Friday, July 30, 2010

Georgia Shakespeare is pleased to announce an added performance of Shrew: the Musical

Sunday, August 8, 7pm

Due to overwhelming demand to see “the Atlanta theater community’s summer crowd-pleaser” (AJC), Georgia Shakespeare adds a performance of Shrew: the Musical to close the summer festival, Sunday, August 8, 7pm curtain. The festival continues in repertory through August 8, with opportunities to see each show - Shrew: the Musical, Love’s Labour’s Lost, King Lear and The Legend of the Sword in the Stone – between now and then. Don’t miss them!

Shrew: the Musical In repertory through August 8

A Georgia Shakespeare favorite returns! This musical adaptation of Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew is set in 1930s Miami. Petruchio and Kate sing, dance and match wits like Fred and Ginger. Conceived, adapted and directed by Associate Artist John R. Briggs, music and lyrics by John R. Briggs and Dennis West.

Cast: The Shrew: the Musical cast features the stellar company of Associate artists. Highlights include real-life husband and wife Joe Knezevich and Park Krausen in the leads as Kate and Petruchio; Ann Marie Gideon as Bianca; Atlanta favorites Chris Kayser (Grumio), Daniel Thomas May (Tranio), Tim McDonough (Gremio), Courtney Patterson (Widow), Neal A. Ghant (Lucentio) and Brian Kurlander (Hortensio).

Review Highlights

“Directed by Briggs and featuring the husband-and-wife team of Joe Knezevich and Park Krausen as Petruchio and Kate, Shrew is a delightful programming choice that goes down like bubbly and makes you wonder why the theater has kept this sparkling musical punch corked for so many years.” –Wendell Brock, Atlanta Journal Constitution

“Georgia Shakespeare’s Shrew: the Musical transports Shakespearean comedy to a glitzy 1930s Miami setting, with Broadway-style singing and dancing and heart-aching, show-stopping ballads. Even longtime Georgia Shakes fans might be astonished at the result: a rousing, laugh-packed performance with all the talent and polish of a big New York show.” –Louis Mayeux, ArtsCriticATL.com

“Longtime Georgia Shakespeare vets Knezevich and Krausen live up to the concept with impressive chops as singers and dancers. They should've been doing musicals long ago." –Curt Homan, Creative Loafing

Georgia Shakespeare is grateful for its sponsors
Season Sponsors: AirTran Airways, The Georgia Council for the Arts, Bank of America, Oglethorpe University; Media Sponsor: Reporter Newspapers
Summer Festival Sponsor: CornerCap Investment CounselShrew: the Musical Sponsor: Callner, Portnoy and Strawser PC; Media Sponsor: PBA:30, Reporter Newspapers

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Annie Playing at The Legacy Theatre, Tyrone, GA Through Aug 1

There is only one week left to see "Annie" at The Legacy Theatre. You do not want to miss this show that everyone is talking about!!

Performances: July 24th-August 1st

Shows Times: Tuesday-Saturday at 7:30PM and Saturday-Sunday at 3PM

Ticket Prices: Adults $25, Seniors 60 and older/Students 13 and older $22, and Children 12 and under $15

Group Rates: Group of 20 or more people get tickets for only $20 per person, and the group leader gets a comp ticket!

Leapin' LIzards! The popular comic strip heroine takes center stage at The Legacy in one of the world's best-loved musicals.

For more information please go to www.thelegacytheatre.org.
To purchase tickets please visit www.thelegacytheatre.org or call the box office at 404-895-1473!!
Visit our facebook page at: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=249013795584&ref=ts

Monday, July 26, 2010

Last Chance to See Les Mis in Peachtree City This Weekend!

The Twilight Theatre's production of Les Miserables: School Edition continues August 30 and 31 at The Frederick Brown, Jr. Amphitheater in Peachtree City. This popular Broadway musical stars Robert Gould of Fayetteville, Michael Reep, Celia Sullivan, Erin Macke, Olivia Werneke, Olivia Ricker, and Nora Wilfong of Peachtree City, Anthony Spezzano of Tyrone, Paige Smith of Jonesboro, and Korey Echols of McDonough, along with a supporting cast of 70 students.

Les Miserables opened to rave reviews earlier this month. Robert Gould who play Jean Valjean, is a stand-out as a man who goes from prisoner to hero in this Victor Hugo story. The ABC Society, played by Paul Merrill, Ben Papac, Ross Wilcox, Tyler Green, Ethan Gallagher, Will Madden and Sean Kyle help tell this tale of men old and young attempting to make a difference in the world. A live orchestra provided by the Peachtree City Wind Ensemble, add to the experience of live theater under the stars.

