MARQUEE ENCORE :: COBB ENERGY PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE :: OCTOBER 2017

MARQUEE COBB ENERGY PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE

OCTOBER 2017

AN EVENING WITH TRAVIS TRITT OCT. 13

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MARQUEE OCTOBER 2017

FEATURE ENCOREATLANTA.COM AMP SALES PUBLISHER Tom Casey tomcasey@encoreatlanta.com

6 8 The Art of Collaboration

By Judith Schonbak

COMING SHOWS USE THE

APP TO ORDER TICKETS FROM YOUR SEAT!

10 Leadercast Women Live Oct. 5 | 8:30 p.m.

12 Rickey Smiley & Friends Oct. 7 | 8 p.m.

14 An Evening with Travis Tritt Oct. 13 | 8 p.m.

16 Trevor Noah

Oct. 14 | 7 p.m.

17 Markiplier: You’re Welcome Tour Oct. 15 | 8 p.m.

18 Nick Offerman: Full Bush Oct. 19 | 7:30 p.m.

19 My Brother, My Brother and Me Oct. 20 | 7 p.m.

20 Rodney Carrington

VICE PRESIDENT Ginger Roberts ginger.roberts@encoreatlanta.com DIRECTOR OF MARKETING & SOCIAL MEDIA Stephanie Smith stephanie.smith@encoreatlanta.com AMP CREATIVE EDITOR Kathy Janich kathy@encoreatlanta.com PRODUCTION MANAGER Mark F Baxter mark.baxter@encoreatlanta.com DIGITAL MANAGER Ian Carson ian.carson@encoreatlanta.com CONTRIBUTING WRITER Judith Schonbak MARQUEE is published by American Media Products Inc. PRESIDENT Tom Casey CHAIRPERSON Diane Casey TREASURY Kristi Casey Sanders SECRETARY Evan Casey CONTROLLER Suzzie Gilham

Oct. 21 | 7 p.m.

21 Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood Live Oct. 22 | 2 & 5:30 p.m.

22 “So You Think You Can Dance” Tour Oct. 26 | 8 p.m.

24 Coming soon to Cobb Energy Centre

Order tickets directly from the page with the E+ app!

DEPARTMENTS

4 Welcome 23 Theater Information 25 ArtsBridge donors 28 Venue Staff | ArtsBridge Foundation Staff Cobb-Marietta Coliseum & Exhibit Hall Authority

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Leadership | ArtsBridge Foundation

2 COBBENERGYCENTRE.COM | A DECADE IN THE SPOTLIGHT

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3

WELCOME

TO COBB ENERGY PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE WHAT GREAT 10TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS we’ve enjoyed! Thanks to all of you who joined us to share our milestone ArtsBridge’s Overture Gala and to begin our next decade in grand style.

Our birthday-bash open house was one fun party (what delicious birthday cake!), and we welcomed many new people who vowed to return to enjoy our shows.

Most of all, heartfelt thanks to those of you who have been our strong supporters over the years, and who have made Cobb Energy Centre such a success.

We begin our second decade with an overflowing cornucopia of performances. There’s something for everyone: comedy, dance, music — from country to jazz — grand opera and family shows.

Among October’s highlights is South African stand-up comic (and “The Daily Show” host) Trevor Noah and YouTube sensation Markiplier.

Families will have a royal adventure as PBS’ beloved Daniel Tiger comes to town with Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood Live! King for a Day. October closes with the So You Think You Can Dance Season 24 Tour, the 14-time Emmy Award-winning show that helped spark America’s fascination with dance. The lineup features the season’s Top 10 finalists plus longtime favorites.

Check our website for the full list of shows, dates and time: cobbenergycentre.com.

Just an advance word here on our special December. We’re collaborating with the Alliance Theatre to host its annual, musical and multicultural telling of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol (Dec. 8-24). We, along with Ebenezer Scrooge, Bob Cratchit, Tiny Tim and the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come welcome you to this treasured classic as the Alliance, undergoing renovations in Midtown, continues its season on the road.

We thank you once again for making Cobb Energy Centre a cultural beacon in its first decade. We look forward to a bright future as we continue to bring you world-class entertainment that promises something for everyone.

See you at the theater!

Sandie Aaron Managing Director 4 COBBENERGYCENTRE.COM | A DECADE IN THE SPOTLIGHT

ATLANTA’S PERFORMING ARTS PUBLICATION | ENCORE ATLANTA.COM

5

THE ART OF

COLLABORATION

By Judith Schonbak

6 COBBENERGYCENTRE.COM | A DECADE IN THE SPOTLIGHT

COBB ENERGY PERFORMING DAVID KOSMOS ARTS CENTRE SMITH

One of Cobb Energy Performing Arts Center’s main collaborators is the Fox Theatre in Midtown.

Atlanta Ballet calls Cobb Energy Centre home most of the season, but its annual Nutcracker is staged at the Fox.

Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre continues to

build collaborations throughout metro Atlanta, making the arts in the region all the stronger for it.

