Friday, September 23, 2016

Fernbank's WildWoods is Wonderous!

"Nearly a century ago, our founders formed Fernbank to preserve Fernbank Forest as a school in the woods for nature study. Now, connecting the museum directly to the forest through WildWoods fulfills our extraordinary legacy," said Susan Neugent, President and CEO of Fernbank.  "At its core, natural history is about reconnecting humans to nature, which is why the living laboratory of learning in WildWoods and Fernbank Forest is so timely today."


WildWoods at Fernbank Museum of Natural History
WildWoods at Fernbank Museum of Natural History

As a member of Fernbank Musuem of Natural History, I had the great pleasure of a WildWoods preview event last weekend. WildWoods is set to open to the public on Saturday, September 24, 2016 for a Grand Opening Weekend celebration, which is this weekend! I think you're going to love it...I already do.

One begins their WildWoods journey on the Montgomery Highline Trace, an elevated boardwalk that winds through trees and over the terrain. This walkway is highlighted by two nature-inspired tree pods nestled within the tree canopy—one representing a tulip poplar flower (pictured above) and the other represents a fern, both absolutely stunning as are the vistas from them.


WildWoods at Fernbank Museum of Natural History
WildWoods at Fernbank Museum of Natural History

I love, love, love the Sensory Wall. The challenge presented here is for visitors to identify the various items on it suing only their sense of touch. What a wonderful learning experience! Admiring it for its beauty, I almost didn't touch it, then totally caved in...I just couldn't resist. I thought it was made from various kinds of stone, and perhaps there are various kinds of stone, but there's so much more! Go ahead...touch it and learn!


WildWoods at Fernbank Museum of Natural History
WildWoods at Fernbank Museum of Natural History

Within WildWoods is an outdoor gallery, which I'm told will have changing exhibitions. For now there are Bug Hotels—You've really got to check these out! There awesome!—and Sweetgum Tree Sculptures, including the wonderfully wild one pictured above. I personally am super excited about the potential for this area. Part of the goal for this outdoor gallery is to include the community...that'll bring LOTS of possibilities! 


WildWoods at Fernbank Museum of Natural History
WildWoods at Fernbank Museum of Natural History

There are several places in WildWoods where there are purposely created animal tracks, a learning opportunity for children and grownups alike. And then there are tracks made by the creatures living in WildWoods which are fun to speculate about, unless you're already an animal expert. 

If you want to reconnect with nature, but can't get out of the city, WildWoods and Fernbank Forest may just be the place you're looking for!


WildWoods at Fernbank Museum of Natural History
WildWoods at Fernbank Museum of Natural History

Just off the Tulip Poplar Flower Pod are a series of tree identifying markers—I love this! 

There are educational signs and markers throughout WildWoods, but they're done very tastefully and are not at all disruptive...you're having too much fun to wish they weren't there and if they weren't there I believe we would have missed them. Very well done, Fernbank! 


WildWoods at Fernbank Museum of Natural History
WildWoods at Fernbank Museum of Natural History

The Historic Stone Wall, which now you can walk next to, dates to the 1930s and once marked the northern edge of a formal landscaped garden. 


WildWoods at Fernbank Museum of Natural History
WildWoods at Fernbank Museum of Natural History

Among these ruins are stone stairs, pond foundation walls and a grotto with a cross. On the morning I visited there was a praying mantis perched on top of the cross. Mantises have natural camouflage, often making them difficult to spot, but the way the sunlight was streaming through the woods at the time I spotted that one, it was like a beacon! Not to worry though, they're not poisonous.


WildWoods at Fernbank Museum of Natural History
WildWoods at Fernbank Museum of Natural History

I had the wonderful pleasure of an in-depth discussion of WildWoods with Deanna Smith, Director of Marketing at Fernbank Natural History Museum. The entire marketing team at Fernbank has been absolutely delightful to work with over the years and several made this day far more special than I'd expected. "Thank you!"

