spring 2016 arts preview

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community gwinnettdailypost.com SECTION C SUNDAY, APRIL 24, 2016 SPRING ARTS PREVIEW SECTION CIRQUE TORUK Gwinnett to welcome adaptation of ‘Avatar’ Consider yourself forewarned: Cirque du Soleil’s latest show isn’t like anything the world’s largest theatrical producer has ever assembled. “Toruk — The First Flight,” which will play at the Infinite Energy Arena from June 15 through 19, focuses on telling a story instead of using words to bridge amazing circus acts that highlight shows such as “Ovo,” “Amaluna,” “Joya” and “Varekai,” which played at the arena last summer. “If people expect to see formula Cirque, they will question where we are going,” Fabrice Lemire, “Toruk’s” Paris-born artistic director, told The Miami Herald. “Toruk — The First Flight” is inspired by director James Cameron’s 2009 block- buster movie “Avatar,” which takes place on a moon named Pandora that’s home to blue-skinned creatures known as Na’vi. BY JON GALLO Staff Correspondent See CIRQUE, Page 6C MORE INSIDE Photos from “Toruk — The First Flight” ....... 4A 410074-1

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communitygwinnettdailypost.com

Section c • Sunday, april 24, 2016

Spring artS preview Section

cirquetorukGwinnett to welcome adaptation of ‘Avatar’

Consider yourself forewarned: Cirque du Soleil’s latest show isn’t like anything the world’s largest theatrical producer has ever assembled.

“Toruk — The First Flight,” which will play at the Infinite Energy Arena from June 15 through 19, focuses on telling a story instead of using words to bridge amazing circus acts that highlight shows such as “Ovo,” “Amaluna,” “Joya” and “Varekai,” which played at the arena last summer.

“If people expect to see formula Cirque, they will question where we are going,” Fabrice Lemire, “Toruk’s” Paris-born artistic director, told The Miami Herald.

“Toruk — The First Flight” is inspired by director James Cameron’s 2009 block-buster movie “Avatar,” which takes place on a moon named Pandora that’s home to blue-skinned creatures known as Na’vi.

By Jon GalloStaff Correspondent

See CIRQUE, Page 6C

more insidePhotos from “Toruk — The First Flight” ....... 4A

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spring arts previewParton to keep it ‘Pure & Simple’ at Infinite Energy

Dolly Parton is going to back to the basics for her biggest North American tour in a quarter-century.

“The tour itself is called ‘Pure & Simple,’ mainly because it’s kind of scaled down,” she told Rolling Stone. “But there’s only four of us on stage, we play different instruments and we all sing and we do all those songs that people know, but they’re just not as big and we don’t have a lot of effects on stage and any of that.”

Parton, 70, will take her show on the road to 60 cities, including Duluth, where she will play the In-

finite Energy Arena at 7:30 p.m. June 4. Though Parton hasn’t finalized a set list, it’s a good bet plenty of her 25 songs that reached No. 1 on the Billboard Country chart will make the cut.

“We don’t have a lot of video; we don’t have any, really,” Parton told Roll-ing Stone. “In the bigger places where we play we’ll have to have some video cameras, where you’ll see me — because I’m so little. But actually, I’m doing a lot of songs really scaled-down … but, of course, I do a lot of talkin’. What else would I do, right?”

Her tour coincides with a two-disc album, “Pure & Simple With Dolly’s Big-gest Hits,” which will pair

a disc with new songs with a disc containing those that made her country music’s leading lady. The first album will feature songs such as “Mama,” inspired by Parton’s mother, Avie Lee Parton, as well as the title song, “Pure & Simple.”

“I don’t know how pure I am, but I know I’m pretty simple,” she said at her press conference to announce the new album, which is expected to be available this summer.

Speaking to reporters at her theme park, Dolly-wood in Tennessee, Parton said she wants to tour this year “because I may do more television next year. I might even do a series or

something. So I wanted to be sure to get out there and at least thank my fans.”

Parton had a breakout hit with the NBC televi-sion movie “Coat of Many Colors,” which aired in December and was based on her childhood and the song she wrote about the garment her mother made for her.

“You never know about a song, if it’s going to be a hit,” she told report-ers. “And you certainly never know about a movie, either. But like the song, the movie really touched so many people. We have had a lot of requests to do a sequel and possibly a series. We’re talking about it. It would be about the mountain people, kind of based on my life, if we can work out all the details.”

Parton said she may con-tinue her career in televi-sion by writing, producing and possibly acting in a series based on her life and stories that have chronicled her meteoric rise to fame and fortune.

Decades before she was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1999 and won eight Grammy Awards, 10 Country Music Associa-tion Awards, five Academy of Country Music Awards and three American Music Awards, she was just a girl with 11 siblings grow-

ing up in a poor farming family’s tiny cabin in the foothills of Tennessee’s Smoky Mountains.

After starring on a radio show and appearing at age 12 at the Grand Ole Opry where she sang her first single, “Puppy Love,” she moved to Nashville upon graduat-ing from high school in 1964. She signed a record deal with Monument and met Carl Dean, whom she married two years later. He has been by her side as she has sold more than 100 million records. Par-ton has 110 singles that have charted.

“I’m a girl of many colors. My songs are my songs, and my stories are my stories,” Parton said. “There’ll certainly be some redeeming qualities in it, but it’s not going to be like the film ‘Coat of Many Colors.’”

Though she remained vague, this much is clear: Parton’s concert at Infi-nite Energy Arena, which she hasn’t played since November 2005, may by her last in Georgia for quite some time.

“I figure,” she told Roll-ing Stone Country, “I gotta get it while the getting’s good.”

By Jon GalloStaff Correspondent IF YOU GO

• What: Dolly Parton’s Pure & Simple Tour• Where: Infinite Energy Arena, Duluth• When: 7:30 p.m. June 4• Tickets: www.infini-teenergycenter.com

Music legend Dolly Parton is bringing her “Pure & Simple” Tour to the Infinite Energy Arena in June. (Special Photo)

2C SUNDAY, APRIL 24, 2016 • gwinnettdailypost.com41

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Sunday, april 24, 2016 3C •gwinnettdailypost.com

spring arts preview‘Beautiful: The Carole King Musical’ comes to Fox

Decades before she won any of her four Gram-mys or was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and long before she had a hand in writing more than 110 pop hits that made the Billboard 100, and years before she sold any of her 75 million records, Carole King was just a ponytailed girl from Brooklyn with a dream.

“Beautiful: The Carole King Musical” chronicles the life of a teenager who defied her mother’s wishes to pursue her own to become one of music’s greatest singer-songwrit-ers. “Beautiful,” which will stop at the Fox Theatre from May 24-29 as part of its national tour, shines a light on a trailblazer behind hits such as “I Feel The Earth Move,” “One Fine Day,” “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman” and “You’ve Got A Friend.”

“You can’t fake an icon,” Abby Mueller, who plays King, told the Star-Tri-bune. “You do an interpre-tation and bring the truest part of you to that role.”

The two-act show starts at New York City’s Carnegie Hall in 1971, when the then-29-year-old King sang “So Far Away.” “Beautiful” then shifts to Brooklyn, which is where King planted her musical roots and where she told her mother, Genie, she was going to Manhattan to sell songs to music publisher Donnie Kirshner (Curt Bouril). Of course, Genie (played by Suzanne Grod-ner) tells King — then 16 — it isn’t a good idea, and of course, King goes anyway.

Mueller takes over the role vacated by her sister, Jessie, who won a Tony Award for her performance as King when “Beautiful” was on Broadway. Jessie is now starring in “Waitress.”

“My initial feeling was that it was too close, since my sister originated the role so brilliantly,” Abby Mueller told The New York Times. “But my agent and also my parents encour-aged me to look objective-ly at the situation for what it was: an opportunity to audition for an incredible, challenging role in a great show.”

“We didn’t set out to cast within the Mueller family, but she auditioned and blew us all away,” di-rector Marc Bruni told The Boston Globe. “She has an accessibility of emotion that makes you care about Carole.”

It’s in Manhattan where King, after singing her song “It Might As Well

Rain Until September,” meets a young song-writer named Gerry Goffin (played by Liam Tobin) while attending Queens College. They bond — through music and love — and the next thing Carole knows, she’s married and pregnant with the first of the couple’s two children. She channels the life-changing news into “Some Kind of Wonderful,” which The Drifters recorded in 1961 and which soared as high as No. 6 on Bill-board’s R&B chart.

“Women are dealing with the same thing, trying to figure out what they want,” Abby Mueller said. “In (the theater) business, our lives are not as linear as, perhaps, normal people.

You graduate from college. You meet your spouse. You get married, and you start having kids. That timeline gets a little skewed. You’re trying to negotiate having a family around your career. When is it convenient to have a baby when you are trying to book your next job?”

