Things To Do

Top 4 Cool Things to Do in Atlanta This Weekend

ATL Insider — Fri, 17 May 2013 16:06:00 GMT

By Carol Carter

Art Museum Day. High Museum of Art. Saturday, May 18. Free admission from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. This treat comes in conjunction with the Association of Art Museum Directors. The theme is “Museums (Memory + Creativity) = Social Change,” and the hope is that the art you see will inspire you.

Party in the Park. Centennial Olympic Park. Saturday, May 18. The line-up for includes Passion Pit, Ellie Goulding, Yeasayer, GroupLove and The Electric Sons. The party begins at 3 p.m. when gates open and the entertainment kicks off at 3:15 p.m. Live music continues until 11 p.m. You must buy a ticket for this one.

Our Heritage: Atlanta's Family History Conference. Atlanta History Center, Saturday, May 18. A full day of genealogy sessions is free and open to the public, but reservations are required.

Atlanta Streets Alive. Peachtree Street between Ellis and Spring streets. Sunday, May 19. Nearly three miles of Peachtree Street will be closed from 2 to 6 p.m. so that Atlantans can use the streets for everything except driving cars and, yes, Segways. Bring your skates, your bike or your dancing shoes. Leave your motors at home.

Look here for more things to do in Atlanta this weekend.

Carol Carter writes for Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau

Atlanta Ballet Wraps Season with Lots of Love

CSAdmin — Mon, 13 May 2013 15:41:00 GMT

By Michael Reid

Starting with the perennial holiday favorite “The Nutcracker Suite,” the Atlanta Ballet’s 2012-2013 season has ranged from the classics – “Cinderella,” “Carmina Burana” – to the modern – Michael Pink’s stunning “Dracula.” The dance company brings the season to a triumphant close with “Love Stories,” a quartet of dances that’s a mixture of both.

The performance starts in the abstract and avant-garde, with noted Belgian/Columbian choreographer Annabelle Lopez Ochoa’s “Requiem for a Rose,” a meditation on romance and death. The piece opens with a single dancer, long hair unbound and a rose in her mouth, moving to the rhythm of a single heartbeat. She is joined by 12 dancers in flowing crimson skirts, portraying a bouquet of roses, who twist and whirl to the passionate adagio from Franz Schubert’s “String Quintet in C.”

“I wanted to investigate my romantic side,” Lopez Ochoa said of the work, and the involuted and unrestrained movements of the dancers bring to mind both the intricate whorls of roses and the tempestuous emotions they represent.

In contrast to the abstract symbolism of “Requiem for a Rose,” the “Wedding Night” pas de deux from Giacomo Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly” is grounded firmly in the dramatic and figurative. The final scene of Act I of Puccini’s opera depicts the American naval officer, Lt. Pinkerton, and his young Japanese bride, Cio Cio, preparing for their first night together. The newlyweds, danced by Atlanta Ballet veterans Tara Lee and Jonah Hooper, perform a tender pas de deux that conveys the excitement, shyness, hesitancy and desire of a wedding night. The two young lovers gently, hesitatingly, approach and retreat, touch and separate, as nervous unfamiliarity slowly gives way to passion. Choreographer Stanton Welch’s piece is as much theater as dance; Pinkerton gulps down whiskey to calm his nerves, and Cio Cio shares a giggle with her maid as she dresses for her new husband – small moments that describe and define the characters.

Guest artists Domenico Luciano and Dominic Walsh of the Dominic Walsh Dance Theatre perform the next piece, a marriage of the classic and the avant-garde – The “White Swan” pas de deux from Peter Illyich Tchaikovsky’s “Swan Lake.” By casting a male in the traditionally female role of the White Swan, choreographer Matthew Bourne is able to use the vocabulary of male dancers – lift and spins that are not customarily performed by female dancers – to subvert the clichés of this famous duet. The swan is powerful and capricious, an actor rather than reactor. Though costumed in the white feathers and white makeup appropriate to the role, the swan wears a small black feather on his head, not-so-subtly implying that he shares something of the sensual malice of the antagonist Black Swan.

