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Rainy Day Revival is an oddities shop in Little Five Points, Atlanta, founded by Jeremy and Kim Gibbs. They sell strange and unique items like taxidermied animals and vintage toys. The store is divided into themed sections and also serves as a prop rental for the film industry. They aim to create a welcoming space for people who are into weird stuff. The shop is a family affair, with their dog and son sometimes accompanying them to work. They also have a traveling exhibit and are working on opening a permanent museum. Roman Banks, a native of Metro Atlanta, is playing the role of Michael Jackson in the MJ the Musical tour. He grew up dancing to Michael Jackson's music and always wanted to perform on the stage of the Fox Theater. The musical tells the story of Jackson's comeback and features his popular hits. Banks got into musical theater in high school and pursued a degree in musical theater in college. He landed the role of Evan in Dear Evan Hansen on Broadway and later got This program is intended for a print-impaired audience and is brought to you by the Georgia Radio Reading Service, GARS. Welcome to Metro Arts for Friday, October 27th. I am Kristen Moody for the Georgia Radio Reading Service. Metro Arts is brought to you by the Fulton County Board of Commissioners. For our first article, we go to the Atlanta Magazine Online for Rainy Day Revival in Little Five Points is Full of the Unexpected. The Curious Spot is Like an Antique Shop on Steroids by Hallie Lieberman. In the market for a warthog head to mount on your wall? How about a vintage gremlin doll or a century-old vibrator? At Rainy Day Revival, an oddities shop in Little Five Points, these are just a few of the strange items artfully displayed throughout the store, which is like an antique shop on steroids. Its founders, artist Jeremy Gibbs and interior designer Kim Gibbs, didn't start out trying to feed Atlantans' desires for weirdness. Rainy Day Revival began in 2018 when Jeremy and Kim decided to remodel their house, which was filled with the novelties Jeremy has been obsessed with ever since he glimpsed the two-headed calf at the Georgia Capitol Museum during a middle school field trip. I've always made art, and ever since I was a kid, I've gone hunting and finding things in the woods, he said. Jeremy's art appears throughout the store. There's a stack of toilet prints for sale, inspired by his former work as a plumber. Rainy Day's first location was in Chambly, where they sold things like taxidermied two-headed cows and ceramic clowns. We started getting a lot of business from the film industry for prop rentals, Jeremy says. Then, in 2021, when property opened up in Little Five Points, they moved Rainy Day there and kept the Chambly location for exhibits and rentals, renaming it Obscure Prop House. It was a homecoming of sorts. When they were teenagers, Jeremy and Kim used to hang out at Little Five Points' junkman's daughter. It felt perfectly safe down there and in my element, where I could talk with like-minded people and where my artistic tastes were not only welcomed by other people but encouraged, Jeremy says. We want to be welcoming to the people who are into the weird stuff. As a teenager at home, it wasn't welcomed. That's why they sell affordable things that are still weird, like plushies and toys and buttons, Jeremy says. The store is a family affair. Their dog and 10-year-old son sometimes come with them to work. There are some times where I think he thinks we're crazy, Kim says. On an August day, Kim meets me at the store in a Rainy Day T-shirt and jeans and introduces me to her employee, Kate Bean, a puppeteer clad in mushroom print overalls. Jeremy joins on the phone because he's transporting their traveling exhibit, a cryptic collection of a mad clown. A permanent Atlanta museum is in the works. Rainy Day is roughly divided into themed sections. Musical equipment in one corner, vintage dental drills in another, and octopuses and formaldehyde neatly lined up on one shelf while taxidermy, from a unicorn butt to a pronghorn head, hangs on the wall among pinned butterflies. A pterodactyl model, Jeremy's favorite piece, dangles from the ceiling. Kim and Bean walk me to a glass display case and gesture to a human fetus and a two-headed turtle. These are items that come from the oddities museum that are not for sale. One, because you really can't sell some of these things, and two, they're just so invaluable, Kim says. Small placards explain their historical significance. Other startling items on display include taxidermy dogs. Kim and Jeremy say that during the Victorian era, such items were common for wealthy people. They didn't have cameras, so what better way to keep Fido around than stuffing him, Kim says. Jeremy doesn't give me much detail about where his stock of oddities comes from, aside from saying he's built a network of suppliers. I search high and low, mostly low, he says. Bean says that they are very careful about where they acquire wet specimens, like the octopuses. There's one guy who seems to emerge from the woods and tries to bring us all these wet specimens, and we're like, dude, we're not sure where you got these, Bean says. Bean says she has been most surprised by the type of customers who shop there. Last year, two conservatively dressed women entered, and she expected them to be unnerved. But then they start telling me about the mortuary business that they run, and they're getting into talking about embalming, Bean says. Embalmers and mortuary workers are regular customers, as are dentists who buy vintage equipment, Kim says. And they're not just buying products to display. We've sold embalming fluid pumps to morticians for them to use, Jeremy says. After Jeremy gets off the call, Bean takes a cursed Kewpie doll down from behind the counter. A man bought the doll from the store and returned it hours later, Bean says. Apparently, in those two hours, a