Matt Tamanini received a BA in Journalism/Communications from The Ohio State University, where he served as the Sports Director for Buck-i-TV and was an intern for the Kirk Herbstreit and Ian Fitzsimmons show on 1460 The Fan WBNS AM. Upon graduation, Matt wrote for the Big Ten Conference and served as the Media Relations Director for the Chicago Bandits professional softball team. Matt then worked as a high school theatre teacher and director for six years. He now works in Marketing and Public Relations. You can connect with Matt through Twitter: @ATLTheatreMatt.
 BWW Reviews: Cast Thrives in Uneven, But Intense SEMINAR at Actor's Express
May 22, 2013
Like on her Broadway-themed television show 'Smash,' in 'Seminar,' running through June 16th at Actor's Express, Theresa Rebeck pulls away the curtain to revel the struggles required to create something for the enjoyment of others. Being able to see those struggles, both personal and creative, is a bit like seeing a sausage being stuffed; it can be ugly, but, if done well, the results are nonetheless appetizing. While Rebeck's script is mostly edge-of-your-seat exciting, it is riddled with lukewarm cliches. Thankfully, the superb cast compensates with deliciously rich performances. Directed by Suzi Award winner Freddie Ashley, 'Seminar' almost completely avoids the self-important tedium of a writer writing about writers who complain about how difficult writing is.
 BWW Reviews: Heartbreaking DANCING AT LUGHNASA Is Rewarding Experience at Stage Door Players
May 21, 2013
The emotional memory play 'Dancing at Lughnasa,' running through June 9th at Dunwoody's Stage Door Players, is alternately touching and harrowing. This bittersweet duality is due in large part to deep, layered performances by a skilled cast and the insightful direction of three-time Suzi Bass Award winning actress Tess Malis Kincaid. Even though the play's setting is thousands of miles and the better part of a century removed from present day Atlanta, each character, and their individual and collective struggles, seems remarkably contemporary. While the play, by Tony-winner Brian Friel, is not the traditional comic summer fare, its lighthearted moments, mixed in amongst heartbreak, are genuinely emotional.
 BWW Reviews: BOOK CLUB PLAY Brings Intellect, Laughs to Horizon
May 20, 2013
After seeing the Horizon Theatre's new play on its sold-out opening night, I wouldn't have been surprised if it had opened with, 'This is the story of six friends picked to read a book and have their discussions taped to find out what happens when people stop being polite and start getting real... 'The Book Club Play'.' This new comedy by Atlanta-native Karen Zacarias, which runs through June 23rd, hysterically explores how literature can impact readers, especially when they are being filmed by a world-famous documentary filmmaker.
 BWW Interviews: Class Is in Session with Andrew Benator in Actor's Express SEMINAR
May 16, 2013
For nearly a decade, Andrew Benator has been one of Atlanta's most versatile actors. Having won a Suzi Award for playing a child-like Lord of the Underworld in Georgia Shakespeare and the Alliance's 'Eurydice', he is known by a wider audience as Dr. Jawfy on Tyler Perry sitcoms 'House of Payne' and 'Meet the Browns.' Since the Atlanta-native moved back home from New York in 2005, he has been a regular part of both the city's expanding stage and screen industries. Benator recently spoke with Broadway World Atlanta about his upcoming show 'Seminar,' which runs May 16th-June 16th at Actor's Express.
 BWW Interviews: Tess Malis Kincaid, Talented Cast Provide Bittersweet Connection in Stage Door's DANCING AT LUGHNASA
May 15, 2013
It is during life's most difficult times that families often bound together; such is the case in Brian Friel's 1992 Tony-winning play, 'Dancing at Lughnasa.' The powerful play tells the story of five poor Irish sisters struggling to live and love during the Depression, but despite their desperate circumstances, the family finds joy in dancing to the Irish folk music that intermittently plays on their unreliable radio. The show, which can be called a drama infused with humor, runs May 17th-June 9th at Stage Door Players in Dunwoody, and is directed by three-time reigning Suzi Bass Award winner for Best Lead Actress in a Play, Tess Malis Kincaid.