“Love Stories” ends with “Prayer of Touch,” an original choreography by the Atlanta Ballet’s own Helen Pickett. A rollicking and often comic romp, this piece for nine dancers, set to the music of Felix Mendelssohn, is an engaging mélange of romance, rejection, posturing and even some high-schoolesque showing off.

From the serious to the silly, the four “Love Stories” are united by passion, romance and moving dance – a description not inappropriate to the whole of the Atlanta Ballet’s 2012-2103 season.

Top photo of "Requiem" by Tony Spielberg; center photo of "Swan Lake" by Bill Cooper; bottom photo of "Prayer" by Charlie McCullers. All photos courtesy of the Atlanta Ballet.

ACVB guest blogger Michael Reid is a tour guide for Atlanta Culinary Tours..

Top 3 Fun Things to do in Atlanta This Weekend

CSAdmin — Thu, 09 May 2013 18:59:00 GMT

By Carol Carter

1. Spend the night at the High Museum. Frida & Diego are about to leave Atlanta. So, the High Museum of Art is giving the two Mexican artists (portrait of Frida below) a big send-off with an Overnight Fiesta featuring salsa dancing, bilingual tours, face painting, a Frida-inspired fashion show, lucha libre wrestling and, of course, Mexican food. The fun begins at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 11 and continues through Sunday, May 12 at 5 p.m. Who needs sleep?

2. Get inspired during the Atlanta Botanical Garden’s Gardens for Connoisseurs Tour, spotlighting 11 private gardens in metropolitan Atlanta plus a bonus garden at the Atlanta Symphony Associates’ Decorator’s Show House, shown below. May 11 & 12. Dig it?

3. Take in a movie at the Center for Puppetry Arts. The adventure/comedy/scifi movie, “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” shows Saturday, May 11 at 7 p.m. Take in a flick.

Top photo courtesy High Museum; bottom photo by Tim Small

Carol Carter writes for Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Take a Peek at the Atlanta NOW May/June Digital Edition!

CSAdmin — Mon, 06 May 2013 14:59:00 GMT

By Sarah Johnson

Atlanta NOW magazine, the official visitors’ guide of Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau, is packed with information about the city’s hottest events, attractions, accommodations, sports and restaurants. Below is a preview of some of the features you’ll find in this month’s edition. Click here to browse the new issue.

25 Hot Summer Happenings (Page 14)
From the newest attraction at Six Flags Over Georgia to the hottest exhibitions at the city’s art, history and children’s museums, Atlanta has you covered with a variety of exciting attractions, festivals, concerts and sports to fill up your summer days and nights. Take flight with the butterflies, swim with whale sharks or fly through the air on one of Atlanta’s zipline adventures. Feed one of a variety of animals through Zoo Atlanta’s Wild Encounters program or unwind with live music and wine at one of the city’s outdoor concert venues. Whatever your passion may be, there are countless activities waiting for you this summer.

Going Whole Hog (Page 32)
Whether braised, baked or made into bacon, learn how Meehan’s Public House, 4th & Swift, Woodfire Grill and Thrive are cooking up tasty pork pleasures. Also, in celebration of its centennial anniversary, Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau has compiled a list of Atlanta’s 100 signature dishes, including many pork selections. Check out this list on page 34.

Shop the Neighborhoods (Page 46)
Hit the streets in Atlanta neighborhoods like Buckhead, Decatur, Virginia-Highland and West Midtown for unique outdoor shopping this spring. Also learn about new programs like Shops Around Lenox’s Parking Ambassador and fun weekend events like Sidewalk Saturdays at Decatur’s Harmony Park.

Hot Sports in the Summertime (Page 49)
Whether your passion is baseball, soccer, basketball, golf, speed racing or even waterskiing, Atlanta’s bases are loaded with events, free activities and fun promotions throughout May and June. In this article, you’ll get the inside scoop on the Atlanta Braves, Gwinnett Braves, The Dream, Atlanta Silverbacks, 2013 Pro Race Series, 54th Masters Water Ski and Wakeboard Tournament and The Tour Championship by Coca-Cola.

