October 2012: Encore Atlanta 10th Anniversary

10 t h anniversary special issue FOX THEATRE

ATLANTA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

Celebrating 10 years of supporting the arts AUGMENTED EDITION

ALLIANCE THEATRE

ATLANTA OPERA

Outmaneuver cancer.

Navigating your cancer treatment can feel like a full-time job.

That’s why WellStar created the Nurse Navigator program.

From the start, your Nurse Navigator serves as your guide and liaison, working with WellStar oncologists, cancer surgeons, and other specialists to streamline your care and ease your mind. She can also connect your loved ones to resources throughout the community.

Your Nurse Navigator will manage coordination among your doctors, help you understand your treatment options, and simply listen to your concerns.

WellStar Nurse Navigators are available to all cancer patients and their families. To learn more about cancer treatment at WellStar, call 770-956-STAR (7827) or visit the new wellstar.org.

We believe you are stronger than cancer.

The vision of WellStar Health System is to deliver world-class healthcare. Our not-for-profit health system includes WellStar Cobb Hospital, WellStar Douglas Hospital, WellStar Kennestone Hospital, WellStar Paulding Hospital, WellStar Windy Hill Hospital and WellStar Medical Group.

Welcome to ‘augmented reality’ and the next 10 years of Encore Atlanta

T

he beauty of live performance is that it isn’t passive. We can’t help but emotionally engage with the performers and artistry onstage. For a few short hours, we are transformed by what we hear and see. When the lights first dim, we are strangers. By the time the final curtain falls, we have become a community, united in our shared experience.

For the past 10 years, Encore Atlanta has delighted in drawing back the curtain to bring you behind-the-scenes insights: how the opera was written, what the composer went through, the secret life of the actor onstage, from where the dancer, the choreographer, costume or scenic designer drew inspiration.

As we enter a new decade, we are delighted to be able to create a whole new experience for you as you attend shows at the Fox Theatre, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Atlanta Opera and Alliance Theatre: interactive, video-enhanced show programs. Certain pages and advertisements in this and subsequent issues of Encore Atlanta will be embedded with a technology known as augmented reality.

Now, when you read a story, you will be able to scan the page and see a video interview or previews of upcoming shows. Ads might leap from the page. In fact, you can scan this editor’s letter and see a very special message from me.

Thank you for supporting the arts! We look forward to 10 more years of bringing you the best Atlanta has to offer. Connect with us on EncoreAtlanta.com, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and G+ — let us know what you think of what we do and what you’d like to see.

Best, Kristi Casey Sanders VP of Creative/Chief Storyteller Encore Atlanta (EncoreAtlanta.com) 4 EncoreAtlantA.com

How to enjoy this augmented encore atlanta issue

1

Download the “Theatre Plus Network” app from the iPhone App Store, Google Play or the Android Store. (It’s FREE!)

2

Find the live pages in this issue. Open the TPN app and hold your device’s camera over the page to activate.

3

The media is linked to the image, so hold steady! (Or double-tap to go full-screen.)

Open the app and scan these pages to revel special messages from our staff and supporters.

4

Enjoy the secret messages and Easter eggs we’ve hidden throughout the issue.

• • • • • • •

Encore Atlanta front cover Kristi Casey Sanders letter (pg. 4) Encore Atlanta (pg. 10) Mannheim Steamroller (pg. 17) Atlanta Opera (pg. 29) Broadway in Atlanta (pg. 47) Hennessey Jaguar (back cover)

Discover a world behind the scenes.

Your phone unlocks the door.

Contents

10th Anniversary Issue October 2012

Features 10 Encore Atlanta

For Encore Atlanta — online and in your hands — it’s 10 years and counting.

16 Fox Theatre

A grand sense of occasion.

22 Atlanta Symphony

Orchestra For ASO, decade brings new maestro and a focus on new works.

28 Atlanta Opera

34 Alliance Theatre

Teens, toddlers, grad students all part of company’s conversations.

40 Theater of the Stars

TOTS celebrates 60 years of Broadway entertainment.

44 Broadway in Atlanta Always on the hunt for Tony Award winners.

50 Atlanta Ballet

Collaboration, innovation keep Atlanta Ballet looking forward.

56 PoshDealz

Your tickets to discount shows, restaurants and more.

60 Dining Guide

6 encoreatlanta.com

Fox Theatre Archives/Yukari Umekawa; J.D. Scott; Tim Wilkerson; alliance theatre

Dedicated to ‘enriching lives through the power of opera.’

LEXUS.COM Atlanta

Duluth

Roswell

Smyrna

Union City

HENNESSY LEXUS OF ATLANTA

HENNESSY LEXUS OF GWINNETT

NALLEY LEXUS ROSWELL

NALLEY LEXUS SMYRNA

LEXUS OF SOUTH ATLANTA

5955 Peachtree 3383 Satellite Blvd. 980 Mansell Rd. 2750 Cobb Parkway SE Industrial Blvd.

(770) 680-1000 (678) 461-0800 (770) 428-9600 (770) 457-6800 Options shown. ©2012 Lexus.

4025 Jonesboro Rd. (770) 969-0204

The Fox Theatre 660 Peachtree Street, N.E. Atlanta, Georgia 30308 404.881.2100 • www.foxtheatre.org

STAFF

vp of creative/chief storyteller

Kristi Casey Sanders kristi@encoreatlanta.com creative director

Jenny Schisler Hinely jenny@encoreatlanta.com managing editor

Kathy Janich kathy@encoreatlanta.com graphic designer

Anna Aguiar anna.harrell@encoreatlanta.com production/marketing assistant

Sophia Chin sophia.chin@encoreatlanta.com publisher/sales Sherry Madigan White 404.459.4128 sherry.white@encoreatlanta.com account executive

Thomas Pinckney 404.459.4127 thomas.pinckney@encoreatlanta.com senior national accounts manager

Sandra Ourusoff 212.260.4883 marketing associate

Stephanie Smith stephanie.smith@encoreatlanta.com ENCORE ATLANTA is published monthly

by Atlanta Metropolitan Publishing Inc. Tom Casey Diane Casey controller Suzzie Gilham vp of sales and marketing Evan Casey chief administrative officer Claudia Madigan president

chairperson

180 Allen Road NE, Suite 200 North Atlanta, GA 30328 Phone 404.843.9800 Fax 404.843.9070 www.encoreatlanta.com Copyright 2012 AMP Inc. All rights reserved.

Reproduction in whole or in part is strictly prohibited. Encore Atlanta is a registered publication of AMP Inc. The publisher shall not be liable for failure to publish an ad, for typographical errors or errors in publication. Publisher reserves the right to refuse any advertising for any reason and to alter advertising copy or graphics deemed unacceptable for publication.

Allan C. Vella . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . General Manager Adina Alford Erwin . . . . . . . . Assistant General Manager Jamie Vosmeier . . . . . . . Director of Ticket Sales & Service Rachel Bomeli . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ticket Office Manager Jeff Quesenberry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Controller Rick Robbins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Assistant Controller Jennifer S. Farmer . . . . . . . . . Director of Sales/Ballrooms Jay Forrester . . . Director of Concessions & Merchandising Len Tucker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Director of Operations Pat Prill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . House Manager Greta Duke . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Assistant House Manager Kristen Delaney . . . . . . . . . . . Director of Marketing & PR Ken Shook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Patron Services Coordinator Shelly Kleppsattel . . . . . . . . Booking & Contract Associate Molly Fortune . . . . . . . . Preservation Department Manager Amy Smith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Production Manager Rebecca J. Graham . . . . . . Assistant Production Manager Gary Hardaway . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Master Carpenter Larry Watson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . House Flyman Scott Hardin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Property Master Ray T. Haynie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Master Electrician Cary Oldknow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Assistant Electrician Rodney Amos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Head Sound Engineer Larry-Douglas Embury . . . . . . . . . . Organist In Residence Tammy Folds . . . . . . . . . . . . Production Security Manager

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE AND BOARD MEMBERS Alan E. Thomas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chairman of the Board Edward L. White . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . President Beauchamp C. Carr . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2nd Vice President John A. Busby Jr. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3rd Vice President Julia Sprunt Grumbles . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4th Vice President Edward Hutchison . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Treasurer Robyn Rieser Barkin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Assistant Treasurer Clara Hayley Axam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Secretary Keith Cowan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Member at Large F. Sheffield Hale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Member at Large Walter R. Huntley Jr. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Member at Large Ada Lee Correll, Richard Courts IV, Robert L. Foreman Jr., John R. Holder, Florence Inman, Craig B. Jones, Steve Koonin, Charles Lawson, Robert E. Minnear, Starr Moore, Jay Myers, Carl V. Patton, Joe G. Patten, Glen J. Romm, Sylvia Russell, Nancy Gordy Simms, Clyde C. Tuggle, Carolyn Lee Wills

HONORARY BOARD MEMBERS Anne Cox Chambers, Arnall (Pat) Connell, Rodney Mims Cook Jr., Jere A. Drummond, Richard O. Flinn III, Arthur Montgomery, Joseph V. Myers Jr., Edward J. Negri, Edgar Neiss, Herman J. Russell, Preston Stevens Jr. Sponsors

Official Beverage of The Fox Theatre

Official Airline of The Fox Theatre

Official Vehicle of The Fox Theatre

Supporting Sponsors

Official Hotel of The Fox Theatre

Official Restaurant of The Fox Theatre

encore atlanta

For Encore Atlanta — online and in your hands — it’s 10 years and counting

By Kathy Janich Encore Atlanta Publisher Sherry White has been with the magazine’s parent company, Atlanta Metropolitan Publishing, since 1996. She started as a production assistant and gradually moved into sales. She led the custom publishing division starting in 2000, which created such successful projects as the Georgia Public Broadcasting Member Passport and coupon books for BellSouth Selects top markets. She graduated from Georgia Tech, and worked at IBM and Atlanta magazine before coming to AMP. She lives in Dunwoody, is married to the amazing Jeff White, and has the world’s cutest and sweetest 5-year-old. She’s proud to have served on the Southeast Regional Board of UNICEF since 2008. Sherry sees two or more shows a month and makes sure to see every show she can at Encore’s arts partners.