The Fox Theatre and the National Artists Corp. are major collaborators here. Cobb Energy Centre also has partnered with the Alliance Theatre (in Midtown), the Atlanta Lyric Theatre (in Marietta) and Georgia Ensemble Theatre (in Roswell).

“In this industry,” says Allan Vella, the Fox’s president and CEO, “it is fairly unusual for two theaters, which could

be fierce competitors, to collaborate.” Such partnerships, however, can benefit the venues, artists, promoters and metro Atlanta’s arts scene.

The Fox opened as a movie palace on Christmas Day in 1929. With its history — including being saved from destruction in 1974 — and ornate building, the 4,678seat venue was, for years, the only game in town. It was THE place to see touring

ATLANTA’S PERFORMING ARTS PUBLICATION | ENCORE ATLANTA.COM

7

ERIC RICHARDSON

Alliance Theatre artists often assist in ArtsBridge programming at Cobb Energy Centre. This season (above) the Alliance’s A Christmas Carol will call Cobb home since its Midtown space is being renovated. OPPOSITE PAGE: National Artists Corp. promotes many of the comics, bands and vocalists that play the Cobb venue.

Broadway shows, concerts and artists that played to large-capacity audiences. Not every show filled every seat, however.

In 2007, the 2,750-seat Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, the first performance venue built in metro Atlanta in four decades, entered the scene filling “a much-needed niche,” says Vella.

A lot of factors go into determining which venue(s) suit which event: the popularity of an artist or show; the setting the artist or promoter prefers; and the venue’s availability, among others.

“We share a mantra,”

8 COBBENERGYCENTRE.COM | A DECADE IN THE SPOTLIGHT

says Sandie Aaron, managing director of Cobb Energy Centre. “Keep the event in the market.”

All collaborations are built on relationships, says Carlos Larraz, a partner in the Maryland-based National Artists Corp., which promotes and produces theater, concerts and other events.

Vella and Aaron concur.

The three have longtime connections and a mutual respect. “In a collaboration, the partnership is the most important thing,” Larraz says.

“A competent venue staff is second.”

That latter category includes executives, management and such back-

of-house functions as box office, technicians, ushers and concessions.

Larraz calls the Cobb Energy Centre situation refreshing. “They are good businesspeople, great operators, and they understand the arts.”

National Artists has brought Million Dollar Quartet, Jay Leno, Trevor Noah, the Temptations & the Four Tops, Vince Gill & Lyle Lovett, Olivia Newton-John, the Beach Boys and Three Dog Night, among others, to Cobb Energy Centre.

In such collaborations, combining marketing assets is a big plus. Each venue uses its database and reach for the same campaign, trying to fill the house no matter whose house it is. That applies to a new collaboration between Cobb Energy Centre and the Alliance Theatre. The Alliance is on the road this season, stopping at 12 venues while its Midtown home gets a $22 million facelift.

So this December, Cobb Energy Centre hosts the company’s A Christmas Carol

(Dec. 8-24). “This production has been so central for so many years for so many people that we had to have a venue that rolled out the same kind of welcome mat,” says Susan V. Booth, the Alliance’s artistic director.

A Christmas Carol, a production of significant scale, needs enough onstage and backstage space to accommodate it, plus technical support, seating capacity, parking, F&B service and Americans With Disabilities Act compliance, among other considerations.

CEPAC has that.

It all goes to show that when you need to innovate, you need to collaborate.

A Christmas Carol may be the first major collaboration between the venues, but the Alliance has previously partnered with the ArtsBridge Foundation here.

Alliance artists and staff serve as judges for ArtsBridge’s Georgia High School Musical Theatre Awards, and the company offers two performance scholarships providing free

tuition to its summer camps.

Rosemary Newcott, the Alliance’s artistic director of Theatre for Youth and Families, has taught at the ArtsBridge-run Director’s Bootcamp.

Atlanta Lyric Theatre has collaborated when performing shows at CEPAC. Its professionals have taught ArtsBridge master classes in dance, choreography and makeup. Artists from Georgia Ensemble have taught educators in ArtsBridge’s classes and training programs.

ATLANTA’S PERFORMING ARTS PUBLICATION | ENCORE ATLANTA.COM

9

Leadercast Women Live | Oct. 5, 8:30 a.m.

LEAD. EDUCATE. ASPIRE.

L

eadercast, a holistic approach to creating leaders, envisions a world filled with women worth following.

The organization believes that becoming a great leader is an ongoing process that often starts with conversation — discussing and defining what makes a leader great. It ascribes to the core values and behaviors of a firm called Leaders Worth Following, but its tenets don’t specifically speak to the life decisions/workplace challenges women face.

Studies show that women hold less than 4 percent of CEO positions worldwide and that organizations are more effective when women and men share a leadership voice.

Each gender brings different viewpoints and insights, which often lead to better problemsolving, strategizing and team-building.

At Leadercast Women, participants will hear from successful women, converse, and discover strategies and relevant takeaways to hone their purposes. Participants will learn how to distribute work/life priorities, leverage their value, and maximize their gifts and contributions.