Sarah Johnson, APR, is a guest blogger for Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau (ACVB). She is a communications consultant whose prior roles included working as an internal communications strategist for WellStar Health System and a public relations specialist for ACVB. She resides in Cumming with her husband and their 9-month-old son.

Click here

Giant ‘Living’ Sculptures Invade Atlanta Botanical Garden

CSAdmin — Thu, 02 May 2013 21:28:00 GMT

The new exhibit just opened at the Atlanta Botanical Garden may make you laugh, could amaze you and will likely cause you to gasp once or twice. “Imaginary Worlds: Plants Larger Than Life” brings 19 giant topiary-like sculptures to Atlanta – the first time such an exhibit has been displayed in the United States. Watch the video to see several of the sculptures including Earth Goddess, who stands 25-feet tall and weighs 40,000 pounds.

Lions and Tigers and Babies, Oh My!

CSAdmin — Thu, 02 May 2013 16:26:00 GMT

By Sarah Johnson

Zoo Atlanta may be one of the oldest zoos in the United States, but visiting this Atlanta staple never gets old. Nestled in the historic Atlanta neighborhood Grant Park, just steps away from Atlanta Cyclorama, this Atlanta CityPass favorite is home to more than 1,500 animals and one of four zoos in the United States currently housing giant pandas.

My recent trip to the zoo was with my son’s playgroup buddies and their parents. What better way to distract a bunch of teething, restless babies than with lots of colors, fur and funny sounds? We picked a gorgeous spring morning to visit, with just the right amount of sun and breeze. We arrived at 10:30 a.m., and parking was filling fast. Although parking is free, close spots are limited so bring your walking shoes and prepare for a scenic walk downhill through a beautifully landscaped park. (The zoo grounds are equally as aesthetic, particularly with the azaleas in bloom.)

Heads turned as eight babies, ages 6- to 9- months old, were strolled into the zoo’s entrance by enthusiastic, first-time parents fully equipped with diaper bags, cameras and maps. We decided to start our journey near the main entrance visiting the long-legged flamingos before making our way toward the back.

Highlights included watching the baby gorillas play a game of tag, the giant pandas feed on bamboo and the African elephants slowly make their way toward us to pose for a picture. We also enjoyed snapping some photos of the babies posing as lion cubs in a large photo cutout backdrop.

Beyond being mesmerized by the animal’s personalities and behaviors, you will get so much more out of your zoo admission. Meet free-flying birds and animal ambassadors from around the world at a wildlife show or get up close and personal with goats, sheep and pigs at the Petting Zoo. Zookeeper talks and training demos and an activity-packed KIDZone playground are also free with general admission.

There are also many add-ons available. Take a spin upon one of the 38 hand-carved wooden animal figures on the carousel, hop onboard the train for an educational riding tour on a handcrafted replica of an original 1963 locomotive or feed the giraffe from the all-new Twiga Terrace. New this spring, you can even meet and feed an African elephant, giant panda or a Komodo dragon in the behind-the-scenes Wild Encounters program.

Pack your own snacks and drinks or enjoy food at one of the many restaurants or concession stands.

Two popular restaurants just a mile away from the Zoo are Tin Lizzie’s and Six Feet Under, both offering rooftop patios that overlook the city and historic Oakland Cemetery. After our fun and memorable zoo experience, we dined at Six Feet Under while the kiddos napped peacefully in their strollers, dreaming of riding on tigers, getting piggyback rides from gorillas and cuddling with pandas.

Peek inside Chick-fil-A History with a ‘Backstage Tour’

CSAdmin — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 21:02:00 GMT

By Carol Carter

If you love Chick-fil-A and you know it, take a tour. Seriously. The Atlanta-based chicken sandwich company offers “Chick-fil-A Home Office Backstage Tours” of the company headquarters in College Park, just south of Atlanta.

You won’t get waffle fries, but you will get a glimpse into the history of the company as well as a walk through the office of founder Truett Cathy (his statue pictured below), who, at age 92, still comes to work (but not every day).

