Looking for something cultural to do in the next week or so? Here’s our select list of recommendations. Pictured: Keith Randolph Scott (left), John Stewart and Jeremy Aggers in the Civil War-era drama “The Whipping Man” at the Alliance Theatre. Photo by Greg Mooney.
The Adventures of Mighty Bug. FINAL WEEK. The Center for Puppetry Arts invites you to Bugville, a jumpin’ little place that swings to the Bugville Boogie and is kept safe by the superhero Mighty Bug. What will happen when the evil arachnid Scorpiana attacks? This science-filled, comic book-style adventure is written and directed by the adventurous Jon Ludwig. Recommended for ages 4+. $16.50. At 10 and 11:30 a.m. Friday; noon and 2 p.m. Saturday; and 1 and 3 p.m. Sunday. 1404 Spring St. N.W. Details, tickets HERE. For discounts, visit PoshDealz.com.
Angry Fags. FINAL WEEK. 7 Stages presents the world premiere of Atlanta playwright Topher Payne’s dark comedy about a couple of gay pals who become enraged when a friend is assaulted. Think of it as an “Oscar Wilde-meets-Fight Club fever dream.” The critics: “In spite of the challenging title and serious subject matter, Angry Fags includes Payne’s signature humor throughout, and the atmosphere is surprisingly tender. … But it seeks to be a lot of things and, in the end, perhaps takes on too much” (Andrew Alexander, ArtsATL.com); “Mr. Payne writes brilliant, sharp comedic dialogue; even if Angry Fags is ultimately less than totally successful, I think that major, big-time success for him is inevitable” (Manning Harris, Atlanta INtown Paper). $20-$25. 8 tonight-Saturday and 5 p.m. Sunday. 1105 Euclid Ave. N.E. Details, tickets HERE or at 404.523.7647. For discounts, visit PoshDealz.com. Read more about cast member Suehyla El-Attar in this Encore SNAPSHOT. (Pictured, from left: Suehyla-El-Attar, Jacob York and and Johnny Drago.)
Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. German conductor Jün Markl is on the podium for Pastorale, Beethoven’s Sixth Symphony; Ravel’s Le Tombeau de Couperin; and Mozart’s Bassoon Concerto in B-flat major, K. 191. Principal bassoonist Carl Nitchie is featured in the Mozart concerto. 8 tonight-Saturday. $24-$75. Symphony Hall, 1280 Peachtree St. N.E. Details, tickets HERE or at 404.733.5000.
Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra. ONE PERFORMANCE ONLY. The young and talented players perform a concert titled Crescendo. The program features The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra by Britten, Saint-Saens’ Piano Concerto No. 2 in G minor, Movement 1, Andante Sostenuto; and the third movement of Dvorak’s Symphony No. 8. Pianist-violinist Catherine Xie, a sophomore at Johns Creek High School, is among the featured artists. Music director Jere Flint conducts. $10. 3 p.m. Sunday. Symphony Hall, 1280 Peachtree St. N.E. Details, tickets HERE or at 404.733.5000.
Baltimore Waltz. FINAL WEEK. Fern Theatre, one of Atlanta’s newer companies, stages this comedy-drama by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Paula Vogel (How I Learned to Drive, The Long Christmas Ride Home, Hot ‘N Throbbing). The smart, quick and deceptively layered script centers around a brother and sister, one of whom has a fatal disease that sends them to Europe to find a cure — and an adventure. The cast: Eliana Marianes, Brandon Partrick and, in many, many roles and accents, Stuart McDaniel. $20. Through March 16. 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday. 7 Stages BackStage Theatre, 1105 Euclid Ave. N.E. Details, tickets HERE.
The Drowsy Chaperone. OPENING WEEKEND. This hilarious show-within-a-show begins when a die-hard musical theater fan plays his favorite cast album, a 1928 smash hit called The Drowsy Chaperone, and the show magically bursts to life. Audiences are immersed in the glamorous tale of a celebrity bride and her uproarious wedding day, complete with thrills and surprises, a would-be Lothario and a pair of gangsters. Don’t miss the show critics call “delightful and sparkling entertainment!” It’s a perfect fit for Aurora Theatre. Fun fact: In its first incarnation, this show was a wedding gift for the real Janet Van De Graaff, a Canadian stage actor.) $16-$35. Through April 7. 8 p.m. Wednesday-Friday; 2:30 and 8 p.m. Saturday; and 2:30 p.m. Sunday. Also at 10 a.m. April 3 (replacing the 8 p.m. show). 128 E. Pike St., Lawrenceville. Free parking in attached deck at 153 Crogan St. Details, tickets HERE or at 678.226.6222. For discounts, visit PoshDealz.com. (Pictured: Liberty Cogen as celebrity bride Janet Van De Graaff. Photo by R. Todd Fleeman.)
Million Dollar Quartet. FINAL WEEK. Revisit a special moment in pop music history — Dec. 4, 1956 — when Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Elvis Presley came together at Sun Studios in Memphis for one of the greatest rock ‘n’ roll jam sessions in history. Presented by Broadway in Atlanta. $43-$86. 8 tonight-Friday; 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday; and 1 and 6:30 p.m. Sunday. Fox Theatre, 660 Peachtree St. N.E. Tickets, details HERE. Learn more in this Encore FEATURE.
The Secret Agent. ONE WEEKEND ONLY. Capitol City Opera Company performs this new opera based on the 1907 Joseph Conrad novel, a modern music drama that seems ever-timely in an era of terrorism and political dissent. Capitol City Opera, formed in 1983, gives classically trained singers in the metro area a place to learn and perform complete opera roles. $30. 8 p.m. Friday-Saturday; 3 p.m. Sunday. Conant Performing Arts Center at Oglethorpe University, 4484 Peachtree Road N.E. Details, tickets HERE. For discounts, visit PoshDealz.com.
The Waffle Palace: Smothered, Covered & Scattered 24/7/365. THIS IS IT! Horizon Theatre completes the encore run of this giddily successful comedy by Larry Larson and Eddie Levi Lee. As it has been since the batter first hit the grill, it’s inspired by real-life tales of Waffle Houses everywhere. $20-$40. 8 tonight-Friday; 3 and 8:30 p.m. Saturday; and 5 p.m. Sunday. 1083 Austin Ave. N.E. (at Euclid Avenue). Details, tickets HERE or at 404.584.7450.
The Whipping Man. OPENING WEEKEND. This crackling three-actor drama, set in Richmond, Va., at the close of the Civil War, is one of the most popular titles at American regional theaters this season. The Matthew Lopez drama opens in 1865, when a wounded Jewish Confederate soldier returns to find his family home in ruins and occupied by two former slaves. Among its questions: “What does it mean to be free?” and “What is the power of faith?” The cast: Jeremy Aggers, Keith Randolph Smith and John Stewart. Alliance Theatre‘s Hertz Stage. $35-$39. Through April 7. 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. Details, tickets HERE. Meet the director, Atlanta-raised, New York-based Alexander Greenfield, in this Encore FEATURE.
::
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.
