Candide
Alliance Theatre
through May 20, 2018

It is sometimes difficult to openly state your opinions when those in power hold different views. Many years ago there was a critical satirist in France who had spent time in the Bastille. He was François-Marie Arouet. Once he got out of the slammer, he changed his name to Voltaire. He had a long life in Europe, and is a name known around the world.

In 1759 he published Candide and it wasn’t a total success right away. But, it did deal with optimism vs. religion and government and how some among us always think things may improve. Remind you of anything going on today?

In 1956 Leonard Bernstein joined with Lillian Hellman to bring this operetta to stage. Once again there may have been mixed reviews, but to this day Bernstein’s overture is one everybody adores, and the production has been tweaked many times.

This is one incredible collaboration like something you have never seen before. The Alliance presents this one with The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra on stage, as well as the ASO Chorus, and the action moves along with a great cast, projected images and even puppetry, as the saga unfolds.

Susan Booth directed this huge production, and Robert Spano not only took to the stage as conductor, but got into some schtick himself. The show gets going by the narrator, Dr. Pangloss (Christopher Sieber). The four principals who live, die and live again are Candide (Aaron Blake), the object of his affection, Cunegonde (Alexandra Schoeny) and Paqette (Janine DiVita) and Maximilian (Hunter Ryan Herdlicka). And Matt Acheson is the puppet master.

While Candide is one of those that we may have avoided back in school days, this is not your average Candide. It is an evening of spectacular presentations and the story line is not so motivating when it is, as the Bard would say, The Play’s the Thing.

This is not one you’ll see coming back in this manner in the near future, so you may wish to gab your tickets now, if you can. The performance is at Symphony Hall. More info at AllianceTheatre.org

Ripcord
Aurora Theatre
through June 3, 2018

This is one hilarious play by David Lindsay-Abaire. Some of his plays, including Kimberly Akimbo, Good People and the Pulitzer prize winner Rabbit Hole have been produced to great acclaim in our town. This one opened off-Broadway in the fall of 2015 and was directed by David Hyde Pierce. It has provided millions of laughs around the country.

There are a couple of older ladies living in retirement center, akin to an ACLF. The grumpy one, Abby (Donna Biscoe) is a real piece of work. She has the bed by the window and will do anything to retain her rights thereto, as she encourages every other roomie to leave her and go live in another room. But that isn’t going to work so easily with Marilyn (Jill Jane Clements) who is an easy to get along with woman who just doesn’t want to take you-know-what from others. They’re a little like the female odd couple.

The service gent is played by Russell Alexander II, who will deliver food that Abby won’t eat, helps straighten up the room which displeases Abby, and gets dragged into a lot of situations he would prefer to avoid. Several other roles are played by Seun Soyemi, Megan Rose-Houchins and Jacob York.

I can’t get into some details as you want too see them for yourself. Leave it to say that these two ladies decide the way to determine who gets the window area, is to make a bet that Abby will lose if she shows fright, and Marilyn will lose if she gets angry. Then they each delve into a morass of plots to push the other over the emotional cliff.

Jaclyn Hofmann directed this laugh-a-minute, and it is so nice to have humor without politics these days. More info at AuroraTheatre.com

Sordid Lives
OutFront Theatre
through May 20, 2018

If you’ve seen some of Del Shore’s works, then you know he loves to set them with totally dysfunctional families in one-horse towns in Texas. This one is a bit different in that it does deal with homosexuality as it was regarded in them old days in them towns.

Jacob Demlow directs a cast of 12 players. The story is told as “chapters” rather than scenes, and Bitsy Mae (Abby Holland) opens each with her singing from stage left. Peggy (we don’t get to see her) has died after a tragic accident in an affair with G.W. (Bert Lyons). Lisa Boyd plays G.W.’s spouse, and Peggy’s sister, Sissy (Fracena Byrd), is trying to keep thing in order, which ain’t too easy to do. Peggy left a couple of daughters who seem to dance to different tunes. Latrelle (Britny Horton) and LaVonda (Brittani Minnieweather) are often at odds.

But there are odder situations. Ty (Jason-Jamal Ligon) thinks it would be good to get “Brother Boy “ (TK Habtemariam) out of the nut house that his family got him sent to some 20 years ago. The loony bin doctor (Jessica Maguire) has been getting nowhere with Brother Boy who is a cross dresser and homosexual. Wendy Melkonian, Jordan Ford, and Darrell D. Grant round out this cast of weirdos.

But there are laughs every minute of the show. After all, what would not be funny about a drag queen subjected to others trying to “cure” him, sisters and good old boys getting into it, and some of them gals getting them guys to strip down at gun point? I can’t tell you how Peggy died, but even that isn’t a usual type of happening.

This is one of those plays that maybe tries to put the word “fun” back in dysfunctional, as it applies to families. OutFront Theatre performs at 999 Brady Ave, just off 10th Street and west of 75-85. More info and directions at OutFrontTheatre.com

Carmen
Atlanta Opera
through May 6, 2018

Hurry up and get out to the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Center for one of the largest and most incredible performances by our opera company. If you have a young person you wish to introduce to opera, then this is the one you want to start with.

When Georges Bizet had this wonderful work staged in Paris in 1875 it did not win wide acclaim, and he became heart broken and died the same year at age 37; never having an idea how his opus would become one of the most often produced operas, in Italian, French, Spanish and even some other local languages.

