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Simply Buzz | Events, exhibits, galas and more By Margaret Watters
Variety Show and Benefit at 14th Street Playhouse March 11-12, 8 p.m. The 14th Street Playhouse 173 14th Street Atlanta 30309 404.733.4738 www.14thstplayhouse.org
Jam to your favorite music icons like Cher, Elvis (uhhuh), Madonna, Britney Spears and more at the Seasons of Love IX: CHRIS Kids. Your $41 ticket to this variety show will benefit CHRIS kids, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting children in Georgia’s welfare system. Who knows— one of these little numbers may have you dancing in the aisle. Olympic Fun at the Atlanta History Center March 14, 10:30-11:30 a.m. Atlanta History Center 130 West Paces Ferry Road NW Atlanta 30305 404.814.4000 www.atlantahistorycenter.com
Grab your toddler (18 months to 5 years old) and head to the Atlanta History Center for a 1996 rewind. Kids will learn about the Games through the Centennial Olympic Games Museum exhibit, where they’ll see Olympic medals, torches and other memorabilia. The small athletes can also compete against each other in Olympic-inspired activities. Admission is $5 for children and $6 for nonmember adults. Free Lunchtime Concert at the Rialto Center March 16, 12 p.m. Rialto Center 80 Forsyth Street NW Atlanta 30303 404.413.9849 www.rialtocenter.org
Pack your lunch, break free from your cubicle confines and head to the Rialto Center for an hour’s respite with its “Feed Your Senses” series. Everything from jazz to world music is performed free on
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the third Wednesday of the month in the lobby of this downtown performing arts hall. Get there early to grab a chair right by the action. Cloris Leachman’s One Woman Show March 18-19, 8 p.m. The Buckhead Theatre 3110 Roswell Road Atlanta 30305 404.843.2825 www.thebuckheadtheatre.com
With 75 years in showbiz under her belt, Cloris Leachman has some things to say. You may recognize her as the sassy grandmother from Raising Hope, you might have seen her shake it on Dancing with the Stars, or perhaps you remember her from playing opposite Katharine Hepburn on Broadway in As You Like It. The nine-time Emmy winner (the most held by an actor) has an exciting career and “Cloris! A One Woman Show” shares the laughs behind the years. Publix Georgia Marathon, Half Marathon and 5K March 18-20 Publix Georgia Marathon 285 International Blvd. Atlanta 30313 404.832.0786 www.georgiamarathon.com
How’d those New Year’s resolutions go? Yeah … us too. Reverse the cycle, lace up those running shoes and get moving with the Publix Georgia Marathon and Half Marathon. The weekend’s events include a kid’s fun run and 5k in Grant Park, a fitness expo at the Georgia Dome and a half and full marathon (which start at Centennial Olympic Park). With so many options, there’s a reason for every member of the family to get going. Check online for the full schedule.
March/April 2011 | Simply Buckhead
Coffee Tasting and Lecture March 22, 7:30-8:30 p.m. Carlos Hall, Michael C. Carlos Museum of Emory University 571 South Kilgo Circle Atlanta 30322 404.727.4282 www.carlos.emory.edu
Tired of the daily grind? Let Jason Dominy, outreach director for Batdorf & Bronson Coffee Roasters in Decatur, wake up your routine. Dominy will lead a tasting of Africa’s finest beans and discuss the history and significance of the coffee industry within the continent. Tickets are $5 for museum members and $10 for nonmembers. Pre-registration required by phone or email at ehornor@ emory.edu. Creating Gone With the Wind March 29, 7 p.m. Margaret Mitchell House 990 Peachtree Street Atlanta 30309 404.249.7015 www.margaretmitchellhouse.com
It’s true—you can go back to Tara. To celebrate the 75th birthday of the novel Gone with the Wind, go behind the scenes of the classic film it spawned. Cathy Whitlock, author of Designs of Film: Creating the World of Gone With the Wind, will share details in a lecture on the epic film’s production, including the creation of Tara and Twelve Oaks and the reconstruction of the South. Whitlock explains the film’s design through renderings, stills and behind-the-scenes images. Admission is $5 for Margaret Mitchell House members, $10 for nonmembers. Reservations requested by phone or online. Jessica Jackson Hutchins Exhibit April 8-June 19 Atlanta Contemporary Art Center 535 Means Street NW Atlanta 30318 404.688.1970
www.thecontemporary.org
Visiting artist Jessica Jackson Hutchins’ work takes everyday objects and flips them on their heads to explore the relationships between people, beauty, transformation and life’s daily schedule. Check out her latest show at the Atlanta Contemporary Art Center, but be warned—you may look at your sofa differently when you return home. General admission is $5. Taste of the Nation Culinary Benefit April 14, 7:30-10 p.m. The Georgia Aquarium 225 Baker Street NW Atlanta 30313 404.581.4000 taste.strength.org
Take a delightful whiff of the warm aromas as you stroll your way through a sampling of gourmet food and wine from 50 of Atlanta’s best restaurants at Share our Strength’s Taste of the Nation Atlanta benefit. Proceeds support local organizations fighting childhood hunger like the Atlanta Community Food Bank, Genesis, A New Life and Share Our Strength’s Cooking Matters. Tickets start at $250. Gift Shop at Decorators’ Show House & Gardens April 16-May 8 Decorator’s Show House & Gardens 1945 West Wesley Rd. Atlanta 30327 404.733.4935 www.decoratorsshowhouse.org
You’ll ooh and ahh at the beautiful life when you visit Lotus House, the 2011 Decorator’s Show House & Gardens estate on West Wesley. Explore the 20,000-squarefoot home and be sure to take a minute in the exercise room—the location of this year’s gift shop. The newly revamped store will include items across all price points, from tea towels to designer
tables. Tickets are $20 if purchased before April 15 and $25 at the door. “Buckhead in Bloom” House Tour April 17, 12-5p.m. Atlanta Preservation Center 327 St. Paul Avenue SE Atlanta 30312 404.688.3353 www.preserveatlanta.com
Be sure to check out The Atlanta Preservation Center’s 31st annual “Buckhead in Bloom” festival. Festivities kick off Friday, April 15, at 8 p.m. with a lecture at the Cathedral of St. Philip’s Gould Room. The fun continues Sunday, April 17, from 12-5 p.m. with a tour of historic homes in Tuxedo Park and Peachtree Heights. Lecture tickets are $10 and tour tickets are $30 for Atlanta Preservation Center members, $40 for nonmembers. For ticket sales, email info@ preserveatlanta.com. 2011 Atlanta Film Festival April 28-May 7 Landmark Midtown Art Cinema 931 Monroe Circle NE Atlanta 30306 678.495.1424 www.atlantafilmfestival.com
Did you know… Atlanta boasts the largest and longest-running film festival in the South, which is now in its fourth decade? Grab some popcorn and take your pick from more than 150 films submitted from all over the globe in categories like animation, independent, international and documentary. Don’t miss the best live action narrative short and best-animated short categories—Atlanta’s festival is one of only two dozen Academy Award-qualifying festivals in the country in these genres.