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Among this year’ speakers are Neeta Bhushan, founder of the Global GRIT Institute, and speaker/author Laura Vanderkam.

Bhushan is an emotional-intelligence advocate, host of the “Revolutionary Leadership” podcast and the author of the new book Emotional GRIT: 8 Steps to Master Your Emotions, Transform Your Thoughts & Change Your World (Createspace, $15.95).

Emotional GRIT shows how she overcame extreme adversity, left her traditional dental career and began a life of global advocacy, championing emotional awareness and new-thought leadership.

Vanderkam is known for questioning the status quo and helping people rediscover their true passions and pursue meaningful lives.

She’s the best-selling author of such time-management and productivity books as I Know How She Does It: How Successful Women Make the Most of Their Time (2017), What the Most Successful People Do Before Breakfast (2013) and 168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think (2011).

Vanderkam contributes regularly to Fast Company, Fortune, USA Today and The Wall Street Journal.

10 COBBENERGYCENTRE.COM | A DECADE IN THE SPOTLIGHT

MICHAEL C. CARLOS MUSEUM OF EMORY UNIVERSITY TRA DITION & C HA N G E I N carlos.emory.edu

INDIG E N OU S A M ER ICA N T E X T I L E S

TRA DITION & CHA N GE I N INDIG E N OU S A M ER ICA N T E XT I L E S AUGUST 19–DECEMBER 17, 2017

ATLANTA’S PERFORMING ARTS PUBLICATION | ENCORE ATLANTA.COM

11

Rickey Smiley & Friends | Oct. 7 , 8 p.m.

‘WHAT YOU SEE IS WHAT YOU GET’ Comedian. TV host. Actor. Syndicated radio personality. Father of six.

Entertainer Rickey Smiley delivers clean laughs to millions on nearly 60 American radio stations, from his home base at Atlanta’s WHTA-FM (Hot 107.9) to places like Baltimore, Chicago, St. Louis and Flint, Mich.

The drive-time “Rickey Smiley Morning Show” features news, information, interviews, the latest in hip-hop, and — perhaps most famously — the host’s patented prank phone calls.

The 49-year-old is known for his downhome Southern humor, using insight instead of vulgarity to get laughs onstage, onscreen and on-the-air. His audiences know such original characters as Mrs. Bernice Jenkins, Lil’ Darrl, Joe Willie and Beauford, who just may drop in to his Cobb Energy Centre show.

To moviegoers, Smiley is probably known best for All About the Benjamins and Friday After Next, both with Ice Cube and Mike Epps, and both from 2002.

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He’s also recorded eight best-selling CDs, including the popular Rickey Smiley: Prank Calls 6. On television, he’s hosted BET’s “Open Casket Sharp” and “ComicView,” and appeared on “Showtime at the Apollo,” “Uptown Comedy Club,” HBO’s “Def Comedy Jam” and “Snaps.”

Smiley is a featured columnist on the nationally syndicated Fox show “Dish Nation” and, in 2015, began appearing on “Rickey Smiley for Real,” an unscripted reality-TV series that shows how he balances his career, personal life and parenthood.

His first book, Stand by Your Truth: And Then Run for Your Life! (Gallery Books, $25.99), is publishing Oct. 24. It’s described as part memoir, part testimonial and part life guide, sharing how he views the world, from the challenges of raising children to the importance of education and the need to always stand in your own truth.

“I’m very passionate about everything that I do and I don’t play any games,” Smiley says.

“I just keep it honest. I don’t put on airs. That’s the only way you can be. If you tell one lie, you’ve got to tell another lie. I’m cool with who I am. What you see is what you get.”

12 COBBENERGYCENTRE.COM | A DECADE IN THE SPOTLIGHT

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AN EVENING WITH TRAVIS TRITT | Oct. 13, 8 p.m.

A MAN AND HIS GUITAR

T

ravis Tritt found fame as part of contemporary country music’s Class of ’89, a group that includes Garth Brooks, Clint Black and fellow Georgian Alan Jackson.

The Marietta-born James Travis Tritt was the only one to forgo a cowboy hat and to dip into bluesy Southern rock, earning him an outlaw image that made him stand out from the pack. He’s now 27 years into the career his parents discouraged: Mom wanted him to sing gospel; Dad feared he’d never make enough money.

To date, Tritt has cut 11 studio albums that have produced millions in sales; won two Grammy awards (best country collaboration in 1992 and ’99, both with Marty Stuart); charted 19 Top 10 hits; and reached the Billboard No. 1 Singles list five times.

Most recently, he released a live two-disc CD and DVD titled A Man and His Guitar, recorded and filmed over two nights at the historic Franklin Theatre in Franklin, Tenn. The November release features Tritt’s greatest hits and pays homage to his musical heroes — Bobby Bare, Waylon Jennings and Hank Williams Jr. Tritt loved music as a boy and taught himself to play guitar at age 8. By 14, he was writing songs. At 18, he tried to settle down with a job and a family but that life was an uneasy fit. He was twice married and divorced by age 22.

