What to see, do and hear: Paris at High, Music Midtown, “La Sylphide” and more

ART+DESIGN

In the City of Light: Paris 1850-1920 opened at the High Museum of Art earlier this month. It takes visitors through the architecture, people and culture of Paris at a pivotal and creative moment in its history. Artists such as Théophile Steinlen, Henri-Gabriel Ibels, Edgar Degas, Édouard Manet, Honoré Daumier and Édouard Vuillard immortalized the sights of Notre Dame, dancers at the Folies Bergère, street markets, absinthe drinkers in cafés and the pursuits of beggars and the working class. The show includes prints, drawings, photographs and sculptures from the High’s holdings and loans from local private collections. Through December 31. Members free; non-members $18.50.

::

A solo exhibition by North Carolina artist Virginia Derryberry will open this weekend in the Main Galleries at the Marietta Cobb Museum of Art. The exhibit, Private Domain, features narrative, large-scale oils on canvas and fabric constructions. Derryberry’s work has been shown regularly in solo and group exhibitions throughout the United States. Opening reception Saturday from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Free for members, $10 for nonmembers. The artist will give a talk on Sunday at 1 p.m. Free.

::

Art galleries are focusing more and more on online sales, and the Signature Gallery is no exception. On Friday, a large group of works by ceramicist Michael Simon (1947-2021) will become available on its website at 11 a.m. The works come from a number of private collections and include many of the iconic forms and imagery associated with the artist. Simon’s work can be found in several museums, including the Los Angeles County Museum and the Minneapolis Institute of Arts.

DANCE

La Sylphide was choreographed by August Bournonville in 1863 and is considered the world’s oldest Romantic ballet. Atlanta Ballet performed the Johan Kobborg production in 2019 and is bringing it back to the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre this weekend. The two-act narrative work tells of a mischievous sylph, an infatuated Scotsman, the girl he is about to marry and an evil witch who meddles with true love, with disastrous results. The challenging ballet technique features low, intricate jumps that are unique to the Bournonville style. (Note: The role of James will be performed by Denys Nedak on Friday; he replaces Patric Palkens, who had to drop out because of an injury.) Friday at 8 p.m.; Saturday at 2 p.m.; and 8 p.m. Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets $26 to $149.

::

The Ferst Center for the Arts at Georgia Tech will present Sankei on Saturday only. This multilayered, immersive dance and film project explores the horrors of the Japanese American internment during World War II. The dance portion will feature KAMBARA+, a San Francisco based dance company lead by choreographer Yayio Kambara, creator of the project. The audience will be seated on the stage, giving the work an additional feeling of intimacy. Audiences are encouraged to watch the film Ni Do To in the lobby before the performance and try out the interactive games. 4:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. Lobby exhibits continue through October 28. Tickets start at $15.

::

Sean Dorsey Dance performs the Atlanta premiere of The Lost Art of Dreaming at 7 Stages Friday through Sunday. Dorsey is a San Francisco-based transgender artist and activist who brought earlier works to Atlanta in 2016 and 2019. ArtsATL’s Jim Farmer reviewed the 2019 performance Boys in Trouble and described it as “a compelling hybrid of dance and theater, featuring monologues, music and moments of power and intimacy” that were “highly theatrical” with “poignancy and sequences of naked truth.”  This weekend, the company will offer post-performance activities, a complimentary dance workshop on Saturday, and an Art of Activism dialogue on Sunday. Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m.; Sunday at 4 p.m. First two rows of the theater reserved for masked patrons. ASL interpretation on Saturday only. Tickets $35.

MUSIC

After a one-year absence, Music Midtown returns to Piedmont Park this weekend. Pink headlines Friday, along with DJ Flume. Billie Eilish and the English band The 1975 headline Saturday. And Guns N’ Roses and Atlantan Lil Baby headline Sunday. Other performers scheduled include First Aid Kit, GloRilla, Young Nudy, The Rose, Pitbull and Yung Gravy. One day general admission tickets start at $155. 

::

Brazilian pop icon and drag queen Pabllo Vittar became a sensation with the 2017 debut album Rai Passar Mal. Vittar may be the most recognizable drag queen in the world, with 35 million followers on social media, and has been featured in Rolling Stone, Harper’s Bazaar, GQ Brazil, Vogue Brazil and other publications. Vittar will perform her club-oriented pop music at the Variety Playhouse Sunday at 9 p.m. Tickets are $35. 

::

The winner of the Koko Taylor Award for Best Traditional Female Blues Artist in 2016, Ruthie Foster has not had a linear career. She joined the Navy after junior college, then got signed as a future pop star by Atlantic Records. Instead, she wanted to explore roots music and put her singing career on hold altogether to caretake for her mother, working as a camera operator at a television station. But in 1997, Foster self-released her Full Circle album and jump-started her career, which has included a Carnegie Hall show and sitting in with The Allman Brothers Band for four songs at their annual Beacon Theatre run in New York City in 2012. Foster has just released her ninth studio album, Healing Time, and performs Sunday at 7 p.m. at Eddie’s Attic. Tickets are $35.

BOOKS

The succulent Southern biscuit, hallowed and celebrated, can be an elusive delicacy — difficult to master and easy to turn into a doughy (or dry) mess. For a Southerner, the goal is always to replicate the goodness of your grandmother’s biscuit. Erika Council founded Atlanta’s Bomb Biscuit Company, and it is not a coincidence that her grandmother was the legendary soul food chef Mildred “Mama Dip” Council. She has written Still We Rise: A Love Letter to the Southern Biscuit With Over 70 Sweet and Savory Recipes, and will be in conversation with Rose Scott Monday at 7 p.m. as part of the Atlanta History Center’s Author Talks series. Be sure to arrive at 6:15 p.m. for a biscuit tasting. Tickets start at $10 for nonmembers; $5 for members.

THEATER

The Mad Hatterpillar and Her Many Heads is on stage at Out Front Theatre on Saturday at 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. and on Sunday at 3 p.m. Created by Rachel Frawley and Sarah Beth Hester, the original production follows the journey of Maddie, a determined caterpillar who aspires to become a butterfly. Cast members include Alejandra Ruiz, Barry Westmoreland, Evan Hill Phillips and Daniela Santiago. Tickets are $10.

::

This weekend is the final opportunity to see Beautiful: The Carole King Musical on stage at the Aurora Theatre. Starring Bethany Irby as the iconic singer/songwriter, the musical chronicles King’s early life and rise to fame. Read the ArtsATL Q&A with Irby to find out how Irby prepared for the role and came to identify with the character she portrays. Tickets start at $21. (Photo by Chris Helton)

FILM+TV

For aspiring filmmakers who have a great idea for a documentary but don’t know the ins and outs of the film business, the Atlanta Film Society offers a “Beginner’s Guide to Documentaries” class on Saturday at 10 a.m. at the Plaza Theatre. The seminar will be led by Anjanette Levert, director of Spelman College’s Documentary Filmmaking Program. The three-hour course will cover the history of the documentary, how to bring your idea to the screen and resources to help get your project up and filming. Registration is $75.

::

The Morehouse College Human Rights Film Festival launches next Tuesday and continues with five days of screenings, panels and other programming on the topic of social justice. Read the ArtsATL article on upcoming film festivals to learn what inspired executive director Kara Walker to launch the event five years ago. All-access passes are $150 each, and film-only passes are $75 each.