eight performers in The Nacirema Society cast have Atlanta ties. In addition to the much beloved Jasmine Guy, who plays New York Times reporter Janet Logan, the cast includes award-winning actress Andrea Frye. She returns to the Alliance to play Catherine Green, one of the two family matriarchs for this production. Frye was most recently featured at the Alliance in sold out hit Jar the Floor. On stage in The Nacirema Society, she matches wits with Tony® Award winning actress Trazana Beverley, who plays the other matriarch Grace Dubose Dunbar.
Performances are Tuesday through Friday at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 2:30 p.m. and 8 p.m., and Sundays at 2:30 p.m., Oct. 20- Nov. 11, 2010 on the Alliance Theatre’s Alliance Stage. There are no Saturday matinees October 23 or 30. Tickets to The Nacirema Society are $20-$50 and may be purchased by calling the box office at 404.733.4600 (Mon. – Fri. 10 a.m. – 8 p.m., Sat. 12 p.m. – 8 p.m., Sun. 12 p.m. – 5 p.m.), or online at www.alliancetheatre.org.
Discounted rates for groups of 10 or more are available by calling 404.733.4690. Discounted rates are also available for members of the military, seniors and students. The Alliance Theatre is located at the Woodruff Arts Center, at the corner of Peachtree and 15th Street, in Midtown Atlanta.
Alliance Theatre artistic director Susan V. Booth and New York Times best-selling author Pearl Cleage collaborate this fall on the world premiere of The Nacirema Society Requests the Honor of Your Presence at a Celebration of Their First One Hundred Years. This romantic comedy takes a lighthearted look into one of Southern society’s grandest traditions, the annual cotillion. As the new African-American debutants prepare for their introduction into the exclusive Nacirema Society of Montgomery, Alabama, their strong-willed grandmothers work behind the scenes to manage young love, the revelation of old flames, and the glare of the national spotlight. The Nacirema Society boasts a combination of some of the nation’s finest actresses, including the Tony Award winning Trezana Beverly, Atlanta’s own Andrea Frye, and acclaimed television, film and stage actress Jasmine Guy.
The play, produced in partnership with the Alabama Shakespeare Festival, will launch in Montgomery, Alabama on September 24th before continuing on to Atlanta for the October 27th opening. This unique collaboration between two of the southeast’s most iconic theaters underscores Atlanta’s commitment to developing nationally significant new plays that elevate and speak to the cultural heritage of our community. As Pearl Cleage’s first new play in over a decade, this lively production filled with love, intrigue and comedy, brings the famed novelist back to her playwriting roots.
“In recent years, I’ve witnessed an evolution in theater in which productions are relying less on stereotypes or cultural norms of a specific demographic, and more on telling stories of love, joy, loss, and everything in between that have universal appeal,” says Cleage. “I hope The Nacirema Society will encourage people to move beyond focusing simply on the political and social climate of this period in our nation’s history and enjoy a wonderful romantic comedy that appeals to audience members across all generations.”
The Nacirema Society is the third production in the Alliance’s 42nd season roster, following the lively Charles Dickens-inspired Twist, and Sammy and Me, a tribute to late world-class entertainer Sammy Davis, Jr.
“In a season ranging from world premiere musicals to Pulitzer worthy dramas, The Nacirema Society represents the best of what the Alliance does, and what the Alliance can do in partnership with one of our city’s leading artists,” said director Susan V. Booth. “To welcome the incomparable Pearl Cleage home to our stage with this sparkling new masterwork is a gift for our audiences, our communities and for all of us lucky enough to work on this project.”
Six of the eight performers in The Nacirema Society cast have Atlanta ties. In addition to the much beloved Jasmine Guy, who plays New York Times reporter Janet Logan, the cast includes award-winning actress Andrea Frye. She returns to the Alliance to play Catherine Green, one of the two family matriarchs for this production. Frye was most recently featured at the Alliance in sold out hit Jar the Floor. On stage in The Nacirema Society, she matches wits with Tony® Award winning actress Trazana Beverley, who plays the other matriarch Grace Dubose Dunbar.
Performances are Tuesday through Friday at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 2:30 p.m. and 8 p.m., and Sundays at 2:30 p.m., Oct. 20- Nov. 11, 2010 on the Alliance Theatre’s Alliance Stage. There are no Saturday matinees October 23 or 30. Tickets to The Nacirema Society are $20-$50 and may be purchased by calling the box office at 404.733.4600 (Mon. – Fri. 10 a.m. – 8 p.m., Sat. 12 p.m. – 8 p.m., Sun. 12 p.m. – 5 p.m.), or online at www.alliancetheatre.org.
Discounted rates for groups of 10 or more are available by calling 404.733.4690. Discounted rates are also available for members of the military, seniors and students. The Alliance Theatre is located at the Woodruff Arts Center, at the corner of Peachtree and 15th Street, in Midtown Atlanta.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Atlanta Lyric’s 31st Season To Open With “The Music Man”
Tony Award-Winning Musical Plays the Strand Theatre in Marietta
Atlanta Lyric Theatre, the metro area’s only local professional musical theatre company, will kick off its 31st season with one of the most famous and popular musicals of all time, Meredith Willson’s “The Music Man,” playing September 17 through October 3 at The Strand Theatre on the Marietta Square. Tickets are $30-$45, with discounts for seniors, students, groups, and season tickets that offer a savings as low as 30%!
“The Music Man” won the Tony Award for Best Musical in 1958, against stiff competition from “West Side Story.” It also won 4 other Tonys and the New York Drama Critics' Circle Award for Best Musical, and ran for almost 1400 performances. The show has enjoyed two Broadway revivals and numerous high-profile productions around the world, including a Chinese translation staged in Bejing’s Central Opera Theater in 1987. It remains a popular standard that is produced by regional and community theaters everywhere. Atlanta Lyric Theatre’s production features a large cast of all ages and many songs that are part of our cultural heritage, like “Gary, Indiana,” “Till There Was You,” and “Seventy-Six Trombones.”
Alan Kilpatrick, who has been a favorite with Atlanta audiences for years, will play the role of fast-talking traveling salesman Harold Hill. Kilpatrick has been featured at The Lyric as Will Rogers in “The Will Rogers Follies,” Moonface Martin in “Anything Goes,” and recently as Wilbur Turnblad in “Hairspray.”
The Lyric is proud to introduce Atlanta newcomer Emily Stokes as the strong-minded, romantic Marian. Stokes recently completed her Masters of Music from Indiana University in Bloomington.
Others in the cast include Ingrid Cole, Googie Uterhardt, Marcie Millard, Robert Wayne, Mary Welch Rogers, Kathleen McCook, Kayce Grogan-Wallace, Al Dollar, Becca Potter, Alyssa Payne, Caroline Freedlund, Max River Roberts, Skylar Nicholson, Jenna Rohrbach, Hope Valls, Ian Baxter, Marcus Megahee, Kyle Haak, Mahalia Jackson, Becky Simmons, Justin Thompson, Katie Veldhuis, Matthew Pino and James Marshall.
Broadway’s Glenn Rainey, who is featured in the cast as Marcellus, directs “The Music Man”. Choreography is by Ricardo Aponte, with music direction by Michael Fauss. Costumes are by Lindsey Paris, lighting design by Bradley Bergeron, sound design by Bobby Johnston, and scenic design by Lyric Technical Director BJ Garmon.
All performances are held at The Earl Smith Strand Theatre at 117 N. Park Sq., on the historic Marietta Square.
For tickets and information call 404-377-9948 or visit www.AtlantaLyricTheatre.com.
---
www.ArtsAcrossGeorgia.com
Twitter:
@artsacrossga
@softnblue (music & dance)
@RimbomboAAG (books, authors +)
Read our other Arts related blogs:
http://artsacrossga.blogspot.com/ (All Arts)
http://musicmattersga.blogspot.com/ (Music)
http://georgiaswriter.blogspot.com/ (GA Authors)
http://rimbombo.blogspot.com/ (Book reviews)
http://artzapalooza.blogspot.com/ (Art reviews)
http://dancingacrossgeorgia.blogspot.com/ (Dancing)
http://gaclicks.blogspot.com/ (Photography)
http://secalls.blogspot.com/ (Auditions, Calls, Contests)
http://georgiahappenings.blogspot.com (Events)
---
Also check out:
www.Hummingbird-Hollow.com (Pottery)
http://hummingbirdhollowstudio.blogspot.com/
Twitter: @hhpotterystudio
---
Atlanta Lyric Theatre, the metro area’s only local professional musical theatre company, will kick off its 31st season with one of the most famous and popular musicals of all time, Meredith Willson’s “The Music Man,” playing September 17 through October 3 at The Strand Theatre on the Marietta Square. Tickets are $30-$45, with discounts for seniors, students, groups, and season tickets that offer a savings as low as 30%!
