This story was originally published by ArtsATL.
The Overture Series, funded in 2019 by Cobb Parks to present concert versions of rarely staged musicals, may be gone, but Jono Davis — who conceived and produced the original series — hopes it eventually can be revived at Aurora Theatre. The first baby step in trying to resurrect the series is a version of “Little Shop of Horrors,” produced as a concert by Aurora as the closing act for the city of Lawrenceville’s Evening of the Arts festival on Saturday. Aurora will be adopting the model used successfully by the Overture Series.
After leaving Cobb Parks last year, Davis, who was the artistic director and manager of the county’s Jennie T. Anderson Theatre, has been with Aurora for a year and a half. He began as the complex’s general manager and transitioned to the executive director position this year.
Davis will be directing “Little Shop of Horrors” with Mary Nye Bennett, and many familiar faces from Overture productions are part of the cast and creative team. The ensemble includes Leo Thomasian as Seymour; Isa Martinez as Audrey; Skyler Brown as Orin Scrivello, DDS; and Trevor Rayshay Perry as Audrey II.
Credit: Photo courtesy of Jono Davis
Credit: Photo courtesy of Jono Davis
Davis promises simplified production elements but a unique emphasis on the storytelling, with some twists and turns. Directing “Little Shop of Horrors” has been an easy way of getting back into the swing of things with the defunct series. “It’s an Aurora production, but the theater company is letting us hitch our wagon to it and do the concert Overture style, the way we would have done it,” Davis says.
Ann-Carol Pence, Aurora’s co-founder and producing artistic director, is proud of the history the company has created in Gwinnett for outdoor performances. “The Overture series, under Jono’s leadership, created those same memorable experiences for Cobb County for many years,” she says. “Watching (the series’) streaming content kept me and the rest of the Atlanta theater community hopeful during the pandemic.”
This is the second year Aurora has participated in Lawrenceville’s Evening of the Arts event. Last year, the city wasn’t ready to allow the company to do a scripted show and compromised on a well-received cabaret. That success earned Aurora some goodwill, and, this year, the city agreed to more. Davis hopes this will lead to additional collaborations.
The original Overture series ended in an unclear way. Davis’ former Cobb Parks boss told him in 2023 that while the county had the budget, it probably would not fund the series for another year. That fall, she made it official.
Davis believes the department wanted to go another route. “They thought (the Overture Series) was very costly, which it was, and management wanted another direction to save them money, which I respect, but they did not replace it with anything else. I still have many friends over there, and it is unfortunate that (nothing has taken its place).”
For more than four years, Davis shepherded the Overture Series, the first event of its kind in the Southeast. The acclaimed series featured 17 stagings and won a Suzi Bass Award in 2022. For Davis, the greatest attribute was the input offered by all artists. He took pride in allowing actors, designers and creative team members to have a voice in the process.
“We were building something together,” Davis said. “The industry as a whole latched onto it in a very endearing way because they had a personal investment in it. When we won a Suzi Award a few years ago, it was dedicated to all artists. It was an ‘us’ project.”
Davis now feels there is a distinct void in programming of its kind. “What we loved about the series is that it was doing shows most theater companies cannot risk these days.”
He added that Queen City Concerts, a North Carolina theater company, has adopted the Overture model and is producing the same shows.
Credit: Photo by Jono Davis
Credit: Photo by Jono Davis
Pence and Davis have shared roughly a dozen conversations about how they would work the Overture series into the Aurora Theatre schedule, and Davis has pitched some ideas to the city of Lawrenceville.
One option proposed has been a ticket split, with the city of Lawrenceville putting up the cost of the show and Aurora/Overture producing it. Several titles have already been discussed. Davis would love to bring back previously staged Overture titles, such as “The Last Five Years” and “Sunday in the Park with George.” But a lot would have to be negotiated, and it could take time.
Furthermore, the current economy, with arts funding cuts, demands proceeding carefully.
“I am selfishly trying to look out after Aurora, in the sense of letting that expense come from another investor where we can partner,” Davis said. “I am hoping (“Little Shop of Horrors”) can show (the city) this is what the essence and spirit of the Overture Series was. My goal for them is to like it and want to take a leap and do a full production with us in the future.”
THEATER PREVIEW
“Little Shop of Horrors”
8:30 p.m. Saturday. Presented by Aurora Theatre as part of Lawrenceville’s second annual Evening of the Arts. Free. Lawrenceville Lawn, 210 Luckie St., Lawrenceville. overtureseries.com/littleshop
::
Jim Farmer is the recipient of the 2022 National Arts and Entertainment Journalism Award for Best Theater Feature and a nominee for Online Journalist of the Year. A member of five national critics’ organizations, he covers theater and film for ArtsATL. A graduate of the University of Georgia, he has written about the arts for 30-plus years. Jim is the festival director of Out on Film, Atlanta’s LGBTQ film festival, and lives in Avondale Estates with his husband, Craig.
Credit: ArtsATL
Credit: ArtsATL
MEET OUR PARTNER
ArtsATL (artsatl.org) is a nonprofit organization that plays a critical role in educating and informing audiences about metro Atlanta’s arts and culture. ArtsATL, founded in 2009, helps build a sustainable arts community contributing to the economic and cultural health of the city.
About the Author
Keep Reading
The Latest
Featured
