"The Good Gracious Show." 7:30 p.m. Sept. 13. $17. Variety Playhouse, 1099 Euclid Ave. N.E., Atlanta. 404-524-7354, variety-playhouse.com, ticketmaster.com.
Atlantan Boyd Baker had a vision. Call it Lake Wobegon with a Southern accent.
The writer and marketing professional wanted to create a variety show celebrating the city’s molasses-thick culture, somewhere at the intersection of music, comedy, food and literature. After a successful Kickstarter campaign, Baker’s let’s-put-on-a-show dream blossomed into reality.
The result was “The Good Gracious Show,” an Atlanta-centric neo-variety show that took place at Agnes Scott College in June. Serving as ringmaster, Baker offered a cultural circus featuring improv from Dad’s Garage Theatre, live music, a reading by author Christal Presley and more.
Wearing a Hawaiian shirt and crowned with a Fedora, Baker interviewed some guests, including Cory Rosser of Burge Organic Farm, in classic sit-down, talk-show style. Others, such as spoken word artist Kodac Harrison, simply performed their respective crafts.
“I’ve always thought Atlanta deserved something like this,” Baker said. “And I wanted others to realize Atlanta’s more than a city. It has all of these diverse pieces that come together that make it so great.”
Now, Baker is at it again with the second installment of “The Good Gracious Show.” On Sept. 13, the production moves to the more spacious Variety Playhouse in Little Five Points. Although the upcoming show’s lineup continues to grow, here’s a sneak peek at Baker’s eclectic patchwork of entertainment:
Nazeem Allayl Dancers
Expect jangling jewelry and swiveling hips as the Nazeem Allayl Dancers, a local belly dancing company, take the stage. Donning traditional costumes, they’re known to shake things up with a mix of Lebanese belly dancing, some Turkish gypsy moves and Egyptian folk dances.
The Packway Handle Band
The Packway Handle Band trades in twang. Injecting four-part harmonies into old school bluegrass, the group wrangles banjo, fiddle, mandolin, guitar, bass and a hodgepodge of percussive instruments. Having originally sprung out of Athens, the quintet includes Andrew Heaton, Josh Erwin, Michael Paynter, Tom Baker and Zach McCoy.
Kate Sweeney
When it comes to authors, Baker allows his guests the option of an interview, a live reading or a combination of the two. According to Baker, Sweeney likely will read from her book “American Afterlife,” which looks at how specific folks handle death and memorialization. You may recognize Sweeney’s voice from her radio stories airing on WABE 90.1 FM. Thumb through publications such as Oxford American, Atlanta magazine and New South, and you might come across her work.
Penny Serenade
This five-piece acoustic band dusts off ragtime ditties and jazz standards, delivering them in timeless, laid-back fashion. Vocalist Joanna Davidovich smoothly conveys a varied batch of tunes, from the loungy “Besame Mucho” to the toe-tapping “I Wish I Could Shimmy Like My Sister Kate.” The group delivers it all with a dual-ukulele assault from John Kelly and John Batson, upright bass courtesy of Joe Peery and Buck Peacock on guitar.
Jon Goode
This Emmy-nominated spoken-word poet will weave phrases onstage. It’s the same skill that earned him spots on HBO’s “Def Poetry,” BET’s “Lyric Cafe” and TV One’s “Verses and Flow.” Goode, who’s shared the spotlight with such names as Kanye West, Jamie Foxx and Alicia Keys, is known for blending cheery humor with deeper reflection. Perhaps he’s the figurative love child of Bill Cosby and Gil Scott-Heron.
Dad’s Garage Theatre Company
Since 1995 this group has been specializing in off-the-cuff wackiness and twisted scripted shows, while snagging a solid reputation for splitting sides. “Good Gracious” audience members will get a sampler of Dad’s homegrown goodness. Baker said troupe members will dive head first into improv games, with solid shots of audience interaction.
East Atlanta Kids Club
Baker said he plans on spotlighting positive community engagement at each show. This time he’ll be chatting with representatives of the East Atlanta Kids Club. This nonprofit tutoring and mentoring program began in 1998 as a way to offer southeast Atlanta young people affordable and enriching after-school and summer activities. What started as a group of 12 children has grown to more than 100 kids annually. It all takes place in the Brownwood Park Recreation Center in East Atlanta.
Seed & Feed Marching Abominable
Nothing quite encapsulates the “Good Gracious” aesthetic like this 40-year-old costumed marching band. Its trademark brand of melodic and chromatic sensory overload has become an Atlanta institution. Typically sprinkled in glitter, splattered in makeup and donning clothes straight out of a psychedelic yard sale, the Abominable will trumpet its brand of wackiness from the Variety stage.
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