“The Music Man” won the Tony Award for Best Musical in 1958, against stiff competition from “West Side Story.” It also won 4 other Tonys and the New York Drama Critics' Circle Award for Best Musical, and ran for almost 1400 performances. The show has enjoyed two Broadway revivals and numerous high-profile productions around the world, including a Chinese translation staged in Bejing’s Central Opera Theater in 1987. It remains a popular standard that is produced by regional and community theaters everywhere. Atlanta Lyric Theatre’s production features a large cast of all ages and many songs that are part of our cultural heritage, like “Gary, Indiana,” “Till There Was You,” and “Seventy-Six Trombones.”
Alan Kilpatrick, who has been a favorite with Atlanta audiences for years, will play the role of fast-talking traveling salesman Harold Hill. Kilpatrick has been featured at The Lyric as Will Rogers in “The Will Rogers Follies,” Moonface Martin in “Anything Goes,” and recently as Wilbur Turnblad in “Hairspray.”
The Lyric is proud to introduce Atlanta newcomer Emily Stokes as the strong-minded, romantic Marian. Stokes recently completed her Masters of Music from Indiana University in Bloomington.
Others in the cast include Ingrid Cole, Googie Uterhardt, Marcie Millard, Robert Wayne, Mary Welch Rogers, Kathleen McCook, Kayce Grogan-Wallace, Al Dollar, Becca Potter, Alyssa Payne, Caroline Freedlund, Max River Roberts, Skylar Nicholson, Jenna Rohrbach, Hope Valls, Ian Baxter, Marcus Megahee, Kyle Haak, Mahalia Jackson, Becky Simmons, Justin Thompson, Katie Veldhuis, Matthew Pino and James Marshall.
Broadway’s Glenn Rainey, who is featured in the cast as Marcellus, directs “The Music Man”. Choreography is by Ricardo Aponte, with music direction by Michael Fauss. Costumes are by Lindsey Paris, lighting design by Bradley Bergeron, sound design by Bobby Johnston, and scenic design by Lyric Technical Director BJ Garmon.
All performances are held at The Earl Smith Strand Theatre at 117 N. Park Sq., on the historic Marietta Square.
For tickets and information call 404-377-9948 or visit www.AtlantaLyricTheatre.com.
---
www.ArtsAcrossGeorgia.com
Twitter:
@artsacrossga
@softnblue (music & dance)
@RimbomboAAG (books, authors +)
Read our other Arts related blogs:
http://artsacrossga.blogspot.com/ (All Arts)
http://musicmattersga.blogspot.com/ (Music)
http://georgiaswriter.blogspot.com/ (GA Authors)
http://rimbombo.blogspot.com/ (Book reviews)
http://artzapalooza.blogspot.com/ (Art reviews)
http://dancingacrossgeorgia.blogspot.com/ (Dancing)
http://gaclicks.blogspot.com/ (Photography)
http://secalls.blogspot.com/ (Auditions, Calls, Contests)
http://georgiahappenings.blogspot.com (Events)
---
Also check out:
www.Hummingbird-Hollow.com (Pottery)
http://hummingbirdhollowstudio.blogspot.com/
Twitter: @hhpotterystudio
---
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Theatrical Outfit's World Premiere of 'A Confederacy of Dunces' Extended Through Sept 12
Due to an overwhelming response, Theatrical Outfit will be extending the run of 2010 – 2011 season opener and world premiere, A Confederacy of Dunces, adapted for the stage by Tom Key and based upon the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by John Kennedy Toole. Since its opening, the production has garnered local, national, and international attention, including coverage by The Associated Press.
“Dripping with fun and chock full of delicious character tidbits by some of the best actors in town, ‘Dunces’ won’t disappoint”, says The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Wendell Brock.
Taking its title from a work by Irish satirist Jonathan Swift (“When a true genius appears in the world, you may know him by this sign, that the dunces are all in confederacy against him.”), A Confederacy of Dunces chronicles the extravagantly colorful, eccentric world of one Ignatius J. Reilly, perhaps one of literature’s most enduringly rendered anti-heroes. A lumbering, loutish, mountain of a man, Ignatius carries a volcanic vitriol for the modern era and is ever at the eruption point; with abandon, he spouts and spews his disdain of the social, racial, economic and religious states of contemporary America. When Ignatius does venture past Constantinople Street, he is forced to function in a culture he loathes, much like his oft-quoted idol, Roman philosopher Boethius. The ensuing string of jobs and outlandish events create a masterful portrait of a modern-day prophet bellowing in the wilderness.
For the performances on September 8th – 12th, ticket prices will increase to $35 for Friday and Saturday performances and $30 for Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday performances. For more information about show times and tickets, call the Box Office at 678.528.1500 or visit www.theatricaloutfit.org. Box Office is open Tuesday – Friday from noon – 6:00pm and prior to all performances. Group rates available. Theatrical Outfit, 84 Luckie Street, Atlanta, GA 30303.
---
www.ArtsAcrossGeorgia.com
Twitter:
@artsacrossga
@softnblue (music & dance)
Read our other Arts related blogs:
http://artsacrossga.blogspot.com/
http://musicmattersga.blogspot.com/
http://hummingbirdhollowstudio.blogspot.com/
http://georgiaswriter.blogspot.com/
http://artzapalooza.blogspot.com/
http://dancingacrossgeorgia.blogspot.com/
http://gaclicks.blogspot.com/
http://secalls.blogspot.com/
http://georgiahappenings.blogspot.com
---
Also check out:
www.Hummingbird-Hollow.com
Twitter: @hhpotterystudio
---
“Dripping with fun and chock full of delicious character tidbits by some of the best actors in town, ‘Dunces’ won’t disappoint”, says The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Wendell Brock.
Taking its title from a work by Irish satirist Jonathan Swift (“When a true genius appears in the world, you may know him by this sign, that the dunces are all in confederacy against him.”), A Confederacy of Dunces chronicles the extravagantly colorful, eccentric world of one Ignatius J. Reilly, perhaps one of literature’s most enduringly rendered anti-heroes. A lumbering, loutish, mountain of a man, Ignatius carries a volcanic vitriol for the modern era and is ever at the eruption point; with abandon, he spouts and spews his disdain of the social, racial, economic and religious states of contemporary America. When Ignatius does venture past Constantinople Street, he is forced to function in a culture he loathes, much like his oft-quoted idol, Roman philosopher Boethius. The ensuing string of jobs and outlandish events create a masterful portrait of a modern-day prophet bellowing in the wilderness.
For the performances on September 8th – 12th, ticket prices will increase to $35 for Friday and Saturday performances and $30 for Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday performances. For more information about show times and tickets, call the Box Office at 678.528.1500 or visit www.theatricaloutfit.org. Box Office is open Tuesday – Friday from noon – 6:00pm and prior to all performances. Group rates available. Theatrical Outfit, 84 Luckie Street, Atlanta, GA 30303.
---
www.ArtsAcrossGeorgia.com
Twitter:
@artsacrossga
@softnblue (music & dance)
Read our other Arts related blogs:
http://artsacrossga.blogspot.com/
http://musicmattersga.blogspot.com/
http://hummingbirdhollowstudio.blogspot.com/
http://georgiaswriter.blogspot.com/
http://artzapalooza.blogspot.com/
http://dancingacrossgeorgia.blogspot.com/
http://gaclicks.blogspot.com/
http://secalls.blogspot.com/
http://georgiahappenings.blogspot.com
---
Also check out:
www.Hummingbird-Hollow.com
Twitter: @hhpotterystudio
---
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Legacy Studios is now registering for Fall 2010 classes!
Legacy Studio offers semester-long classes for children Ages 5-18. We have classes in acting, improv, musical theatre, and music theatre dance Each class offers something different.
Classes begin August 24th
Schedule:
Tuesdays:
5:15-6:15 Acting/Improv (2nd-5th)
Wednesdays:
4:15-5:15 Music Theatre-An Evening of Rodgers and Hammerstein (2nd-5th)
5:15-6:15 Music Theatre-An Evening of Andrew Lloyd Webber (6th-12th)
6:15-7:15 Theatre Dance (2nd and up)
6:15-7:15 Acting/Improv (6th-12th)
Thursdays:
4:15-5:15 Music Theatre-An Evening of Rodgers and Hammerstein (2nd-5th)
5:15-6:15 Intro to Music Theatre-"Crazy for You" (2nd-8th)
No Classes the Week of November 21st (Thanksgiving Break)
Schedule is subject to change. A minimum of 10 students is needed in each class.
