The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
New theater season spotlights premieres, revivals
If variety is the spice of life, then Atlanta’s professional theater companies are spicing things up in a big way with their respective 2018-19 seasons — offering a wide-ranging smorgasbord of regional and world premieres, popular revivals, topical dramas, mainstream comedies and spectacular musicals. Some titles and dates may be subject to change, but otherwise, there promises to be no shortage of shows to look forward to between this fall and next summer.
Actor’s Express
Artistic director Freddie Ashley casts veterans Tess Malis Kin- caid and Rob Cleveland in the clever Ibsen-inspired sequel “A Doll’s House, Part 2” (continuing through Sept. 30), a co-production with Aurora. The company’s latest collaboration with former Atlanta playwright Steve Yockey is his mystical “Reykjavik” (Oct. 27-Nov. 18). Also on view: the racially charged comedy “An Octoroon” ( Jan. 26-Feb. 24), the romantic musical “Falsettos” (March 23-April 28) and the intimate drama “Jump” ( June 1-23). King Plow Arts Center, 887 W. Marietta St. NW, Atlanta. 404607-7469, actors-express.com.
Alliance Theatre
The Tony-winning company
begins its 50th anniversary season with an outdoor presentation of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” (Sept. 5-Oct. 21), followed by its annual “A Christmas Carol” (Dec. 12-24, this year at the Cobb Energy Centre). The theater officially opens its newly renovated main stage with the fairytale musical “Ever After” ( Jan. 19-Feb. 17) — followed by Atlanta playwright Pearl Cleage’s latest comedy, “Angry, Raucous and Shamelessly Gorgeous” (March 20-April 14), and the theme-park musical “Ride the Cyclone” (May 1-26).
On tap in the Alliance’s studio space: local playwright and composer Phillip DePoy’s post-World War II jazz musical “Nick’s Flamingo Grill” (Sept. 29-Oct. 28); Atlanta actress Mary Lynn Owen’s one-woman show “Knead” (Nov. 13-Dec. 9); “Goodnight, Tyler” (Feb. 16-March 10), winner of this year’s Kendeda national graduate playwriting competition, about the lingering spirit of a young black man killed by a white police officer; and “Approval Junkie” (April 5-28), a solo piece by TV and radio journalist Faith Salie. Woodruff Arts Center, 1280 Peachtree St. NE, Atlanta. 404-733-5000, alliancetheatre.org.
Atlanta Lyric Theatre
The Marietta musical company’s season-opening “Aida” just closed. Up next is the remount of “Newsies” (Oct. 19-Nov. 4), its co-production with Aurora, where the show performed like gangbusters over the summer. Also in store: “The Wedding Singer” (Feb. 8-24); “Singin’ in the Rain” (April 12-28); and “Oliver!” ( June 7-23). The Jennie T. Anderson Theatre (at the Cobb Civic Center), 548 S. Marietta Parkway, Marietta. 404-377-9948, atlantalyrictheatre.com.
Aurora Theatre
The season-opening musical “Newsies” was a smash. Still to come for the thriving Lawrenceville troupe: the free-spirited comedy “Be Here Now” (Sept. 20-Oct. 21); the annual holiday show, “Christmas Canteen” (Nov. 15-Dec. 23); a remounting of “A Doll’s House, Part 2” ( Jan. 10-Feb. 10), its co-production with Actor’s Express; “Men With Money” (March 7-April 7), billed as “an old-fashioned, brand-new musical”; and “Native Gardens” (May 2-June 2), a suburban comedy about clashing neighbors. 128 E. Pike St., Lawrenceville. 678-226-6222, auroratheatre.com.
City Springs Theatre
The ambitious inaugural season of Atlanta’s newest theater company opens with “42nd Street” (Sept. 14-23), starring Tony-winning Marietta native Shuler Hensley. The troupe’s all-singing, alldancing lineup continues with “Elf ” (Dec. 7-16), the Rodgers and Hammerstein classic “South Pacific” (March 8-17), “Billy Elliot” (May 3-12) and “Hairspray” ( July 12-21). The Byers Theatre (at the Sandy Springs Performing Arts Center), 1 Galambos Way, Sandy Springs. 404477-4365, cityspringstheatre.com.
