Looking for something cultural to do in the next week or so? Here’s our select list of recommendations. Pictured: Dance Truck in action. Photo by Jason Travis.
RECOMMENDED
Metamorphoses. THROUGH JULY 21. Everybody into the pool! Put Georgia Shakespeare‘s reprise of this 2005 hit on your must-see list. This beautiful, bawdy, raucous and heartbreaking piece tells 10 stories about what it means to be human. The 2002 Broadway hit from creator Mary Zimmerman is based on the myths of Ovid, an ancient Roman poet, and it does place in pool. Producing Artistic Director Richard Garner again directs, and even if you’ve seen it before, there is much that’s new to admire. The critics: “Theatrical lightning does indeed strike twice” (Bert Osborne, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution); “As Atlanta audiences saw when the company did the show in 2005 and again in 2007, it’s a gorgeous, smart, funny, sexy production. Those who haven’t seen it yet will certainly want to catch it this time around” (Andrew Alexander, ArtsATL.com). Contains brief nudity. $13.08-$44.86. 8 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday. Additional shows: 2 p.m. June 29 and July 6; 7 p.m. June 30 and July 7. No show July 4. Conant Performing Arts Center, Oglethorpe University, 4484 Peachtree Road N.E. Details, tickets HERE or at 404.504.1473. Discount vouchers at PoshDealz.com. (Pictured: Travis Smith and Tess Malis Kincaid. Photo by Greg Mooney.)
The Velveteen Rabbit. THROUGH JULY 27. Travel to a time when toys were sewn by hand and modern technology was not all the rage. Serenbe Playhouse‘s third season opens with this original adaptation (set just after the Civil War) of the Margery Williams classic about a toy rabbit that longs to be real. The critics: “Imaginative, playful and often interactive” (Jim Farmer, ArtsATL.com). All Serenbe shows are performed outdoors. This one is in the Grange Creek area, behind Fern’s Market. Please bring your own seating. $15; $10 age 13 and under. 11 a.m. Friday-Saturday. 9110 Selborne Lane, Palmetto, about 30 minutes from Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. Details, tickets HERE or at 770.463.1110. Half-price tickets (July 6, 13, 20 shows) at PoshDealz.com.
THIS WEEKEND ONLY
Cirque Musica. SUNDAY ONLY. Imagine the grace and thrills of some of the world’s top circus performers and the glorious sounds of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. That’s what the ASO and the Texas-born Cirque Musica offer for one night only. It’s all about entertaining families in a fun way. $15-$45. 7:30 p.m. Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre at Encore Park, 2200 Encore Parkway in Alpharetta. Details HERE. Tickets HERE. For ticket discounts, visit PoshDealz.com.
Dance Truck Returns. FRIDAY ONLY. Dance Truck brings dance to the people by offering a unique and portable venue — a truck — to present some of Atlanta’s finest dancers. The group cultivates new audiences, collaborations and conversations for dance makers. The company on wheels is led by co-founder and artistic director Malina Rodriguez. On Friday it presents new works by BEATRIX, Kala Seidenberg, Erik Thurmond and guest artists tEEth. The performance takes place in the driveway surrounding the magnolia tree at the Arts Exchange. 7-10 p.m. $10 at door. 750 Glenwood Ave. S.E. Details at atldancetruck@gmail.com or 971.404.7228.
Hooray for Hollywood. 7:30 TONIGHT-SUNDAY. Singer extraordinaire Libby Whittemore (left) closes out her season at Actor’s Express with a celebration of music from the movies. Hear “Moon River,” “Misty” “Georgy Girl,” “The Way We Were” and many more. Whittemore is joined by Atlanta singers Lisa Paige and Wendy Melkonian as well as the Robert Strickland combo. $40 online, $42 at the box office or by phone (plus fees). Details, tickets HERE or at 404.607.SHOW. King Plow Arts Center, 887 W. Marietta St. Note: The King Plow parking lot is undergoing renovations. Please go HERE to see your parking options.
Singing Out Proud: From ABBA to Gaga. 8 P.M. FRIDAY; 4:15 AND 8 P.M. SATURDAY. The Atlanta Gay Men’s Chorus closes Atlanta Pride’s Stonewall Month with this concert. The first act features the newly commissioned piece “I Am Harvey Milk,” named for the openly gay elected official murdered in San Francisco in 1978. $30 plus fees. Glenn Memorial Auditorium at Emory University, 1660 N. Decatur Road. Details, tickets HERE.
