11
Oct

Bewitching 2023

Bewitching 2023
Lionheart Theatre
through October 15th

Don’t be afraid to make a visit to Lionheart. What you will enjoy is a series of eight short plays each of which is appropriate to the scary days to come in a few weeks. While it may not be quite as freaky as some political pronouncements, it is a very entertaining couple of hours.

They start with Dracula Gets Gingivitis, then some Monstrous Villainy, followed by Which Fest and Ghosts. Then there is a break when you are treated to the goodies they have put out for every visitor. But, fear not. When the show resumes you witness the Fears of a Clown, some Sweet Fright The Ghost of Mincemeat Annie and lastly getting into the discourse of how Monsters Matter.

With an evening written by eight playwrights and directed by eight folks with more than 20 actors taking the stage, it is quite unusual and appropriate. Lionheart is just off the square in Norcross, easy to get to, plenty of parking, great food and drinks and even comfy seats. More info and tickets at LionheartTheatre.org

11
Oct

Home, I’m Darling

Home, I’m Darling
Synchronicity Theatre
through October 29, 2023

Laura Wade wrote this one about a couple who have been experimenting in their relationship by living in the 50″s, albeit those were years gone by. The play directed by Rachel May, features John Benzinger, Marcus Hopkins-Turner, Eve Krueger and Bethany Anne Lind.

The wife is a stay at home housekeeper, who is washing, cooking, and minding all the daily needs; while the hubby is off to work and bringing home the pay check that can live on. As we watch the relationship we start of wonder if either of tem might be totally happy with such a life. And inasmuch as every time he comes come, he may open the door a yell out; Darling, I’m Home. Of course he is, otherwise how would she hear that.

But if she really didn’t know who it was, it cold have been anybody yelling out that their name was Home. And you may be waiting to hear her shout back a line like “Home, I’m Darling”.
The show is a delight. Nobody gets hurt. I runs about 2 hours with one intermission

Easy to get to with nearby parking and a really comfy venue midtown. For more info and tickets visit them at SynchroTheatre.com

6
Oct

Passing Strange

Passing Strange
Theatrical Outfit
through October 22, 2023

This is not your usual musical, at all. The show is a series of experiences of a young black musician who is trying to find himself. It was brought together by Stew, and Heidi Rodewald who did the book, music and lyrics for the more than 20 numbers which the cast puts forth with great enthusiasm. This production features Christian Magby, Latrice Pace and Brad Raymond with Arianna Hardaway, Candy McLellan, Trevor Rashly Perry and India Three under the direction of Thomas W. Jones, II and an on-stage band of players under the baton of Morgan E. Stevenson and direction of S. Renee Clark.

The Young Man (Christian Magby) recalls his experiences growing up, the time he spends in America, The Netherlands, and Germany as the cast and crew belts out the story in the songs. They aren’t your grandparents songs, except maybe for some jazz number; but it’s mostly rock solid rock genre.

Playing at Theatrical Outfit downtown, with plenty of parking next door and reduced price parking tickets at the theatre. Easy to get to, and good seating. More info and tickets at TheatricalOutfit.org.

22
Sep

The Shining

The Shining
The Atlanta Opera & Alliance Theatre
through October 1, 2023

Stephen King wrote a grim and scary novel about a hotel inhabited mostly by ghastly ghosts. With music by Paul Moravec and libretto by Mark Campbell, this eerie saga takes the stage in partnership with the Alliance on their Coca-Cola Stage.

It is a story of the Torrance Family, when Jack, Wendy and Danny move on up to the old, and supposedly vacant hotel, The Overlook up I the Colorado hills. But nothing turns out as expected. With as live orchestra in the pit under the baton of Timothy Myers, the cast of about 16 players work their way through the mess. The opera is sung in English, with super-titles for every word; and while the music plays throughout the two acts, there isn’t any parts you will leave humming along; for the story is the thing.

Father Jack, wife Wendy and son Danny are played by different performers on various dates; as well as are several other characters. It is not a romance tale in the least; albeit Jack wants to work his way through a treacherous situation without bringing harm to Wendy or their son. While this is really well done, it not one for the kiddies nor Miss Prims. The show runs about 2.5 hours with an intermission to try to figure out what else may soon occur.

For tickets and more info just visit the websites of The Atlanta Opera and/or Alliance Theatre.

14
Sep

The Nerd

The Nerd
Lionheart Theatre
through September 24, 2023

The Nerd by Larry Shue has ben around for decades and is a favorite of the Director, Rick Adams. It is about an architect in Terre haute, Indiana who was in the armed forces when his life got saved years earlier by a fellow-soldier to whom he promised friendship and support for all their lives.

Willum (Paul Milliken) comes face to face with Rick (Scott Starkweather) who has shown up but lacks most social skills, and isn’t great on building relationships. The rest of the gang at his 34th birthday party are played by Laruen Casola, Serenity Finocchio, Zachary Grizzle, Holla Majors and Hunter Showalter.

As the play goes on you will wonder how they are going to resolve all the design issues that are the basis of some serious concerns. But, fear not. After intermission things will change quite a bit. And, if you’ve not been to Lionheart before; know that not only do they have free parking, good seating and easy access; but they also treat everybody to goodies including lots of drinks and home baked pies and cakes.