great deal of mistortions befell him, and he felt sure it was because of the Kewpie doll, she says. They decided it would be unethical to resell it, so they stuck it back in the box. A day of being in this box, and then the head just started melting, Bean says. The Kewpie doll was a rare occurrence. What Bean is more concerned about is customers looking after their purchases. I tell people when they buy something that they now have become the steward of its preservation, and you are now keeping care of this little piece of history, Bean says. That was Rainy Day Revival in Little Five Points is Full of the Unexpected by Hallie Lieberman. Next, Metro Atlanta native Roman Banks lives his dreams in Michael Jackson Musical. The Parkview High School grad steps into Jackson's shoes for the Tony Award winning Jukebox Musical, which plays at the Fox Theater from October 24th through October 29th by Kalundra Smith. When the MJ the Musical tour stops at the Fox Theater on October 24th through 29th, it will be a homecoming celebration for actor Roman Banks, who grew up in Stone Mountain in Lilburn. Banks portrays MJ, the middle Michael, in the musical about the King of Pop, a role he started preparing for as a child, dancing to Michael Jackson's music in the living room with his siblings. In MJ, which garnered four Tony Awards in 2022, Jackson is in debt and in trouble. Desperate for a comeback, he's betting it all on the 1992 Dangerous World Tour and has a crew following him around to document the process. Over the course of the show, Jackson looks back on his early days performing with his brothers. Expect to hear ABC, I'll Be There, and Dancing Machine while he's on the verge of superstardom with hits such as Billie Jean, Thriller, and Human Nature. For Banks, playing on stage at the Fox is a full circle moment. He says the first professional production he ever saw was The Lion King at the Fox his freshman year at Parkview High School, and he vowed that he would perform on that stage one day. He'll also celebrate his 25th birthday while the show is in town. We caught up with Banks between performances to talk about his introduction to musical theater, path to Broadway, and learning from Michael Jackson's performances. How did you get into musical theater? I was an avid theater kid because I was trying to soak up every experience. The first show I performed in was The Wizard of Oz at Parkview. I had seen The Wiz growing up, and I wanted to be the Scarecrow because Michael Jackson was the Scarecrow. When I wasn't, I was appalled because I could dance. I was ensemble and crow number two. After high school, I went to pursue a degree in musical theater at Shenandoah Conservatory, which was not on my original list of schools. But when I was auditioning, I went to YoungArts, and Shenandoah scouted me. They were the only audition that made me feel like an individual and not a number, which was big to me. My freshman year at Shenandoah, there was an open call audition for Dear Evan Hansen on Broadway. Luckily, there was a senior at my school who was in callbacks for the show, and he was already driving up, so I asked if I could ride with him. We drove to New York, and the rest is history. I was the first person of color to go on as Evan. It was a dream come true. Tell me about how the opportunity to perform in the Michael Jackson musical came about. MJ came about in a really unique way. In February 2020, I had an audition for Middle Michael on Broadway when the show was still being developed. I went in and sang. They called me back for my final audition after dance call, and they said, we want to offer you the role. I was thrilled because I was going to be in an original Broadway show cast. But it was at the same time I got High School Musical, the musical, the series on Disney Plus, and because I hadn't done TV and film before, I went to Disney Plus. I thought because I turned them down, I might have burned that bridge, but they came back around. I moved to Los Angeles at the beginning of August 2022, and they called me for MJ on August 18th. Getting a callback from the theater world when I moved to LA to do TV and film is funny, but it's God's timing. What is your favorite moment in the show? I think it's the beginning. The way they've orchestrated the show is brilliant between Christopher Wieldon's choreography and Lynn Nottage's playwriting, which is why it's standing the test of time for a jukebox musical. You come in expecting glitz and glam, but it honors who Michael Jackson was in everyday life. The show starts with him walking into the studio for a dance rehearsal. That moment always gets applause because the audience feels like they're seeing him walk into a room. The show takes you into his process. He was well-known onstage, but offstage, not as much. It's been cool to pull back the curtain on his life. We want to give you something unique, something you wouldn't expect. What have you learned from portraying the King of Pop about delivering great performances? So much. Any time I perform, I will put on a Michael Jackson performance because his energy will always be the most impressive thing for me. If you put on a concert recording of Michael's, you won't know the difference between the first and last numbers. He doesn't drop ferocity of movement or intensity of vocals. It's mind-blowing. I want people to feel that, like we're coming out the gate giving it all we have until the final bow. I want to honor every part of who he was as a performer. It's made me a better performer, a more aware performer, and a more detail-oriented artist. I feel a different level of intensity and determination. That was Metro Atlanta native Roman Banks lives his dreams in Michael Jackson musical by Kalundra Smith. Next up, we move to the Burnaway publication for Paul Pfeiffer, Red, Green, Blue at the Athenaeum University of Georgia, Athens by Daniel Fuller. There is a moment at the start of Paul Pfeiffer's single channel