Looking for something cultural to do this weekend and beyond? Our select list of recommendations includes funny, frenzied “One Man, Two Guvnors” at Georgia Shakespeare and — ready or not — the Actor’s Express staging of “The Rocky Horror Show,” complete with several midnight performances. Pictured: “Rocky Horror’s” Janet and Brad (Randi Garza and Benjamin Davis). Photo by BreeAnne Clowdus.
RECOMMENDED
One Man, Two Guvnors. PREVIEWS TONIGHT | THROUGH JULY 27. Georgia Shakespeare bites into this laugh-out-loud mix of satire, song, slapstick comedy and one-liners based on Goldoni’s The Servant of Two Masters (famously staged here in 2007-08). Young local rock band The Head plays live onstage during the show. One Man, Two Guvnors contains naughty bits and language, so parental guidance is encouraged. Check the Georgia Shakespeare website to learn about this season’s new extras. $14-$33. 8 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday. Conant Performing Arts Center at Oglethorpe University, 4484 Peachtree Road N.E. Details, tickets HERE or at 404.504.1473.
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. THROUGH AUG. 2. Serenbe Playhouse produces a signature retelling of the classic L. Frank Baum story with a bookish Dorothy who creates magic in her own backyard with organic visuals created by the Center for Puppetry Arts. Performed outdoors in the Animal Village (enter at The Inn). Bring your own seating. The critics: “In the theatrical landscape of Atlanta, there really is no place like Serenbe” (Wendell Brock, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution). $15; $10 ages 13 and under. 11 a.m. Friday-Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday and July 13, 20 & 27. 10950 Hutcheson Ferry Road, Chattahoochee Hills. Details HERE. Tickets available HERE until one hour before show time, then on-site.
THIS WEEKEND ONLY
The Collision Project. For the 13th summer, the Alliance Theatre has brought together teenagers throughout metro Atlanta for three weeks of intensive workshops, rehearsals and “collisions,” this year with John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath. It culminates in two free performances of Tom Joad’s Blues: An American Odyssey, the piece they’ve written as a result. Free, but reservations are required. 7:30 p.m. Friday; 2:30 p.m. Saturday. Hertz Stage at the Alliance Theatre, Woodruff Arts Center, 1280 Peachtree St. N.E. Details, reservations HERE or at 404.733. 4749. For more, see this ENCORE FEATURE.
OPENING THIS WEEKEND
The Rocky Horror Show. PREVIEWS TONIGHT-FRIDAY | OPENS SATURDAY. Actor’s Express’ 15-member cast invites you to do the “Time Warp” again. Follow innocents Brad and Janet as they seek refuge in a mysterious castle on a rainy night, encountering the lab of Dr. Frank N. Furter and his gaggle of aliens and misfits. Madness and rock ‘n’ roll ensue. Fair warning: Not for kids. Contains strobe lights, haze, adult language, nudity, violence, sex, loud music and aliens. $24 previews (regularly $26-$46). No fees if you buy online. Through Aug. 9. 8 p.m. Wednesday-Friday; 8 p.m. and midnight Saturday (no Sunday shows for this run). King Plow Arts Center, 887 W. Marietta St. Details, tickets HERE or at 404.607.SHOW. Limited discount tickets at PoshDealz.com.
CLOSING THIS WEEKEND
The Little Mermaid. THROUGH SUNDAY. Atlanta debut. Go under the sea with Disney and the mermaid who wants to grow human legs so she can be with the prince she loves. This is a revised version of the musical that ran on Broadway in 2008-09. Presented by Broadway in Atlanta. $30-$90. 7:30 tonight-Friday; 2 & 8 p.m. Saturday; and 1 & 6:30 p.m. Sunday. Fox Theatre, 660 Peachtree St. N.E. Details, tickets HERE or at 855.285.8499. Get up close and personal with the bewitching Liz McCartney (pictured), who plays the evil Ursula, in this ENCORE FEATURE.
