Encore Atlanta

Looking for something cultural to do this weekend and beyond? Here are Encore Atlanta’s recommendations (in alphabetical order). Pictured: LaLa Cochran and Allan Edwards as Tooty and Bubba, two of the many characters they play in “Waffle Palace” at Horizon Theatre.

Copenhagen. FINAL WEEKEND. Toward the end of World War II, two of the world’s top physicists met in Copenhagen. About a bomb. The details of their meeting have never been revealed, and the two never spoke to each other again. Playwright Michael Frayn presents his own ideas of the event in this 2000 Tony Award winner. Featuring Stuart Schleuse as Werner Heisenberg, Curtis Krick as Niels Bohr and Lorilyn Harper as Margrethe Bohr. Directed by Maggie McEnerny. 8 p.m. Friday; 2:30 and 8 p.m. Saturday; and 2:30 p.m. Sunday. $15 online; $23 at the door. Academy Theatre, Reservations: 404.474.8332 or HERE. Tickets online HERE. Read more about director Maggie McEnerny HERE.

18th Annual Modern Atlanta Dance Festival. This yearly event gives us the chance to see works by some of the metro area’s best modern and contemporary dance artists and companies. Expect  performances by Zoetic Dance Ensemble, Kerry Lee, Rhythmix Dance & Performing Arts Company, Refuge Dance Company, SIDEWAYS Contemporary Dance Company and Full Radius Dance. 8 p.m. Saturday. $20 (please call 770.395.2654). Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta in Zaban Park, 5342 Tilly Mill Road, Dunwoody.

New Choreographic Voices. Atlanta Ballet closes its season with an evening of world premieres: Rush by Christopher Wheeldon, Pavo by company dancer Tara Lee and Touch by Helen Pickett. Often the most vibrant and surprising performances of the year. 8 p.m. Friday; 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday; and 7 p.m. Sunday. $20-$88. Alliance Theatre, 1280 Peachtree St. N.E. Tickets HERE. Details at 404.873.5811. Read more about putting Voices together HERE. For discounts, visit poshdealz.com.

Russian Mastery: Rachmaninov & Shostakovich. The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra plays Elgar’s Cockaigne Overture, Rachmaninov’s Symphony No. 2 and Shostakovich’s Piano Concerto No. 2 with Vasily Petrenko, principal conductor of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, on the podium and Russian-born pianist Kirill Gerstein (left) as soloist. 8 tonight and Saturday; and 3 p.m. Sunday. $21-$79. Symphony Hall at the Woodruff Arts Center, 1280 Peachtree St. N.E. www.atlantasymphony.org. 404.733.4900.

The Waffle Palace: Smothered, Covered and Scattered 24/7/365. WORLD PREMIERE. This loving sendup of that most Southern of institutions has heart and plenty of quirky humor, and comes to Horizon Theatre compliments of playwrights Eddie Levi Lee and Larry Larson. The plot: John Pickett (Larson) and his staff battle to keep their Midtown diner open against heavy odds. Co-Artistic Directors Lisa and Jeff Adler direct a cast featuring LaLa Cochran, Allan Edwards, Marguerite Hannah, Enoch King, Eric Mendenhall and Maria Rodriguez-Sager. In a bit of brilliant marketing, Horizon is selling waffle-flavored pastries at the theater, and will have Nana G’s Chicken & Waffles food truck outside the theater from 5-8 p.m. on May 19 and June 23 (call 404.584.7450 and buy a $13 meal voucher, and part of the proceeds benefit Horizon). Through July 1. 8 p.m. Wednesday-Friday; 3 and 8:30 p.m. Saturday; and 5 p.m. Sunday. $20-$30 plus taxes. 1083 Austin Ave. N.E. at Euclid Avenue. Tickets HERE or 404.584.7450.

Xanadu. Disco balls. Roller skates. ’80s hairstyles. What’s not to love? Actor’s Express wraps its season with this powder puff of a musical, a surprise hit in the 2007-08 Broadway season that parodies the Olivia Newton-John movie. Critics, save one, call it “silly fun” and “completely wacky, delightfully preposterous and totally irresistible.” But if you don’t like musicals, stay home! The cast: Lindsey Lamb Archer, Mary Nye Bennett, Greg Bosworth, Jordan Craig, Jill Hames, Marcie Millard, Christen C. Orr, Al Stilo and Craig Waldrip. Through June 16. 8 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday; and 2 p.m. Sunday. $25-$47 plus fees ($2 discount when you buy ONLINE). 887 W. Marietta St., in the King Plow Arts Center. Box office: 404.607.7469. For discounts, visit poshdealz.com.

Xperimental Puppetry Theater. Artists of all disciplines join forces to create bold, original experiments in puppetry for adult audiences. Be the first to experience these works-in-progress — 10 short performances and films that cover the myth of Medusa, an inside look at a lion taming act, and a budding young romance behind the scenes of a popular children’s science program. An artist talkback follows each performance. Age 18 and older only! 8 tonight-Saturday; and 5 p.m. Sunday. $12. Center for Puppetry Arts, 1404 Spring St. N.W. Tickets HERE, details HERE.

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Kathy Janich, Encore Atlanta’s managing editor, has been seeing, covering or working in the performing arts for most of her life. Please email: kathy@encoreatlanta.com.

Pictured: Maggie McEnerny. (Photo courtesy of AtlantaTheatreFans.com.)

