26
Mar

Hospice + Pointing at the Moon

Hospice + Pointing at the Moon
Alliance Theatre
through April 15, 2018

These are two one act plays by Pearl Cleage, which delve into the lives of two women at different stages of their lives.

In Hospice we find Alice Anderson (Terry Burrell) who is in the final stages of her life. She has come back from Paris after many years to live with the daughter she abandoned to pursue her career abroad. The daughter, Jenny (Tinashe Kajese-Bolden), has vacillating feelings as she is also with child and due to deliver soon. The two women discuss their lives in general and in depth.

After an intermission the second play, Pointing at the Moon, comes to stage at the same home, but with a lot of interior changes. Jenny is now many years on and is now played by Terry Burrell. She’s visited by her neighbor-friend, Isabel, who is played by Tinashe Kajese-Bolton. The passage of those years hasn’t always been an easy trip and they are discussing the recent death of a gent they knew well. And it reflects upon the facts that when one is young they may seem irrelevant to others, yet when they get on with age they also seem the same way.

That’s life for so many of us. We weren’t closely attached to our grandparents and yet as we become them, we experience the same situation, but from a different perspective.

These two actors do a fine job in these works directed by Timothy Douglas. This is one of the Alliance’s on the road productions while their renovations are being done at the Woodruff Center. These plays are presented at the Southwest Arts Center on New Hope Road. This is where Kenny Leon’s True Colors Theatre calls home. Just west of 285 off Cascade Road (Exit 7). More info and tickets at AllianceTheatre.org

25
Mar

Mass Appeal

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mass Appeal
Stage Door Players
through April 15, 2018

Bill C. Davis’ Mass Appeal deals with a priest and a young wanna-be, going through some funny but difficult experiences in their parish. A young seminarian, Mark Dolson, played by Brandon Lee Browning, has been assigned to be tutored by and work under Father Tim Farley, played by Mark Gray. There are some issues.

It seems that before the young man can be ordained as a priest he must first finish his studies, be approved by a Bishop and then he is still under control from those higher up on the ecclesiastical ladder. So Father Farley has Mark give a sermon at his church. But, the essence of the sermon becomes a problem when some parishioners differ in opinion, and therein starts the problem.

Celibacy is an issue and Mark is asked for his history therein. And while Mark is forthright, it may not be in his best interest. But, what is a wanna-be deacon to do? Fibbing is not an acceptable practice; but sometimes it may be required to achieve certain goals.

Directed by James Donadio on a set by Chuck Welcome, the show moves along quite easily, and while you may think that some folks would fall asleep or take a hike when faced with sermons; that is not the case in this production. It is not deep into issues of Church misadventures, and is one with plenty of humor.

More info at StageDoorPlayers.net

23
Mar

La Traviata

La Traviata
Capitol City Opera
through March 25, 2018

Verdi’s La Traviata (The Fallen One) is a tale of love found, lost, regained, and lost again. One of the great treats of this opera is that most patrons know every melody as it is performed and can keep time with the music.

We are so fortunate to have two fine opera companies in our community. This one does several nights of Dinner with a Diva at a local bistro; but does get to hit the stage a couple of times a year. La Traviata is being presented at the Conant Performing Arts Center at Oglethorpe University. Easy to get to, free parking, and a fine theatre with good views from every seat, and super-titles in case you don’t speak Italian.

Under the direction of Michael Nutter a cast of more than 20 players takes the stage to tell the tale. Julia Metry is Violetta, who is in Paris during most of this adventure. She’s deeply in love with Alferedo, sung by Justin Stolz; and they have pledged their eternal love and fidelity to each other.

But problems arise from family members; and if you have a family you know how often and easily that can occur. They have a live orchestra under the baton of Michael Giel, and great costumes as if you were at The Met.

The ensemble numbers by the gypsies and the matadors ballet number are done so very well, as are the standards of love and fate.

Just three days of performances, ending Sunday; so try to get your tickets right away at CCityOpera.org

22
Mar

The Cat in the Hat

The Cat in the Hat
Atlanta Puppetry Arts Center
through May 13, 2018

If you are looking for something to really grab the senses of any youngster, think about how much they all loved the works of Dr. Seuss. Now, the master puppeteers at our local facility are bringing to stage the classic Cat in the Hat.

The facility has a nice seating plan with high steps so that all the youngsters have a clear view of all the action. And there’s plenty of action as 6 puppeteers have the cartoon characters speaking, moving, flying and moving the story so well that nobody wanted the show to end.

