Aurora Theatre - HOT August Programming!

Audiences and families in the greater Atlanta area invited to enjoy laughs, tricks and more! There’s no shortage of good times at Aurora Theatre this August!  Georgia’s fastest-growing professional theater is lining up some of the best comedic talent for adults in need of a laugh-filled night out, from Dad’s Garage to The 3 Wise Guys – Dan Mengini, Steve “The Nice Guy” Mingolla, and Vinnie Coppola. Young theatergoers can also get in on some educational, magical, and wholesome fun with several shows from Aurora Children’s Playhouse, including Cirque du Todd, Phenomenal Physics, and The Flying Turtle and Other Animal Folktales.  Families can also head to the main stage for the soaring, thought-provoking Stephen Schwartz musical Children of Eden or get spooked on the Lawrenceville Square during Lawrenceville Ghost Tours. From serious to scary – and everything in between – there’s a slew of entertainment at Gwinnett’s favorite theater this August! Special August Programming The 3 Wise GuysFriday, August 23 and Saturday, August 247:15 p.m. and 9:15 p.m.Tickets from $15 Those who love to laugh are invited to a hilarious, fast-paced show with three of the area’s best headlining comedians!  The 3 Wise Guys is a collaboration of talents:  Dan Mengini’s honest comedy will keep attendees laughing for a lifetime; Steve “The Nice Guy” Mingolla’s act is clean and never mean; and Vinnie Coppola is a true comic’s comic – his real secret weapon is his persona.  For more information and tickets, please visit bit.ly/AT3WiseGuys. Aurora Children’s Playhouse Saturdays at 10 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. Tickets $7 Aurora Children’s Playhouse brings together the best children’s performers in the region to showcase their artistry for parents and children.  Featuring puppeteers, magicians, storytellers, and musicians, these 45-minute shows are intended to give children their first theatrical experience through a lively production, sure to capture the attention of the whole family!  For more information, visit bit.ly/ChildrensPlayhouse2019. Cirque Du Todd Saturday, August 10 Marvel at some magic with Todd Key, an extraordinary talent with amazing skill in the art of juggling.  A legendary fixture at Renaissance Festivals in North America as a part of the act The Zucchini Brothers, Key hones his solo show Cirque Du Todd especially for children and families.  Attendees are sure to be awestruck and entertained, as a man balances upon a small, thin board, performs rope tricks, interacts with the audience, and juggles the ten most dangerous objects in history – all while keeping everyone laughing.  For more information, please visit bit.ly/CirqueDuTodd. Phenomenal Physics Saturday, August 17 Prepare to be amazed by the force, as this show by Big Thinkers Science Exploration explores the whirring world of physics!  Audiences can learn to defy gravity and make water levitate, gain a new perspective about inertia with some “skate board science,” observe awesome flashes of heat as energy is converted from potential to kinetic, and more!  This physics show is truly ph-abulous!  More information available at bit.ly/PhenomenalPhysics. The Flying Turtle and Other Animal Folktales Saturday, August 24 Families are invited to travel the world with storyteller Barry Stewart Mann, exploring tales of animals from as close as the Cherokee mountains and as far as China and Australia.  Ever since the beginning of creation, humans have been fascinated by and told stories about animals that have helped to explain the natural world, to entertain each other, and to teach basic values.  This show features a series of lively retellings of a diverse array of folklore, replete with playful puppets, colorful costumes, props, and plenty of audience participation and volunteer opportunities sure to have audiences feeling companionship with Earth’s four-legged and winged friends!  For more information, visit bit.ly/AnimalFolklore. Continuing in August… Children of Eden Through September 1 Tuesday – Saturday at 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at 2:30 p.m. Telling the tale of the Book of Genesis in two acts, this family-friendly masterpiece with book by John Caird and music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz covers the story of creation and the great flood – all while examining the complex love between parents and children.  Audiences of all ages will appreciate the musical twist on these famous stories!  For more information and tickets, please visit bit.ly/ticketseden. Lawrenceville Ghost Tours Fridays and Saturdays at 8:30 p.m. Adults $12, Children $9 For years, the Lawrenceville Ghost Tours have told tales about Gwinnett County’s spookiest spots.  Guests can take 90-minute guided tours around metro-Atlanta’s oldest city and hear stories of its history and paranormal activity.  The tour begins and ends at Aurora Theatre and runs May through September, with tours continuing every night in October.  To purchase tickets online, please visit scarystroll.com or call 678.226.6222. For more information or to purchase tickets for events, call the Box Office at 678.226.6222 or visit www.auroratheatre.com.

Aurora Theatre Presents Lawrenceville Ghost Tours!