This is one of the largest group of players you will see on a stage. Not sure how many but my guess is more than 75 in some scenes. We start in Seville with the soldier and the gypsies and the women working the cigarette factory. It is so special in today’s world, inasmuch as women were being treated more as chattel than as equal citizens.

The music is very reminiscent to most of us, albeit few, if any, can recall what is being sung. But it is the show that counts. Brenna Corner directed this wonderful production and the orchestra in the pit is under the baton of maestro Arthur Fagan. Carmen in sung to the Nth degree by Varduhi Abrahamyan and the two men who vie for her love are Escamillo (Edward Parks) the toreador; and the soldier, Don José, sung by Gianluca Terranova. The other love is Micaëla sung by Nicole Cabell. But the bottom line is that every performer to step on stage is wonderful.

In Act I, we get treated to the kids in the town who come to the plaza to see the soldiers, and these 17 young people must be in seventh heaven to be performing to thousands of people. May their each follow their dreams.

The opera is sung in French with English supertitles, and runs about 3 hours 20 minutes. While there are four acts, the final two are staged as one, and there are two intermissions. Plenty of garage parking adjacent to the venue. This is a grand production and we all salute Tomer Zvulun for his work with the opera. C’est fantastique.

Lazybed
Aris Theatre
through May 13, 2018

The Celtic theatre, Aris, is presenting this most unusual work at 7Stages which is in Little Five Points.

Iain Crichton Smith was a teacher and writer who won many accolades for his works. He wasn’t into religion much; his own or that other one, which always seemed to be building walls.

Murdo (William Webber) is a young man whose idea of essence is to just hang out in bed. He obviously does not see his value to himself nor his community or family. His mum (Natalie Karp) keeps trying to get him off his arse, but also tries to understand him and comply with his wishes. None of this makes much sense to the neighbour woman (Lisa Blankenship) nor others who come into the scene from time to time.

Edwin Ashurst comes on as an insurance salesman doing a real hustle, and a medical specialist who has no real plan to cure the young man. Jon Ragan plays his brother as well as the visiting minister who is getting nowhere in a hurry with helping Murdo. There is a young woman, Judith (Karina Balfour) and there is a slight possibility that the two of them might have eyes for each other. But then, everybody has to deal with that devilish Death guy (Ryan LaMotte) who seems to show up when least appreciated, scythe in hand.

Kyle Crew directed this one, which is one the back stage but works quite well. You do get drawn into the various doings, and maybe think of somebody you know, or your own feelings from time to time. After all, why are we here, sans raison d’etre?

More info at ArisTheatre.org

Revolt. She Said. Revolt Again
7 Stages
through May 13, 2018

Playwright Alice Birch had had more than enough of the usual crap. She was into the MeToo movements and pulled this one together in a straight to the point series of vignettes directed by Rachel Parish.

It is staged on a blank white square. (No pun intended) and the cast of six nameless players attack the subjects with passion and vigor in 4 acts. The players are Mary Lynn Owen, Dorothy V. Bell Polk, Brooke Owens, Renita James and Patrick Wade and Christopher Hampton.

They change their attire and personae quickly and there is some pretty loud music as well. 7 Stages is easy to get to Little Five Points, but beware of the parking meter cockroaches as they farm Euclid Street,

More info at 7Stages,org If you use .com you will wind up in Deutschland . . . .

The Flower Room
Actors Express
through May 13, 2018

This is a world premiere of a new work by Daryl Liza Fazio whose many works have played around town here as well on the road. This one is a story about a woman who comes to terms with taking management of her own body and sexuality.

OK; so there may be some slight nudity, but it isn’t anything you haven’t see before. Stacey Melich is Ingrid who is just moving through her middle years. She is a professor who is doing work on sexuality through the ages. She has a friend, Miles (Joshua Quinn). And, her brother is Anthony (Matthew Busch). Eliana Marianes plays the other woman, Cherry. (No pun intended)

What’s empowering about this one, is that while there may be a manage a trois, or other intimacy, nothing is imposed upon Ingrid. The Flower Room is just the decor of her bedroom, and it is beautiful.

Directed by Melissa Foulger and a fine set designed by Kristina White, this is a one-act show, but is deeply moving. It sort of like watching something from the various movements to raise up women to equal status at work, school and in the bedroom.

More info at actors-express.com

Leaving Iowa
Onstage Atlanta
through May 6, 2018

As the search for a new venue goes forth for Onstage Atlanta, this is another one of their works being presented in a temporary location. This one is being performed at the Art Station in Stone Mountain Village.

If you recall the days when your parents shoved in the back of the station wagon and hit the road, then you’ll relate to this one. Darrell Wofford plays the Dad, but we don’t see that he has passed on when the first act starts. You may recall the kids always asking “are we there yet?” or “can we stop here?” So the imaginary Dad and Mom (Courtney Loner) are in the driver’s seats and Don (Daniel Carter Brown) and his Sis (Madelayne Shammas) are the back seat imps. Don had flown in from Boston to take this trip of memories.

They hit the road to try to find the geographic center of the 48 states; albeit there ain’t much there. Along the way the run into some folks in a diner, garage, and other spots; and these multiple characters are played by Julianne Whitehead and Pat Young.
The show is a comedy directed by Barry West on a stage designed by Angie Short. It works easily; in or out of the car.

The Art Station is at 5384 Manor Drive, Stone Mountain 30083. It’s actually pretty easy to get to off of 285, but you can do a google map or whatever….

The facility is an easy one with good views from all seats. Tickets and more info are at their website; OnstageAtlanta.com