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 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

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 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

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

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 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!

Heads Will Roll...and You're Gonna Laugh!

The Revolutionists is about women of the French Revolution, also known as "The Reign of Terror", who wanted to cause change for women's rights. They were courageous, terrified, brave, brash, steadfast and some of them lost their heads. 

7 Stages presents the gravity their plight—actions that would help form modern societal norms—and does it in with a quite a few laughs along the way. Yes, it's a comedy.

Park Krausen, Parris Sarter, Rachel Frawley, and Stacy Melich

The Revolutionists | 7 Stages | Photo by Stungun Photography

There's nothing funny about someone losing their head to the guillotine—which continued to be used in France for executions until 1981—but humans otherwise offer us quite a lot at which to laugh. 

Award-winning playwright Lauren Gunderson said—of the fight for gender equality—that she tends "to fight with humor more than anger. Making someone laugh invites them into the conversations, it equates us as people as opposed to dividing us by ideology."

This story is based on three historical figures and a fourth fictional character based on historical fact, each of them fighting for liberté, égalité, fraternité, French for "liberty, equality, fraternity". Today that's the national motto of France and the Republic of Haiti.

While the four women may not have been friends in real life, writer Gunderson imagines for us how their common plight might have made them dearest of friends and supporters of each other. As much as this is a tale of inciting change, it's a touching tale of sisterhood. 

Stacy Melich and Park Krausen | The Revolutionists |  7 Stages
Photo by Stungun Photography

Allow me, please, to share a few notes about the amazing, brilliant and talented cast. Also, I'll share a link to a video about the historical figures, should you wish to learn a lot in a little time about their respective histories. My friend Barry, who is a documentary and YouTube aficionado, turned me on to history teacher and YouTuber Tom Richey, who entertains and mesmerizes while teaching history...not an everyday feat! The links to the videos are him/his.

Stacy Melich, magnificently performs the role of Olympe de Gouges—a radical feminist playwright who also penned the "Declaration of the Rights of Woman and the Female Citizen"—unfortunately did not, in her time, produce the results she'd hoped for. As noted in the play, sometimes heroes are not identified until many, many years later. [Tom Richey VIDEO about Olympe de Gouges]

I saw Stacy perform in a revenge thriller late last year, The Thrush & the Woodpecker, in which she also was magnificent. I think you're going to love her performance as Olympe de Gouges. 

Park Krausen, who performs the role of Marie Antoinette—the Tragic Queen of France—is playful, splashy and quite lovable. Even if you know nothing about the French Revolution, you've probably heard of Marie Antoinette and that she met her end at the guillotine. As depicted in The Revolutionists, she didn't say some of what history says she said and she wasn't a horrible, dismissive person, either. [Tom Richey VIDEO about Marie Antoinette]

Park Krausen and Parris Sarter | The Revolutionists | 7 Stages

Photo by Stungun Photography

Rachel Frawley, perfectly cast to perform Charlotte Corday—is riveting! Her performance is emotion-evoking and full of heart. I think audience members, myself included, felt the most sad and moved by this character. It's terrifying what happened to women in those days—it's shocking what still happens today for that matter, another great reason to see this show. [Tom Richey VIDEO about Charlotte Corday]

I see a lot of Charlotte Corday, actually. A friend has a spectacular reproduction of the famous Hauer painting of her in prison—following the assignation of Jean-Paul Marat (stabbed in his bathtub), which led her also to the guillotine. I am truly amazed at how incredibly well Rachel brings Charlotte to life. And whoever was responsible for props in this show brought a whimsical touch of humor in the giant kitchen knife she's wielding throughout the show.

Parris Sarter, who performs the role of Marianne Angelle, is moving, passionate, bold and more than lively. She's a brilliant actress and I hope I get to see her again.

From an interview with Sarter, she said, "I want the audience to walk away saying that these women were truly badass, but also say that it's important to stand and fight for something that is important to you. To remember that these women didn't wait around for anyone to fight their battles." 

I wholeheartedly agree!

Marianne is the only fictional character in the show, playing a revolutionist fighting against France's enslavement of black Haitians—happening at the same time the French were fighting for freedom! Gunderson cleverly named this character Marianne after the symbol for French freedom, La Marianne. 




A wonderful surprise, you don't have to have a degree in 18th Century French history or even be a history buff to enjoy this show, directed by the talented Heidi S. Howard. You'll risk learning a thing or two, but mostly you'll be amazed, laugh a lot and find yourself on your feet applauding at the finale.
At the risk of being relegated to the Dark Ages, go see this enlightening, exciting and engaging performance of The Revolutionists at 7 Stages through Sunday, March 20. 