video, Red, Green, Blue 2022 that I could return to repeatedly. Whistles blow, a timeout is called, the University of Kentucky's offensive line raises their hawkish frames from their stances and turns in unison toward the sidelines. Between their blurry bodies, the camera focuses on one man, the University of Georgia's red coat marching band director, Brett Baucom. The break in play will be short-lived, 15 seconds, cut to an extreme close-up of Baucom tapping the inside of his arm, the conductor fluidly articulating the intensity of the music to come. A few swift arm movements mark the band's cues and entrances, and we are off. An instantly familiar operatic horn version of Kanye West's Power shakes our seats. Now here is my favorite part. In a world that typically points its cameras only toward the field, Pfeiffer's eight cameras are hyper-focused in the opposite direction. He frequently jumps in and out of close-ups to deconstruct and recontextualize our perspective of the game. Cut to a young student blowing into the tuba with an unreal combination of pressure and control. His hair glistens with sweat, his bony knuckles gripping hard on the lead pipe. At the first instance of break, he unleashes a triumphant and celebratory smile like you rarely see. It's too genuine. His arms shoot to the sky. His eyes scan his teammates, knowing that he shares this euphoria with those around him, this extended family. They all rock in unison. Someday, I hope to feel his joy. From that moment on, I'm in. I want to be a part of this thing they have. The Georgia Bulldogs are the kings of college football. After waiting 41 years between championships, they have won back-to-back national titles in 2021 and 2022. Their head coach, Kirby Smart, is the highest-paid state employee, on average $11.25 million. Since 2018, they lost only one home game while playing in football's toughest conference, the Southeastern Conference, SEC. In a city of 127,000, Sanford Stadium packs in 92,000 fans for each home game, boosting the nation's third-longest consecutive sellout streak, 52. Living in Atlanta, a city with three pro teams, it's astonishing how all eyes remain on Athens. What is a game that takes 60 minutes to play, routinely take over two-and-a-half hours? Pfeiffer focuses on the mass entertainment aspect of the game, the moments between the moments. This video is a reminder that top-tier college football has little to do with those in the stadium, but is often organized around the television broadcast. So what happens during the pauses for injuries, penalties, TV timeouts, replies, challenges, and commercial advertising? This is when the director of fan experience gets to shine. When one team is better than the other, and the outcome is almost inevitable, how do we keep millions of viewers under the spell of the game? Like a scripted drama, the game is meticulously orchestrated by a figure in the control room who shapes the cohesive story, creating a roller coaster of anticipation and nervous energy. Pfeiffer delves into the intricate web of individuals within the stadium who influence and shape the audience's emotional reactions by instigating synchronized behaviors from the spectators. In the film, there is a scene where everything seems to halt. A quick groan from the crowd is drowned out by the referee's whistle. The band director lets his cohorts know the officials are checking for targeting when a player leaves their feet to attack an opponent subject to disqualification. Pfeiffer's cameras aren't where they should be. We are left to wonder, is a player down? Is the medical staff on the field? Players congregate, but unlike a traditional broadcast, we only see them from the thighs down. We compare protective gear, from pads to wraps, and the linemen wearing robotic red knee braces. Unlike many previous Pfeiffer videos where his abstractions produce a sense of transcendence with athletes levitating, their cleats are planted firmly in the ground. Behind all the pageantry in the stands, a heavyweight sits squarely on their unseen shoulders. Suddenly, we watch the legs begin to bop as the PA system blares the Atlanta anthem, crime mobs knock if you buck. For the first time, the kids get to act like kids. This too is pre-programmed, cued up, and ready to fill any potential downtime. For the referee's ruling on the field, Pfeiffer weaves in footage from ESPN. Even for such a brief time, it's almost jarring to turn away from the stands and return to a conventional view. A blunt reminder that we are watching a live taping of a television show. The screen is split into three separate squares, awaiting the dramatic conclusion. The referee, the judge, the opposing coach, the adversary, and the opposing player, the condemned. Throughout the video, Pfeiffer skillfully contrasts the experience inside the stadium, the site of reverence and awe, with the shots of the Oconee Hill Cemetery just across East Campus Road. The 19th century burial ground is a poignant reminder of the enduring racial divisions in the South, which persist even in matters of death. Since its inception, Oconee Hill maintained a policy of segregation as a resting place for enslaved African Americans and numerous Confederate soldiers, including four Confederate generals. 