GEORGIA Ensemble Theatre
The Roswell company’s first full season since the passing of co-founding artistic director Robert Farley opens and closes with the rousing musicals “9 to 5” (Sept. 13-30) and “Bullets Over Broadway” (April 11-28). In between: the one-woman show “I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti” (Oct. 25-Nov. 11); “Moonlight & Magnolias” ( Jan. 10-27), a Hollywood comedy set during the making of “Gone With the Wind”; and co-stars Jill Jane Clements and Rob Cleveland reunite for a revival of “Driving Miss Daisy” (Feb. 28-March 17). Roswell Cultural Arts Center, 950 Forrest St., Roswell. 770-6411260, get.org.
Horizon Theatre
The troupe’s 35th anniversary calendar season concludes with the family drama “Nomad Motel” (Sept. 21-Oct. 21), directed by Melissa Foulger, and “A Waffle Palace Christmas” (Nov. 15-Dec. 30) by Atlanta playwrights Larry Larson and Eddie Levi Lee, a new holiday sequel to their 2012 Horizon hit “The Waffle Palace.” 1083 Austin Ave. (in Little Five Points). 404-5847450, horizontheatre.com.
Serenbe Playhouse
Local luminary Park Krausen stars in a new rendition of Anton Chekhov’s classic “The Seagull” (Sept. 5-30), adapted and directed by Elizabeth Dinkova. Rounding out the group’s 2018 calendar season are return engagements of “The Sleepy Hollow Experience” (Sept. 26-Nov. 4) and “The Snow Queen” (Nov. 28-Dec. 30). Site-specific performances take place in various outdoor locations around the Serenbe community in Chattahoochee Hills. 770-463-1110, serenbeplayhouse.com.
7 Stages Theatre
The theater celebrates its 40th anniversary season with two notable revivals. Cofounder Del Hamilton (who retired as artistic director in 2012) and Don Finney return in a remounted version of “Waiting for Godot” (Sept. 27-Oct. 14), reprising their roles from its 1992 production of the Samuel Beckett play. And Atlanta writer Topher Payne is reportedly reworking aspects of his seriocomic 2013 effort for the company, “Angry Fags” (March 28-April 14). 1105 Euclid Ave. NE (in Little Five Points), Atlanta. 404523-7647, 7stages.org.
Synchronicity Theatre
“Nell Gwynn” (Sept. 27-Oct. 21), directed by Richard Garner, follows the true story of the celebrated 17th-century English actress (and royal mistress). The family musical “A Year With Frog and Toad” (Dec. 15-30) has become a holiday tradition for the troupe. Also: the enigmatic “The Hero’s Wife” (April 11-May 5) and the romantic “Hands of Colors” ( June 6-30). 1545 Peachtree St. (in the Peachtree Pointe complex), Atlanta. 404-4848636. synchrotheatre.com.
Theatrical Outfit
The whimsical “The Book of Will” runs through Sept. 9. “The Royale” (Oct. 10-Nov. 4) takes place in the segregated world of boxing during the early 1900s. “Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley” (Nov. 21-Dec. 23) returns for the holidays. A group of British coal miners become unlikely art aficionados in “The Pitmen Painters” (Feb. 27-March 24). William S. Murphey plays culinary expert James Beard in the one-man comedy “I Love to Eat” (April 10-May 5). The musical revue “Five Guys Named Moe” (May 29-June 30) completes the lineup. Balzer Theater at Herren’s, 84 Luckie St. NW, Atlanta. 678-528-1500, theatricaloutfit.org.
True Colors Theatre
Under the artistic guidance of Atlanta’s own Tonywinning Broadway director Kenny Leon, the company opens its season with the musical revue “Nina Simone: Four Women” (Sept. 28-Oct. 21). The drama “Skeleton Crew” (Feb. 12-March 10) intersects the lives, hopes and dreams of several co-workers at a failing Detroit auto plant. And the segregation-era period piece “East Texas Hot Links” ( July 16-Aug. 11) involves a group of regular customers at a rural café. Southwest Arts Center, 915 New Hope Road, Atlanta. 1-877725-8849, truecolorstheatre.org.