Looking for something cultural to do in the next week or so? Here’s a select list of recommendations from Encore Atlanta. Pictured: Fenner Eaddy as the Tap Griot in “Fly,” at Theatrical Outfit.
Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. Vilde Frang, a Norwegian violinist on the ascent, makes her ASO debut with Mozart’s Turkish Violin Concerto No. 5. Guest conductor Gilbert Varga leads a program that includes Schumann’s Symphony No. 3, a renowned homage to a fabled cathedral and life along the Rhine; Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 5; and Grieg’s Elegiac Melodies. $24-$75. 8 tonight and Saturday. Symphony Hall, Woodruff Arts Center, 1280 Peachtree St. N.E. Details, tickets HERE or at 404.733.5000.
Bike America. NOW IN PREVIEWS; OPENING WEDNESDAY. This world premiere by Juilliard’s Mike Lew portrays a young woman’s cross-country journey with a ragtag crew of fellow bicyclists. His piece, winner of this year’s Alliance/Kendeda National Graduate Playwriting Competition, takes the national temperature and captures the restlessness of the millennial generation. Highly recommended. Kendeda plays often are some of the most exciting theater Atlanta sees each year. (For more details on the Kendeda festival, featuring five free staged readings of new plays and a conversation with Lew, go HERE.) Note: Bike America contains brief nudity and strong language. $30-$40. Preview performances Friday-Sunday and Tuesday. Through Feb. 24. 8 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday; 8 p.m. Friday; 2:30 and 8 p.m. Saturday; and 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. Sunday. Alliance Theatre’s Hertz Stage, 1280 Peachtree St. N.E. Details, tickets HERE or at 404.733.5000. For discounts, visit PoshDealz.com. Meet playwright Mike Lew in this Encore FEATURE.
Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson. This sexy explosion of theater and music re-imagines our nation’s seventh president as a rock god maverick who fights for the common man and looks hot in skinny jeans. This show has plenty of buzz, pro and con. The critics: “A lively, loud and slyly funny rock musical. … The show owes more to the theater of the absurd and “South Park” than to Oklahoma! or even Hair” (Andrew Alexander, ArtsATL.com); “Gets by on rock ‘n’ roll poses and laugh-out-loud parody without quite being one for the history books” (Curt Holman, Creative Loafing); “I can’t guarantee that you’ll love BBAJ, but the Express once again pushes the envelope. See it — or you won’t know what the fuss is all about” (Manning Harris, Atlanta INtown). $26-$47. Through Feb. 17. 8 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday; and 2 p.m. Sunday. Actor’s Express, 887 West Marietta St. Details, tickets HERE (buy online and save fees) or at 404.607.7469. For discounts, visit PoshDealz.com.
Bob. Meet Bob, an unfailing optimist born on Valentine’s Day in the bathroom of a White Castle restaurant and left by his birth mother to make his own way in the world. By San Francisco playwright Peter Sinn Nachtrieb. At Aurora Theatre. Directed by Sean Daniels, formerly of Dad’s Garage and now with Geva Theatre Center in Rochester, N.Y, which co-produces. The critics: “Daniels directs probably his best locally produced show since moving from Atlanta. … Nachtrieb’s script achieves the trick of crafting wild coincidences that feel like signs of karmic connection” (Curt Holman, Creative Loafing); “Some may enjoy this self-consciously offbeat tale of one man’s quest for greatness. … But a word of warning: If it starts to grate, you’re in for an uncomfortable, unhappy two hours of Bobness” (Andrew Alexander, ArtsATL.com). $20-$30. Through Feb. 10. 8 p.m. Wednesday-Friday; 2:30 and 8 p.m. Saturday; and 2:30 p.m. Sunday. Note: Saturday’s 8 p.m. show is sold out. Discount matinee ($16) at 10 a.m. Feb. 6. 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.
Flashdance the Musical. OPENING TUESDAY. The 1983 movie about a female welder/exotic dancer who wants to go legit gets the stage treatment from Broadway in Atlanta. An earlier version met a lukewarm response in London; this production, with a different cast, is said to be eyeing Broadway. $42.40-$85.70. Through Feb. 10. 8 p.m. Tuesday-Friday; 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday; and 1 and 6:30 p.m. Sunday. Fox Theatre, 660 Peachtree St. N.E. Details, tickets HERE. Meet leading man Matthew Hydzik in this Encore FEATURE.