Highlights of the tour include:

Truett Cathy's car museum. The self-made businessman loves cars, and he owns around 200. Among those on display at the corporate headquarters is a Batmobile, from one of the movies. Apparently Cathy himself once took it for a ride on the headquarters’ campus, but – believe it or not – the Batmobile stalled and Cathy had to walk back up to the headquarters building wearing, yes, a Batman costume. He bought the Batmobile, hoping to use it in parades, but it turns out that it’s too large and not street legal so Cathy had to settle for driving on company property.

There’s a gorgeous 1956 Ford Thunderbird, a 1933 Packard, a 1930 Rolls-Royce Phantom 1 and a 1909 Cadillac Demi-Tonneau, to name but a few of these automotive beauties.

Replica of the Dwarf House Grill. Cathy’s first restaurant, started with his brother Ben, was the Dwarf House in Hapeville. Inside the replica, you can sit at the counter while a mannequin of Cathy cooks up some fake food on the grill. (It is the actual Dwarf House grill.) You can look at a duplicate of the Dwarf House menu. The Hamburger Steak Plate included two hamburgers, lettuce, tomato served with a large toasted buttered bun. The cost: 55 cents. The most expensive item on the menu, at 65 cents, was the Steak Plate: grilled tenderloin steak with shoestring potatoes, lettuce and tomatoes topped with homemade mayonnaise and a toasted buttered bun. Coffee would have set you back 5 cents.

Truett Cathy's office. In front of the founder’s desk is a wagon filled with Coca-Colas, a reminder that Cathy went into business when he was 8 years old, buying a six-pack of Cokes for 25 cents and selling them for 5 cents each, thus making a profit of 5 cents. His legend grew from there.

Tours begin with a short video that summarizes the history of Chick-fil-A. In addition to Truett Cathy’s office, you’ll also see the office of President and COO Dan Cathy, and you’ll notice along the way that several oversized words hang along the walls of the center atrium. Examples: Laughter, Life, Influential, Hardworking, Adventurous, Humble, Compassionate and more. The words were presented to Truett Cathy as a gift from employees and are, in their view, descriptions of his character.

Oh, and you’ll see the safe where Chick-fil-A keeps its secret recipe. But you cannot look inside because the combination to the safe is kept, of course, by Truett Cathy.

Carol Carter writes for the Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Frankly, Atlantans Feel Festive in May

CSAdmin — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 19:08:00 GMT

By Carol Carter

Feeling festive? Then Atlanta is the place to be during the month of May because, well, Atlanta goes a little festival crazy this month. Don’t believe it? Take a look below. And pick a festival. Or two.

Fiesta Atlanta Cinco de Mayo celebration. Centennial Olympic Park, May 5. Right in the heart of Atlanta, you’ll hear mariachi music, see Mexican folk dancing, sample international foods, listen to live music, maybe join the 5K run/walk. Olé!

Sweet Auburn Springfest. Where else but Auburn Avenue in downtown Atlanta? May 10-12. Billed as the largest outdoor festival in the Southeast, the celebration blends music (lots of it) with food, a street market, a kids’ zone and much, much more. Join the fun.

Buckhead Spring Arts & Crafts Festival. Chastain Park. May 11 & 12. With 175 artists and artisans on hand, it’s no surprise that the emphasis of this festival is visual art. But there’s more, including live acoustic music and a children’s area plus food and drink. Be artsy.

Atlanta Caribbean Carnival and Parade. Morris Brown Herndon Stadium, 643 Martin Luther King Drive. May 25. Celebrate Caribbean culture with masquerade bands, marching bands, steel bands, DJs and colorful costumes. Be an islander, "mon."

Decatur Arts Festival.. On the square in Decatur. May 25 & 26. What to expect? Art – an artist walk, ArtWalk, a fine arts exhibition, kids’ arts festival, new dance festival plus the Decatur Civic Chorus and a silent auction. Did we mention art?