Tritt never strayed far from making music

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though, even when punching real-life time clocks. While working at an air-conditioning company, he met the vice president, a frustrated guitarist who regretted passing on his own dreams of a music career. He encouraged Travis to follow his heart.

Tritt did just that, and successfully so, but the Nashville music industry was slow to embrace him. His sound owed too much to rock ’n’ roll, they said. He didn’t wear a cowboy hat. Then, in 1991, Tritt hired Ken Kragen (Lionel Richie, Trish Yearwood, Kenny Rogers) as his manager. Kragen marketed the singer in a way that appealed to country fans and mass audiences.

This tour, which began Sept. 1 in Ohio, brings Tritt home again. It also takes him to small towns, county fairs, theaters and casinos from Onamia, Minn., to Amesburg, Mass., and Morrisville, N.J., to Fort Hall, Idaho. The country in indeed his country.

More: http://travistritt.com

14 COBBENERGYCENTRE.COM | A DECADE IN THE SPOTLIGHT

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ATLANTA’S PERFORMING ARTS PUBLICATION | ENCORE ATLANTA.COM 15

TREVOR NOAH | Oct 14, 7 p.m.

COMEDY IS CENTRAL TO DAILY LIFE

Y

ou no doubt know Trevor Noah from “The Daily Show” (11:30 p.m. weekdays on Comedy Central), but you may know less about what he did before being handpicked to succeed satirical giant Jon Stewart.

Noah, 33, became host in September 2015 but had been writing for “The Daily Show” since 1996 and contributing on-air since 2014. The funnyman-cumpolitical commentator, who was born in Johannesburg, began his career as an actor, presenter and stand-up comic in his native South Africa.

His American debut came on “The Tonight Show With Jay Leno,” and then on “Late Show With David Letterman,” making him the first South African comedian to appear on late-night.

Noah, like Stewart, is a quick-witted, sharp-tongued, equal-opportunity offender.

He comes with a thick skin. “You have to

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work a bit harder to offend me,” he quips, “because I’m from the home of some of the best racism in the world.”

He’s referring to apartheid, the system of racial segregation that was law in South Africa from 1948 to 1991. Noah spent most of the first decade of his life under that system and waiting for equality.

You Laugh But It’s True, an award-winning 2011 documentary, shows how Noah used his biracial childhood (black Xhosa mother, white European father) under apartheid to prepare for his first-ever one-man show.

His first book tills similar ground. Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood (Spiegel & Grau, 2016) is a collection of personal stories that shows what it was like to grow up under apartheid and after it. Born became a New York Times best-seller, a best-selling audiobook and earned two NAACP Image Award nominations.

Next for Noah is his ninth comedy special.

Afraid of the Dark was filmed Nov. 5, 2016, before a full house at Manhattan’s Beacon Theatre and debuts Feb. 21 on Netflix.

16 COBBENERGYCENTRE.COM | A DECADE IN THE SPOTLIGHT

MARKIPLIER: YOU’RE WELCOME TOUR | Oct. 15, 7:30 p.m.

HE’S GOT GAME

H

ang onto your seats. This is going to be one wild ride.

Markiplier, one of YouTube’s biggest names, is making his maiden voyage as a touring artist. The comedic vlogger (that means his blogs feature more videos than text or images) brings with him a cast of characters that virtually guarantee a neverbefore-seen live adventure.

Markiplier and the characters LordMinion777, Muyskerm, Tyler Scheid and CrankGameplays mix it up, but audiences drive the spectacle through a combination of choose-your-own-adventure narratives, improv games and challenges.

Markiplier is the online handle of American video blogger and video-game commentator Mark Edward Fischbach. Since making his YouTube debut in March 2012, he has released more than 2,000 episodes of gameplay reviews, focusing on indie titles and establishing himself as one of the more popular figures in the video-sharing platform’s Let’s Play (LP) community.

On April 7, 2012, Markiplier uploaded an “Amnesia: The Dark Descent” reactionvideo compilation, getting more than 1

million views. He moved it to his main channel seven weeks later, attracting another 1 million views.

He continued to produce his LP reviews on horror and other games, including such titles as “Drunk Minecraft #1: A New Hope,” “Among the Sleep” and “Five Nights at Freddy’s.”

By 2015, Markiplier was the face of the 49th most-subscribed-to channel on YouTube, with more than 9 million subscribers and 3 billion aggregate views.

He is one of very few LP video bloggers affiliated with Maker Studios’ online gaming network Polaris. Besides YouTube, you can find him on Facebook, Twitter, Twitch, Tumblr and Vine.

Fischbach, 28, was born in Honolulu, grew up in Cincinnati and now lives in Los Angeles. In 2015, he had surgery to repair an intestinal blockage. Of course, he uploaded a video from the hospital. Since then, he has worked with the Make-A-Wish Foundation, which arranges experiences, aka “wishes,” for children with life-threatening medical conditions.

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NICK OFFERMAN: FULL BUSH | Oct. 19, 7:30 p.m.

HAVE BEARD, WILL TRAVEL

N

ick Offerman is in the road again.