It wasn't until I ventured down into Isdell Wildlife Sanctuary that I realized why Deanna finds it so charming and fascinating. The boardwalk and an overlook gifts the eyes and other senses a restored creek meadow that attracts birds, butterflies (lots of them!) and other pollinators...and three otters have been spotted in the creek. This sanctuary is alive!


WildWoods at Fernbank Museum of Natural History
WildWoods at Fernbank Museum of Natural History

This time next year, the Sanctuary will be even more lush and beautiful. Fernbank has dedicated considerable time and resources to ensure its health and sustainability. But even without knowing that, it's still a wholly wonderful and peaceful experience.

There are also designated children's areas, but I'll leave that to my family blogger friends, 365 Atlanta Family and Field Trips with Sue. The areas look like great fun, but I'm an 'old' kid, so I'm sticking to the elevated boardwalk, nature pats and outdoor exhibits! 

WildWoods at Fernbank Museum of Natural History
WildWoods at Fernbank Museum of Natural History
I'd like to offer a word of thanks to the Museum's volunteers. They truly enhance ones exploration. And the more I/you can learn from them, the greater our opportunity for a truly mind-expanding experience and the more fun we can have! Thank you, volunteers, for your time and for sharing your knowledge, experience and expertise. You're appreciated! 

Fernbank Forest, which I'll discuss in detail in another post, is the largest old-growth forest of its kind in a major metropolitan area and is now directly connected to the museum through WildWoods...all 65 acres of it!

There are lots of activities going on in Fernbank Museum of Natural History's brand new WildWoods this coming Grand Opening Weekend! A grand exploration of a magnificent 75 acres awaits you!


Monday, September 19, 2016

The Threepenny Opera

The Threepenny Opera, on stage at 7 Stages now through September 25 (extended through Sunday, October 2!), has been inspired by German Expressionist cinema of the 1920s, as well as contemporary struggles for social and economic equality. This show is beyond magnificent! Especially if you watch it for what it is and not for something you "expect".


The Threepenny Opera | 7 Stages | Photo: StunGun Photography
The Threepenny Opera | 7 Stages | Photo: StunGun Photography

The star of the show is, without question, Aaron Strand who portrays Macheath. He's the lead, which isn't always my personal favorite, but in this case he totally is. His expertise as an actor is incredibly strong and present and his voice reverberates throughout the theatre beautifully and profoundly...the two coupled—his acting and his voice—are the theatrical gems theatre-goers are fearlessly seeking.

Stephanie Lloyd, who plays Polly Peachum, is delightfully brilliant. She's a wonderful actress, and wholly convincing that she's experiencing the vast array of emotions her character is going through. Her voice is distinctively pleasing and her character's expressions are the best!  


The Threepenny Opera | 7 Stages | Photo: StunGun Photography
The Threepenny Opera | 7 Stages | Photo: StunGun Photography

I went in knowing little about the show, but expecting the typical brilliance that 7 Stages presents. They do not disappoint with this show. It's edgy, it's thought-provoking, it's gorgeous and sexy. This show makes you—or at least made me—ponder just how similar life in 1920s German Expressionist cinema is similar to life in so many cultures today.

There's love, there are in-laws, there's strife, there's social economic disparity and there's doing what it takes to survive. We often credit our parents for doing the "best that they could", but we don't give fellow citizens that same disclaimer...which sometimes leads to desperation. Sometimes, of course, it leads to people doing the same dumb stuff that they didn't learn from the last time they did it. 


The Threepenny Opera | 7 Stages | Photo: StunGun Photography
The Threepenny Opera | 7 Stages | Photo: StunGun Photography

The Threepenny Opera was written by playwright Bertolt Brecht (born in 1898), whose image has graced the side of the 7 Stages Theatre building for more than a decade! I've seen that face for many, many years and never thought to think who it was. When I saw this play, that mural came alive.