2015, the University of Georgia stirred controversy when historical evidence showed that their Baldwin Hall was built directly on a graveyard for the city's enslaved community. In 2017, they moved the remains of 105 unknown bodies to a single grave in Oconee Hill Cemetery. Pfeiffer's video shows the disparity between the cemetery's lush nature and rugged rocks, the tombstones, often emblazoned with the dog's logo, tucked below the solemn pines. This all sits in the shadows of Sanford Stadium's fortress-like dull gray concrete wall. It's difficult to miss the unease of the reverberations from the stadium's thunderous cheers and the band's boom echoing throughout the burial ground. Mixing with the imagery, the sounds undermine the fantasy of the game. Its customs and dress code are impossible to separate from the site's geographical, historical, and cultural contexts. Under Pfeiffer's direction, sports feel like a ruse, a means to address pressing societal issues. We think of the SEC football as being deeply woven into that cultural fabric of this region, and often hear it referred to as a great uniter that brings the nation together in times of separation. But these days, we conveniently forget that SEC football desegregated begrudgingly only after USC's historic championship over the University of Alabama's all-white team in 1970. The University of Georgia, still healing from its desegregation riot on campus in 1961, did not allow Black students to play football until 1971. It's difficult to be burdened by history as the clock ticks down and the lights lower. Pom-poms sparkle, players raise four fingers, and the horns kick in, playing Superman's Krypton Bear fight. Even the greatest skeptics get the chills watching dogs fans wave their arms forward in unison, cell phone lights cutting through the suddenly dark stands. As the band seamlessly transitions to their rally song, Glory Glory, Pfeiffer zooms out further and focuses on the once-distant lights shining like fluorescent stars in the otherwise pitch-dark night. If the song sounds familiar, it's because it is the refrain from the battle hymn, the renowned Union anthem during the Civil War. Throughout the film, Pfeiffer zooms in on the details, shining a light on the traditions reminding us that things often aren't as they seem. Paul Pfeiffer, Red Green Blue is on The View at the Athenaeum, University of Georgia, Athens through November 18, 2023. That was Review, Paul Pfeiffer, Red Green Blue at the Athenaeum, University of Georgia, Athens by Daniel Fuller. Next, we move to the Creative Loafing publication for About Town, October Events, Arts and Otherwise, Getting Out and About in Atlanta This Fall by Kevin C. Madigan. The High Museum of Art has released the first in a series of behind-the-scenes videos showing how its extensive collection of artifacts is being preserved. This huge undertaking involves teams of conservators, registrars, art handlers, and curators, some of whom you'll meet in future videos, whose work together to better understand and care for the work in the High's collection, an announcement said. The High is sustaining its mission to safeguard the artworks in its care and to simultaneously present that work to the public. The video shows curatorial research associate Kyle Manusco and Megan Shores, a collections care technician, discussing how objects in need of conservation are being surveyed and treated. Visit the High Museum website to see that video. In other news, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra is marking the 30th anniversary of its trailblazing Talent Development Program, which identifies, mentors, and develops middle and high school Atlanta musicians of African American and Hispanic Latino heritage for careers as professional classical musicians. There will be several special events this fall, free and open to the public, showcasing the TDP's talented young musicians. The October Roundup of Arts and Culture Happenings includes a showcase of flamenco from Spain's leading performers of the genre, funny guy Nick Offerman rifling on stage, Sonic Youth co-founder Thurston Moore talking about his new book, the Atlanta Pride Festival and Parade strutting its stuff, a look at the life and times of Vikings, an exhibition of Senegalese artist Sadio Diallo, and another of Southern photography since 1845, as well as previews of several plays worth perusing. Read on. Through Sunday, October 29th, Sadio Diallo, A Different Kind of Blues, Azak ATL. Senegalese artist Sadio Diallo is a regular participant at the Dekar Art Biennale and has represented his country at the Exposition Universelle at Zaragoza, Spain. He is also shown at the Galerie Africaine in Paris and the Out of Africa Gallery in Barcelona, as well as in group exhibits in Freiburg, Germany. An early influence was the work of Jean-Michel Basquiat and his bio says Diallo is classed among the emerging contemporary artists from the African continent who defy description because of their innovative and avant-garde vitality. For reasons unknown, Diallo was denied entry into the United States to attend this exhibition. He was at the ACAS ATL Gallery, which is at 364 Auburn Avenue, Atlanta, 30312. Call 404-574-0120 or visit akaziatl.com for more information. Through Sunday, January 14th, A Long Arc, Photography and the American South Since 1845, the High Museum. The High is presenting its first major survey of Southern photography in more than 25 years. Administrators say the show reveals the South's critical impact on the evolution of American photography and examines the region's complex history through more than 170 historical and contemporary works drawn extensively from the High's own collection. This exhibition amounts to a complex and layered record of the South that revealed its profound impact on the development of photography, which is often overlooked or underappreciated says curator Gregory Harris. At the same time, it goes urgent and timely questions about American history, identity and culture that are inspiring photographers working today and are important for audiences from our region and beyond to consider as well. Recorded photographers include DeWood Bay, Christine Potter, Mark Steinmetz, Sheila Prebright and Rommel Roth. A Long Arc will be accompanied by a fully illustrated 250-page companion book co-published by the High and Aperture. Tickets are $18.50 or free from members. The High Museum of Art is at 1280 Peachtree Street, Atlanta, 30309. Call 404-733-4400 or visit high.org for more information. Saturday, October 7th through Monday, January 1st, Vikings, Warriors of the Sea, Fernbank Museum. Vikings long known for wanton pillaging and