Want to get your culture on this weekend? Our recommendations include “Silent Sky,” by Decatur-born, San Francisco-based playwright Lauren Gunderson. Pictured are Elizabeth Diane Wells as real-life American astronomer Henrietta Leavitt and Brandon Partrick as Peter Shaw, a top astronomer’s apprentice and maybe the man in Leavitt’s life. Photo by BreeAnne Clowdus.
RECOMMENDED
Les Misérables. THROUGH MARCH 1. The revolution returns — if you can get a ticket. Aurora Theatre reprises its 2013 hit, winner of five Suzi Bass awards (including best musical), with most of its original cast. Check the website for sellouts before you make plans. At last check, seats are available beginning Feb. 18. $30-$50. 8 p.m. Wednesday-Friday; 2:30 + 8 p.m. Saturday; and 2:30 p.m. Sunday. 128 E. Pike St., Lawrenceville. Free, covered, attached parking in city of Lawrenceville deck at 153 E. Crogan St. Details, tickets HERE or at 678.226.6222.
Roméo et Juliette. CLOSES SATURDAY. Atlanta Ballet reprises this popular story ballet choreographed by Jean-Christophe Maillot, who digs deep into the power of young, forbidden love. Last season’s AJC review said, “Audiences should pack a tissue or two and see this.” $23-$124. 8 nightly. Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, 2800 Cobb Galleria Parkway. Details, tickets HERE. Ticket discounts (tonight only) at PoshDealz.com. (Pictured: Christian Clark and Alessa Rogers. Photo by Charlie McCullers)
Silent Sky. IN PREVIEWS | OPENS SATURDAY. Make this a must-see. Decatur-born, San Francisco-based playwright Lauren Gunderson (Exit, Pursued by a Bear; Emilie: La Marquise Du Chatelet Defends Her Life Tonight; the award-winning I and You) makes her Theatrical Outfit debut with this luminous script about real-life American astronomer Henrietta Leavitt (1868-1921), who must deal with dismissive male colleagues and family disapproval as she fights to understand the stars. The cast: Elizabeth Diane Wells as Leavitt, with Cynthia Barrett, Carolyn Cook, Deadra Moore and Brandon Partrick. $20-$35. Through March 1. 7:30 p.m. Thursday-Saturday; 2:30 p.m. Sunday. Also at 2:30 p.m. Feb. 21 + 28. Balzer Theater at Herren’s, 84 Luckie St. N.W. Tickets, details HERE or at 678.528.1500. Ticket discounts at PoshDealz.com.
THIS WEEKEND ONLY
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. THROUGH SUNDAY. These unforgettable athlete-dancers make their annual Atlanta stop with six performances that showcase 10 works, including the signature piece “Revelations” and the new “Odetta,” a tribute to American singer-songwriter and activist Odetta Holmes. $19.50-$70. 8 tonight-Friday; 2 + 8 p.m. Saturday; and 3 p.m. Sunday. Fox Theatre, 660 Peachtree St. N.E. Details HERE, tickets HERE or at 855.285.8499. For more, see this ENCORE FEATURE. (Pictured: Glenn Allen Sims and Linda Celeste Sims. Yes, they’re married. Photo by Andrew Eccles)
From the Heart. FRIDAY-SATURDAY. The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra invites you to spend your Valentine’s holiday with pops conductor Michael Krajewski and singer-songwriter Tony DeSare. Desare, a jazz pianist, favors the Great American Songbook – Irving Berlin, George Gershwin – as well as more contemporary tunes. $25-$89. 8 nightly. Atlanta Symphony Hall, Woodruff Arts Center, 1280 Peachtree St. N.E. Details, tickets HERE or at 404.733.5000. Discounted tickets at PoshDealz.com.
The Meeting. THROUGH SUNDAY. Jeff Stetson’s drama imagines a meeting between Malcolm X and the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., who differ in philosophy but share a mutual respect as they debate social problems and the possibility of death. Featuring Paris Crayton III and Marcus Emel. Performance only ($20) at 8 tonight and 6 p.m. Sunday. Dinner-show performances ($75; doors open at 6 p.m., dinner is at 7 p.m.) Friday-Saturday. West End Performing Arts Center, 945 Ralph David Abernathy Blvd. Tickets HERE. Details HERE or at 407.218.0202.