OPENING THIS WEEKEND
A Walk in the Woods. OPENS TONIGHT. Can major change happen with a simple walk in the woods? That’s the question asked in A Walk in the Woods at Serenbe Playhouse, in which two superpower arms negotiators — a Russian and an American — meet outside Geneva, Switzerland, to negotiate nuclear disarmament. Cast: Robin Bloodworth and Allan Edwards. Lee Blessing’s 1987 drama was a Pulitzer Prize nominee and is based on a real-life series of meetings in 1982. Performed in the clearing at the Serenbe Farmers and Artists Market. Through July 14. $25 plus fees; $20 students. 8:30 p.m. Thursday-Sunday. 9110 Selborne Lane, Palmetto, about 30 minutes from Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. Details, tickets HERE. Half-price tickets (June 29, July 5-6, 12-13 shows) at PoshDealz.com. (Pictured: Robin Bloodworth, left, and Allan Edwards. Photo by BreeAnne Clowdus.)
STILL PLAYING
Dementia Juice. THROUGH JULY 27. Dad’s Garage Theatre Company says goodbye to its memory-filled mainstage with this off-kilter, puppet-filled ride to hell, aka the in-laws’ house. The plot: Making a good first impression on a girlfriend’s parents is pretty hard to do when the walls are melting, everyone’s faces keep swapping and her dad catches on fire. This is either a Dalí painting or a serious acid trip! This scripted comedy uses moving set pieces, masks and puppets to help the audience experience what the main character does. Written and directed by Dad’s Artistic Director Kevin Gillese and Michael Haverty (7 Stages, the Object Group, etc.). $7-$28 (pay-what-you-can show at 8 p.m. July 1). 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday. 280 Elizabeth St. N.E. Details, tickets HERE or at 404.523.3141. Buy online and save. Read more about Dad’s imminent, involuntary move from Inman Park in this Encore FEATURE.
Dr. Seuss’ The Cat in the Hat. THOUGH JULY 28. The Center for Puppetry Arts teams with the rhythm doc for this Atlanta premiere. Go totally Seussian with the Cat in the Hat and Thing 1 and Thing 2. Told with rod puppets and animation. Originally produced by the National Theatre of Great Britain. Directed here by Jon Ludwig. $16.50 non-members; $9.25 members. 10 a.m. and noon Tuesday-Friday; 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Saturday; and 1 and 3 p.m. Sunday. Closed July 4. 1404 Spring St. N.W. at 18th Street. Details, tickets HERE, at tickets@puppet.org or 404.873.3391.
Samurai Davis Jr. and Dim Sum’s Super Mega Happy Fun Time Improv Show. THROUGH JULY 26. Dad’s Garage Theater Company‘s improvised Japanese game show returns with peanut butter lap dances, cheeseburger milkshakes, karaoke flash mobs, non-English-speaking hosts and sassy sailor girls. $14-$26. 10:30 p.m. Friday. Dad’s Garage mainstage, 280 Elizabeth St. N.E. Details, tickets HERE or at 404.523.3141. Buy online and save. Read more about Dad’s move from Inman Park in this Encore FEATURE.
LOOKING AHEAD
5 Lesbians Eating a Quiche. OPENS WEDNESDAY. Weird Sisters Theatre Project, a company committed to creating theater by women, for everyone, opens a two-show summer season with this clever comedy by Evan Linder and Andrew Hobgood. It’s 1956 and the Susan B. Anthony Society for the Sisters of Gertrude Stein are having their annual quiche breakfast. Will a Communist strike interrupt their idyll? The cast: Jaclyn Hofmann, Bryan Lee, Tiffany Porter, Megan Rose and Annie York. Kelly Criss directs. $15. 7:30 p.m. July 3, 9-10 and 15 (limited Shakespeare Tavern menu available); and 10:30 p.m. July 5-6, 12-13. The New American Shakespeare Tavern, 499 Peachtree St. N.E. Details, tickets HERE or at 404.874.5299.
Mighty Myths and Legends. OPENS TUESDAY. In this family play at Georgia Shakespeare, a Nordic god puts his strength to the test, a magical mermaid wanders too far from home and a young man learns the meaning of trust when his mysterious wife has a secret. The greatest legends of human history come together in this action-packed original play adapted from international myths and legends, telling very modern stories about love, consequences and transformation. Through July 20. 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. Tuesday; 11 a.m. Wednesday-Saturday (no show July 4; no 7 p.m. show July 16). $13.08. Conant Performing Arts Center, Oglethorpe University, 4484 Peachtree Road N.E. Details, tickets HERE or at 404.504.1473. Discount vouchers at PoshDealz.com.
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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 Weird Sisters Theatre Project listed above. Please email: kathy@encoreatlanta.com.