Calling all mortals! You and a guest are cordially invited to downtown Lawrenceville for spooky fun! In the mood for a thrill?  Join Aurora Theatre for spooktacular fun with Lawrenceville Ghost Tours this October! Guests will be guided on a moonlit walk, accompanied by spooky storytellers who tell tales of awakened sleeping ghosts and increased paranormal activity in metro-Atlanta’s oldest city.  Without the use of gore, these tours encourage happy haunting while offering a healthy dose of spine-chilling scares. The tour runs every night in October - Monday through Thursday at 7:30; Fridays and Saturdays at 7 and 9 p.m.; and Sundays at 7:30 p.m.  Tickets are $12 for Adults and $9 for Children.  If you are up for a more scary event and are 13 years old (or older), Aurora Theatre also offers a Cemetery Tours on Fridays and Saturdays from 8:30 - 10:30 p.m. (until October 28).  Tickets are just under $20/person. Both tours begin and end at Aurora Theatre, 128 East Pike Street, Lawrenceville.

Aurora Theatre to Celebrate 10th Anniversary of A CHRISTMAS CAROL!

Aurora Theatre to celebrate 10th anniversary of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, November 25-December 23

True meaning of Christmas unfolds in spirited solo performance A holiday classic fit for the entire family, Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol returns to Aurora Theatre this holiday season, November 25 –December 23! The timeless tale of miserly Ebenezer Scrooge (Anthony Rodriguez) and his quest for forgiveness unfolds in an unforgettable journey of transformation through Christmas past, present, and future.  Deemed one of the greatest Christmas stories of all time, audiences of all ages will delight in the spirit of the season as they revisit the splendor of what makes this production a holiday tradition! “Rodriguez’s powerful one-man performance of A Christmas Carol is something that never loses its magic, no matter how many times you’ve seen it over the past decade,” said Tony Brown, the shows adaptor and director.  “It’s his distinctive and personal interpretation, combined with the intimate, charming setting of the theater that stirs emotion in all of us to remember the importance of family, friends and the act of forgiveness.” Set in the late 1800s on a cold, dark Christmas Eve in London, A Christmas Carol transports audiences into the home of the troubled and resentful Scrooge on Aurora Theatre’s Studio stage.  With a heart that’s been hardened throughout the years, Scrooge is visited by three ghosts – Christmas past, present, and future – each with a specific story and lesson to share.  As he travels through the spirit world and encounters forgotten memories and foreshadows of the future, he’s forced to make certain choices about his life, including whether or not to embrace the joy of Christmas.  Through mannerisms and voice alone, Rodriguez’s spirited solo performance once again brings the characters of Ebenezer Scrooge, Bob Cratchit, Jacob Marley, and the remarkable ghosts to life before audience’s eyes!  Five-time Suzi Bass Award-winning designers Isabel and Moriah Curley-Clay will be creating an all new set for this holiday favorite. Celebrating its 10th consecutive year, Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol is presented November 25-December 23.  Tickets range from $20-$30 and can be purchased online at tickets.auroratheatre.com. Regular show times, in repertory with The 12 Dates of Christmas, are as follows: ·         Wednesday- Friday: 8 p.m. ·         Saturday: 2:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. ·         Sunday: 2:30 p.m. Anthony Rodriguez as Ebenezer Scrooge Anthony Rodriguez as Ebenezer Scrooge Anthony Rodriguez as Ebenezer Scrooge Anthony Rodriguez as Ebenezer Scrooge Anthony Rodriguez as Ebenezer Scrooge

Atlanta's Fox Theatre Unveils New Behind The Scenes Tour for Media and Guests

Photo courtesy of facebook.

Most of us who have lived in the City of Atlanta, or one of its metro suburbs, all our lives have dreamed of a tour such as this one. We have dreamed of what lies behind those 86-year old stone and cement walls.  We have been fascinated with the prospect of a peek "behind the scenes." 

So, when The Fox Theatre (the "Fox") set up a media preview for our small group of ten last week, I jumped at the invitation to come and witness what this famed and legendary theatre might hold behind its walls.  The Behind the Scenes Tour ended up being everything we expected it to be and so much more. 

If you did not follow along on my Instagram tour last week, I hope, after today's read, you will make a reservation for this limited-time, historic tour.  You may visit The Fox Theatre's website to sign up or receive more information.  (Currently, the tour is only planned for June dates.)

Our tour started off in the Lobby at the bottom of one of the Grand Staircases inside the theatre.  A young and energetic tour guide, named Alexis, gave us a brief history lesson on the Fox.  Did you know the original investors thought it would only take $1 million to build, but it actually ended up costing over $3 million?  Did you know the theatre opened on Christmas Day 1929 with all the fanfare of acrobats and a Steamboat Willie cartoon?  (Yes, my worlds actually collided for a brief moment!)  Did you know this theatre has been running and operating in the black since 1978?  Atlanta is so proud.

