Picnic
Stage Door Players
through February 18, 2018

Come back in time to the 1950’s in rural Kansas in a small town where author William Inge sets this work about love sought, love found and love lost. The play premiered in 1953 and won the Pulitzer for best drama. And to this day we can sort of relate to what was going on.

Two older single ladies live next door to each other. Helen Potts (Kara Cantrell) has taken in a drifter named Hal (Blake Burgess) who has come to the town to see if he could hook up with an old buddy, Alan (J D Myers) and get somewhere in life. Ms. Potts’ neighbor is Flo Owens (Vickie Ellis Gray) who sees herself as an older widow with two daughters who she dearly wishes to have a better life than hers has been.

The daughters are Millie (Shelby Folks) and her older sister, Madge (Shannon McCarren). The folks are all getting gussied up to attend the Labor Day picnic, when Hal arrives. He has eyes for one of the girls, and one of the girls has eyes for Alan, and Mom isn’t a happy camper about any of this. She just wants them to “marry well” and the story is sewn around that theme.

A cast of 11 players do a fine job under the direction of Tess Malis Kincaid. As you go into the second act, you will try to figure out who may run off with whom and where anybody is going. Safe to say, that life is what happens while you wait for your plans to work out.

A neat set and costumes work to take us back in time. Stage Door Players in easy to get to in Dunwoody with free parking and good seating. More info at StageDoorPlayers.net

Big Apple Circus
Verizon Amphitheatre
through February 25, 2018

HOORAY !!! They’re back. The Big Apple Circus had a fantastic number of shows over the years and after they had to shut down for financial reasons, a wonderful gentleman named Neil Kahanovitz stepped up the plate, left his medical practice and joined the circus. Thank you Neil . . .

You may recall the old days when the Big Apple played at Stone Mountain, and the last show they did a couple of years ago at Verizon. They’ve returned to Alpharetta again under their big top and brought a fabulous touring company to town.

You probably know that one aspect of their history is that no animals are ever mistreated; and when you watch all the horses and dogs under the handling of Jenny Vidbel, you’ll want to run up and pet them all. You will also get to see two gents who have been inducted into the Guinness Book of Records as they do some truly impressive balancing/flipping acts. They are Fabio and Giulano Anastasini.

And if you ever got into high wire stuff you know of the Wallenda family. One of the final acts in this show features Nik Wallenda and some of the family on a scary high wire act performed without a net. You know it is not one you wish to try at home.

While this show may have a few less performers than in years past, you’ll feel no less than excited at what they bring forth. The comedic duo who hold the stage while the acts change are a riot as they work the house, and the live orchestra is just great.

This is certainly one for anybody from 3 to 103, and easy to get to near 400 in Alpharetta. If the day is chilly they have heater trucks for the big top, and they’ve plenty of concessions so you won’t go hungry. The show runs about 2.5 hours with an intermission. Plan to arrive early, because as at so many venues these days; you’ll have to pass security as you enter. Some days they have morning and/or early afternoon shows, so bring the kids or grand-kids and have a ball. More info at BigAppleCircus.org

The Ballad of Klook and Vinette
Horizon Theatre
through February 18, 2018

It is really unusual when a show about a couple of American folks is crafted and premieres in London. Ché Walker grew up in a part of London not totally unlike parts of our town. He has been in theatre arts for many years and in this unusual opus he partnered with Andushka Lucas and Omar Lyefook to create the music and lyrics to move the story along.

It isn’t an operetta, per se, but it also isn’t the usual musical inasmuch as it is the discourse between the two actors which is often set to music and presented as such. Klook (Amari Cheatom) is a young black man whose been on the wrong side of things in his life. He’s now working as a janitor, has very little self-respect and a lot of anger imbedded in himself.

He meets up with Vinette (Brittany Inge) who is a young woman of his age who is trying to find herself and make a better life. Things are not going easily for either of them, yet they do find more glue that ties them together than grit to pull them apart. The show moves on a static set which is Klook’s small apartment, and the music is by Christian Magby on the keyboard and Maurice Figgins on Bass/Guitar.

You are not going to leave the theater singing the songs, as this isn’t Music Man or Cats. But, what many of us suspect is that this compelling tale must have been derived of some family or others known to the author. For it is too real to just be imagined.

I can’t tell you have things evolve, for the play’s the thing; and I can tell you it is thought-provoking and gives one cause to rationalize. It runs about 90 minutes without intermission and it is one you don’t want to miss. More info at HorizonTheatre.com

Atlanta Jewish Film Festival
Various Venues
through February 15, 2018

Under the incredible leadership of Kenny Blank and his Board, the AJFF has grown in 18 years to be one of the largest festivals of its kind in the world. In this 18th year of their work in our community they will present more than 50 films in 7 different cinemas in a three week period.