The cast of Les Miserables has faced more than its share of challenges. Some of the final rehearsals were rained out and the sound board was struck by lightening. Despite these obstacles, Director Alison Chambers and Assistant Director Sarah Stitt managed to rally the cast and have produced an incredible experience for the audience.

Tickets for the August 30 and 31 performances are available from the Fred box office during normal business hours and an hour before the show. Gates open at 7:40 pm and the show starts at 8:00. Adavanced tickets can also be purchased for an additional fee at www.ticketalternative.com. For more information go to www.thetwilighttheatre.com.

Artist's Showcase of Atlanta to Showcase Clayton State Talent, Aug. 2

The Clayton State Theatre will be showcased at the Artist's Showcase of Atlanta on Monday, Aug. 2 at 7:30 p.m., at 7 Stages, 1105 Euclid Ave., Atlanta.

A Shontelle Thrash (as in Clayton State Assistant Professor of Theatre/Communication Shontelle Thrash) Production, the Artist's Showcase will feature Clayton State University students Tristan Santiago, Jon Taylor and Brian Bryant, as well as May 2010 Clayton State graduate David Henry.

Clayton State's Bryan Meadows is also being showcased — the actors are performing three scenes that he wrote.

Admission is $5 at the door, with a reception to follow the performances (monologs and scenes) by a total of eight writers and 14 actors. Please note that there is adult content in the Showcase.

For more information, or to RSVP, please contact Thrash at artistsshowcase@live.com.

A unit of the University System of Georgia, Clayton State University is an outstanding comprehensive metropolitan university located 15 miles southeast of downtown Atlanta.

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Theatre in the Square’s World Premiere is a gripping portrayal of locomotive thievery and a bit of Marietta history

August 1 – September 12, 2010
Opening / Media Night: August 4, 2010

Theatre in the Square proudly celebrates the world premiere of Stealing Dixie, a play about one man’s plan to end the Civil War. Stealing Dixie, by Clayton State University’s Phillip DePoy, opens Wednesday, Aug. 4, at 8 p.m. on the Main Stage. Tickets are available at the Box Office by calling (770) 422-8369 or online at www.theatreinthesquare.com.

Stealing Dixie is a gripping portrayal of the great locomotive chase that centers around James Andrews’ plan to end the Civil War with hopes of no more bloodshed. As a part of his plan he meets in what is now known as the Kennesaw House, the location of the Marietta Museum of History, with Knight, a locomotive engineer, Parrott, a private in the Union Army who is armed and ready to kill, Ross, a Sgt. Major in the Union Army and Campbell, a fellow spy. This group of Union soldiers and sympathizers has come to be known as Andrews’ Raiders.

The success of the mission is all based on “THE PLAN” that Andrews developed after seeing the loss of so many lives at the battle of Shiloh. In the end, the plan to steal The General, a Confederate locomotive, was derailed by the train’s conductor, Fuller, who was determined to save his train.

Performances are Tuesdays through Saturdays at 8 p.m., Sundays at 2:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. There is a Wednesday matinee at 2:30 p.m. on Sept. 1 only, and preview performances on Sunday, August 1 at 7 p.m. and Tuesday, August 3 at 8 p.m. Student matinee performances are available, and the play is recommended for ages 16 and up.

Tickets are $24 to $33 and are available at the Theatre in the Square Box Office by calling (770) 422-8369 or online at www.theatreinthesquare.com. Discount rates for are available for of 12 or calling 770-422-8369 x29. Theatre in the Square is located off of the Historic Marietta Square at 11 Whitlock Ave., Marietta.

Playwright DePoy, director of the Clayton State Theatre at Clayton State University, and Edgar Award-winning author for his play Easy, demonstrates a poignant ability to capture history while giving a compassionate and challenging view of the Civil War.

“This play, Stealing Dixie, is not a documentary, though every effort has been made to be historically accurate within the dictates of a work of dramatic fiction” says DePoy.

Complete with Civil War period music, this world premiere comes to life as Andrews (Zechariah Pierce), Knight (Corey Bradberry), Parrott (Rob Lawhon), Ross (Scott DePoy), and Campbell (Bryant Smith) put the plan in motion. Other members of the cast of Stealing Dixie include Kylie Brown and Mary Lynn Owen.

Members of the artistic team that will bring this adventure to life on stage are director Jessica Phelps West, music director Phillip DePoy, set designer Dale Brubaker, lighting designer Ken Yunker, sound designer Thom Jenkins and costume designer Linda Patterson.

