Looking for something cultural to do in the next week or so? Here’s our select list of recommendations. Pictured: Johnny Drago (left) and Jacob York in “Angry Fags” at 7 Stages.
The Adventures of Mighty Bug. 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. Through March 17. At 10 and 11:30 a.m. Tuesday-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. WORLD PREMIERE. 7 Stages presents Atlanta playwright Topher Payne’s dark comedy about a couple of gay pals who become enraged when a friend is assaulted. It’s described as an “Oscar Wilde-meets-Fight Club fever dream.” (Note: It runs almost three hours, with two intermissions, but there is a bar in the lobby!) Angry Fags is selling well, get your tickets now. 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. Through March 17. 8 p.m. Thursday-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.
Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. ASO concertmaster David Coucheron (left) plays Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto in a program led by in-demand guest conductor Roberto Abbado. Also on the program: Schubert’s Overture to Zauberharfe, Rendering by Schubert and Berio, and Rossini’s William Tell Overture. $23-$67. 8 tonight and Saturday; 3 p.m. Sunday. Symphony Hall, 1280 Peachtree St. N.E. Details, tickets HERE or at 404.733.5000.
Baltimore Waltz. 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 story centers around a brother and sister (Elianes Marianes, right), one of whom has a fatal disease that sends them to Europe to find a cure — and an adventure. The cast: Eliana Marianes and Brandon Partrick. $20. Through March 16. 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday. 7 Stages BackStage Theatre, 1105 Euclid Ave. N.E. Details, tickets HERE.
Fly. FINAL WEEKEND. Follow four courageous young African-Americans as they become part of WWII’s famous Tuskegee Airmen, fighting for a country that has yet to embrace them as full citizens on the ground. 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. 7:30 tonight-Saturday; and 2:30 p.m. Sunday. Theatrical Outfit at the Balzer Theater at Herren’s, 84 Luckie St. N.W. Details, tickets HERE.
La traviata. FINAL TWO PERFORMANCES. In celebration of the bicentennial of Giuseppe Verdi’s birth, Atlanta Opera presents his tale of Violetta, one of opera’s most beloved fallen women. Mary Dunleavy (left) sings the role. In Italian with projected English translations. Pre-opera talks begin an hour before each curtain. The critics: “Mary Dunleavy personifies all the emotion and nuance that make opera timeless” (Jamila Robinson, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution); $25-$140. 8 p.m. Friday; 3 p.m. Sunday. Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, 2800 Cobb Galleria Parkway. Details, tickets HERE or at 404.881.8885.
Million Dollar Quartet. ONE WEEK ONLY. 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. Opens Tuesday. Through March 17. 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. Tickets, details HERE. Learn more in this Encore FEATURE.
Much Ado About Nothing. OPENING WEEKEND. Shakespeare’s famous battle-of-the-sexes play features two love stories — the equally independent Benedick and Beatrice, and the young lovers Claudio and Hero. See it in the Globe-style pub, where ale flows and the apple crisp at intermission is a bestseller. $20-$32. Sold out: tonight’s preview, Friday’s opening and Sunday’s show. Limited tickets remain for Saturday. Continues through March 30. 7:30 Thursday-Saturday; and 6:30 p.m. Sunday. New American Shakespeare Tavern, 499 Peachtree St. N.E. Details, tickets HERE or at 404.874.5299, Ext. 0.
Two Trains Running. FINAL WEEKEND. 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 and the future of a diner that’s become the last refuge for a makeshift family of wounded souls. Run time: Nearly three hours. The critics: “Although True Colors gives Two Trains Running a top-notch production, some may find that a sense of emotional connection and catharsis is missing from Wilson’s deeply political play” (Andrew Alexander, ArtsATL.com). $15-$60. 8 tonight-Friday; 2:30 and 8 p.m. Saturday; and 2:30 p.m. Sunday. True Colors Theatre Company at the Southwest Arts Center, 915 New Hope Road S.W. Tickets HERE, details HERE,
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 tales 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.
The Whipping Man. IN PREVIEWS | OPENS WEDNESDAY. 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. The drama’s questions include “What does it mean to be free?” and “What is the power of faith?” See it at the Alliance Theatre‘s Hertz Stage. $35-$39. 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. We have half-price tickets for Sunday night’s preview, Tuesday’s preview and the March 14 performance. Visit PoshDealz.com. Meet Atlanta-raised, New York-based director Alexander Greenfield in this Encore FEATURE.
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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.
