We dropped our kid off at school in Atlanta last week and thought, what the heck, we’ll catch a play at the local theater. Wow!
Turns out the Alliance premieres a lot of plays that have then gone onto Broadway (Tuck Everlasting, the Color Purple, Bring it On, etc).
Their new one, the Prom, is amazing. From the director to the writer to the choreographer to the actors, nearly all are Tony-nominated/winning performers (the writer of the score alone has been nominated for 4 Tonys.) The plays they’ve won for range from the Book of Mormon to Aladdin to the Drowsy Chaperone to The Producers. Even the members of the ensemble are nearly all current Broadway performers. The play has a few clunky moments (I saw it on the 2nd night of Previews) but those will be improved and the dance/the set/the amazing singing is the best. And a live band too!
It runs until September 25 but even previews were sold out so…move fast.
The theater is very comfortable and right across the street from the subway stop (marta) …tickets for teens are $10 (!) and the highest ticket is like $50. http://alliancetheatre.org/production/the-prom
@Jkellynh17 that’s so cool! (in the Ensemble?) In any case, it’s being billed as “pre-broadway” and I see no reason why it wouldn’t be there by next year…
The Prom is the latest from Bob Martin and Casey Nicholaw. I saw a very early reading of this and I think that it has very good potential. No Broadway announcement yet.
We saw it opening weekend - it was fabulous. We have 2 friends in it - one is a lead and one ensemble. And yes, the entire cast is so talented and has so many Broadway credits!
The Prom sounds amazing but alas, no trips to Atlanta any time soon. For those of you in or near Philly, I recommend the Elementary Spacetime Show ( http://fringearts.com/event/elementary-spacetime-show-15/ ) at the Philadelphia Fringe Festival. Preview September 10 running through Sept. 24.
I can’t wait to see it (I’ve heard really good things about the production). Being presented in cooperation with University of the Arts. I’ll update after the 10th.
If any of you are coming to Atlanta over the next month you should, indeed, see THE PROM. You should also see Aurora Theatre/Theatrical Outfit production of IN THE HEIGHTS, which is maybe the greatest production of that show I have ever seen (and that includes the original Broadway production and the National Tour). It’s running through mid-September. Stunning. Atlanta is a surprisingly vibrant MT town-- this summer there was a jaw-dropping, site-immersive production of MISS SAIGON (you were outdoors in the beautiful town of Serenbe, and the production involved real Army trucks, cars and…yes…an actual helicopter that landed near the action); Actors Express did a nice job with COMPANY. Lots of great performers here-- many of them permanent residents. We just delivered our MT gal to the freshman year of her BFA program, so I am hoping that Atlanta continues to grow its MT reputation and opportunities. Maybe she’ll be back…
@mayorshinn I read and saw a few videos from that Miss Saigon. I was blown away. I wondered if they received a huge grant for that? Was it a profitable show? That was amazing!!!
I read about Miss Saigon. I believe they raised more money to be able to have the helicopter but I don’t think it was a grant. Basically, they were doing the helicopter regardless. I tried to figure out when I could make my way to GA to see it. It sounded so powerful!
@mayorshinn Where is the best place to find out about theatre in Atlanta. We were there in early July and I looked for something to see and could not find much… I knew there must be more.
We live a few hours away and go to Atalanta few times a year.
it’s a pretty good review…I mean, I know nothing about MT (other than the fact that i buy tickets) but I thought he really missed some of the best performances…but I guess that’s how all of you feel about theater reviews all the time.
