Looking for something cultural to do in the next week or so? Here’s a select list of recom-mendations. Pictured: The unparalleled performers of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. The company’s annual ATL stop is a must-see, don’t-miss event. Dance, athleticism and storytelling are never better than when performed by these amazing artists. Audiences will see some of the company’s newest works and — at all performances — the signature “Revelations.” NOTE: No late seating! $17.25-$70.60. 8 tonight-Friday; 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday; and 3 p.m. Sunday. Fox Theatre, 660 Peachtree St. N.E. Tickets, details HERE or at 1.855.285.8499. Read more in this Encore FEATURE.
Angry Fags. IN PREVIEWS (opens Feb. 23). In this world premiere at 7 Stages, Atlanta playwright Topher Payne tells the story of a couple of gay guys who are pals, not lovers or partners. When a friend is assaulted, they feel helpless and frightened, then turn to rage. A dark comedy described as an “Oscar Wilde-meets-Fight Club fever dream.” The cast: John Benzinger, Melissa Carter, Johnny Drago, Suehyla El-Attar, Michael Henry Harris, Marcie Millard and Jacob York. Justin Anderson directs. $20-$25. 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday and 5 p.m. Sunday. Previews Feb. 21-22. Opens Feb. 23. 1105 Euclid Ave. N.E. Details, tickets HERE or at 404.523.7647.
Bike America. WORLD PREMIERE. Juilliard’s Mike Lew won this year’s Alliance/Kendeda National Graduate Playwriting Competition with his story of a young woman who takes a cross-country bike trip to find herself. It’s smart, inventive, funny and highly, highly recommended. Note: Contains brief nudity and and more than a few f-bombs. $30-$40. Through Feb. 24. 8 p.m. Tuesday-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. Meet playwright Mike Lew in this Encore FEATURE. (Pictured: Tom White and Jessica DiGiovanni, as Penny, at the end of the first day of cycling. Photo: Greg Mooney)
Charlotte and the Music-Maker. Charlotte is no ordinary little girl. She plays the trumpet on a cardboard tube, the xylophone with two knitting needles and the drums on anything that bangs. But her musical talents are unappreciated at home, so she runs away. Who comes to the rescue? The Music-Maker, of course. Join conductor Jere Flint, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Canada’s Platypus Theatre for this 55-minute adventure. Good for ages 4+. $15-$20. 1:30 and 3:30 p.m. Sunday. Atlanta Symphony Hall, 1280 Peachtree St. N.E. Tickets, details HERE or at 404.733.5000. For $10 Dress Circle tickets, visit PoshDealz.com (deal expires at 4 p.m. Friday).
Fly. Follow four courageous young African-Americans as they become part of the famous Tuskegee Airmen during World War II, fighting for a country that shows them little more than scorn on the ground. The Theatrical Outfit cast: John E. Doyle, Fenner Eaddy, Joel Ishman, Eric J. Little, J.C. Long and Brian Kurlander. The critics: “Fly movingly and effectively brings an incredible, heroic and resonant moment of history to the stage” (Andrew Alexander, ArtsATL.com); “Theatrical Outfit has a bona-fide hit on its hands. … The actors are perfectly cast and very fine” (Manning Harris, Atlanta INtown); “In large part Fly takes wing. … a sporadically soaring production” (Bert Osborne, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution). $15-$33. Through Feb. 24. 7:30 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday; and 2:30 p.m. Sunday. Theatrical Outfit at the Balzer Theater at Herren’s, 84 Luckie St. N.W. Details, tickets HERE.
Lovers & Lunatics. FINAL WEEKEND. No French required! Théâtre du Rêve, Atlanta’s French-language theater, presents three Feydeau farces. In English, bilingually and in French with supertitles. The critics: “It’s great to have the opportunity to glimpse Feydeau’s work, which is so seldom produced in Atlanta. The humor and the strangeness live on” (Andrew Alexander, ArtsATL.com). $15-$25. 8 p.m. Friday; 3 and 8 p.m. Saturday; and 3 p.m. Sunday. 1105 Euclid Ave. N.E. Details and tickets HERE. Note: Includes mild language and sexuality. Recommended for ages 12+. Meet actor Eliana Marianes in this Encore SNAPSHOT.
Master Harold … and the boys. OPENING WEEKEND. Aurora Theatre stages Athol Fugard’s 30-year-old masterpiece. The story: An ordinary rainy afternoon in 1950s South Africa turns into a life-changing experience for 17-year-old Hally, as two beloved servants become his confidants in the midst of family turmoil. Note: Contains adult content. $15. Through March 3. 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday; and 2:30 p.m. Sunday. 128 Pike St., Lawrenceville. For free parking, enter at 153 Crogan St. The deck is attached to the theater. Tickets, details HERE or at 678.226.6222. For discounts, visit PoshDealz.com. (Pictured, from left, Rob Cleveland, Christopher Watson and Hazen Cuyler. Photo by Chris Bartelski)
Michael Pink’s Dracula. FINAL PERFORMANCES. This tale of seduction and surrender is choreographed by Michael Pink, with original music by Philip Feeney. It’s a favorite among Atlanta Ballet fans. $20-$120. 8 tonight-Saturday; and 2 p.m. Sunday. Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, 2800 Cobb Galleria Parkway. Details, tickets HERE or at 404.892.3303.
Romeo and Juliet. Atlanta Shakespeare Company celebrates its 13th year of R&J by casting teenagers as the young lovers separated by feuding families. Jake West (Romeo) is a senior at North Cobb Christian School in Kennesaw; Margaret Flock (Juliet) is a senior at Atlanta’s Lovett School. $15-$36. Through March 3. 7:30 p.m. Thursday-Saturday; and 6:30 p.m. Sunday. New American Shakespeare Tavern, 499 Peachtree St. N.E. Tickets, details HERE or at 404.874.5299. Get gift cards valued at $50 half off at PoshDealz.com.
Two Trains Running. OPENS FRIDAY. August Wilson, one of America’s great playwrights, visits 1969 Pittsburgh in this drama from his 10-play cycle about African-American life in the 20th century. The Hill District is gentrifying, threatening the cultural heart of black Pittsburgh. Slated for demolition: a diner that’s the last refuge for a makeshift family of wounded souls. $15-$60. Through March 10. 8 p.m. Wednesday-Friday; 2:30 and 8 p.m. Saturday; and 2:30 p.m. Sunday. Additional shows at 11 a.m. Feb. 20 and 27. True Colors Theatre Company at the Southwest Arts Center, 915 New Hope Road S.W. Tickets HERE, details HERE. (Pictured: Pauletta Washington and Jahi Kearse. Photo: Josh Lamkin)
Viva Italia. Principal pops conductor Michael Krajewski leads the Atlanta Symphony in a concert featuring the vocal trio Poperazzi. Expect orchestral works, popular songs and opera arias, from Sinatra and The Godfather theme, to La traviata, The Barber of Seville and Turondot’s Nessum Dorma. $24-$60. 8 p.m. Friday-Saturday. Symphony Hall, 1280 Peachtree St. N.E. Tickets, details HERE or at 404.733.5000.
The Waffle Palace: Smothered, Covered & Scattered 24/7/365. Horizon Theatre returns to 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. $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.