NOW PLAYING
Dr. Seuss’s The Cat in the Hat. THROUGH JULY 20. Featuring the Cat in the tall striped hat, Sally and her brother, their pet Fish, and Thing 1 and Thing 2 in an adventure for anyone age 4 and older. Told with rod puppets and animation. $16.60; under 2 free. 10 a.m. & noon Tuesday-Friday; 11 a.m., 1 & 3 p.m. Saturday; and 1 & 3 p.m. Sunday. Center for Puppetry Arts, 1404 Spring St. N.W. Details, tickets HERE or at 404.873.3391.
The Frog Prince. THROUGH JULY 26. Georgia Shakespeare makes merry with a musical retelling of the Grimm Brothers fairy tale about a beautiful princess, a frog and how things aren’t always what they seem. Stay afterward for kids’ crafts, photos with the cast and, after select shows, prince/princess parties with the actors. $10. 11 a.m. Tuesday-Saturday. Conant Performing Arts Center, 4484 Peachtree Road N.E. Details HERE or at 404.504.1473.
Same Time, Next Year. THROUGH AUG. 3. Kenny Leon and Phylicia Rashad play lovers George and Doris, who meet by chance on business in 1951 and, though married to others, promise to rendezvous every year at the same time at the same place. The 1975 script is by Bernard Slade. Directed by Actor’s Express co-founder Chris Coleman, who’s been leading Oregon’s Portland Center Stage for 14 years. Tickets are going fast, plan ahead. $35. Schedule varies. True Colors Theatre Company at the Southwest Arts Center, 915 New Hope Road S.W. Tickets HERE. Directions HERE.
LOOKING AHEAD
Essential Theatre Play Festival. READINGS WEEKLY | SHOWS OPEN JULY 18 & 24. This 16th annual new-play phantasmagoria features a series of readings and two fully produced world premieres, all by Georgia playwrights. At 7:30 p.m. July 14, Perfect Faith by Frankie Little Hardin of Newnan can be heard at the Academy Theatre, 599 North Central Ave., Hapeville. Free, but donations are accepted. That Uganda Play by Theroun Patterson, opens July 18. It’s an epic story that moves from America to Africa and back again, imagining the ghosts of war, political corruption and personal betrayal that might lie behind recent anti-gay legislation in Uganda. Ravens & Seagulls by Karla Jennings opens July 24. It features three women facing the final days of their ailing sister’s life in a drama that is emotionally raw and sometimes painfully funny. $18-$23. West End Performing Arts Center, 945 Ralph David Abernathy Blvd. Details, tickets HERE or at 404.756.6465. For much more, see this ENCORE FEATURE.
Mary Poppins. OPENS JULY 17 | THROUGH AUG. 31. The nanny who’s practically perfect in every way takes flight, literally, at Aurora Theatre. This Broadway version of the story is based on author P.L. Travers’ original tales and the Disney movie. It includes most of the film’s songs, but not all, and a few new ones. Galen Crawley as Poppins, Andy Meeks as Bert and William S. Murphey as George Banks lead a cast of 28. Some shows are already selling out. $30-$50. 8 p.m. Wednesday-Friday; 2:30 & 8 p.m. Saturday; and 2:30 p.m. Sunday. Discount matinees ($20) at 10 a.m. Aug. 6, 13 & 20. No evening show Aug. 6. 128 E. Pike St., Lawrenceville. Free, covered and attached parking in city of Lawrenceville deck at 135 E. Crogan St. Details, tickets HERE or 678.226.6222. (Pictured: Crawley and Meeks. Photo by BreeAnne Clowdus)
Right On. OPENS JULY 18 | THROUGH AUG. 31. Horizon Theatre stages a soul-filled story of laughs, tears and a funky beat from playwright Darren Canady, the 2007 winner of the Alliance/Kendeda National Graduate Playwriting Competition (False Creeds). His story features the reunion of former black radicals and the education of one of their sons. The cast: Donna Biscoe, Marguerite Hannah, Tonia Jackson, Dane Troy, Minka Wiltz and LaParee Young. Contains strong language and adult situations. Recommended for ages 13 and up. Staged in conjunction with the National Black Arts Festival. $20-$30. 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.
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Kathy Janich, Encore Atlanta’s managing editor, has been seeing, working in or covering the performing arts for most of her life. Please email: kathy@encoreatlanta.com.
