WELCOME TO OUR weekly curated column. Feature photo: (l-r) Marcello Audino, Sean Doherty, Kenny Tran in Men with Money at Aurora Theatre, now extended through April 14! Photo by Chris Bartelski.
Opening this weekend
Maria de Buenos Aires. Runs March 28 to April 7. The Atlanta Opera @ Le Maison Rouge at Paris on Ponce. Experience Astor Piazzolla’s opera Maria de Buenos Aires, the story of a tango-obsessed prostitute who is said to have been born on a day “when God was drunk.” Full of enthralling storytelling and singing, the story follows Maria’s story as she is enchanted by the rhythms of the tango. Tragedy ensues as Maria is killed and returns as a ghost to haunt the sordid streets of Buenos Aires which she once walked. Tickets and info on The Atlanta Opera website.
Still running
Angry, Raucous, and Shamelessly Gorgeous. Runs March 20 – April 14. Alliance Theatre. Actress Anna Campbell and director Betty Samson accepted jobs in Amsterdam in the mid-1970’s, thinking these temporary positions would allow them to escape critics of their performance of scenes from August Wilson’s Fences that ignited a major theatrical controversy and came to be known forever after as ‘Naked Wilson.’ Though they thought the stay would be temporary, it is now 25 years later. Anna and Betty have received invitations to return to the states and attend a performance of their infamous piece. While Betty is confident in their return, Anna is uncertain about the homecoming after so many years in a self-imposed exile. She grows more concerned upon meeting Pete who has been cast in Anna’s role in the performance. Pete, an ambitious young actress whose previous experience is limited to adult entertainment, and Anna must learn to listen and appreciate each other’s perspectives and build bridges across generations. The women of Angry, Raucous and Shamelessly Gorgeous discover that there is as much to learn as there is to teach. Info on the Alliance Theatre website. Discount tickets at PoshDealz.com.
Falsettos. Runs March 20 – April 28. Actor’s Express. Falsettos is a musical with a book by William Finn and James Lapine, and music and lyrics by Finn. The show consists of March of the Falsettos and Falsettoland, the last two installments in one trio of one-act Off-Broadway musicals. When Marvin leaves Trina, his wife, for a young man named Whizzer, the pair and their precocious son work to salvage both their family ties and the plans for their son’s bar mitzvah. Included in the mix are a lovesick psychiatrist and the two lesbians next door. These characters navigate both happiness and heartbreak in this unique and touching musical. The show has its Broadway premiere in 1992 and was revived in 2016. Info on the Actor’s Express website. Discount tickets at PoshDealz.com.
Extended!
Hedwig and the Angry Inch. Now through April 6. Pinch ‘n’ Ouch Theatre. This groundbreaking show tells the story of “internationally ignored song stylist” Hedwig Schmidt, who is a fourth-wall smashing East German rock ‘n’ roll goddess and the victim of a botched sex-change operation (which left her with just “an angry inch”). This touching and unexpectedly comedic story is performed as a rock ‘n’ roll gig/stand-up comedy routine backed by the hard-rocking band “The Angry Inch.” Through monologue and song, Hedwig shares her story from the former East Berlin to meeting an American GI and travelling to the United States – a tale that entertains, delights, and inspires. Tickets and info on the Pinch n Ouch Theatre website.
Men with Money. Now through April 14. Aurora Theatre. Set in 1950s New York, Men With Money is a subversive, Technicolor romp about three young men looking to find wealthy spouses. Louis, Max, and Sonny are charming, young, eligible. With two of them looking for husbands and the other looking for a wife, they may just have the charm and chutzpah to pull off their own rags to riches story. With book and lyrics by Bill Nelson, and music and additional lyrics by Joseph Trefler, this new musical is full of dreams, schemes, and lavish musical numbers. Info on the Aurora Theatre website. Discount tickets at PoshDealz.com.
Shenandoah. Now through April 14. Serenbe Playhouse. Join Serenbe Playhouse for Shenandoah, the story of one Shenandoah Valley family’s struggle to survive the upheaval of the Civil War. Charlie Anderson, a pacifist widower and the family’s patriarch, cannot continue to avoid the war happening around him after his youngest son is taken prisoner. A story of heartbreak and hope, Shenandoah shows war-time turmoil and its all-too-common scars. Staring American Idol winner Taylor Hicks and X Factor finalist Rachel Potter, Serenbe Playhouse’s production will transport audiences to the rolling hills of Virginia and will include a full-fledged war reenactment with soldiers, horses, and canons. Info on the Serenbe Playhouse website. Discount tickets on PoshDealz.com.
Last chance
I Am My Own Wife. Runs March 14 – March 30. Out Front Theatre Company. The Pulitzer and Tony Award-winning I Am My Own Wife is based on a true story, inspired by interviews conducted by the playwright over several years, and tells the fascinating tale of Charlotte von Mahlsdorf, a real-life German trans woman who managed to survive both the Nazi onslaught and the repressive East German Communist regime. Tickets and info on the Out Front Theatre Company website.
Tokens of Affection. Runs March 15 – March 30. Out of Box Theatre. Charlie is a software developer who happily lives alone and works from home in New York. His parents, Frank and Jackie, and his sister Claire and her husband Bruce all live in Connecticut. When, unexpectedly, Frank shows up at Charlie’s apartment and Jackie shows up at Claire’s house, the siblings must work to reignite their parents’ relationship so they will both continue being happily married and return to their own home. This sweet show explores love, family, and the durability of a decades-old marraige. Written by Georgia playwright Topher Payne, this show provides audiences both farcical comedy and heartfelt emotions. Tickets and info on the Out of Box Theatre website.