The actor, writer, humorist and woodworker, probably best known for the NBC sitcom “Parks and Recreation,” visits town with his sawdust-y musings on survival in the wild, living with enthusiasm and — most importantly — the cultivation of fulsome body hair.

He doesn’t joke about being bushy.

Offerman cut his show-biz teeth in Chicago of the 1990s, working with such esteemed companies as Steppenwolf, the Goodman and the lesser-known Wisdom Bridge. He worked, also, as a fight choreographer and a master carpenter. It was about this time he met Amy Poehler, with whom he’d eventually swap silliness on “Parks and Rec.” She was part of the Windy City’s storied improv scene.

Home today is Los Angeles, where he and wife Megan Mullally (“Will and Grace”) live with their poodles and, he says, “an impressive collection of assorted wood clamps.” He calls Mullally “the most

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beautiful and talented actress working today.” We think he really means it. The two most recently toured with their Summer of 69: No Apostrophe show, which aired in May on the Epix cable network.

You may also have seen him riffing on religion, sex and the books of J.R.R. Tolkien in “American Ham,” a stand-up performance that became a 2014 Netflix special, or in the feature films The Founder (2016) with Michael Keaton and this year’s The Hero, with Sam Elliott.

Next, he reteams with Poehler on “The Handmade Project,” an unscripted competition series that celebrates craftiness and creativity. Offerman may be a funnyman, but he’s serious about woodworking.

He’s had three New York Times bestsellers: Good Clean Fun: Misadventures With Sawdust at Offerman Woodshop (2016); Paddle Your Own Canoe (2014), in which he shares humorous fulminations on life, manliness, meat and much more; and Gumption (2016), in which he shares his personal pantheon of great Americans, from George Washington and Frederick Douglass, to Barney Frank, Carol Burnett and Conan O’Brien.

18 COBBENERGYCENTRE.COM | A DECADE IN THE SPOTLIGHT

MY BROTHER, MY BROTHER AND ME | Oct. 20, 7 p.m.

3 BROTHERS, 1 PODCAST, LOTS OF FUNNY

M

y Brother, My Brother and Me is a weekly comedy advice podcast for the modern era featuring real-life brothers Justin, Travis and Griffin McElroy.

Each week, they answer almost any question sent their way. New episodes drop Mondays.

The questions come from listeners and the Yahoo! Answers service (and are thusly called “Yahoos”). Both prompt funny discussions that can go on a bit. In a segment titled “The Money Zone,” ads from corporate sponsors and paid messages from listeners get the bro treatment. Other segments include “Munch Squad,” in which Justin ridicules press releases from fast-food companies; “Haunted Doll Watch,” about random eBay listings of haunted, possessed or cursed dolls; “Movie Watch,” in which the brothers discuss incorrect, inaccurate and often-unrelated plot points in current movies; and “Sad Libs,” in which Travis creates tragic stories with blank spaces and fills them with nonsensical words.

The brothers are popular. Each episode gets some 300,000 unique downloads, and they regularly chart on iTunes.

Justin, the oldest, lives in Huntington, W.Va., works as an editor-at-large for the video-game website Polygon and co-hosts Sawbones, a “marital tour of misguided medicine,” with his wife and college

sweetheart, Sydnee, a physician. He also hosts a YouTube show called Things I Bought at Sheetz. He and brother Griffin host a gaming comedy show called Monster Factory.

Travis, the middle brother, lives in Cincinnati, where he worked as a master carpenter for Cincinnati Shakespeare before becoming a full-time podcaster. He also calls himself an “actor, technician and raconteur,” in that order. Among his other podcasts are Bunker Buddies, a doomsday-prep comedy; Interrobang, a comedy about frustrations and rants; Schmanners, a riff on manners; The Kind Rewind with wife Teresa; Trends Like These, a funny take on current events; and one called Surprisingly Nice.

Griffin, the youngest, lives in Austin, Texas, where he’s a senior video editorial producer at Polygon. He’s also co-hosted the video-game podcast Cool Games Inc. and a podcast about “The Bachelor” and similar TV shows called Rose Buddies with his wife, Rachel. He was named one of Forbes’ “30 under 30” in 2016.

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RODNEY CARRINGTON | Oct. 21, 7 p.m.

DON’T LET THE COWBOY HAT FOOL YOU

S

tand-up comedian. Country singer.

Actor. Native Texan. Dad. Rodney Carrington has been making audiences laugh for more than 20 years. As a comic/country singer-songwriter, he’s recorded eight major-label albums that have sold more than 2 million copies. His most recent comedy special, Laughter’s Good, is available on Netflix.

He’s been one of the Top 10 highestgrossing touring comedians for the past 10 years, according to the trade publication Pollstar. More recently, he’s ranked among the Top 4 or 5.

Carrington frequents that place in comedy that’s adult-themed, raw, honest and not for ears under 18. And even though he wears a cowboy hat — he is from the Lone Star State after all — don’t lump him in with the redneck, country comics on satellite radio’s Blue Collar Comedy network (even though he, too, is a regular).