 BWW Interviews: Wendy Melkonian Brings Humor from Page to Stage in Horizon's THE BOOK CLUB PLAY
May 13, 2013
Wendy Melkonian recently spoke with Broadway World Atlanta about her new play, 'The Book Club Play,' which runs from May 17th-June 23rd at the Horizon Theatre. This new comedy by Atlanta-native Karen Zacarias is directed by Horizon co-artistic director Jeff Adler. The play follows a tight-knit book club bound for pandemonium when it becomes the focus of a documentary film.
 BWW Interviews: Andrew Crigler Goes From Rat to Director in Fabrefaction's CHARLOTTE'S WEB
May 1, 2013
It is not unusual for directors to revisit plays that they have previously performed in, however, it is a little unusual to do so as quickly as Suzi-nominated actor/director Andrew Crigler currently is. In February and March, Crigler played Templeton the rat in the Alliance Theatre's production of 'Charlotte's Web,' and from May 10th-12th, he will be directing the same show as part of Fabrefaction Theatre's Young Artists Season.
 BWW Interviews: GA Shakespeare Brings Energy to the Park with MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING
April 24, 2013
Like temperatures creeping closer to the 90's and pollen covering all of metro-Atlanta, Georgia Shakespeare's trip to Piedmont Park has become an annual rite of spring. After eight years as 'Shake at the Lake', Georgia Shakespeare is readying a remount of last summer's hit comedy 'Much Ado About Nothing' for their second year in front of the Legacy Fountain with 'Shakespeare in the Park.' The show runs May 1st-5th at 7:30pm, with doors opening at 6:00pm.
 BWW Reviews: Simplistic SISTER ACT Raises Voices, Hearts in Joyful Atlanta Return
April 24, 2013
While 'Sister Act: The Musical,' playing through Sunday at the Fabulous Fox Theatre, is by no means the epitome of theatrical storytelling, it succeeds in spades in its primary goal, and that is simply to entertain and empower. With a toe-tapping 70's inspired score, a script that never takes itself too seriously, and enough sequins to blind half of metro-Atlanta, 'Sister Act', the final show in Broadway Atlanta's season, is a feel good family-show that leaves audiences with a smile on their face and a tune on their lips.
 BWW Interviews: SISTER ACT, Melvin Abston Come 'Home' to Atlanta
April 22, 2013
Despite what you might see on certain television shows, the creation of a new Broadway musical generally takes years, and there are almost always countless substantive changes across numerous productions before the show even has a chance to grace the Great White Way. Such is the case for feel-good 'Sister Act: The Musical,' which opens at Atlanta's Fabulous Fox Theatre Tuesday, April 23rd. However, despite this first national tour starting just last August, this will not be the first trip to Atlanta for 'Sister Act.'
 BWW Interviews: Buford Welcomes Award-Winning GTA SouthernStage to New Home
April 16, 2013
For over three decades, the award-winning Gainesville Theatre Alliance (GTA), a collaboration between the recently renamed University of North Georgia and Brenau University, has been one of the premiere theatre's in Georgia. While many of GTA's shows feature guest professional actors, directors, and designers, the majority of the on and off-stage work is done by students. However, in 2012, in a collaboration with the city of Buford, they founded GTA SouthernStage, a professional resident company in the new Buford Community Center, Town Park, & Theatre. Through April 28th, GTA SouthernStage is concluding its first season with an outstanding professional production of 'Alfred Hitchock's The 39 Steps' (read BWW Atlanta's glowing review: 'You'd Be Psycho to Miss Amazing 39 STEPS at GTA's SouthernStage'), and has announced that a production of the recent Broadway hit 'Lombardi' will open their second season in their new home in August.
 BWW Reviews: You'd Be Psycho to Miss Amazing 39 STEPS at GTA's Southern Stage in Buford
April 14, 2013
Don't walk, don't run, don't drive, don't take a ride with strangers on a train, but fly as fast as you can North by Northeast of Atlanta to the Gainesville Theatre Alliance's new Southern Stage in Buford and their side-splitting production of 'Alfred Hitchcock's The 39 Steps.' This is the maiden show for GTA's new professional resident company in the gorgeous Sylvia Beard Theatre at the new Buford Community Center, and it more than gives urban-Atlantans reason to venture to the northern suburbs of Gwinnett and Hall counties. Directed by GTA's Artistic and Managing Director Jim Hammond, this four person cast treats Hitchcock's classic spy drama with a hilarious Monty Python-style sensibility, complete with lightning fast costume changes, outlandish physical comedy, and dozens of quirky accents. There is no doubt that this is one of the best pieces of theatre in the Atlanta-Metro area this year.
