DANCE
Atlanta Ballet will close out its 2022-23 season this weekend with two world premieres and an oldie but goodie. Carnivale, a new ballet set to music by Spanish composer Joaquín Rodrigo, will showcase choreographer-in-residence Claudia Schreier in a colorful and jubilant mood. Guest dance maker Remi Wörtmeyer not only choreographed his new work, Significant Others, but also designed the sets and costumes. ArtsATL writer Robin Wharton watched a rehearsal and got a peek behind the scenes. Completing the program is Ben Stevenson’s Three Preludes, set to piano preludes by Rachmaninoff which will be played live by company pianist Western Li-Summerton. Friday 8 p.m. Saturday 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Sunday 2 p.m. Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre. Tickets start at $25.
ART+DESIGN
The works in artist Alan Caomin Xie’s exhibit Seven Dreams of the Lotus Sutra at the Sandler Hudson Gallery were inspired by the seven parables of this Buddhist Sutra. Originally from Shanghai, the Atlanta-based artist will give a talk on Saturday about his dark, mysterious and meticulously crafted works. 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. The exhibit runs through June 10.
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Spalding Nix Fine Art has a new group show opening this weekend. Layer-by-Layer features work by Katherine Sandoz, Scotty Peek, Susan Maakestad and David Boyd. According to the gallery, the paintings in the show are held together “by the layering of shapes, lines and colors, by the layering of leaves, sidewalks and rocks, and by the layering of meaning, memory and history.” Opening reception Saturday 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. (Photo of Katherine Sandoz art courtesy of the artist)
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Sunday is FUNday at the Carlos Museum. The topic is birds and there will be plenty of bird-related art activities to keep little ones occupied, along with opportunities to learn how to protect these creatures that tell us much about the health of our ecosystems today. Participants will receive a SmARTy Pack family guide to birds of the Americas. Tate Room. 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Free.
THEATER
Reversible Lane, a new show that merges improv and sketch comedy, kicks off Saturday and runs through June 10 at Dad’s Garage. The show explores Atlanta through scenes, songs and characters inspired by DeKalb Avenue’s reversible lane. The performance features Karen Cassady, Shay Dominguez, George Faughnan, Perry Frost, Justin Geer, Z Gillispie and Swift Rice. This Saturday’s show includes an opening party with the chance to meet the cast. Tickets are $13.50 each, and parking is free.
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The Atlanta premiere of Mlima’s Tale, at 7 Stages Theatre through May 21, is a play that focuses on a beloved elephant in Kenya that is killed by poachers. Written by two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Lynn Nottage, Mlima’s Tale offers audiences an opportunity to learn more about the dwindling African elephant population and the ivory trade through the life and death of Mlima. In addition, there will be discussions following Thursday performances on May 11 and 18, a dance workshop grounded in movements of the African Diaspora on May 20 and an ongoing exhibition on elephants and their sought-after tusks. Tickets start at $25.
The cast of Prayer for the French Republic takes its final bow this weekend at Actor’s Express. ArtsATL critic Alexis Hauk praised the production as having “detailed, rich ideas and dynamic characters” and says playwright Joshua Harmon “uses [language that] simmers in evocative imagery and a strong sense of place.” Tickets start at $49.
MUSIC
Star Wars fans will feel the force when the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra performs the score of Star Wars: The Force Awakens during a screening of the film at Symphony Hall Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m. The 2015 film picks up the Star Wars story 30 years after Return of the Jedi and introduces the characters of Rey, Finn and Kylo Ren. And, of course, it features a score by composer John Williams. Tickets start at $89.50.
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Longtime Atlanta fixture Oliver Wood returns home with The Wood Brothers for a show May 18 at The Eastern at 7:30 p.m. Oliver and Chris Wood have just released their seventh studio album, Kingdom In My Mind, as The Wood Brothers. Early in his career, Oliver Wood toured in the band of Atlanta bluesman Tinsley Ellis, then formed the popular Atlanta group King Johnson before joining forces with his brother. The band is steeped in roots music and has earned a Grammy nomination. Tickets start at $37.50.
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Eddie’s Attic, famed as a folk music venue, temporarily turns into a classical music hall Wednesday at 9 p.m. for a concert by The Georgian Chamber Players: David Coucheron, Julie Coucheron, Zhenwei Shi and Elizabeth Pridgen. The group is one of most acclaimed chamber ensembles in Atlanta and was formed in 1984 by principal players of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. David Coucheron currently serves as the symphony’s concert master. Tickets are $30.
BOOKS
Author Leah Myers discusses her book Thinning Blood: A Memoir of Family, Myth and Identity in a virtual author’s talk hosted by Charis Books on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. Myers may be the last member of the Jamestown S’Klallam tribe in her family line, and the book explores four generations of women in her family’s history and how Native culture is “being bleached out.” Myers will be conversation with Kung Li Sun, an Atlanta author and attorney. Free.