Fly. OPENING SATURDAY. Follow four courageous young African-Americans as they become part of the famous Tuskegee Airmen during World War II, Army Air Corps pilots who went to battle for a country that showed them only adversity on the ground. The wonderful script by Ricardo Khan and Trey Ellis features a character called the Tap Griot, who plays a special role. “The goal,” Khan has said, “was to tell a story that makes it clearly a piece of theatre. We wanted to bring to life this American story.” Patdro Harris directs. $15-$33. Through Feb. 24. Previews tonight-Friday. 7:30 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday; and 2:30 p.m. Sunday. Additional show at 2:30 p.m. Feb. 17. Theatrical Outfit at the Balzer Theater at Herren’s, 84 Luckie St. N.W. Details, tickets HERE.
Good People. What happens when chasing the American dream collides with doing the right thing? That’s what Pulitzer-winning playwright David Lindsay-Abaire explores in his comedy-tinged drama about an out-of-work cashier named Margaret angling for a better life. Artistic director Susan V. Booth directs this Alliance Theatre staging. The critics: ” … a compelling and moving story with universal issues at its heart. Good People is a weighty, funny and accessible human drama that’s not to be missed” (Andrew Alexander, ArtsATL.com); “All of Margaret’s pain and suffering shows in Kate Buddeke’s hardened, unadorned face. In her slouching posture and movements, the actress skillfully inhabits the character’s downtrodden, world-weary resignation” (Bert Osborne, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution). Through Feb. 10. 7:30 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday; 8 p.m. Friday; 2:30 and 8 p.m. Saturday; and 2:30 p.m. Sunday. Additional show at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 10. $30-$60. Alliance mainstage, 1280 Peachtree St. N.E. Details, tickets HERE or at 404.733.5000. For discounts, visit PoshDealz.com. Go behind the scenes with the playwright in this Encore FEATURE. (Pictured, at left, Kate Buddeke as Margaret and Andrew Benator as her boss. Photo: Greg Mooney)
Lovers & Lunatics. OPENING FRIDAY. Théâtre du Rêve, Atlanta’s French-language theater, presents three Georges Feydeau farces that look at childhood, affairs and love triangles. The cast: Bryan Brendle, Ariel Fristoe, Chris Kayser, Cara Mantella, Eliana Marianes and Christof Veillon. No French required. Presented in English, bilingually and in French with supertitles. Through Feb. 17. 8 p.m. Friday; 3 and 8 p.m. Saturday; and 3 p.m. Sunday. $15-$25. Details and tickets HERE. Note: Includes mild language and sexuality. Recommended for ages 12 and up.
The Producers. FINAL PERFORMANCE. Theater of the Stars brings this Mel Brooks mega-hit to the Fox Theatre. The musical, which won 12 Tony Awards in 2001, is based on Brooks’ popular movie of the same name. A slick producer and nebbish accountant team up to produce the biggest flop in Broadway history, but even the best-laid plans can go goose-steppingly awry. 8 tonight. $25-$65. 660 Peachtree St. N.E. Details, tickets HERE. More on Mel Brooks and the show in this ENCORE FEATURE.
Secret. THREE PERFORMANCES ONLY. The contemporary dancers of CORE Performance Company premiere original choreography by artistic director Sue Schroeder and nationally recognized guest artist Becky Valls, accompanied by the music of Bent Frequency and at a special location — Callanwolde Fine Arts Center. $10 and $15. 8 p.m. Friday-Saturday; and 3 p.m. Sunday. 980 Briarcliff Road N.E. Details, tickets HERE.
The Waffle Palace: Smothered, Covered & Scattered 24/7/365. Horizon Theatre once again tends the griddle with this encore run of its summer hit. The script, by Larry Larson and Eddie Levi Lee, is inspired by real-life news stories about Waffle Houses everywhere. If you’re not into the Super Bowl, take advantage of a $10 discount on tickets to this Sunday’s 5 p.m. performance (call 404.584.7450 and use the promo code SUPER). $20-$40. Through March 17. 8 p.m. Wednesday-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. Meet actor Eric Mendenhall, who plays seven hard-to-forget characters, 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. Full disclosure: She’s affiliated with Theatrical Outfit mentioned above. Please email: kathy@encoreatlanta.com.