King and Goffin move into an office at 1650 Broadway, a Mecca for those in the music-writing industry, where they meet lyricist Cynthia Weil (Becky Gulsvig), who they serenade with “Take Good Care of My Baby.” Composer Barry Mann (Ben Fankhauser) wanders into the office and inquires about working with Weil. Shortly after, Kirshner of-

fers a challenge that would change everything: The Shirelles need a new song immediately.

Weil and Mann go with “He’s Sure the Boy I Love,” but King and Goffin craft “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?” which becomes The Shirelles’ first No. 1 hit in 1960. The group, which would go on to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, had just one other song to reach the top spot — “Soldier Boy” in 1961.

With his decision, Kirshner changed music history. King-Goffin and Weil-Mann became cordial rivals, and the results spawned songs that tran-scended generations. King-Goffin gave The Drifters “Up on the Roof,” while Weil-Mann gave them “On Broadway.” Have you ever heard “The Loco-Motion” or “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’?” Little Eva wouldn’t have never heard of the song that sparked a dance craze and reached No. 1 had King and Goffin not written it. The Righ-teous Brothers have Weil and Mann to thank for perhaps their most famous No. 1 hit.

But at a time when King and Goffin solidified their standing as songwrit-ers, their personal lives crumbled when Goffin told his wife he wanted to sleep with Janelle Woods (Rebecca E. Covington), who they met while taping a TV special where Woods is singing Goffin and King’s song, “One Fine

Day,” which ultimately was recorded by The Chiffons in 1963 and reached No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100. Seventeen years later, King sang it and the hit peaked at No. 12.

If the first act is about King and Goffin becom-ing one, the second act of “Beautiful,” which is based on a book by Oscar-nominated screenwriter and playwright Douglas McGrath, is about them separating.

King gives Goffin another chance, providing he ended his affair, which leads to King and Goffin to write “Pleasant Valley Sunday.” The song, which becomes a hit for the The Monkees in 1967, refers to the street in New Jersey where King and Goffin were living in an attempt to start anew. But Goffin re-verts to cheating, having an affair with singer Marilyn Wald (DeLaney Westfall). King ends the marriage, which is symbolized with “It’s Too Late,” a chart-topping song that anchor King’s 1971 album “Tapes-try” that held the top spot on the album charts for 15 weeks, earning King a Grammy for Album of the Year. She tells Weil, Mann and Goffin she’s moving to Los Angeles to pursue her own career, leaving them with the song “You’ve Got A Friend.”

Ultimately, Goffin apologizes for his infidel-ity, but it’s too late. He dies in 2014 at age 75; King has a concert in London in July.

King takes the stage at Carnegie Hall, alone, and plays the piano while singing “Beautiful,” which has since been covered by Barbara Streisand and Richard Marx.

“It is a story about a woman finding herself and believing in her talent,” Bruni said. “It is relatable whether you are a woman or a man. It has that kind of universal appeal.”

By Jon GalloStaff Correspondent

By Venue — ARTS & enTeRTAInMenTGWInneTT

AuRORA THeATRe128 E. Pike St.,Lawrenceville678-226-6222

www.auroratheatre.com• Through May 8: “Sotto Voce”• May 5-29: “I’m Not Rap-paport”• May 7: Aurora Children’s Playhouse “Sing!” by Wendy Bennett• May 14: Aurora Chil-dren’s Playhouse “Freeze Frame!” by Big Thinkers Science Exploration• May 21: Aurora Chil-dren’s Playhouse “The Big Bad, Little Red, Pig Show” by The Puppet Guy• June 12-22: “Criminal Hearts”

HuDGenS CenTeRFOR THe ARTS

Gwinnett Center, 6400 Sugarloaf Parkway,Suite 300, Duluth

770-623-6002www.thehudgens.org

• Every Friday: Toddler Fridays• Ongoing: Selected works from the permanent collection on display

InFInITe eneRGy ARenA

6400 Sugarloaf Parkway, Duluth

770-813-7500www.infiniteenergycenter.

com• Through April 24: Disney on Ice presents “Frozen”• May 6: Leadercast: Ar-chitects of Tomorrow• June 15-19: Cirque du Soleil’s “TORUK — The First Flight” inspired by James Cameron’s “Avatar”• June 23-25: Forward Conference• Aug. 19-21: Jehovah’s Witness Regional Conven-tion• Nov. 18-19: Belong Tour• Ongoing: Atlanta Gladi-ators

• Ongoing:Georgia Swarm

InFInITe eneRGyTHeATeR

6400 Sugarloaf Parkway, Duluth

770-813-7500www.infiniteenergycenter.

com• May 1: Bhakta Markan-deya Kuchipudi Dance Ballet• May 7-8: Beauty and the Beast• May 10-11: Lion King Jr.• May 13-14:ALL STARS Performing Arts presents “Inspiration!”• May 20-22: Northeast Atlanta Ballet presents “Beauty and the Beast”• June 5: Dance Show-case 2016• Aug. 13, Dec. 14-15: ALL STARS Performing Arts presents “Home by Dark”

KuDZu ART ZOne116 Carlyle St., Norcross

770-840-9844www.kudzuartzone.org

• Through June 2: “After the Rain” and “Lessons I’ve Learned” member exhibit• June 10 — July 21: “Open Juried” exhibit

LIOnHeART THeATRe10 College St. N.W.,

Norcross678-938-8518

www.lionhearttheatre.org• May 6-22: “You Can’t Take it With You”• Aug. 4-7: “The Tempest” — Children’s musical• Sept. 9-25: “Run for Your Wife”• Oct. 21-23: “Bewitching”• Oct. 27-29: Lawless Spirits History Tour• Nov. 4-20: “A Raisin in the Sun”• Dec. 8-18: “A Charlie Brown Christmas”

neW DAWn THeATeRMall Corners, 3650-ASatellite Blvd., Duluth

678-887-5015www.newdawntheatercom-

pany.com

• Through April 24, April 28 — May 1: New Dawn Production presents “Pic-nic”• May 6-7: Notre Dame Academy presents “Alice in Wonderland”• May 28: Mark Pitt’s Elvis Concert “Support to our Troops and Veterans”

neW LOnDOn THeATRe2338 Henry Clower Blvd.,

Snellville770-559-1484

www.newlondontheatre.org

• Through May 1: “Our Town”• May 13-29: “Art”• June 10-26: “To Kill a Mockingbird”• July 8-24: “Assassins”

SyLVIA BeARD THeATReBuford Community

Center, 2200 BufordHighway, Buford770-945-6762

www.bufordcommunitycen-ter.com

• Through May 1: “Moon-light and Magnolias”• May 7 — 8: Barefoot in the Park• June 9-26: “The Wisdom of Eve”

TAnneRy ROW ARTIST COLOny

554 W. Main St., Buford770-856-8145

www.tanneryrowartist-colony.com

• Through May 27: Win-ner’s Circle• June 4 — August 26: Summer Showcase• Sep. 10 — Oct. 14: Fall Challenge• Oct. 22 — Dec. 2: Fall Juried Art Exhibit 2016• Dec. 10-11: An Artful Holiday

ATLAnTA

ALLIAnCe THeATRe1280 Peachtree St. N.E.,

Atlanta404-733-4650

www.alliancetheatre.org• Trhough May 1: Ethel

• Through May 15: “Born for This: The BeBe Winans Story”• June 1 — July 3: “Pan-cakes, Pancakes!”

ATLAnTA BOTAnICAL GARDenS

1345 Piedmont Ave. N.E., Atlanta

404-876-5859www.atlantabg.org

• Through April: Atlanta Blooms• April 30 — Oct. 30: Chi-huly in the Garden• May 7-8: Gardens for Connoisseurs Tour, Atlanta Rose Show• May 14: Endangered Species Day• Sep. 24: Garden of Eden Ball• Ongoing: Edible Garden Outdoor Kitchen cooking demos every weekend• Ongoing: Science Café second Sundays through October• Ongoing: Orchid Market Weekends• Ongoing: Garden Tours

ATLAnTA HISTORyCenTeR

130 W. Paces Ferry Road N.W., Atlanta404-814-4000

www.atlantahistorycenter.com

• April 25: Dave Isay pres-ents Callings• April 27: Olmstead Plein Air Invitational Day• May 6: National Public Gardens Day• Ongoing: Wednesday Living Room Learning Series• Ongoing: Homeschool Days

CenTeR FORPuPPeTRy ARTS

1404 Spring St. N.W., Atlanta

404-873-3391www.puppet.org

• Through May 22: “Beau-ty and the Beast”• May 7: “Davy Jones’ Locker”• May 12-15: Xperimental

