Looking for something cultural to do this weekend and beyond? Our select list of recommendations includes “Oklahoma!”, done Serenbe Playhouse style with Edward McCreary (left) and Bryant Smith as rivals Curly and Jud Fry. Photo by BreeAnne Clowdus.
RECOMMENDED
Mary Poppins. THROUGH AUG. 31. The nanny who’s practically perfect takes flight, literally, at Aurora Theatre, supported by 27 regular humans and a live orchestra. This Broadway version of the story is based on author P.L. Travers’ original tales and the Disney movie. Some shows are already selling out; check before you go. Justin Anderson (last season’s Les Miserables) directs. The critics: “How cool to think a new generation of theatergoers will be exposed to the silly pleasures of ‘Chim Chim Cher-ee’ … Like Bert, we are all ‘as lucky as lucky can be’ ” (Wendell Brock, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution). $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. Discount tickets at PoshDealz.com. (Pictured: Andy Meeks as Bert and Galen Crawley as Mary Poppins. Photo by Chris Bartelski.)
Oklahoma! THROUGH AUG. 17. Serenbe Playhouse emphasizes the dark side of the classic Rodgers & Hammerstein musical about farmers, cowmen, their loves and desires. The critics: “The most magical production of the 1943 classic I’ve ever seen” (Wendell Brock, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution); “A sturdy enough production but not the bravura staging it could have been” (Jim Farmer, ArtsATL); “Finds the resonance, subtlety and subtext all just beneath the homespun surface” (Manning Harris, Atlanta INtown). $15-$30. 8:30 p.m. Thursday-Sunday. This site-specific piece is performed at the Hay Barn, circa 1905, at The Inn, 10950 Hutcheson Ferry Road, Chattahoochee Hills. There are horses, too. Follow signs to “show today/parking.” Tickets HERE until one hour before show, then available on-site. Details HERE or at 770.463.1110. Discount tickets at PoshDealz.com.
CLOSING THIS WEEKEND
Guyi-Guyi: The Other Ugly Duckling. CLOSES SUNDAY. The acclaimed Spanish puppet company Periferia Teatro de Títeres performs its version of the famous tale. In this one, a crocodile is accidentally born into a family of ducks and lives happily until he meets another croc and learns his true identity. Told with rod and tabletop puppets. Recommended for ages 4 and older. $16.50; under 2 free. 10 a.m. and noon today-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.
NOW PLAYING
Ravens & Seagulls. THROUGH AUG. 17. World premiere. This co-winner of the Essential Theatre Play Festival features three women who face the final days of their ailing sister’s life. The drama, by Atlanta playwright Karla Jennings, is described as “emotionally raw and painfully funny.” The critics: “Jennings’ writing is remarkably thoughtful and moving” (Bert Osborne, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution).$18-$23. Performances at 8 p.m. Aug, 1, 4, 6, 9, 12-15 and 2 p.m. Aug. 10 & 17. West End Performing Arts Center, 945 Ralph David Abernathy Blvd. Details, tickets HERE or at 404.756.6465. Discount tickets at PoshDealz.com. For more, see this ENCORE FEATURE. (Pictured, from left, Gina Rickicki, Suzanne Roush and Jill Perry. Photo by Stungun.)
Right On. THROUGH AUG. 31. Horizon Theatre stages this story from playwright Darren Canady, the 2007 winner of the Alliance/Kendeda National Graduate Playwriting Competition (False Creeds). It 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. The critics: “Right On is billed as ‘a soul-filled story with laughs, tears and a funky beat.’ In the end, two out of three ain’t bad” (Bert Osborne, The Atlanta Journal Constitution). $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. (Pictured: LaParee Young, Donna Biscoe. Photo by Bradley Hester.)
The Rocky Horror Show. THROUGH AUG. 9. 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. Not for kids. Contains strobe lights, haze, adult language, nudity, violence, sex, loud music and aliens. The critics: “A fun, light-as-a-feather-boa production to see in the summertime, but the feeling … is very Halloween, so it occasionally feels out of place” (Andrew Alexander, ArtsATL.com). $26-$46. No fees if you buy online. 8 p.m. Wednesday-Friday; 8 p.m. & midnight Saturday (no Sunday shows). King Plow Arts Center, 887 W. Marietta St. Details, tickets HERE or at 404.607.SHOW.
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. THROUGH AUG. 17. Serenbe Playhouse has broken its own box-office records with this signature retelling of the classic story featuring a bookish Dorothy who creates magic in her own backyard with organic visuals (from the Center for Puppetry Arts). Don’t expect Judy Garland or a musical. 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. 10950 Hutcheson Ferry Road, Chattahoochee Hills. Details HERE. Tickets available HERE until one hour before show time, then on-site.
LOOKING AHEAD
Moxie. AUG. 9 ONLY. One of three showcase performances from the Atlanta Artists Lab, a new commitment to local artists from the Alliance Theatre. Actor-writers Brian Kurlander and Lane Carlock have teamed with director-dramaturg Elisa Carlson to chronicle the journey of a book handmade by a Marine for his son before being killed in Afghanistan. Moxie details the many lives the book touches. Free; reservations recommended. 1 p.m. Hertz Stage, Alliance Theatre, Woodruff Arts Center, 1280 Peachtree St. N.E. Reservations HERE or at 404.733.5000. For more, see this ENCORE FEATURE.
The Projects Project. AUG. 8 ONLY. Also part of the Atlanta Artists Lab. Atlanta actor-writer Ellen McQueen is the driving force behind this theater piece built from the true stories of people who grew up in the “war zone” of Atlanta housing projects. It includes spoken word, visual images, music and dance. Free; reservations recommended. 7 p.m. Hertz Stage, Alliance Theatre, Woodruff Arts Center, 1280 Peachtree St. N.E. Reservations HERE or at 404.733.5000. For more, see this ENCORE FEATURE.
Uprising. AUG. 9 ONLY. Also part of the Atlanta Artists Lab. Gabrielle Fulton’s piece, pegged to the sesquicentennial of the Emanicipation Proclamation, examines notions of freedom in a play that looks at liberty, self-determination and sacrifice in a free black community in Secession-era America. Free; reservations recommended. 8 p.m. Hertz Stage, Alliance Theatre, Woodruff Arts Center, 1280 Peachtree St. N.E. Reservations HERE or at 404.733.5000. For more, see this ENCORE FEATURE.
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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.