They opened a couple of nights ago at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Center with an elegant Gala attended by more 800 patrons, and then presented their opening film to an audience of more than 1,000 viewers. The film was the story of the life of Sammy Davis, Jr., and while we all know of him from the days of the Rat Pack and shows in Vegas, few of us really knew the man and what his life had been like. Here’s a young man who takes to the stage at age 3, and never leaves the spotlight. He was a singer, actor, comedian, dancer and whatever else a role may have called for. Yet, he was never really schooled, had to deal with the days of segregation, and loss of an eye, and plenty of other problems.

One of his most famous lines was when he was golfing with Jack Benny, who asked him what his handicap was. “Handicap?” he replied. “Talk about handicap. I’m a one-eyed Negro Jew.” He had some alcohol problems, had caused much consternation for some folks when he married a white Swedish actress, May Britt. But, through it all he kept on going and passed away at age 62 from throat cancer. His presence remains.

On a similar subject, you don’t have to be Jewish to enjoy the films they are showing. And in these days where people are rising up against others not of their ethnic background in countries around the world; the common experience of us all as human beings is of top-most importance today and forever.

They’re easily available any day of the week. Just visit the site at AJFF.org for full info and tickets.

Angels in America Part Two
Actors Express
through February 17, 2018

This is the sequel to Tony Kushner’s epic work, and were it to run with the Part One, would be almost an 8 hour adventure. As it is, this part, which he names Perestroika (restructuring) is set in the 1980’s in the days of reformation here and abroad and when glasnost was declared. I had been working in Moscow in those days and recall that when McDonald’s opened on Red Square, that people lined up about a mile to wait for their burgers and fries.

These were the days of the McCarthy era and the spread of AIDS. Roy
Cohn had worked for McCarthy and was the prosecutor who got Julius and Ethel Rosenberg convicted of espionage and sentenced to death. McCarthy was a piece of work as is well known, and Cohn wasn’t any better.

The same eight players who appeared in Part One, reprise their roles in this part, and do so with incredible energy, going through five acts and more scenes than I cold count. Set in NYC, we find that AIDS is becoming a plague in the homosexual community. Cohn actually comes down with it, as do three other men in the story.

So much of the story deals with how and what we accept as true, how we treat others, and where the world is heading. Considering the nature of world events in this day and time, it seems quite on point.

I would suggest you attend Part One prior to Part Two; but if not this can work as a stand-alone. Just read the reviews and info on Part One, Millennium Approaces. This part runs about 3.5 hours, so grab a bite before the show. More info available at Actors-Express.com

Menopause, the Musical
Strand Theatre
through January 21, 2018

If you didn’t get to see Menopause before, you’ve missed a riotous evening of good entertainment. So, . . . here’s your chance again. They’re back! These four wild women find one another in Bloomie’s and they are each dealing with the changes in life that they knew were coming, but didn’t really enjoy.

First thing I have to tell you is that a lot of guys would be put off by the show title or subject matter. But, it really is not just a chick show. For the guy who has an IQ higher than a politician and understands that women face life changes as they age, it can be just as entertaining as it is for his lady. But, for the guy who’s world consists of watching race car drivers run around in circles it could be a bit like watching a film with subtitles. He wouldn’t dig that, either.

The cast of four wonderfully meshed players consists of Rebecca Fisher as the actress on the way to retirement, Linda Boston as the flower-girl turned business woman, Megan Cavanagh as “Earth Mother” and Teri Adams as the housewife from Iowa. Four distinctly different backgrounds and a perfect match up of ensemble acting and singing.

The score is really unique in that it consists of licensed music mostly from the groovin’ 60’s so you will recall the tunes and much of the lyrics, except that the lyrics in this show are a parody and so have been written to tell the story. The old standard “Heat Wave” which dates from the 1930’s by Irving Berlin now resounds with, “I’m having a hot flash / A tropical hot flash / My personal summer is really a bummer / I’m having a hot flash.”

Take your lady for a very happy evening of fun at the Strand in Marietta Square. And, if you are the lady and that guy of yours doesn’t dig the idea of going with you, call your friends, round up a girls’ night out and enjoy it. You don’t need to be a Red Hat gal, but they sure enjoy this one every time it comes to town.

And there’s free parking in the city garage across the street from the theater. More info at EarlSmithStrand.org

Maytag Virgin
Aurora Theatre
through February 11, 2018

Audrey Cefaly put this one together to bring us to a small town in Alabama in which two single people wind up living adjacent to each other, and how a relationship may or may not evolve.

Melissa Foulger directed the show with a perfect cast comprised of Courtney Patterson as Lizzy and Brad Brinkley as her neighbor, Mr. Jack Key. Jack has just moved in and has a lot of his junk in the front yard. He does know that the former owner died in the bedroom upstairs, but that isn’t a great deterrent. Domestic arrangements seem to be more.

Elizabeth (a/k/a Lizzy) is a teacher who recently lost her spouse, and is working through it. She wants to welcome Jack to the neighborhood, but is quite hesitant in her approach. But, Jack is even less responsive, and seems to be someplace else most of the time.