Puppetry Theater

CHILDRen’S MuSeuM OF ATLAnTA

275 Centennial Olympic Park Drive, Atlanta

404-659-5437www.childrensmuseumat-

lanta.org• April 24: Meet the Holi-days: Earth Day• April 30: Meet the Holi-days: Cinco De Mayo• Wednesdays in April, April 25: Cooking with Colors• Sundays starting April 10: Eat a Georgia Rain-bow• Ongoing: Gateway to the World exhibit• Ongoing: Step Up To Science exhibit• Ongoing: Tools for Solu-tions exhibit• Ongoing: Fundamentally Food exhibit• Ongoing: Let Your Cre-ativity Flow exhibit• Ongoing: Leaping Into Learning exhibit• Ongoing: Music and Movement, Arts Studio• Ongoing: Eat a Georgia Rainbow, storytime• Ongoing: Super Spec-tacular Science Show• Ongoing: The Science Wondershop

COBB eneRGyPeRFORMInG ARTS CenTRe

2800 Cobb GalleriaParkway, Atlanta

770-916-2800www.cobbenergycentre.

com• Through April 24: Rag-time• May 7-15: The Atlanta Opera presentsRomeo and Juliet• May 20-22: Atlanta Ballet presents MAYhem Kissed

FOX THeATRe660 Peachtree St. N.E.,

Atlanta404-881-2100foxtheatre.org

• April 24: Steve Martin and Martin Short

• May 24-29: Beautiful: The Carole King Musical• June 2: Toni Braxton Live• June 4: “A Prairie Home Companion”• June 21-26:The Wizard of Oz• June 29: Bring It! Live

FeRnBAnK MuSeuM OF nATuRAL HISTORy

767 Clifton Road N.E., Atlanta

404-929-6300www.fernbankmuseum.org• Through Apr. 28: “Wild Africa” on IMAX• Through July 31: “Wild Music”• Through Aug. 14: “Crea-tures of Light: Nature’s Bioluminescence”• May 21: Archeology Day• May 27: Fernbank Forest Night Tour• June 4: World Oceans Day• June 19: Superhero Day• Ongoing: Fernbank For-est Bird Walk March• Ongoing: Tadpole Tales

HIGH MuSeuM OF ART1280 Peachtree St. N.E.,

Atlanta404-733-4400www.high.org

• Through May 1: “Green Pastures: In Memory of Thornton Dial, Sr.”• Through May 15: “Iris van Herpen: Transforming Fashion”• Through May 22: “What Is Near: Reflections on Home”• Through May 29: Vik Muniz, “Basquiat: The Unknown Notebooks”• Ongoing: Molly Hatch: Physic Garden• Ongoing: Howard Fin-ster: Paradise Garden• Ongoing: African Art: Building the Collection• Ongoing: Friday Night Lates, Toddler Thursdays

To submit an event for By Venue Arts & Entertain-ment, email [email protected].

GWINNETT

aTlaNTa

IF yOu GO• What: “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical”• Where: Fox Theatre, Atlanta• When: May 24-29• Shows: 7:30 p.m. May 24-26, 8 p.m. May 27, 2 and 8 p.m. May 28, 1 and 6:30 p.m. May 29• Tickets: Visit www.foxtheatre.org

Abby Mueller, above, takes over the role of Carole King vacated by her sister, Jessie, who won a Tony Award for her performance as King when “Beautiful” was on Broadway. At left is a scene from the show. (Special Photos)

4C SUNDAY, APRIL 24, 2016 • gwinnettdailypost.com

Scenes from PandoraCirque du Soleil’s “Toruk — The First Flight” will bring the magic of James

Cameron’s 2009 film “Avatar” to the Infinite Energy Arena on June 15-19. (Photos: Jesse Faatz)

spring arts preview

SUNDAY, APRIL 24, 2016 5C •gwinnettdailypost.com

spring arts previewFollow the yellow brick road to Fox for ‘Wizard of Oz’

The yellow brick road is heading to the Fox Theatre.

Dorothy, Tin Man, Cow-ardly Lion, Scarecrow and the Wicked Witch of the West will bring the stage adaptation of “The Wizard of Oz” to the Fox Theatre for eight shows from June 21-26 as part of its second North American tour that started in December and will end in July.

The timeless tale is based on the Oscar-win-ning screenplay and fea-tures the original Harold Arlen and E.Y. Harburg songs and characters from the classic � lm that turned 77 this year.

“There are a lot of old familiar lines,” Mark A. Harmon, who plays the almighty Oz, told the Eagle-Tribune. “It’s basi-cally a staged version of the musical.”

Dorothy is played by Sarah Lasko, Aaron Fried is the Cowardly Lion, Jay McGill is the Tin Man, Morgan Reynolds is the Scarecrow, Shani Hadjian is the Wicked Witch of the West and Miss Gulch, Ra-chel Womble is Glinda the Good Witch of the North, Randy Charleville is Uncle Henry, Emmanuelle Zees-man is Auntie Em, and Nigel the Cairn terrier is Toto.

“I love the movie so much, and I love Judy Garland,” Lasko told The Washington Post. “When I saw that there were audi-tions, I said I have to get this role. … If there’s any role that I wanted to play that I felt was so perfectly matched with who I am as a person, it was Dorothy.”

“The Wizard of Oz” had

its world premiere on stage at the London Palladium Theatre in March 2011. It debuted in North Amer-ica in December 2012 in Toronto, where it stayed before touring throughout the U.S. between Septem-ber 2013 and June 2014.

“You have to respect the original work and you have to be able to hold to it in a way that the audi-ence doesn’t feel alienated, because there’s a certain memory that they have of this character,” Lasko said. “If you totally deny that, then that’s a disservice.”

Though this show features some new songs by Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber, it retained the same award-winning team that oversaw per-formances in London and Toronto, including director Jeremy Sams, choreogra-pher Arlene Phillips and musical supervisor Graham

Hurman. Robert Jones is in charge of the set and costumes, while Hugh Van-stone supervises the light-ing design, Mick Potter oversees sound and David Cullen heads orchestration.

“It’s visually stunning, absolutely stunning,” Harmon said. “The sets, costumes and special ef-fects make it so visually appealing. Rarely do you ever see a stage adaptation of something you love so close to the original.”

BY JON GALLOStaff Correspondent

Scarecrow, who is played by Morgan Reynolds, looks for his brain above in “The Wizard of Oz,” which comes to Atlanta’s Fox Theatre in June. Sarah Lasko, above right, stars as Dorothy. “The Wizard of Oz” will play eight shows at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta from June 21-26. (Special Photos)

IF YOU GO• What: “The Wizard of Oz”• Where: Fox Theatre, Atlanta• When: June 21-26• Times: 7:30 p.m. June 21-23, 8 p.m. June 24, 2 and 8 p.m. June 25, 1 and 6:30 p.m. June 26• Tickets: Visit www.foxtheatre.org

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spring arts preview6C SUNDAY, APRIL 24, 2016 • gwinnettdailypost.com

But Cirque du Soleil’s ver-sion takes place thousands of years before the movie, as two young warriors — Ralu and Entu — try to save their people after a natural disaster threatens to kill the planet’s lifeline, the sacred Tree of Souls.

“It is completely differ-ent; it’s not like other Cirque shows. I want people to come open-minded that this is something they haven’t seen before so they can enjoy it without expecta-tions,” Gabriel Christo, who plays Ralu, told The Miami Herald. “Ralu is on stage the whole time, and it’s a physi-cal show, and I have to focus all the time and interact with a lot of people. It’s a chal-lenge.”

Still, the link between “Toruk” and “Avatar,” which generated more than $2.78 billion at the worldwide box of� ce to make it the highest-grossing � lm of all time, shows Cirque du Soleil is trying to evolve into a another genre, one vastly different than basing shows on Michael Jackson and The Beatles.

“We have a lot of acting in the show,” said Christo, a 28-year-old Brazilian. “That’s different than other shows, which have always been acrobatic. This brought me a whole new perspective — acting, talking on stage and performing on projec-tions.”

“Toruk’s” set also distin-guishes the show.

The Tree of Souls is 80 feet wide and 40 feet tall, and the total projection surface, which includes the stage � oor, two lateral screens and the Tree of Souls, is about 20,000 square feet, which is more than � ve times the size of a standard IMAX screen. The show uses 38 video projectors — 22 for the stage

� oor, eight to send projec-tions into the audience, six for the Tree of Souls and two for the lateral screens.

“To me, this show is more like a movie than a stage production,” Lemire told The Tulsa World. “It is a feast for the eyes. You are completely submerged in this world, and it is so convincing it is dif-� cult not to believe it is real.”

“Toruk” has a 35-member cast, which is small for one of the company’s shows. However, 115 costumes are used in the show, an average of 3.3 per performer. The costume department, which needed 437 yards of fabric and 120 � shing rods just to create the � owers for the

Tawkami, created more than 1,000 pieces, including shoes and jewelry.

The Storyteller, voiced by Raymond O’Neill, narrates how Ralu and Entu try to save their civilization. The duo interacts with numer-ous Na’vi clans, with each specializing in a skill. The Omaticaya has gymnastics; the Tawkami has aerial dance and silk � ying; the Anurai has balance; the Ti-pani has pole acrobatics; and the Kekunan is fantastic with kites. Since each clan resides in different landscapes, which rinclude � owery � elds to the desert, the constant changing of imagery to alter the terrain provides another element, as do the massive puppets.

