COVID was definitely not going to stop one of the biggest traditions of our arts-rich city.
With virtual and in-person formats, the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival has returned once again, now playing through February 28th. The 21st annual festival lineup is as compelling and diverse as ever, with 38 features and 16 short films from around the world, including numerous World, North American and U.S. premieres.
As we at Encore Atlanta are especially partial to Broadway, check out our AJFF picks for Atlanta's theatre fans below!
Viewing Options
With the launch of the new Virtual Cinema, patrons can now experience these films from the comfort of home, augmented by Q&As with film artists and other experts.
The new Virtual Lobby allows audiences to join the conversation around some of the festival’s most talked about films. Those craving a bit of throwback fun can also enjoy a secure shared night at the drive-in, compliments of an exclusive partnership with Mercedes-Benz Stadium and The Home Depot Backyard.
Films for the Broadway Fan
Little Shop of Horrors
Sunday, February 21 at 7:00 PM The Home Depot Backyard - Mercedes Benz Stadium (not available to stream)
About: This 35th anniversary screening of the Off-Broadway sensation features an electrifying fusion of retro camp, horror, and showstopper tunes from Broadway and Disney's Alan Menken and the late Howard Ashman. Rick Moranis and Ellen Greene star as amorous outcasts, with Vincent Gardenia as Skid Row shop owner Mr. Mushnik, Four Tops crooner Levi Stubbs voicing the potty-mouth plant, and inspired cameos by Steve Martin and Bill Murray. With jaw-dropping special effects, puppeteer-director Frank Oz delivers the darkly delicious comedic fun. Visit ajff.org/film/little-shop-horrors to purchase tickets.
On Broadway
Thursday, February 25 at 12:00 PM (for 72 hours in the Virtual Cinema)
Broadway’s decline and resurgence dates to the late ‘60s, when New York City faced bankruptcy, and 42nd Street was a cesspool of junkies, hustlers and strip clubs. The Shubert Organization was first to the rescue, investing in novel works that revived the theater district. Myriad stage legends narrate Broadway’s return from the brink, their tales enhanced by a wildly captivating wealth of performance clips. Oren Jacoby’s love letter to the Great White Way is a reminder of both the cultural void left in the pandemic’s wake, and the enormous creative influence of Jewish Americans in musical theater. Visit ajff.org/film/broadway to purchase tickets.
Visit AJFF online for more information about the expansive array of films, Q&As, and other features of the festival.
[post_title] => Atlanta Jewish Film Festival '21 Features Theatre Favorites and More
[post_excerpt] =>
[post_status] => publish
[comment_status] => closed
[ping_status] => closed
[post_password] =>
[post_name] => atlanta-jewish-film-festival-21-features-theatre-favorites-and-more
[to_ping] =>
[pinged] =>
[post_modified] => 2021-02-19 20:32:57
[post_modified_gmt] => 2021-02-19 20:32:57
[post_content_filtered] =>
[post_parent] => 0
[guid] => https://encoreatlanta.com/?p=54994
[menu_order] => 0
[post_type] => post
[post_mime_type] =>
[comment_count] => 0
[filter] => raw
)
COVID was definitely not going to stop one of the biggest traditions of our arts-rich city. With virtual and in-person formats, the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival has returned once again, …
This time of year is typically the countdown for the Southeast edition of the iTheatrics' Junior Theatre Festival, the biggest youth theatre conference in the world and held right here in Atlanta. While for obvious reasons it will be online this year, the event nevertheless kicks off tonight and runs through January 17.
With appearances an almost overwhelming number of big stars from across the Broadway and musical theatre landscape, this year's virtual JTF includes discussion panels, adjudicated student performances from theatre groups around the world, celebrity performances, and workshops in a packed "online extravaganza."
From the iTheatrics team
“The Junior Theater Festival lets young theatre-makers and their programs experience the massive international and cultural impact of their voices, talent, and perseverance. We show them that they are part of a huge international network of students and artists who care as much about musical theatre as they do. They recognize their own possibilities by connecting to the stories and talents of the artists onstage… or running events backstage. And we bring in theatre’s best and brightest— who all see a little part of themselves in these kids— to celebrate and elevate these young artists through the life-changing potential of the arts."
-Timothy Allen McDonald, iTheatrics founder and CEO.
JTF 2021 in a nutshell
Adjudications
During adjudication, each group will join an adjudication pod to enjoy, support, and learn from each other’s pre-recorded 10-minute performance of a Broadway Junior® or Online Edition musical, and performing groups will receive live feedback on their performance by a talented pool of adjudicators.
Panels
“Media Musicals” featuring Kristin Chenoweth (Descendants, Wicked); Tim Federle (showrunner of High School Musical: the Musical: the Series); TikTok sensations Dan Mertzlufft (Ratatouille: The TikTok Musical concert), Katherine Lynn-Rose (Avatar: The Last Airbender), and Blake Rouse (Ratatouille: The TikTok Musical concert). Along with JTF OE Executive Producer Timothy Allen McDonald, they will speak to how they have created their own paths to success.