This is a really pleasant facility just off Norcross Square and you can get info and tickets very easily at LionheartTheatre.org

7
Sep

Rooted

Rooted
Horizon Theatre
through September 24, 2023

This is the third of Deborah Zoe Laufer’s plays to hit the stage at Horizon; and it is quite spectacular. The writer likes to have casts with several women and this is no different in that Jade Davis, Mary Lynn Owen and Maria Rodriguez-Sager compose the total cast of three under the direction of Justin Anderson.

The sisters Hazel (Mary Lynn) and Emory (Maria) seem to be deep into a difficult relationship, rooted in Hazel’s social problems, and life style. While I can’t tell you abut the specifics of the story, I can say that it relates to how a cult might be formed, without intentions, and how to respond.

What will truly blow your minds is the set that is a totally different one designed by the sisters Curley-Clay. This is one of those plays that runs in one act of about 100 minutes and is set in a small town north of NYC in these current weird times.

This show will close towards the end of September and the next production will come to life October 20th as the Great Comet of 1812. More info and tickets easy to obtain at HorizonTheatre.com

7
Sep

Almost Heaven

Almost Heaven
John Denver’s America
Georgia Ensemble Theatre

After a good number of years this terrific one night performance came back to town at the former home of Georgia Ensemble Theatre. It was directed by Chris Damiano and featured the five incredible musicians-singers; Dolph Amick on guitar and bass, Mary Nye Bennett on the drums, Chris Damiano on banjo and guitar, Scott DePoy on fiddle and mandoline and Jeremy Wood on the piano and guitar. But, in actuality this quintet hits the stage playing about 15 different instruments, and working their way through 22 numbers including old favorites such as Rocky Mountain High and Leavin’; on a Jet Plane.

While the theatre company has moved to Cobb, the Cultural Arts Center will be bringing a slew of great evenings to town. For example the Georgia Tech Glee Club will hit the boards with Hot Time in the City on September 30th, and Joe Gransden and his Big Band will blow the house down with his Jazz Milestones Series on October 1st, and later in December and April.

There will be plenty of enjoyable programs and you may wish to check them out any time at RoswellCAC.showare,come Easy to get to, free parking and great seating. Enjoy.

 

25
Aug

English

English
Alliance Theatre
through September 17, 2023

This is a show about some Iranians attending a small class of ESL in a town not far from Tehran. The theme is how those who grow up speaking their native language, in this case Farsi, can more easily change over to a second adopted language.

Written by Sanaz Toossi and with five actors reaching into their lives to figure out what to do, vis-a-vis maybe moving to the United States or some other English speaking land. You meet Goli (Auveen Dezgaran), Omid (Ash Kahn), Elham (Sade Namei) and Roya (Saye Yabandeh) who are the students and Marjan (Pooya Mohseni) who is their teacher trying to prep them for an ESL test.

Part of living in todays Iran is that the so-called morality police, are making life a living hell for many women. Iran is a land that is beautiful and the people are nice but it is another of those lands which is blessed but also burdened by authoritarian regimes. A lot worse then when the Shah still ran the show.

This one runs about an hour and 20 minutes with the intermission. It is not one for the kiddies, nor maybe not for the recent green card arrivals. But, if you have lived in areas like south Florida you know how a second language can often become and almost-first one.

There is more info and tickets available at AllianceTheatre.org

25
Aug

The Wake

The Wake
at Shakespeare Tavern Playhouse

This new play by Vynnie Meli goes back to the olde sod for the wake of a local It’s a bit from Finnegan’s Wake but different. The 16 rounds of music are directed by Clark Taylor while Mira Hirsch is the director of the show.

The music isn’t stuff you’ll recall much, unless you spend a lot of time at your local, But, Oh Danny Boy as sung by the funeral director (Spencer Stephens) will ring a bell. The rest of the cast is made up of Faina Khbkin, Rivka Levin, Trevor Goble and Clark Taylor doubles as narrator for the story.

As Finneas lies beneath the shroud by the window to the heavens, the grieving family and friends know that there is plenty of booze and nosh on the tables. Just have to get through the night with everybody OK>

This is not one for the youngsters, nor for those with recent losses. But it is well performed and you may find it coming back to a local stage in the future.

The show closes this weekend, so get tickets easily at ShakespeareTavern.com

18
Aug

Beautiful, the Carole King Musical

Beautiful
Aurora Theatre
through September 17, 2023

You may not know the famous songwriter-singer, Carole Klein, but you surely know the music and all those #1 hits by somebody known as Carole King. For she was just a kid from Brooklyn when she wrote her first number and managed to get it produced by Don Kirshner (Cory Phelps) She was only 15 but tried to pass herself off as being an adult 16 year old.

This is the story of Carole King’s career, her several marriages, and her more than 400 numbers which got produced. With a really energetic cast of more than 20 players, the show hits the boards with a full orchestra under the direction of Ann-Carol Pence. The show’s director and choreographer is David Rossetti; and the action never stops, except for the intermission, and runs more than two hours as they work through more than two dozen numbers.

Bethany Irby is onstage full-time as Carole King, and she really bulls it off with all the dancing, piano playing and singing. You’ll also really dig when you see the Shirelle’s and the Drifters. This is one that anybody with an AARP card will really resonate to and enjoy to the fullest.

You can read a lot more and order tickets at their website, AuroraTheatre.com Enjoy!