Aurora Theatre shines spotlight on Spring

Whether ready to laugh, learn or love, Aurora Theatre audiences can spring into the new season with a plethora of fun shows and classes, sure to please everyone! The laughter-inducing talent behind Aurora Comedy Nights will help audiences celebrate with St. Paddy’s Comedy Spectacular, sure to have everyone’s Irish eyes smiling! Right in time for spring break, the littlest thespians can enjoy a handful of Aurora Children’s Playhouse productions while budding actors can finetune skills at Aurora Theatre Academy. Those looking for excitement won’t want to miss Mamma Mia!, set to dazzle with favorite dance numbers on the mainstage! Plus, the theater will celebrate mothers of all ages with El Gran Dia del Madre and audiences can savor a cultural feast for the senses with Sueños Andaluces. With so much fun in store, there’s lots blooming at Aurora Theatre this spring!

Special Spring Programming

Aurora Comedy Nights

St. Paddy’s Comedy Spectacular
Friday, March 16 and Saturday, March 17 at 7:15 p.m. and 9:15 p.m.
Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with the best in Atlanta comedy! Live comedy has been a staple at Aurora Theatre since 2007 and, since then, audiences regularly enjoy club comedy in Aurora’s intimate studio theater on the square in downtown Lawrenceville. Aurora Comedy Nights is hosted by bright young comedienne Katie Causey and features top local and nationally touring stand-up acts as well as improv comedy. Aurora Theatre offers a full bar without the standard two-drink minimum – all the ingredients to concoct lots of fun and laughter! Tickets are $18 and can be purchased online at bit.ly/AuroraStPaddysTix.

Aurora Children’s Playhouse
Select Saturdays in March and April at 10 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.
Aurora Theatre assembles the best children’s performers in the region, bringing them to Gwinnett County for a family-friendly series filled with an array of extraordinary performances. Playhouse tickets are $7; PlayhouseTix punch cards are $50 and good for 10 admissions to any Children’s Playhouse show. For more information, visit bit.ly/AuroraChildrensPlayhouse.

Folksongs for the Family
Saturday, March 17 at 10 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.
By Mary Flannery’s Ghost
Formed in 2014 with a moniker that pays tribute to the great gothic writer Flannery O’Connor and all southern artists going back to the American revolution, Mary Flannery’s Ghost is a trio of flute, guitar and cello that is known for performing lively entertaining children’s concerts across the Metro Atlanta area, including The Children’s Museum of Atlanta. Families will enjoy songs such as “All You Need is Love,” “Stand By Me,” “This Land is Your Land” and many more – all with distinct sets and a quickly moving program, sure to get children involved with movement and interaction.

Literature Sings
Saturday, March 24 at 10 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.
By Wendy Bennett and Ritchie Crownfield
In this delightful program, Wendy and Ritchie show what every writer should know about the essential elements of a good story – setting, character and conflict. With help from the audience, they will present scenes from treasured stories adapted for musical theater, including “A Year with Frog and Toad,” “The Cat in the Hat,” “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” and “The Secret Garden.”

Around the World in Under an Hour
Saturday, April 4 at 10 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.
Special spring break show by the Children’s Museum of Atlanta Imaginators
Master explorer Phineas Figg has just accepted a challenge from the International Explorers League to travel the world in under an hour! He will need the help of some adventurous children to help him visit all seven continents in record time! The Children’s Museum of Atlanta’s award-winning Imaginators bring geography to life in this fast-paced, interactive performance perfect for the entire family.

A Musical Tour Through Latin America
Saturday, April 14 at 10 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.
By Havana Son
Havana Son will transport audiences to the tropics during this musical journey – no passport required! Children can participate in the show by singing, clapping, dancing or playing percussion instruments, while enjoying a musical itinerary that includes stops in Cuba, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Colombia, Panama and Puerto Rico, as they sample each country’s distinct sounds and rhythms. While having a blast, these little adventurers will also learn about the cultures and different countries of Latin America!

An Ocean of Discovery
Saturday, April 21 at 10 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.
By The Georgia Aquarium
Little oceanographers will love this show where science is adventure! This performance combines the arts of puppetry and music to explore the depths of our world’s ocean through the lens of imagination.

Aurora Theatre Academy: Spring Classes

Drama Beach
Elementary School Students Mini Class (Grades 1–3)
Elementary School Students Master Class (Grades 4–5)
Middle School Students (Grades 6–8)
Monday, April 2 OR Thursday, April 5 from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
With spring break approaching, it’s time for the beach! Without planning a tropical trip, budding thespians can still visit Drama Beach ’18 at Aurora Theatre Academy. Led by Atlanta’s most talented actors and comedians, this one-day improv workshops for grades 1–8 will ensure students have a blast. Drama Beach ’18 will be a full day of fun beach-themed theater games and activities with a cook out lunch party to boot. Students can come dressed for the beach theme—Hawaiian shirts, sunglasses and flip flops are encouraged. A great way for beginners to test the waters or for seasoned performers to sharpen their improv skills in a fun and creative way, this class will focus on teamwork, character development and creative thinking through theater games and exercises. Tickets are $35 per student – tuition includes a cook out lunch.

Acting on Film: One-Day Acting on Camera Intensive with Drama, Inc.
Saturday, April 14 from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Cost $145
Participants will benefit from the expertise of professional film actors and instructors, Scott Poythress and Claire Bronson, from Drama, Inc. This one-day workshop for teens will focus on acting technique for the camera, auditioning and understanding the differences between stage and screen.

Register for classes online by visiting bit.ly/AuroraTheatreAcademy.

Continuing in March…

Mamma Mia!
March 8 - April 22
Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus’ Mamma Mia!, the smash hit musical based on the songs of ABBA, is one of the most successful musicals of all time, the eighth longest running show in Broadway history and one of only five musicals to have run for more than ten years on Broadway, combining timeless tunes with a sunny, funny tale that unfolds on a small Greek island. Sophie dreams of a perfect wedding where her father walks her down the aisle, but she is faced with one problem: the identity of her father is unknown! On a quest to discover his identity, she secretly invites the three possible candidates to her wedding, bringing them back into her mother’s life for the first time in 20 years. Mamma Mia! is an absolute must see, filled with ABBA hits, non-stop laughs and explosive dance numbers. In the title role of Donna Sheridan, Aurora Theatre proudly cast Kristin Markiton, the star of last season’s The Bridges of Madison County. Tickets range from $40-$75 and may be purchased online at tickets.auroratheatre.com or by calling the Box Office at 678.226.6222.

*Evening performances on March 10, 13 and 20 and April 4 and 11 are sold out, as well as matinees on March 10, 11, 20 and April 10

Regular show times are as follows:

    Tuesday–Saturday: 8 p.m.
    Saturday and Sunday: 2:30 p.m.

Upcoming in April…

El Gran Día de la Madre
April 6-29
by Chascas y Quintanilla
Directed by Daniel Jáquez
Violeta, her daughter Cotillón and granddaughter Prudencia, all keepers of dark secrets, have a great Mother’s Day reckoning in a family mausoleum in this rollicking comedy from Spain. Audiences are invited to witness the scene, as these women of three different generations celebrate this explosive holiday with love, tears and most importantly, a big dose of laughter. Tickets range from $20-$30 and may be purchased online at bit.ly/ATMothersDay or by calling the Box Office at 678.226.6222.

Regular show times are as follows:

    Tuesday–Saturday: 8 p.m.
    Saturday and Sunday: 2:30 p.m.

For more information or to purchase tickets for events, call the Box Office at 678.226.6222 or visit www.auroratheatre.com.