THEATER
Atlanta Fringe Festival announces 2013 lineup
The Atlanta Fringe Festival took a rather casual approach to programming its second edition, planned June 5-9, literally pulling the names of participants out of a hat. Here’s the list of 24 artists/production companies from 10 states that made the cut:

• Bent Frequency and Craig Dongoski (Georgia)
• DaVida Chanel Productions (Louisiana)
• Doctor Pete Productions (Georgia)
• Ellisorous and the Dance Machine (Georgia)
• Horizons School (Georgia)
• Jamie Black (Illinois)
• KLMD Production/ Morgan DDG (Indiana)
• Leave Your Mark Productions (Georgia)
• Love, Peace and Joy Productions (Alabama)
• M.O.P.O. (Georgia)
• Marble City Opera (Tennessee)
• Minion Productions (Washington)
• Mixed Revues (Georgia)
• Nu Visions of Excellence Theatre (Georgia)
• OnStage Atlanta (Georgia)
• Robin & Goodfellow Players (Georgia)
• 7 Stages (Georgia)
• Sob Songs for the Gilded Age (Georgia)
• The Rachel Teagle Effect (Connecticut)
• The Ws Projects (North Carolina)
• Thimblerig …

Continue reading Culture notes: Atlanta Fringe Festival announces 2013 lineup; what’s next for Marietta’s Next Stage »

CLASSICAL MUSIC
Competiton winner gets $7,500 ASO commission
Charles Zoll, a 21-year-old University of Arizona student, won the third Rapido, a national competition for composers whose finals were held Jan. 20 at the Woodruff Arts Center.

Zoll’s winnings include a $7,500 commission for an original full orchestral work to be premiered by the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra in May 2014.

The judges for the competition, at which the Atlanta Chamber Players performed the five national finalist works, were Atlanta Symphony Orchestra music director Robert Spano and Atlanta School of Composers members Michael Gandolfi and Jennifer Higdon.

Spano, in a statement, called the proceedings “a wonderful competition that showcased remarkable talent” and said that he and the ASO “look forward to the music Charles will write in the next year.”

Zoll will expand his winning chamber piece into a 15-minute work to be premiered this fall by five chamber ensembles: Atlanta Chamber Players, Boston Musica …

Continue reading Culture notes: Rapido winner relishes ASO commission; a lost mandolin finds its way home to Atlanta »

By Howard Pousner
hpousner@ajc.com

Everyone knows that cream cheese and bagels, matzoh ball soup, gefilte fish and kosher hot dogs are Jewish food. But how about the Chinese takeout that many Jews consume on Christmas eve when their Christian friends are otherwise occupied, hummus or even sushi served at a Jewish wedding reception?

A new exhibit opening Feb. 7 at the Breman Jewish Heritage and Holocaust Museum, “Chosen Food: Cuisine, Culture and American Jewish Identity,” should provide answers — or at least leave guests ready for a nosh.

“What we’ve learned while preparing for this exhibition is that the Jewish community pitches a big tent,” Breman curator Timothy Frilingos said in a statement. “That means that your Jewish food may not be the same as my Jewish food. And that Southern cuisine fused with traditional Jewish foods can result in some unexpected surprises.”

Organized by the Jewish Museum of Maryland, “Chosen Food” explores the relationship between Jewish food and …

Continue reading Culture notes: Breman Museum exhibit dishes up ample food for thought; Trinity School’s Spotlight on Art this week »

FILM
See the movie, read the book
The Plaza Theatre screens “Cat Ballou,” the 1965 comic western for which Lee Marvin won a best actor Oscar, at 3 p.m. Feb. 2. Dwayne Epstein, author of the new biography “Lee Marvin: Point Blank,” will make opening remarks and then sign his book following the showing. $5. 1049 Ponce de Leon Ave, Atlanta. 404-873-1939, www.plazaatlanta.com. HOWARD POUSNER

MUSIC
Healing sounds from Africa
The Watoto Children’s Choir, African singers who have lost one or both parents, will perform metro area concerts of gospel and African music and dance that also includes their stories of healing. The free programs are at 5 p.m. Feb. 2 at Atlanta Berean Church, 291 Hamilton E. Holmes Drive, Atlanta; and 5 p.m. Feb. 3 at Smyrna First United Methodist Church, 1315 Concord Road. www.watoto.com/the-choir. HOWARD POUSNER

Continue reading Culture notes: Lee Marvin biographer, ‘Cat Ballou’ at Plaza; children’s choir from Africa appears at 2 churches »