“I can’t think of a way to say this without sounding like an über-geek, but the only thing I love more than atomic physics is a beautifully written play,” says director Maggie McEnerny.

“Copenhagen is a beautifully written play about two Nobel Prize-winning physicists who worked on atomic research during World War II. It’s the perfect storm of my interests, and it’s been on my bucket list since the first time I read it.”

McEnerny’s staging of Copenhagen, with Stuart Schleuse, Curtis Krick and Lorilyn Harper, continues through May 20 at the Academy Theatre in Avondale Estates. TICKETS.

For more of McEnerny’s quirky insights, read the entire AtlantaTheaterFans.com piece HERE.

It’s awards season in the American theater and, this week, nominations were announced for the 66th annual Tony Awards, honoring excellence on Broadway. Fox Theatre regulars, take note. These are the shows likely to hit the road in the next few seasons.

The awards telecast airs live June 10 on CBS from the Beacon Theatre. Neil Patrick Harris will again host.

Once, a modest musical about two Irish musicians in love, adapted from the 2007 award-winning movie of the same name, earned the most nominations with 11. Two Gershwin musicals, The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess and Nice Work If You Can Get It, earned 10 nominations each.

All four best-play nominees, including the 2011 Pulitzer Prize-winning drama Clybourne Park — which features former Atlanta actor Crystal Dickinson —  first had successful off-Broadway runs. The other nominees: Venus in Fur, Other Desert Cities and Peter and the Starcatcher, which features Christian Borle (composer Tom Levitt on TV’s “Smash”).

Productions left out of the nominations included Katori Hall’s The Mountaintop, which took the 2010 Olivier Award for best play in London; “Smash” creator Theresa Rebeck’s Seminar; Private Lives, which featured Kim Cattrall; the three plays titled Relatively Speaking; the basketball drama Magic/Bird; and David Henry Hwang’s Chinglish. The only musical without a nomination was the Godspell revival. The nominations are as follows:

Best play 

• Clybourne Park by Bruce Norris
• Other Desert Cities by Jon Robin Baitz
• Peter and the Starcatcher by Rick Elice (Jersey Boys)
• Venus in Fur by David Ives

Best musical

• Leap of Faith
• Newsies
• Nice Work If You Can Get It
• Once

Best revival of a play

• Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman
• Gore Vidal’s The Best Man
• Master Class
• Wit

Best revival of a musical

• Evita
• Follies
• The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess
• Jesus Christ Superstar

Best book of a musical

• Lysistrata Jones by Douglas Carter Beane
• Newsies by Harvey Fierstein
• Nice Work If You Can Get It by Joe DiPietro
• Once by Enda Walsh

Best original score 

• Bonnie & Clyde, music by Frank Wildhorn, lyrics by Don Black
• Newsies, music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Jack Feldman
• One Man, Two Guvnors, music and lyrics by Grant Olding
• Peter and the Starcatcher, music by Wayne Barker, lyrics by Rick Elice

Leading actor — play 

• James Corden, One Man, Two Guvnors
• Philip Seymour Hoffman, Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman
• James Earl Jones, Gore Vidal’s The Best Man
• Frank Langella, Man and Boy
• John Lithgow, The Columnist

Leading actress — play 

• Nina Arianda, Venus in Fur
• Tracie Bennett, End of the Rainbow
• Stockard Channing, Other Desert Cities
• Linda Lavin, The Lyons
• Cynthia Nixon, Wit

Leading actor — musical 

• Danny Burstein, Follies
• Jeremy Jordan, Newsies
• Steve Kazee, Once
• Norm Lewis, The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess
• Ron Raines, Follies

Leading actress — play 

• Jan Maxwell, Follies
• Audra McDonald, The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess
• Cristin Milioti, Once
• Kelli O’Hara, Nice Work If You Can Get It
• Laura Osnes, Bonnie & Clyde

Featured actor — play 

• Christian Borle, Peter and the Starcatcher
• Michael Cumpsty, End of the Rainbow
• Tom Edden, One Man, Two Guvnors
• Andrew Garfield, Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman
• Jeremy Shamos, Clybourne Park

Featured actress — play 

• Linda Emond, Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman
• Spencer Kayden, Don’t Dress for Dinner
• Celia Keenan-Bolger, Peter and the Starcatcher
• Judith Light, Other Desert Cities
• Condola Rashad, Stick Fly

Featured actor — musical

• Phillip Boykin, The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess
• Michael Cerveris, Evita
• David Alan Grier, The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess
• Michael McGrath, Nice Work If You Can Get It
• Josh Young, Jesus Christ Superstar

Featured actress — musical

• Elizabeth A. Davis, Once
• Jayne Houdyshell, Follies
• Judy Kaye, Nice Work If You Can Get It
• Jessie Mueller, On a Clear Day You Can See Forever
• Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Ghost the Musical

Scenic design — play

• John Lee Beatty, Other Desert Cities
• Daniel Ostling, Clybourne Park
• Mark Thompson, One Man, Two Guvnors
• Donyale Werle, Peter and the Starcatcher

Scenic design — musical

• Bob Crowley, Once
• Rob Howell and Jon Driscoll, Ghost the Musical
• Tobin Ost and Sven Ortel, Newsies
• George Tsypin, Spider-Man Turn Off the Dark