E

ncore Atlanta has been a labor of love for Publisher Sherry White since July 2002, when Ed Neiss, then general manager at the Fox Theatre, asked if Atlanta Metropolitan Publishing could produce programs for shows at the 4,500-seat venue.

“I’m so proud that in an eight-week time frame we were able to pull together the sales, editorial and creative teams to make that happen,” White says. “The relationships I’ve established with our partners at the Fox, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Alliance and Atlanta Opera are personally and professionally rewarding to me.”

10 EncoreAtlantA.com

In celebration of Encore Atlanta’s 10th anniversary, White answered a few questions about the inner workings of the magazine.

Can you explain to people who might not be that familiar with Encore Atlanta what it does?

Encore Atlanta is the official show program for the Fox Theatre, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Alliance Theatre and Atlanta Opera. Much like Playbill in New York, we are physically put in the hands of arts patrons as they go to shows at our venues. We don’t just provide information about the evening’s

Restoring Family Jewelry with Respect and Care

Legendary in Quality and Design 180 Allen Road Suite 107 Atlanta GA 30328 (404) 252-2256 www.knoxjewelers.com

Recipient of the Regional Theatre Tony Award®

Sept. 5–30, 2012

performance, we cover Atlanta’s arts scene and provide our readers with useful information about what’s going on around town. Across all our entities we print more than 1.5 million programs per year. Our Encore Atlanta website encoreatlanta. com is updated daily with arts news and features, profiles of actors and directors, and a range of lifestyle articles.

How does the printed program help venues and advertisers?

We’ve created special programs to enhance the theatre experience for our patrons as well as to drive business to our advertisers.

About five years ago we partnered with the group sales departments at the Fox Theatre and Atlanta Symphony Orchestra to create exciting Dinner & Show (Fox) and Dinner & Concert (ASO) opportunities to offer our patrons a New York-style theatre and dining experience. The Fox Dinner & Show packaging includes a ticket to every performance at the Fox Theatre (beginning in October) along with a $20 gift card to one of Atlanta’s finest restaurants. Our restaurant partners include Fifth Group Restaurants (Ecco, South City Kitchen, Alma Cocina, La Tavola, El Taco); Briza; Livingston; Gordon Biersch; Ocean Prime; and Concentrics Restaurants 12 EncoreAtlantA.com

(ONE Midtown Kitchen, Two Urban Licks, Tap and Parish). The ASO package includes a discounted ticket to an ASO performance and a fixed-price menu at one of the restaurants listed.

What are your goals for Encore?

Encore has so many elements that set us apart from the average print medium. In a world where the phrase “print is dead” seems to be uttered all the time, Encore Atlanta offers a quality print product that enhances our readers’ theatergoing experience. It’s also a necessary product to our partners since it lists the cast and other performance information. Our printed programs are a vital product that is growing each year. In the past two years we’ve launched several new initiatives that enhance what we do on the print side.

Can you give us some examples?

We now post digital versions of our programs online two weeks before show date. This lets our readers review show notes in a more relaxed environment and make decisions about where to dine before or after the show. Our social networks have skyrocketed in the past year. We have 6,000-plus Facebook fans and 12,000plus Twitter followers that we message

IMPROVING FIRST CLASS BEGINS BY OFFERING ONE. MORE FIRST CLASS SEATS THAN ANY OTHER AIRLINE.

DELTA .COM

daily about what’s going on around town and what our advertisers are offering.

About a year and a half ago we created PoshDealz.com, a locally based discount site offering theatre, dining, shopping and service opportunities for half off. Account executive Thomas Pinckney has done an amazing job growing PoshDealz.com and procuring offers that are of interest to our audiences.

What about “augmented reality?”

Beginning with this issue, readers will find video content in both our articles and from our advertisers. We’re very excited

about this new technology and know that our readers will respond to it positively.

If you could project 10 years in the future, what would Encore look like?

We would love the opportunity to produce the programs for more of Atlanta’s arts community. I see our digital and social media elements experiencing phenomenal growth as we stay on the cusp of emerging technology.

I see our Posh entity flourishing and becoming one of the big names in the discount website business. I see nothing but a bright future in store!

ENCORE TIMELINE July 2002: Fox Theatre General Manager Ed Neiss asks if Atlanta Metropolitan Publishing can do show programs for his venue.

September 2002: First show programs published for the Fox Theatre (Mamma Mia!) and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. Later that year, souvenir book The Fabulous Fox Theatre: The History of an Atlanta Icon is published.

January 2003: Program published for The Lion King at the Boisfeuillet Jones Atlanta Civic Center. november 2004: First Atlanta Ballet Nutcracker souvenir book published.

June 2004: Souvenir book The Fabulous Fox Theatre: Great Performances published.

December 2004: Souvenir book The Decorative Arts of the Fabulous Fox Theatre published.

14 EncoreAtlantA.com

October 2008: Program published for Tony Awardwinning Wicked, playing the Fox Theatre for the first time.

December 2008: Launched @EncoreAtlanta Twitter page.

Atlanta Opera at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Center.

May 2009: Encore Atlanta Facebook page created (www.facebook.com/ EncoreAtlanta). Tony Awardwinning Jersey Boys plays the Fox Theatre for the first time.

december 2009: Art book The Fox Theatre: Atlanta, Gerogia — The Memory Maker published to celebrate 80 years of great performances.

September 2009: First Alliance Theatre program produced (Twyla Tharp’s Come Fly With Me).

OCTOBER 2009: First ARIA program published for the

June 2010: First Tony Awards Viewing Party held at the Fox. January 2011: PoshDealz.com launched.

OCTOBER 2012: 10th Anniversary augmented reality issue released.

Exceptional experiences at a price you can afford ... day or night.

Delicious narcissism, dishonesty and self-deception in Betrayal 50% OFF TICKETS FOR AURORA THEATRE

Posh half-off deal!

Husband-and-wife Tess Malis Kincaid and Mark Kincaid (last season’s Body of Water) return to Aurora Theatre to do battle in Betrayal, master playwright Harold Pinter’s most famous piece. They tell of a love triangle — one couple’s sevenyear infidelity and their close friend Jerry — related from end to beginning. She’s the wife, he’s the friend and Aurora Producing Artistic Director Anthony Rodriguez is the husband. Be prepared for dark, delicious narcissism, dishonesty and self-deception. It runs Oct. 4-28 at the gorgeous Lawrenceville theater.

Steve Yockey’s Wolves ACTOR’S EXPRESS WORLD PREMIERE

50% off

Wolves, a savagely funny fairy tale for grownups, tells the story of a timid young city dweller named Ben, who freaks out when roommate Jack brings a big, bad wolf home for a one-night stand. Their world will forever changed by a dangerous chain of events and a peculiar narrator who knows more than she’s telling. Wolves, from the deliciously wild imagination of Atlanta native Steve Yockey. It runs Nov. 8 through Dec. 2. Beware!.

All tickets and gift cards will be mailed.

Follow us to hear about the latest dealz!

PoshDealz.com

fox theatre

A grand sense of occasion

By Allen C. Vella

Allan C. Vella is general manager of the Fox Theatre, a nonprofit venue owned by Atlanta Landmarks Inc. Before joining the Fox, Vella worked for SMG, one of the world’s largest facility management companies. Vella also has worked for North American Sports, LLC, in Buffalo, N.Y., where he served as vice president of business development and was responsible for developing and acquiring new sports team franchises. His career began with Olympia Entertainment in Detroit, where he worked for 13 years as senior director and general manager of the Fox Theatre; director of merchandising for the Detroit Tigers, Detroit Red Wings and the Detroit Zoo; executive director of the Glens Falls Civic Center in New York; and concert production and event booking positions at Joe Louis and Cobo arenas.

