By Howard Pousner
hpousner@ajc.com

With 22, the Alliance Theatre snared the most nominations for the 2011-12 Suzi Bass Awards, Atlanta’s version of the Tonys, announced Monday night. Other troupes receiving double-digit nominations are Atlanta Lyric Theatre and Aurora Theatre (18 each), Theatrical Outfit (12), Actor’s Express (11), Georgia Shakespeare and Horizon Theatre (10 each). The Suzi ceremony will be held Nov. 5 at the DeKalb County’s Porter Sanford Performing Arts Center.

Full list of nominees…

Outstanding Production of a Musical

Ain’t Misbehavin’ at Atlanta Lyric Theatre

Clyde ‘n Bonnie: A Folktale at Aurora Theatre

Gypsy at Atlanta Lyric Theatre

Spring Awakening at Actor’s Express

Thoroughly Modern Millie at Atlanta Lyric Theatre

Outstanding Director of a Musical

Alexander Greenfield for Sweeney Todd at Fabrefaction Theatre

Dustin Lewis for Gypsy at Atlanta Lyric Theatre

Freddie Ashley for Spring Awakening at Actor’s Express

Lonny Price for Clyde ‘n …

Continue reading Alliance Theatre leads 2011-12 Suzi nominations »

ARTS
Hanthorn among Flourish Award honorees
Former Atlanta Opera general director Dennis Hanthorn, who quietly parted ways last month with the organization he guided for eight years, will be one of those honored Sept. 28 with a Flourish Award presented by Kennesaw State University College of the Arts.

Joining Hanthorn (selected in the arts leader category) as honorees at the Final Flourish Luncheon at Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre will be Alfred L. Watkins (arts educator), who has served as Lassiter High School director of bands since 1982; Pam Carsillo, retired Cobb County art educator (community service); and the Center for Puppetry Arts (arts organization).

In its fifth year, the $100-per-person luncheon (with higher sponsorships available) is expected to raise more than $100,000 to benefit KSU College of the Arts scholarships and student-learning initiatives.

 It also will honor College of the Arts dean Joseph Meeks, who plans to retire next Februarycq, 2013 after 38 …

Continue reading Culture notes: KSU to fete Flourish Award honorees; Carrollton quilt museum opens Sept. 15 »

By Howard Pousner
hpousner@ajc.com

Synchronicity Theatre will open its 15th season with a world premiere and present programming during the year around a play-in-development on the controversial Troy Davis case.

The recently announced 2012-13 season from the Atlanta troupe with the mission of “activating communities toward social change through powerful, transformative theatrical experiences” includes …

• “The Minotaur”: Playwright Anna Zeigler presents the Greek myth from the perspective of its characters, who must resurrect and relive their story each time it is invoked. 21st century technology advances complicate the story, and the traditional Greek chorus is reimagined as Western society stereotypes — a priest, a rabbi and a lawyer (who invoke the familiar “… walk into a bar” joke). (Oct. 26-Nov. 11, Horizon Theatre)
• “A Year with Frog and Toad”: A restaging of the musical version of Arnold Lobel’s story of friendship through the seasons. (Dec. 7-30, …

Continue reading Culture notes: Synchronicity Theatre, Georgia Metropolitan Dance announce 2012-13 seasons »

DANCE
Atlanta Ballet steps up ‘Healthy Living’
The Atlanta Ballet Centre for Dance Education will host its inaugural “‘What Moves You’ Healthy Living Day” Sept. 9 at its headquarters, the Michael C. Carlos Dance Centre in Midtown.

The day-long community event, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., is free to the public and will include dance classes for kids and adults, health screenings and assessments. Registered dietitian and former Atlanta Ballet dancer Emily Cook Harrison will lead food demonstrations and seminars on healthy living and nutrition.

Participants will also be treated to performances by the Atlanta Ballet modern dance ensemble Wabi Sabi, 32 students from the ballet’s community ensemble, the African drumming group Giwayen Mata and Attoungblan: Ivory Coast Dance Theatre.

The event is part of a larger initiative by the ballet to play a role in promoting healthy and sustainable lifestyles and showing the connection between physical activity and nutrition. …

Continue reading Culture notes: Atlanta Ballet offers free ‘Healthy Living’ event Sunday; Atlanta Opera leader’s statement on his departure »

By Howard Pousner
hpousner@ajc.com

Emory University’s Creativity & Arts Soiree on Friday night is the school’s art season kickoff party, and, as in recent years, Emory indeed has plenty to kick off.