My Family Valentine. SATURDAY. The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra showcases classical favorites based on great love stories, including Cinderella, Romeo and Juliet and Sleeping Beauty. Joseph Young, assistant conductor and Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra music director, is on the podium. $20-$40 in advance. 11 a.m. Atlanta Symphony Hall, Woodruff Arts Center, 1280 Peachtree St. N.E. Details, tickets HERE or at 404.733.5000.
NEW THIS WEEKEND
4000 Miles. THROUGH MARCH 1. A quirky dramatic comedy from playwright Amy Herzog about a 91-year-old grandmother and 21-year-old grandson who become roommates after he travels around the country by bicycle. A a 2013 Pulitzer Prize finalist and winner of the 2012 Obie Award for best new off-Broadway play. Mary Lynn Owen and Barrett Doyle play the unlikely roommates. Also in the cast: Kelly Criss and Shelly Delgado. $20-$30. 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday; 2:30 p.m. Sunday. At Aurora Theatre. Harvel Lab, 128 E. Pike St., Lawrenceville. Free, covered, attached parking in city of Lawrenceville deck at 153 E. Crogan St. Details, tickets HERE or at 678.226.6222.
The C.A. Lyons Project. PREVIEWS BEGIN FRIDAY| OPENS FEB. 18. The winner of the 2015 Alliance/Kendeda National Graduate Playwriting Competition. Winning playwright Tsehaye Hébert combines dance and theater to tell this story, set in the 1980s, where the founder of a dynamic African-American dance company is scrambling to choreograph while gravely ill. Also caught up in the battle: Three female dancers, each of whom is affected by what’s happening to him. Note: Contains brief nudity. $38. 8 p.m. this Friday, Feb. 20, 27 and March 6; 8 p.m. this Saturday; 2:30 + 8 p.m. Feb. 21, 28 and March 7; 2:30 + 7:30 p.m. this Sunday, Feb. 22 and March 1; and 7:30 p.m. Feb. 17-19, 24-26 and March 3-5. Woodruff Arts Center, Alliance Theatre, Hertz Stage, 1280 Peachtree St. N.E. Details, tickets HERE or at 404.733.5000. For more on the playwright, see this ENCORE FEATURE and the blue box on this page.
Detroit ’67. THROUGH MARCH 8. It’s 1967 in Detroit, and Motown is the sound. Chelle and brother Lank turn their basement into a late-night hot spot to make ends meet but, when they clash, their feelings erupt, as does much of the city, and they find themselves caught in the middle of Motor City’s ‘67 riots. Detroit ’67 won a 2014 Kennedy Center award for drama, and street cred from The New York Times, which called it “crackling with humor.” True Colors Theatre at the Southwest Arts Center, 915 New Hope Road. Details, tickets HERE or at 877.725.8849. For more, see this ENCORE FEATURE. (Pictured: Tinashe Kajese-Bolden and E. Roger Mitchell. Photo by Josh Lamkin)
StinkyKids the Musical. OPENS FRIDAY | THROUGH MARCH 8. Synchronicity and Aurora theaters partner to present this family musical based on the Britt Menzies books and characters. Britt, Max, Hannah, Jen, Johnny and Billy plan to visit the new MegaJumper 3000, but the situation gets sticky when Britt wakes up with gum in her hair. $10-$40. 7:30 p.m. Friday; 1 + 4 p.m. Saturday; and 2 + 5 p.m. Sunday. Synchronicity Theatre at Peachtree Pointe, 1545 Peachtree St. N.E. Details, tickets HERE or at 404.484.8636.