Vella has a bachelor of arts in liberal arts, with an emphasis in arts management, from the University of Iowa. While at Iowa, he was director of the Student Commission on Programming and Entertainment.

16 EncoreAtlantA.com

non-residency venue (5,000 seats or less) worldwide for the decade.

The Fox Theatre is a very successful nonprofit arts organization, thanks to the care and oversight of the Board of Trustees of Atlanta Landmarks Inc.,

Fox Theatre Archives

T

he Fox Theatre developed its mission, “to preserve and share the Fox Theatre,” and its vision, “to create a grand sense of occasion and memorable experiences,” based on its rich history, inspiration from movie mogul William Fox, for who the theater is named, and continued support from the Atlanta community.

The Fox has been one of the topgrossing theaters of its size for the past 30 years, featuring Broadway shows, ballet, fine art and international entertainment, movies and contemporary music. In December 2009, Billboard Magazine ranked the Fox Theatre as the No. 1

ENCORE ATLANTA HAS A MEGA-CONTEST TO KICK-START YOUR HOLIDAY SEASON. ENTER FOR A CHANCE TO WIN : • 2 tickets to Cirque du Soleil's Totem on Sunday 12/2 at 1 p.m.

• $200 gift certificate for Spa Sydell • $200 gift card at Concentrics restaurants (ONE Midtown Kitchen, Two Urban Licks, Tap, The Spence or Parish) • and overnight accommodations at a swanky intown hotel.

REGISTER NOW AT ENCOREATLANTA.COM/CONTESTS Like us on Facebook for access to more arts news, contests and deals! facebook.com/encoreatlanta

combined with a successful management team, which has collectively been good stewards. As a result, the Fox has operated in the black for more than 25 years without depending on tax dollars or fundraising campaigns.

Since the Fox was saved in 1974, the board and management team have continued to keep their promise to preserve and share the Fox. We have been able to maintain the Fox and reinvest more than $1 million in capital improvements per year. In fact, since 1974, the Fox has reinvested $34 million back into the building. Hundreds of thousands of dollars have been spent on programs that benefit Atlanta, including AileyCamp Atlanta, Camp Broadway, 18 EncoreAtlantA.com

Fox Theatre Rising Stars, and artistic and architectural workshops. The Fox pays most, and sometimes all, of the costs for these programs with the help of grants, tuition and support from our sponsors.

The Fox is proud to extend its good deeds not just to the Atlanta community, but also to towns throughout Georgia.

Knowledge we gained through restoring and preserving our own theater taught us that these structures are community treasures and significant economic development tools.

The proof can be seen in Midtown Atlanta, where restoration of the Fox and the development of the Woodruff Arts Center were significant driving forces in the rebirth of the area. Based

Fox Theatre Archives

“We believe the study of the fine arts enhances the development of higher thinking skills, creativity and problem-solving abilities that carry over in all studies.” — Fine Art Task Force, Georgia Department of Education

member of the Atlanta community.

They can easily help with everything from directions to The Varsity for a hot dog after the show to the best parking, and all of this with the Southern hospitality for which Atlanta is known.

We look forward to preserving and sharing the Fox Theatre and creating a grand sense of occasion and memorable experiences for many generations to come! It is our hope that we have helped to restore the foundation for a thriving arts community through our good deeds in the Midtown area and throughout the state of Georgia.

The city of Atlanta has the second-highest number of arts-related businesses and employees per capita among the 100 largest cities in the United States.

— Americans for the Arts’ Creative Industries research project, April 2012

20 EncoreAtlantA.com

Fox Theatre Archives

on what we learned, and our desire to share that knowledge with other Georgia communities, we introduced the Fox Theatre Institute (FTI) in 2008.

FTI is designed to create a movement that will foster arts development, preservation standards, community building and economic development for historic theaters — and arts communities throughout the state.

Since its inception, we have assisted Brunswick, Rome and Fitzgerald in reclaiming their cultural heritages.

Our projects aren’t strictly for the physical restoration of theaters, but include consulting on everything from marketing shows to theater operations and strategic planning.

We will continue to preserve and share the Fox Theatre, with a focus on continuing to create the “grand sense of occasion” that Mr. Fox dreamed about in the 1920s. In order to better manage our customers’ experience, the Fox developed its own ticketing system and launched FoxATLtix.com in May 2012.

We also partnered with a local business, Ticket Alternative, to operate our ticketing outlets, including those at Whole Foods Markets. We did this to have a greater influence over the guest experience and to ensure that everyone assisting our guests is a knowledgeable

FOX THEATRE — FOR YOUR INFORMATION The Theatre A fully restored 1929 “Movie Palace,” the Fox Theatre, with 4,678 seats, is a multiple-purpose facility, housing Broadway shows, ballet, symphonies, concerts, movies, and private corporate events.

Lost and Found Lost and Found items are turned in to the House Manager’s office. To check on lost items, please call the House Manager at 404.881.2075. Lost and Found items will be retained for 30 days.

Private Rooms The Fox Theatre has three private rental spaces, with accommodations for 25 to 1,200 guests. Our Egyptian Ballroom and Grand Salon are beautifully decorated and can be set up to your specifications. The Landmarks Lounge is adjacent to the lobby and is perfect for a small pre-show and intermission event. To book your ”Fabulous Fox“ evening, please call 404.881.2100 or visit us at www.foxtheatre.org.

Emergency Information In the event of an emergency, please walk to the nearest exit. Do Not Run.

Fox Ticket Office The Fox Theatre Ticket Office is located in the arcade of the Fox Theatre and open Mon.-Fri. 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. and Sat. 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. The Ticket Office is closed on Sundays unless there is a performance – in this case the Ticket Office opens two hours prior to the performance time. Doors to the theatre open one hour prior to the performance time. Tickets for all performances at the Fox Theatre may also be purchased by visiting www.FoxAtlTix.com or calling 1-855-285-8499. Now Available – The Fox Theatre has installed self-serve ticket kiosks in the arcade which allow 24-hour access to ticket purchases for the convenience of our patrons.

Group Sales The Fox Theatre Group Sales Department offers discounts to Groups for most Broadway shows. The Group Sales office is open Monday-Friday from 9am to 5pm. Call 404 8812000 or email foxgroup@foxtheatre.org.

Concessions Concession stands are located in the Spanish Room, main lobby, and on the mezzanine lobby level.

Restrooms Restrooms are located off the Main Lobby (downstairs), Mezzanine Lobby levels, and the Gallery level. Accessible restroom facilities are located in the Spanish Room and Accessible/Family restrooms are located through the Office door in the main lobby.

Gift Shop The Fox Theatre operates a gift shop selling history books, T-shirts, sweatshirts, and an assortment of other theatre-related merchandise. The gift shop is located in the Spanish Room.

Tours Tours of the Fox Theatre are available through the Atlanta Preservation Center. Tours are conducted Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays at 10:00 a.m. and Saturdays at 10:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. Tours begin in the Peachtree Street Arcade entrance to the theatre.

For more information on tours and to confirm the tour schedule, please call the Atlanta Preservation Center at 404.688.3353.

Smoking In accordance with the Fulton County Clean Air Ordinance, the Fox Theatre is a smoke-free facility.

Smoking is only permitted in designated areas.

Special Needs The Fox Theatre has several services designed to assist guests with special needs. Guests with questions about special accessibility programs or who wish to purchase accessible seating should call 404.881.2100.

An audio clarification device is available for guests requiring hearing enhancement. These devices are available, free of charge, on a first-come, first-serve basis prior to a performance.

A limited number of booster seats are also available, free of charge.

Elevators Elevators are located at the north end of each lobby.

The elevators are available during all performances and make it possible to access each lobby without the use of stairs. Patrons should be aware that access to upper seating areas do involve stairs.

Parking Parking is available within a four-block radius in all directions of the Fox Theatre. Advanced reserved parking is available for sale at the Fox Ticket Office or by calling FoxATLtix at 1-855-ATL-TIXX. The Fox Theatre assumes no responsibility for vehicles parked in any of the privately owned parking lots operating in the Fox Theatre district.

Performance Notes All patrons, regardless of age, must have a ticket in order to be admitted to the theatre. Not all events are suitable for children. Infants will not be admitted to adult programs/performances. Parents will be asked to remove children who create a disturbance.

Latecomers will be seated at the discretion of the management, in conjunction with the wishes of the producers.

Please turn off all pagers and cell phones prior to the beginning of each performance.

Camera and recording devices are strictly prohibited.

Backstage employees are represented by the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (I.A.T.S.E.)

atlanta symphony

For ASO, decade brings new maestro and a focus on new works

By Kathy Janich

A

ny serious look at the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra’s past decade must begin with Robert Spano, who became music director with the 200102 season.

Before his ASO tenure began, when he was still in charge of the Brooklyn Philharmonic, Spano was touted as the next big catch for a major orchestra. The classical music world considered him a smart young maestro with a disciplined

22 EncoreAtlantA.com

baton and infinite energy, clearly comfortable with the classic repertoire but equally fond of modern scores.