“It is maybe the most elaborate show the company had done — on a visual level, certainly,” Lemire told The Tulsa World. “Normally, with a Cirque du Soleil production, the chief wow factor is the acrobatics, the incredible things our artists can do. Now, we still have the wow factor of the acro-batics, but on top of that is the even greater wow factor of the visuals.”

Cirque•From Page 1C

Actor Raymond O’Neill, above, gets into character as The Storyteller of the Anurai clan in Cirque du Soleil’s “Toruk — The First Flight.” (Photo: Youssef Shoufan) At right are scenes from the show. (Photos: Jesse Faatz)

IF YOU GO• What: Cirque du So-leil’s “Toruk — The First Flight”• When: June 15-19• Where: Infinite Energy Arena, Duluth• Show times: 7:30 p.m. June 15-17, 4 and 8 p.m. June 18, 1:30 and 5:30 p.m. June 19• Tickets: Call 770-626-2464 or visit www.infini-teenergycenter.com

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SUNDAY, APRIL 24, 2016 7C •gwinnettdailypost.com

spring arts previewHudgens Center hosting Bethany Collins exhibit

Bethany Collins’ work has been exhibited in a wide range of galleries and museums, from the High Museum of Art in Atlanta to Columbia Uni-versity’s Wallach Gallery in New York.

The Museum of Con-temporary Art, the Flint Institute of Arts, the Bir-mingham Museum of Art and the Studio Museum in Harlem also are among the places where Collins’ work has been put on display.

Earlier this month, the Duluth-based Hudgens

Center for the Arts added its name to that list. The

center opened a new solo exhibit, called “With the Exception of the Sky: Works by Bethany

Collins,” on April 12. The show of work by Collins, who won the $50,000 2015 Hudgens Prize, is set to remain open through May 21 at the center, which is located on the In� nite Energy Center campus.

In a statement, Collins explained the exhibit’s

name comes from the color blue and its place in the natural world.

“As languages have developed over time, blue is often the last color to be named,” she said. “For, With the Exception of the Sky, blue appears so rarely in the natural world. But some studies show that when we can name a thing, it becomes easier to visualize. It follows then that when we cannot name a thing, we cannot see it.

“So, perception affects language just as language alters perception itself. “With the Exception of the Sky” mines the visual and linguistic relation-ship between black and

blue, while challenging the certainty and clarity of meaning.”

Art lovers looking to get a chance to speak with Collins will get a chance to do so next weekend. Hudgens of� cials an-nounced they will hold a midshow reception and artists talk from 1 to 3 p.m. on Saturday at the center, whose of� cial ad-dress is 6400 Sugarloaf Parkway, Building 300. The talk itself will begin at 2 p.m.

Collins is an Atlanta-based artist who works in multiple disciplines. Hudgens Center of� cials she has been praised in the New York Times for her work at using language, speci� cally for a series where she took de� nitions pulled from Webster’s New World Dictionary of American Language and turned it into art.

In that series, known as the Contronyms series, she erased parts of the de� ni-tions after transposing them to American Masters

paper to emphasize snip-pets of what she had trans-posed, of� cials explained.

Collins’ exhibit is only one of several activities taking place over the next few weeks at the center, though. Other exhibits include “Selected Works from the Permanent Col-lection: Ben Shahn,” and “Thinking Through Art: Blurring the Boundar-ies Between the Arts & Science,” which will be on exhibit from April 30 through May 21. The “Thinking Through Art” exhibit will feature work by Georgia Gwinnett col-

lege students, as well as Erin McIntosh.

An Individuality: smART Program Exhibit is also coming up from April 30 through May 21.

The Hudgens Center will also host Toddler Friday on April 29, free admission during Duluth Arts Week (May 7-14) and Family Day on May 14. The center is open Tuesdays through Satur-days, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $5 for adults and $3 for children, students and seniors, but any child under 2 will be admitted for free.

BY CURT [email protected]

This 2016 charcoal on found paper piece by Bethany Collins, which is simply known as “Untitled (Guilty Until Proven Innocent),” is one of the works in her solo exhibit. (Photo Courtesy of Hudgens Center for the Arts/Bethany Collins)

IF YOU GO• What: With the Excep-tion of the Sky: Works by Bethany Collins exhibit• When: Now through May 21• Where: Hudgens Center for the Arts, 6400 Sugarloaf Parkway, Building 300• Hours: Tuesdays through Saturdays, 10 a.m. until 5 p.m.• Admission: $5 for adults, $3 for children, students and seniors, and children under 2 are admitted for free.• More Info: thehud-gens.org

BethanyCollins

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Music and lyrics By BeBe Winans

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“We’re all born for a purpose. this musical celebrates the

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NEW EXHIBITNEW EXHIBIT

8C SUNDAY, APRIL 24, 2016 • gwinnettdailypost.com

spring arts previewAfter three decades, cast reunites for show

A reunion nearly 30 years in the making will take place next month at the Aurora Theatre as two actors reprise their roles in a performance about two aging men who form a long-time friendship.

“I’m Not Rappaport” will close the 20th season for the Lawrencev-ille venue as the Tony Award-winning play is scheduled to run from May 5 through June 5. Revisiting the storyline after playing identical roles in 1989 at Theatri-cal Outfit, Rob Cleveland and Kenny Raskin, along with director David de Vries, reunite in “I’m Not Rappaport.”

Show times are 8 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and 2:30 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. A discount matinee will be at 10 a.m. on May 25 with tickets starting at $16. Regular show tickets range from $20 to $55 and can be purchased online at tickets.aurora-theatre.com or by calling the box office at 678-226-6222.

Aurora Co-founder and Producing Artistic Director Anthony Rodri-guez worked on the set alongside them when the theater was in Midtown.

The performance is based on the author’s real-life encounter, and it follows the daily ritual of two elderly men on a bench in New York’s Central Park. While both

dream of escaping the current realities of life — nursing homes, aging and dangers of urban living — they end up finding solace in each other’s company.

“What is so special about this production is the rarity of having two actors star in the same roles they performed in 27 years ago,” Ann-Carol Pence, co-founder and as-sociate producer, said in a statement. “Aside from being more age appropri-ate for the roles now, Rob and Kenny offer audienc-es a deep-felt connection that can’t be taught or rehearsed. Having David transition from actor to director this time around, and having Anthony serv-ing as artistic director, brings an added layer of

historical reference to our production; one that will certainly be an emotional revival.”

Laughter is expected as the feisty Jewish Nat (Raskin) and Midge (Cleveland), a half-blind and cantankerous Afri-can-American, chat away their afternoons.

BY KEITH [email protected]

Aurora Theatre announces schedule for 2016-17 seasonReach for your calendar,

the Aurora Theatre has planned out its perfor-mances for the next 13 months.

The 21st season of the Signature Series will feature a lineup including six plays and musicals for all ages.

“With many different themes present in this

series — diversity, friend-ship and perseverance — our hope is that these performances not only provide entertainment, but educate and inspire people, too,” Aurora Theatre Producing Artistic Director Anthony Rodri-guez said.

The series will feature both original productions and collaborations with local theatrical organiza-

tions.“In The Heights” is a

co-production with Theat-rical Out� t depicting the challenges facing Hispanic community members of New York’s Washington Heights. It will be staged from July 21 to Aug. 28.

“Women In Jeopardy” is a comedy about two di-vorced women who set out to discover the mysterious secrets of a friend’s new

boyfriend. This play will be staged from Sept. 29 to Oct. 23.

“Christmas Canteen” is an Aurora Theatre original and returns to the stage ev-ery year for the Christmas season. It features sketch comedy, theatrical num-bers and lots of song and dance, and will be staged from Nov. 17 to Dec. 23.

“The Mountaintop” commemorates the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. through a re-imagining of

the last day before his as-sassination. This play will be staged from Jan. 12 to Feb. 12.

A new musical will be staged from March 9 to April 16, 2017, but the Aurora Theatre has yet to announce what the new production will be.

“Split In Three” is a comedy exploring the lives and challenges of three sisters living in 1969, when the last school system in Mississippi was

forced to integrate. The play will be staged from May 4 to 28, 2017.

Season subscribers can now select their preferred seating. Single-show tickets will vary by perfor-mance and will go on sale to the public beginning on July 5. The Aurora Theatre is located at 128 E. Pike St. in Lawrenceville.

For more information, visit auroratheatre.com or call the box of� ce at 678-226-6222.