Atlanta Jazz Festival. Piedmont Park. May 25-27. With the theme “Generation Next,” the jazz fest culminates over Memorial Day weekend, but look for lead-ups to the festival all month long because there will be concerts at clubs, museums and parks throughout May. Whether your jazz taste is Latin, swing, traditional or Afro-Cuban, you’ll find it somewhere in town either before or during the Atlanta Jazz Festival. Holy saxphone!

Atlanta Food & Wine Festival. Centered around 11th and Peachtree streets in Midtown. May 30 – June 2. For adults only, this culinary weekend is dedicated to showcasing the foods and beverages of the South. Take a cooking or cocktail class. Stop by a tasting tent. Participate in various dinners tailored to the festival. Learn something new.

Carol Carter writes for the Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Atlanta Opera's 'Italian Girl' is Fun and Funny

CSAdmin — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 15:01:00 GMT

By Michael Reid

Opera is serious music. Bel canto singing is a physically demanding art that requires years of training to attain even a basic competence. The music is complex and intelligent, and calls for intense concentration to appreciate or enjoy; the plots involve high tragedy, addressing the madness of kings or the death of gods. Opera is dense, complex, layered. It is most certainly not funny.

Thing is, nobody ever bothered to tell Gioachino Rossini that.

The 19th century Italian composer clearly had no use for the grim and the tragic. Creator of such classics as “il barbiere di Siviglia” (“The Barber of Seville”) and “Guillaume Tell” (“William Tell”), Rossini’s mastery of the madcap was confirmed by no less an expert than Ludwig von Beethoven himself, who told the young composer “Never try to write anything but opera buffa [comic opera]; any other style would do violence to your nature.”

The Atlanta Opera brings to a close its 2012-2013 season with Rossini’s “La italiana in Algeri” (“The Italian Girl in Algiers”), an almost-vaudevillian romp that premiered in 1813 and brought the then 20-year-old composer widespread fame.

“The Italian Girl in Algiers” tells the story of Isabella (sung by soprano Sandra Piques Eddy, pictured below), the eponymous Italian girl, who, accompanied by her elderly admirer Taddeo (bass baritone Bruno Pratico), has been searching the Mediterranean for her lost lover Lindoro (tenor Michele Angelini). When her plane crashes in the kingdom of Algiers, she becomes the newest slave of Mustafà, the Bey. It is a fortuitous happenstance for the Bey (bass Burak Bilgili), who has grown tired of his submissive wife Elvira and has ordered his chief of corsairs to find him an Italian girl: “I have a great desire to have one of those signoras who tantalizes so many gallants.”

To clear the way for his seduction of Isabella, Mustafà decides to marry off his wife to his Italian slave, who is of course the lost Lindoro. Tormented by homesickness and the memory of his beloved Isabella, Lindoro sings a heartfelt aria, “Languir pera una bello,” and, after a comic duet in which Mustafà enumerates the charms of Elvira (“Hair?” “Black.” “Cheeks?” “Pretty.” “Face?” “Beautiful.”), agrees to take Elvira with him if the Bey permits him to return to Italy.

When Mustafà sees the ravishing Isabella, he instantly falls deeply in love with the spirited Italian, and Isabella’s initial fears for her fate (expressed in the aria “Cruda sorte! Amor tiranno!” are allayed as she realizes that, like all men, she can wrap the Bey around her finger (“The blackbird is already in the cage, he can no longer escape from me! I am sure of my scheme. What a mug!”)

Using her new power over the smitten Mustafà, Isabella concocts a scheme to rescue herself, Taddeo, Lindoro and all the other Italian slaves. She prepares a huge feast at which Lindoro and Taddeo initiate the Bey into the mythical order of the Pappataci, who live only to eat, sleep and drink. Having taken the Pappataci vow Mustafà – resplendent in robes fashioned from an Oriental carpet and gorging himself on pasta in oil -- ignores Isabella’s flight with Lindoro and the slaves. Finally realizing that he’s been duped, the Bey calls for his soldiers – who are too drunk to respond!

