Spotlight on Fifth Third Bank Broadway in Atlanta 2014/2015 Series
with WSB-TV Primetime Special on August 27 at 8 p.m.

Fans to get inside look at spectacular lineup including
DIRTY DANCING, Disney’s NEWSIES, MOTOWN THE MUSICAL, PIPPIN and more

The upcoming Fifth Third Bank Broadway in Atlanta season is set to receive the star treatment during a 30-minute Primetime special on WSB-TV, airing Wednesday, August 27 at 8 p.m.

Hosted by Heather Caitlin, the program will offer fans a behind-the-scenes look at the blockbuster lineup coming to the Fox Theatre during the 2014/2015 Broadway in Atlanta series.

Featured interviews will include both the stars and creative teams for upcoming productions, as well as Broadway in Atlanta Vice President Russ Belin.

“As we gear up for one of our biggest and most anticipated lineups in Broadway in Atlanta’s 34-year history, we’re so excited to offer Atlanta theatre fans a look behind the curtain at these amazing shows,” said Russ Belin, vice president of Broadway in Atlanta. “Viewers will get a first look at the top caliber touring productions that will be featured at the historic Fox Theatre.”

The 2014-2015 Fifth Third Bank Broadway in Atlanta lineup includes: 

THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA	October 22 – November 2, 2014
DIRTY DANCING	November 25 - 30, 2014
Disney’s NEWSIES	January 20 - 25, 2015
BLUE MAN GROUP	April 7 - 12, 2015
PIPPIN	May 5 – 10, 2015
MOTOWN	August 18 – 23, 2015

 2014/2015 options:

MAMMA MIA!	September 23 – 28, 2014
WICKED	February 18 – March 8, 2015

Fifth Third Bank Broadway in Atlanta’s 2014/2015 packages are on sale now, with prices starting at $185 for all six shows.  Three show packages are also available starting at $100.  Subscriber prices will vary depending on the number of shows chosen, the number of performances, show time, day of the week, and seating location. Three show packages may be ordered online at BroadwayinAtlanta.com or via phone by calling 1-800-278-4447 Monday through Friday, 9AM -5PM.

Six show Packages can only be ordered via phone.  Subscriber benefits include access to the best available seats, ticket exchange privileges, and lost ticket replacement service; subscribers also avoid potential price increases on single ticket closer to the day of the show.

BROADWAY ACROSS AMERICA is part of the Key Brand Entertainment family of companies which includes Broadway.com and is operated by John Gore (Owner & CEO).  BAA is the foremost presenter of first-class touring musicals and plays in North America, operating in 40 markets.  As a leading Broadway producer, BAA is dedicated to the development and production of new and diverse theatre.  Current/upcoming productions include Beautiful, Million Dollar Quartet and Pippin. Past productions include Hairspray, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Memphis, Promises, Promises, The Producers, Betrayal and War Horse. Broadway.com is the premier theater website for news, exclusive content and ticket sales. For more information please visit BroadwayAcrossAmerica.com and Broadway.com.

*****

This is one of our favorite things to do in Atlanta friends.  What about you?  Which shows are you excited to see?

Disney's "The Lion King" ROARS into Atlanta's Fox Theatre!

Wow.  What more can be said besides, "WOW?"  ...and ALL CAPS at that.

By now, almost all of us have seen (or surely heard of) Disney's once most-successful animated feature, "The Lion King."  (The Lion King was recently toppled as Disney's most-successful animated film by the blockbuster Frozen.)

This stage adaptation of the famous movie has been going strong and shows no signs of slowing down as it approaches its 20-year Anniversary.  You may remember this little 15th Anniversary celebration on Good Morning America a few years ago.  It is, arguably, one of the most well-known and popular musical numbers from the show, "Circle of Life:"

Nothing stirs a Disney fan's heart more than the first uttering of song from Rafiki, where our primate friend calls out to the Prideland, summoning one and all to come and gather at Pride Rock for a presentation of the newest cub to the pride's royal family.  It has been said this first song creates such a rich African tapestry that it immediately transports us into the beauty and awesomeness of the African savannah.

I was more than blessed last night to receive media tickets for this event.  Lucky for me, the media tickets this go 'round (you never know where they might be located) where Orchestra level, left center.  As a true Disney and Lion King fan, I was elated when Brave PR handed me the ticket envelope and I opened it up to see the location.  I felt like Charlie when he had been given that last candy bar, and he slowly unwrapped it to see the golden ticket inside.

