Looking for something cultural to do in the next week or so? Here’s our select list of recommendations. Pictured: Steve Hudson as the musicals-loving Man in Chair in the smart, frothy “The Drowsy Chaperone” at Aurora Theatre through April 14. Photo: Ken Mucke.

The Cherry Orchard. OPENING TONIGHT. Theater Emory, with its mix of professional and student actors, stages this Chekhov classic, written when the playwright knew he was dying. This moving comedy about the necessity of letting go of what one loves is peopled by childish misfits who live in the past or the future but never the present. The cast includes Janice Akers, Mark Cabus, James Donadio and Clinton Wade Thornton. Tim McDonough directs. $20. 7 tonight-Saturday and April 10-13; 2 p.m. Sunday and April 14. April 10 is pay-what-you-can at the door. Mary Gray Munroe Theatre at Dobbs University Center, 605 Asbury Circle, Emory University. Details, tickets HERE or at 404.727.5050

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. 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 showgirl Kitty, 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: Kyle Brumley as troubled young man Alan Strang. Photo by BreeAnne Clowdus)

The Fabulous Lipitones. WORLD PREMIERE. A small-town barbershop quartet must find a new tenor when one of its founders drops dead mid-performance. Enlisting an Indian Sikh who can sing but has dubious immigration credentials, makes the National Competition even more nail-biting. Fun barbershop harmonies prop up a predictable script. 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. FINAL WEEK. Meet George, the last giant Galapagos tortoise ever, along with sea turtles, lizards, hungry goats, sea lions, dancing blue-footed 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. 10 and 11:30 a.m. Friday; 11 a.m., 1 and 3 p.m. Saturday; and 1 and 3 p.m. Center for Puppetry Arts, 1404 Spring St. N.W.  Details, tickets HERE or at 404.873.3391.

I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change. This off-Broadway hit, done a decade ago at Horizon Theatre, takes a sketch-comedy/musical theater look at the dating-and-mating game. 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.

Julius Caesar. PREVIEWS TONIGHT-FRIDAY | OPENS SATURDAY. The New American Shakespeare Tavern becomes ancient Rome in this exploration of all of your favorite things — political intrigue, ambition, betrayal, conspiracy and murder. Victor Love (pictured) is Caesar. The Tavern offers a pub menu and beer. $15-$36. Through April 28. 7:30 p.m. Thursday-Saturday; and 6:30 p.m. Sunday. 499 Peachtree St. N.E. Details, tickets HERE or at 404.874.5299.

Mary Poppins. CLOSES SUNDAY. The practically perfect nanny pops into the Fox Theatre with some tuneful lessons. 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. 8 tonight-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. 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.  Back by popular demand. $12-$40. Through April 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. At Horizon Theatre, 1083 Austin Ave. N.E. Details, tickets HERE or at 404.484.8636. For discounts, visit PoshDealz.com. Meet ensemble member Michael Stiggers in this Encore SNAPSHOT. (Pictured: A rare still moment for the hustling, versatile, three-person ensemble, from left, Jessica De Maria, Michael Stiggers and Taryn Janelle.)

The Whipping Man. FINAL WEEK. 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. 7:30 tonight; 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. (Pictured: Keith Randolph Smith and Jeremy Aggers. Photo by Greg Mooney.)

Zorro. IN PREVIEWS | OPENS WEDNESDAY. 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. Through May 5. 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. Alliance Theatre mainstage, 1280 Peachtree St. N.E. Details, tickets HERE or at 404.733.5000. For discounts (tonight and April 7 and 9 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.

About Kathy Janich

Kathy Janich is a longtime arts journalist who has been seeing, working in or writing about the performing arts for most of her life. She's a member of the Theatre Communications Group, the Literary Managers and Dramaturgs of the Americas, Americans for the Arts and the National Arts Marketing Project. Full disclosure: She’s also an artistic associate at Synchronicity Theatre.

View all posts by Kathy Janich