Some other personal favorites in the show are Suzi Bass Award nominee Don Finney (Mrs. Peachum, pictured above), who is absolutely brilliant! She...he, has a wonderful voice, and his acting steals the stage during multiple scenes. I love this bit of casting.

Another favorite is Adam Lowe (Tiger Brown/Filch)...I very much enjoyed this character! He's the (serious) comedic relief as the Chief of Police (and old Army comrade of Macheath's), as well as the role of a rather hilarious peddler (Filch). I didn't realize it, but I met Adam during a Cinco de Mayo celebration in Little Five Points...he was amazing! Don't judge, please...it was Cinco de Mayo!    


The Threepenny Opera | 7 Stages | Photo: StunGun Photography
The Threepenny Opera | 7 Stages | Photo: StunGun Photography

Having seen the advertisements for this show, I would not have been at all surprised if it had been presented in a dramatic, over-acted silent film format...it was totally dramatic! In a wonderful way. 

This show is a musical.

Among the songs performed are songs of revolution like 'How to Survive' along with classic numbers (contemporary to some of us) like 'Mack the Knife' and 'Pirate Jenny'. 


The Threepenny Opera | 7 Stages | Photo: StunGun Photography
The Threepenny Opera | 7 Stages | Photo: StunGun Photography

This play is billed as a "raw musical about power, sex, and the evil things one must do to stay alive in a corrupt world." And it delivers on every single word. I loved it and if you're the least bit edgy, curious, culturally open, I think you'll enjoy it too. 

I think what I most enjoyed about this play, in addition to Aaron Strand's voice and performance, was the portray of today's challenges in a setting of generations ago...making one wonder what, if anything, has changed...and what it will take to affect change.



Above is a video trailer for "The Threepenny Opera", now playing at 7 Stages Theatre.


The Threepenny Opera | 7 Stages | Photo: StunGun Photography
The Threepenny Opera | 7 Stages | Photo: StunGun Photography

The Threepenny Opera is on stage at 7 Stages through Sunday, September 25 (extended through Sunday, October 2!). If you have any sense of adventure, be sure you see this show...it's truly...so many things!

Sunday, September 18, 2016

Hanging With Captain America & Touring Film Sites

I recently had the awesome opportunity to go on a one-time, invite-only Atlanta Movie Tours film sites tour tailored to Captain America: Civil War, a very special event held just before the DVD release of the blockbuster movie. 


Captain America: Civil War Tour | Atlanta Movie Tours
Captain America: Civil War Tour | Atlanta Movie Tours

I'd already seen the movie, so that made this an even more exciting experience...AND we got to hang with "Captain America" for a while! 


Captain America: Civil War Tour | Atlanta Movie Tours
Captain America: Civil War Tour | Atlanta Movie Tours

Our first stop was immediately outside the doors of the offices of Atlanta Movie Tours, located in the ever-growing Castleberry Hill neighborhood. "The Gulch" was the film site for the "market scene" in Lagos, among the first scenes in the movie.

On Atlanta Movie Tours tours you get to see clips of the movies that feature the sites you're about to see and/or explore, which not only refreshes the memory, it shows the magic of movie-making. Some of the transformations, like the Gulch-to-Nigerian-market, are truly magnificent!

The Gulch also was used for multiple scenes in cable television's most popular show ever, The Walking Dead. Atlanta Movie Tours offers several Big Zombie tours, too!


Captain America: Civil War Tour | Atlanta Movie Tours
Captain America: Civil War Tour | Atlanta Movie Tours

As we were approaching our next filming site, it was mere seconds after the first person spotted him that everyone on the bus had their eyes on Captain America himself! I didn't catch the young man's name, but this cosplayer is fantastic! Atlanta Movie Tours did a great job finding the best to be a part of this experience.

What an awesome surprise! We all had the opportunity to make photos with Captain America, and we made the traditional Atlanta Movie Tours group photo...on this tour with Captain America! FUN!