Pricing for Classes:
1st Class: $320/Semester $64/Month
Each additional class is Half Price!
$160/Semester $64/Month
Sibling Rates: $50 discount per student!
Legacy Studios is also offering a great opportunity for kids in Spring 2011. Legacy Studios will be putting on Dear Edwina-A Musical Comedy for Kids. To be eligible to be in Dear Edwina students must be in the Fall 2010 semester and the Winter 2011 semester.
Classes are filling up quickly.
To register your child please call the box office at 404-895-1473!! For more information please visit www.thelegacytheatre.org
---
www.ArtsAcrossGeorgia.com
Twitter: @artsacrossga
Read our other Arts related blogs:
http://artsacrossga.blogspot.com/
http://musicmattersga.blogspot.com/
http://hummingbirdhollowstudio.blogspot.com/
http://georgiaswriter.blogspot.com/
http://artzapalooza.blogspot.com/
http://dancingacrossgeorgia.blogspot.com/
http://gaclicks.blogspot.com/
http://secalls.blogspot.com/
---
Classes begin August 24th
Schedule:
Tuesdays:
5:15-6:15 Acting/Improv (2nd-5th)
Wednesdays:
4:15-5:15 Music Theatre-An Evening of Rodgers and Hammerstein (2nd-5th)
5:15-6:15 Music Theatre-An Evening of Andrew Lloyd Webber (6th-12th)
6:15-7:15 Theatre Dance (2nd and up)
6:15-7:15 Acting/Improv (6th-12th)
Thursdays:
4:15-5:15 Music Theatre-An Evening of Rodgers and Hammerstein (2nd-5th)
5:15-6:15 Intro to Music Theatre-"Crazy for You" (2nd-8th)
No Classes the Week of November 21st (Thanksgiving Break)
Schedule is subject to change. A minimum of 10 students is needed in each class.
Pricing for Classes:
1st Class: $320/Semester $64/Month
Each additional class is Half Price!
$160/Semester $64/Month
Sibling Rates: $50 discount per student!
Legacy Studios is also offering a great opportunity for kids in Spring 2011. Legacy Studios will be putting on Dear Edwina-A Musical Comedy for Kids. To be eligible to be in Dear Edwina students must be in the Fall 2010 semester and the Winter 2011 semester.
Classes are filling up quickly.
To register your child please call the box office at 404-895-1473!! For more information please visit www.thelegacytheatre.org
---
www.ArtsAcrossGeorgia.com
Twitter: @artsacrossga
Read our other Arts related blogs:
http://artsacrossga.blogspot.com/
http://musicmattersga.blogspot.com/
http://hummingbirdhollowstudio.blogspot.com/
http://georgiaswriter.blogspot.com/
http://artzapalooza.blogspot.com/
http://dancingacrossgeorgia.blogspot.com/
http://gaclicks.blogspot.com/
http://secalls.blogspot.com/
---
Main Street Players presents “The Dixie Swim Club”
September 16th through September 26th, 2010
Five Southern women, whose friendships began years ago on their college swim team, set aside a long weekend every August to recharge those relationships.
Free from husbands, kids and jobs, they meet at the same beach cottage on North Carolina’s Outer Banks to catch up, laugh and meddle in each other’s lives.
“The Dixie Swim Club” spotlights four of those weekends. During the play, the audience is exposed to the women at four different stages of their lives that span 33 years --- first when the women are 44 and then reintroduces them at 48, 54, and 77.
Main Street Players, 115 North Hill Street, Griffin, brings this Southern comedy to the stage, weekends, September 16th --- September 26th, 2010; Thursdays-Saturdays @ 7:30PM and Sundays @ 3:00PM.
New, lower ticket prices for Main Street Players: $20 adults walk up price, $15 adults in advance if they reserve on the web, $12 senior tickets and $10 for student tickets with ID.
Groups of ten or more receive a 10% discount.
For tickets and other information, please call 770-229-9916 or visit www.mainstreetplayers.org
---
www.ArtsAcrossGeorgia.com
Twitter: @artsacrossga
Read our other Arts related blogs:
http://artsacrossga.blogspot.com/
http://musicmattersga.blogspot.com/
http://hummingbirdhollowstudio.blogspot.com/
http://georgiaswriter.blogspot.com/
http://artzapalooza.blogspot.com/
http://dancingacrossgeorgia.blogspot.com/
http://gaclicks.blogspot.com/
http://secalls.blogspot.com/
---
Five Southern women, whose friendships began years ago on their college swim team, set aside a long weekend every August to recharge those relationships.
Free from husbands, kids and jobs, they meet at the same beach cottage on North Carolina’s Outer Banks to catch up, laugh and meddle in each other’s lives.
“The Dixie Swim Club” spotlights four of those weekends. During the play, the audience is exposed to the women at four different stages of their lives that span 33 years --- first when the women are 44 and then reintroduces them at 48, 54, and 77.
Main Street Players, 115 North Hill Street, Griffin, brings this Southern comedy to the stage, weekends, September 16th --- September 26th, 2010; Thursdays-Saturdays @ 7:30PM and Sundays @ 3:00PM.
New, lower ticket prices for Main Street Players: $20 adults walk up price, $15 adults in advance if they reserve on the web, $12 senior tickets and $10 for student tickets with ID.
Groups of ten or more receive a 10% discount.
For tickets and other information, please call 770-229-9916 or visit www.mainstreetplayers.org
---
www.ArtsAcrossGeorgia.com
Twitter: @artsacrossga
Read our other Arts related blogs:
http://artsacrossga.blogspot.com/
http://musicmattersga.blogspot.com/
http://hummingbirdhollowstudio.blogspot.com/
http://georgiaswriter.blogspot.com/
http://artzapalooza.blogspot.com/
http://dancingacrossgeorgia.blogspot.com/
http://gaclicks.blogspot.com/
http://secalls.blogspot.com/
---
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
“All You Got To Do Is Dream” -- Dreamgirls Comes to Atlanta's Fabulous Fox Theatre Oct 12-17
Tickets on Sale Sunday, August 29
Producer John Breglio and Broadway Across America - Atlanta announced today that tickets for the smash hit musical DREAMGIRLS will go on sale Sunday, August 29 at 12 p.m. Ticket prices start at $18.00 and will be available at the Fox Theatre box office (660 Peachtree Street N.E.), all Ticketmaster outlets, by visiting www.ticketmaster.com or by calling 1-800-982-2787. Group orders of 10 or more may be placed by calling 404-881-2000. The show will play the Fox Theatre from October 12-17 as part of the Broadway Across America – Atlanta 2010-2011 season.
Full of onstage joy and backstage drama, DREAMGIRLS tells the story of an up-and-coming, 1960s singing girl group, and the triumphs and tribulations that come with fame and fortune. Hopeful talents Deena Jones, Lorrell Robinson and Effie White are performing as The Dreamettes when ambitious agent Curtis Taylor, Jr. discovers them. He lands them a job as backup singers for the soul and rock ‘n’ roll sensation James “Thunder” Early and begins to guide their quickly rising career. However, when the beautiful Deena emerges as the star of the group rather than the full-voiced Effie, the girls are brought to personal and professional crossroads.
DREAMGIRLS will introduce Moya Angela as Effie White and feature, as The Dreams, Syesha Mercado as Deena Jones, Adrienne Warren as Lorrell Robinson, and Margaret Hoffman as Michelle Morris with Chaz Lamar Shepherd as Curtis Taylor, Jr., Chester Gregory is James “Thunder” Early, Trevon Davis as C.C. White, Milton Craig Nealy as Marty Madison. At certain performances, Patrice Covington plays the role of Effie White. The cast of 26 also features Tallia Brinson, Felicia Boswell, Ronald Duncan, Talitha Farrow, Brittney Griffin, Robert Hartwell, Eric Jackson, Jared Joseph, Nikki Kimbrough, Grasan Kingsberry, Brittany Lewis, Douglas Lyons, Kimberly Marable, Jarran Muse, Amaker Smith, Marc Spaulding and Terrance Lemar Thomas.