NOW PLAYING
Bad Jews. THROUGH FEB. 22. A comedy with bite first developed by playwright Joshua Harmon during an Actor’s Express residency. Cousins clash over religion and everything else when thrown together for a family funeral. The fine cast features Suzi Bass Award-winner Galen Crawley, Wyatt Fenner (last season’s Pluto), Rachel DeJulio and Louis Gregory. Some shows are selling out. Check the website before you go. $20-$32 (parking $5). 8 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday. King Plow Arts Center, 887 W. Marietta St. Tickets, details HERE or at 404.875.1606.
fml: how Carson McCullers saved my life. THROUGH FEB. 22. 7 Stages presents Sarah Gubbins’ story about a lesbian teenager’s daily struggle to avoid being noticed, survive bullying and embrace one teacher’s determination to provide hope. Inspired by Carson McCullers’ The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter. $18 + $22.50. 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday; 5 p.m. Sunday. Also at 2 p.m. Feb. 21. Post-show talks tonight + Feb. 19. 1105 Euclid Ave. N.E. Details, tickets HERE or at 404.523.7647. (Pictured, from left: Kyle Segar, Allie Ficken and Renita James)
Jane, the Fox and Me (Jane, renard, et moi). THROUGH FEB. 22. Théâtre du Rêve (Theatre of the Dream) tells the story of a young girl struggling with her self-image, who finds solace in Jane Eyre and a visiting fox. Adapted from the graphic novel, with animated projections and sound. Runs about 35 minutes, followed by a 25-minute talkback on empathy and bullying behavior. $5-$15. Performances in English at 2 p.m. Friday-Saturday and Feb. 22, and 7:30 p.m. Feb. 17. Performance in French at 10 a.m. Feb. 21. 7 Stages, 1105 Euclid Ave. N.E. Tickets HERE. For details, email [email protected] or call 404.875.3829.
Tuck Everlasting. THROUGH FEB. 22. A young girl dreaming of adventure meets a family with a fascinating secret, a chance encounter that changes them all forever. A world premiere musical at the Alliance Theatre, based on Natalie Babbitt’s 1975 novel. The script, direction and choreography are by a team of Tony Award winners and nominees. For ages 10 and up. $21-$60. 7:30 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday; 8 p.m. Friday; 2 + 8 p.m. Saturday; and 2:30 + 7:30 p.m. Sunday. Alliance Theatre mainstage, Woodruff Arts Center, 1280 Peachtree St. N.E. Details, tickets HERE or at 404.733.5000. For more on the show, see this ENCORE FEATURE. (Pictured: Three-time Tony Award nominee Terrence Mann as the Man in the Yellow Suit with, from left, Jessica Lee Goldyn and Lisa Gadj. Photo by Greg Mooney)
NEXT WEEK
Midori. FEB. 19 + 21. One of today’s greatest violinists joins the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra for Schumann’s Violin Concerto. Also on the program: Mendelssohn’s Overture to A Midsummer Night’s Dream; the Prelude and “Good Friday Spell” from Wagner’s Parsifal and the Prelude to Wagner’s Die Meistersinger. Music director Robert Spano is on the podium. $29-$104. 8 p.m. Thursday; 7:30 p.m. Saturday. Atlanta Symphony Hall, Woodruff Arts Center, 1280 Peachtree St. N.E. Details, tickets HERE or at 404.733.5000.
Wicked. OPENS TUESDAY | THROUGH MARCH 8. The musical blockbuster returns for a third time. The story: Long before Dorothy drops in, two other girls meet in the Land of Oz. One — born with emerald-green skin — is smart, fiery and misunderstood. The other is beautiful, ambitious and popular. See how two unlikely friends become the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good. Wicked, winner of three 2004 Tony awards, is in its 12th year on Broadway. $33 and up. 7:30 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday; 8 p.m. Friday; 2 + 8 p.m. Saturday; and 1 + 6:30 p.m. Sunday. Also at 1 p.m. Feb. 19. Fox Theatre, 660 Peachtree St. N.E. Details, tickets HERE or at 855.285.8499.
::
Kathy Janich, Encore Atlanta’s managing editor, has been seeing, working in or writing about the performing arts for most of her life. Full disclosure: She is affiliated with Synchronicity Theatre listed above. Please email: [email protected].