Costume design — play

• William Ivey Long, Don’t Dress for Dinner
• Paul Tazewell, A Streetcar Named Desire
• Mark Thompson, One Man, Two Guvnors
• Paloma Young, Peter and the Starcatcher

Costume design — musical

• Gregg Barnes, Follies
• ESosa, The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess
• Eiko Ishioka, Spider-Man Turn Off the Dark
• Martin Pakledinaz, Nice Work If You Can Get It

Lighting design — play

• Jeff Croiter, Peter and the Starcatcher
• Peter Kaczorowski, The Road to Mecca
• Brian MacDevitt, Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman
• Kenneth Posner, Other Desert Cities

Lighting design — musical

• Christopher Akerlind, The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess
• Natasha Katz, Follies
• Natasha Katz, Once
• Hugh Vanstone, Ghost the Musical

Sound design — play

• Paul Arditti, One Man, Two Guvnors
• Scott Lehrer, Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman
• Gareth Owen, End of the Rainbow
• Darron L. West, Peter and the Starcatcher

Sound design — musical

• Acme Sound Partners, The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess
• Clive Goodwin, Once
• Kai Harada, Follies
• Brian Ronan, Nice Work If You Can Get It

Choreography

• Rob Ashford, Evita
• Christopher Gattelli, Newsies
• Steven Hoggett, Once
• Kathleen Marshall, Nice Work If You Can Get It

Direction — play

• Nicholas Hytner, One Man, Two Guvnors
• Pam MacKinnon, Clybourne Park
• Mike Nichols, Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman
• Roger Rees and Alex Timbers, Peter and the Starcatcher

Best direction — musical

• Jeff Calhoun, Newsies
• Kathleen Marshall, Nice Work If You Can Get It
• Diane Paulus, The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess
• John Tiffany, Once

Orchestrations

• William David Brohn and Christopher Jahnke, The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess
• Bill Elliott, Nice Work If You Can Get It
• Martin Lowe, Once
• Danny Troob, Newsies

“Risky.” “Edgy.” “Nontraditional.” Atlanta’s creative scene is jam-packed with must-sees. Just when it seemed impossible to soak up all that’s wacky, weird and wonderful, the Atlanta Fringe Festival emerged.

This four-day-long exhibition, which began Wednesday with a Preview Party on the Decatur Square,  joins a legion of similar events across the nation dedicated to providing an “accessible, uncensored outlet for [performing] artists.”

But what is it? The Atlanta Fringe Fest (through Sunday, May 13) is an unjuried, uncensored scavenger hunt for those madcap curiosities among the country’s theatrical productions. While fringe festivals have been a long-standing tradition for innumerable grass-roots entertainers, recent years have seen a distinct lack of exposure for companies in the South. Joining ranks with New Orleans and Asheville, N.C., the Atlanta Fringe adds a bit of Southern sass to the nation’s hottest off-the-cuff performances.

“There’s a lot of homegrown art that’s been submitted, but we’re all from the Dirty South so we’ve really infused a sense of hospitality into the festival,” says Diana Brown, the fest’s executive director.

Atlanta’s is also the only fringe fest in the world to spotlight radio plays alongside live performances, according to Brown. For $2 you can have full access to WAFF — an online archive of more than 15 radio plays that will be available May 7-13.

Boasting productions from 12 Atlanta area troupes as well as artists from 10 other states, the inaugural Atlanta Fringe lineup spotlights 27 shows and a variety of genres. Live from our own backyard, local faves include OnStage Atlanta (satiric comedy) and Hot Toddies Flaming Cabaret (vaudeville.) The out-of-towners spice up the schedule even more with acts from Sobers & Godley (non-narrative dance theater) out of New York, The Great Ben Egerman Theatre Adventure! (comedy) from Minnesota and Tonya Jone Miller (dramatic storytelling) from Oregon.

Says Brown to seasoned fringies, “You’ll find lots of diversity…. Atlanta is such a multicultural city that artists from all over the country were thrilled to finally have a excuse to come to town and showcase their talents.”

Hot Toddies Cabaret combines fire performance, aerials, circus skills, bellydancing and burlesque in its perforamances. They'll do five shows during the four-day Fringe. Photo by Garrin Hirschhorn.

If choosing from 135 showings is a bit daunting, check out the nifty guides below.

First-time fringies

Christmas in Bakersfield — A self-proclaimed modern-day Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, this humor-filled mockery of family holidays would make David Sedaris proud.

F#%k F#%k Goose! Stories (Not) for Children — From Atlanta Fringe producer Twinhead Theatre. This ensemble improv gives a whole new meaning to “The Brothers Grimm.” Gleefully irreverent, it exploits the sordid themes of beloved fairy tales.

Immurare — Packed with notables from Atlanta’s theatrical scene, this whodunit/docudrama follows the twisted tale of Ed Kemper — one of America’s most notorious serial killers — and the FBI agent who created modern-day profiling. The script is by Marki Shalloe, with direction by Dikran Tulaine. The cast: John Benzinger, Ed Kemper, Camlin Sheridan and Patrick Wood.

A family-friendly fest

Paul Strickland: Jokes, Songs, a Hat, Etc.! — As implied, this quirky one-man-act boasts “stand-up, spoken work and storytelling” topped with a very dashing hat. A reminder for the kids at heart – finger-pointing is absolutely allowed, provided you can laugh at yourself, too!