DREAMGIRLS is directed and choreographed by Robert Longbottom with co-choreography by Shane Sparks, scenic design by Robin Wagner, costume design by William Ivey Long, lighting design by Ken Billington, sound design by Acme Sound Partners, and media design by Howard Werner for Lightswitch. DREAMGIRLS features music by Henry Krieger and lyrics and book by Tom Eyen with additional material by Willie Reale. DREAMGIRLS is produced by John Breglio for Vienna Waits Productions.
The original Broadway production of DREAMGIRLS opened December 20, 1981, at the Imperial Theatre and won six Tony Awards and three Drama Desk Awards in 1982. It closed on Broadway August 11, 1985, after 1,521 performances. The original Broadway production was directed by Michael Bennett and choreographed by Bennett and Michael Peters. DREAMGIRLS was adapted into a motion picture by DreamWorks Pictures and Paramount Pictures, and opened in December 2006. The film won two Academy Awards, five Golden Globes, and two Screen Actors Guild Awards in 2007 in addition to a Grammy Award for Best Song written for a Motion Picture (“Love You I Do”). The most popular song from the film, “Listen,” has been incorporated into the new stage version of DREAMGIRLS as a stirring Act II duet for Deena and Effie. This all-new production of DREAMGIRLS premiered at Harlem’s legendary Apollo Theater in New York City on November 22, 2009, before embarking on an international tour.
DREAMGIRLS will play October 12 through October 17 at the Fox Theatre. Performances are Tuesday through Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 6:30 p.m. with matinees Saturday at 2 p.m. and Sunday at
1 p.m.
For more information, please visit the official DREAMGIRLS website at www.DreamgirlsOnStage.com
ABOUT BROADWAY ACROSS AMERICA
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.
Producer John Breglio and Broadway Across America - Atlanta announced today that tickets for the smash hit musical DREAMGIRLS will go on sale Sunday, August 29 at 12 p.m. Ticket prices start at $18.00 and will be available at the Fox Theatre box office (660 Peachtree Street N.E.), all Ticketmaster outlets, by visiting www.ticketmaster.com or by calling 1-800-982-2787. Group orders of 10 or more may be placed by calling 404-881-2000. The show will play the Fox Theatre from October 12-17 as part of the Broadway Across America – Atlanta 2010-2011 season.
Full of onstage joy and backstage drama, DREAMGIRLS tells the story of an up-and-coming, 1960s singing girl group, and the triumphs and tribulations that come with fame and fortune. Hopeful talents Deena Jones, Lorrell Robinson and Effie White are performing as The Dreamettes when ambitious agent Curtis Taylor, Jr. discovers them. He lands them a job as backup singers for the soul and rock ‘n’ roll sensation James “Thunder” Early and begins to guide their quickly rising career. However, when the beautiful Deena emerges as the star of the group rather than the full-voiced Effie, the girls are brought to personal and professional crossroads.
DREAMGIRLS will introduce Moya Angela as Effie White and feature, as The Dreams, Syesha Mercado as Deena Jones, Adrienne Warren as Lorrell Robinson, and Margaret Hoffman as Michelle Morris with Chaz Lamar Shepherd as Curtis Taylor, Jr., Chester Gregory is James “Thunder” Early, Trevon Davis as C.C. White, Milton Craig Nealy as Marty Madison. At certain performances, Patrice Covington plays the role of Effie White. The cast of 26 also features Tallia Brinson, Felicia Boswell, Ronald Duncan, Talitha Farrow, Brittney Griffin, Robert Hartwell, Eric Jackson, Jared Joseph, Nikki Kimbrough, Grasan Kingsberry, Brittany Lewis, Douglas Lyons, Kimberly Marable, Jarran Muse, Amaker Smith, Marc Spaulding and Terrance Lemar Thomas.
DREAMGIRLS is directed and choreographed by Robert Longbottom with co-choreography by Shane Sparks, scenic design by Robin Wagner, costume design by William Ivey Long, lighting design by Ken Billington, sound design by Acme Sound Partners, and media design by Howard Werner for Lightswitch. DREAMGIRLS features music by Henry Krieger and lyrics and book by Tom Eyen with additional material by Willie Reale. DREAMGIRLS is produced by John Breglio for Vienna Waits Productions.
The original Broadway production of DREAMGIRLS opened December 20, 1981, at the Imperial Theatre and won six Tony Awards and three Drama Desk Awards in 1982. It closed on Broadway August 11, 1985, after 1,521 performances. The original Broadway production was directed by Michael Bennett and choreographed by Bennett and Michael Peters. DREAMGIRLS was adapted into a motion picture by DreamWorks Pictures and Paramount Pictures, and opened in December 2006. The film won two Academy Awards, five Golden Globes, and two Screen Actors Guild Awards in 2007 in addition to a Grammy Award for Best Song written for a Motion Picture (“Love You I Do”). The most popular song from the film, “Listen,” has been incorporated into the new stage version of DREAMGIRLS as a stirring Act II duet for Deena and Effie. This all-new production of DREAMGIRLS premiered at Harlem’s legendary Apollo Theater in New York City on November 22, 2009, before embarking on an international tour.
DREAMGIRLS will play October 12 through October 17 at the Fox Theatre. Performances are Tuesday through Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 6:30 p.m. with matinees Saturday at 2 p.m. and Sunday at
1 p.m.
For more information, please visit the official DREAMGIRLS website at www.DreamgirlsOnStage.com
ABOUT BROADWAY ACROSS AMERICA
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.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Four-Time Tony Award Nominated "9 to 5: The Musical" is Coming to Atlanta's Fabulous Fox Theatre
Sept 28 - Oct 3
“We are delighted to bring the new musical comedy, 9 to 5: The Musical to Atlanta,” states Christopher B. Manos, Producer of Theater of the Stars. “Not only does it feature songs by the one and only Dolly Parton, a cast of incredible actors including Dee Hoty, Mamie Parris, Joseph Mahowald and more...but the role of Doralee will be played by Georgia’s own Diana DeGarmo! Mark your calendar, stick a post-it on your dayrunner, or set an alert on your Android, but don’t miss this show at the Fabulous Fox Theatre from September 28-October 3. Tickets are on sale NOW at Ticketmaster outlets, 800-982-2787, www.ticketmaster.com and the Fox Theatre Box Office.”
9 to 5: The Musical was nominated for four 2009 Tony Awards® including Original Score and received a record breaking 15 Drama Desk nominations including Outstanding Musical. This new musical comedy, direct from Broadway, is based on the hit movie and features Dolly Parton's original hit title song along with her new Tony Award® and Grammy-nominated score.
9 TO 5: The Musical had its world premiere engagement in Los Angeles at the Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre on Wednesday, September 3rd, 2008 and opened on Broadway at the Marriott Marquis Theatre on April 30, 2009.
9 to 5: The Musical marked the Broadway debut of seven-time Grammy Award winning singer, songwriter and musician Dolly Parton as composer and lyricist. “I couldn’t have asked for a better experience on my first Broadway show,” said Dolly Parton. ‘I’ve had the privilege of working with an amazing group of people who have become like family to me. I can’t wait for this show to hit the road so people across the country can see why I’m so proud of everyone involved.”
9 to 5: The Musical is a hilarious story of friendship and revenge in the Rolodex era. This is the story of three unlikely friends who conspire to take control of their company and learn there's nothing they can't do -- even in a man's world. Outrageous, thought-provoking and even a little romantic, 9 to 5: The Musical is about teaming up and taking care of business... it's about getting credit and getting even.
Dee Hoty will play the role of Violet. She has earned three Tony nominations for her starring roles in Footloose, The Best Little Whorehouse Goes Public and The Will Rogers Follies. Dee starred on Broadway and in eight major U.S. cities as Donna Sheridan in Mamma Mia! Performing on and off-Broadway, she toured the country and has been involved in many pre-Broadway workshops. She has appeared in “Law & Order”, “Law & Order: Criminal Intent” and numerous television and film appearances.
The role of Judy will be played by Mamie Parris whose Broadway credits include the Tony-Nominated revival of Ragtime, 110 In the Shade and the Tony-winning musical The Drowsy Chaperone. She turned the road pink in the First National Tour of Legally Blonde the Musical, has sung with the Radio City Rockettes, toured with country music icon Kenny Rogers, and participated in over a dozen readings with students of the BMI-Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop.
Joseph Mahowald is the unsuspecting Franklin Hart, Jr. Joseph has appeared on Broadway in title roles in Jekyll & Hyde, Javert in Les Miz and Chiefton O’Flaherty in The Pirate Queen. He has performed off-Broadway and in several national tours, was a soloist with major symphonies around the world and has been on all the NY soaps. Some of his extensive regional credits include being a founding member of the artistic company of Tennessee Repertory and appeared in leading roles in numerous productions.
