28
Aug

Guys and Dolls

Guys and Dolls
Lyric Theatre
through September 4, 2022

The theatre had to cancel the shows August 27-28 when several actors tested positive for Covid. They do have to follow the industry rules and test actors every day. Better safe than sorry. As of August 28th the company plans to reopen on Thursday, September 1 and go full run to closing. Advice is to check their website and/or speak with box office.

This is a real Broadway type of production; albeit ain’t exactly as you saw in NYC or the movies. But, you know that Nathan (Juan Carlos Unzueta) has got to get the game going; and also has his strange relationship with Miss Adelaide (Chloe Cordle). The cast of two dozen players do a grand job under the direction of Kayce Grogan-Wallace, and they hoof it well through the choreography by Veronica Silk.

You’ll enjoy how they line up some sinners for Sister Sarah to keep her gig going, and The Hot Box Girls are a hot number as well. The show runs about 2.5 hours and every minute is really entertaining. More info and tickets at AtlantaLyricTheatre.com

28
Aug

Nunsense Jamboree

Nunsense Jamboree
Marietta Theatre
through September 10, 2022

This is a sequel to Nunsense by Dan Goggin, which was originally staged here in 2018 and thoroughly enjoyed by those of any denomination; albeit this one comes off more as one for the ladies. Kelsey South returns as the Reverend Mother, Sister Mary Amnesia; and she will work the house for you with her three colleagues, Sister Mary Wilhelm (Camille Fairbanks), Sister Robert Anne (Caty Mae Loomis) and Sister Mary Lee (Akia Sembly).

You will also get to enjoy Father Virgil (Alexander Eberhart) who is there to help any way he can. Magda Roub appears in some scenes as well and they are all directed by Rachel Rudd.

The theatre is just south of Marietta Square and has cabaret seating as well as the usual rows. Comfy venue, and hard working cast providing a coupe of hours of entertainment that you won’t usually find at the Church. More info and tickets at MariettaTheatre.com

20
Aug

Mary Poppins

Mary Poppins
Aurora Theatre
EXTENDED through September 18, 2022

It must be tough sometimes to find a really wonderful Nanny, but you need to know that she’s back in town and the story, based on the book and the film and with some new additional numbers is a flight for sore eyes.

Directed and choreographed by David Rossetti, with the music under the baton of Ann-Carol Pence, a exciting cast of 25 players will sing and dance their way into the hearts of viewers of any age. You know the routine. Mr. Banks (Marcus Hopkins-Turner) and his wife get rid of a Nanny who was a loser and take on one named Mary Poppins (Galen Crawley) to oversee the lives of his two children, Jane (played by either Kayla Furie or Adrienne Ocfemia) and her bro, Michael (Jai Soundar or Max Walls).

The cast works and dances their way through about 30 numbers, each of which grabs you by your eyes and ears and one of the delights is the stage presence of young actors who are so professional. Backed by a full live orchestra every number is spot-on. You’ll almost want to get up and dance in Act II when all the workers Step in Time.

The show is in the new Lawrenceville Art Center, with plenty of free parking. But, get there early if you can and grab a bite at Cosmo’s across the street. If you like good NYC pizza and Italian goodies, they’re the best. And the theatre itself is a delight, with good view from every seat, and goodies to nosh on. More info at AuroraTheatre.com

17
Aug

Jukebox Giants, Motown & More

Jukebox Giants, Motown and More
Strand Theatre
through august 21, 2022

They’re Back! And loaded with energy like the old days, when the Jukebox was belting out all them good Oldies. Directed by Shane DeLancey and choreographed by Zac Phelps, a cast of 12 singers and dancers bring so many goodies to the audience. Backed up by a live on-stage band of 10 players, and with so many glamorous old costumes, they bring down the house,

Mona Swain, Kaylan Royston, Angela Rodriguez, Taryn Kae’lyn McFarthing and Naomi Green provide an undeniable supply of eye candy for the audience; while Carle Atwater, Jarius Cliett, Jarrod Harrell, Le’Kee Horton, Rayvon Love, Javier Mina, Jacob Nixon and David Wells are a group of classy gentlemen who also like to enjoy an evening of song and dance.

This is certainly one that senior citizens relate to, sing along with, clap in time, and thoroughly enjoy. But, if you sleep you lose, so reserve your seat now online or by phone. East to get to, plenty of local parking, all seats with good view and more info and tickets at EarlSmithStrand.org

13
Aug

Boys in the Buff

Boys in the Buff
OutFront Theatre
through August 21, 2022

This raucous presentation is a North American Premiere of a musical based on a burlesque quintet, Diana and her Boys, as they work the house as if you were sitting in a real strip joint. The songs even play the game as if they were a single entendre, with numbers like Let it All Hang Out, and Size Doesn’t Matter.

Directed by Paul Conroy you meet Diana (Hannah Marie Craton) and her quartet who are Jared Lance Huston, T.J.Ruth, Ty Autry, and Cookie. If you’re old enough that you had been to some of those joints, then this one will ring a bell. Mind you that it is not for the narrow minded nor the kiddies. While this theatre company plays to the LGBTQ community, it welcomes and entertains everybody, meaning all people.

One thing you need to know is that out of respect to the privacy of performers as well as guests, not only no photography nor recordings are allowed but if you have your phone with you, you need to leave it with their security folk and collect when leaving.