ATLANTApix: The Vortex



The Vortex (Little Five Points)

 The Vortex offers one of the most "real" dining, drinking, and comedy experiences in all of the city of Atlanta. I particularly find their "Idiot-Free Zone" policy amusing (the language in which it's written, actually) and would never want to be on the wrong side of an incursion of said policy.

The Vortex is an Atlanta favorite (I myself enjoy going there). Locals go there in droves and bring visitors there in droves. It's a unique experience, especially after a tranquil visit to the Atlanta Botanical Garden, the World of Coca-Cola, or the Margaret Mitchell House...a visit that many will remember for a very long time to come.

More on the Idiot-Free Zone: "We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone, especially if we think you're being a big jerk. We strive to keep The Vortex an official Idiot-Free Zone at all times, so if you're acting like an idiot we'll be sure to let you know, right before we throw you out."

Sound harsh? Not at all. Actually, I wish more establishments had such an outspoken policy. There's a time and place for everything (Your mother told you that too, right?). Certain behavior is just not appropriate in certain venues, events, or gatherings...so, kudos to The Vortex for telling it how it is and for being an Idiot-Free Zone!

Really, are you going to blare the latest Reba song while attending an Atlanta Symphony Orchestra performance? No, they'd throw you out. Are you going to chain-smoke at Georgia Aquarium? No, they'd throw you out. Are you going to swear at a tour guide at the Fox Theatre? No, they'd throw you out. So when dining at The Vortex, behave! Otherwise, as noted, they will throw you out!

The Vortex has locations in Little Five Points (photo) and on Peachtree Street in Midtown...and be sure to catch their comedy musings at the Laughing Skull Lounge adjacent to their Midtown location.

Atlanta really does has something for everyone...The Vortex is an excellent testament to that fact.

ATLANTApix of the tourATLANTA blog features a "photo-of-the-day" of Atlanta. Come back tomorrow for a new one!

ATLANTApix: L5P Mural

Mural in Little Five Points

Atlanta has some of the most incredible murals I've ever seen. Several of my favorites in the city are in the neighborhood of Little Five Points, or L5P.

Home of indie, alternative, and "other" kinds of shops, Little Five Points is an exciting, vibrant, cultural scene. Shopping and dining destinations include Junkman's Daughter (the neighborhood's retail landmark), Vortex Bar & Grill (famous for its Bike Night), and Criminal Records (a music shop).

ATLANTApix of the tourATLANTA blog features a "photo-of-the-day" of Atlanta. Come back tomorrow for a new one!

Little Five Points: An Alternative Destination

Junkman's Daughter

Little Five Points (L5P) has grown from an "alternative" neighborhood to a popular alternative neighborhood-shopping-entertainment destination.

The anchor landmark, Junkman's Daughter, sports a UFO flying into or out of (I haven't been able to decipher which) its façade.  It's a shop of eclectic, curious bobbles, collectibles and fashion. If you're working on a Halloween costume, consider this store to start or complete your look.

The Vortex Bar & Grill

Dining in Little Five Points takes the palette on a journey around the world. Options include tastes from traditional American fare to the spice-laden flavors of India. The Vortex, easily identifiable by its huge laughing skull entry, is extremely popular among L5P visitors. Also popular is The Brewhouse Cafe, which boasts seemingly as many big screen televisions as there are sports in the world, is continually playing any or all currently-being-played games…and you can be as vocal for your favorite team as you like.

Theatre in L5P is abundant for such a tightly packed neighborhood. The long-standing 7 Stages Theatre and Variety Playhouse Theatre feature avant-garde productions as well as some closer to mainstream shows.

L5P Mural

Little Five Points features some of Atlanta's best murals—the art form, that is. Many of the would-be blank brick walls are covered with imagination-inspiring graffiti renderings, many indicative of the neighborhood in which they reside.

A great escape from the typical city life, Little Five Points is indeed an alternative distraction. A coffee at Aurora, new trendy shoes from Abbadabba’s, a pendant from Crystal Blue, a hard-to-find book at A Cappella Books or a tattoo at Sacred Heart Tattoo may be just the diversion you need.

The usual question: Will I return to Little Five Points? Yes indeed. On October 15-16, 2010, Little Five Points will host their 11^th Annual "Little Five Points Halloween Festival & Parade." I’ve not yet attended one, but I’ve heard some "wicked" reviews, so I can hardly to pick out my front row seat (curb) to what is sure to be one of the best shows in town.

Visiting Little Five Points

Date toured: Saturday, September 11, 2010
Location: Intersection of Moreland Avenue and Euclid Avenue
Parking: On-street parking (metered) and multiple attended parking lots (approximately $2-$10)
Website: http://littlefivepoints.net/