Comic, actress and cabaret performer Kristine Zbornik has been cast for the role of Roz. Kristine performed on Broadway in A Catered Affair and Off-Broadway in Forbidden Broadway, Mama Mia and Man of LaMancha.
“American Idol” finalist, Diana DeGarmo has been cast in the role of Doralee Rhodes, made famous by the queen of country music and iconic songwriter, musician, movie star and entrepreneur Dolly Parton. Diana gained overnight fame, at age 16, as a runner-up on the third season of television’s No. 1 series, “American Idol”. Broadway credits include Hair, Hairspray and Brooklyn: The Musical and starred in the off-Broadway musical The Toxic Avenger. DeGarmo was born in Birmingham, AL, raised in Snellville, GA, and currently has a home and resides in Nashville where she continues to co-write and perform in and around the area.
Rounding out the cast is Jane Blass, Patrick Boyd, Paul Castree, Holly Davis, Janet Dickinson Madeleine Doherty, Marjorie Failoni, Gregg Goodbrod, K.J. Hippensteel, Jesse J.P. Johnson, Michelle Marmolejo, April Nixon, Ryah Nixon, Rick Pessagno, Wayne Schroder, Micah Shepard and Travis Waldschmidt.
WOR Radio said ‘You will love this show! 9 to 5 is a real 10!” Other reviewers agree. The Associated Press calls it “A certified crowd pleaser!” and the Daily News sums it up by saying “it shines! Dolly Parton’s songs are bouncy, big hearted, fresh & original. If you’re looking for a diversion, 9 to 5 will do the trick from 8 to 10:15!”
9 to 5: The Musical’s book is by Patricia Resnick (co-writer of the original screenplay). The touring production will be directed and choreographed by Tony nominated, Jeff Calhoun. "I met Dolly Parton as a chorus kid dancing in the film ‘The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas’ only a few years after ‘9 to 5’ was already a hit movie. It was a thrill to work with her then and an honor and privilege to be entrusted to direct and choreograph this exciting new tour of 9 to 5: The Musical” said Mr. Calhoun. The co–choreographer is Lisa Stevens, scenic design by Ken Foy, costume design by five time Tony Award® winner, William Ivey Long, lighting design by Tony Award® and Drama Desk Award winner, Ken Billington, music supervision by Stephen Oremus and casting by Telsey + Company. For more information visit www.9to5themusical.com
9 to 5: The Musical will play the Fabulous Fox Theatre in Atlanta from September 28-October 3. Performances are Tuesday-Friday at 8 pm, Saturday at 2 pm & 8 pm, and Sunday at 1:30 pm & 7 pm. Tickets are on sale NOW at Ticketmaster outlets, 800-982-2787 and www.ticketmaster.com. Ticket prices range from $25-$70. Special group rates are available through the Fox Theatre Group Sales Department at 404-881-2000.
Theater of the Stars celebrates its 58th Anniversary as one of the nation’s premier regional theater companies. A civic not-for-profit cultural treasure, Theater of the Stars is dedicated to presenting and producing the best in musical theater. To learn more about our history of excellence, visit www.theaterofthestars.com.
“We are delighted to bring the new musical comedy, 9 to 5: The Musical to Atlanta,” states Christopher B. Manos, Producer of Theater of the Stars. “Not only does it feature songs by the one and only Dolly Parton, a cast of incredible actors including Dee Hoty, Mamie Parris, Joseph Mahowald and more...but the role of Doralee will be played by Georgia’s own Diana DeGarmo! Mark your calendar, stick a post-it on your dayrunner, or set an alert on your Android, but don’t miss this show at the Fabulous Fox Theatre from September 28-October 3. Tickets are on sale NOW at Ticketmaster outlets, 800-982-2787, www.ticketmaster.com and the Fox Theatre Box Office.”
9 to 5: The Musical was nominated for four 2009 Tony Awards® including Original Score and received a record breaking 15 Drama Desk nominations including Outstanding Musical. This new musical comedy, direct from Broadway, is based on the hit movie and features Dolly Parton's original hit title song along with her new Tony Award® and Grammy-nominated score.
9 TO 5: The Musical had its world premiere engagement in Los Angeles at the Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre on Wednesday, September 3rd, 2008 and opened on Broadway at the Marriott Marquis Theatre on April 30, 2009.
9 to 5: The Musical marked the Broadway debut of seven-time Grammy Award winning singer, songwriter and musician Dolly Parton as composer and lyricist. “I couldn’t have asked for a better experience on my first Broadway show,” said Dolly Parton. ‘I’ve had the privilege of working with an amazing group of people who have become like family to me. I can’t wait for this show to hit the road so people across the country can see why I’m so proud of everyone involved.”
9 to 5: The Musical is a hilarious story of friendship and revenge in the Rolodex era. This is the story of three unlikely friends who conspire to take control of their company and learn there's nothing they can't do -- even in a man's world. Outrageous, thought-provoking and even a little romantic, 9 to 5: The Musical is about teaming up and taking care of business... it's about getting credit and getting even.
Dee Hoty will play the role of Violet. She has earned three Tony nominations for her starring roles in Footloose, The Best Little Whorehouse Goes Public and The Will Rogers Follies. Dee starred on Broadway and in eight major U.S. cities as Donna Sheridan in Mamma Mia! Performing on and off-Broadway, she toured the country and has been involved in many pre-Broadway workshops. She has appeared in “Law & Order”, “Law & Order: Criminal Intent” and numerous television and film appearances.
The role of Judy will be played by Mamie Parris whose Broadway credits include the Tony-Nominated revival of Ragtime, 110 In the Shade and the Tony-winning musical The Drowsy Chaperone. She turned the road pink in the First National Tour of Legally Blonde the Musical, has sung with the Radio City Rockettes, toured with country music icon Kenny Rogers, and participated in over a dozen readings with students of the BMI-Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop.
Joseph Mahowald is the unsuspecting Franklin Hart, Jr. Joseph has appeared on Broadway in title roles in Jekyll & Hyde, Javert in Les Miz and Chiefton O’Flaherty in The Pirate Queen. He has performed off-Broadway and in several national tours, was a soloist with major symphonies around the world and has been on all the NY soaps. Some of his extensive regional credits include being a founding member of the artistic company of Tennessee Repertory and appeared in leading roles in numerous productions.
Comic, actress and cabaret performer Kristine Zbornik has been cast for the role of Roz. Kristine performed on Broadway in A Catered Affair and Off-Broadway in Forbidden Broadway, Mama Mia and Man of LaMancha.
“American Idol” finalist, Diana DeGarmo has been cast in the role of Doralee Rhodes, made famous by the queen of country music and iconic songwriter, musician, movie star and entrepreneur Dolly Parton. Diana gained overnight fame, at age 16, as a runner-up on the third season of television’s No. 1 series, “American Idol”. Broadway credits include Hair, Hairspray and Brooklyn: The Musical and starred in the off-Broadway musical The Toxic Avenger. DeGarmo was born in Birmingham, AL, raised in Snellville, GA, and currently has a home and resides in Nashville where she continues to co-write and perform in and around the area.
Rounding out the cast is Jane Blass, Patrick Boyd, Paul Castree, Holly Davis, Janet Dickinson Madeleine Doherty, Marjorie Failoni, Gregg Goodbrod, K.J. Hippensteel, Jesse J.P. Johnson, Michelle Marmolejo, April Nixon, Ryah Nixon, Rick Pessagno, Wayne Schroder, Micah Shepard and Travis Waldschmidt.
WOR Radio said ‘You will love this show! 9 to 5 is a real 10!” Other reviewers agree. The Associated Press calls it “A certified crowd pleaser!” and the Daily News sums it up by saying “it shines! Dolly Parton’s songs are bouncy, big hearted, fresh & original. If you’re looking for a diversion, 9 to 5 will do the trick from 8 to 10:15!”