 BWW Reviews: Hilarious ASSISTANCE Cast Provides Cure For Case of the Mondays at Pinch 'N' Ouch
April 13, 2013
How many times, at 1:27 on a Saturday morning, have you, in between handfuls of Cool Ranch Doritos, wished that someone would make a sequel to the 1999 movie classic 'Office Space?' Well, put down the Red Bull, because you are in luck! A new tale of hilarious, and sometimes depressing, life on the lower rungs of the corporate ladder is now playing at Atlanta's Pinch 'N' Ouch Theatre. The regional premiere of Leslye Headland's 'Assistance', directed by George Contini, runs through May 4th. The stellar young cast plays the farcically cartoonish co-workers with a reckless comedic abandon, reminiscent of a profane cable sitcom.
 BWW Reviews: Impressive, Tireless Cast Highlights GA Ensemble's Charming HELLO DOLLY!
April 12, 2013
'Hello Dolly...it's so nice to have you back where you belong.' I have to admit, prior to seeing the ebullient production of 'Hello Dolly!' at Georgia Ensemble Theatre, I generally considered the musical, by Jerry Herman (music and lyrics) and Michael Stewart (book), to be a relic of a bygone era, based on a play of an era even more bygone (Thornton Wilder's 1938 comedy 'The Merchant of Yonkers,' reworked as 'The Matchmaker' in 1955). However, after seeing this joyful production, directed by Suzi Award winner Heidi Cline McKerley, I must concede that this heart-warmingly energetic show is in fact back where it belongs, on stage entertaining audiences young and old.
 BWW Interviews: Mike Tyson Talks UNDISPUTED TRUTH Before He Takes on the Fox
April 12, 2013
There are probably few pop-culture figures that were less likely to grace a Broadway stage than former Heaveyweight champion Mike Tyson. However, in August 2012, after a run at Las Vegas' MGM Grand Hotel and Casino, the controversial boxer debuted 'Mike Tyson: Undisputed Truth' at Broadway's Longacre Theatre. In this one-man show, directed by film director Spike Lee ('Do the Right Thing', 'Malcolm X'), Tyson discusses everything from is difficult childhood, his boxing career, his 1992 rape conviction, and much more.
 BWW Interviews: Atlanta Lyric Takes on 'Epic' RAGTIME with All-Star Cast
April 12, 2013
Broadway musicals come in all different shapes and sizes. The small and cute, 'You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown' and 'Little Shop of Horrors;' the grand and extravagant, 'Hello Dolly!' and 'The King and I;' and the massive and epic, 'The Phantom of the Opera,' 'Les Miserables,' and 'Ragtime.' The latter, the most notable American addition to the list, opens at Marietta's Earl Strand Theatre in a production by the Atlanta Lyric Theatre on Friday. With a book by Terrence McNally, lyrics by Lynn Ahrens, and music by Stephen Flaherty, 'Ragtime' opened on Broadway in 1998 and won, amongst others, the Tony Awards for Best Book and Score, and Audra McDonald won her third Tony for playing young-mother, Sarah. The show, set in 1902, combines the joy of a simpler time with the inevitable conflict associated with societal change.
 STAGE TO SCREEN: For John Markus' (BBQ PITMASTERS) Love of BBQ, All Roads Lead to Franken
April 9, 2013
A case could easily be made that John Markus, the creator and Executive Producer of Destination America's docu-reality series 'BBQ Pitmasters' has done more for 'The Art of Barbecue' than anyone in recent memory. In addition to filming the series' 13-episode fifth season, Markus is traveling the country's film festival circuit with his documentary 'The Kings of BBQ Barbecue Kuwait,' which chronicles a seven-day trip to Kuwait City in 2010 in which he and five all-star Pitmasters served 5,000 troops a taste of home.
 BWW Interviews: For John Markus' Love of BBQ, All Roads Lead to Franken
April 8, 2013
A case could easily be made that John Markus, the creator and Executive Producer of Destination America's docu-reality series 'BBQ Pitmasters' has done more for 'The Art of Barbecue' than anyone in recent memory. In addition to filming the series' 13-episode fifth season, Markus is traveling the country's film festival circuit with his documentary 'The Kings of BBQ Barbecue Kuwait,' which chronicles a seven-day trip to Kuwait City in 2010 in which he and five all-star Pitmasters served 5,000 troops a taste of home.