Thimblerig Circus — This side-show trio performs those freaky, fascinating circus stunts “from the Old World” including sword-swallowing, fire-dancing, contortion and more. You may want to preface this with, “Kids, don’t try this at home.”

If you’ve seen it all

Chiaroscuro — Explores five mental disorders through interpretive dance.

Fricative — A “liberated language” performance that turns the usual poetry slam on its ear. It features a series of sound poems by a live onomatopoetic orchestra.

The Observation of Starship Astral Strategy — A lights-sound-action survival challenge chock-full of 3-D effects, strobe lights, blasphemy and rock music.

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Alyson Kate Long is an Atlanta girl and an old soul. As a writer, she loves to tell the stories of intriguing locals and small businesses. 

Looking for something cultural to do this weekend and beyond? Here are Encore Atlanta’s recommendations (in alphabetical order) Pictured: The cast of “Xanadu” at Actor’s Express (from left) Jill Hames, Christen C. Orr, Greg Bosworth, Jordan Craig, Lindsey Lamb Archer, Craig Waldrip and Marcie Millard.

Atlanta Fringe Festival. INAUGURAL EVENT. And so it begins … 132 performances in four days! It’s fun, it’s wacky and it’s mind-expanding. Atlanta finally joins a legion of similar events across the nation and the world dedicated to providing an uncensored outlet for performing artists. The lineup spotlights 27 shows in genres ranging from satiric comedy and vaudeville to dance theater and drama. Through Sunday. Fringe passes are available in five-show, 10-show, weekend pass and full-access values. All audience member must also buy the official Fringe button (it helps support the festival) for $3. Details on the Fringe WEBSITE and in this ENCORE ATLANTA  feature.

Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. Pianist Leon Bates performs Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue” and Robert Spano conducts the world premiere of “Different River” by Alvin Singleton, the orchestra’s former composer-in-residence. The program closes with Copland’s Third, which includes the gorgeous “Fanfare for the Common Man.” 8 tonight-Saturday. $21-$79. Symphony Hall at the Woodruff Arts Center, 1280 Peachtree St. N.E. www.atlantasymphony.org. 404.733.4900.

The Fox on the Fairway. Playwright Ken Ludwig (Lend Me a Tenor, Moon Over Buffalo) turns his farcical focus to the country club set in this homage to the great British farces of the 1930s and ’40s. Dad’s Garage Artistic Director Kevin Gillese, who knows a little bit about funny, directs an Aurora Theatre cast that includes Courtney Patterson and Suehyla El-Attar. Through May 27. 8 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday; 2:30 p.m. Saturday-Sunday. $20-$30. Wednesday discount matinee ($16) on May 23. Theater: 128 East Pike St., Lawrenceville. Free (attached) parking deck: 153 Crogan St. Tickets HERE or 678.266.6222. For discounts, visit poshdealz.com.

Shakespeare in the Park. It’s back!!! Georgia Shakespeare‘s former Shake at the Lake returns after a year away with a new name and a new location inside Piedmont Park. The Tempest, with Carolyn Cook as Prospera and Chris Kayser as the fairy Ariel, plays at 7:30 tonight-Sunday. A new venue in the renovated Greensward area of the park near the Legacy Fountain more than doubles the event’s previous seating capacity and allows patrons to picnic before and during the performance. General admission is free; reserved seating and picnicking spots are $10-$20. The park is at 1071 Piedmont Ave. in Midtown. Details HERE or 404.504.1473.

The Waffle Palace. WORLD PREMIERE. This loving sendup of that most Southern of institutions is subtitled Smothered, Covered and Scattered 24/7/365 and comes to Horizon Theatre compliments of playwrights Eddie Levi Lee and Larry Larson. It’s a roller coaster of humor, music and imagination in which John Pickett (Larson) and his staff battle to keep their Midtown diner open against heavy odds. Co-Artistic Directors Lisa and Jeff Adler direct a cast featuring LaLa Cochran, Allan Edwards, Marguerite Hannah, Enoch King, Eric Mendenhall and Maria Sager. Through July 1. 8 p.m. Wednesday-Friday; 3 and 8:30 p.m. Saturday; and 5 p.m. Sunday. $20-$30 plus taxes. 1083 Austin Ave. N.E. at Euclid Avenue. Tickets HERE or 404.584.7450.

Xanadu. OPENING WEEKEND. Disco balls. Roller skates. ’80s hairstyles. What’s not to love? Actor’s Express wraps its season with this powder puff of a musical, a surprise hit in the 2007-08 Broadway season that parodies the Olivia Newton-John movie. The cast: Lindsey Lamb Archer, Mary Nye Bennett, Greg Bosworth, Jordan Craig, Jill Hames, Marcie Millard, Christen C. Orr, Al Stilo and Craig Waldrip. Through June 16. 8 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday; and 2 p.m. Sunday. Note: Opening night is sold out. $25-$47 plus fees ($2 discount when you buy ONLINE). 887 W. Marietta St., in the King Plow Arts Center. Box office: 404.607.7469. For discounts, visit poshdealz.com

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Kathy Janich, Encore Atlanta’s managing editor, has been seeing, covering or working in the performing arts for most of her life. Please email: kathy@encoreatlanta.com.

Meet Ahmad Mayes, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra’s Community Programs Coordinator. He manages the orchestra’s community programs and partnerships, and all activities outside of Symphony Hall. He also provides administrative support to orchestra musicians for the hundreds of hours of service they do each season.