9 to 5: The Musical’s book is by Patricia Resnick (co-writer of the original screenplay). The touring production will be directed and choreographed by Tony nominated, Jeff Calhoun. "I met Dolly Parton as a chorus kid dancing in the film ‘The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas’ only a few years after ‘9 to 5’ was already a hit movie. It was a thrill to work with her then and an honor and privilege to be entrusted to direct and choreograph this exciting new tour of 9 to 5: The Musical” said Mr. Calhoun. The co–choreographer is Lisa Stevens, scenic design by Ken Foy, costume design by five time Tony Award® winner, William Ivey Long, lighting design by Tony Award® and Drama Desk Award winner, Ken Billington, music supervision by Stephen Oremus and casting by Telsey + Company. For more information visit www.9to5themusical.com
9 to 5: The Musical will play the Fabulous Fox Theatre in Atlanta from September 28-October 3. Performances are Tuesday-Friday at 8 pm, Saturday at 2 pm & 8 pm, and Sunday at 1:30 pm & 7 pm. Tickets are on sale NOW at Ticketmaster outlets, 800-982-2787 and www.ticketmaster.com. Ticket prices range from $25-$70. Special group rates are available through the Fox Theatre Group Sales Department at 404-881-2000.
Theater of the Stars celebrates its 58th Anniversary as one of the nation’s premier regional theater companies. A civic not-for-profit cultural treasure, Theater of the Stars is dedicated to presenting and producing the best in musical theater. To learn more about our history of excellence, visit www.theaterofthestars.com.
Camelot Theatre (Griffin, GA) Presents "The Wizard of Oz"
Camelot Theatre presents the stage adaptation of the American musical fantasy film, “The Wizard of Oz,” August 20, 21 & 22 and August 27, 28 & 29 in the Enrichment Center (formerly the Orrs Elementary School), 205 Spalding Drive, located behind Home Depot one block off the Newnan Highway, Georgia Highway #16, just west of downtown Griffin.
“The Wizard of Oz” is based on the 1900 novel “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” by Frank Baum. The 1939 film features July Garland, Ray Bolger, Jack Haley, Bert Lahr and Frank Morgan, Billie Burke and Margaret Hamilton.
“The Wizard of Oz” premiered at the Strand Theatre in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin on August 12, 1939, and Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood on August 15, 1939. The New York City premiere was at the Loew's Capitol Theater on August 17, 1939. The film was first shown on television November 3, 1956 on CBS.
“Over the years, it has become one of the best known of films of all times,” says producer/director Brad Fowler.
The Camelot Theatre production features: two Dorothy’s; a “human” dog; the Scarecrow, Tin Man and Cowardly Lion; the Wizard; the Good Witch of the North and two Wicked Witches of the West; Aunt Em; Dorothy’s farm hand friends; eighteen Munchkins; four crows; three trees; twelve citizens of Oz; seven guards from Oz; eleven flying Monkeys and assorted ghosts.
For complete information, please call 678-469-2913 or visit www.camelottheatre.com.
“The Wizard of Oz” is based on the 1900 novel “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” by Frank Baum. The 1939 film features July Garland, Ray Bolger, Jack Haley, Bert Lahr and Frank Morgan, Billie Burke and Margaret Hamilton.
“The Wizard of Oz” premiered at the Strand Theatre in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin on August 12, 1939, and Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood on August 15, 1939. The New York City premiere was at the Loew's Capitol Theater on August 17, 1939. The film was first shown on television November 3, 1956 on CBS.
“Over the years, it has become one of the best known of films of all times,” says producer/director Brad Fowler.
The Camelot Theatre production features: two Dorothy’s; a “human” dog; the Scarecrow, Tin Man and Cowardly Lion; the Wizard; the Good Witch of the North and two Wicked Witches of the West; Aunt Em; Dorothy’s farm hand friends; eighteen Munchkins; four crows; three trees; twelve citizens of Oz; seven guards from Oz; eleven flying Monkeys and assorted ghosts.
For complete information, please call 678-469-2913 or visit www.camelottheatre.com.
"Guys and Dolls" Coming to The Fred in Peachtree City
Rehearsals are well underway for the Twilight Theatre's production of "Guys and Dolls" to be presented at the Frederick Brown, Jr. Amphitheatre September 3-4 and 10-11 at 8 pm. Director Tammy Barton and Music Director Barbara Zellner have gathered an exciting cast from Fayette and Coweta Counties featuring brother and sister Jason Lindsey as Sky Masterson and Amanda Lindsey as Miss Adelaide. Also in the cast are Celia Sullivan and Anna Kate Spears, sharing the role of Sarah Brown, and Dustin McDonald as Nathan Detroit.
The popular Broadway musical "Guys and Dolls" tells the comic tale of gamblers, dancers, and missionaries who all meet on the streets of New York. Favorite songs from the show are "I'll Know When My Love Comes Along," "Marry the Man Today," and "Sit Down You're Rocking the Boat." Dance numbers are being choreographed by Stacey Zellen of Newnan.
Tickets are available now at The Frederick Brown, Jr. Amphitheater box office during normal business hours. For more information on the show or The Twilight Theatre go to www.thetwilighttheatre.com.
The popular Broadway musical "Guys and Dolls" tells the comic tale of gamblers, dancers, and missionaries who all meet on the streets of New York. Favorite songs from the show are "I'll Know When My Love Comes Along," "Marry the Man Today," and "Sit Down You're Rocking the Boat." Dance numbers are being choreographed by Stacey Zellen of Newnan.
Tickets are available now at The Frederick Brown, Jr. Amphitheater box office during normal business hours. For more information on the show or The Twilight Theatre go to www.thetwilighttheatre.com.
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Legacy Studios (Fayette) is now registering for Fall 2010 classes!
Legacy Studio offers semester-long classes for children Ages 5-18. We have classes in acting, improv, musical theatre, and music theatre dance! Each class offers something different!
Classes begin August 24th!
Schedule:
Tuesdays:
4:15-5:15 So You Wanna Be on Stage!! Intro to Music Theatre (5yrs-1st Grade)
5:15-6:15 Acting/Improv (2nd-5th)
Wednesdays:
4:15-5:15 Music Theatre-An Evening of Rodgers and Hammerstein (2nd-5th)
5:15-6:15 Music Theatre-An Evening of Andrew Lloyd Webber (6th-12th)
6:15-7:15 Theatre Dance (2nd and up)
6:15-7:15 Acting/Improv (6th-12th)
Thursdays:
4:15-5:15 Music Theatre-An Evening of Rodgers and Hammerstein (2nd-5th)
5:15-6:15 Intro to Music Theatre-"Crazy for You" (2nd-8th)
No Classes the Week of November 21st (Thanksgiving Break)
Schedule is subject to change. A minimum of 10 students is needed in each class.
Pricing for Classes:
1st Class: $320/Semester $64/Month
Each additional class is Half Price!
$160/Semester $64/Month
Sibling Rates: $50 discount per student!
Legacy Studios is also offering a great opportunity for kids in Spring 2011. Legacy Studios will be putting on Dear Edwina-A Musical Comedy for Kids! To be eligible to be in Dear Edwina students must be in the Fall 2010 semester and the Winter 2011 semester!
Classes are filling up quickly!
To register your child please call the box office at 404-895-1473!!
For more information please visit www.thelegacytheatre.org!
Classes begin August 24th!
Schedule:
Tuesdays:
4:15-5:15 So You Wanna Be on Stage!! Intro to Music Theatre (5yrs-1st Grade)
5:15-6:15 Acting/Improv (2nd-5th)
Wednesdays:
4:15-5:15 Music Theatre-An Evening of Rodgers and Hammerstein (2nd-5th)
5:15-6:15 Music Theatre-An Evening of Andrew Lloyd Webber (6th-12th)
6:15-7:15 Theatre Dance (2nd and up)
6:15-7:15 Acting/Improv (6th-12th)
Thursdays:
4:15-5:15 Music Theatre-An Evening of Rodgers and Hammerstein (2nd-5th)
5:15-6:15 Intro to Music Theatre-"Crazy for You" (2nd-8th)
No Classes the Week of November 21st (Thanksgiving Break)
Schedule is subject to change. A minimum of 10 students is needed in each class.
Pricing for Classes:
1st Class: $320/Semester $64/Month
Each additional class is Half Price!
$160/Semester $64/Month
Sibling Rates: $50 discount per student!
Legacy Studios is also offering a great opportunity for kids in Spring 2011. Legacy Studios will be putting on Dear Edwina-A Musical Comedy for Kids! To be eligible to be in Dear Edwina students must be in the Fall 2010 semester and the Winter 2011 semester!
Classes are filling up quickly!
To register your child please call the box office at 404-895-1473!!
For more information please visit www.thelegacytheatre.org!
Friday, August 6, 2010
Whole World Improv Theatre Announces Around the Whole World Annual Fundraiser August 19, 2010
Whole World Improv Theatre announces Around the Whole World, the annual fundraiser, Thursday, August 19, 2010 at Whole World Improv Theatre, 1216 Spring Street, Atlanta, GA 30309. The event celebrates the universal languages of laughter, food and wine and the evening’s activities include heavy appetizers, live and silent auctions, and a performance by Atlanta’s best improv comedy troupe. Tickets are $35 in advance, $50 after August 15.