“History Has Its Eyes On You," featuring Taylor Iman Jones (Groundhog Day, Broadway), Kikau Alvaro (Big River), Krystina Alabado (Mean Girls, Broadway), Rozalynn “Roz” Fulton, executive director at Community Theatre of Greensboro, and Jiana J. Odland, iTheatrics educational associate. They will discuss diversity, equity, and inclusion in the theatre.
“Direct From Broadway,” featuring Krystina Alabado (Mean Girls, Broadway), Brittney Mack (SIX, Broadway), Toby Marlow & Lucy Moss (SIX co-creators/writers), Isaac Powell (West Side Story, Once On This Island), Ryan McCartan (Wicked, Broadway; Frozen, Broadway), Luca Padovan (School of Rock, Broadway), and Isabella Russo (School of Rock, Broadway). They will talk about their experiences as Broadway performers.
Workshops
During workshops there will be three tracks for student performers, teachers, and technical theater students. Workshops are taught by Broadway professionals and master teachers from across the country, and are uniquely designed for JTF online participants.
Headliner Concert
Oscar-, Grammy-, Tony-, and Golden Globe award–winning songwriters Pasek & Paul (Dear Evan Hansen, La La Land) will perform the headlining concert featuring a guest appearance by Emmy- Grammy- and Tony Award-winner Cynthia Erivo (Harriet, The Color Purple).
For more information and to follow along with the weekend's excitement, visit JuniorTheaterFestival.com and JTF's social media sites.
Photo credits: Marcus Woollen for JTF Atlanta
[post_title] => Kristin Chenoweth, Cynthia Erivo, and more featured in the Junior Theatre Festival 2021
[post_excerpt] =>
[post_status] => publish
[comment_status] => closed
[ping_status] => closed
[post_password] =>
[post_name] => kristin-chenoweth-cynthia-erivo-and-more-featured-in-the-junior-theatre-festival-2021
[to_ping] =>
[pinged] =>
[post_modified] => 2021-01-15 20:39:51
[post_modified_gmt] => 2021-01-15 20:39:51
[post_content_filtered] =>
[post_parent] => 0
[guid] => https://encoreatlanta.com/?p=54941
[menu_order] => 0
[post_type] => post
[post_mime_type] =>
[comment_count] => 0
[filter] => raw
)
This time of year is typically the countdown for the Southeast edition of the iTheatrics’ Junior Theatre Festival, the biggest youth theatre conference in the world and held right here …
Theatrical Outfit is hosting the fourth annual Atlanta Musical Theatre Festival August 5-13, featuring four new pieces from local and national playwrights. Having now established itself as an Atlanta theatre tradition, AMTF seeks to “redefine all expectations with a new home and four new musicals that speak to the essence of culture and community.” The next week and a half will see brand new musicals tackling relevant topics in unique ways, and we’re here for it. The Atlanta Musical Theatre Festival (AMTF) will present four new musicals on August 5th, 6th, 12th, and 13th: Land Girls, Closing Doors, The Collins Boy, and Ebenezer: A Reconstruction Concert.
The 2019 AMTF official selections include:
Land Girls Book, Music, and Lyrics by Stefni Colle and Syneva Colle In Land Girls, gutsy teenager Helen Martin enlists in the Women’s Land Army to do farm labor while the men are at war. But she soon faces unexpected prejudice from the very people she came to help. As she attempts to stay in control of a spiraling situation, she risks losing everything. Inspired by the 80,000 young women who sustained the farms of Great Britain in wartime, Land Girls offers a reminder that friendship and forgiveness are powerful forces against hate.
Closing Doors Music and Lyrics by Ali Ramsaier, Book by Ali Ramsaier and Quinn Xavier Hernandez, Additional Music and Lyrics by TUCKER and Aria Lanelle A musical about liberation, validation, and appreciation of one’s self through the lens of the “Me Too” movement and online dating trend.Alex, a budding singer/songwriter, and Guy, a fellow musician, meet the way many young couples do today - through an online dating app. Guy seems to be the perfect person. He’s smart, talented, and romantic. But what devastating truth hides beneath this façade of musical dreams? Will Alex have the courage to face her fear and close the door Guy keeps opening?
The Collins Boy Book, Music, and Lyrics by Brad Bass and Cari Joy It’s 1928 and Christine Collins is a dedicated single mother to her son, Walter. Christine allows nine-year- old Walter to venture to the picture show without her, leaving him with a dime and a newfound independence. Later that night, she returns home to find the dime and no sign of Walter. Five months later, prayers are answered when Walter is found in Illinois but to Christine’s horror, the boy who steps off the train is not her son. Shoddy police work, lies, and cold-blooded murder give this tale an electric current that sends Christine to the brink of insanity and brings her face to face with the devil himself.