Those opinions have only strengthened.

“Spano has gone on to become perhaps the most admired conductor of his generation,” The Boston Globe observed not long ago, after the maestro conducted at the Tanglewood Music Festival.

Spano is popular with ASO musicians, too. “Robert brings an

Angela Morris

Robert Spano, in his 11th season as music director of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, is recognized internationally as one of the most imaginative conductors today.

He has led the orchestra’s performances at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center as well as at the Ravinia, Ojai and Savannah music festivals. He has led the New York and Los Angeles philharmonics; the San Francisco, Boston, Cleveland, Chicago and Philadelphia symphony orchestras; and the Orchestra Filarmonica della Scala, BBC Symphony and Amsterdam’s Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. Mr. Spano has conducted at Covent Garden, for the Welsh National Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Houston Grand Opera and the 2005 and 2009 Seattle Opera Ring cycles. He was Musical America’s 2008 conductor of the year. In March 2010, he began a three-year tenure as Emory University’s distinguished artist in residence, spending three weeks each year leading intensive seminars and presenting programs on science, math, philosophy, literature and musicology. In its 165-year history, Emory has honored only seven others with such residencies, including the Dalai Lama, President Jimmy Carter and author Salman Rushdie.

Fall in Love

AT BARNSLEY

2010 & 2011 Condé Nast Gold Lists World’s Best Places To Stay

B A R N S L E Y R E S O R T. C O M FOR RESERVATIONS CALL 770.773.7480 Conveniently located just 60 miles north of Atlanta

GOLF | SPA | HORSEBACK RIDING | SPORTING CLAYS | DINING

bg_ad_encore_2012_FALL_PRINT_FINAL.indd 1

GOING TO SEE A SHOW AT THE FOX THEATRE OR ATLANTA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA?

9/19/12 4:31 PM

CHECK OUT OUR DIGITAL EDITIONS BEFORE YOU GO. Find great dining ideas for before the show and read our show stories so you know what's in store for you at the performance.

Like us on Facebook for access to more arts news, contests and deals! facebook.com/encoreatlanta

24 EncoreAtlantA.com

The 67-year-old Atlanta Symphony Orchestra is the most widely recognized orchestra and largest arts organization in the southeastern United States. It has received more than 30 Grammy Awards for its orchestral and choral recordings.

intense emotions and an underlying awareness of cinematic and world or pop music.

The school includes Michael Gandolfi, Osvaldo Golijov, Jennifer Higdon, Adam Schoenberg and Christopher Theofanidis, and is open to growing.

Since 2001, Spano and the ASO have performed more than 100 contemporary works (composed since 1950), including

J.D. Scott

incredible amount of enthusiasm and excitement to the podium, which is contagious to the musicians,” principal cellist Christopher Rex has said.

“Most importantly, his ego is always subservient to the music.”

Great catch, Atlanta.

The 2012-13 season marks the ASO’s 68th anniversary year, the ASO Chorus’ 42nd and the Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra’s 38th. The partnership between Spano and Principal Guest Conductor Donald Runnicles enters an unprecedented 12th season. They are under contract through the end of the 2013-14 season.

One of the most memorable elements of Spano’s tenure has been the creation and nurturing of new works. He has planted his flag with the Atlanta School of Composers, a group of young American composers, which, as Spano himself explains, favors tonal melodies,

26 EncoreAtlantA.com

and five times with Spano’s predecessor, Yoel Levi.

This season, the orchestra is scheduled to perform three world premieres and 13 works it has never played before. The world premieres come Jan. 10-12, with Gandolfi’s Concerto for Clarinet and Strings, and April 4-5, with a new piano concerto by Marcus Roberts, featuring the Marcus Roberts Trio, plus a new work by ASO bassist Michael Kurth. The orchestra commissioned all three pieces.

Jeff Roffman; J.D. Scott

16 ASO-commissioned world premieres, 14 additional world premieres and three U.S. premieres. Spano-conducted ASO recordings have won numerous Grammy Awards, including Higdon’s City Scape, Golijov’s Ainadamar and a disc that features Theofanidis’ The Here and Now. Since 1986, when the ASO won its first Grammy, it has collected 27 of the awards, winning in classical music categories every year from 1988 to 1991, and in 1996, 1998-99, 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2009.

In 2007, the ASO received ASCAP’s highest award, the John S. Edwards Award for Strongest Commitment to New American Music, the second ASCAP honor in Spano’s tenure. It honors programming that demonstrates a strong commitment to contemporary music.

The ASO has recorded regularly on several labels. Last season, however, it released its first recording on its own label, ASO Media. The debut recording features On a Wire, a new concerto by the Pulitzer Prize-winning Higdon, and QED: Engaging Richard Feynman, a new choral work by Gandolfi.

The ASO is scheduled to make a return call to Carnegie Hall on Oct. 27 to perform the Suite from Aaron Copland’s Appalachian Spring, Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms and Walton’s Belshazzar’s Feast. It will mark Spano’s seventh trip to the New York City landmark with the ASO, which played there 12 times with director Robert Shaw (1967-88) on the podium

LOG ON TO ENCOREATLANTA.COM

AND REGISTER TO WIN TICKETS! CIRQUE DU SOLEIL’S TOTEM

ATLANTA OPERA’S CARMEN

Win 2 tickets to Cirque du Soleil’s TOTEM at the Big Top at Atlantic Station during its Oct. 25 - Dec. 2 run.

Enter by Thursday, October 11, 2012

Win 2 tickets to The Atlanta Opera’s Carmen at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre during its Nov. 10-18 run.

Enter by Monday, October 29, 2012

REAL TWEENAGERS

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST

at the Big Top at Atlantic Station

at the Alliance Theatre

Win 4 tickets to see The Real Tweenagers at the Alliance Theatre during its Oct. 27-Nov. 3 run.

Enter by Monday, October 15, 2012

FRANKIE VALLI at the Fox Theatre

Win 2 tickets to Frankie Valli at the Fox Theatre on Thurs., Nov, 1, at 8 p.m.

Enter by Monday, October 22, 2012

Like us on Facebook for access to more arts news, contests and deals! facebook.com/encoreatlanta

at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre

at the Fox Theatre

Win 2 tickets to Beauty and the Beast during its Nov. 27-Dec. 2 run at the Fox Theatre.

Enter by Tuesday, November 13, 2012

ATLANTA BALLET’S NUTCRACKER at the Fox Theatre

Win 4 tickets to the Atlanta Ballet’s Nutcracker during its Dec 7-26 run at the Fox Theatre.

Enter by Tuesday, November 27, 2012

atlanta opera

Dedicated to ‘enriching lives through the power of opera’

By Cristina Vásconez Herrera

T

he Atlanta Opera has experienced more change in the past 10 years than at any other time in its 33-year existence. The changes were not subtle, but rather monumental shifts. Now, in 2012, the Atlanta Opera is poised to re-envision its mission of “enriching lives through the power of opera.”

Finally a home

28 EncoreAtlantA.com

David Daniels; Porgy and Bess, which played to four sold-out houses; and last fall’s stunning Lucia di Lammermoor.

A firm foundation

During its meandering path to a permanent performance home, the Atlanta Opera worked its way through some significant financial challenges.

The opera had some good luck right

Tim Wilkerson

In the first decade of this millennium, the Atlanta Opera called three Atlanta venues its performance home – the Fox Theatre, the Boisfeuillet Jones Atlanta Civic Center and, beginning in 2007, the magnificent Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre. When the opera became the Centre’s first resident company, it finally found a permanent performance home that was ideal for opera, with its intimate, acoustically excellent theater, stunning architecture and easy access.

Now in its sixth season at the Cobb Energy Centre, the Atlanta Opera presents three productions each season to ever-increasing artistic acclaim.

Though hard to name only a few, highlights have included the inaugural Turandot performance; Orfeo and Euridice with famed countertenor

A strategic plan

The opera’s new strategic plan was unanimously approved by the board of 30 EncoreAtlantA.com

Atlanta Opera moved to its new home, the Cobb Energy Centre, for the 2007-08 season.

Before then its performances were seen at the Fox Theatre, Atlanta Symphony Hall, Emory University’s Academy of Medicine, the Alliance Theatre, Spivey Hall, the Cathedral of St. Philip, the Ferst Center for the Arts at Georgia Tech and the Atlanta Civic Center. directors on June 25. It calls for initiatives to enhance revenue, increase awareness in the community and improve the business model. With the resignation of General Director Dennis Hanthorn this past summer, the Atlanta Opera is

Tim Wilkerson

before moving to the Cobb Energy Centre when it sold its West Peachtree building at the height of the market.

The resulting windfall provided a modicum of financial security until the economic crisis hit and ticket sales and donations foundered. With its future again uncertain, the opera was unbelievably fortunate to receive a transformational planned gift. A $9 million bequest from longtime board member Barbara D. Stewart provided the Atlanta Opera with a $6 million endowment and enough reserves to weather economic storms.