But, when it did end they came on stage to show the audience how the puppets were fashioned and used, and then invited everybody to visit the crafts room upstairs where they could make their own Cat in the Hat for use as a shadow puppet. The instructions and all materials provided at no addition charge.

What else could you do? You could take a full tour of the Museum which features the work and career of Jim Henson, the incredible puppet master who was involved in the origination of Sesame Street many years, and to this day it still plays around the world. Want to get your photo taken with Big Bird? Go ahead, they’re all there in the museum.

The Center for Puppetry Arts is located at 14th and Spring Streets just a few blocks from the High Museum. They have free parking available, so it’s an easy place to visit and enjoy. Every kid from 3 to 93 will enjoy a visit. More info online at Puppet.org

19
Mar

Freaky Friday

Freaky Friday
Horizon Theatre
through April 22, 2018

This musical is a Disney creation based upon a novel in the 1970’s. While there have been several stories and plays about exchanged personalities; this one is really upbeat and unique. With music and lyrics by Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey, a huge cast of 19 players takes to the stage with a live band adjacent.

It’s really fun in a place like Horizon where you are right up close to the players as if they were in your living room, or maybe the other way around. Ellie Blake (Abby Holland) and her mom, Katherine (Jennifer Alice Acker) have the normal mother-daughter stuff to deal with. If you have raised kids, or recall those days of yore when you were the kid; then it will make sense in an insane way. For, when a magical hour glass gets destroyed Ellie and Kathy swap bodies. So now Mommy has to go to gym class, and daughter has to play the woman who is about to be wed? Not quite what either may have expected in life. But, life is what happens as we wait for our plans to work out. N’est pas?

Directed by Heidi Cline McKerley, who also did the choreography with Jeff McKerley, the extraordinarily energetic cast to the stage in 19 high intensity numbers. There’s also a reason why most professional actors hate to take the stage with an animal or a kid. In this case the youngster is played by a professional 14 year old, and two of them work as swings on different days. Frank Faucette plays Mike, the fiancé of Kathy, who not be Kathy at the time; and Randi Garza comes on as the bitchy classmate who is more than 100% into herself.

The show is set in present day Chicago, in Katherine’s home and the high school; and is a delight to see all this action done so well. The set is by Moriah and Isabel Curley-Clay and the largest cast ever to perform at the Horizon just swims into it with ease. More info available at HorizonTheatre.com

16
Mar

A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder

A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder
Fox Theatre
through March 18, 2018

You’ve only got to this Sunday to catch up on A gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder. It’s a show that won 4 Tony’s. It is based on a1907 novel, Israel Rank: The Autobiography of a Criminal. The show ran on Broadway for more than two years.
The book also was the basis for a film, Kind Hearts and Coronets in 1949.

It’s a musical farce comedy about a gent, Montague Navarro (Blake Price) who has learned that he is in line to become the Earl of Highhurst. The only problem is that he is 8th in line and can’t obtain the desired status unless and until those in line before him just happen to pass away. And that’s when he starts to figure out how he might help them do so, and as quickly as possible, as he wishes to marry.

James Taylor Odom, plays all eight of these would-be victims, as well as a 9th role; and the costume changes are incredibly fast. The stage is set at the D’Ysquith Manor in London around 1909. The 14 players pull this off with great aplomb, and go through 22 numbers with a live orchestra in the pit. This is a hard working touring company with choreography and direction by Peggy Hickey.

Opening night had some audio glitches and many folks lost some of the words, spoken and sung. But, by Act II, things improved and all came right. The score is good and the lyrics are funny. Sort of Sweeney Todd meets the D’Ysquith clan.

If you want to avoid the costly parking fees you can Marta to The Fox quite easily. But, know the show is a 7:30 curtain and there is security screening; so plan to get there earlier than usual.

You probably won’t leave humming or singing any of the numbers, but you will enjoy the dark comedy of the show. More info at FoxTheatre.org

13
Mar

Joe Gransden’s Big Band

Joe Gransden’s Big Band

Joe Gransden and his 16 piece Big Band is one that can carry you back to days of yore, when you could understand the words being belted out, dance to the music, sing along and just have a good time without waving flashlights or throwing your underwear at the players.

The band does four concerts a year at Georgia Ensemble Theatre in Roswell, and they generally sell out. This week they did Swingin’ at the Haven and Joe did all the vocals in this one. The crowd loved it.