I quickly made my way to my seat and buckled in.  The last time I saw this performance was at Atlanta's Civic Center, and my family was high in the balcony.  All I could do was look down.  Tonight, I was going to be seated right in the middle of the action!

In case you are unfamiliar with The Lion King musical play, let me clue you in on a little secret -- the play begins from the BACK of house.  The animals make their way to the stage (Pride Rock) from the back of the theatre, down through the aisles, and up two sets of staircases to the Savannah -- elephants, wildebeests, birds, antelopes, and more.  It is a sight to behold.  Imagine hearing children and adults alike gasping, cheering, and clapping when they realized what was going on all around them. 

I said this last night, and I'll say it again now -- any play that is put on by Broadway ATL is top notch, but when you combine that with the level of quality that only Disney can provide - well, there is just too much musical magic for any one person.

As the play continued, it was all I expected it to be, and I could not have been happier.  I have heard about this play for years, and the Atlanta Fox Theatre production did not disappoint.  The Lion King is rich and abundant in African scenery, deep colors, and flavored music.  Music we have all listened to and loved for 20 years still sounds as fresh and as fun as it did in the 90s.  The theatrical production is a mirror image of the animated film, with a few more songs (written by Tim Rice and Elton John) added in.

The play runs two and a half hours long, with one 15-minute intermission, so make sure all bathroom breaks and concessions are secured before the show starts.  Also, the theatre has a 10-minute seating hold, so keep that in mind if you are running late.  You will not be permitted to enter the theatre until after the opening number since the cast and crew are actually making their way to the stage thru the house.

The actors and actresses in this play are nothing less than amazing - strong talent - from acting and singing to the puppetry arts (including two SUPERB younger talents - 10-year olds Jordan Hall as Simba and Nya Carter as Nala).

I was amazed at how many of the people around me shouted out, cheered, and gave standing ovations.  I love when adults, not just children, get wrapped up in Disney and the arts.

The Lion King will be having a long run here in Atlanta -- three weeks, playing now through April 27th.  The show plays Tuesday through Thursday evenings at 7:30PM, Friday and Saturday evenings at 8:00PM, and Sunday evenings at 6:30PM, as well as matinees on Saturday at 2:00PM and Sundays at 1:00PM.  (A special weekday matinee will take place on Thursday, April 17 at 2:00PM.) 

Tickets are available at the Fox Theatre Box Office (660 Peachtree St NE, Atlanta, GA 30308), online at www.foxtheatre.org, or by calling 1-855-ATL-TIXX.  Orders for groups of twenty (20) or more may be placed by calling 404-881-2000.

I highly recommend you go see The Lion King while you have an opportunity.  It is always a special time for the arts in Atlanta when Disney comes to town.

I leave you with this "rousing" number by Scar (the villain of our show), just posted by The Lion King's facebook page, along a few astonishing facts.

Interesting facts about The Lion King:

• Ten times a day, all over the world, the cry in the African language of Zulu rings out in a darkened theater:  "Nants ingonyama bagithi baba!  Sithi uhhmm ingonyama!"  ("Here comes a lion, Father.  Oh yes, it's a lion.")
  
  
• The North American travel company travels in 18 trucks (14 are tractor-trailers that haul duplicates of everything)!
  
  
• Each city The Lion King travels to needs one week of set up before the show arrives and opens.
  
  
• The Lion King is the highest-grossing show in Broadway history!
  
  
• The Lion King still fills it's Broadway home to capacity, 17 years later!
  
  
• The Lion King uses six African native languages, and all companies include native South African performers (the Atlanta show has six).
  
  
• The original Broadway recording of The Lion King can be listened to for **FREE** on Spotify!

GHOST - The Musical Opens TOMORROW Night in Atlanta!

Celebrate Breast Cancer Awareness with Ghost The Musical
at The Fox Theatre, November 5-10

Broadway in Atlanta Ticket Offer to Benefit Georgia Breast Cancer Coalition Foundation

Get into the spirit of giving with Ghost The Musical! 

In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness month, Fifth Third Bank Broadway In Atlanta is offering a special Ghost The Musical offer benefiting local charity, Georgia Breast Cancer Coalition Foundation. With each ticket purchased, $10 will be donated to the local charity organization, whose mission is to educate about the disease and advocate for research funding. 

Tickets can be purchased online at FoxTheatre.org/Ghost using the code GABCC, now through November 4 (today)! The code is valid for all performances and price levels (excludes the lowest price level).