FROM STAFF REPORTS

Rob Cleveland, above left and right, and Kenny Raskin, below left and right, will reprise their roles as Midge and Nat, respectively, in “I’m Not Rappaport” from May 5 to June 5 at the Aurora Theatre. (Special Photos)

IF YOU GO• What: “I’m Not Rap-paport”• Where: Aurora Theatre• When: May 5 through June 5• Shows: 8 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday; 2:30 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays; matinee at 10 a.m. Wednesday, May 25• Tickets: $20-25; $16 for matinee

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Saturday, June 4, 2016 • 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.Infinite Energy Forum

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Saturday, June 4, 2016 • 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.

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spring arts preview

37 MAIN37 E. Main St., Buford

678-288-2030www.buford.37main.com

• May 6: Slippery When Wet• May 7: The Pak• May 13: Volume Knob• May 14: Aunt Betty• May 20: Mad Margritt• May 21: Hysteria• May 27: 12OZ Prophets

37 MAIN6000 Medlock BridgeParkway, Johns Creek

678-580-2329www.johnscreek.37main.

com• May 6: Rumours• May 7: John Waite and the Axemen• May 13: Departure• May 14: The Ruckus• May 19: Skid Row• May 20: Hollywood U2• May 21: Head Games• May 28: Moby Dick• June 3: Slippery When Wet• June 4: Queen Nation• June 9: Kings X• June 10: Natural Wonder• June 11: Hysteria• June 15: Lynch Mob• June 17: Earth Wind and Fire Review• June 18: Man in the Mir-ror• June 24: Back in Black• June 26: Appetite for Destruction

40 WATT CLUB285 W. Washington St.,

Athens706-549-7871

www.40watt.com• May 6: The Broken String Band, Josh Morris, Jon Latham• May 7: Big Morgan, Nihil-ist Cheerleader, Wieuca• May 13: The Darnell Boys, Cicada Rhythm, The Athens Cowboy Choir• May 20: Booty Boyz• June 11: Dungen• June 17: Arbor Labor Union• June 18: Rex Norton, Crystal Hopkins, Sarah Elizabeth

AARON’SAMPHITHEATRE AT

LAKEWOOD2002 Lakewood Ave.,

Atlanta404-443-5000

www.livenation.com/ven-ues/14086/aaron-s-amphi-

theatre-at-lakewood• May 6: Disturbed, Rob Zombie• May 7: Gregg Allman’s

Laid Back Festival• May 19: Daryl Hall and John Oates• May 20-21: Luke Bryan, Little Big Town and Dustin Lynch• May 28: Dave Matthews Band• June 8: Journey and The Doobie Brothers with Dave Mason• June 16: Weezer and Panic! At The Disco• June 24: The Cure and Twilight Sad• June 29: Slipknot• July 15: Dierks Bentley, Randy Houser, Cam and Tucker Beathard• July 24: 5 Seconds of Summer: Sounds Live Feels Live Tour• Aug. 12: Def Leppard• Aug. 26: Brantley Gilbert, Justin Moore and Colt Ford• Oct. 10: Florida Georgia Line, Cole Swindell, The Cadillac Three and Kane Brown

ATLANTA SYMPHONY HALL

1280 Peachtree St. N.E., Atlanta

404-733-4900www.atlantasymphony.org

• May 13 — 15: Broadway’s Golden Age• May 27 — 29: Music of Elton John• June 3: The Music of David Bowie A Musical Odyssey• June 5: Cyndi Lauper, The Peach Kings• Aug. 10: Alice Cooper• Aug. 26: Air Supply

BOWMAN HOUSECONCERT SERIES323 Wilcrest Dr. SW,

Lawrenceville770-979-1314

www.facebook.com/bow-manhouseconcertseries

• May 7: The Posies, The Pauses• Sept. 10: Aaron Lee Tasjan• Nov. 5: Gretchen Peters

BUCKHEAD THEATRE3110 Roswell Road, Atlanta

404-843-2825www.thebuckheadtheatre.

com• May 7: Animal Collective• May 20: Pasquale Es-posito• May 21: Sara Evans• May 22: Paul Thorn• May 24: The Neighbour-hood• May 26: Sam Beam and Jessica Hoop• May 28: Will Hoge

• June 11: Matt Corby• June 18: Lake Street Drive, The Lone Bellow• June 24: The Jayhawks

CENTER STAGE THE-ATER

1374 W. Peachtree St., Atlanta

404-885-1365www.centerstage-atlanta.

com• May 12: PVRIS• May 13: Silversun Pick-ups, Foals• May 14: The Sword• May 15: Ginuwine, Karlos Farrar• May 20: Damien Escobar• May 27: Dustin and Gen-evieve Ahkuoi• June 2: Emblem3• June 21: The Wombats• Sep. 3: Broods• Sep. 24: Boyce Avenue• Nov. 5: Chris Mitchell

COBB ENERGYPERFORMING ARTS

CENTRE2800 Cobb Galleria

Parkway, Atlanta770-916-2800

www.cobbenergycentre.com

• June 10: Heart of the King Elvis Tribute• June 13: Happy Together Tour• June 15: Zach Seabaugh, Emily Ann Roberts• June 19: Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons• June 24: Roberta Flack and Peabo Bryson• July 8: GOT7• Aug. 2: Peter Frampton

EDDIE’S ATTIC515-B N. McDonough St.,

Decatur404-377-4976

www.eddiesattic.com• May 6: Liz Vice, Steve Moakler• May 7: Kim Richey, Rich-ard Barone• May 8: Secret Sisters• May 10: David Ellington• May 11: Ryan Beaver, Noah Hunt, Mato Nanji• May 12: The Bottle Rock-ets, Zach Seabaugh• May 13: Clay Cook• May 14: The Bitteroots, Brit La Palm, The Barrel Fever, Becky Shaw• May 15: Tony Lucca, Ke-aton Simons, Paul Pfau• May 17: Bobby Whitlock, Coco Carmel, Joshua Davis• May 18: Firekid• May 19: Gill Landry• May 20: Michael Tolcher

EVERETT’S MUSIC BARN4055 Stonecypher Road,

Suwanee678-858-5363

everettsmusicbarn.net• May 7: The Davenport Brothers• May 14: The Decatur, Bluegrass Association Band, The Everett Family Band, Carolina Blue• May 21: The Bankesters• May 28: Wilson Banjo Co.• June 4: Chris Jones and The Night Drivers• July 9: Cumberland River• July 30: David Davis and The Warrior River Boys, The Due South Band• Aug. 20: Dale Ann Brad-ley• Sep. 10: The Due South Band

FOX THEATRE660 Peachtree St. N.E.,

Atlanta404-881-2100foxtheatre.org

• May 7: Floetry, Mint Condition• May 21: K. Michelle• June 17: Anthony Hamil-ton, Fantasia• June 18: Brit Floyd• June 19: “Weird Al” Yankovic• July 17: Shawn Mendes• July 30: Ray LaMontagne• Oct. 13: Celtic Thunder• Oct. 22: Bonnie Raitt

INFINITE ENERGY ARENA

6400 Sugarloaf Parkway, Duluth

770-813-7500www.infiniteenergycenter.

com• May 20: Cage the El-ephant• June 2: Jimmy Buffet, The Coral Reefer Band• June 4: Dolly Parton• Aug. 6: Twenty One Pilots

INFINITE ENERGYTHEATER

6400 Sugarloaf Parkway, Duluth

770-813-7500www.infiniteenergycenter.

com• June 25: Nashville Hit-makers

THE LOFT1374 W. Peachtree St.,

Atlanta404-885-1365

www.centerstage-atlanta.com/shows/the-loft/

• May 7: Sasy Mankan• May 12: The New Stew with Corey Glover and Roo-sevelt Collier

• May 13: Highly Suspect, Diet Cig• May 14: Baroness, Youth Code• May 20: Therapy Session Tour• May 24: Saul Hernandez• June 23: B.o.B.• July 3: Aesop Rock, Rob Sonic, DJ Zone• July 7: Emily King

THE MASQUERADE695 N. Avenue N.E., Atlanta

404-577-8178www.masqueradeatlanta.

com• May 7: Blue October• May 12: Sacing Abel• May 17: Insane Clown Posse• May 21: Say Anything• May 22: The Summer Set• May 28: Caravan Palace• July 3: The Hotelier

PHILIPS ARENA1 Philips Drive N.W.,

Atlanta404-878-3000

www.philipsarena.com• May 18: Rihanna• June 9: Selena Gomez• June 11: R. Kelly• June 29: Demi Lovato and Nick Jonas• Aug. 7: Janet Jackson• Oct. 26: Mana• Oct. 28-29: Adele

RED CLAY MUSICFOUNDRY

3116 Main St., Duluth678-957-7283

www.eddieowenpresents.com

• May 6: The Grascals• May 7 — 8: The Rat Pack Now• May 12: Scott Miller• May 20: Chuck Cannon, Chuck McDowell• June 4: John Gorka• Ongoing: Sunday night Songwriters Open Mic