Shortly after receiving the bequest, board chairman William E. Tucker launched a comprehensive strategic planning process.

DINNER & A SHOW For less than what it costs for a single admission, you can purchase a Dinner & A Show package and get a TICKET PLUS A $20 GIFT CARD redeemable at some of Atlanta’s finest restaurants including: ALMA COCINA BRIZA ECCO GORDON BIERSCH LIVINGSTON OCEAN PRIME SOUTH CITY KITCHEN

ows.

Amazing sh

Y! ORDER TODA .

Memorable

And beginning in October, you can purchase packages for any show at the Fox Theatre. This is a great holiday gift, employee incentive or gift to yourself. A New York style theatre and dining experience at Atlanta prices.

To learn more, go to the Fox Theatre’s website FoxTheatre.org and click on the Dinner & Show icon midway down the page.

meals

Atlanta Opera’s 2012-13 season features Bizet’s Carmen (Nov. 10, 13, 16 and 18); Verdi’s La Traviata (March 2, 5, 8 and 10); and Rossini’s The Italian Girl in Algiers, an Atlanta Opera premiere (April 27 and 30, and May 3 and 5). Visit atlantaopera.org.

Community engagement

The Atlanta Opera has myriad opportunities for the community to engage with opera — mainstage opera at the Cobb Energy Centre, educational activities for school-age children as well as adults and more.

Looking ahead, the Atlanta Opera is putting a priority on creating innovative community engagement experiences to help boost awareness for opera, in general, and for the Atlanta Opera, in 32 EncoreAtlantA.com

particular. Activities such as Rabbit Tales, the children’s opera commissioned in 2011; the 24-Hour Opera Project, in which teams of composers, librettists, directors and singers create and perform an opera in just 24 hours; and the unique High School Opera Institute are helping the opera deepen the pool of potential audience members.

The future is bright!

The next 10 years promise to bring more change to the Atlanta Opera. Through it all, however, our commitment to artistic excellence will be unwavering.

Cristina Vásconez Herrera is director of marketing and communications for the Atlanta Opera.

Tim Wilkerson

searching for a new general director.

When in place, the new leader will be instrumental in implementing the strategic plan and providing the vision for the opera to enlarge its civic footprint within the Atlanta community.

When you Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF, the money you collect provides medicine, clean water, and nutrition for children around the world.

alliance theatre

Teens, toddlers, grad students all part of company’s conversations

By Susan V. Booth

Susan V. Booth, the Jennings Hertz Artistic Director, joined the Alliance Theatre in 2001. In that time, she has initiated the Collision Project for teens and the National Graduate Playwriting Competition, and created local producing partnerships with Georgia Shakespeare, True Colors and the nine theatre companies that participated in the Alliance’s City Series.

She has also overseen regional collaborative productions and commercial partnerships, and has directed at theatres across the country. Susan holds degrees from Denison and Northwestern universities and has taught at Northwestern, DePaul and Emory universities. She is a past president of the board of directors for the Theatre Communications Group (the national service organization for the field) and serves on the board of the Metro Atlanta Arts and Culture Coalition.

en years. We tell our histories in decades. While future generations look back at eras and epochs and those other “e” words that imply generational spans, when we tell our own stories, we tend to thin-slice in 10-year increments.

The ‘80s. The ‘90s. The oughts.

Ten years ago at the Alliance Theatre we were launching a crazy-but-maybenot program called the National Graduate Playwriting Competition.

With the gorgeous generosity of the Kendeda Foundation, we committed to an annual production of a new work

34 EncoreAtlantA.com

from a new writer just emerging from the cocoon of academia. In 2012? Those folks are populating the repertoires

alliance theatre

T

of theatres across the country, and the program is still welcoming new playwrights to submit new work.

Ten years ago we decided to make annual a theatrical event called Collision, where Atlanta teens would collide with a classical text and create their own theatrical mash-up — a work by, for and about their peers. A decade later, the project has been replicated nationally, and provides an annual chance to shake off our adult dust as adolescents dream in color on our stages.

36 EncoreAtlantA.com

Ten years ago we were embracing the notion that the Alliance could serve as an incubator for major new American musicals that would give an embracing home to the country’s leading artists while giving our Atlanta audience a chance to be in the vanguard of first collaborators with those new works.

A decade in, we have been home to Twyla Tharp, Alice Walker, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Tom Kitt, Jeff Whitty, Stephen King, John Mellencamp and more. And our audience has been a catalytic force

alliance theatre

The Alliance Theatre has produced more than 40 world premieres, a list that includes Atlanta writer Janece Shaffer’s Managing Maxine; Quiara Alegria Hudes’ 26 Miles; Tarell Alvin McCraney’s In the Red and Brown Water; Rebecca Gilman’s adaptation of Carson McCullers’ The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter; Atlanta writer Pearl Cleage’s Blues for an Alabama Sky and What I Learned in Paris; and Alfred Uhry’s The Last Night of Ballyhoo and Apples & Oranges.

Pre-Show Dining at The Woodruff in

Flights & Bites $15, plus tax 





Hours of Service

A wonderful tasting plate that features (3) 2oz. glasses of wine paired with 3 unique bites Served in the Table 1280 Lounge Also available, classically cool tapas and full bar menu

1280 Buffet $25, plus tax & gratuity 







Includes Entrée, 2 Sides, Salad and Dessert Served in the Table 1280 East Dining Room Reservations are required 24 hours in advance and must be pre-paid Please contact the Box Office to book your reservation at 404.733.5000 or online at www.woodruffcenter.org



5 PM-8 PM on performance nights only (Tuesday-Saturday)

Special Events Table 1280 is available for private events. Please contact the Woodruff Arts Center special events department at 404-733-5249 or at specialevents@woodruffcenter.org.

20 years

The Emory Chamber Music Society of Atlanta C E L E B R AT E S

of Chamber Music at Its Best!

David Coucheron

Eroica Trio

Vega String Quartet

The world’s greatest music performed by some of Atlanta’s finest resident musicians and joined by internationally known guest artists in the most beautiful concert venues in Atlanta.

Check out the entire season at arts.emory.edu/ecmsa or write wransom@emory.edu.

38 EncoreAtlantA.com

The Alliance Theatre’s Kendeda Graduate Playwriting Competition, which produces and workshops news plays by students at the nation’s top graduate schools, is the only one of its kind in the nation.

The theatre received the 2007 Regional Theatre Tony Award, a single honor given annually to a company that has displayed a continuous level of artistic achievement contributing to the growth of theatre nationally. national arts conversation, and a sense of home at the Alliance that is a daily gift.

That’s the story I’m going to tell of these last 10 years and carry with me into the next.

alliance theatre

in sending work across the country, across the ocean and off to Broadway.

OK, don’t get me wrong. There have been some speed bumps as well. Productions loved by a few and confounding to many. A recession that hit our sector — and more critically, our brilliant artists and staff — too hard.

Colleague theatres with storied pasts that were allowed to go under when they should have been championed. But, too, there have been glorious premieres from local writers Pearl Cleage and Janece Shaffer. There was the recent creation of Theatre for the Very Young, making gobsmackingly good art for toddlers.

There was a rock star cast of Atlanta actors tearing up the stage and taking names in August: Osage County.

Personally, this was a decade that brought me a daughter who hung the moon (really, just ask her dad), a profound sense of pride and place as I realized how important our community is in the

theater of the stars

TOTS celebrates 60 years of Broadway entertainment

By Nick Manos Nick Manos, Theater of the Stars president, is a graduate of The Westminster School in Atlanta and the University of North Carolina, where he was a Morehead Scholar. His career spans three decades in leadership positions. In the fall of 2000, he returned to Atlanta to become managing director of Theater of the Stars. In 2008, he assumed the role of president. Mr. Manos has been heavily involved with the touring aspect of the company and has been the driving force behind many of the artistic and cultural marvels brought to the Theater of the Stars stage, including the world professional premiere of Disney’s High School Musical, the co-productions of Deaf West’s Big River, The King and I with Sandy Duncan, Bombay Dreams and the newly reimagined version of Les Misérables. He is the founder of the Junior Theatre Festival, an event that takes place every January in Atlanta, bringing students from all over the world together to perform, learn and celebrate theater.

Mr. Manos and his wife, Laura, have three children — Andy, Kate and Sam — and one crazy dog, Peach.

he oldest regional nonprofit theater company in Atlanta and the Southeast, Theater of the Stars Inc. this year celebrates 60 seasons of presenting Broadway entertainment.

More than 10 million people have attended our family-friendly shows at the Fox Theatre over the past six decades. Under the leadership of my father, producer Christopher B. Manos since 1960, we have thrived as one of the oldest nonprofit theater companies in the United States — in the esteemed company of the Municipal Theater 40 EncoreAtlantA.com

Association in St. Louis, Kansas City Starlight Theater and the Pittsburgh CLO. Our mission has remained the same for 60 seasons: to produce and present

theater of the stars

T

Historically, we have enriched the Atlanta arts community by helping to create the Atlanta Repertory Theater Company, the Atlanta Opera Company, Just Us Theater Company and the Atlanta Children’s Theater. Theater of the Stars also founded the Junior Theatre Festival, the world’s largest musical theater festival, which attracts more than 2,500 elementary, middle and high school-age students to Atlanta each year.

