This weekend's best bets: March 28

Looking for something cultural to do in the next week or so? Here’s our select list of recommendations. Pictured: A scene from Synchronicity Theatre’s “Petite Rouge,” with Brian Harrison (left) as Claude the gator and the effervescently multitasking ensemble of Jessica De Maria, Michael Stiggers and Taryn Janelle. 

Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. Russian pianist Yevgeny Sudbin (“potentially one of the greatest pianists of the 21st century,” according to the London Telegraph), debuts in Tchaikovsky’s Concerto No. 1. Also on the program: Double Indemnity by Benedikt Brydern and Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 6. Michael Morgan, music director of the Oakland Symphony, is on the podium. $24-$75. 8 tonight-Saturday. Symphony Hall, 1280 Peachtree St. N.E. Details, tickets HERE or at 404.733.5000.

The Drowsy Chaperone. 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 musical magically bursts to life in his apartment. Winner of  2006 Tony Awards for best book and best score. The critics: “Within this frothy, nostalgia-dripping entertainment is a delightfully winking commentary on the present-day state of musical theater and the virtues of old-fashioned candy-coated escapism” (Wendell Brock, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution). $16-$35. Through April 14. 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. Meet Caitlin Smith, who plays Kitty (pictured), in this Encore SNAPSHOT.

Equus. Some plays are classics because teachers say they are. Others are classics because they never lose the power to thrill, shock and engage an audience. Peter Shaffer’s 1973 Equus, at Actor’s Express, is a roller-coaster drama about a psychiatrist’s attempt to make sense of one young man’s horrifying and brutal crime. The cast features Chris Kayser as the doctor and Kyle Brumley as the young man. Note: Contains nudity. The critics: “A great production of a contemporary classic, easily one of the season’s best bets” (Andrew Alexander, Arts ATL.com); “A wonderful production with great performances and designs that highlight some of Atlanta’s best talent” (Kenny Norton, AtlantaTheaterFans.com). $22-$45 plus fees (book online and save fees). Through April 21. 8 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday. 887 W. Marietta St. Details, tickets HERE or at 404.607.7469. For discounts, visit PoshDealz.com. (Pictured, from left: Kayser and Brumley. Photo by BreeAnne Clowdus)

The Fabulous Lipitones. WORLD PREMIERE. Opens Saturday at Theatrical Outfit. A small-town barbershop quartet must find a new tenor when one of its founding members drops dead mid-performance. Enlisting an Indian Sikh who can sing but has dubious immigration credential, makes the National Competition even more nail-biting. A lesson on the true meaning of harmony. The cast: Daniel Hilton, Tom Key, William S. Murphy and Glenn Rainey. $15-$22. Through April 21. 7:30 Wednesday-Friday; 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday; and 2:30 p.m. Sunday (also at 2:30 p.m. April 4; no 7:30 p.m. show April 20). Balzer Theater at Herren’s, 84 Luckie St. N.W. Details, tickets HERE or at 1.877.725.8849.

Galapagos George: The Little Tortoise That Could. This show for all ages features George (pictured), the last giant Galapagos tortoise ever, along with sea turtles, lizards, hungry goats, sea lions, dancing blue-footing birds — and pirates. Told with rod, shadow and hand puppets by the Barefoot Puppet Theatre of Richmond. Recommended for ages 4 and up. $16.50. Through April 7. 10 and 11:30 a.m. Tuesday-Friday; 11 a.m., 1 and 3 p.m. Saturday; and 1 and 3 p.m. Sunday (no show Easter Sunday. Additional shows at 1 p.m. today and April 4). Center for Puppetry Arts, 1404 Spring St. N.W.  Details, tickets HERE or at 404.873.3391.

A King Remembrance. Two world premieres highlight these Atlanta Symphony Orchestra concerts dedicated to the memory of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., who died on April 4, 1968. Jazz pianist Marcus Roberts debuts his latest piano concerto, Spirit of the Blues. Also debuting is Everything Lasts Forever by composer and ASO bassist Michael Kurth. Also on the program: Commodore Pimous III’s Triumph of the Day, Bernstein’s Symphonic Dances from West Side Story  and Rainbow Body by Theofanidis. $24-$75. 8 p.m. April 4-5 (a special presentation in King’s honor begins at 7 p.m. April 4 only). Symphony Hall, 1280 Peachtree St. N.E. Details, tickets HERE or at 404.733.5000.

