Go ahead and mark your calendars for winter 2016’s best events around Atlanta. This includes performing arts, races, concerts, exhibits and more.
This story originally appeared in the January 2016 issue of Living Intown magazine.
JANUARY
Theater: Attend the tale
Musical theater seldom gets as bloody — or as darkly entertaining — as Stephen Sondheim's "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street," staged by Actor's Express. Kevin Harry plays the title role, a wrongfully accused man who cuts a swath of revenge in Victorian London with the help of a lovelorn piemaker (Deborah Bowman).
"Sweeney Todd." Jan. 23-Feb. 28. Actor's Express, 887 West Marietta St., J-107. 404-607-7469. actors-express.com
Theater: Amazing disgrace
Winner of the 2013 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, "Disgraced" highlights America's fraught relationship with religion following Sept. 11. Taking place at a dinner party hosted by successful attorney Amir, the increasingly fraught conversation exposes the difficulties of cultural assimilation in the Alliance Theatre's production, directed by Susan V. Booth.
"Disgraced." Jan. 27-Feb. 14. Alliance Theatre, 1280 Peachtree St. 404-733-4650. alliancetheatre.org
Music: In with the In Crowd
American jazz pianist Ramsey Lewis is often referred to as "the great performer" due to his three Grammys and more than 80 studio albums, seven of which are certified gold. The National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master celebrates the 50th anniversary of the release of his breakout album, "The In Crowd."
"Ramsey Lewis: The In Crowd 50th Anniversary." Jan. 30. Rialto Center for the Arts, 80 Forsyth St. 404-413-9800. rialto.gsu.edu
Music: Lift every voice
Atlanta's nationally recognized Master Chorale ensemble joins forces with the Morehouse College Glee Club for a stirring performance to raise support for those affected by Alzheimer's disease.
Atlanta Master Chorale, The Spirit Lives on: Art, Music and the Mind. Jan. 30. Schwartz Center for the Performing Arts, 1700 N. Decatur Road. 404-727-5050. arts.emory.edu
FEBRUARY
Ballet: Get your kicks
The Atlanta Ballet's production of "Moulin Rouge: The Ballet," which the troupe debuted in 2010, gives a kick to classical ballet. The love story of Matthew and Nathalie, set against the provocative backdrop of Paris' famed cabaret, is told through vivid costumes and energetic dances like the tango and can-can.
"Moulin Rouge: The Ballet." Feb. 5-13. Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, 2800 Cobb Galleria Parkway. 770-916-2800. cobbenergycentre.com
Theater: Top secret
What began as a community art project has become confessional theater. Since 2005, the PostSecret website has served as a repository for more than 1 million contributors' deepest secrets, submitted via postcard. This interactive production uses video and projected images to reveal intimate truths that remind viewers they are not alone.
"PostSecret: The Show." Feb. 6. Ferst Center for the Arts, 349 Ferst Drive. 404-894-2787. ferstcenter.gatech.edu
Music: Extra hot salsa
Pianist Oscar Hernandez takes a break from performing with Tito Puente and writing hit TV theme songs (such as that of "Sex and the City") to direct the Spanish Harlem Orchestra, featuring 13 of the world's best salsa players.
Spanish Harlem Orchestra. Feb. 6. Rialto Center for the Arts, 80 Forsyth St. 404-413-9800. rialto.gsu.edu
Theater: Coin of the realm
The 1977 Broadway premiere of "American Buffalo" earned playwright David Mamet the New York Drama Critics' Circle Award for Best American Play and a place in the annals of great playwrights. True Colors Theatre tackles this story of paranoia and shifting loyalties as three small-time crooks plan to steal a valuable coin collection.
"American Buffalo." Feb. 9-March 6. Southwest Arts Center, 915 New Hope Road. 404-613-3220. truecolorstheatre.org
Dance: Body language
One of the most acclaimed modern dance companies in the world, the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater returns for its annual Valentine's engagement at the Fox Theatre. New and returning works of storytelling through dance include "Revelations," a rousing piece that combines spirituals, song-sermons and the blues.
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre. Feb. 10-14. Fox Theatre, 660 Peachtree St. N.E. 404-881-2100. foxtheatre.org
Reading: Favorite things
Joseph Skibell, Emory University professor of English and creative writing, has earned such credits as a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship and a Sami Rohr Award in Jewish Literature. The author of three novels and a collection of memoir-like stories, "My Father's Guitar & Other Imaginary Things," Skibell reads from his works at the Emory library.
Emory University Reading Series: Joseph Skibell. Feb. 16. Emory University Woodruff Library, 540 Asbury Circle. 404-727-6861. web.library.emory.edu
Music: Ranch hands
With impressive resumes that collectively boast 24 Grammy Awards, country stalwarts Vince Gill and Lyle Lovett team up for a loose, stripped-down acoustic show that features no predetermined set list of solos and duets, as well as plenty of time to shoot the breeze.
An Evening with Vince Gill & Lyle Lovett. Feb. 20. Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, 2800 Cobb Galleria Parkway. 770-916-2800. cobbenergycentre.com
Exhibit: Found objects
In some of his most famous works, Brazilian photographer Vik Muniz combines photos with unconventional materials like sugar, magazine clippings, tomato sauce and diamonds to create what he calls "photographic delusions." The High Museum presents a Muniz retrospective with more than 150 works tracing the course of his celebrated career.
Vik Muniz. Feb. 28-May 29. High Museum of Art, 1280 Peachtree St. 404-733-4444. high.org
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