 BWW Interview: Courtenay Collins Discusses GA Ensemble's HELLO DOLLY!, Atlanta Theatre, and Giving Back
April 7, 2013
Since it's founding in 1992, Georgia Ensemble Theatre has generally produced a small musical each year, but in its 20th season, G.E.T. is presenting one of the grandest shows in Broadway history, 'Hello Dolly!' Their production is directed by Suzi Award winner Heidi Cline McKerley (Horizon Theatre's 'Avenue Q') and choreographed by her husband Jeff (who also stars as Cornelius), who won two Suzis; Best Actor and Best Choreography for the New American Shakespeare Tavern's 'Cabaret.' Music direction is by Bill Newberry. The show opens April 11th and runs through April 28th.
 BWW Review: FABULOUS LIPITONES At Theatrical Outfit A Must-See with Humor, Heart
April 3, 2013
There are few things that are as quintessentially American as the music of a barber shop quartet. The tight harmonies, the classic songs, and the styrofoam red, white, and blue hats conjure visions of small-town Main Streets and smells of popcorn and apple pie. In the world premiere of John Markus (Emmy-winner for 'The Cosby Show') and Mark St. Germain's ('Freud's Last Session') play with music, 'The Fabulous Lipitones', this slice of nostalgic Americana contrasts with a very modern issue. Directed by Justin Anderson, this delightfully witty play runs through April 21st at Atlanta's Theatrical Outfit, and is a must-see for all theatre fans interested in highly entertaining new work.
 BWW Reviews: PETITE ROUGE: Cajun Little Red Brings Fun, Gumbo to All Ages
April 3, 2013
With an exceptionally talented cast and sharp direction and choreography by Justin Anderson and Lori Werner respectively, 'Petite Rouge' is an appealing way for a family with young children to spend an afternoon or evening (To read the Broadway World Atlanta feature with the 'Petite Rouge' director and members of the cast discussing the show, click here).
 BWW Interviews Part II: John Markus and Mark St. Germain Discuss THE FABULOUS LIPITONES, Bill Cosby, Future Plans
April 1, 2013
Since Tom Key became the Executive Artistic Director of Theatrical Outfit in 1995, the theatre company has grown to one of the most respected in the region, regularly premiering new works from acclaimed writers. Under Key's direction, a renowned playwright in his own right ('Cotton Patch Gospel', 'Confederency of Dunces'), T.O. has striven to present 'stories that stir the soul,' which according to St. Germain made it an ideal home for the world premiere of 'The Fabulous Lipitones.' The play tells the heart-warming story of a small-town barber shop quartet that reluctantly replaces its deceased leader with a pitch-perfect Indian Sikh.
 BWW Interviews: Synchronicity Cast and Director Discuss Revival of Family Favorite PETITE ROUGE
March 29, 2013
Synchronicity Theatre rounds out their 15th Anniversary Season with a revival of last year's critically-acclaimed, 'Petite Rouge'. Featuring members of the original cast and directed by Justin Anderson, 'Petite Rouge' is part fairy tale, part adventure and all fun for all audiences. Based on the book of the same name written by Mike Artell and illustrated by Jim Harris, this musical adaptation is brought to life by playwright and composer Joan Cushing. Synchronicity's co-production with Aurora Theatre, where the show performed for school audiences earlier this spring, opens March 29th and performs through April 21st. For this run, the show moves to a new venue, this time playing the Horizon Theatre.
 BWW Interview: Playwrights Mark St. Germain and John Markus Discuss their New Show, THE FABULOUS LIPITONES
March 29, 2013
As the cast and crew took a break before their final dress rehearsal, I was fortunate enough to sit down with the director and co-playwrights of the world premiere play with music, 'The Fabulous Lipitones,' now playing at Theatrical Outfit through April 21st. While director Justin Anderson is one of the most in-demand talents in the Atlanta theatre community, even he would admit that his vitae doesn't quite compare to those of co-playwrights Mark St. Germain and John Markus. Since Markus hired St. Germain to join the writing team on 'The Cosby Show' in the 80's, both have achieved a great deal of professional success individually, and if their new comedy is half as insightful and funny as they are, Atlanta theatre fans are in for a one-of-a-kind experience.
