Tag: performing arts

Cavalia: Odysseo founder and artistic director Normand Latourelle had a few butterflies prior to the U.S. premiere of his latest spectacle Wednesday night in Atlanta. Recalling his first Cavalia experience in Atlanta, Normand Latourelle allowed, “I was freaking out because there were no ticket sales 10 days before we opened! I had people in the front office asking me what was going on.” The French-Canadian artist paused for a moment and then added: “Atlantans are just not, how do you say, pro-active like the other cities we play.”

Up the three flights of stairs leading from the Fox Theatre's backstage area to the "Wicked" cast dressing rooms, dozens and dozens of black clips have been taped to the yellow-hued walls. A box of Sharpie markers is strategically taped at each landing. During each performance of the Tony-winning musical "Wicked" (running through Oct. 9 at the Fox), show posters are affixed to each clip and in between wardrobe changes, vocal warm ups and listening for entrance cues, each cast member autographs each poster on the way up or down the stairs. By the end of the touring production's run here next month, the cast will have signed approximately 1,000 posters as part of an ongoing fundraiser for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. But the musical's commitment to the non-profit doesn't end with the posters and the donation buckets passed at each performance.Tonight at 7:30, on their one night off this week, the cast will p

For the curtain call of Friday night's sold-out opening night performance of "A Madea Christmas" at the Cobb Energy Centre, writer-director-star Tyler Perry traded in his wig for his CEO hat. Bringing the house lights up, The Atlanta film and television studio owner asked the crowd how much they paid to see the show being recorded for DVD release this holiday season.

Last night, Atlanta Ballet took the first step in a bold new direction with its premiere of Ignition at Alliance Theatre: offering original work from up-and-coming choreographers. It marked a step away from such tried-and-true fare as Swan Lake and The Nutcracker, and although similar works will remain a part of each forthcoming season’s repertoire, I heave a sigh of relief knowing that finally our local ballet company is aspiring to join the ranks of San Francisco and New York, at least when it comes to commissioning daring productions. And as proclaimed in an opening statement at the evening’s performance, going forward, the ballet will end each of its seasons with a similar show presenting world premieres from various young choreographers. Finally.

Between knock down, drag out fights with "Fool for Love" co-star Jasmine Guy this month, we had a moment to congratulate True Colors Theatre artistic director Kenny Leon on being selected as one of Atlanta magazine's "50 Who Made Atlanta" in our 50th anniversary issue now on stands.

Are your holidays plagued with an alarming absence of drama and gun-toting grannies? No worries, Atlanta director-producer Tyler Perry has your back this year.

At age 84, veteran actress Cloris Leachman has an Oscar, nine Emmys, a best-selling autobiography and a string of hit TV shows on her resume. Luckily for us, the woman does not possess a filter for her thoughts before they mischieveously sneak out of her mouth.

Forget the namesake of "J. M. Barrie's Peter Pan" currently taking off eight times a week in the round at the 360-degree tented theater downtown at Pemberton Place. We'd wager that most of the wide-eyed kids in the crowd would rather be Tinkerbell as portrayed by UCLA graduate Emily Yetter when they refuse to grow up.