What’s your favorite part of your job? 

I love being able to see firsthand the immediate impact the music we share has on the people of Atlanta — many of whom would not have access to the Atlanta Symphony without our community programs. I also enjoy hearing the remarkable individual talents of our musicians. Orchestra members typically perform throughout greater Atlanta as soloists or in small chamber ensembles, which allows them to really shine and demonstrate their personal musicianship. That’s something that you don’t always get to see when they perform as part of the full orchestra at symphony hall!

What kinds of programs fall under community engagement? 

The orchestra is committed to becoming more connected within the Atlanta community through several channels. The orchestra’s Community Ticketing Program partners with dozens of Atlanta nonprofit organizations to provide access to concerts for hundreds of people for whom the magic of live music is often beyond reach. We expect to host nearly 1,000 individuals in the inaugural year of this program.

Musicians in Action places our musicians in dozens of community locations each year. For example, associate principal viola Paul Murphy and some of his colleagues share music with the homeless during lunch hour at Crossroads Community Ministries several times each year. Recently, the Atlanta Symphony Brass Quintet volunteered as guest teaching artists for the Atlanta Music Project, helping the organization empower underserved youth through the study of music.

We also partner with Latino-based organizations, such as the Latin American Association and Instituto de México, to better serve as an arts resource to the rapidly growing Latino community in Atlanta. We’ve already held five outreach performances and events this year, reaching nearly 2,000 people.

How do the musicians feel about performing in the community? 

The musicians are the first to recognize the importance of having a community presence; in fact, 70 players are currently involved in our efforts. For example, cellist Joel Dallow’s passion is performing in-school chamber music concerts to elementary and middle-school children. Violinist Juan Ramirez has a real desire to help connect the orchestra to Latino audiences, and violinists Ruth Ann Little and Tom O’Donnell really enjoy bringing music into retirement communities. There are many more stories, too. In short, all of our musicians recognize that music can be powerful in many ways — whether it is to strengthen neighborhoods, serve the elderly, heal the sick, or  champion diversity.

It’s already been a very busy year for the orchestra in the community. What are some highlights?

We held our first “Martin Luther King, Jr. Days of Service” in conjunction with our annual “A King Celebration” concert, and orchestra musicians served more than 900 individuals through music. We’ve also increased our Latino partnerships, teaming up with the Mexican Consulate and DeKalb Public Libraries to better serve this fast-growing segment of Atlanta’s population.

What’s ahead? 

The orchestra recently entered into a partnership with the Georgia Humanities Council and the Smithsonian Institution to celebrate music throughout the state, and we’ve been invited to participate in “New Harmonies” — a traveling museum exhibit about American roots music. Through this collaboration, we’re looking forward to establishing a stronger presence in the outlying parts of Georgia and also connect what we do at the Atlanta Symphony to the different American music traditions being featured in the exhibit. We’re planning outreach events in Calhoun and Madison as part of this program, and we hope to have a presence in all 12 communities that will host the exhibit throughout the state over the next two years.

What single orchestra community event stands out in your mind?

Last September a group of musicians performed a program of Latin music at a Mexican Independence Day celebration with the Instituto de México and the Mexican Consulate. What made the evening so memorable was how the audience responded to the music. During one piece — a song in the Mexican musical style, Huapango — it was only a matter of seconds before the audience erupted with cheers and applause! It was quite obvious that many of them knew this folk dance and that it was an important part of their heritage. Their appreciation and enjoyment for the art being performed by our musicians was palpable, and I was honored that we could connect to this audience this way.

Why do you think it is so important for the orchestra to be involved with the community? 

Music is too important and powerful to not share with the community. As the premier music performance organization in the Southeast, it’s the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra’s responsibility to make great music available to everyone and provide people the chance to experience it in different ways. While we’re proud of the reach of our programs, the real magnitude of our efforts can be felt through the stories we hear from those who are directly impacted. We are constantly hearing from young music students who have been inspired by personal interactions with our musicians and from people from all walks of life who enjoy an orchestra concert for the first time. The work we do here is very important and also incredibly rewarding.

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Edited by Kimberly Nogi of the ASO.

Looking for something cultural to do this weekend and beyond? Here are Encore Atlanta’s recommendations (in alphabetical order) Pictured: Lorilyn Harper and Curtis Krick in the Academy Theatre’s “Cophenhagen.” 

Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra. Conductor Jere Flint leads the ASYO in its final concert of the season. The program: Huanzhi’s Spring Festival Overture, Smetana’s The Moldau and the finale from Mahler’s Symphony No. 1, “Titan.” Flutist Hally Davidson, a senior from McDonough, performs Hüe’s Fantasie for Flute and Orchestra. And violinist Keanu Mitanga, a sophomore at the International School, does the First Movement of Saint-Saëns’s Violin Concerto No. 3. 3 p.m. Sunday. $10. Symphony Hall at the Woodruff Arts Center, 1280 Peachtree St. N.E. Tickets HERE or 404.733.5000.

Copenhagen. Toward the end of World War II, two of the world’s top physicists met in Copenhagen. About a bomb. The details of their meeting have never been revealed, and the two never spoke to each other again. Playwright Michael Frayn presents his own ideas of the event in this 2000 Tony Award winner. Featuring Stuart Schleuse as Werner Heisenberg, Curtis Krick as Niels Bohr and Lorilyn Harper as Margrethe Bohr. Directed by Maggie McEnerny. Through May 20. 8 p.m. Friday-Saturday; and 2:30 p.m. Sunday (no show May 13). Also 2:30 p.m. Saturday, May 19. $15 online; $23 at the door. Academy Theatre, Reservations: 404.474.8332 or HERE. Tickets online HERE.

