What to see, do and hear: Sade, “Snowblind,” love stories, more

THEATER 

Marc Evan Jackson, who has appeared in popular shows such as Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Parks and Recreation, will lead a special Saturday night performance at Plaza Theatre just in time for Valentine’s Day. Joined by Amber Nash, Karen Cassady, Freddy Boyd, Kevin Gillese and Jon Carr, Jackson and this comedic crew will take your love stories and turn them into laughs. Tickets start at $35 for general admission, and the show begins at 9:15 p.m. 1049 Ponce De Leon Avenue, Atlanta. 

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This weekend, Art Station and Out Front Theatre Company present The Pink Unicorn, an award-winning comedy written by Elise Forier Edie. Watch widow Trisha Lee make the tough choice between pleasing her religiously conservative community in Texas and standing beside her teen, who aspires to start a high-school chapter of the Gay-Straight Alliance. Tickets start at $21. Masks are recommended. 

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What do you get when you combine science fiction with a little bit of Valentine romance? Find out at Stage Door Theatre for the final weekend of Completeness, written by Itamar Moses. This love story between a computer scientist and a molecular biologist promises to be the antidote to typical February fare. Tickets start at $35 with discounts available. 

DANCE

Tonight at 6:30 p.m. Core Dance will present a livestream conversation with choreographer and Emory professor of dance Julio Medina and Capoeira expert Professora Dandhara. Medina’s most recent work, desahogo:undrown was reviewed by ArtATL’s senior editor Gillian Anne Renault when it premiered as part of Medina’s evening presentation meta/physical.

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Atlanta Ballet’s mixed bill Midwinter Dreams features tragedy and entanglement in the company premiere of Snowblind by British choreographer Cathy Marston. She talked about her narrative style with ArtsATL’s senior editor Renault this week. Also on the program: Yuri Possokhov’s bravura Classical Symphony to music by Prokofiev; Helgi Tomasson’s Concerto Grosso for five men set to music by Corelli; and Love Fear Loss, a journey through a romantic relationship inspired by French singer Édith Piaf, whose songs create the musical framework. Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre. February 10-12. Tickets start at $25.

ART+DESIGN

Tokie Rome-Taylor has an exhibit at Hammonds House Museum. Insight: Body as Artifact, Archive and Memory explores how the passing down of tradition has been broken for many African Americans, and family artifacts lost. The show delves into material culture and the body “as reservoirs of history and memory.” Rome-Taylor’s work has been exhibited nationally and internationally and is in the permanent collection of MOCA GA and the Southeastern Museum of Photography. Curated by Nitzanah Griffin. Through April 2. General admission $10. Discounts available.

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Mason Fine Art’s first artist reception of 2023 will take place Thursday from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Artists featured are Jim Hill, Ren Dillard, Chinemerem Omeh and Jonathan Imafidor.

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The rek Gallery in Tucker is doing something a little different as we gear up for Valentine’s Day.  Swing by Saturday evening for When Love Walks In, a one-night-stand of storytelling. Brave storytellers will share true tales of love, heartbreak and awkward dates. Will they be heartwarming, humorous or cringe-worthy? Probably all three. Doors open at 8 p.m. Drinks and light refreshments. Tickets $5. Limited seating.

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MUSIC

The annual pre-Super Bowl Bach Bowl, presented by the Emory Chamber Music Society of Atlanta, returns Sunday at 4 p.m. in Emerson Hall. The concert is cheekfully presented as a “celebration of the greatest Quarter(note)Bach in history.” The hourlong program will feature Bach’s tour-de-force work, the Goldberg Variations, and include 10 pianists, the Vega String Trio, a brass trio and a vocal ensemble. Free.

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What better way to celebrate Valentine’s Day than the music of Sade? The ATL Collective, which brings together local musicians to perform timeless albums, will present its 9th annual reliving of Sade’s Love Deluxe album at City Winery on February 13 at 8 p.m. This is the first installment of the Collective’s 2023 Preservation Series, curated by Khari Cabral Simmons and will also be a fundraiser for the nonprofit group. Tickets start at $41.

FILM + TV 

Whether you’re staying in or going out to the cinema, catch a variety of flicks in the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival this weekend, from drama to comedy and everything in between. This year’s in-person venues include Sandy Springs Performing Arts Center, the Plaza Theatre, Landmark Midtown Art Cinema and the Woodruff Arts Center’s Rich Auditorium. Read ArtsATL critic Steve Murray’s reviews of many of the films here. Ticket prices vary. 

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BOOKS

Atlanta native Janelle M. Williams will be at Charis Books & More on Thursday, February 16, at 7:30 p.m. to discuss her debut novel, Gone Like Yesterday. The book employs magical realism to explore the experience of being a Black woman in today’s America. Willians will be in conversation with Nicki Salcedo, author of All Beautiful Things. The event is free and will also be streamed live.