Ebenezer: A Reconstruction Concert Music and Lyrics by Harry N. Haines Ebenezer: A Reconstruction Concert follows the mold of the contemporary song cycle to explore how we reinvent ourselves in the face of truth. Inspired by the events of Ebenezer Creek, which saw countless freed slaves betrayed by their Northern liberators, the songs of Ebenezer weave Civil War era stories with lush melodies, focusing on the fallacy of memory both during and after the war. In this fashion, Ebenezer paints a complex and haunting picture of our true southern heritage.
Performance info: August 5, 6, 12, 13 at 8pm at Theatrical Outfit (84 Luckie St. Atlanta, GA 30303).
Theatrical Outfit is hosting the fourth annual Atlanta Musical Theatre Festival August 5-13, featuring four new pieces from local and national playwrights. Having now established itself as an Atlanta theatre …
As Essential Theatre continues its yearly playwriting competition, local audiences have the chance to experience premieres of seven new theatrical works.
The theatre kicked off its 21st annual festival last weekend with Slaying Holofernes by Emily McClain. McClain’s piece is the first of three plays receiving world premiere stagings at the festival, with Ben Thorpe’s Baby Shower for the Antichrist opening tomorrow and The Attic by Aaron Gotliebs opening on August 15. The festival also includes the Bare Essentials Play Reading series which will present four new pieces throughout the month of August, curated by Essential Theatre’s founding artistic director and award-winning playwright Peter Hardy.
With casts and creative teams made up entirely of Atlanta theatre artists, the Essential Theatre Playwriting competition is the only contest of its kind open exclusively to Georgia playwrights. The winning playwright will receive $750 and a full production for their award-winning play.
The schedule is as follows:
World Premieres
Baby Shower for the Antichrist August 1- 25 Baby Shower for the Antichrist takes audiences to a feast hosted by an isolated cult is preparation for the birth of the Antichrist. When an outsider is invited for the evening, secrets about the past come to light and threaten to ruin everything the group has built.
Slaying Holofernes July 25-August 24 Slaying Holofernes blends and blurs the worlds of past/present, fact/fiction, and personal/political as it explores two women’s parallel quests for justice in an imperfect world.
Essential Theatre presents:The Attic Two nights only! August 15 & August 16 The Attic explores the things we hold on to and those we leave behind.
Bare Essentials Play Readings Leviticus Jelks III's Day of Saturn - August 3 Rosalind Sullivan-Lovett's Henry Darger Takes a Walk - August 6 Allan Dodson's Waiting for Big Stuff - August 12 Ted Westby and John D. Babcock III's The Odds Against Death - August 21
Festival info:
Location: The West End Performing Arts Center (945 Ralph David Abernathy Blvd Atlanta, GA 30310) Tickets for the world premiere plays: Range from $18-$25 The Bare Essentials readings: Free! Full list of performance times and to purchase festival passes: Head to essentialtheatre.tix.com or call 404-212-0815.
[post_title] => 'Baby Shower for the Antichrist,’ ‘Slaying Holofernes,’ and more lead Essential Theatre Festival
[post_excerpt] =>
[post_status] => publish
[comment_status] => closed
[ping_status] => closed
[post_password] =>
[post_name] => essential-theatre-festival-now-playing
[to_ping] =>
[pinged] =>
[post_modified] => 2019-09-27 15:05:38
[post_modified_gmt] => 2019-09-27 15:05:38
[post_content_filtered] =>
[post_parent] => 0
[guid] => https://encoreatlanta.com/?p=51412
[menu_order] => 0
[post_type] => post
[post_mime_type] =>
[comment_count] => 0
[filter] => raw
)
As Essential Theatre continues its yearly playwriting competition, local audiences have the chance to experience premieres of seven new theatrical works. The theatre kicked off its 21st annual festival last …
The ever-eclectic ATL Fringe, which turns 7 in June, is accepting submissions from local and national performing artists of all disciplines through Jan. 31. Look for the dancers, jugglers, storytellers, theater artists and the indescribable June 5-9.
The films announced include looks at the alt-right in the age of Trump; an Israeli dad who wants to live as a woman; a Jewish-Christian romance in Ethiopia; the birth of Blue Note Records; and a little-known chapter of WWII resistance in the Warsaw Ghetto.
Our rundown of events from now through mid-November is arranged chronologically and includes eco and film fests, fried green tomatoes, big pigs, Native American traditions and chili for the chilly.
Canines, costumes, treats and cocktails? What’s not to like? Atlanta’s first Doggies on the BeltLine Halloween parade is being brought to you by our friends at Fashionado and the Doggies on the Catwalk Foundation.
Come rain or come shine, the 3rd annual Food that Rocks commences June 9 in a new way at a new location. The Sandy Springs festival goes downtown this year, to the new City Green at City Springs. The food, drink, friends and live music remain as fresh as ever. Remember, age 21 and up only.