plundering had some good qualities too, as this exhibition pains to point out. They were innovators who built lightweight ships, made gorgeous jewelry and clothing, devised weaponry and currency and can take credit for inventing the modern comb. This exhibit features an amber eye mask, a golden brooch, a cammon casket and numerous other authentic artifacts and gives a well-rounded view of Viking culture, curators say. A full-sized replica of a Viking ship is included as well as a Norse board game that visitors can play. Tickets are $23 to $25. Become a member and visit for free. The Fernbank Museum is at 767 Clifton Road, Atlanta, Georgia, 30307. Visit fernbankmuseum.org for more information. Saturday, October 14th through Saturday, December 23rd, Into the Burrow, A Peter Rabbit Tale, Alliance Theater. The Alliance Theater is rolling out the world premiere of a new musical based on the escapades of Peter Rabbit, Beatrix Potter's adventurous character who first made an appearance in 1902. This new tale encourages us to acknowledge our fears and work together to overcome challenges, producers say. Some familiar names pop up in the story, Mrs. Tiggy Winkle, Mr. Alderman Ptolemy Tortoise and Squirrel Nutkin among them. Mark Valdez, the show's writer and director, says writing a story based on such beloved characters was exciting but daunting. What do they sound like? What would they do at a party? What is the thing they most enjoy and that makes them laugh? From there, I was able to select the characters that needed to be in this play. I knew I wanted them to each have a talent or skill, so part of my imagination was picturing them performing for each other. That was a fun exercise. The Alliance's production is presented in partnership with the High Museum of Arts exhibition Beatrix Potter, Drawn to Nature, which runs until early January. Tickets are $10 to $20. The Hertz stage at Alliance Theater is at 1280 Peachtree Street, Atlanta, 30309. Visit alliancetheater.org for more information. Thursday, October 26th through Sunday, November 5th, Authentic Flamenco Theatrical Outfit. Teatro Real, Spain's most prestigious opera house, has mounted a world tour of top flamenco artists in performance of the ancient art form. According to event promoter Fever, audiences are in for a night of raw passion and emotion. On stage will be Amador Rojas and Yolanda Osuna as dancers, Mano Sota and Bernardo Miranda as singers, Jose Tomas Jimenez on the guitar, Sergio de Lopa on flute and saxophone, and Lolo Planton on percussion. Bringing such a genuine and unique art form to such different places is an achievement for the Teatro Real as a result of its commitment to cultural heritage, says CEO Ignacio Garcia Belengra. Promoting and developing such an ambitious project is a duty not only to the performing arts, but also to audiences around the world. Tickets are $59 plus. That's at Theatrical Outfit, 84 Lucky Street, Atlanta, 30303. Visit authenticflamencoshow.com for more information. Saturday, October 28th, Frankenstein, Cobb Energy Performing Arts Center. Just in time for Halloween, the classic movie starting Boris Karloff is being prevented in high definition on a giant screen, accompanied by singers and full orchestra, plus a new score by composer and conductor Michael Shapiro. Guarded vocalists will be Amanda Sheriff, soprano, Aubrey Odell, mezzo-soprano, Cameron Lopior, tenor, Jason Zachar, bass baritone, as well as veteran bass baritone Andrew Gilstrap. Organizers are saying a fantastical collision of sight and sound awaits in this imaginative presentation of vintage cinema. The 1931 black and white film, which lacked a proper soundtrack, made Karloff a star and saved Universal Pictures from bankruptcy during the Depression. Hunters are urged to come in costume and a contest will determine the best and worst dressed attendees. A post-performance party will rock the house with a DJ, dancing, and cash bar in two lobby levels of the venue. Tickets are $30, $55, $80, and $100. That's at Cobb Energy Performing Arts Center, 2800 Cobb Galleria Parkway, Atlanta, 30339. For more information, call 404-881-8885 or visit AtlantaOpera.org. October 27th through February 18th. Sonya Clark, we are each other. High Museum of Art. This exhibition, co-organized by the High, Detroit's Cranbrook Art Museum, and the Museum of Arts and Design in New York, combines and displays participatory projects activated within each city's respective communities. Included is a room-sized installation, the Beaded Prayers Project, 1998 ongoing, inspired by African amulet traditions, the Hair Craft Project, 2014, which pairs photography and fiber art, documenting the work of black hairdressers, and the Monumental Cloth Series, 2019, which recreates at massive scale the flag of truth used to help broker the end of the Civil War. A press release says Clark intertwines craft and community and incorporates handwork in her projects to promote new collective encounters across racial, gender, and socioeconomic lines to address difficult questions of exclusion in American society. Tickets are $18.50, free for members. That's at the High Museum of Art, 1280 Peachtree Street, Atlanta, 30309. Call 404-733-4400 or visit high.org for more information. Sunday, October 29th, Nick Offerman, live, Symphony Hall. An evening that compels listeners to chuckle while also causing them to honestly countenance the aspects of humanity about which we have to laugh so that we don't attack one another with shovels, the powers that be say while promoting this tour. A valid point, if awkwardly put. An actor and author, woodworker and woodsman, Offerman made it big in parks and recreation and has a slew of other credits to his name going back to the 1990s. Tickets are $49 to $175. That's 7.30 p.m. at Atlanta Symphony Hall, 1280 Peachtree Street, Atlanta, 30309. Call 404-733-4800 or visit aso.org. Monday, October 30th, an evening with Thurston Moore, Plaza Theater. Post-punk pioneer and Sonic