If all this sounds like a farce, it is – especially as presented by director Helena Binder, who cheerfully embraces the opera’s light-hearted silliness. Isabella’s first appearance onstage, for example, is being passed hand to hand by Mustafà’s corsairs as part of a human chain transporting her luggage to the Bey’s palace.

As enchanting as the music is – and Rossini was known for his memorable melodies, most famously the “William Tell Overture” – much of the fun of the Atlanta Opera production comes from the background antics of the chorus, such as the tailors who strip Taddeo to his linen drawers before dressing him in “Turkish” robes, or the band of Pappataci, arrayed in carpets and pillows, as pictured below, solemnly performing a ludicrous dance as part of the Bey’s initiation.

Binder sneaks in modern pop-cultural references as well – Isabella strikes a Marilyn-Monroe-esque pose in a silver lamé gown, and the bombastic and self-important Mustafà wears a medal-laden khaki uniform not unlike that worn by Moammar Gadhafi. No, this is not “serious” opera – but it is a lot of fun.

“The Italian Girl in Algiers” runs through May 5 at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre.

Photos by Jeff Roffman, courtesy of the Atlanta Opera

ACVB guest blogger Michael Reid is a tour guide for Atlanta Culinary Tours.

Designers Show their Stuff at Decorators' Show House & Gardens

CSAdmin — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 14:00:00 GMT

By Sylvia A. Small

We all have at least one room in our house that is crying for attention. For me, it's a guest bedroom that doesn't say "Welcome to our home!" We own a comfortable bed, have lots of accessory options and know our favorite colors. But this is one room I can't seem to pull together.

If you're like me, you will find the 43rd Annual Decorators' Show House & Gardens is a wonderful place to get fresh ideas for transforming your unappealing space into the masterpiece of your dreams.

Organized by the Atlanta Symphony Associates, the Decorators' Show House & Gardens runs through May 12. Over the last five years, the event has raised more than $1 million to help support the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and its many education and community engagement programs.

Set on a wooded estate in Buckhead, the French-inspired home is valued at approximately $9 million without furnishings. It was designed by William T. Baker, a leading residential designer. Baker will talk about "Designing Great American Homes" on May 11 at 1:30 p.m.

The Show House features the work of some of the Southeast's most talented designers. Each design space reflects a unique theme chosen by the designer. The only request was to incorporate a musical element into each space. The "family retreat," pictured below, was designed by Decorated Designs.

Although you will see lots of gray on the walls, you'll find colorful accents in most rooms. The living room, pictured below, was designed by Patricia McLean Interiors.

Purchase a ticket online or at the door for $25. Free parking along with a courtesy shuttle is available at The Medici Building, located at 3284 Northside Parkway. Be sure to get your parking ticket validated at the ticket desk at the Show House.

The Decorators' Show House & Gardens is open Tuesday through Sunday. If you're looking for a smaller crowd, try to attend during the week.

Boxed lunches, assorted sandwiches and desserts are available in the cafe.

Top photo by Tim Small; bottom two photos by Jeff Roffman

Sylvia A. Small is a guest blogger for the Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau. She's the principal behind Sylvia Small Communications & Marketing. Sylvia lives with her husband and an assortment of pets in a third-generation Buckhead home.

Nuns Just Want to Have Fun at 'Sister Act'… And So Will You!

CSAdmin — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 19:04:00 GMT

By Linda T. Sanders

Hurry downtown to the Fox Theatre before April 28 for a performance you won’t want to miss! The Tony Award-nominated Broadway musical comedy, "Sister Act," runs nightly at 8 p.m. through this Saturday. The Sunday evening performance is at 6:30 p.m. There are also matinees Saturday at 2 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m.

Based on the hit film of the same name, "Sister Act" scores with its soulful music, bright and “blinging” costumes, magical wardrobe changes and family-friendly comedic one-liners.

