What to see, do and hear: Songs we love, Out Front Theatre, “Don Quixote,” more

DANCE

As ArtsATL dance writer Robin Wharton writes in her preview, Atlanta Ballet’s full-length Don Quixote features “a large cast of characters that carouse, brawl, prank and, of course, dance their way through [Yuri] Possokhov’s update of this iconic ballet.” Last performed in 2018, the ballet has lavish sets and costumes, an articulated horse and live music from the Atlanta Ballet Orchestra. Comedy, romance and fun for the whole family. Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre. Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets $25 and up.

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Full Radius Dance will present Alice, Peter, & Dorothy this weekend at 7 Stages. The full evening work is the result of Artistic Director Douglas Scott’s deep dive into the iconic novels Alice in Wonderland, J.M. Barrie’s Peter and Wendy and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, viewing them through a disability-centric lens. Ever thought of Peter Pan’s Captain Hook as an amputee with a prosthesis? The show suggests you might view him differently if you did. Trigger warning: suicide is mentioned briefly and the work addresses mature themes not suitable for children. Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. Sunday at 5 p.m. Suggested donation $20.

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The Georgia Ballet is reprising its evening length Carmen Suite this weekend. Originally created by Alberto Alonso in 1967 in Cuba, and inspired by Bizet’s opera, the ballet was restaged by The Georgia Ballet’s Artistic Director Daet Rodriguez in 2018. Friday 8 p.m. Saturday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Sunday at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. The sensory friendly performance Thursday starts at 7 p.m. at the Jennie T. Anderson Theatre in Marietta. Tickets $20 and up.

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MUSIC

Big Head Todd and The Monsters have logged more than 3,500 performances in the blues/rock band’s nearly 35-year history. Through that time the band has collaborated with or performed with legends that include Neil Young and The Allman Brothers Band to Albert Collins and Hubert Sumlin. The group, which started when band members were in high school in Colorado, comes to the Variety Playhouse Friday at 8 p.m. Tickets are $39.

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Superstar tenor Lawrence Brownlee was inspired by the murder of George Floyd and the pandemic to bring together new works by young African American composers set to texts drawn from writings of the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s and ’30s. The resulting program, Rising, comes to Emory University’s Emerson Music Hall Friday at 8 p.m. Be sure to check out our interview with Brownlee, where he discusses his aspirations for the piece and his own journey in becoming one of the world’s most acclaimed singers. Tickets are $50. (Photo by Zakiyah Caldwell Burroughs)

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The Jazz at Lincoln Center Presents “Songs We Love” tour makes a stop at the Rialto Center for the Performing Arts Saturday at 8 p.m. The concert will feature three guest vocalists and an all-star band of rising musicians discovered by Wynton Marsalis. The concert will feature music from the 1920s through the 1950s and include songs made famous by such legends as Ma Rainey, Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra and Judy Garland. Tickets start at $24.

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In celebration of the first day of spring, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra will host a free screening of the January concert that featured Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons. The concert, showing Monday at 8 p.m., features ASO Concertmaster and violinist David Coucheron. To watch the concert, go HERE.

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THEATER

This Saturday, celebrate World Children’s Theatre Day with a special event hosted by the Aurora Theatre in Lawrenceville, in partnership with Dance Canvas. Kids ages 10 to 18 are invited to take part in a workshop hosted by Ajia Northern, assistant choreographer for Summer: The Donna Summer Musical. The workshop is being held at the Borders Rehearsal Hall at the Lawrenceville Arts Center from 10:30 a.m. until noon. It’s free to attend, but space is limited, so register early. 147 East Crogan Street.

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On stage this weekend at Out Front Theatre Company is the Atlanta premiere of Donja R. Love’s one in two, starring Patrick Hamilton, Michael Ward and Robert King Jr. The play, based on Love’s own HIV-positive diagnosis, will feature on-site testing after each 90-minute performance provided by Positive Impact Health Centers. Tickets start at $17.55.

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ART+DESIGN

Head over to Gallery 992 on Friday for the opening reception of Between 2 Places, a solo exhibit of recent works and events by self-taught artist Ernest Hood. The exhibit straddles two locations, Gallery 992 and Ernie’s In The Cut Grooming Gallery located at 412b Chamberlain Street SE. The artist’s intent in his paintings, drawings and photographs is to reveal the duality in every human being. 992 Ralph David Abernathy Boulevard. 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. followed by an after-party celebration till midnight.

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Jeni Stallings: Life is but a Dream is a new exhibit at Thomas Deans Fine Art and the first solo show for this Atlanta artist. Her lyrical, romantic and often dreamlike paintings use encaustic technique. Some of the works feature women swimmers and divers; others are inspired by the fantasy genie in the magic lamp. Opening reception Saturday 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

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The exhibit Lesley Dill Wilderness: Light Sizzles Around Me is now open at Kennesaw State University’s Bernard A. Zuckerman Museum of Art. The show features hand-painted and sewn textile sculptures and banners that the renowned New York-based artist has created over the past seven years. Expect imagery, text and references to American historical and literary figures woven into large three-dimensional works. Through May 14.

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FILM+TV

Support arthouse cinemas and catch Creed III, starring Michael B. Jordan and Jonathan Majors, this evening at the Plaza Theatre or at Landmark Midtown Art Cinema. ArtsATL editor at large Jim Farmer says the Atlanta-made film “continues the story of the titular character …  from the 2015 original film and its 2018 sequel.” Ticket prices start at $11, and showtimes vary between 4 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.