We are proud to say that we have produced more than 750 shows in Atlanta including the world premiere

Theater of the Stars has been bringing Broadway blockbusters and beloved classics to the Fox Theatre for 60 years, first at Chastain Park Amphitheatre, then at the Atlanta Civic Center and, since 1979, at the Fox Theatre.

42 EncoreAtlantA.com

theater of the stars

the best in family-friendly productions while also providing local children with the opportunity to perform and develop their love of musical theater.

We strive to continue the traditions of presenting a classic repertoire of golden age favorites and present the best that modern Broadway has to offer.

This year’s produced production of the classic show The King and I, and our August presentation of The Addams Family (straight from Broadway), are just two examples of the types of shows that fit our mission.

12 / 13 SEASON

FLORA GLENN CANDLER CONCERT SERIES

S C H WAR TZ CENTER FOR PERFORMING ARTS

FRIDAY, NOV 2

Conductor Antoni Wit and the Warsaw Philharmonic

SATURDAY, NOV 10 Classical guitar duo Sérgio

and Odair Assad

TICKETS ON SALE NOW !

ARTS.EMORY.EDU/CONCERTS

44 EncoreAtlantA.com

Theater of the Stars’ 2012-13 season included Cathy Rigby in Peter Pan and The Addams Family in August and The King and I in September. Coming next are Blue Man Group (Jan. 15-20), The Producers (in January) and Mary Poppins (April 2-7).

30) and the hit Broadway musical Mary Poppins (April 2-7). We are also happy to bring the electric show, Blue Man Group (Jan. 15-20), back to the Fox stage as a special event.

We’re looking forward to another 60 years of presenting and producing the best family entertainment in Atlanta.

theater of the stars

of Disney’s High School Musical and the Alfred Uhry-Jason Robert Brown musical Parade, which looks at the famous Leo Frank case in 1913 Atlanta.

After playing Atlanta, Disney took High School Musical on the road for 50 weeks, essentially keeping it the same as we began it. And our stage has been graced over the years by world-class performers including Dick Van Dyke, Angela Lansbury, Donny Osmond, George Burns, Phyllis Diller, Eartha Kitt, Paul Lynde, Madeline Kahn and Sally Struthers.

Times change, and we have had to change with them. It has been a grand, roller-coaster ride to be the only theater in town for a good amount of the past 60 seasons. We’re looking ahead to the rest of our 2012-13 season with the hilarious show The Producers (Jan. 25-

Are your advisors working together?

Customized. Simplified. Independent. Williams Benator

& Libby’s Family Office Services help preserve and protect your family’s wealth, now and for future generations.

n n n n n n n n n n

770-512-0500 www.wblcpa.com

Bill payment, bookkeeping & expense management Income & estate tax planning Trust planning & administration Philanthropy advice & charity interface Coordination of advisory services Family financial education & meeting facilitation Business & strategic planning Executor advisory Succession planning Audit & financial review

Since 1982, attention to detail for your peace-of-mind.

broadway in atlanta

Always on the hunt for Tony winners

By Kathy Janich

T

en seasons ago, Broadway in Atlanta brought Rent, Aida, The Lion King and Mamma Mia! to metro stages.

This season has already seen the epic War Horse, with four shows to come: Disney’s Beauty and the Beast (Nov. 27-Dec. 2); the new musical Flashdance (Feb. 5-10); Million Dollar Quartet (March 12-17); and Sister Act (April 23-28), developed, in part, by Atlanta’s Alliance Theatre.

Next season’s headliner is a biggie — the multiple Tony Award-winning The Book of Mormon.

All fit Broadway in Atlanta’s mission, says Vice President Russ Belin, to bring 46 EncoreAtlantA.com

Broadway’s hottest hits to Atlanta and to convince theatergoers here that they needn’t visit New York to see the best in musical theater.

Broadway in Atlanta is the local branch of Broadway Across America, a presenter and producer of live theatrical events in the United States and Canada.

The series has been an Atlanta fixture for 31 years.

The mantra: “If a show wins a Tony Award, we want to get it the next season,” Belin says.

Such is the case with War Horse, a rare non-musical for the series and

broadway in atlanta

Russ Belin joined the Broadway in Atlanta management team in April 2011, bringing more than 14 years of entertainment, marketing and management experience to the Atlanta office.

Belin leads the Fifth Third Bank Broadway in Atlanta series, part of the Broadway Across America network, a premiere presenter of Broadway shows in Atlanta and the Southeast. He handles marketing, corporate partnerships, theater relations, oversight of public relations initiatives and finance management for the series. Before joining the Broadway in Atlanta family, Belin worked for Feld Entertainment, producers of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey, Disney on Ice and Feld Motor Sports. Part of the Feld team for more than a decade, he held various roles, serving most recently as regional vice president for the Southeast. During this time, his team managed brand efforts for markets from Georgia to Maryland. A Maryland native, Belin earned a bachelor’s degree from Towson University in Baltimore and now lives in Norcross with his wife and 3-year-old son.

48 EncoreAtlantA.com

set a record for that tour’s biggest week ever, too.

Broadway in Atlanta also has taken its chances, Belin says, doing shows they thought should be seen here. His list includes Urinetown in 2003 (a superbly satirical look at capitalism, bureaucracy, corporate greed, municipal politics and musicals); In the Heights in 2009 (a Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winner about three days in the lives of DominicanAmericans in New York City’s Washington Heights neighborhood); and Spring Awakening in 2010 (the multi-Tony Award-winning musical about 19thcentury German teenagers discovering the tumult of sexuality).

Such work likely wouldn’t be possible without the series’ loyal subscribers, some of whom have held season tickets for 15, 20, 25 years and beyond. Hilda Goodelman is among them.

“Broadway shows have helped me through some of the toughest times in my life,” she says. “No matter what I was dealing with, I could count on being entertained, uplifted and touched by the wonderful performances Broadway in Atlanta brings to the Fox.”

broadway in atlanta

what Belin terms a “theatrical event.” It won six Tony Awards in 2011, including best play and, in its 16th month on Broadway, is still playing to capacity houses.

So, too, is The Book of Mormon, which won multiple 2011 Tony Awards, including best musical, and is selling beyond capacity 17 months into its New York run.

Belin calls Book of Mormon “a big win” for Atlanta. “This is one of the most popular shows to go on tour in recent years, so we were competing with almost every presenter in North America to secure dates for this tour.”

Broadway in Atlanta brings mostly musicals to the Fox Theatre, doing five shows or so each season. Its rubric, says Belin: Find a mega-hit to anchor the season, a name audiences will recognize (Wicked, Jersey Boys, The Phantom of the Opera). Then build the rest of the season, looking at balance, how a show might sell and whether it’s appropriate — on a grand enough scale — for the 4,500-seat Fox. So far it seems to be working. Broadway in Atlanta’s recent presentation of Wicked set a record with the highest-grossing week for a touring show in North American history. Last season’s 25th anniversary production of Les Miserables

Moderation shmoderation.

Just blocks from the Fox Theatre at 40 7th Street NE Sun.-Thurs. 5:30-10pm | Fri.-Sat. 5:30-11pm | Bar open daily at 4pm 404.347.9555 | ecco-atlanta.com | @FifthGrouper | facebook.com/eccoatlanta PRESENT YOUR TICKET STUB FOR 10% OFF YOUR MEAL!

atlanta ballet

Collaboration, innovation keep Atlanta Ballet looking forward

By John McFall

For the past 18 years, John McFall has cultivated Atlanta Ballet’s artistic vision, making the ballet one of the country’s premier dance companies. Led by a strong commitment to imaginative and innovative programming, John continues to push the envelope with inspiring productions and unique collaborations, including onstage partnerships with the Indigo Girls, the Red Clay Ramblers, the Michael O’Neal Singers and, most recently, with Big Boi of the hip-hop group Outkast. Since becoming artistic director in 1994, John has choreographed such company favorites as Don Quixote, Firebird, Atlanta Ballet’s Nutcracker, Swan Lake, Jupiter, Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella. He established the Atlanta Ballet Centre for Dance Education in 1996, which has now grown into one of the largest dance schools in the nation. John has received three National Endowment for the Arts fellowships and was recently named in the Atlanta Business Chronicle’s 2010 Who’s Who edition for excellence in arts & entertainment.

I

n the past decade, some of Atlanta Ballet’s most shining moments have been captured on the pages of Encore Atlanta.

In celebration of its 10th anniversary, I’ve had the opportunity to reflect on a period in our history that has helped define us a company.