Don Giovanni. FINAL WEEKEND. Atlanta Opera stages the Mozart masterpiece detailing the devious schemes of history’s most beguiling scoundrel, Don Juan. In Italian with English supertitles. Pre-opera talks begin one hour before each performance. 8 p.m. Friday-Saturday; and 3 p.m. Sunday. $25-$140. Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, 2800 Cobb Galleria Parkway, Atlanta. Tickets HERE. Read more in this Encore FEATURE.

Ghost Brothers of Darkland County. WORLD PREMIERE. Reactions to this rock ‘n’ blues mystery have been wildly divergent. See for yourself what creators John Mellencamp, Stephen King, T Bone Burnett and director Susan V. Booth have wrought. It’s a tale of two brothers and a bullet, two lovers and a leap, and the ghosts who know the truth.  Through May 13. 7:30 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday; 8 p.m. Friday; 2:30 and 8 p.m. Saturday; and 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. Sunday. $45-$85. Alliance Theatre, 1280 Peachtree St. N.E. Tickets HERE or 404.733.5000. For discounts, visit poshdealz.com.

The Fox on the Fairway. OPENING WEEKEND. Playwright Ken Ludwig (Lend Me a Tenor, Moon Over Buffalo) turns his farcical focus to the country club set in this homage to the great British farces of the 1930s and ’40s. Dad’s Garage Artistic Director Kevin Gillese, who knows a little bit about funny, directs an Aurora Theatre cast that includes Courtney Patterson and Suehyla El-Attar. Through May 27. 8 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday; 2:30 p.m. Saturday-Sunday. $20-$30. Wednesday discount matinee ($16) on May 23. Theater: 128 East Pike St., Lawrenceville. Free (attached) parking deck: 153 Crogan St. Tickets HERE or 678.266.6222. For discounts, visit poshdealz.com.

Music of Motown. The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra gives pop its props with a tribute to that signature sound born in Detroit in 1960. The four men of Spectrum provide the vocals. Michael Krajewski conducts a program that recalls the Supremes, the Four Tops, the Temptations and any number of history-making acts. 8 p.m. Friday-Saturday. $20-$59. Symphony Hall at the Woodruff Arts Center, 1280 Peachtree St. N.E. www.atlantasymphony.org. 404.733.4900.

Shakespeare in the Park. The moniker isn’t as catchy as the former Shake at the Lake (Shake Near the Lake? Bard in the Yard?), but it’s tremendously good news that Georgia Shakespeare is back at Piedmont Park for five nights of theater under the stars. The Tempest, with Carolyn Cook as Prospera (yes, a gender change-up) and Chris Kayser as the fairy Ariel, plays at 7:30 p.m. May 9-13. A new venue in the renovated Greensward area of the park near the Legacy Fountain more than doubles the event’s previous seating capacity and allows patrons to picnic before and during the performance. General admission is free; reserved seating and picnicking spots are $10-$20. The park is at 1071 Piedmont Ave. in Midtown. Details HERE or 404.504.1473.

A Wrinkle in Time. FINAL WEEKEND. Theatrical Outfit stages this child-friendly sci-fi adventure based on Madeleine L’Engle’s Newbery Medal-winning novel. It’s a dark and stormy night when awkward teenager Meg Murry takes a fantastical journey to rescue her scientist-father from the dark forces that hold him prisoner on another planet. Directed by Justin Anderson. 7:30 tonight-Friday; 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday; and 2:30 p.m. Sunday. $15-$35. The Balzer Theater at Herren’s, 84 Luckie St. N.W. Tickets HERE or at 877.725.8849. Read more about director Justin Anderson in this Encore SNAPSHOT.

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Kathy Janich, Encore Atlanta’s managing editor, has been seeing, covering or working in the performing arts for most of her life. Please email: kathy@encoreatlanta.com.

What happens when you get 100-plus people in a room, mostly women, and talk about business, the arts, and the business of the arts.

A lot of creative energy. Some concrete ideas for growth and change. And a whole lot of laughs.

For the 10th consecutive year, Synchronicity Theatre this week convened its annual Women in the Arts Panel Luncheon, an event much livelier than that name might indicate. And with plenty of men in the room.

For 90 minutes, give or take, dancers, actors, directors, bankers, arts administrators, accountants, philanthropists, playwrights, marketing experts and technology types talked about the roller coaster of the Great Recession, what’s great — and lacking — in Atlanta’s arts scene, and that artists and their audiences are no longer an “us” and “them” but a community. And more, much more.

We learned that Camille Russell Love‘s favorite word is “dream,” and that Susan Booth’s is “syzygy.” Love has directed the City of Atlanta Office of Cultural Affairs for 14 years; Booth is a decade into her artistic directorship of the Alliance Theatre. The two were honored for their contributions to Atlanta’s arts culture. (And “syzygy,” by the way, means “a kind of unity, especially through coordination or alignment.”)