Our first official stop on tour was the Hospital.  Yes, you read that correctly -- the Hospital.  Buried behind the scenes and behind a large wooded door clearly marked, "Hospital," is a tiny subway-tiled room complete with an early 1930s-era bed, a medicine cabinet, and a bathroom sink.  Fascinating!  Still as you might picture it was during the early part of last century.  What used to be manned by a nurse for ailing performers or Guests is now attended to by an EMT.  Times may have changed, but the decor has not.

From the hospital, we proceeded to the old "screening room."  Pictures of the room can be view on my Instgram virtual tour, but basically, this room was used by Atlanta censors to decide if new releases from the major motion picture studios in Hollywood should be banned in Atlanta.  By the time this practice ended in 1966, 15 films had been banned from our City!

Today, the Fox uses this room for a multitude of purposes -- from Artist Meet and Greets to catering set-ups to prop storage areas.  It is not a large room, but the history contained within it?  Wow, if these walls could only talk!  I'm sure the stories themselves would be large.  

Next stop on tour was the pit.  This is the original pit from 1929.  The hydraulics used are still original (although the motors are new).  The pit contains a "floor" that lowers and raises.  This can be used for anything -- from strictly utilitarian procedures to dramatic production effects and entrances.  Again, pictures for this area may be seen on my Instagram account.  The pit was an extremely fascinating area to see, and one that both theatre fans and students will definitely want to take a peek at.

From the pit, we moved along to the electrical rooms.  These large and antiquated rooms are no longer used, as most of them have been replaced by small and unobtrusive small gray boxes along the walls.  However, here is an interesting factoid - Georgia Tech often sends engineers and students over to study these rooms as there so few in existence anymore.  Hats off, once again, to The Fox for keeping as much intact as possible these last 86 years.

Next stop was the paint room.  The fun part of this tour is that you are not only walking and climbing centuries old staircases, you are also riding century-old elevators.  The larger, freight-style elevator you take to get to the paint room, reminded me immediately of my beloved Walt Disney World's Tower of Terror.  (Only thing missing was a push out over the edge.)

I can't speak for everyone on our little tour, but it seemed to me that this room got the most inquisitions and pictures taken.  Very fascinating, and one stop I am glad the theatre includes!

The paint room is run by Ms. Edna Tillander.  She is the last one (out of four) from her family that has worked in the theatre's paint room for the past 65 years!  This room was a treasure trove of history and artifacts.

From the paint room, we took my beloved Walt Disney World's Tower of Terror elevator back down to the Rehearsal and Dressing Room areas.  The rehearsal room was fascinating as it housed the Production Manager's office up above and overlooking it.  This office space once gave way to an in-house radio station!  Who knew?

The Dressing Rooms were simply put, amazing.  Not for their elaborateness or luxury, but for a few pretty cool wallpaper designs, both custom made for the Fox.  The first dressing room's wallpaper was a montage of ticket stubbs from over the years.  It was fun trying to look at them all and hearing all of us say, "Remember them?" or "Hey!  I was at that concert!"  The second dressing room's wallpaper was a montage of show posters, many of them autographed by the shows actors.  Again - cool factor - off the charts.

And, before I forget.  One other cool thing about these two dressing rooms.  There is a tradition, apparently, at The Fox Theatre...artists sign the dresser drawers of their room!  Take a peek at just one of the drawers we saw.  (Yes, Mary Poppins was on one of them.  Again, worlds colliding.)

To wrap up our Behind the Scenes media tour nicely in a bow, we ended our night with the greatest cherry on top ever -- heading backstage and onto the Fox's famous stage itself.  Wow!  What a treat!

Before heading on stage, you are met with a large wall of performers' 8 x 10 head shots, most of them autographed by their subjects, letting you know you are in good company performing at The Fox Theatre.  And, right before you step out onto that impressive and historic stage, you are greeted over head with a classic quote by the famous Ronnie Van Zandt.  Such a great touch on this backstage area.

To say this tour is impressive would be an understatement.  If you are a lover of history, the City of Atlanta, or the Fox Theatre itself, you should not miss this tour.  There is no other place or time in the Fox's history where you will be or have been able to see all of these areas of the Fox.  They, quite simply put, have never been open to the general public before.  

Nowhere else will you be able to see the Mighty Mo up close and personal.  Nowhere else will you be able to stand and look out over an empty theatre and imagine you are seeing what the performers themselves see each night.  Nowhere else will you see Depression-era electrical systems.

Folks, this is a chance in a lifetime tour.  I promise you will not be disappointed.  I am so happy I was invited and got a chance to see this tour.  If you and/or your family would like to check out this historic tour too, here is the information on how you might acquire tickets.  Please remember this tour is not recommended for children under the age of 7, and there are several stairs and areas not ADA accessible.