“What is a country comedian?” the divorced dad of three nearly grown sons

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asks. “What is that? What am I talking about, squirrels or (expletive) raccoon hunting?

I don’t hunt. I drive a Lexus. I like Frank Sinatra. I like cigars and red wine.

“My comedy is raw, but I’m as honest as I can be. I really draw from the honesty and pain and hurt of my own life, and I think that has been the key to my success for the 25 years that I have been doing this.”

Carrington has his own record label, called Laughter’s Good and, in 2014, released two albums on it. He then rereleased C’mon Laugh You Bastards, with three news songs.

He started a YouTube series titled “Bit by Bit” about the same time and releases new material there every week.

You may know him from his self-titled TV sitcom, “Rodney” (2004/08), or from the feature film Beer for My Horses (2008), which he co-wrote and co-starred in with Toby Keith. The movie won a Tex Ritter Award from the Academy of Country Music.

In 2007, he published his first book.

Coming Clean (Hanchette Books, 240 pages), that shares some of the comedy he performs onstage.

20 COBBENERGYCENTRE.COM | A DECADE IN THE SPOTLIGHT

DANIEL TIGER’S NEIGHBORHOOD LIVE | Oct. 22, 2 & 5:30 p.m.

WON’T YOU BE MY NEIGHBOR?

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his family-friendly musical for little tigers and their grown-ups pops right out of your TV set, exiting “Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood LIVE!” on PBS just momentarily to spend a little time with you.

Daniel Tiger’s 2017/18 touring show, titled King for a Day, invites you on a new adventure in the Neighborhood of MakeBelieve, as Daniel learns what it takes to become a king. The characters you know will entertain with new songs, sing-alongs, magical moments and surprise guests. As always, they’ll provide examples of kindness, helping others and being a good friend along with the fun.

“Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood,” which began airing in 2012, is the animated continuation of “Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood,” one of the biggest kids’ shows in TV history.

In each half-hour, cardigan-wearing host Fred Rogers did a “television visit” with his

young viewers — telling stories, introducing characters, talking about books and helping them deal with issues that seemed very big in their little lives. The show ran for 32.5 years on most PBS stations and was appointment TV for his young fans.

In “Daniel Tiger,” all of the characters introduced by Fred Rogers are grown, with preschool-aged children of their own. Along with Daniel Tiger, that includes Katerina Kittycat, Miss Elaina, O the Owl and Prince Wednesday.

Daniel Tiger’s simple songs can help your child — and your family — deal with the ups and downs of everyday life.

And now, it’s trolley time.

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‘SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE’ TOUR | Oct. 26, 8 p.m.

A COAST-TO-COAST DANCE-A-THON

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eason 14 of “So You Think You Can Dance” wrapped its broadcast season Sept. 11, which means the Top 10 finalists are traveling from Chicago to Red Bank, N.J., to Phoenix, metro Atlanta and beyond, to showcase their slickest steps.

The 14-time Emmy Award-winning Fox television reality show helped spark America’s renewed fascination with fancy footwork. (“Dancing With the Stars” may have had something to do with that, too.)

Onstage, you’ll see contemporary, tap, hip-hop, ballroom, animation, breaking and more as the season’s best — Robert Green (Raleigh, N.C.); Logan Hernandez (Miami); Lex Ishimoto (Irvine, Calif.); Koine Iwasaki (Pembroke Pines, Fla.); Dassy Lee (Seoul, South Korea); Kaylee Millis (Kington, Mass.); KiKi Nyemchek (Teaneck, N.J.); Taylor Sieve (Maple Grove, Minn.); Sydney Tormey (Salem, Utah); and Mark Villaver (Honolulu) — perspire through their paces.

They were deemed the best by judges Nigel Lythgoe (who created the show), ballroom expert Mary Murphy and Vanessa

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Hudgens. But who’s your favorite, because that’s what really counts.

The finalists are joined on this 34-city tour by “Dance” all-stars Jasmine Harper and Marko Germar. Since being on the show, Harper has performed with Beyonce, Taylor Swift, Usher and Pit Bull, and on the 87th Academy Awards.

Germar has performed in “Grease Live!,” “Glee,” the Disney Channel’s “Austin & Ally,” Teen Beach Movie, the 89th Academy Awards and with Jennifer Lopez.

The “So You Think You Can Dance” series has entertained viewers since 2005; the live tour gives fans a chance to see some of America’s best dancers doing what they do best in person. It’s an entirely different experience than watching them on television.

The dancers will do fan-favorite routines from the show as well as new material created specifically for live audiences and the stage. Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre is the 17th stop on the tour, which began Oct. 5 in Chicago and wraps Nov. 19 in Santa Rosa, Calif.

“So You Think You Can Dance” usually airs at 8 p.m. Mondays but, as of this writing, it was unclear whether it would have a 15th season.

22 COBBENERGYCENTRE.COM | A DECADE IN THE SPOTLIGHT

THEATER INFORMATION ATM: An ATM is located in the Grand Lobby.

Concessions: Concession stands are located in the center of the lobbies.

Coat check: Coat check is available at the concierge desk.