The two play off one another on a splendid set by Moriah and Isabel Curley-Clay that looks just like two real homes that we’ve all seen before. The story is how can these two be a couple, and when, if ever, that may occur. It is a really pleasant evening where nobody gets killed, there are no expletives, and no political commentary, except for dealing with the truth that those who forget the events of the past may have to relive them.

More info and tickets at AuroraTheatre.com

Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill
Theatrical Outfit
through February 4, 2018

Billie Holiday was one of the great jazz singers half a century ago. Born in Philly she changed her name from Eleanora Fagan to Billie Holiday and she was a featured performer with big bands in Harlem and other venues, including some shows at Carnegie Hall.

She had a really tough life full of unpleasant relationships, and in her thirties she became addicted to drugs as well as alcohol. She died at age 44 but her legend lives on.

This retelling of her tragic journey through life, and the fights she put up, is told and sung to us by Terry Burrell who comes off right on-score as Lady Day. She is backed up by her trio on stage, with William Knowles on the keyboard, Ramon Pooser on bass, and Lorenzo Sanford on the drums. Eric J. Little directed this one-act production on a really incredible set by the sisters Curley-Clay.

The theatre is set up cabaret style with a live bar and seats available at tables right near the stage. It’s an interesting journey back to some good and bad days in the music world and segregation days. The commentaries probably would not be suitable for youngsters, or those who recoil at the use of an expletive, . . . but WTF?

There’s a parking garage just past the theatre on Luckie Street and you can buy a discounted validation voucher at the box office. More info available at TheatricalOutfit.org

Angels in America
Part One: Millennium Approaches
Actor’s Express
through February 17, 2018

Tony Kushner wrote this truly epic work about AIDS in New York, and won the Pulitzer Prize for it in 1993. It is often described as A Gay Fantasia on National Themes, and is generally performed in two separate productions; the follow-up being Part Two: Perestroika.

Freddie Ashley and Martin Damien Wilkins joined forces to direct this work, in which eight performers take the stage in various roles. We start off meeting a high energy potty-mouthed lawyer, Roy (Robert Bryan Davis) who is a power broker playing the usual “old boy” games and wants to send his law clerk, Joe (Joe Sykes) to Washington to handle some matters favorably. Joe is hesitant both for fear of ethics violations as well as his wife, Harper (Cara Mantella) dealing with agoraphobia. And she’s not that certain about their relationship; not knowing that Joe may be homosexual as is Louis (Louis Greggory), a clerk in the same office. Joe’s mother, Hannah (Carolyn Cook) takes him for what he is.

Things start to really go awry when Roy is diagnosed with AIDS but doesn’t want to disclose the truth. In the same time Louis gets into a deep relationship with Prior (Grant Chapman) who also gets diagnosed and is on the way out. Roy gets some attention from a former drag queen and nurse, Belize (Thandiwe DeShazor). And we get to meet the angels played by Parris Sarter.

Against this backdrop the story goes back to the McCarthy era, and some of the wrong doings, such as the way Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were set up then sent up to die. It was not the best of times for those who sought equality, justice and freedom for all. And it does make one recall the great line from George Santayana who said “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”

The show runs about 3 hours with 2 intermissions, and is beautifully staged and performed with great energy. It’s hard to believe that these same actors not only had to learn all these lines, but they also come back in Part Two, which will open on the 18th of January. It may not be for some of us who actually lived through those days and decades prior, but it does reflect on what we are seeing these days.

Actor’s Express is easy to get to downtown, with adjacent garage parking available. More info and tickets at Actors-Express.com

Tenderly
Georgia Ensemble Theatre
through January 28, 2018

Come back some years with us as we delve into the life and times of Rosemary Clooney. She had a tumultuous life. Born in Kentucky into a dysfunctional family, which went through a marital separation which included some children being ripped apart from one another. She started singing when she was very young, but she didn’t come into the limelight until 1946 when at age 18 she was featured on a record with Tony Pastor’s band. And the story goes on from that point.

Her first big hit was Come On-a My House with Mitch Miller. She wound up being seen and heard on just about every radio and TV show, and was a very attractive woman to have at stage center doing her numbers. Her personal life was a roller coaster, with two marriages, 5 children, and a terrible drug addiction.

When we meet her in this play she is with Dr. Monke, a shrink at a hospital she was a big benefactor to. And the good doctor is played by Mark Cabus, who comes on in loads of different personae and certainly seems to be enjoying each of them. Rachel Sorsa is stupendous as Rosemary, as she takes on the time-travel trip of her life, including her attraction to, and appreciation of, some folks such as Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra and Robert F. Kennedy. It was being present at his assassination that year (1968) that puts her over the wall and gets her in the psych ward.

Once she fought off her innermost devils, she came back to stage and performed when possible until her passing in 2002 at age 74. Many more years than one might have thought possible.

In this production Rachel moves the story along with many of Rosemary’s classic numbers, which anybody with an AARP card will recall and want to sing along. There is a three man band upstage and everybody is in place and on tune with the action at all times. Directed by James Donadio, it’s a VERY enjoyable evening celebrating the life of a fine performer who had won several lifetime achievement awards.

More info at GET.org