Ann Q. Curry, one of five panelists, started with this quote from business magnate Warren Buffett: “It’s only when the tide goes out that you learn who’s been swimming naked.” In other words, when times are tough, you see what is valuable and what is not, who is doing the work and who is not. Curry is owner and president of Coxe Curry & Associates, which counsels and raises funds for nonprofits.

The event was titled “The New Normal: Navigating Uncharted Territory in Arts and Business,” and it seemed more timely than. Recent statistics showg that the nearly 400 nonprofit arts groups in 10 Georgia counties produce $387 million a year for the state’s economy; that Atlanta has the highest number of arts-related businesses per capita among the 100 largest cities in the United States; that the city has the second-highest percentage of arts-related employees per capita in the country; and that it is home to 3,573 arts-related businesses employing 22,826 people.

On the flip side, the region recently lost Marietta’s Theatre in the Square, which closed for financial reasons after 30 seasons. And many artists working in the nonprofit world must hold multiple jobs to support themselves.

We were asked us to consider these questions: How do the arts uniquely inspire innovative thinking? How do women leaders motivate and create thriving companies? And together, how do we produce powerful transformative ideas to make Atlanta better?

Joining Curry on the panel were Lisa Cremin, director of the Metropolitan Atlanta Arts Fund; choreographer, dancer and teacher Juana Farfan; Hyacinth Edwards, a senior credit risk analyst at the Federal Home Loan Bank of America; and playwright Janece Shaffer — a mix of ages, races and professions. Ideas volleyed about included these:

Cremin: Think about where the people in this region are, and where we live. We have to go to them, not expect them to come to us. I don’t think we do this well enough yet.

Shaffer: Find like-minded people and pool your resources. It’s no longer “us” and “them.” It’s all of us, our community. Make the arts an integral part of your life, and they will feed you.

Curry: Hire arts majors. They are creative problem-solvers that pay attention to details and communicate well.

Other suggestions: Start young. Take the children in your life to theater, to the symphony, to performances. Know your local politicians. Do they understand the arts and the economy? Take them to a performance. Find an art form that speaks to your creative side, then volunteer, sit on the board, donate time and money, and take friends with you when you attend.

And finally, this bit of wisdom from Shaffer, the playwright: “Don’t go to the dang movies, go to the theater!”

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Kathy Janich, Encore Atlanta’s managing editor, has been seeing, covering or working in the performing arts for most of her life. Full disclosure: She spent most of the past four seasons on staff at Synchronicity Theatre. Please email: kathy@encoreatlanta.com.

In brief: Justin, 30, is an Atlanta producer, director, actor, casting director and former high school educator. You can see his directorial work now, in the child-friendly sci-fi adventure A Wrinkle in Time at Theatrical Outfit through May 6.

Hometown: Royal Oak, Mich.

Lives now: In Kennesaw. With a pet black bear hamster named Gwyneth, who was homeless after guest-starring in a DVD series he works on.

Theater work: Casting director at Theatrical Outfit. Program coordinator for the New Musical Theatre Initiative at Working Title Playwrights in cooperation with the Alliance Theatre Education Program. An artistic associate at Theatrical Outfit, Synchronicity Theatre, Serenbe Playhouse and Pinch ‘N’ Ouch Theatre.

Day job: Production director of KidStuf, a faith-based multimedia performance program at North Point Community Church in Alpharetta. Also directs a DVD series for preschoolers called “Wonder” (hello, Gwyneth) produced by The reThink Co. in Cumming.

Has directed onstage: Petite Rouge: A Cajun Red Riding Hood and The Best Christmas Pageant Ever at Synchronicity Theatre; Ordinary Days at Serenbe Playhouse; Body Awareness at Pinch ‘N’ Ouch Theatre; and The Unexpected Showcase with the Alliance Theatre Education Program. Also at TellTale Theatre, Impulse Repertory Company and Stage Door Players.

He’s acts, too: Most recently in Inherit the Wind at Georgia Ensemble Theatre (2011).

Education: Was salutatorian of his graduating class, about 500 strong, at Lloyd C. Bird High School in Chesterfield, Va. Bachelor of arts degree from Campbell University in Buies Creek, N.C. Went in as a vocal performance major, dabbled in mass communications and broadcast journalism, and graduated in 2003 with a degree in theater arts.

Turning point: Within his first 10 days in college he was cast as Friedrich, the elder von Trapp son, in The Sound of Music, and says: “From that moment on I was auditioning for every show I possibly could.”

First theater encounter in life: In Mrs. Pollium’s kindergarten class in Prince George, Va. In the Thanksgiving production. He played a squash.

Favorite all-time musical: Stephen Sondheim’s Sunday in the Park With George, he says, “hands down!” It speaks to one of his core principles as an artist — “Everything’s fine. Do what you do. And don’t worry about what anybody else thinks.”

For fun: Hangs out with his brother, sister-in-law and 4-year-old niece, Addison, in Dallas. Also gardens.

He can cook, too: Honey-mustard turkey meatloaf, most recently, with roasted brussels sprouts, carrots and parsnips. “I do it for other people,” he says of his cooking. “I get that from my mom and my grandmother.” He’s also known for some pretty terrific cookies. Those talents have brought him more than a few marriage proposals from his theater colleagues.

On the road, again: Because he works everywhere — from Alpharetta to Chattahoochee Hills, from Lawrenceville to Little Five Points — he logs a lot of mileage. He put 30,000 miles on his new Honda Civic in its first year.