RED LIGHT CAFE553 Amsterdam Ave.,

Atlanta404-874-7828

redlightcafe.com• May 6: Royal Johnson, Sole Travelers• May 13: Gareth Asher and The Earthlings• May 15: William Wild, Anthony Aparo• May 17: Kenosha Kid, Ricci• May 19: Russ Still and The Moonshiners, The Brookses• May 26: Frenchy and the Punk, The Men That Will Not Be Blamed For Nothing• May 27: Rockabilly Kitty

Rose, Hot Rod Walt• May 28: American Holo-gram, Collins Drive• June 2: Shawn Spencer Band

RIALTO CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS80 Forsyth St. N.W., Atlanta

404-651-4727www.rialtocenter.org

• May 28: Atlanta Jazz Festival

SMITH’S OLDE BAR1578 Piedmont Ave.,

Atlanta404-875-1522

www.smithsoldebar.com• May 6: BB Palmer and Kudzu, Jake and The Beanstalk, Lagoons• May 7: Livingstone, Sub-urban Love Junkies, Grind Theory, Brooklynn, SOS• May 10: Shawty Fatt• May 11: Animal Years• Ongoing: DJ Sky

THE TABERNACLE152 Luckie St., Atlanta

404-659-9022tabernacleatl.com

• June 2: Mudcrutch• June 12: Gogol Bordello• July 8: Chino Y Nacho• July 29 — 30: 311

VARIETY PLAYHOUSE1099 Euclid Ave., Atlanta

404-521-1786www.variety-playhouse.

com• May 4: Kamasi Washing-ton• May 7: Steep Canyon Rangers• May 11: Tweet

VERIZON WIRELESSAMPHITHEATRE AT

ENCORE PARK2200 Encore Parkway,

Alpharettawww.vzwamp.com

• May 7: The Avett Broth-ers, Brett Dennen• May 15: Styx, .38 Spe-cial, Don Felder• June 6: Ellie Goulding• June 11: Keith Urban, Brett Eldredge, Maren Morris• June 28: Barenaked La-dies, OMD, Howard Jones• July 23: Tedeschi Trucks Band, Los Lobos, North Mississippi Allstars• Aug. 14: Dixie Chicks• Sept. 11: Darius Rucker, Dan + Shay

Most tickets available through Ticketmaster at 404-249-6400 or ticketmas-ter.com

BY VENUE — MUSIC

Six upcoming concerts you don’t want to missAs the weather heats

up, so does Atlanta’s mu-sic scene, with some of today’s and yesterday’s biggest stars scheduled to rock the Peach State before the first day of summer.

Here are six concerts you don’t want to miss.

Rihanna at Phillips Arena, 7:30 p.m. May 18

Is there any bigger singer on the planet right now than Rihanna?

Eight-time Grammy Award and American Mu-sic Award winner: check.

Has sold more than 200 million albums world-wide: check.

The youngest and fastest artist to score 14 singles atop the Billboard 100: check.

Been named one of Time magazine’s most 100 Most Influential People in the World: checkmate.

She’s playing Phil-lips Arena as part of her “Anti” tour that will take her throughout the U.S. and Europe to promote her album with the same name. From “Umbrella” to “Diamonds,” and from “Take a Bow to “Work,” Rihanna has plenty of hits from which to please the crowd. Travis Scott will open the show, which had been originally scheduled for March 9.

Tickets: www.phil-ipsarena.com/events/de-tail/rihanna-1

Hall & Oates at Aaron’s Amphitheatre at Lakewood, 7 p.m. May 19

Of course Daryl Hall and John Oates are tour-ing — what else do they do? They recorded their first record together in 1972 and haven’t stopped playing since — cranking out 18 studio records that included six hits that land-ed atop the Billboard Hot 100: “Rich Girl,” “Kiss on My List,” “Private Eyes,” “I Can’t Go For That (No Can Do),” “Maneater” and “Out of Touch.”

Their ability to seam-lessly blend soul, rock and pop enabled them to become arguably the greatest duo in music history. Though Hall, 69, and Oates, 67, are not as popular now as they were during the height of their careers when they cranked out 29 Top 40 hits from

1976 to 1990, they are legends. Hall, who sings and plays the guitar and keyboard, and Oates, who sings and plays the guitar and bass, are making their first appearance in Atlanta since playing a six-song set at last year’s Music Midtown.

Tickets: www.thelake-woodamphitheater.com/tickets

Luke Bryan at Aaron’s Amphitheatre at Lake-wood, 7 p.m. May 20-21

The native of Leesburg, Ga., who attended Geor-gia Southern University is one of country music’s biggest stars — so huge he’s playing two shows. His “Kill the Lights Tour,” which started in Febru-ary and concludes in October to promote his album of the same name, is extremely predicable. He consistently plays

the same 19 songs every night, opening with “Rain is a Good Thing,” and hitting “Play it Again,” “Strip It Down,” “Drink A Beer,” and “Drunk on You” before finishing the set with “That’s My Kind of Night” and encoring with “Country Girl” and “I Don’t Want This Night to End.” Bryan, who has sold more than 7 million albums and 27 million singles worldwide, will perform with Little Big Town and Dustin Lynch.

Tickets: www.thelake-woodamphitheater.com/tickets

Dave Matthews Band at Aaron’s Amphitheatre at Lakewood, 8 p.m. May 28

If you don’t see Dave Matthews Band this year, don’t plan on seeing him next year, as the group said it doesn’t expect to

tour in 2017. Perhaps no major group has played Atlanta more during the past decade than Dave Matthews Band, which has played a dozen shows here since 2006. The band is known for playing lon-ger versions of its songs, making every concert seem different. The band’s most recent album, “Away from the World,” debuted atop the Billboard chart in 2012, making Dave Matthews Band the only group to have six straight studio albums debut at No. 1. As for what to expect to hear, Dave Matthews Band has been around since the early 1990s and has cranked out too many hits to name. Dave Matthews Band will be joined by acts who have yet to be formally announced, according to the venue.

Tickets: www.thelake-woodamphitheater.com/tickets

Jimmy Buffett and the Coral Reefer Band at Infinite Energy Arena, 8 p.m. June 2

It wouldn’t be spring without a trip to “Margari-taville” to have a “Cheese-burger in Paradise.” Buffett, 69, is showing no sign of slowing down, as he’ll visit Duluth as part of his “I Don’t Know” tour that stretches from April to October and visits 23 cities, from Bangor, Maine, to Paris. Buffett has played at least one show in Atlanta every year since 1995, except in 2005, and played at Infi-

nite Energy Arena in June. But don’t let his laid-back and island escapism life-style trick into thinking he doesn’t know what he’s doing. With his 27 album releases, around 40 tours, and his string of Mar-garitaville restaurants and resorts, he’s worth about $450 million, making him one of the world’s richest singers.

Tickets: www.infini-teenergycenter.com

Selena Gomez at Philips Arena, 7:30 p.m. June 9

Selena Gomez will hit Atlanta as part of her “Re-vival Tour” that will stop in 41 cities in the U.S. and Canada and begins in Las Vegas on May 6. Gomez, a multi-platinum singer and actress, has certainly made a name for herself since breaking up with Justin Bieber.

Still haven’t heard of the former Barney & Friends and Disney Chan-nel star who has been in more than a dozen mov-ies? You’re probably in the minority, considering she has more than 75 million followers on Instagram — most in the world. Her latest album, “Re-vival,” which features hits “Hands To Myself,” Same Old Love,” and “Good For You,” debuted atop the Billboard 200 chart. In October, she scored her first Billboard Hot 100 single to hit the top 5 with “Good for You.”

Tickets: www.phil-ipsarena.com/events/de-tail/selena-gomez-1.

By Jon GalloStaff Correspondent

Jimmy Buffett and the Coral Reefer Band will perfom at the Infinite Energy Arena in Duluth on June 2. (Special Photo)

10C SUNDAY, APRIL 24, 2016 • gwinnettdailypost.com

SNELLVILLE — Earlier this week it was a festive atmosphere at the track and � eld area at South Gwinnett High School, complete with balloons, ribbons and smiles.

Some 200 Gwinnett middle school students on Monday morning took part in a Special Olympics event where they competed in 100 meter dashes, softball throws and long jumps. It was the culmination of a year of preparation and followed a similar event that happened a few weeks ago at Collins Hill High School.

Lynnette Swanson, an adaptive physical education teacher at Oakland Meadow School who also works in the Parkview cluster, said the event is designed for the athletes to “think they can have success like anybody else can.”

Swanson said the event has grown exponentially since it began some 25 years ago, and Monday at South there were 30 heats. A recent similar event at Mill Creek High School had 78 heats.

About 120 South Gwin-nett students volunteered at the event to help hand out ribbons, water and clipboards with results to be announced.

The school’s chapter of Future Business Leaders of America was among the clubs who sent students, and

it helped organize those vol-unteers. FBLA chapter Presi-dent Hibah Berhanu, a junior, said she was glad to connect with middle school students to create a community envi-ronment with students from across Gwinnett.