Now in its 29th season, Theatre in the Square is a professional, not-for-profit organization founded by Producing Director Palmer Wells and the late Michael Horne. As the largest professional theatre company in Cobb County, the theater reaches over 50,000 people a year via five Main stage shows, two holiday shows, a summer show, and a children’s show. It is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors made up of civic leaders from around the metro Atlanta area.

With an annual budget of over $1.6 million, the theatre draws the majority of its funding from ticket sales (about 65%), with support from foundations, corporations, city and state government, and individual gifts. The theater has a full-time staff of more than a dozen, and hires more than 140 artists (actors, directors, designers) annually. The theatre company has been based in historic Marietta Square since its founding in 1982.

Theatre in the Square has broad-based community support from the metro Atlanta region as well as Cobb County. More than 3,200 subscribers have a year-round commitment to the theater, and each play sells a healthy number of single tickets as well. Main Stage shows offer a Wednesday matinee option, which is usually filled with groups from local senior organizations as well as individual ticket buyers. At least one play a year features extensive daytime matinees for student groups. The theatre regularly receives accolades for the caliber of its work. In the spring of 2007, Wells was named a PBS Leader of the Arts. Last fall, the theatre received four Suzi Awards, for Best Production, Director, Actor and Actress.

Theatre in the Square is a member of Theatre Communications Group, the Atlanta Coalition of Performing Arts, the Cobb County Chamber of Commerce, United Arts of Cobb, a coalition of Cobb County’s professional arts organizations, and the Cobb County Convention and Visitors Bureau.

A unit of the University System of Georgia, Clayton State University is an outstanding comprehensive metropolitan university located 15 miles southeast of downtown Atlanta.
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Thursday, July 15, 2010

From Ed Sullivan to Abbey Road… RAIN: A Tribute to The Beatles - Returns to Fab Fox SEPT 17-19

SEPT 17-19 FOR 5 SHOWS ONLY!!

GET BACK Atlanta! “Hey Jude, Lucy, Martha My Dear, Lovely Rita and all you Beatles fans... we’re delighted to help you get back to one of the most fab shows ever,” states Christopher B. Manos, Producer of Theater of the Stars. “The award-winning Beatles concert, RAIN: A Tribute to The Beatles, returns to Atlanta’s Fabulous Fox Theatre from September 17-19. Like The Beatles, the onstage members of RAIN are not only supreme musicians, but electrifying performers in their own right. You can see the show here before it makes its Broadway debut in October. Make plans today to experience RAIN with your loved ones and friends. Tickets are on sale now at all Ticketmaster outlets, by calling 800-982-2787, online at www.ticketmaster.com and at the Fox Theatre Box Office.”

RAIN, the acclaimed Beatles concert, returns by popular demand! They look like them and they sound just like them! “The next best thing to seeing The Beatles,” raves the Denver Post. All the music and vocals are performed totally live! RAIN covers The Beatles from the earliest beginnings through the psychedelic late 60s and their long-haired hippie, hard-rocking rooftop days. RAIN is a multi-media, multi-dimensional experience...a fusion of historical footage and hilarious television commercials from the 1960s lights up video screens and live cameras zoom in for close-ups. “A thrilling bit of time-warping nostalgia…Boomer Heaven!” raves The Fort Worth Star-Telegram. “Uncanny! RAIN are a quartet of fine musicians in their own right…as The Beatles, they triumph!” cheers the Boston Herald. “An adoring Valentine to The Beatles,” declares the Washington Post. Sing along to such favorites as “Let It Be,” “Hey Jude,” “While My Guitar Gently Weeps,” “Come Together” and “Can’t Buy Me Love,” and relive Beatlemania from Ed Sullivan to Abbey Road!

RAIN covers the Fab Four from their very first Ed Sullivan Show appearance through the Abbey Road album, through the psychedelic late 60s and their long-haired hippie, hard-rocking rooftop days. RAIN is a multi-media, multi-dimensional experience...a fusion of historical footage and hilarious television commercials from the 1960s lights up video screens and live cameras zoom in for close-ups. RAIN boasts a repertoire of nearly 200 Beatlemaniac favorites, ranging from such beloved songs as “Yesterday” and “Hey Jude” to classic hits including “Revolution” and “Come Together.”