Ghost The Musical is directed by Tony Award-winner Matthew Warchus and created by a team of Grammy and Academy Award-winners, including an original score by Dave Stewart and Glen Ballard.

Ghost The Musical features a book by Bruce Joel Rubin, who has adapted his Academy Award-winning original screenplay for the stage. This brand new score also includes the iconic song “Unchained Melody,” famously performed in the film by The Righteous Brothers.  

Set in modern day New York City, Ghost The Musical is a timeless fantasy about the power of love. Walking back to their apartment one night after a romantic dinner, Sam and Molly are mugged, leaving Sam dead on a dark street. Sam is trapped as a ghost between this world and the next and unable to leave Molly, who he learns is in grave danger. With the help of a phony storefront psychic, Sam tries to communicate with Molly in the hopes of saving and protecting her.

Ghost The Musical will play November 5-10 at The Fox Theatre as part of the Fifth Third Bank Broadway In Atlanta 2013-2014 season. The performance schedule is:

Tuesday-Thursday, Nov. 5-7                     7:30 p.m.

Friday, Nov. 8                                            8:00 p.m.

Saturday. Nov. 9                                        2:00 p.m., 8:00 p.m.

Sunday, Nov. 10                                        1:00 p.m., 6:30 p.m.

For more information, visit www.broadwayinatlanta.com.

 

About Broadway Across America: A leading Broadway producer and the foremost presenter of first-class touring productions in North America. BAA operates in 40 cities, bringing first-class touring musicals and plays to audiences across the U.S. and Canada in markets such as Costa Mesa, Fort Lauderdale, Tempe, Boston, Minneapolis and New Orleans. As a producer, current and upcoming productions include Million Dollar Quartet, Pippin, Big Fish, Betrayal, Bullets Over Broadway, Little Miss Sunshine and Bull Durham. BroadwayAcrossAmerica.com

America's Got Talent Comes to ATL!

The Fox Theatre announced today that fans of the summer’s top-rated America’s Got Talent® TV show will have an opportunity to experience their favorite Season 8 acts when the America’s Got Talent Live™ tour comes to Atlanta at The Fox Theatre on Tuesday, October 8 at 8 PM. 

 Tickets for America’s Got Talent Live start at $49 and are available at www.FoxTheatre.org, by calling 855-ATL-TIXX or by visiting the Fox ticket office, any Atlanta-area Whole Foods location, or Ticket Alternative outlets.  Scheduled to appear in more than 30 cities across the country, the show will bring the acts that wowed America to Atlanta, allowing fans to experience the very best talent from the TV show up close and personal.

Hot on the heels of their performances in the iconic Radio City Music Hall, fan favorite acts, including the yet to be announced season 8 winner, will again take to the stage with the hottest performances from the season. Featuring an array of performers – from singers and dancers to comedians and novelty acts - America’s Got Talent Live will bring the top acts that fans have known and loved all summer to Atlanta.   

America’s Got Talent airs on NBC on Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 9.00pm.

America’s Got Talent, owned by Syco Entertainment, is co-produced by FremantleMedia North America and Syco Entertainment, and is licensed by FremantleMedia.

**Tour dates, venues and talent are subject to change**

The Queen of Soul Returns to ATL!

After selling out her show at The Fox Theatre in March 2012, Aretha Franklin is coming back to Atlanta to do it again on Saturday, September 21^st at 8 pm!

Tickets start at $59 and can be purchased at www.FoxAtlTix.com, by calling 855-ATL-TIXX or by visiting the Fox Theatre Box Office.

Known around the world by her first name, and as the undisputed, reigning "Queen of Soul," Aretha Franklin is peerless.  She is one of the most influential and important voices in the history of American music, with a repertoire that spans pop, soul, jazz, rock, blues, and gospel.  In 2009, Franklin was named the #1 Vocalist of All Time by Rolling Stone magazine.  With her ever-distinctive, soulful, to-the-bone vocal style, she has graced music charts for nearly five decades and her 'live' performances have touched the hearts of tens of millions since she began her musical journey in Detroit as a singing child prodigy. It is her rich legacy of recordings that are a testament to the power, majesty and genius of this one-of-a-kind artist of the first order. 