Youth co-founder Thurston Moore will discuss his new memoir, Sonic Life, with former creative loafing columnist Chad Radford in an appearance at the Plaza. According to event host Acapella Books, Moore will also perform a short set. Moore will then introduce a screening of director Stuart Sweezy's documentary Desolation Center featuring rare footage of Minutemen, meat puppets, swans, Red Cross, and, of course, Sonic Youth. Tickets are $35 and include a pre-signed copy of the book and admission to the 7 p.m. talk. $45 tickets include a pre-signed copy of the book, admission to the 7 p.m. talk, and the 8.30 p.m. screening of the documentary. $20 ticket admits the holder to the 8.30 p.m. screening of the film. The Plaza Theater is at 1049 Ponce de Leon Avenue, Atlanta 30306. Visit plazaatlanta.com or acapellabooks.com for more information. That was About Town, October events, arts, and otherwise getting out and about in Atlanta this fall by Kevin C. Madigan. Next we move to the Arts ATL Publication 4. The Atlanta Opera Performs Sings New Score to Classic Frankenstein Film by Mark Thomas Ketterson. The Atlanta Opera celebrates the Halloween season in a big way on Saturday with a special one-night-only showing of the 1931 film classic Frankenstein at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Center. The film will be accompanied by an acclaimed new musical score by Michael Shapiro performed live by the Atlanta Opera Orchestra and the young singers of the company's Glynn Studio Artist Program, all conducted by the composer. The performance will mark the East Coast premiere of Shapiro's operatic score. Frankenstein has an interesting backstory. Universal Studios was in a slump in 1931, having found the transition from silent film to talkies a surprisingly rough ride. In looking for a vehicle to re-energize audiences, the studio gazed backward on the success of its silent entries into the horror genre, The Phantom of the Opera, and The Hunchback of Notre Dame. In a prescient bit of synchronicity, Broadway had just enjoyed a smash success with a stage adaptation of Bram Stoker's creepy Victorian novel Dracula, crafted by playwrights John Balderson and Hamilton Dean. The production made stars of the Hungarian actor Bela Lugosi, who learned his early English language roles phonetically in the title role, and the great character actor Edward Van Sloan as Dracula's nemesis, Dr. Van Helsing. Universal decided to pitch a filmed adaptation of the play with Lugosi and Van Sloan in tow. Dracula's success was so formidable that Universal decided to build upon it with a second film, Frankenstein, based on Mary Shelley's gothic novel. Though Dracula came first, it was Frankenstein that ultimately became the horror genre's emblematic entry. Boris Karloff's frightening yet pathetically affecting rendering of Frankenstein's monster is revered today as one of the greatest performances of early Hollywood, and has thrilled viewers for generations. Frankenstein has now provided an intriguing opportunity for the Atlanta Opera's Young Artist Program. Young Artist Programs, or YAPs, as insiders say, are an important element of most major opera companies. Vocalists chosen from the cream of the crop of various conservatories and universities serve apprenticeships with their parent company, where they continue to study voice and languages, perform small roles, and cover, the operatic term for understudying, major ones. That experience has been a crucial stepping stone in the careers of many of today's most celebrated artists. There is a deep need in the industry to provide people who emerge from the educational system with opportunities to learn roles, work alongside artists of great renown, and develop performance skills, says Tomer Zovulin, the Opera's General and Artistic Director. Until 2016, there was no Young Artist Program here. We decided to launch our program and hire four singers and a stage director. It has been an incredible ride. Atlanta's Glynn Studio Program currently features four singers, soprano Amanda Sherriff, mezzo-soprano Aubrey Odell, tenor Cameron Lopriore, and bass baritone Jason Zacher. Bass baritone Andrew Gilstrap, a popular presence on Atlanta's stages, will join the four for Frankenstein. The operation of the program is primarily handled by Meredith Wallace, the Opera's Director of Artistic Administration. Wallace boasts some impressive cred, having come to Atlanta after several years with the Metropolitan Opera's Lindemann Young Artist Development Program. So what is an average day like for these talented young people? What happens after they wake up in the morning? Hopefully, when they wake up, they warm up, Wallace says with a laugh. Then they will most likely have one or two coachings, either a vocal session or possibly diction coaching. If they are in a production, they may be in rehearsal for the rest of the day. Or they may have a session with our principal vocal teacher, Laura Brooks Rice, who comes in twice a month. There are also masterclasses for the young singers. The program's principal dramatic coach is Kevin Burdette, who will sing bottom in a Midsummer Night's Dream this season. Kelly Caduce, who starred in The Shining, held a masterclass. The classes focus on the practical in addition to the creative. They study German, French, Russian, Italian, Zovulin says. We put them on stage and provide them with opportunities to cover major roles. We are providing them with classes for vocal health and financial planning. Academia only gets you so far. There is no replacement for apprenticeship, for actual boots-on-the-ground opportunity to actually do whatever you have set out to be doing. If this sounds exhausting, it is. These young people work very hard. But the proof of this artistic pudding is abundantly clear, as several graduates of the program have already begun to establish themselves in the industry. Atlanta favorite Santiago Ballerini is creating quite a buzz among opera mavens