The musical centers on Deloris Van Cartier, a Philadelphia-bred Donna Summer wannabe who inadvertently witnesses a murder and is sent to a convent for witness protection. She sticks out like a sore thumb among the sisters for a ton of reasons – she’s flamboyant, brash, undisciplined and exudes sexuality. But her differences, especially her “negro-ness,” draw the sisters to Deloris like a moth to a flame.

Although Deloris causes quite a stir in the convent, her ability to connect with the sisters and infuse spirit, soul and harmony into the choir brings much-needed new life to the convent and thwarts the sale of the struggling property to investors.

Ta’Rea Campbell (pictured below with Holly Resnik) brings the perfect combination of vulnerability, street credibility and soul to the role of Deloris. Her singing is both bold and subdued, matching the tone of the musical number of the moment, and her acting is spot on. Holly Resnik also shines as Mother Superior, transforming from the uptight and stern head of the convent to a rapping sensation by the end of the show. The rest of the cast is excellent as well.

Those familiar with the movie may find the storyline predictable, trivial and perhaps a bit too sacrilegious. However several unique touches – the rapping Mother Superior, a killer Barry White impression and a hilarious reference to the biblical Job in Monsignor O’Hara’s sermon closing, among others – make the musical one to remember.

Like any family-friendly story, good prevails in the end. I left the Fox with a smile on my face, a song in my heart and a mental note to refresh my knowledge of Mary Magdalene’s biblical significance, looking specifically for a reference to Mary Magdalene “shaking it!” Be sure to stay through the end of the performance, as there is a cute and timely surprise for you in the audience.

Photos by Joan Marcus

Linda T. Sanders is a guest blogger for the Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau. She is an attorney-editor at a legal webinar company in Atlanta and previously worked as a manager with the Fulton County Juvenile Court. A native Atlantan, she enjoys exploring the city and all that it has to offer, with her husand and two daughters.

Top 5 Get-Out-of-the-House Things to Do in Atlanta this Weekend

CSAdmin — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 15:44:00 GMT

By Carol Carter

1. Inman Park Festival. April 26-28. Put your weekend chores on hold and dash to Inman Park for the arts & crafts market, street vendors, musical performances, dancing and the tour of homes. While you’re there, you might catch the parade featuring the Butterfly, Trash Monarch, Precision Attache Case Drill Team or the Seed & Feed Marching Abominables. Betcha can’t resist.

2. Friday Night Drags. April 26. Atlanta Motor Speedway. Street-style drag cars duke it out on the eighth-mile drag strip. Bring your ear plugs.

3. Taste of East Point. April 27. When’s the last time you heard the band Hot Road and the Psycho Devilles? That’s what we thought. Well, now’s your chance. Experience food, art, music and a custom car show this weekend. Get the point?

4. National Day of Puppetry. April 27. Center for Puppetry Arts. Meet the center’s new mascot, attend workshops, take guided tours, grab a bite from the food truck. Free admission 2:30 to 6 p.m. Jim Henson would approve.

5. Stone Mountain Park. Take a SkyHike through the treetops, walk across rope bridges at Geyser Tower or Ride with the Ducks, 1940s’ vintage Army DUKWs, converted into open-air vehicles. Lots of family fun.

Carol Carter writes for the Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Top 3 Music Picks This Weekend in Atlanta

CSAdmin — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 15:10:00 GMT

By Carol Carter

1. Itzhak Perlman (pictured below) with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. April 25-28. Perlman will conduct as well as play his violin. On tap are Vivaldi’s “The Four Seasons,” (summer and winter) and Mahler’s “Symphony No. 1.” Does it get any better than Itzhak?

2. Alan Jackson at Chastain Park. April 26. What do you bet you’ll hear tunes from his latest album, “Thirty Miles West?” Female fans, prepare to swoon.

3. “The Italian Girl in Algiers.” Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre. April 27. Rossini’s whimsical adventure is set in a 1930’s pop-up book. The Atlanta Opera promises belly laughs.

Photo of Itzhak Perlman courtesy of IMG Artists

Carol Carter writes for the Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau.