Emergency information: In the event of an emergency, please locate the nearest usher who will direct you to the appropriate exit.

Elevators: Elevators are located on each side of the lobbies on all levels.

Lost and found: Lost and Found items are turned into the concierge desk on the day of a performance. To inquire about a lost item, please call Public Safety at 770-916-2911.

Parking: PRE-PAY PARKING AVAILABLE AT COBB ENERGY CENTRE! Cobb Energy Centre is offering pre-paid parking for performances. On each performance page on the Cobb Energy Centre website there is now a button to purchase parking in advance for $12.00. Day-of parking will still be available for $10.00 (cash or credit).

There are 1,000 on-site parking spaces;

700 in a four-level deck and 300 more in a surface lot. Valet parking is available for The Atlanta Opera and Atlanta Ballet only. $10 day of park fee/$12 pre-pay option/$15 valet (cash or credit card).

Restrooms: Restrooms are located on house right and house left of all three lobbies. Family restrooms are also located on house right of all three lobbies. Mobilityimpaired patrons may use any of our restrooms.

Smoking: Smoking is prohibited inside the building. Please use the terrace exit to step outside and smoke.

Special assistance: Persons requiring access assistance are asked to contact the box office at 770-916-2850 for advance arrangements. Audio clarification devices are available to our hearing-impaired guests at no charge. This is on a first come–first served basis. A limited number of booster seats are also available. Wheelchairs are available upon request. All items require a form of identification to be held until the item is returned.

COBB ENERGY CENTRE REQUESTS: • All patrons, regardless of age, must have a ticket in order to be admitted to the performance. Please be aware that not all events are suitable for children. Infants will not be admitted to adult programs.

Parents will be asked to remove children who create a disturbance.

• Please turn off all cellphones before each performance. Please limit conversation during the performance.

• Audio & video recording devices are strictly prohibited at all times.

• Leaving while the show is in progress is discourteous, and we ask that you refrain from doing so.

• Please unwrap all candies and cough drops before the performance.

• We know that patrons make every effort to be on time for events out of respect for the performers and other theatergoers; however, there are times when traffic or weather problems cause late arrivals.

Latecomers may watch the beginning of a show on flat-screen TVs in our lobby until the theatre has re-opened to allow guests into the auditorium. In addition, touring companies set the policy for allowing those who arrive past curtain time into the theatre. We ask those patrons to wait until the approved time to re-open the theatre doors. Please plan ahead to arrive early and relax before the performance begins.

ATLANTA’S PERFORMING ARTS PUBLICATION | ENCORE ATLANTA.COM 23

UPCOMING EVENTS at Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre For the most up-to-date list of performances please visit

cobbenergycentre.com

The Atlanta Opera The Legend of Zelda: The Flying Dutchman Symphony of the Goddesses Nov. 4-12, 2017 Nov. 16, 2017

Lindsey Stirling Warmer in the Winter Tour

Tickets sold at the Bank of North Georgia Box Office at Cobb Energy Centre, Ticketmaster.com or by calling 800-745-3000

Soulful Sounds of Christmas

Kirk Franklin & Ledisi Nov. 19, 2017

Nov. 18, 2017

Dave Koz and Friends 20th Anniversary Tour

Ebi World Tour

Nov. 24, 2017

Nov. 25, 2017

Fantasia

Nov. 26, 2017

Oct. 20, 2017

The Alliance Theatre The Jason Bishop Show The Atlanta Opera Jan 21, 2018 A Christmas Carol Don Quixote Dec. 8-24, 2017

Feb. 2-11, 2018

VENUE SPONSORS

24 COBBENERGYCENTRE.COM | A DECADE IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Atlanta Ballet Beauty & the Beast Feb 8-11, 2018

THANK YOU TO OUR DONORS! Producer $25,000+ Anonymous Cobb-Marietta Coliseum and Exhibit Hall Authority Georgia Lottery The Molly Blank Fund (Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation) Walton Communities The Zeist Foundation Director $10,000-24,999 Jimmy & Helen S. Carlos Cobb Community Foundation Delta Community Credit Union Ed Voyles Automotive Group Emerson Climate Technologies Genuine Parts Company Livingston Foundation Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company National Endowment for the Arts Regions Bank Sartain Lanier Family Foundation Scicom Infrastructure Services Designer $5,000-9,999 Bobbie Bailey Foundation Lynn Cochran Georgia Power Company John & Mary Franklin Foundation The Martha and Wilton Looney Foundation Audrey B. Morgan Jerry & Cheryl Nix William A. Parker, Jr. Six Flags Over Georgia Synovus Foundation Jack & Jean Ward Wells Fargo Foundation Yardy & Barbara Williams

Playwright $2,500-4,999 Atlanta Braves Foundation René & Barbarella Diaz David & Michele Swann Tull Charitable Foundation The Vinings Rotary Club Presenter $1,000-2,499 Bill Brantley Terry Chandler Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Bruce & Sylvia Dick Fidelity Bank Richard Horder Peter Kessenich, Sr. Sam & Lisa Olens Pope and Land Enterprises James Rhoden, Jr. Nigel & Clare Richardson Kathleen E. Rios Laura Schilling John & Karen Spiegel Lead Actor $500-999 Gene & Patricia Henssler Robert Parris Emma Pollard Bennie Shaw