“I think it was really excit-ing,” she said. “This is the � rst year that I’ve done Spe-cial Olympics, so I got to see a lot of the potential from all of the special-needs students in Gwinnett County.”

Junior Abby Cheek spent much of the event handing out water to athletes near the � nish line of 100-meter races.

“It’s just really rewarding

to see the kids when they � nish their races, and it helps me improve my leadership skills to take initiative to � nd things that need to be done and helping doing them,” she said.

Tara Haynes, sponsor of South’s FBLA chapter, said community outreach and support is part of the organi-zation’s three initiatives, and it’s important to show all of the students that this effort is important.

“I think it’s always some-thing they will remember about their high school career is helping our middle school Special Olympic kids,” she said.

BY KEITH [email protected]

Top of their gameHundreds turn out for Special Olympics event

Grace Snell Middle School student Paul Bailey, pictured above right, competes in the long jump event on Monday alongside South Gwinnett High School junior Isabelle Williams at a Special Olympics event at South Gwinnett High School. Berkmar Middle School student Leo Garcia, pictured above left, competes on Monday in the softball-throwing Special Olympics event at South Gwinnett High School. Adaptive physical education teacher Kyle White helps Garcia with the throw, which won his heat.

Middle school students from across Gwinnett compete on Monday in 100-meter races in a Special Olympics event at South Gwinnett High School. About 200 middle school students competed, while about 120 South Gwinnett High School students helped put the event on. (Staff Photos: Keith Farner)

Peachtree Corners commends Rep. Rice before his retirement

Peachtree Corners of-� cials took a little time this past week to recognize the city’s voice in the state House of Representatives before his term ends.

The city council issued a proclamation to Rep. Tom Rice, R-Norcross, on Tuesday. Rice announced in February that he would not run for re-election because he planned to retire from politics. He recently � nished his � nal legislative session in Atlanta after 20 years in the General Assembly.

“Tom Rice’s work on Peachtree Corners’ behalf will always be recognized as a valuable and integral part of the city’s history,” Mayor Mike Mason said in a state-ment. “We wish him the very best in his retirement. I know he will be missed when the General Assembly convenes next January.”

His district includes Peachtree Corners, Berkeley Lake and parts of Norcross and Johns Creek. During that time, he was involved in legislative efforts that eventually led to Peachtree Corners’ creation in 2012, according to city of� cials.

BY CURT YEOMANS

[email protected]

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Peachtree Corners Mayor Mike Mason presents a proclamation to retiring state Rep. Tom Rice on Tuesday. The city took time to honor the longtime legis-lator before he leaves office later this year. (Special Photo)

Burlie W. (Trae) Taylor III and Katelyn R. Bryant

were married September 05, 2015, at The Payne-Corley House in Duluth with the

Rev. Matt Marrs officiating.

The bride is the daughter of Merle and Kelly Bryant. She is a graduate of Collins Hill High School, 2008

and Georgia Southern University, 2013. She is employed by Hodges-Mace in Atlanta.

The groom is the son of Wayne and Carol Taylor of Lawrenceville. He is a graduate of Collins Hill High School, 2008 and Georgia Southern University, 2012. He is employed by Habif, Arogeti and Wynne, LLP.

Danielle Bryant of Springfield Missouri and Amanda Woods of Atlanta GA served as the maids of honor.

Hannah Norman of Nashville, TN served as the matron of honor. Bridesmaids were Hayli Murray, Lauren Chambers, Courtney Griffin, Jana Phillips,

Liza Davis, Hannah Smith, and Samantha Anderson.

Jackson Taylor of Lawrenceville served as the best man. Connor Norman, Garren

McCloud, Joe Murray, Kyle Chambers, Dustin Johnston, Jon Wiggington, Bo Guillebeau, Phillip Buelterman, and Hamilton Brodnax

served as groomsmen. Jonathan Hazard and Drew Hartley

served as ushers.

The reception was at The Payne Corley House in Duluth.

After the honeymoon to California, the couple resides in Atlanta.

413837-1

Sunday, april 24, 2016 11C •gwinnettdailypost.com

Media Specialist of the Year hails from BrookwoodJan Wilson’s daily goal

is to transform the stereo-type of a media specialist as someone who works quietly behind a circula-tion desk.

Others have noticed.That’s why Wilson was

honored this week with Gwinnett County Public Schools’ Library Media Specialist of the Year. Wilson, who has 19 years of experience, promotes reading, information technology and commu-nity involvement. Wilson serves also as the sponsor of Brookwood’s Read-ing Club and its Readers Rally team, a team that has won three county championships since 2012.

“This is an active pro-

fession; teaching students to locate and evaluate in-formation is only part of what I do,” Wilson said in a press release. “As a media specialist, I also design instruction with teachers so that students work collaboratively and present their work in for-mats well beyond a tradi-tional research paper, like

videos and infographics.”Mary Barbee, the

school district’s director of Media Services and Technology Training, said Wilson oversees a dynamic program that emphasizes supporting instruction while provid-ing spaces that promote reading and project-based learning.

In May, Wilson will compete for the Metro Atlanta District Media Specialist of the Year title.

Creekland Middle LSTC honored by PBS

Shana White, a tech-nology coordinator at Creekland Middle School, has been named a Lead PBS LearningMe-dia Digital Innovator for

Georgia.Now in its fourth year,

the program honors educators from across the country who exemplify excellence in using tech-nology and digital media to support student learn-ing. The Lead Innovators are awarded with year-long professional devel-opment opportunities, virtual trainings, exclu-sive resources from PBS LearningMedia Custom, a free PBS TeacherLine professional development course and networking opportunities.

The 52 people honored as Lead Digital Innova-tors will receive an all-expense paid trip in June to Denver to participate in the PBS LearningMe-

dia Digital Summit and the International Society for Technology in Educa-tion Conference.

White said in a press release that when used properly, digital media provides teachers an ef-fective method to enrich and differentiate their content, engage all learn-ers and create a cultur-ally responsive learning environment.

“It is a huge honor and I am very excited about the opportunity to rep-resent Georgia and meet other like-minded educa-tors across the country at the PBS LearningMedia Summit,” she said.

Scholarshipsfor teachers

Three GCPS teach-

ers are the recipients of $1,500 scholarships from the Gwinnett County Retired Educators As-sociation.

Michelle Bruzan of North Gwinnett High School, Hyun Soon McGee of Chesney Elementary School, and Renee Wilson-Wicker of Mountain View High School received the awards.

The teachers were recognized for their hard work, innovative teach-ing strategies and the programs they created to benefit students.

Keith Farner writes about education. Good News from Schools ap-pears in the Sunday edi-tion of the Daily Post.

Good News from Schools

Keith Farner

ELEMENTARY SCHOOLMonday

Gwinnett’s best burger, mini calzones, vegetarian entree

TuesdayChicken nuggets, vegetar-

ian entree, PBJ’wichWednesday

Captain America chicken sammie, flavor to the max sticks, vegetarian entree

ThursdayMini corn pups, deli fresh

subs, vegetarian entree, PBJ’wich

FridayBrunch 4 lunch, crunchy

tacos, vegetarian entree

MIDDLE SCHOOLMonday

Crispy chicken sammie, Italian meatball sub, vegetar-ian entree, signature salads

TuesdayPizza by the slice, bone-

less wings, vegetarian entree, signature salads

WednesdayHot dog, Italian trio,

vegetarian entree, signature salads, deli fresh subs

ThursdayPizza by the slice, BBQ

sammie, vegetarian entree, signature salads

FridayBrunch 4 lunch, seafood

basket, vegetarian entree, signature salads, deli fresh subs

HIGH SCHOOLMonday

Pizza by the slice, crispy chicken sammie, BBQ pork sammie, deli fresh subs, fresh seasonal salads, vegetarian entree

TuesdayPizza by the slice, Gwin-

nett’s best burger, Italian trio, deli fresh subs, fresh seasonal salads, vegetarian entree

WednesdayPizza by the slice, crispy

chicken drumstick, fiesta nachos, deli fresh subs, fresh seasonal salads, vegetarian entree

ThursdayPizza by the slice, hot dog,

lasagna marinara, deli fresh subs, fresh seasonal salads, vegetarian entree

FridayPizza by the slice, classic

chicken nuggets, Asian rice bowls, home-style croissant, fresh seasonal salads, veg-etarian entree

LUNCH MENUS Suwanee golf tournament raises $10K

An organization that works with children who are dealing with situations that could otherwise traumatize them recently got some help from Verizon and the Atlanta Falcons.

The communications company and the local NFL team announced their 12th annual Network of Cham-pions Golf Tournament at The River Club in Suwanee raised $10,000 for CHRIS Kids on April 14. The celeb-rity tournament is designed to benefit the metro Atlanta community.