Next up will be their final concert at Georgia Ensemble for this season and it will take to the stage on Monday, April 23. You can get more info and tickets at GET.org

12
Mar

Museum Alive

Museum Alive
Fernbank Museum
through June 21, 2018

Many of us know of Sir David Attenborough and his fantastic works with the BBC. In Museum Alive he visits the London Museum of Natural History and takes you on a tour through many of the creatures from the Mesozoic Era; long before we two-legged critters started to rule the earth.

Even if you’ve seen some clips of this on TV or the internet, it is nowhere near as thrilling as seeing it in 3D on a giant screen. This is one that every kid, even those in their 80s enjoy for every minute as it is mind-blowing. And, in truth it is fully based on scientific analysis paired with absolute genius filmography.

The museum provides 3D glasses as you enter the 3 story high theatre, and the show runs a little less and 60 minutes; every minute of which is full of amazement as well as humor. After all, who wouldn’t want to pet a Yeti?

But, plan for more time, as you will also want to do a walk about in this wonderful museum, and also visit the show about the human body and microbe lives. If you’ve never been there, the Museum is just off of Ponce on Clifton Rd.

More info and tickets at FrenbankMuseum.org

11
Mar

Il Etait Une Fois

 

 

 

 

 

 

Il Etait Une Fois
Theatre du Rêve
through March 25, 2018

We are so fortunate in our area to have such an amazing theatre community. There is never a week that passes without some pleasing stage production; and the French language theatre of dreams is a prize winner. Yes, most of their work is performed en Francaise; but when doing so there are always super-titles so nobody can get lost in the story line.

In this show, Once Upon A Time, we meet the women who started writing fairy tales which persist to this day. The time is during the reign of Louis XIV who thought of himself as Louis the Great and by others as Louis the God-Given. For he was not a compassionate chap, and imposed his beliefs and desires upon the less privileged. Hmmmm. . . as the French saying goes, the more things change, the more they stay the same.

And in olden days, women weren’t on the stage, nor were they published. Ergo, it was not easy for women to gain status other than what was granted to them. Otherwise they remained chattel. But one woman, the countess Marie-Catherine d’Aulnoy, wasn’t going to put up with that. She tutored and helped other women to express ethics and morals in stories that may be presented as fiction but may also be predicated upon real lives.

And this is where our local genius, Carolyn Cook, wrote and directed this wonderful production. We meet three ladies; Eliana Marianes as the countess, Natalie Karp as her friend and associate in her writing salon, and Jennifer Schottstaedt as a young wanna-be writer. As we know to this day, being a writer isn’t that easy, and getting published isn’t either; until and unless your celebrity puts your name above the title. And, Carolyn Cook certainly deserves that honor.

This was a century before the French finally had enough, and fought for liberté, égalité, fraternité (Liberty, Equality and Fraternity) and stormed the Bastille and got rid of Louis XVI. The set works quite well and the costumes are out of this world. The whole play is one that we are privileged to see here; and it should be staged in Montreal, Paris, Provence an other locales.

They perform at 7 Stages which is in Little 5 Points. Easy to get to and plenty of places to grab a bite. Try to get there early as parking can sometimes be difficult, and if you park in a metered space, you may be targeted by the ticket cockroaches if you go overtime. More info at TheatreduReve.org

10
Mar

Buyer & Cellar

 

 

 

 

 

 

Buyer & Cellar
OutFront Theatre
through March 25, 2018

While many of us may not be great fans of one-actor plays, this one breaks the mold in a really funny fictional story of a young out-of-work actor, who winds up tending to a hoard of stuff in the basement of a huge Malibu home of Barbara Streisand.

Elliott Folds is Alex, the poor guy who winds up spending his days and hours in a basement, never being asked up to the grand manor house. He has a partner-friend, Barry, who we don’t meet. But Elliott plays several characters including Barry, Barbara and her estate manager, Sharon.

Paul Conroy directed this show with Elliott Folds, who also played the role when it was staged at Art Station. It is a static set that seems to move quite a bit, as you hear several voices coming out of one mouth. It runs about 80 minutes, and it just amazes me when one actor can remember all those lines, and some of us can’t recall our phone numbers.

OutFront is downtown at 10th and Brady Streets, with plenty of valet parking. More info at OutFrontTheatre.com; where you can also get info on upcoming events for youngsters as well as the next season schedule.