This is an energetic and highly entertaining production and you can get more info and tickets at OutFrontTheatre.com

11
Aug

The Wild Women of Winedale

The Wild Women of Winedale
Center Stage North
through August 13, 2022

It’s an incredible evening when 10 women come together to take the stage with a play that is non-stop laughs. The ladies in Winedale each have their own good things and their own problems, and finding reasonable solutions doesn’t come easily.

The play by the trio of writers who call themselves Jones Hope Wooten (those are their surnames) have crafted hundreds of shows, most of which are about women; even some like Blanche, Rose, Dorothy, and Sophia. Nylsa Smallwood directs this one and brings us to see Vicki Posey, Cheryl Baer, Kit Marshall, Meghan Claar, Amy Cain, Marge Krengel, Karen Ruetz, Julie Turner and Emily Kalat as the ladies in Winedale.

It’s always hard to understand how an actor can recall two hours of almost non-stop lines, when most of us may not recall the phone numbers of some family friends. It would be a tribute to the hard work this women have put forth, to hurry forth to see this show which runs for only a few more days. I promise you’ll not regret doing so.

More info and tickets at CenterStageNorth.net

10
Aug

Rock of Ages

Rock of Ages
Onstage Atlanta
through August 28, 2022

Rock of Ages is a jukebox musical built around classic rock songs from the 1980s, especially from the famous bands of that decade. The musical features songs from Styx, Journey, Bon Jovi, Pat Benatar, Twisted Sister, Steve Perry, Poison and Europe, among other well-known rock bands.

Set in Hollywood, where liquor flows freely at one of the Sunset Strips last legendary venues. a place where sex machine played by Branden Hembree show up, and the groupies line up to turn their fantasies into reality. Amidst the madness, aspiring rock star (and resident toilet cleaner) Drew (Brian Slayton) longs to take the stage as the next big thing (and longs for small-town girl Sherrie (Izzi Robles), fresh off the bus from Kansas.

But some German developers sweep into town with plans to turn the fabled Strip into just another capitalist strip mall. Can Drew, Sherrie and the gang save the strip – and themselves – before it’s too late? Only the music of hit bands of those days could hold the answer.

This is a loud, heavy musical that has been around since 2005 and is still exciting crowds. The show is directed by Charlie Miller.  And the live band under Paul Tate, moves things along with total energy.  More info and tickets at OnstageAtlanta.com

10
Aug

Desire Under the Elms

Desire Under the Elms
Actor’s Express
through August 28, 2022

It was 1924 when O’neill brought this opus to the stage in Provincetown. The story is one that seems to have been adapted from some old Greek Tragedies. Set in a farm, where the action takes place between father and son, father and step-mother, and the step-mother and son; it runs the gamut of human emotions, desires and behavior. The hard to deal with widowed father is played to the hilt by Tim McDonough, and this family of yokels is directed by Freddie Ashley.

You are pulled deeply into the aggravations that come to center stage complete with all the physical contacts and screaming. And, regrettably the kind of behavior where some relatives plan their best to make sure they can be heir to the assets of a family member; may ring a bell in the mind of many.

This is a very energetic performance and is considered an American Cl;assic. More info and tickets at Actors-Express.com

3
Aug

The Pin-Up Girls

The Pin-Up Girls
Art Station Theatre
through August 14, 2022

Theatre pros, James Hindman and Jeffrey Lodin came together and collaborated in creating The Pin-Up Girls. If you’re under the age of AARP membership, you may not have the name of the show bringing up mental images from the days of 1940’s and decades which followed. For those were days when photos of screen stars might find themselves taped into the personal lockers of people in the armed services and maybe even your local fire station crew. It was a time when Playboy came into print as well.

This work is set in a VFW meeting hall, where four women are to appear to entertain the surviving troops and inspire themselves and all present by taking their leads from letters home written from the battle fields.

The quartet is made up of Meredith Bennett, JoAnna Johnson and Katie Patterson who share the stage with a gent (Layne MacPherson) who shows up to stand-in for the 4th gal who couldn’t make it. Patrick Hutchison is at the keyboard and is music director for this show, as he is for all recent shows at Art Station.

There is no play list for the show as they’re happy to ad lib when needed and to have you singing along with them. It’s kind of like an almost Andrews Sisters onstage and you’ll also get to see Bob Hope when he shows up to entertain the folks. This is a very pleasant show that will play well to folks from teens to old enough to recall those bad old days.

Free parking, easy to get to, every seat has a good view and you can find more info and tickets at ArtStation.org

3
Aug

Square Blues

Square Blues
Horizon Theatre
through August 21, 2022

Atlanta playwright Shay Youngblood is one who has been around the world, seen a lot, and rationalized the irrational acts of many over the years. This opus takes place here in Atlanta and spans 30 years from 1992 to now. She digs in to the prejudice imposed on the black and other minor communities including the LGBTQ as it has become to be identified. STDs were a sign of evil doings, as they still be seen to this day. Black folks had troubles qualifying for mortgages and credit cards, as some still do. Unfair actions don’t just fly away by wishing them to do so.

Thomas W. Jones, II and Lisa Adler co-directed this energetic production starring Jay Jones as Square Blue, and the family and friends played by Chantel Maurice, Olivia Dawson, Marliss Amiea and Patty de la Garza. A very stark looking set seen at the opening, certainly evolves dramatically as designed by the sisters Curley-Clay.

This is one that really opens doors to deep thinking. We’re all supposed to be humans, ergo we are each entitled to be treated as such. More info and tickets at HorizonTheatre.com