I Love You, You’re Perfect Now Change. This off-Broadway hit, done for three seasons at Horizon Theatre a decade ago, takes a sketch-comedy/musical theater look at the dating-and-mating game from myriad angles. The cast: Laura Floyd, Erin Meadows, Craig Waldrip and Jeremy Wood. (Keep an eye out for extra sparks: Floyd and Wood were recently engaged.) $12-$27. Through April 14. 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday; 2:30 p.m. Sunday. Stage Door Players, 5339 Chamblee-Dunwoody Road, Dunwoody. Details HERE. Tickets HERE or at 770.396.1726. (Pictured, from left: Floyd, Waldrip, Wood and Meadows. Photo by L. Todd Fleeman)

Mary Poppins. OPENING TUESDAY. The practically perfect nanny pops into the Fox Theatre for an eight-show run of the stage musical. New songs by George Stiles and Anthony Drewe augment the original Oscar-winning score by the Sherman brothers (Richard and Robert). Presented by Theater of the Stars. $23-$58. Through April 7. 8 p.m. Tuesday-Friday; 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday; and 1:30 and 7 p.m. Sunday. Fox Theatre, 660 Peachtree St. N.E. Details, tickets HERE or at 1.855.ATL-TIXX. Meet actor Con O’Shea-Creal, who plays the chimney sweep Bert, in this Encore FEATURE.

Petite Rouge. OPENING FRIDAY. A swamp chorus sings backup in Synchronicity Theatre‘s foot-stomping zydeco musical. Imagine a Cajun Red Riding Hood (she’s a duck), with a big, bad gator in the wolf role, and a wild chase through Mardi Gras. From Joan Cushing, the playwright/composer of the Junie B. Jones and Miss Nelson musicals. With  plenty of wit, it’s definitely not just for the kids. Good for ages 4 to 104. A co-production with Aurora Theatre, and back by popular demand. $12-$40. Through Aug. 21. 10 a.m. Tuesday-Wednesday; 7:30 p.m. Friday; 3 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday; and 2 and 5 p.m. Sunday (no 2 p.m. show Easter Sunday). At Horizon Theatre, 1083 Austin Ave. N.E. Details, tickets HERE or at 404.484.8636. For discounts, visit PoshDealz.com.

True Colors Spring Play Reading Series. Professional actors read three scripts over three days and the audience helps decide which plays will be featured in True Colors Theatre Company‘s upcoming season. All readings start at  7 p.m. On Wednesday: Fraternity by Jeffrey Stetson. On April 4: The Dance of the Holy Ghost by Marcus Gardley. On April 5: Smart People by Lydia Diamond (pictured). Free! Southwest Arts Center, 915 New Hope Road S.W. For details go HERE or call 404.532.1901. Read about the series in this Encore STORY.

The Whipping Man. This crackling three-actor drama, set in Richmond at the close of the Civil War, is among the most popular titles at American regional theaters this season. Playwright Matthew Lopez’s 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 cast: Jeremy Aggers, Keith Randolph Smith and John Stewart. The critics: “An intriguing allegory, with its new angle on a complicated milieu … but in the end it doesn’t quite make good on its promise” (Andrew Alexander, ArtsATL.com); “An intensely dark drama, gothic in every contour, chilling to the bone. … [It] feeds an audience hungry for tales of love, war, faith and the epic wrong of slavery” (Wendell Brock, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution). 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. Meet actor John Stewart in this Encore SNAPSHOT.

Zorro. PREVIEWS BEGIN WEDNESDAY | OPENS APRIL 10. From the American West comes the legend of Zorro, a fighter of corruption and lover of beautiful women. This flamenco extravaganza, which has played Europe and London’s West End, comes to the Alliance Theatre in a new American adaptation featuring songs from the Gipsy Kings. $30-$70. Alliance Theatre mainstage, 1280 Peachtree St. N.E. Details, tickets HERE or at 404.733.5000. For discounts (April 3, 4 and 7 only), visit PoshDealz.com. Read more about the score and the Gipsy Kings 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 is affiliated with Synchronicity Theatre mentioned above. Please email: kathy@encoreatlanta.com.