on internet newsgroups for his performances in the Bel Canto Repertory, which have taken him all over the world. Soprano Susan Burgess made her Met debut last season and returns to the Atlanta Opera next spring as Helena in Britain's A Midsummer Night's Dream, while mezzo-soprano Gretchen Krupp will be heard here this season as Fricka in Daivo Curry. And what does this have to do with Frankenstein? To answer that question, one only needs to rewatch the film and focus on the music, or rather the almost complete lack of it. The technology in the early days of sound film was unable to encompass the multiple tracks necessary for extensive musical scoring. Universal righted that situation in 1935 with Franz Waxman's delicious score for The Bride of Frankenstein. In 1931, however, all we had were snatches of music heard during the opening and final credits. Enter American composer Michael Shapiro. He thought the film's lack of aural underscoring left matters a bit dull for younger audiences who are accustomed to a more sophisticated sound palette in their entertainment experiences. In 2001, Shapiro was commissioned by the Boris Kautzen Foundation to provide a full 70-minute score for the film. Shapiro's music created a sensation in its debut at the Film Society of Lincoln Center in 2002 and has continued to be wildly popular, raking in over 60 outings to date. The score exists in several editions, a full orchestral version, the overture has been recorded by the City of Birmingham Orchestra and can be heard on YouTube, a chamber reduction, and even a reworking for Wind Ensemble. In 2022, Shapiro created his operatic version of the score, which was performed by the Orchestra of the Los Angeles Opera with singers from its own young artist program. For Zovulin, this edition seemed a golden opportunity. We have a horror-thriller theme going on this fall with our sold-out production of The Shining and with Rigoletto, which, to me, is a great Hitchcock movie that Hitchcock never directed, he says. Frankenstein fit right in, so I sent Meredith to check out the performance in Los Angeles. Wallace didn't quite know what to expect, but was blown away by the work. It was seamless, she says. Michael did a wonderful job providing dramatical music moments. He's very attuned to the action of the film. The score is beautiful, but also illuminates the film perfectly. The voices are heard sporadically early on, mostly singing the Latin mass, but they come in at full force when the monster dies. Their music made me realize how sad this movie is, says Wallace. It tears your heart out when the singers come in doing that mass. It put me over the edge. It was so beautiful and moving. The score also provides a banner opportunity for young performers on several levels. It's a different kind of project for them, Wallace says. They're going to fly from the nest and are not necessarily always going to be singing opera. This is a unique experience for them. It is also a newer work, so they get to work directly with the composer because he's still living. And Michael did a good job for the singers. The vocal line is complex for each of them. It's part of the opera's commitment to nurture and develop the next generation of talent. Wallace says the best part of her job is hiring a former young artist in a main stage role. Seeing these singers grow is my favorite thing, she says. These are our babies, and we want to nurture them the best way we can before they fly away. And to watch them makes me very proud. That was The Atlanta Opera Performs Sings New Score to Classic Frankenstein Film by Mark Thomas Ketterson. Next, Hammond's House Museum marks 35 years of celebrating work by Black artists by Angela Oliver. At the Hammond's House Museum, the past is celebrated, the present is shown, and the foundation of its future is clearly laid out, says Kevin Sipp. A longtime curator at the museum, Sipp brought his keen eye back for Foundations in Futures, the definitive exhibit celebrating the museum's 35th anniversary. It will be on view at the museum October 20th through December 17th. The 35th anniversary celebration will continue with The Gathering Weekend, a silent auction and benefit concert featuring The Baylor Project at 7 p.m. November 3rd at the Ray Charles Performing Arts Center at Morehouse College, and A Celebration of Artists, a recognition of every artist who is exhibited at the museum at 6 p.m. November 4th at Atlanta Central Library. Joining Sipp as curators of Foundations in Futures are Ed Springs, the museum's founding director from 1988 until 2004, and his son, Adios Springs. The exhibit charts the museum's lifespan, showcasing works by legacy artists such as Romare Bearden, Elizabeth Catlett, and Lois Malou Jones, who are in its extensive 450-piece permanent collection. The exhibit will also explore new visual arts directions in the African diaspora. After the 1985 death of Dr. Otis Thrash Hammons, physician and avid art collector, Ed Springs' vision to preserve his art treasure birthed the Hammons House Museum. "'Our vision was hard fought,' says Springs, 88, who was director of the Studio Museum of Harlem for many years before coming to Atlanta. "'We had a strong black arts community, but we needed something permanent to showcase and support them.'" Sipp began as a Hammons House resident artist in 1995 and was named curator in 2003. He remembers hanging out with college friends, meeting international artists, and enjoying Sunday afternoons when the likes of Amiri Baraka would recite poetry on the back porch. Young artists got the chance to see legends of the black arts movement at this small institution in the West End, Sipp says. Those kinds of experiences were the foundations of the museum's community. The transitions portion of the exhibition highlights former resident artists, including Sipp, Radcliffe Bailey, and Amalia Amaki, who became friends under the Hammons House roof. With each new resident artist came new groups