Mary Nye Bennett News

The latest standings as of Monday, December 12th, have been released for the 2022 BroadwayWorld Denver Awards! Nominations were reader-submitted and now our readers get to vote for their favorites.

The latest standings as of Monday, December 5th, have been released for the 2022 BroadwayWorld Denver Awards! Nominations were reader-submitted and now our readers get to vote for their favorites.

The latest standings as of Monday, December 5th, have been released for the 2022 BroadwayWorld Atlanta Awards! Nominations were reader-submitted and now our readers get to vote for their favorites.

The first live standings have been announced for the 2022 BroadwayWorld Denver Awards! Nominations were reader-submitted and now our readers get to vote for their favorites.

The first live standings have been announced for the 2022 BroadwayWorld Atlanta Awards! Nominations were reader-submitted and now our readers get to vote for their favorites.

Cobb PARKS and the Jennie T. Anderson Theatre are teaming with the Atlanta Lyric Theatre to break holiday tradition and produce the classic musical, THE SECRET GARDEN.

The iconic musical will make its return to Marietta at the Jennie T. Anderson Theatre from August 25-September 4 for the start of its 42nd season. Guys and Dolls tells the classic story of big-city gamblers and a bet with an outcome no one expected.

Cobb PARKS and the Jennie T. Anderson Theatre are presenting NEXT TO NORMAL, the first in-person concert of their 2022 season. Featuring six Atlanta actors and seven musicians, this is NEXT TO NORMAL'S first return to Atlanta in nearly ten years.

The Atlanta Lyric Theatre brings the classic Roald Dahl story to life at the Jennie T. Anderson Theatre from June 15-26.

This is the last chance to vote for the 2021 BroadwayWorld Atlanta Awards! The 2021 Regional Awards honor productions which had their first performance between October 1, 2020 through September 30, 2021.

Time is running out to vote for for the 2021 BroadwayWorld Atlanta Awards! The 2021 Regional Awards honor productions which had their first performance between October 1, 2020 through September 30, 2021.

Following an extensive search, the Atlanta Lyric Theatre board of directors has announced the hiring of Colt Chambers as the new Managing Director. In this role, Colt will take the helm and manage all aspects of the organization's day-to-day business operations.

Nearly seventeen months have passed since the Jennie T. Anderson Theatre has packed its house with an indoor event. With the reopening of venues around the nation, the Anderson Theatre is celebrating its return to form with CHESS, a concert which has not been seen in Atlanta in over twenty years.

On Friday evening, Atlanta Lyric Theatre, in a display of pure bravura, opened their 40th Anniversary Season with the regional premiere of the musical War Paint, a new tuner with a book by Doug Wright, music by Scott Frankel, and lyrics by Michael Korie that tells the story of the rise and fall of two of the cosmetics industry's most notable trailblazers, Helena Rubenstein and Elizabeth Arden.  The musical opened on Broadway in 2017 to lackluster reviews and played only 269 performances before shuttering, even with two of Broadway's biggest divas, Christine Ebersole and Patti Lupone, at the helm.   There's a reason for this.  War Paint has what I like to call Sleepless-in-Seattle Syndrome when I'm talking to a group of juiced-up creative writing students.  That's a story that, like the Tom Hanks-Meg Ryan film, has this problem:  the characters don't share enough time together in scenes to generate the type of tension needed to sustain interest over the course of the story.  The musical places too many limitations on itself by remaining true to the real-life story which includes the fact that Helena Rubenstein and Elizabeth Arden didn't actually know each other in real life and ends up painting a stage where the two principal characters are separated by an imaginary wall that can't ever be scaled, not even emotionally, and not even by the most talented actors.  But Atlanta Lyric, with their artistic director, Mary Nye Bennett, an absolute mega-talent in the role of Helena Rubenstein, and gorgeous scenic by Stephanie Polhemus, manage to offer up an excellent evening at the theater under the direction of a capable Susan G. Reid. 

Atlanta Lyric Theatre presents this regional premiere masterpiece August 16-September 1, 2019.

 Theatrical Outfit (TO) held its annual fundraising gala, 'Our Luckie Stars,' on Saturday, April 27th at its home, The Balzer Theater at Herren's on Luckie Street in the heart of downtown Atlanta. The event honored long-time TO patrons Doug and Florida Ellis and featured silent and live auctions, wonderful food, and exciting entertainment from familiar TO artists. The evening was a celebration of the theatre's mission to provide world-class conversation-starting theatre to inspire a compassionate, joyful, and just community. The gala raised over $123,000, breaking its fundraising goal and surpassing last year's success.

My love of Singin' in the Rain is deeply rooted in my experience of the beloved 1952 film classic, and it's steeped in nostalgia. It's a love that sees me first in line at classic film festivals when Singin' in the Rain is on the marquee. It's a love that makes my heart flutter when I learn that a nearby theater is staging the 1983 musical. And it's a love that makes me willfully forget that the stage musical … well … isn't that good. It tries hard, but it just doesn't quite work.  The "doesn't quite work" is not particularly bound up in the fact that stage adaptations are noticeably absent the great dancing triumvirate - Kelly, O'Connor, and Reynolds - though that certainly doesn't help.  What's wrong is that it feels too cinematic and has an inexplicable absence of story energy and razzle-dazzle that made us fall in love with Hollywoodland on the screen. Atlanta Lyric Theatre's earnest new production can't overcome this problem.  No production can.  But with tremendously entertaining supporting actors J. Koby Parker in the role of Cosmo Brown and Beth Beyer in the role of Lina Lamont, a beautifully sung titular song complete with a gorgeous streetscape and very real rain, and dreamy period costumes by Amanda Edgerton West, Atlanta Lyric Theatre offers up another pleasant evening of theatre. 

Atlanta Lyric Theatre presents this stunning classic April 12-28, 2019.  The "Greatest Movie Musical of All Time" is faithfully and lovingly adapted by Broadway legends, Betty Comden and Adolph Green, from their original award-winning screenplay in SINGIN' in the RAIN. Each unforgettable scene, song and dance is accounted for, including the show-stopping title number, complete with an onstage rainstorm and three Broadway alums! SINGIN' in the RAIN performs at the Jennie T. Anderson Theatre (548 South Marietta Pkwy., Marietta).

Atlanta Lyric Theatre presents this totally 80s romantic musical comedy February 8-Feb- ruary 24, 2019. Based on the hit Adam Sandler movie, THE WEDDING SINGER takes us back to a time when hair was big, greed was good, collars were up and a wedding singer might just be the coolest guy in the room. Just say yes to the most romantic musical in twenty years! THE WEDDING SINGER performs at the Jennie T. Anderson Theatre (548 South Marietta Pkwy., Marietta).

Atlanta Lyric Theatre presents this brand new musical holiday spectacular December 20-23, 2018. A dazzling event featuring Atlanta's favorites, sparkling dance numbers and luxurious costumes, YOUR HAPPY HOLIDAY performs at the Jennie T. Anderson Theatre (548 South Marietta Pkwy., Marietta). For tickets, reservations and group pricing visit www.AtlantaLyric.com or call 404-377-9948.