Aretha Franklin has earned countless international and national awards as well as accolades and global recognition on an unprecedented scale.  She is a 2005 recipient of a Presidential Medal of Freedom honor (the U.S.A.'s highest civilian honor), presented by President George W. Bush, and in 1999, she was awarded the National Medal of Arts, presented by President Bill Clinton.  She sang at the historic inauguration of President Barack Obama (2009) and at the inauguration of President Bill Clinton (1993). She also performed at the inaugural gala for President Jimmy Carter (1997).  In 1968, she sang at the funeral of Martin Luther King, Jr.  She is the recipient of a Kennedy Center Honor; 18 GRAMMY® Awards, including Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for eight consecutive years, a GRAMMY Legend Award, and a GRAMMY Lifetime Achievement Award; five American Music Awards; and four NAACP Image Awards.

In 1987, she was the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and in 1979, she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 2007, Franklin was honored at the Annual United Negro College Fund Evening of Stars and was presented with UNCF's Award of Excellence.  She was named 2008 MusiCares® Person of the Year by the Recording Academy, and she was presented with the prestigious NAACP Vanguard Award.  In 2010, she was inducted into the Apollo Legends Hall of Fame at the Apollo Theater.  In April 2012, Franklin received the TV Land Music Icon Award.  In August 2012, Franklin was inducted into the Gospel Music Associations’ Hall of Fame. To date, she has received 12 Honorary Doctorate Degrees.

Earth, Wind, & Fire Play Atlanta's Fox Theatre for the First Time this October!

Earth, Wind & Fire, the groundbreaking funk-rock-soul-jazz ensemble who has been laying down their signature grooves for more than 40 years, will be bringing their classic hits and the sounds of their new studio album, Now, Then & Forever, to The Fox Theatre on October 2 at 8 PM.

This will be the first time that Earth, Wind and Fire will play at the Fox Theatre.  Tickets start at $49 and can be purchased at www.FoxAtlTix.com, by calling 855-ATL-TIXX, by visiting the Fox Theatre ticket office, or at any Atlanta-area Whole Foods location or Ticket Alternative outlets.

Earth, Wind & Fire ("EWF"), was born in Chicago in 1969 and is still going strong in its fifth decade, making music that crosses years and decades and now connects the 20th and 21st centuries.  Inducted into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Vocal Group Hall of Fame, Earth, Wind & Fire has earned eight Grammy Awards and four American Music Awards alongside numerous other accolades including the prestigious Soul Train Legend Award.

EWF has sold more than 90 million albums worldwide and is consistently one of the world's top touring bands. Now, Then & Forever marks the legendary group’s first new studio album in eight years and debuts Tuesday, September 10.

For more information please visit www.earthwindandfire.com  

About the Fox Theatre

The fabulous Fox Theatre is one of Atlanta’s premiere venues for live entertainment and declared a Top Stop of the Decade by Venues Today Magazine and the #1 non-residency venue worldwide for the decade by Billboard Magazine.  In April 2013, Rolling Stone Magazine announced that the Fox Theatre was one of “The Best Big Rooms in America” as part of their “Venues That Rock” series.  In addition, The Fox Theatre was nominated for Theatre of the Year by Billboard and Pollstar Magazines, and awarded the Outstanding Historic Theatre of the Year award in 2011 by the League of Historic American Theatres. For the past decade, The Fox Theatre has been consistently ranked in the top three non-residency theatres in North America for gross ticket sales by industry trade magazines, Pollstar, Billboard and Venues Today. The Fox Theatre has the #1 social media presence for any theatre or performing arts center in North America, for any venue between 2,000 and 5,000 seats, and for any Georgia venue according to the Social Media Power 100 compiled by Venues Today Magazine. The Fox’s 4,665 seat theatre hosts 250 performances a year. An impressive range of events from rock concerts to Broadway, ballets, comedy and movies continue to attract over 500,000 visitors per year.  In addition, The Fox is host to wedding receptions, trade shows, corporate meetings and association functions in its fabulous ballrooms, lounge and outdoor terrace.  As a 501(c)(3) non-profit arts organization, the Fox Theatre stands today as a fiercely protected landmark and a nationally acclaimed theater and is celebrating its 83rd year.  The proud partners of the Fox Theatre are Delta, Coca-Cola, and Lexus.  The official partner of the Fox Theatre is DeepBlue and the supporting partners are The Georgian Terrace and Livingston. Tickets for all events are available at The Fox Theatre Ticket Office, online at www.FoxAtlTix.com, and at all Atlanta Ticket Alternative locations including Whole Foods Markets, or toll free at 855-ATL-TIXX.  For group sales information contact The Fox Theatre at (404) 881-2000, or visit The Fox Theatre website at www.foxtheatre.org.   The Fox Theatre is located at 660 Peachtree Street NE.