Atlanta Arts category interest

Note: Due to the threat of inclement weather in the Atlanta area, many performances and presentations have been canceled. We’ve removed all events known to be canceled as of press time from these listings. Please check with venues regarding the status of any productions prior to start times.

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THEATER

The man-eating plant from outer space continues to tickle and delight audiences in Art Farm at Serenbe’s production of Little Shop of Horrors. This version features a double scoop of American Idol favorites: Diana DeGarmo as Audrey and Melinda Doolittle as Audrey II (the plant). This new production amps up the color and light to bring new life to the 1982 classic. Note that current performances now through Friday have been canceled. However, as of press time, the show is still on for this Saturday and Sunday. Tickets: $40 to $110.

Saturday and Sunday.

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DANCE

Founded in 1991, the Atlanta Chinese Dance Company has been performing evening-length performances at theaters, museums, schools, arts festivals and corporate events throughout Atlanta and beyond. This Saturday and Sunday, the company will present Everyday Heroes, which includes numerous dance works. White Collar Wuxia is an important new work chronicling the exploits of a Chinese American lawyer fighting for justice as a martial arts hero. Other works rounding out the evening include Red Firecrackers, which tells the origin story of the lunar new year and various dances celebrating China’s ethnic groups. Everyday Heroes will be presented at the Gas South Theater in Duluth. Tickets: $25 general admission.

Saturday and Sunday.

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BOOKS

We’ve been tracking the Decatur Book Festival since the first rumblings of its return from hiatus. The time is near and the event promises a whole new slate of authors, lectures, signings and other activities. Of note are the keynote conversation with Joyce Carol Oates and the “kidnote” chat with Stacey Abrams, who is also premiering her new children’s book. DeKalb County CEO Michael L. Thurmond’s book on James Oglethorpe and Anne Byrn’s Baking in the American South are also prominently featured — not to mention a full slate of poetry readings, musical acts and children’s activities. Free. Reserved tickets required for some events.

Friday, October 4, and Saturday, October 5.

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FILM + VIDEO

Atlanta’s Out on Film is one of the nation’s most well-respected LGBTQ film festivals. This year’s festival offers dozens of films under the banner of “Queer Joy.” See our highlights listed here. They include Scott Turner Schofield’s Becoming a Man in 127 EASY Steps, which started its life as a live performance at 7 Stages Theatre. Also highlighted is In the Summers, performed in English and Spanish, which features two sisters who visit their father over the years as they grow older. As usual, the festival includes shorts, documentaries and other formats in addition to standard narrative fare. Tickets: $15 for individual screenings; passes available.

Friday, September 27 through October 7.

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MUSIC

Gustav Mahler’s Des Knaben Wunderhorn, or The Boy’s Magic Horn, began its life in 1884 and consists of a variety of songs for voice and various instruments configured differently, depending on when and where the work has been performed. Under the direction of maestro Nathalie Stutzmann, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra will play the complete song cycle this Friday, September 27, with the help of mezzo-soprano Fleur Barron and baritone Samuel Hasselhorn. Both Barron and Hasselhorn are feted artists in their own right, both of their voices having been described as “rich” in international media. Shostakovich’s symphony number 6 will also be performed.

Saturday only.