Enjoy delectables from Hobnob Neighborhood Tavern, Atkins Park Tavern, Gilberts Food & Drink and Cypress Street Pint & Plate. Wines from around the world courtesy of Latour Simonnet Febvre Pinot Noir, France; Graham Beck Sauvignon Blanc, South Africa; Gascon Malbec, Argentina; Yalumba Cabernet, Australia. Beer sponsors include Fontana Candida, Kirin Beer, Fire Rock Pale Ale, Magners Irish Cider and Fat Tire Amber Ale, rounding out the beers from around the world selection.
While nibbling and sipping, guests can bid on items in the silent auction; later in the evening, Whole World Improv Theatre will perform an improv comedy show. The live auction will take place during intermission.
The exciting live auction includes the “Paris Deluxe Vacation Package” -- Paris Saint Germain and Ile Saint Louis – and there are no blackout dates for this fabulous trip! Two adult guests will enjoy a 7-night getaway to Paris. Stroll the charming Left Bank, Saint Germain and magical Ile Saint Louis with world-famous boutique shopping, quaint cafés, gourmet dining, the Eiffel Tower, the Latin Quarter and the gorgeous art collections at the Louvre Museum and the Musee d’Orsay. The winning bidder will choose their accommodations from among five deluxe private properties owned and managed by “Passionate For Paris”, the nation’s premier firm for private vacation property in Paris. Guests receive an exclusive “Insider’s Guide to the Best of Paris” and access to concierge-quality services for restaurant and tour reservations. Properties from which the winner may choose are The Empress Josephine, The Secret Island Treasure, The Saint Germain Suite, The Luxembourg Gardens/Pantheon, or The Panoramic Paris.
Appetizers, wine tasting and silent auction begin at 6:30pm. The Improv Show Begins at 8pm. The live auction will take place during intermission. Tickets purchased by August 15, 2010 are $35 per person; after that, tickets are $50 per person. Tickets are available online at www.wholeworldtheatre.com or by calling the box office: 404-817-PLAY (7529).
This event will sell out, so get your tickets now and support Atlanta's best improv troupe. All proceeds from the event benefit Whole World Improv Theatre, a 501(c)(3) organization recognized by the state of Georgia.
For more information about Whole World Improv Theatre, please visit www.wholeworldtheatre.com.
To donate items to the silent auction, please contact Lauren Goins at lauren@wholeworldtheatre.com or 404.545.5603. All donations are tax deductible.
About Whole World Improv Theatre
Founded in Atlanta in 1993, Whole World Improv Theatre’s mission is to use theatre as a form of communication for all people and to serve as the most entertaining and dynamic improvisational comedy theatre in the Southeast. We offer a safe, creative home for actors and artists to express themselves freely and without judgment. We strive to offer affordable educational programs to children and adults that provide tools and philosophies intended to be useful both on and off the stage. We are committed to participating in the success of other non-profit companies and beneficial outreach programs that bring the Atlanta community together.
Enjoy delectables from Hobnob Neighborhood Tavern, Atkins Park Tavern, Gilberts Food & Drink and Cypress Street Pint & Plate. Wines from around the world courtesy of Latour Simonnet Febvre Pinot Noir, France; Graham Beck Sauvignon Blanc, South Africa; Gascon Malbec, Argentina; Yalumba Cabernet, Australia. Beer sponsors include Fontana Candida, Kirin Beer, Fire Rock Pale Ale, Magners Irish Cider and Fat Tire Amber Ale, rounding out the beers from around the world selection.
While nibbling and sipping, guests can bid on items in the silent auction; later in the evening, Whole World Improv Theatre will perform an improv comedy show. The live auction will take place during intermission.
The exciting live auction includes the “Paris Deluxe Vacation Package” -- Paris Saint Germain and Ile Saint Louis – and there are no blackout dates for this fabulous trip! Two adult guests will enjoy a 7-night getaway to Paris. Stroll the charming Left Bank, Saint Germain and magical Ile Saint Louis with world-famous boutique shopping, quaint cafés, gourmet dining, the Eiffel Tower, the Latin Quarter and the gorgeous art collections at the Louvre Museum and the Musee d’Orsay. The winning bidder will choose their accommodations from among five deluxe private properties owned and managed by “Passionate For Paris”, the nation’s premier firm for private vacation property in Paris. Guests receive an exclusive “Insider’s Guide to the Best of Paris” and access to concierge-quality services for restaurant and tour reservations. Properties from which the winner may choose are The Empress Josephine, The Secret Island Treasure, The Saint Germain Suite, The Luxembourg Gardens/Pantheon, or The Panoramic Paris.
Appetizers, wine tasting and silent auction begin at 6:30pm. The Improv Show Begins at 8pm. The live auction will take place during intermission. Tickets purchased by August 15, 2010 are $35 per person; after that, tickets are $50 per person. Tickets are available online at www.wholeworldtheatre.com or by calling the box office: 404-817-PLAY (7529).
This event will sell out, so get your tickets now and support Atlanta's best improv troupe. All proceeds from the event benefit Whole World Improv Theatre, a 501(c)(3) organization recognized by the state of Georgia.
For more information about Whole World Improv Theatre, please visit www.wholeworldtheatre.com.
To donate items to the silent auction, please contact Lauren Goins at lauren@wholeworldtheatre.com or 404.545.5603. All donations are tax deductible.
About Whole World Improv Theatre
Founded in Atlanta in 1993, Whole World Improv Theatre’s mission is to use theatre as a form of communication for all people and to serve as the most entertaining and dynamic improvisational comedy theatre in the Southeast. We offer a safe, creative home for actors and artists to express themselves freely and without judgment. We strive to offer affordable educational programs to children and adults that provide tools and philosophies intended to be useful both on and off the stage. We are committed to participating in the success of other non-profit companies and beneficial outreach programs that bring the Atlanta community together.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Theatrical Outfit Presents the World Premiere of A Confederacy of Dunces
by John Kennedy Toole
Adapted for the stage by Tom Key, Aug 2010
In the 5th anniversary year of Hurricane Katrina, Tom Key and Theatrical Outfit stage a ‘home-cooked meal’ of 1960s New Orleans culture
From August 11 – September 5, 2010, Theatrical Outfit will present the world premiere of Tom Key’s stage adaptation of A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole. Ever since becoming a 1980 publishing phenomenon and winner of the 1981 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, Toole’s grand farce, set in 1960s New Orleans, has enticed playwrights and filmmakers alike, but securing the rights to adapt the work has been a rare, much-coveted occurrence.
In the fall of 2008, Theatrical Outfit’s Executive Artistic Director, Tom Key, received an unexpected phone call from the book’s agent, who offered him the rights for a limited time. No stranger to adapting literary works to the stage, Key has enjoyed a successful string of adaptations, including Walker Percy’s Lost in the Cosmos: The Last Self-Help Seminar and The Moviegoer, John Bunyan’s classic allegory Pilgrim’s Progress, a Reader's Theater extraction of C.S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia, and Truman Capote’s A Christmas Memory (which will be revived at Theatrical Outfit, December 2010). Of the initial conversation Key recalls, “I was ecstatic. My antennae are always up for rich dialogue, which is the best soil for translating a piece to the stage, and A Confederacy of Dunces is so full of truth and brilliance and hilarity—there’s almost a comic button at the end of every scene.”
Taking its title from a work by Irish satirist Jonathan Swift (“When a true genius appears in the world, you may know him by this sign, that the dunces are all in confederacy against him.”), A Confederacy of Dunces chronicles the extravagantly colorful, eccentric world of one Ignatius J. Reilly, perhaps one of literature’s most enduringly rendered anti-heroes. A lumbering, loutish mountain of a man, Ignatius carries a volcanic vitriol for the modern era and is ever at the eruption point; with abandon, he spouts and spews his disdain of the social, racial, economic and religious states of contemporary America. When Ignatius does venture past Constantinople Street, he is forced to function in a culture he loathes, much like his oft-quoted idol, Roman philosopher Boethius. The ensuing string of jobs and outlandish events create a masterful portrait of a modern-day prophet bellowing in the wilderness. From the get-go, Ignatius is embroiled in a madcap misadventure that involves a lute string, a near-riot, and a rickety but lucky escape from the cops. Soon the seductive, seedy side of New Orleans itself joins a carnival cast of characters ranging from hapless Keystonian police officer Mancuso and cool-jive, street-smart Jones to porno-peddling barkeep Lana Lee and muscatel-swilling, bowling addict Santa Battaglia.