From the onstage triumphs to our offstage successes, Encore has been a prominent, distinct voice in telling our story. With each article, it lowered the barrier between audience and stage, patron and performer. Commonalities

50 EncoreAtlantA.com

came into focus. Connections were made. Experiences were intensified.

Audiences came to regard us not just as artists or entertainers, but as people.

Encore also helped patrons gain greater insight into ballet, our special art form.

When Peter Pan soared into the Fox Theatre in 2007, Encore captured its essence through a conversation with dancer Christian Clark. Christian, who started with us as a kid in the school, was able to chart many milestones in his life by the roles he danced in Peter Pan — from joining the cast and embarking

The best restaurant Midtown has to offer ...

Located at 14th Street & Peachtree Street NE (404) 846-2000

h2sr.com

... would like to invite you to enjoy 15% off.

PRESENT YOUR TICKET AND RECEIVE 15% OFF FOOD ONLY AT SHOUT* *

Offer valid with your Atlanta Symphony Orchestra or Fox Theatre ticket stub. Expires 10/31/12.

on his first international tour at age 14 to years later marrying a fellow dancer that he began a courtship with during that ballet about the boy who won’t grow up. These are the stories and moments that happen behind the curtain that most people don’t get to see.

Credit Encore for capturing and profiling Atlanta Ballet’s collaborative spirit. Who would’ve imagined that we would share the stage with acts like the Indigo Girls and Red Clay Ramblers?

In 2008, Encore chronicled the big collaborative journey that revealed “what happens when hip-hop meets ballet.” For months we worked hand-in-hand with 52 EncoreAtlantA.com

Antwan “Big Boi” Patton, half of the famed Atlanta hip-hop duo Outkast, on the project; the result was awe-inspiring.

Big Boi and artists from his Purple Ribbon All Stars label, including the sensational Janelle Monae, performed live onstage with our dancers and 40 children from the community. The audience was wild about it, and so were we. It was one of the most electrifying experiences of my career, and I still look back on that time and marvel at what we were able to create. It was a redefining moment for Atlanta Ballet.

We celebrated the 50th anniversary of Atlanta Ballet’s Nutcracker in 2009.

Encore explored the holiday tradition

C. McCullers

Atlanta Ballet, founded in 1929, maintains a company of 21 dancers and four apprentices, and serves more than 150,000 metro Atlantans annually through its Centre for Dance Education.

OFF AFTER THE SHOW COME & JOIN US FOR A CR AFTED COCKTAIL, BAR SNACK OR DELICIOUS HOUSEMADE DESSERT.

Livingston Bar MONDAY – THUR SDAY 11AM TO 12 AM FRIDAY – SATURDAY 11AM TO 1AM

659 PEACHTREE ST | ATLANTA, GA 30308 LOCATED IN THE GEORGIAN TERR ACE HOTEL

3 hour complimentary valet parking

SUNDAY 12:30PM TO 12 AM

54 EncoreAtlantA.com

Atlanta Ballet’s 2012-13 season includes the annual Nutcracker in December, Cinderella in January and February, Michael Pink’s Dracula in February, New Choreographic Voices in March, David Bintley’s Carmina Burana in April and Love Stories in May. Visit atlantaballet.com.

works like Minus 16 by renowned Israeli choreographer Ohad Naharin and the North American premiere of David Bintley’s Carmina Burana, there will be something that resonates with everyone.

Through these and other imaginative, innovative pieces, our offerings will continue to reflect Atlanta’s dynamic spirit and culture.

C. McCullers

through the eyes of two company dancers, sisters Kristine and Courtney Necessary.

For most of their lives, Nutcracker had been the centerpiece of their holiday ritual and reflective of the experiences of so many other Atlanta families. Like the Necessarys, more than 200 metro students participate in the production every year. We are always refining and changing — looking for ways to infuse even more magic into The Nutcracker and to challenge our dancers and audiences with fresh and exciting possibilities.

As we look toward the next 10 years and beyond, Atlanta Ballet remains staunchly committed to exposing Atlanta to that which is most pulsating and stirring — performances at the forefront of dance.

People will be amazed at the diversity of dance yet to come. From company classics like Nutcracker and Michael Pink’s Dracula to more avant-garde

poshdealz

PoshDealz is your ticket to discount shows, restaurants and more

By Thomas Pinckney

Account executive Thomas Pinckney is the man behind PoshDealz.com. He graduated from Emory University in 1994, where he studied theater and English; he sits on the Friends of Theater Emory Board. Over the past 18 years he has worked for the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, the Fox Theatre, Broadway Across America Atlanta and Theater of the Stars. He attends at least one event per week and always tries to see something when traveling.

P

oshDealz.com is a discount site designed to provide our readers with exceptional experiences at a great value, with the added value of a trusted local deal site.

We launched the site 2.5 years ago and have seen tremendous growth that warranted a website redesign and relaunch in July 2012. We’ve had great success packaging unique show experiences with gift cards at some of Atlanta’s finest restaurants. With the Fox Theatre transitioning to its own ticketing system, we’ve began working with them on a regular basis, and are very excited to offer tickets to many of the Theater of the Stars shows this season. I’m so proud to have been an integral part of the evolution of this site from the ground up.

56 EncoreAtlantA.com

We reach out to about 60,000 households with weekly emails and have received orders from a couple of thousand households.

Our biggest goal is to grow organically and become an integral part of the artistic fabric of Atlanta while providing our clients with a down-home level of customer service that cannot be exceeded at one of the national deal sites. When you want a great deal on show tickets, restaurant gift cards, high-end watches or even show merchandise, click on PoshDealz.com first!

Ten years from now I hope that all of Atlanta is turning to PoshDealz.com and interacting with our staff on a regular basis. We have so much to offer that it really is one of the most exciting times in my professional career.

You don’t have to sing a song or perform a jete to sample the good life in Atlanta. You just need “PoshDealz.” Sign up for our newsletter or “like” PoshDealz on Facebook. (Hint: We can help quench your thirst with a Max Lager’s craft beer, take a family portrait, point the way to a fine luxury watch, choose a hotel or find deals to any number of metro stages, whether you’re up for drama or a musical.)

Be Art E.’s best bud and win!

Dining deals Did you know that PoshDealz.com has half-price restaurant certificates?

For just $10, you can get $20 worth of food at such foodie hot spots as Max Lager’s, Top Flr, Briza, the Fifth Ivory, Noodle and Mood Lounge.

Grab a dinner-and-show deal and feed your stomach as well as your creative side.

”Friend” and “follow” ArtEEncore and @ArtsATL to learn each week’s Free Ticket Friday challenge and play along for a chance to win seats to the symphony, the Fox Theatre, Atlanta Opera and more.

Get the scoop!

Watch behind the scenes interviews at YouTube.com/EncoreAtlanta, and find more cool info by friending us and following @EncoreAtlanta.

Promote your message Looking for unique gift items for a wedding or corporate event? Apparel or awards with your logo for company or trade show promotions?

PromoteYourMessage.net offers more than pens — it offers solutions. Find your answers on Twitter and Facebook or call 888-843-9892 for details.

58 EncoreAtlantA.com

A hip and contemporary place to meet for cocktails or hold your next event.

Historic charm combined with artful hospitality.

Falany Performing Arts Center

1302 West Peachtree St., Atlanta artmorehotel.com • 800.548.5631

Located 45 minutes north of Atlanta

Upcoming Performances: The Carducci String Quartet – Oct. 18 Andrew Tyson, Pianist – Oct. 30 The Reinhardt University Symphony Orchestra – Nov. 19 Ozark Jubliee’s “Branson Country Christmas” – Dec. 9

7300 Reinhardt Circle, Waleska, GA 30183 | 770.720.9167 | reinhardt.edu/fpac

dining guide Looking for a great night out? Try one of these local restaurants before or after the show. For Dinner and a Show packages, visit encoreatlanta.com/offers.

Neighborhood codes: A–Alpharetta, B–Buckhead, DK-Dekalb, D–Downtown, DW–Dunwoody, IP–Inman Park, M­–Midtown, OFW–Old Fourth Ward, P–Perimeter Mall area, SS–Sandy Springs, VH–Virginia-Highland, NA­–North Atlanta, V–Vinings, W–Westside

American California Dreaming serves up hearty, much-loved American classics like slow-cooked Prime Rib, “falloff-the-bone” baby back ribs or Knob Hill Chicken.

Duluth: 1630 Distribution Dr., 770-813-9240.