of fellow artists, art lovers, and supporters. It became a place where young artists were nurtured, as well as an exhibition space for master artists who weren't being shown around Atlanta, Sipp says. While the 1990s and early 2000s were a thriving era for Hammons House and sister organizations like the National Black Arts Festival, many black artists were still left out of the mainstream art institutions in Atlanta. "'But we had relationships with the artists, and we knew what we were capable of,' Spriggs says. We were able to attract people who had national reputations, and we had a level of programming that fit in with what was going on around the country. Hammons House became a staple in Atlanta, and we didn't have to depend on places like the High Museum of Art, or Emory. Hammons House has maintained its place in Atlanta's arts and culture offerings with that level of inclusion and interaction. That sticks with the artists who have worked there. I remember going through the museum's permanent collection for the first time, and I was blown away at that range,' says Tracy Merle, who was curator for six years. Seeing how those artists were telling our story still influences me when I'm creating my artwork." As artists like Merle and Bailey continue to soar, they make room to support newcomers like Andrea McKenzie, Lola Okunola, and David Alston, who are represented in the futures portion of the exhibit. That focus on emerging artists will carry the legacy organization into its next 35 years, Sip says. The survival of institutions like Hammons House is in the hands of new generations. Such longevity doesn't come easy, says managing director Donna Watts-Nunn. The museum has been through various phases over the years. Decreases in public arts funding overall, although Fulton County Arts Council's substantial boost of $200,000 to the museum in 2021 was up from the previous year's $70,000. Changing interests among younger folks, unforeseen challenges like the pandemic shutdown, and a shakeup in artistic and curatorial leadership with the board's sudden firing of executive director and chief curator Karen Comer-Lowe in 2022, followed by a brief closure for restructuring. Through all of that, we've never stopped moving, Watts-Nunn says. This is a transitional period, she adds, particularly with staff capacity. The museum leadership wants to get to a place where more people can be hired and each role can be fully attended to. When people look back at this moment in the life of Hammons House, it will represent a turning point, Watts-Nunn says. We've started the five-year plan to make sure everything is covered so we can operate in the fullness of a 35-year institution. Avios Springs sees Hammons House as a still vital institution, and he hopes young people will bring in fresh ideas while staying grounded in community and heritage. It's an institution that my father spent half of my lifetime building, so not only does it hold a personal and sentimental value to me, but I also have grown to understand its importance in Atlanta's art community, he says. For the right guidance, it can be a beacon for Black visual artists across the United States, much like the Studio Museum in Harlem, but in the Black Mecca of the South. From the museum's tried-and-true offerings to new ventures, such as outreach to younger audiences through its HBCU Night Kickback, the passion for supporting all artists has remained unchanged. We do great work here, and it's an intergenerational community effort, Watts-Nunn says. Hammons House represents a lot of firsts for many artists who are now quite prominent. We're proud of that. We'll always be a welcoming place for artists. That was Hammons House Museum's 35 Years of Celebrating Work by Black Artists by Angela Oliver. Next up, Today in Street Art, Arshad Norwood's Journey from Family Trauma to Life in Art by Luke Gardner. For over a decade, art educator Arshad Norwood has adorned Atlanta with murals, but his journey to becoming the muralist he is today was far from easy. His newest mural project reflects his journey from a teen in foster care to a successful artist and art educator at Westlake High School. The mural's theme is loving people, loving people, and the creative process has been much more emotionally intense than his previous projects. That's because the mural was commissioned by Christian City, the foster care campus in Union City, where Norwood lived as a teenager. This whole process has been a spiritual journey, Norwood said. What brought me to foster care wasn't loving people, it was trauma and family separation. My mother passed away on Mother's Day. It was very traumatizing. That led me to go to my dad's house, then my grandma's house, then Christian City. Working on this mural made me think about all this stuff again. Having to reflect on that was jarring. After working through past family trauma with counseling and the help of friends in foster care, Norwood went on to graduate from high school and college. His love of painting developed in high school, where he experimented with watercolors, oil, and acrylics. He completed his first mural before graduating. It was a French dining scene commissioned by a friend's parent, which Norwood painted by hand on a wall at his foster care campus. After graduating from Grange College with a degree in art and design, he moved to Atlanta and looked for art opportunities. His first public art piece was the mural which he completed in 2009 on the side of the Uptown Comedy Corner building in downtown Atlanta. That's all the time we have for this article, which was entitled, Today in Street Art, Arshad Norwood's Journey from Family Trauma to Life in Art, by Luke Gardner. That concludes today's MetroArts program, which was brought to you by the Fulton County Board of Commissioners. This has been Kristen Moody for GARS, the Georgia Radio Reading Service. Thank you for listening to GARS.
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