Captain America: Civil War Tour | Atlanta Movie Tours
Captain America: Civil War Tour | Atlanta Movie Tours

The film site pictured above is the Atlanta Civic Center, which served as the Center for Infectious Diseases in Lagos in the movie. Again, another magnificent transformation. I've driven by the Atlanta Civic Center hundreds of times over the years, yet when I saw the movie I did not make the connection...that's movie magic!


Captain America: Civil War Tour | Atlanta Movie Tours
Captain America: Civil War Tour | Atlanta Movie Tours

For this tour we had three tour guides: Clyde Cauthen, Kent Wagner, and Joshua Seymour (pictured above, thumbs-up!). Each was knowledgeable, engaging and totally fun! I've been on a LOT of Atlanta Movie Tours tours and have consistently had remarkable tour guides. Thanks, guys, for making this such a fun experience! 


Captain America: Civil War Tour | Atlanta Movie Tours
Captain America: Civil War Tour | Atlanta Movie Tours

The funeral scene in the movie takes place in London, but was filmed at Peachtree Christian Church on Peachtree Street. The scene was the funeral of Margaret "Peggy" Carter

One thing that I've learned about Atlanta from going on so many Atlanta Movie Tours tours, no matter where you are in Atlanta, you're close to, or actually in, a site that was used in a movie! In fact, Peachtree Christian Church on Peachtree Street is directly across the street from The Temple, which was used for a scene in Driving Miss Daisy


Captain America: Civil War Tour | Atlanta Movie Tours
Captain America: Civil War Tour | Atlanta Movie Tours

We were treated to a special tour of the church by Executive Minister Dan Johnson, who was at the church during the filming and saw many of the celebrities. Mr. Johnson shared with us some history of the church and then quite a bit about filming day at the church. It sounded like it was great fun!    

The church, founded in 1925 and the sanctuary dedicated in 1928, is stunningly beautiful. It has one of the most remarkable collections of stained glass that I've ever seen. There are too many windows to get into here, but I'll share that some of the collections pictorially tell the stories of the Old Testament, life of Christ and parables that Christ told. If you ever have a the opportunity to tour the church, do take advantage of it! 

Nearly 9,000 couples have been married at Peachtree Christian Church.


Captain America: Civil War Tour | Atlanta Movie Tours
Captain America: Civil War Tour | Atlanta Movie Tours

Sharon Carter, Peggy Carter's niece, spoke from this spot in the church during the funeral scene.

Another of the fun aspects on Atlanta Movie Tours tours is the trivia and giveaway! This fun little activity separates the truly enthusiastic fans from the folks who are along for the ride...everyone is on a wholly unique Atlanta experience. The tour guides make the trivia fun for everyone. And on this particular tour, EVERYONE got a movie poster, a movie button AND a digital copy of the movie!


Captain America: Civil War Tour | Atlanta Movie Tours
Captain America: Civil War Tour | Atlanta Movie Tours

I had no idea what the filming sites were for Captain America: Civil War, other than The Gulch. And I certainly had no idea where we were going when we headed to Hapeville, near Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and Delta Flight Museum.

Immediately recognizable for its huge-letter name on the building, it turns out that the relatively new Porsche Experience Center, Atlanta was the Avengers Headquarters, a Tony Stark mansion, in the movie! And what a magnificent building it is! The plane flying overhead was total serendipity. We didn't go inside the building, but the Porsche Experience is definitely on my list!

Atlanta Movie Tours tours are typically about three hours and there's usually a break during the tour. On this one we stopped at Drip, a coffee shop in Historic Hapeville, near the Hapeville Depot Museum and next door to Academy Theatre. The staff at Drip were awesome and it was a delightful respite. I want to go back.


