9 essential Atlanta arts events this weekend

Each week, ArtsATL curates a selection of the most exciting arts and culture events happening in Atlanta this weekend, highlighting nine must-see experiences.

::

Thursday

The Atlanta Film Festival and Creative Conference

Kicking off on April 23, the 50th Atlanta Film Festival will present some 150 international and local short and feature-length works, representing more than 50 countries. It takes place from April 23 through May 3 at the Plaza Theatre and the Tara Theatre.

Atlanta Symphony Orchestra : Flores Performs Marquez

Things get global at Symphony Hall with a program that melds Afro-Caribbean, Central American and South American traditions as the ASO welcomes Nicaraguan conductor Giancarlo Guerrero and Mexican trumpeter Pacho Flores for concerts on Thursday, April 23, and Saturday, April 25. The evening will include works written by and for Flores, along with Astor Piazzolla’s tango-infused Sinfonía Buenos Aires.

Friday

Inman Park Festival & Tour of Homes

This beloved annual event happens from April 24 through April 26 on the shady streets of Inman Park. In addition to the usual festival fare, this event puts a spotlight on dance. And don’t miss the parade at 2 p.m. on Saturday.

Madelyn Sher: A Note That Bends

Emory Arts dance fellow Sher combines dance, spoken word, chorus and instrumental music to create what — depending on the spectator’s frame of mind — might be experienced as a thought-provoking meditation on language as performance or a playful experiment in multidisciplinary storytelling. See it on Friday, April 24, and Saturday, April 25, during the Arts Fellow Concert at the Schwartz Center for Performing Arts. Read more about Sher and her work here.

Abigél Králik 

The brilliant young virtuoso violinist makes her Atlanta debut at the next Bach’s Lunch concert at noon on Friday, April 24, at the First Presbyterian Church of Atlanta (next to the High Museum). The program features works of Kreisler and Bartok and Franck’s Sonata in A with pianist William Ransom.

Saturday

Atlanta Opera: Turandot

The Atlanta Opera marks the 100th anniversary of Puccini’s final masterpiece from April 25 through May 3 at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre. It was left unfinished at the time of his death in 1924, but a version completed posthumously premiered in April 1926. The Atlanta Opera will debut a new ending, which, for the first time, uses Puccini’s own music.

Waiting for Guffman

Christopher Guest plays aspiring director Corky St. Clair, who brings together a marginally talented amateur cast for his hokey small-town musical production in this 1996 comedy. As usual, the late, great Catherine O’Hara is a highlight. It screens at the Tara on April 25.

No Tables, No Chairs

Created by Mausiki Scales and The Common Ground Collective and presented by Art on the Beltline, No Tables, No Chairs is a funk-filled musical festival that takes you on a journey through the pulsating rhythms of the African diaspora. Join the fun in Shirley Clarke Franklin Park from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. on April 25.

Sunday

The Georgia Boy Choir International Festival

This festival returns to Atlanta Symphony Hall at 4 p.m. on April 26 with the famous Finnish choir, Cantores Minores, joining the Georgia Boy Choir on stage to perform Symphony of Psalms by Igor Stravinsky and Herbert Howells’ Te Deum (Collegium Regale), accompanied by a full orchestra. 

More things to do this weekend and beyond

Over at Synovous Bank Amphitheatre at Chastain Park, you can experience three nights of great American music with Willie Nelson on Thursday night, April 23, Alabama Shakes on Friday, April 24, and Jon Baptiste on Saturday, April 25 … The rootsy American theme continues at Ameris Bank Amphitheatre with The Tedeschi Trucks Band and Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit on Tuesday, April 28 … If you’re looking to get outdoors this weekend, check out ARTucker on April 25 at Tucker’s Church Street Green Space and Dunwoody’s Lemonade Days Festival, from April 22 to April 26 … And do yourself a favor and experience the roof-rattling vocals of U.K. pop sensation Raye at the Coca-Cola Roxy on April 28, especially if you’re among the many who miss the late, great Amy Winehouse. Next time Raye comes to town, she’ll likely be in a much bigger venue … The six wives of Henry VIII take the microphone to remix 500 years of historical heartbreak in Six the Musical, which comes to the Fox Theatre from April 28 through May 3 … Emmy and SAG-nominated actor, comedian and author Kevin Nealon is best known for his nine-year stint as a cast member of NBC’s Saturday Night Live. Catch him at 7 p.m. and 9:15 p.m. April 24; 6 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. April 25; and 6 p.m. April 26 at Helium Comedy Club … North Carolina indie rock legends Superchunk will play Terminal West at 8 p.m. April 23, with an opening set from Pylon Reenactment Society … The Atlanta Contemporary Music Collective’s Microvariations features music by Sky Macklay and Andrew Rodriguez, including the world premiere of Rodriguez’s new concerto for guitarist Jamie Monck, at 7:30 p.m. April 25 at Oak Grove United Methodist Church.