Next: Directs the regional premiere of Time Between Us, a brand-new musical, at Serenbe Playhouse in July and August, and Tigers Be Still, a comedy about a big cat that escapes from a zoo and other depressing variables of life, at Aurora Theatre next season.

Ultimate goal: “I would love to work as an artistic director at a regional theater but also have the flexibility and opportunity to work elsewhere. I would hope I could make Atlanta that home base for as long as possible.”

Kathy Janich, Encore Atlanta’s managing editor, has been seeing, covering or working in the performing arts for most of her life. Full disclosure: She’s affiliated with Actor’s Express, mentioned above. Please email: kathy@encoreatlanta.com.

Looking for something cultural to do this weekend and beyond? Here are Encore Atlanta’s recommendations (in alphabetical order) Pictured: The cast of Theatrical Outfit’s “A Wrinkle in Time (from left) Marianne Fraulo, Andrew Crigler, Lowrey Brown, Mark Cabus, Kate Donadio and Emma Jackson. Photo by Josh Lamkin.

Copenhagen. OPENING WEEKEND. Toward the end of World War II, two of the world’s top physicists met in Copenhagen. About a bomb. The details of their meeting have never been revealed, and the two never spoke to each other again. Playwright Michael Frayn presents his own ideas of the event in this 2000 Tony Award winner. Featuring Lorilyn Harper, Curtis Krick and Stuart Schleuse. Maggie McEnerny directs. Through May 20. 8 p.m. Friday-Saturday (except May 19); and 2:30 p.m. Sunday (no show May 13). Also at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, May 19. $15 online; $23 at the door. Academy Theatre, Reservations: 404.474.8332 or HERE. Tickets online HERE.

Don Giovanni. Atlanta Opera presents what is widely regarded as the greatest opera ever composed. Mozart’s masterpiece tells of the devious schemes of history’s most beguiling scoundrel, Don Juan. Sung in Italian with English supertitles. Pre-opera talks begin one hour before each performance. Through May 6. 7:30 p.m. Tuesday; 8 p.m. Friday-Saturday; and 3 p.m. Sunday. $25-$140. Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, 2800 Cobb Galleria Parkway, Atlanta. Tickets HERE. Read more in this Encore FEATURE. For discounts, visit poshdealz.com.

Ghost Brothers of Darkland County. WORLD PREMIERE. Reactions to this rock ‘n’ blues mystery have been wildly divergent. Go see for yourself. It’s the tale about two brothers and a bullet, two lovers and a leap, and the ghosts who know the truth. Music and lyrics by John Mellencamp, book by Stephen King, directed by Susan V. Booth, with musical direction by T Bone Burnett. Through May 13. 7:30 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday; 8 p.m. Friday; 2:30 and 8 p.m. Saturday; and 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. Sunday. $45-$85. Alliance Theatre, 1280 Peachtree St. N.E. Tickets HERE or 404.733.5000. For discounts, visit poshdealz.com.

Les Misérables. The saga of Jean Valjean has been freshened for this 25th anniversary production with new staging and re-imagined scenery inspired by the paintings of author Victor Hugo. Presented by Broadway in Atlanta. April 24-29. 8 tonight-Friday; 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday; and 1 and 6:30 p.m. Sunday. $25-$65. Fox Theatre, 660 Peachtree St. N.E. Tickets HERE or at 800.745.3000.

Mendelssohn & Schubert. Conductor Michael Christie pays homage to  composers who were banned in Nazi Germany. The program features Symphony No. 8 by Schubert, Piano Concerto No. 1 by Mendelssohn and Rhapsody on Moldavian Themes by Weinberg. Behzod Abduraimov, who was born in Uzbekistan, is the guest soloist on piano. 8 tonight-Saturday. $21-$79. Symphony Hall at the Woodruff Arts Center, 1280 Peachtree St. N.E. www.atlantasymphony.org. 404.733.4900. Read more in this Encore FEATURE.

The Remarkable Farkle McBride. The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and the Alliance Theatre  join forces to tell us about Young Farkle McBride, a fickle but lovable child prodigy who plays violin, flute, trombone and drums with incredible skill. Adapted from the children’s book. With actors Steve Coulter and Raye Kaplan, with Cobe Jackson as Farkle. Directed by Patrick McColery. Jere Flint conducts. 1:30 and 3:30 p.m. Sunday. $15 and $20. Symphony Hall at the Woodruff Arts Center, 1280 Peachtree St. N.E. Tickets HERE or at 404.733.4900. Read more in this Encore FEATURE.

A Wrinkle in Time. Theatrical Outfit stages this child-friendly sci-fi adventure based on Madeleine L’Engle’s Newbery Medal-winning novel. It’s a dark and stormy night when awkward teenager Meg Murry takes a fantastical journey to rescue her scientist-father from the dark forces that hold him prisoner on another planet. Directed by the talented and inventive Justin Anderson (Synchronicity Theatre, Serenbe Playhouse). Through May 6. 7:30 p.m. Wednesday-Friday; 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday; and 2:30 p.m. Sunday. $15-$35. The Balzer Theater at Herren’s, 84 Luckie St. N.W. Tickets HERE or at 877.725.8849. Read more about director Justin Anderson in this Encore SNAPSHOT. For discounts, visit poshdealz.com.

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Kathy Janich, Encore Atlanta’s managing editor, has been seeing, covering or working in the performing arts for most of her life. Please email: kathy@encoreatlanta.com.