Captain America: Civil War Tour | Atlanta Movie Tours
Captain America: Civil War Tour | Atlanta Movie Tours

Who knew that Pym Technologies Headquarters was right down the street from the Olympic Flame Tower and Turner Field?! The former Georgia Archives Building, reportedly sinking because of reverberations from nearby highway traffic, was the site of another important scene in the movie. Have you seen the movie? 

Atlanta Movie Tours partnered with Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment to create this truly special event, one I was grateful to experience! When the DVD was released on September 13 I went out and purchased a copy and, yes, I've watched it at least three times since! Don't judge...it's just harmless enthusiasm and fandom.  

Keep an eye out for Atlanta Movie Tours' newest tour, slated for launch at the end of September...their new Hero Tour!

Thursday, September 8, 2016

Dragon Con Night at Georgia Aquarium 2016

This past Saturday was the exclusive Dragon Con Night at Georgia Aquarium, my second year to attend this awesome event! I've been to Georgia Aquarium many, many times over the years, but this is as unique as it gets!


Dragon Con Night at Georgia Aquarium 2016
Dragon Con Night at Georgia Aquarium 2016

This year's Aquarium event was co-hosted by Catherine Lee Jones, owner of GSTQ Fashions here in Atlanta, and Judge Reinhold, of Beverly Hills Cop and Fast Times at Ridgemont High fame! 


Dragon Con Night at Georgia Aquarium 2016
Dragon Con Night at Georgia Aquarium 2016

There were a lot of aquatic/sea/ocean-themed costumes, and many of other genres...all of them brilliant and fun!


Dragon Con Night at Georgia Aquarium 2016
Dragon Con Night at Georgia Aquarium 2016

One of the highlights of the evening was the costume contest, and these are seriously awesome, mostly hand-made costumes! My friends think I'm joking when I say a Dragon Con costume is a 6-12 month project...obviously, I'm not joking. 


Dragon Con Night at Georgia Aquarium 2016
Dragon Con Night at Georgia Aquarium 2016

Kudos to all the cosplayers who commit time, determined work and hard-earned money to bring great joy to Dragon Con conventioneers, as well as to those who venture downtown for a street-side glimpse at the fun we're having.


Dragon Con Night at Georgia Aquarium 2016
Dragon Con Night at Georgia Aquarium 2016

And great admiration to those who wear heavy, not-heat-resistant costumes! 


Dragon Con Night at Georgia Aquarium 2016
Dragon Con Night at Georgia Aquarium 2016

Guests also enjoyed the new Sea Lion Experience and the newly renovated 4D Funbelievable Theatre! I highly recommend both.


Dragon Con Night at Georgia Aquarium 2016
Dragon Con Night at Georgia Aquarium 2016

I got to hang out a little with my friend David, aka Superman, and we got to visit with my friend Carrie, co-founder/owner of Atlanta Movie Tours. Atlanta Movie Tours was offering "Hero Tours" during the convention...doesn't that sound fun?! 


Dragon Con Night at Georgia Aquarium 2016
Dragon Con Night at Georgia Aquarium 2016

Steel-toed shoes? No, no. He's the "Man of Steel". And we all know that Elmo and Cookie Monster wouldn't hurt a flea. let alone a superhero.


Dragon Con Night at Georgia Aquarium 2016
Dragon Con Night at Georgia Aquarium 2016

It's a bird. It's a plane. It's...it's one of Georgia Aquarium's Manta Rays! They swim near the top of their habitat along with Whale Sharks, the largest fish on the planet! I was gifted the awesome experience of "Swim with Gentle Giants" a couple of years ago...wholly unique and exciting! 


Dragon Con Night at Georgia Aquarium 2016
Dragon Con Night at Georgia Aquarium 2016

This was my second time attending Dragon Con Night at Georgia Aquarium and again it was great fun. I enjoy Georgia Aquarium throughout the year and encourage visitors, and locals, to visit when you come to Atlanta. You can find a few more photos from the evening on the wanderlust ATLANTA Facebook page.

Keep an eye out for at least a couple more posts about Dragon Con 2016...