But first … the third annual Community Impact awards will be bestowed at the 5:30-7:30 p.m. gathering, free to the public, at Emory’s Schwartz Center for Performing Arts.

This year’s honorees this year are Decatur Book Festival executive director Daren Wang; Blake Beckham, co-artistic director of the Lucky Penny (an arts presenter), a choreographer and member of Agnes Scott College’s dance faculty; and Out of Hand Theater co-artistic director Ariel Fristoe, an actress-director and member of Emory’s theater studies faculty.

The annual awards honor those who have made significant contributions to the campus or beyond while working or residing in DeKalb or Fulton counties.

Here are but a few of the highlights of Emory’s September arts schedule launched with the …

Continue reading Kickoff for Emory University’s active arts season tonight »

CONCERT
‘Salute to America’ at Strand Theatre
Commemorating the anniversary of 9/11, Marietta’s Earl Smith Strand Theatre is staging a “Salute to America” revue at 8 p.m. tonight and Saturday, 3 p.m. Sunday and 8 p.m. Tuesday. The 90-minute show features more than 30 songs, from “America the Beautiful” to “Born in the USA.” Also, house organist Ron Carter performs a patriotic concert and sing-along on the Mighty Allen Theatre Organ 30 minutes before showtime. $20. 117 North Park Square, Marietta. 770-293-0080, www.earlsmithstrand.org. HOWARD POUSNER

ATTRACTION
Grandparent treat at Chattahoochee Nature
In honor of Grandparent’s Day, the Chattahoochee Nature Center is offering free admission on Sunday. Sweetening the deal, grandparents also can partake for free of an 1-3 p.m. ice cream social from Bruster’s (everyone else, $3, with half the proceeds benefitting the nature center). $8 adults, $6 seniors, $5 ages 3-12. 9135 Willeo Road, Roswell. 770-992-2055,

Continue reading Culture notes: Strand opens musical ‘Salute to America’; grandparents get treated at nature center »

PERFORMANCE
Shatner’s one-man show to land at Cobb Energy
Beam us up, Scotty. “Shatner’s World: We Just Live In It,” the national tour of William Shatner’s one-man show that played Broadway early this year, will make a one-night stop at Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre on Jan. 13, it was announced Tuesday. Tickets, $36-$123 (plus fees), will go on sale at 10 a.m. Sept. 14 for the performance in which the actor best known as “Star Trek’s” Captain James T. Kirk and more recently as an overinflated Priceline.com pitchman, regales fans with tales from professional and personal lives. www.cobbenergycentre.com. HOWARD POUSNER

EVENT
Carters mark Carter Center’s 30th with talk
Marking the Carter Center’s 30th anniversary, Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter will discuss the Atlanta-based institution’s health and peace initiatives and their own recent activities during the inaugural event in the “Conversations at the Carter Center” series at 7 p.m. Sept. 11. While there …

Continue reading Culture notes: Shatner’s one-man show to land at Cobb Energy in Jan.; Carters mark Carter Center’s 30th with talk »

TRIBUTE
Remembering Ivan the gorilla
A public memorial service for Ivan, the gorilla who passed away last month at age 50, will take place 11 a.m. Sept. 8 at Zoo Atlanta, 800 Cherokee Ave. S.E. Ivan came to Atlanta from Washington in 1994, after spending his adult life to that point in a cage in a Tacoma shopping center. Ivan’s remains will be cremated and returned to his original owners in Tacoma, in accordance with their wishes. BO EMERSON

THEATER
Actor’s Express’ new business leader
Nan Barnett, founding member and long-time managing director of Florida Stage in south Florida, is the new executive director at Actor’s Express.

The West Palm Beach troupe that was nationally recognized for producing new plays went out of business after 24 years in 2011, filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection. Actor’s Express, which opened its 25th season in late August with “Kiss of the Spider Woman,” is recovering from setbacks of its own after an emergency fund-raising …

Continue reading Culture notes: Zoo Atlanta to memorialize Ivan the gorilla; new executive director at Actor’s Express »