Kennesaw: 745 Chastain Rd. NW, 770-428-2055, californiadreaming.co. NA Livingston Restaurant and Bar It’s hard to beat the location (across from the Fox Theatre in the Georgian Terrace), and complimentary parking, but the main attraction is the glamour of the main dining room, which has hosted the likes of Clark Gable. 659 Peachtree St. NE, 404-897-5000, livingstonatlanta.com. M ONE.midtown kitchen Dine on fresh, seasonal American cuisine in a club-like atmosphere near Piedmont Park. 559 Dutch Valley Rd., 404-8924111, onemidtownkitchen.com. M The Melting Pot is the premiere fondue restaurant where guests can enjoy a choice of fondue cooking styles and a variety of unique entrees, salads and indulgent desserts. Four Atlanta locations, including 754 Peachtree St. NE, 404-389-0099, meltingpot.com. M Two Urban Licks “Fiery” American cooking meets live music at this hip hangout. 820 Ralph McGill Blvd., 404-522-4622, twourbanlicks.com. M

American/steakhouse Joey D’s Oakroom has been serving up giant-sized fare for over 20 years; including the classic Carnegie Deli Corned Beef Sandwich, Pittsburgh-style Ribs and Lobster Ravioli. Here you’ll enjoy a six-tier showcase bar with over 600 brands of spirits. Located around the corner from Perimeter Mall. 1015 Crown Pointe Pkwy., 770-512-7063, centraarchy.com. P New York Prime has crafted a loud, lively social niche for ladies and gents alike. Sip colorful cocktails or have a stiff drink and enjoy a USDA prime steak, chilled Carpaccio or fresh Florida Stone Crabs.

Located in the heart of Buckhead at Monarch Tower; offering live entertainment nightly.3424 Peachtree Rd. NE, 404-846-0644, centraarchy.com. B Prime Enjoy steak, sushi and seafood in a festive atmosphere near Lenox Mall. 3393 Peachtree Rd. NE, 404-812-0555, h2sr.com. B Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse A favorite local steak house with multiple locations near shopping and entertainment hotspots. Sides are generous, and the

60 EncoreAtlantA.com

quality of the steaks and seafood is excellent. Three locations: Buckhead, 3285 Peachtree Rd. NE, 404365-0660; Sandy Springs, 5788 Roswell Rd., 404255-0035; Centennial Olympic Park, 267 Marietta St., 404-223-6500; ruthschris.com. B, SS, D The Tavern at Phipps is a see and be seen bustling Buckhead hot spot. While the focus is on the classic American fare such as the famous Tavern Chips, crisp salads, fresh seafood and hearty pasta dishes, the energy of the bar always takes the cake. 3500 Peachtree Rd. NW, 404-814-9640, centraarchy. com. B

American/southern Briza Chef Janine Falvo’s modernist cuisine comes to life with Southern influences, and is complimented by the extensive wine list. 866 West Peachtree ST NW, 678-412-2402, brizarestaurant.com. M Eleven Restaurant & Bar A luxurious destination at Loews Atlanta Hotel. Delectable cuisine, vibrant cocktails and live music. Visit them for delightful pre or post performance cocktails, or a quick bite that always gets a standing ovation. 1065 Peachtree St. NE, 404-7455745, loewshotels.com/restaurants/eleven/cuisine. M The Fifth Ivory Public House Enjoy an eclectic menu featuring southern fusion complete with fried green tomatoes, stuffed pork chop and a Coke Float (with a shot of whiskey for an adult treat). 794 Juniper St., 404-881-8302, thefifthivory.com. M Lenox Square Grill serves up southern favorites such as N’awlins Shrimp & Grits, Beer Can Chicken and Country Fried Pork Chops — two boneless chops smothered with sausage gravy. Located at Lenox Square mall; offering an array of room options for cocktail or seated events. 3393 Peachtree Rd. NE, 404-841-2377, lenoxsquaregrill.com. B South City Kitchen With a stylish, Southerncontemporary menu, this DiRoNA restaurant helped make grits hip for the business crowd. Two locatons: Midtown: 1144 Crescent Ave., 404-873-7358; Vinings: 1675 Cumberland Pkwy., 770-435-0700, southcitykitchen.com. M, V Terrace celebrates American heirloom recipes through supporting local and regional farmers, fisherman and producers. It recaptures pure flavors and tastes of natural and organic ingredients while bursting with delicious flavors. 176 Peachtree St. NW, 678-651-2770, ellishotel.com/terrace. D

After the show, Enjoy some of our award winning...

Southern Hospitality

A Boutique Luxuryat Hotel West Peachtree 10th

regencysuites.com

asian fusion Aja Restaurant & Bar Serving modern Asian cuisine, Aja has a 150-seat patio overlooking Buckhead and a huge lounge, where diners nosh on dim sum and sip mai tais. 3500 Lenox Rd., Ste. 100, 404-2310001, h2sr.com. B

brew pub/goUrmet pub fare Gordon Biersch Fresh-brewed beers are a tasty accent to this brewery-restaurant’s hearty pizzas, salads and sandwiches. For a small additional fee, pre-show diners can leave cars in the lot while they’re at the Fox. Two locations: Midtown: 848 Peachtree St. NE, 404-870-0805; Buckhead: 3242 Peachtree Rd. NE, 404-264-0253, gordonbiersch. com. M, B Tap A gastropub offering easy-to-share pub fare and an extensive beer selection. The patio is a great place to chill after work. 1180 Peachtree St., 404347-2220, tapat1180.com. M

creole/cajun Parish New Orleans-inspired dishes served with a modern twist and a fully stocked raw bar and a Nawlins-inspired brunch served on the weekends.

Downstairs, a take-away market sells sandwiches, spices, pastries and beverages. 240 N. Highland Ave., 404-681-4434, parishatl.com. OFW

european fusion Ecco Esquire Magazine named this casual, European-influenced bistro a “Best New Restaurant in America.” It’s also gotten raves for its killer wine list, wood-fired pizzas, and impressive meat and cheese menus. 40 Seventh St. NE, 404-347-9555, ecco-atlanta.com. M Top Flr This romantic two-story restaurant and bar features delicious bistro dishes, a wine list that rocks and wonderfully affordable prices. Located three blocks from the Fox Theater at 674 Myrtle St., 404685-3110. www.topflr.com. M

mediterranean/latin/asian fusion Shout A young crowd keeps Shout’s rooftop lounge hopping every night. The menu reflects a mix of Far Eastern, Mediterranean and South American influences.

1197 Peachtree St. NE, 404-846-2000, h2sr.com. M

italian Campagnolo Restaurant + Bar With a casual atmosphere and fare that is anything but casual, features a rustic menu that draws influences from all parts of Italy and its Mediterranean neighbors. 980 Piedmont Ave., 404-343-2446, peasantatl.com. M Davio’s Northern Italian Steakhouse located at Phipps Plaza in the heart of Buckhead is Atlanta’s newest dining destination. 3500 Peachtree Rd., NE, 404-844-4810, davios.com/atl. B

62 EncoreAtlantA.com

La Tavola Serving classic Italian cuisine in the heart of Virginia-Highland. 992 Virginia Ave., 404-8735430, latavolatrattoria.com. VH

MEXICAN Alma A refreshing new approach to contemporary Mexican cuisine. Bright, fresh ingredients and traditional regional influences come together with other Latin American flavors in vibrant dishes that feel familiar and new all at once. 191 Peachtree St. NE, 404-968-9662, alma-atlanta.com. D Cantina Tequila & Tapas Bar (located in the Terminus building) features authentic Mexican cuisine and has become Buckhead’s newest watering hole. 3280 Peachtree Rd. NW, Terminus 100, Ste. 150, 404892-9292, h2sr.com. B El Taco An eco-friendly watering hole serving fresh Mexican food made with all-natural meats and killer margaritas. 1186 N. Highland Ave.NE, 404-8734656, eltaco-atlanta.com.VH

spanish Noche A Virginia-Highland favorite known for its Spanish-style tapas dishes and margaritas. 1000 Virginia Ave., 404-815-9155, h2sr.com. VH

seafood/sushi Coast Seafood and Raw Bar serves Atlanta’s freshest seafood and island cocktails. The menu incorporates classics including crab and corn hush puppies, a signature seafood boil, and a variety of raw or steamed oysters, clams and mussels; along with signature fresh catch entrees. 111 W. Paces Ferry Rd. NW, 404-869-0777, h2sr.com. B Lure is a modern interpretation of a classic fish house with a focus on seasonality and freshness. 1106 Crescent Ave., 404-817-3650, lure-atlanta.com. M Ocean Prime is a modern American supper club committed to serving the highest quality seafood, steak, handcrafted cocktails and award-winning wines. Guests enjoy red carpet hospitality, live entertainment and a welcoming, relaxed atmosphere where elegance is timeless.

3102 Piedmont Road, NE 404-846-0505. oceanprimeatlanta.com. B

steak/sushi Goldfish This fun seafood/sushi restaurant has Happy Hour specials Mon-Fri and nightly entertainment in its lounge. 4400 Ashford Dunwoody Rd., 770-6710100, h2sr.com. P Strip This sophisticated steak, seafood and sushi restaurant offers an in-house DJ and a rooftop deck.

Atlantic Station at 18th St., 404-385-2005, h2sr. com. M Twist This lively restaurant has a huge bar, satay station, tapas menu, sushi and seafood dishes; patio seating is first-come, first-served. 3500 Peachtree Rd. NW, 404-869-1191, h2sr.com. B