ASO Guest Cellist Keeps Mickey's Magic Brooms Marching in ‘The Sorcerer’s Apprentice’

CSAdmin — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 15:13:00 GMT

By Michael Reid

Since its beginning as the Atlanta Youth Symphony in 1945, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra (ASO) has attracted gifted soloists, among them Glenn Gould, Isaac Stern and Yo Yo Ma. Under the guidance of such notable music directors as Robert Shaw, Yoel Levi and Robert Spano, the ASO - whose 32-year association with the Telarc label garnered 26 Grammy Awards – has become one of the pre-eminent symphony orchestras in the country.

Among the most recent musicians of note to grace the stage at Woodruff Hall was cellist Alisa Weilerstein (pictured below). The Rochester, N.Y., native, a 2011 recipient of a MacArthur Foundation “genius grant,” performed Paul Dukas’ 1897 “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” – better known to most as “That bit in 'Fantasia' where Mickey Mouse makes the brooms come to life.”

Dukas’ orchestral scherzo, inspired by a poem by Johann von Goethe, tells the story of a young apprentice of a master magician – represented in the concerto by a scurrying woodwind motif - who is tasked with cleaning and drawing water for the sorcerer’s household. Stealing his master’s incantation, the apprentice animates a broomstick and sets it to work. The kettle drum sounds an ominous note, then single notes from the bassoon gradually coalesce into a vigorous theme that depicts the broom slowly stirring into motion. As is the way in tales of this sort, the apprentice receives a lesson in the Law of Unintended Consequences; the broom zealously brings water, until the sorcerer’s house is awash, and the panic-stricken apprentice in desperation hacks the broom in half with an axe. Alas, the respite – a brief pause in the music – is short-lived; two brooms now arise from the splinters and set to work.

Weilerstein herself mirrors the apprentice’s frenzy as the concerto rises in momentum and emotion; under the direction of conductor Lionel Bringuier (pictured below), she seems to not play her cello so much as battle with it, using short, powerful strokes of the bow to limn the foolish apprentice’s struggle with the marching brooms. The gifted musician, who made her debut at age 13 with the renowned Cleveland Orchestra, has delighted audiences in venues across Europe and the United States, including Carnegie Hall, the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields and Severance Hall. In 2011 she became the first cellist signed by the prestigious Decca Classics label in more than three decades, recording cello concerti of Elgar and Elliott Carter with Daniel Barenboim and the Staatskapelle Berlin.

The 2013 ASO season will also bring performances of two of Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons” by famed violinist Itzak Perlman; Robert Schumann’s "Symphony No.1" by pianist Marc-André Hamelin; and a lesser-known work from Claude Debussy, “La demoiselle èlue,” featuring soprano Kiera Duffy and the renowed Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Chorus. For those whose taste in music is slightly more eclectic, the calendar also includes concerts by Tony Bennett and Cyndi Lauper, as well as an innovative multimedia presentation of music from the hugely successful video game franchise Final Fantasy.

Thanks to Decca and Harald Hoffman for the photo of Alisa Weilerstein

ACVB guest blogger Michael Reid is a tour guide for Atlanta Culinary Tours.

Top 3 Out-of-the-Ordinary Things to Do in Atlanta This Weekend

CSAdmin — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 15:01:00 GMT

By Carol Carter

April 20. The Great Chair Hack of 2013 during the Atlanta Dogwood Festival. The Museum of Design Atlanta and the Industrial Designers Society of America invite teams of students, professionals, artists and/or hackers to explore what a piece of IKEA furniture can become. Teams will be given an IKEA chair, three hours and tasked with making anything but a chair. Form a team and just do it!

April 21. Party for the Planet at Zoo Atlanta. Thomas the Tank Engine will make an appearance at this festival that’s all about going green and being nice to our planet. Beastly fun!

April 20. The 43rd annual Decorator’s Show House Opens. Steal ideas from a huge cast of designers who decorate all the rooms and areas in Tuffeau, the French-inspired show house situated in a West Paces Ferry neighborhood. Proceeds support the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and its education and community engagement programs. Get inspired!

Carol Carter writes for the Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau. She is an Atlanta journalist and author.