Audience $1-249 Matt Alea Julie Arnold Carole Brooks Ushers at Cobb Energy Centre Michael Cooper Winn Crump Sondra Dillon Dwight Dyer Kathrine Hansil Fred & Judith Keith Sherry Kendrick Mike Knowles Susan M. Levy David Nadler Richard Parker Brenda Rhodes Janice Scott Linda Smith Jim & Marilyn Sustrich James Tyson Jim & Joanne Van Duys Juliana Vincenzino George & Jan Yano Listing reflects gifts made between September 1, 2016 and August 31, 2017.

Ensemble $250-499 Robert & Susan Arko Charlie & Yetty Arp Jack & Shirley Demarest Johnny Gresham Margaret Kleiman Don & Patsy Mabry Sara Stephens Gordon Via

ATLANTA’S PERFORMING ARTS PUBLICATION | ENCORE ATLANTA.COM 25

COBBENERGYCENTRE.COM VENUE STAFF

COBB-MARIETTA COLISEUM & EXHIBIT HALL AUTHORITY

MANAGING DIRECTOR Sandie Aaron

HOUSEKEEPING MANAGER Jeri Wallis

CHAIRMAN Jerry Nix | Post 6

EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT Barbara Kiss

HUMAN RESOURCES SPECIALIST Lorena Dominguez

VICE-CHAIR A. Max Bacon | Post 2

DIRECTOR OF MARKETING & SPONSORSHIPS Tom Rowland MARKETING COORDINATOR Leah Valentine DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS Mike Cronin RECEPTIONIST Beryl Bernier BOX OFFICE MANAGER Carol Willis ASSISTANT BOX OFFICE MANAGER Russel Kennedy HOUSE MANAGER Richard Stevens DIRECTOR OF SAFETY & SECURITY Larry Green PUBLIC SAFETY MANAGER Jamie Wheeler PUBLIC SAFETY SUPERVISOR Eric Rascoe CULINARY DIRECTOR/ EXECUTIVE CHEF Nicholas Walker SOUS CHEF Camilo Aguirre FOOD & BEVERAGE MANAGER Ramin Djaved BANQUET MANAGER Abol Ghoreishi BEVERAGE & CONCESSION MANAGER Fernando Quintero

TECHNICAL DIRECTOR Ben Tilley PRODUCTION MANAGER Jessica Coale HEAD ELECTRICIAN Mike Wolmer HEAD AUDIO ENGINEER Jon Summers HEAD CARPENTER/RIGGER Mark Newman

SECRETARY Johnny Gresham | Post 4 Mike Boyce | Post 5 Tricia Pridemore | Post 7 Steve “Thunder” Tumlin | Post 1 Robert P. Voyles | Post 3 GENERAL MANAGER & CEO Michele L. Swann

DIRECTOR OF FACILITY SERVICES Arthur McDowell DIRECTOR OF ENGINEERING Joe Green

ARTSBRIDGE FOUNDATION

CHIEF ENGINEER Marty Taylor

PRESIDENT Jack Ward

DIRECTOR EMERITUS Barbara E. Williams

LEAD ENGINEER Madjid Lakhdari

VICE PRESIDENT Joanne Truffelman

DIRECTOR EMERITUS John A. Williams

LEAD ENGINEER Victor Sgobba

SECRETARY/TREASURER Larry M. Dingle

ARTSBRIDGE FOUNDATION STAFF EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Jennifer Dobbs Hill DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR Laura Gronek

DIRECTOR Helen S. Carlos DIRECTOR Barbarella Diaz DIRECTOR Jerry Nix DIRECTOR Sam Olens DIRECTOR Clare Richardson DIRECTOR Kessel D. Stelling DIRECTOR Percy Vaughn DIRECTOR Valery Voyles

28 COBBENERGYCENTRE.COM | A DECADE IN THE SPOTLIGHT

COME SEE US BEFORE OR AFTER THE SHOW!

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FRESH, SEASONAL FOOD IN VININGS VILLAGE Join us before or after the show! Theater menu available.

4300 Paces Ferry Road • 770.801.0089 • www.SOHOatlanta.com ATLANTA’S PERFORMING ARTS PUBLICATION | ENCORE ATLANTA.COM C3

WellStar Kennestone Honored for Top-Level Cardiac Care WellStar Kennestone is the only hospital in the state of Georgia and the second hospital in the nation to receive the triple distinction of the Disease Specific Care Certification for Coronary Artery Bypass Graft, Cardiac Valve Repair/ Replacement and Congestive Heart Failure Program by The Joint Commission.

All WellStar hospitals have received the Gold Seal of Approval accreditation from The Joint Commission, recognized nationwide as a symbol of quality that reflects a hospital’s commitment to meeting defined performance criteria.

Recognition by The Joint Commission is your assurance that you can trust WellStar for the highest quality of care.