Fox Theatre Behind The  Scenes Tour

For a limited time only, the Fox Theatre is offering special Fox Theatre Behind the Scenes Tours.  These tours are a 90-minute guided program that will allow guests to experience the Fox from a different perspective, BACKSTAGE.  This tour will feature many elements of the Fox, including refreshments in the star dressing rooms, a peek under the stage, and culminates with photo opportunities on the Legendary Fox Theatre stage.  The Behind the Scenes Tours are not recommended for children under 7 and no children under the age of 2 are permitted.   Everyone must have a ticket to attend the tour.

Fox Theatre Behind the Scenes Tours will take place on Tuesday, June 9, Wednesday, June 10, Sunday, June 14, Tuesday, June 16, Wednesday, June 17, and Saturday, June 20. Please note there are a large number of stairs and several places on the tour are not ADA accessible.
Tickets are $45, and may be be purchased at The Fox Theatre's website.

As I wrap up this article, I will leave you with one more photo, from my Instagram feed...

Since this was a private media tour and the only one of the night, we were treated to the "closing down" of the Fox that night.  And, as all good theatre patrons know, not all lights can be turned off.  This one light was left lit as we left the building.  Do you know why?

The Fox Theatre opened on Christmas Day 1929, a perky tour guide named Alexis explained during a media preview Tuesday night, and the theater staff works hard to maintain the building’s original features and essence. She led our group of 10 down into the lower ladies lounge and opened a door marked “hospital” to a preserved 1920s medical room, where a nurse once tended to injured or ailing performers. (An on-site EMT serves this role today.) Nearby, in an odd juxtaposition of  historic and modern, sinks in the bathroom with original faucets stood opposite Dyson hand dryers. - See more at: http://www.atlantamagazine.com/news-culture-articles/what-we-saw-during-the-fox-theatres-new-behind-the-scenes-tour/#sthash.oEKoG9s5.dpuf

The Fox Theatre opened on Christmas Day 1929, a perky tour guide named Alexis explained during a media preview Tuesday night, and the theater staff works hard to maintain the building’s original features and essence. She led our group of 10 down into the lower ladies lounge and opened a door marked “hospital” to a preserved 1920s medical room, where a nurse once tended to injured or ailing performers. (An on-site EMT serves this role today.) Nearby, in an odd juxtaposition of  historic and modern, sinks in the bathroom with original faucets stood opposite Dyson hand dryers. - See more at: http://www.atlantamagazine.com/news-culture-articles/what-we-saw-during-the-fox-theatres-new-behind-the-scenes-tour/#sthash.oEKoG9s5.dpuf

The Fox Theatre opened on Christmas Day 1929, a perky tour guide named Alexis explained during a media preview Tuesday night, and the theater staff works hard to maintain the building’s original features and essence. She led our group of 10 down into the lower ladies lounge and opened a door marked “hospital” to a preserved 1920s medical room, where a nurse once tended to injured or ailing performers. (An on-site EMT serves this role today.) Nearby, in an odd juxtaposition of  historic and modern, sinks in the bathroom with original faucets stood opposite Dyson hand dryers. - See more at: http://www.atlantamagazine.com/news-culture-articles/what-we-saw-during-the-fox-theatres-new-behind-the-scenes-tour/#sthash.oEKoG9s5.dpuf

The Fox Theatre opened on Christmas Day 1929, a perky tour guide named Alexis explained during a media preview Tuesday night, and the theater staff works hard to maintain the building’s original features and essence. She led our group of 10 down into the lower ladies lounge and opened a door marked “hospital” to a preserved 1920s medical room, where a nurse once tended to injured or ailing performers. (An on-site EMT serves this role today.) Nearby, in an odd juxtaposition of  historic and modern, sinks in the bathroom with original faucets stood opposite Dyson hand dryers. - See more at: http://www.atlantamagazine.com/news-culture-articles/what-we-saw-during-the-fox-theatres-new-behind-the-scenes-tour/#sthash.oEKoG9s5.dpuf

The Fox Theatre opened on Christmas Day 1929, a perky tour guide named Alexis explained during a media preview Tuesday night, and the theater staff works hard to maintain the building’s original features and essence. She led our group of 10 down into the lower ladies lounge and opened a door marked “hospital” to a preserved 1920s medical room, where a nurse once tended to injured or ailing performers. (An on-site EMT serves this role today.) Nearby, in an odd juxtaposition of  historic and modern, sinks in the bathroom with original faucets stood opposite Dyson hand dryers. - See more at: http://www.atlantamagazine.com/news-culture-articles/what-we-saw-during-the-fox-theatres-new-behind-the-scenes-tour/#sthash.oEKoG9s5.dpuf