Reviving the Weimar cabaret music of Berlin in the 1920s, debonair, tuxedo-clad Max Raabe would seem to be a man out of time. But if the patent-leather shoe fits, why not wear it?
On a six-city American tour behind the new CD “Golden Age,” the German singer and his and his 12-piece Palast Orchester will play the Rialto Center for the Arts on March 8.
The album extends Raabe’s reach, drawing from the era between the World Wars and featuring classic songs such as “Singin in the Rain,” “Dream a Little Dream of Me” and “Cheek to Cheek.” The 21 tracks also include significant curve balls, such as cheeky interpretations of “Sex Bomb” and “Oops! … I Did It Again.”
"The fact that Germans can have a sense of humor is something that the audience outside of Germany does not expect," the the baritone said in a promotional video for "Golden Age." "This is our element of surprise."
With a deadpan wit, Raabe said this without cracking even the corner of a smile, which, indeed, made it oddly … funny.
The singer is as serious about his orchestra’s musicianship as he is about entertaining.
“Every note and every phrase is polished like a diamond,” he has said. “We all studied classical music and we interpret the music in the same way we would interpret Beethoven. We take the music seriously — but we don’t take ourselves seriously.”
Tickets for the 8 p.m. show are $38-$64 (fees are not charged when calling or coming by the box office); half-price for students calling the box office only. 80 Forsyth St. N.W., Atlanta. 404-413-9849, www.rialtocenter.org.
EVENTS
Cowboy Gathering at Booth Museum
If you’ve been meaning to round up your posse and head to Cartersville’s Booth Museum to see the exhibit “Today’s West: Contemporary Art from the Buffalo Bill Center of the West” (which complements the High Museum of Art’s “Go West: Art of the American Frontier,” also from the Buffalo Bill Center), here’s some extra motivation. The Booth will host the 11th Annual Southeastern Cowboy Gathering from March 6 to 8.
A quick sampling of what’s in store: chow down during the Chuck Wagon Cook-off; take a gallery walk with featured artist Martin Grelle; tap your feet to the Western sounds of Don Edwards and Waddie Mitchell; turn the kids loose to participate in children’s activities.
$10, $8 age 65 and up, $7 students with an ID, $3 age 12 and under. Edwards-Mitchell concert, 7 p.m. March 8 at Grand Theatre: $30. The Booth is at 501 Museum Drive, Cartersville. 770-387-1300, www.boothmuseum.org/events/gathering.
Folk and fine art blend in Commerce
The Commerce Civic Center will be chock-full of pottery, paintings and found-object creations during the third Folk to Fine Arts Festival, March 7-9.
Look for works by John “Cornbread” Anderson, Betty Bivins Edwards, Marie Elem, the Meaders family and Steve Turpin, among other Georgia makers.
The show opens 5-9 p.m. March 7, with a meet-the-artists reception featuring entertainment, drinks and appetizers ($15, includes weekend readmission). It continues 10 a.m.-5 p.m. March 8-9 ($7; free for 10 and under), with artist demonstrations throughout the weekend.
110 State St., Commerce. 706-335-6417, www.folk-finearts.com.
CLASSICAL MUSIC
Audra McDonald gets behind Atlanta talent
There are two ways — and two very different price levels — to enjoy Tony Award winner Audra McDonald as she performs with Atlanta Symphony Orchestra on March 8 in a fundraiser benefiting the ASO’s education and community engagement programs.
The simpler, more affordable deal is to attend the 7:30 p.m. concert of McDonald performing popular Broadway selections and classical favorites. Tickets are $37.50-$147.50.
Or you can go for the gusto and also attend the fourth annual Symphony Gala surrounding the concert. The black-tie event celebrates the 20th anniversary of the ASO’s Talent Development Program, which preps gifted African-American and Latino instrumentalists for top college music programs and professional careers.
A pre-concert cocktail reception in the High Museum of Art’s Stent Family Wing atrium starts the evening at 6. Following the concert, patron guests will enjoy a seated dinner in the museum’s Margaretta Taylor Lobby, where there will be a silent auction. After dinner, the lounge-style party in the atrium will feature cocktails, coffee, desserts and entertainment.
Packages start at $1,000. 1280 Peachtree St. N.E., Atlanta. 404-733-5000, www.atlantasymphony.org or www.ticketmaster.com.
FILM
Jewish festival prevails over winter weather
Two winter storms during its 23-day run couldn’t derail the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival, which attracted 31,000 amid snow and ice that required 18 screenings (including opening night at Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre) to be hastily rescheduled.
“Our team worked incredibly hard to make sure the show still went on,” AJFF executive director Kenny Blank said in a statement. “Our audience stuck with us and turned out in nearly record numbers, making the success of this year’s festival one of our proudest moments.”
Atlanta’s largest film festival drew a record of nearly 32,000 in 2013, causing organizers to add extra capacity this year by extending the event by a day, adding a seventh screening venue and and making other moves that likely would have paid even greater dividends in better weather.
The festival also announced the 2014 Audience Award winners: best narrative was "The Third Half," Macedonia's official entry for Oscar best foreign language film consideration; best documentary, "Marvin Hamlisch: What He Did for Love"; and best short film, "The Funeral," a darkly humorous British coming-of-age tale. Check for an announcement of encores at www.ajff.org.
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