While the work is marked by inspired humor and biting satire, it also contains a pathos and profundity that keep its characters from becoming caricatures. Of Ignatius, Tom Key says, “He is genius with his verbiage, but he’s also disconnected from reality. Ignatius is presented in such a way that he’s almost impossible to like, but he so exposes the chronic hypocrisy that exists in the country that we have to pull for him…We want our geniuses to be corporate and well-adapted, so if we cast off the Reillys from our lives—our sometimes off-putting, unchecked natural human impulses—we’re the poorer for it as a society.”
Theatrical Outfit’s production of A Confederacy of Dunces will be directed by Richard Garner, Co-founder and Producing Artistic Director of the acclaimed theater Georgia Shakespeare Festival. Because of his long experience with mounting Shakespearean plays, Garner was Key’s immediate choice as director. Explains Key, “As Walker Percy has noted, A Confederacy of Dunces is a commedia ‘of Falstaffian proportions,’ and Richard, through his breathtaking imagination, knows how to capitalize on the strengths of live theater to deliver great literature to modern audiences in explosive, surprisingly complex ways.”
Of the challenges presented by the extensive New Orleans locations and the 25 characters to be played by 12 actors, Garner comments, “By fueling the audience's imaginations with a vivid lighting and sound design, we’ll provide just enough visual hints to make each space distinctive, while our real focus is to draw out all the glorious quirks for all the characters…this show is going to be an actor's dream with all the detailed vocal and physical work.” And an actor’s dream it is; up-and-coming Atlanta talent, Aaron Muñoz has been tapped to make his Theatrical Outfit debut as the modern-day prophet bellowing in the wilderness, Ignatius J. Reilly. Muñoz will be joined by a company of the well-loved Atlanta ‘who’s-who’ of comic actors and students from Kennesaw State University, who will be serving as ensemble members.
For more information about show times and tickets, call the Box Office at 678.528.1500 or visit www.theatricaloutfit.org. Box Office is open Tuesday – Friday from noon – 6:00pm and prior to all performances. Group rates available. Theatrical Outfit, 84 Luckie Street, Atlanta, GA 30303.
………………………………………………………………………………………………
About Theatrical Outfit
Theatrical Outfit entertains, educates and enlivens our audiences by producing classic and contemporary theater with an emphasis on work indigenous to the culture of the American South. The themes of spirituality and racial understanding are particularly resonant in our culture, and we are committed to giving them dramatic voice in the heart of downtown. Founded in 1976, Theatrical Outfit is dedicated to Atlanta-based artists of national caliber.
Theatrical Outfit is a not-for-profit 501 (c) 3 organization supported by private and public funding, along with ticket sales revenue. Major support is provided by the Fulton County Commission through the Fulton County Arts Council, the City of Atlanta Office of Cultural Affairs, Metropolitan Atlanta Arts Fund, the Georgia General Assembly through the Georgia Council for the Arts, and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Adapted for the stage by Tom Key, Aug 2010
In the 5th anniversary year of Hurricane Katrina, Tom Key and Theatrical Outfit stage a ‘home-cooked meal’ of 1960s New Orleans culture
From August 11 – September 5, 2010, Theatrical Outfit will present the world premiere of Tom Key’s stage adaptation of A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole. Ever since becoming a 1980 publishing phenomenon and winner of the 1981 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, Toole’s grand farce, set in 1960s New Orleans, has enticed playwrights and filmmakers alike, but securing the rights to adapt the work has been a rare, much-coveted occurrence.
In the fall of 2008, Theatrical Outfit’s Executive Artistic Director, Tom Key, received an unexpected phone call from the book’s agent, who offered him the rights for a limited time. No stranger to adapting literary works to the stage, Key has enjoyed a successful string of adaptations, including Walker Percy’s Lost in the Cosmos: The Last Self-Help Seminar and The Moviegoer, John Bunyan’s classic allegory Pilgrim’s Progress, a Reader's Theater extraction of C.S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia, and Truman Capote’s A Christmas Memory (which will be revived at Theatrical Outfit, December 2010). Of the initial conversation Key recalls, “I was ecstatic. My antennae are always up for rich dialogue, which is the best soil for translating a piece to the stage, and A Confederacy of Dunces is so full of truth and brilliance and hilarity—there’s almost a comic button at the end of every scene.”
Taking its title from a work by Irish satirist Jonathan Swift (“When a true genius appears in the world, you may know him by this sign, that the dunces are all in confederacy against him.”), A Confederacy of Dunces chronicles the extravagantly colorful, eccentric world of one Ignatius J. Reilly, perhaps one of literature’s most enduringly rendered anti-heroes. A lumbering, loutish mountain of a man, Ignatius carries a volcanic vitriol for the modern era and is ever at the eruption point; with abandon, he spouts and spews his disdain of the social, racial, economic and religious states of contemporary America. When Ignatius does venture past Constantinople Street, he is forced to function in a culture he loathes, much like his oft-quoted idol, Roman philosopher Boethius. The ensuing string of jobs and outlandish events create a masterful portrait of a modern-day prophet bellowing in the wilderness. From the get-go, Ignatius is embroiled in a madcap misadventure that involves a lute string, a near-riot, and a rickety but lucky escape from the cops. Soon the seductive, seedy side of New Orleans itself joins a carnival cast of characters ranging from hapless Keystonian police officer Mancuso and cool-jive, street-smart Jones to porno-peddling barkeep Lana Lee and muscatel-swilling, bowling addict Santa Battaglia.
While the work is marked by inspired humor and biting satire, it also contains a pathos and profundity that keep its characters from becoming caricatures. Of Ignatius, Tom Key says, “He is genius with his verbiage, but he’s also disconnected from reality. Ignatius is presented in such a way that he’s almost impossible to like, but he so exposes the chronic hypocrisy that exists in the country that we have to pull for him…We want our geniuses to be corporate and well-adapted, so if we cast off the Reillys from our lives—our sometimes off-putting, unchecked natural human impulses—we’re the poorer for it as a society.”
Theatrical Outfit’s production of A Confederacy of Dunces will be directed by Richard Garner, Co-founder and Producing Artistic Director of the acclaimed theater Georgia Shakespeare Festival. Because of his long experience with mounting Shakespearean plays, Garner was Key’s immediate choice as director. Explains Key, “As Walker Percy has noted, A Confederacy of Dunces is a commedia ‘of Falstaffian proportions,’ and Richard, through his breathtaking imagination, knows how to capitalize on the strengths of live theater to deliver great literature to modern audiences in explosive, surprisingly complex ways.”
Of the challenges presented by the extensive New Orleans locations and the 25 characters to be played by 12 actors, Garner comments, “By fueling the audience's imaginations with a vivid lighting and sound design, we’ll provide just enough visual hints to make each space distinctive, while our real focus is to draw out all the glorious quirks for all the characters…this show is going to be an actor's dream with all the detailed vocal and physical work.” And an actor’s dream it is; up-and-coming Atlanta talent, Aaron Muñoz has been tapped to make his Theatrical Outfit debut as the modern-day prophet bellowing in the wilderness, Ignatius J. Reilly. Muñoz will be joined by a company of the well-loved Atlanta ‘who’s-who’ of comic actors and students from Kennesaw State University, who will be serving as ensemble members.
For more information about show times and tickets, call the Box Office at 678.528.1500 or visit www.theatricaloutfit.org. Box Office is open Tuesday – Friday from noon – 6:00pm and prior to all performances. Group rates available. Theatrical Outfit, 84 Luckie Street, Atlanta, GA 30303.
………………………………………………………………………………………………
About Theatrical Outfit
Theatrical Outfit entertains, educates and enlivens our audiences by producing classic and contemporary theater with an emphasis on work indigenous to the culture of the American South. The themes of spirituality and racial understanding are particularly resonant in our culture, and we are committed to giving them dramatic voice in the heart of downtown. Founded in 1976, Theatrical Outfit is dedicated to Atlanta-based artists of national caliber.
Theatrical Outfit is a not-for-profit 501 (c) 3 organization supported by private and public funding, along with ticket sales revenue. Major support is provided by the Fulton County Commission through the Fulton County Arts Council, the City of Atlanta Office of Cultural Affairs, Metropolitan Atlanta Arts Fund, the Georgia General Assembly through the Georgia Council for the Arts, and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)