 BWW Reviews: Actors' Express EQUUS- Challenging, Astounding Theatre
March 27, 2013
'Equus', now playing through April 21st at Actor's Express, is not a show that will appeal to everyone as it treads not so lightly on a number of rather taboo issues. That being said, if your sensibilities are not easily rattled, you will no doubt be astounded by the insight, artistry, and ability of AE's extraordinary cast, under the precision direction of David Crowe.
 BWW Reviews: I LOVE YOU...NOW CHANGE at Stage Door - Can't Miss Date-Night Fun
March 26, 2013
Whether it is a case of art imitating life, or the other way around, 'I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change,' playing now through April 14th at Stage Door Players, is a hilarious, slice-of-life musical that holds the mirror up to human nature, and then laughs at it. With book and lyrics by Tony-Winner Joe DiPietro ('Memphis') and music by Jimmy Roberts, this fast-paced, four-person show chronicles the all-too-familiar stages of love; from awkward first dates to the insanity of married-life.
 BWW Reviews: Aurora's DROWSY CHAPERONE - New Laughs in a Nostalgic Show
March 20, 2013
Before Oscar Hammerstein II, Jerome Kern, and Richard Rodgers revolutionized the American musical, Broadway was filled with shows comprised of simple, silly characters; fun, up-beat songs; and storylines and plot-twists that rarely made sense. While 'The Drowsy Chaperone' didn't debut until 1998, this fictitous flapper-era farce would have fit in perfectly with the Gershwins' light-hearted 'Girl Crazy' and Cole Porter's joyous, but convoluted 'Anything Goes.' With music and lyrics by Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison and a book by Bob Martin and Don McKellar, 'The Drowsy Chaperone,' now playing through April 14th at the Aurora Theatre both faithfully celebrates and hilariously sends-up the musical comedies of this bygone era.
 BWW Interviews: Don Farrell Discusses Stage Door Player's I LOVE YOU, YOU'RE PERFECT, NOW CHANGE
March 18, 2013
On March 22nd, The Stage Door Players, Dunwoody's professional theatre company, presents Off-Broadway's long running musical, 'I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change', featuring book and Lyrics by Joe DiPietro and music by Jimmy Roberts. The comedic musical explores the truths behind the complicated nature of 'the enigma known as 'the relationship.' Exploring the journey from dating and waiting to love and marriage, to the agonies and triumphs of in-laws and newborns.'
 BWW Reviews: MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET Brings Smiles and Heart to Fox
March 13, 2013
In recent years, many theatre purists have derided the trend of Broadway jukebox musicals, but 'Million Dollar Quartet', currently playing at the Fox Theatre, takes the best of all aspects of the genre, fusing the emotional reality of 'Jersey Boys' with the infectious joy of 'Smokey Joe's Cafe', to create a show that is part theatre and part rock and roll super concert.
 MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET's Vince Nappo discusses career, Sam Phillips, and Rock and Roll
March 11, 2013
Atlanta is about to get a dose of old time rock and roll as the Tony-winning musical 'Million Dollar Quartet' rolls into the Fabulous Fox Theatre from Tuesday, March 12th through Sunday, March 17th. The show tells the true story of one of music's most remarkable jam sessions.
 WAFFLE PALACE Encore Moves Into Final Weeks
February 26, 2013
After a sold-out world premiere production last summer, Larry Larson and Eddie Levi Lee's 'The Waffle Palace: Smothered, Covered and Scattered 24/7/365' returned to Horizon Theatre for an encore run starting in January; the triumphant return closes on March 17. ArtsATL praised the initial run as 'an easy-to-eat mixture of the funny, familiar, corny, nostalgic, and odd,' perfect for theatre-goers and Waffle House regulars alike.
 Suzi Bass Awards- RESULTS
November 2, 2012
ATLANTA- On Monday, November 5th, the Atlanta theatre community will celebrate the 8th Annual Suzi Bass Awards. The awards recognize the best of Atlanta's professional theatre scene, and Broadway World Atlanta will be updating the results live throughout the evening. You can follow along here or follow us on Twitter @BWW_Atlanta. For additional insights, videos, and photos follow BWW Atlanta Contributing Editor Matt Tamanini on Twitter @ATLTheatreMatt.
 2012 BWW Atlanta Award Nominations Now Open
October 15, 2012
Nominations are now open for the 2012 BroadwayWorld Atlanta Awards.
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