For the four longtime band members – Joey Curatolo (Paul McCartney), Joe Bithorn (George Harrison), Ralph Castelli (Ringo Starr) and Steve Landes (John Lennon), with a little help from their friend Mark Lewis (keyboards, percussion) – the music is first and foremost. For more than two decades, RAIN has distinguished itself by focusing on details, always being faithful to The Beatles with the ultimate goal of delivering a perfect note-for-note performance. All the music is performed live, with no pre-recorded tapes or sequences. For more information visit: www.raintribute.com

“On their feet, with arms raised high above their heads, all in the audience were swaying and singing along in blissed-out, nostalgia-powered unison!
-- Chicago Sun-Times

“The enraptured audience relives the soundtrack of its life!”
-- Chicago Tribune

"RAIN nails the full glory of those heavenly vocal harmonies and thrilled an all-ages crowd with note-perfect renditions of songs from the mightiest canon in all of popular music history." -- Buffalo News

“RAIN creates musical nirvana…makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up! A thrilling bit of time-warping nostalgia...Boomer Heaven!”
-- Fort Worth Star-Telegram

“Uncanny! RAIN are a quartet of fine musicians in their own right…as The Beatles, they triumph!” -- The Boston Herald

“An adoring Valentine to The Beatles!” -- The Washington Post

“RAIN is a spectacular extravaganza…did the audience love it? Yeah, yeah, yeah!”
-- The Philadelphia Inquirer.

“Parents (and grandparents) and kids were on their feet bopping like crazy!”
-- The Courier Post

RAIN will play the Fabulous Fox Theatre in Atlanta from September 17-19, 2010. Performances are Friday at 8 pm, Saturday at 2 pm & 8 pm, and Sunday at 1:30 pm & 7 pm. Tickets are on sale NOW at all Ticketmaster outlets, at 800-982-2787 and online at www.ticketmaster.com. Ticket prices range from $25-$65. Special group rates are available through the Fox Group Sales Dept. 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.

Monday, July 12, 2010

The Twilight Theatre presents “Les Miserables: School Edition”, July 16, 17, 30, and 31

July 16, 2010, 8 pm, Frederick Brown, Jr. Amphitheater, PTC
July 17, 2010, 8 pm, Frederick Brown, Jr. Amphitheater, PTC
July 30, 2010, 8 pm, Frederick Brown, Jr. Amphitheater, PTC
July 31, 2010, 8 pm, Frederick Brown, Jr. Amphitheater, PTC

The Twilight Theatre presents “Les Miserables: School Edition”, July 16, 17, 30, and 31 at 8 pm at the Frederick Brown, Jr. Amphitheater in Peachtree City. Directed by Alison Chambers, “Les Miserables” is a story of the human yearning for freedom. The story, based on the novel by Victor Hugo, follows the life of Jean Valjean as he searches for freedom and redemption.

The show also chronicles the lives of the leaders of the Student Revolution of the 1830's in Paris when idealistic French students yearned for France to relive it's revolution and strive again for democracy and compassion for the poor. After years of Napoleonic Wars, the French people did not join the students as they expected. Few survived.

Victor Hugo remembered the Student Revolution in his famous book “Les Miserables” as he promoted a return to French democratic ideals during the 1880's. He visited the statue of Liberty when it was being built in Paris and wrote poetry in her honor. He and other Frenchmen of his generation believed that the United States was a model for democracy.

The cast of “Les Miserables: School Edition” will march in the Peachtree City 4th of July Parade to celebrate the ideals of liberty that were born in America. This is the largest cast ever for a Twilight Theatre show, with over 70 young cast members. Our Lady of Mercy High School student Robert Gould, as Jean Valjean, heads the all-star cast who come from schools in Fayette, Coweta, Clayton, Henry, and Spalding Counties.

Tickets are available at the Amphitheater box office on weekdays during normal business hours and before shows or on-line at www.TicketAlternative.com. Tables are available only through the box office. For more information, go to the Twilight Theatre website at www.thetwilighttheatre.com.
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Sunday, July 11, 2010

Local Director Brings Les Miserables to Life

For the second time in three years, the Artistic Director of the Twilight Theatre, Alison Chambers of Peachtree City, brings Les Miserables: School Edition to the Frederick Brown Jr. Amphitheater in Peachtree City, July 16, 17,. 30, and 31 at 8 pm. Ms Chambers directs a cast of over 75 young performers in this Broadway favorite.

Ms. Chambers became interested in theater as a young girl. “I started playing the piano when I was 2 and singing shortly thereafter,” said Chambers. “Theatre was a logical progression from music. I started with musicals, but branched out into straight plays in my late teens.”

Local theater patrons will remember Alison Chambers as Maria in The Sound of Music, Laurie in Oklahoma, and Shelby in Steel Magnolias, among her many roles. “I am very fortunate to have parents who value the arts. They were always very encouraging of my music and did whatever they had to for me to be able to take lessons and perform. I even got them both on stage for the first time in Twilight's Sound of Music!

The opportunity to encourage young people's dreams strike a personal note for Chambers. “I almost quit theater altogether in high school because I had a director who told me, in front of a lot of people, that I had no talent and would never amount to anything. I'm glad I didn't listen. I think even back then the quickest way to get me to do something was to tell me I couldn't.”
Other teachers were more inspirational. “I also had some formidable teachers and directors over the years who took a young lady with very little self-confidence and taught me that with a lot of hard work, I could do anything. Music came naturally, but acting did not. It took me a very long time to start actually getting cast in shows, said Chambers.

“I kept working hard and was accepted to the FSU School of Music, one of the top 5 schools in the country. The big roles came after that. I think young people need to realize that you do have to work for these things,” continued Chambers. “ Even if it comes naturally to you, there's going to come a time when you're surrounded by others even more talented. You have to be willing to work hard and to keep going after failure to be in this business.”

Ms. Chambers, along with her parents Andy and Jeanne Chambers, and many friends and supporters helped start The Twilight Theatre in 2005. They wanted more local opportunities for Fayette County actors. “ When I came home from college, I was driving to Newnan, Fairburn, Henry County, and Atlanta to perform,” recalled Chambers. “Fayette County has an abundance of talent unlike anywhere I have ever seen, and yet we don't have a performing arts center to be the center-piece of local theater.”

Fayette County does have two beautiful Amphitheaters. Possibilities for outdoor theater became the inspiration for the name “The Twilight Theatre. According to Chambers, community theater creates opportunities for families to perform together. Les Miserables: School Edition features 12 families with 2 or more children or teens in the cast.

Many community and professional theater companies perform in small spaces. In contrast, The Frederick Brown, Jr. Amphitheater is the largest stage in Georgia hosting musical theater. Three years ago, Les Miserables became the most successful show ever produced by Twilight. At that point, Chambers decided to repeat the show as summer-stock every 3 years.

Les Miserables is a show that reaches people of all ages and on so many different levels through the powerful story and music,” explained Chambers. “It's universal. It touches people because it portrays the human plight, the longing for freedom, and the power of love so truthfully and, sometimes, brutally. It has its happy moments, of course, but it's not your everyday sappy musical. It draws you in, and you care deeply about these people.”

Working with so many young people can be a challenge, but Chambers thinks it's worth it. “I want to give more young people the chance to experience this show. It's not every day that people their age get to play the raw emotion, longing, and passion of Les Miserables. It's a challenge that really fosters growth as musicians and actors. I'm not being overly dramatic when I say it changes people.”

“ Cast members in the 2007 show sent me notes telling me how they grew, how they appreciated what they'd been given (in life), and, how they wouldn't be the same,” remembers Chambers. “Seeing that impact made me want to continue to introduce it to new generations. I hope this cast learns a lot and has fun (participating in summer-stock at the Fred) and I hope it creates beautiful memories for families.”

Tickets for Les Miserables, directed by Alison Chambers, are now on sale at Fred Box Office at 201 McIntosh trail in Peachtree City during regular business hours, or for an additional fee at www.TicketAlternatives.com Tables are only available through the Amphitheater box office. For more information go to www.thetwilighttheatre.com.

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Return Engagement of The Color Purple at the Fox Theatre Postponed to 2011

Theater of the Stars announced today that the Atlanta engagement of THE COLOR PURPLE originally scheduled for August 18-22, 2010 has been postponed until June 15-19, 2011. “THE COLOR PURPLE has a special connection with Atlanta audiences that has resulted in sold out multi-week engagements in both 2008 and 2009,” states Nick Manos, president of Theater of the Stars. “In the spirit of continuing that unique relationship between the show and the audience, we have decided to bring the show back every two years (as we do in Atlanta for ANNIE, CATS and STOMP). We were hopeful to start this rotation in 2010 but a recent scheduling conflict has arisen for both the summers of 2010 and 2012. It was clear after consulting with the show’s producers and the management at the Fox that the best option was to look for a mutually available week in 2011 and postpone the show. We were lucky to find a prime slot available and have confirmed the show for the third week of June in 2011. The show schedule and pricing will remain the same.”

Ticket buyers have three options: They can keep their tickets and keep the same seats if they want to attend the same performance day and time next summer (i.e. keep a Sunday matinee ticket to go to the Sunday matinee on June 19, 2011), they can exchange their tickets for another performance of the show next year, or they can request a refund. All transactions will be handled at the point of original purchase. Questions can be directed to Theater of the Stars at (404) 252-8960.