“Verizon has been a long-standing and valuable partner of the Atlanta Falcons, and I know this is an event the staff and players look forward to every year,” Atlanta Falcons President and CEO Rich McKay said in a statement. “CHRIS Kids is an organiza-tion that I am personally very fond of, and I am very proud

of the tournament players for stepping up and raising so much money for such a deserving cause.”

CHRIS Kids, whose name is partially an acronym for the words “Creativity,” “Honor,” “Respect,” “In-tegrity” and “Safety,” offers behavioral health services and support such as educa-tion and training to children, adults and families.

“We are so appreciative for Verizon and the Atlanta Falcons’ supporting our or-ganization and the people that we work with on a daily basis,” CHRIS Kids Vice-President of Development Brittany Burnett said. “This generous donation will allow us to continue to bring the CHRIS Kids vision to life by providing children, adults and families with high-

quality, trauma-informed behavioral health services and support systems.”

McKay, Verizon officials and current and former Fal-cons players, including Matt Bryant, Jonathan Babineaux, Dave Archer and DJ Shock-ley, were on hand at the tournament to meet attendees and to present the check to CHRIS Kids officials.

“As we wrap up the 12th Annual Network of Cham-pions Golf Tournament, we want to extend a special thanks to Rich McKay and the rest of the Atlanta Falcons staff and players, the Verizon employees and the tournament participants that donated their time and money to support the incred-ible work of CHRIS Kids,” Verizon South Area Presi-dent Roger Tang said. “The resources that CHRIS Kids provides to help individuals overcome trauma and move to resiliency and self-suffi-ciency is truly remarkable and much needed in the Atlanta community.”

By Curt [email protected]

Verizon officials present a $10,000 check for CHRIS Kids. The money was raised through the 12th annual Network of Champions Golf Tournament at the River Club in Su-wanee on April 14. (Special Photo)

Peachtree Ridge’s Robo Lions gearing up for worlds contest

Gwinnett’s best robotics team is again gearing up for a trip to the world champi-onships in St. Louis.

Peachtree Ridge High School’s robotics team last weekend finished second in the state out of 41 teams that competed in Athens. The Robo Lions were given the Innovation in Control, the Chairman’s Award and were the only Gwinnett team to qualify for worlds where they will compete with some 600 teams April 27-30. The teams will come from Australia, Canada, France and Israel and com-pete at the Edward Jones Dome.

Teacher Mary Rutland,

who works with the Robo Lions, said the group will go to St. Louis “with the best bot and drive team we have had in years, we fully expect to do well at worlds.”

In order to cover the costs of transportation, boarding,

and registration fees, the team is looking for $21,000 in donations and sponsor-ships from the Gwinnett community as a registered 501(c)(3) organization. The group’s website is prhsro-botics.com.

By Keith Farner

[email protected]

Peachtree Ridge High School’s robotics team last week-end finished second in the state out of 41 teams that competed in Athens. (Special Photo)

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12C Sunday, april 24, 2016 • gwinnettdailypost.com

Buford couple, high-school sweethearts, celebrate their 71st wedding anniversary

A Buford couple recently celebrated their 71st wedding anniver-sary.

Robert Stady was born Sept. 22, 1922 in Olean, a small town located in western New York. His wife Margaret Cornish Stady was born Nov. 27, 1923. The high school sweethearts met at a roller skating party at their Baptist church in 1941 and have been together since.

The Stadys were mar-ried March 16, 1945. After serving in the Navy as an aviation metalsmith in Jacksonville, Florida, Bob worked as the Plant

Production Control Man-ager at Dresser Industries in Olean until he retired in 1982 and the couple moved to Augusta.

Newly residing in Georgia, the Stadys

began to serve with the Senior Saints at Lumpkin Road Baptist Church. Bob became a Sunday School teacher for over 30 years until the couple moved to Buford to be closer to family.

Today the Stadys are active members of Ivy Creek Baptist Church.

They attribute their successful marriage to their great faith in God and their devotion to each other. The Stadys have a daily ritual of singing their favorite love song to each other “I love you, a bushel and a peck and a hug around the neck!”

The couple have four children: Ann McMahon of Monroe, Conn., Cyndi

Ring of Cuba, N.Y., Janet Jameson of Buford and Jim Stady of Dacula. They have 10 grandchil-dren: David McMahon, Melissa McMahon, Mark Ruggles, Matt Ruggles, Kevin Ruggles, Anne Connors, Jamie Mays, Ben Sutphin, Jordan Connell and Jameson Ka-meron Stady. The couple are also blessed with fourteen great-grandchil-dren: Giuliana McMa-hon, Brittany Ruggles, Kyle Ruggles, Kameron Ruggles, Elliott Wilber, Brayden Ruggles, Liam Ruggles, Corbin Con-nors, Ansley Connors, Logan Johnson, Emily Johnson, Bailey Johnson, Leighton Connell, and Rylen Connell.

By AlyssA McNerNeyStaff Intern

Robert and Cornish Stady

Loganville resident Foster celebrates 110th birthday

Loganville resident Nell Foster recently celebrated her 110th birthday making her the third oldest living resident of Georgia.

Runell “Nell” Brooks Foster was born on March 27, 1906 to George B. and Emma Palmer Brooks. She was the youngest of 12 children. Her father ran the family farm of over 150 acres that spanned across what is now the intersection of U.S. Highway 78 and Rosebud Road.

Foster attended Midway School and was later one of the first students to at-tend the original Grayson High School. After taking a teacher training course offered in high school, Foster acquired a position teaching first through third grades at Midway School.

Nell married her child-hood sweetheart, Clyde Foster, on Feb. 12, 1928. The couple lived in At-lanta until 1929 when they

moved into the rock house built by her father that still remains at the same inter-section. There they raised 3 daughters — Mary, Pat and Sara.

The Fosters were ac-tive members at the First Baptist Church in Grayson and in other school and community activities as well. Clyde Foster died April 29, 1978.

“It is amazing to be with a person who has experienced so many dramatic changes during the course of her life,” Lo-ganville Mayor Dan Curry said. “She is an inspiration to us all.”

Foster enjoys gardening, sewing, crocheting and cooking, and is especially known for her caramel cakes.

Last year the intersec-tion of U.S. 78 and Rose-bud Road was dedicated to Nell Foster. Additionally she has been recognized with proclamations and resolutions from local and state leaders as well as President Barack Obama.

By AlyssA McNerNeyStaff Intern

Nell Foster, center, is pictured with Loganville Mayor Dan Curry and state Representative Tom Kirby. (Special Photo)

College noteS

Robyn K. Mack of Sugar Hill was recently named to the Dean’s List at Grand Valley State University.

Aekta Patel of Duluth recently received her Master of Science degree in Biomedical Sciences from the Philadel-phia College of Osteopathic Medicine.

Annabelle Cook of Suwanee and Su Yeon Kim of Duluth were recently named to the Presiedent’s List at Pratt Insti-tute.

Juan Carlos Lopez of Duluth and Tamieka Perkins of Snellville were recently named to the Provost’s List at Troy University.

Amelia Sullivan of Duluth was recently named to the Chancellor’s List at Troy University.

Ane Wanliss of Berkeley Lake recently received the Dean’s Award at Colgate University.

Victor Speight of Lawrenceville recently graduated from Illinois Central College.

Annika Olsen of John’s Creek and Kesedria Carter of Lithonia were recently named to the Dean’s List at the University of Iowa.

Khyati Sehgal of Lilburn was recently named to the Dean’s List at Merson College.

Sung-Min Yoo of Suwanee was recently named to the Dean’s List at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

Muralitharan Srinivasan of John’s Creek and Li Zeng of Duluth were recently named to the Dean’s List at Rochester Institute of Technology.

Diana Thampalakattu of Lilburn was recently named to the Dean’s List at University of the Sciences.

The following local students were recently named to the Dean’s list at Clemson University: Sarah Michele Boyd of Braselton, Arjun Aggarwal of Dacula, Nathanial S. Hinton of Dacula, Kelby J. Jordan of Dacula, Carolyn T. Bigger of Duluth, Alicia Bates Bostic of Duluth, Hannah Diane Casey of Duluth, Julianne Ciaramello of Duluth, Tyler McRae Martin of Duluth, Nicholas Austin Schuessler Grayson, Michael A. Creighton of Hoschton, Diana L. Davidson of John’s Creek, Jacob T. Erickson of John’s Creek, Hunter Christian Sanders Seiders of John’s Creek, Steven Patrick Jeanfreau of Lawrenceville, Frederick Thornton Lipscomb II of Lawrenceville, Trent James Scates of Lawrencev-ille, Erin Paige Taylor of Lawrenceville, Paige C. Bailey of Norcross, Chase Francis Bailey of PEachtree Corners, James E. Cusick Jr. of Peachtree Corners, Ian B. Robinson of Peachtree Corners, William Patrick Freeman of Smoke Rise, Hannah R. Grice of Snellville, Alexandra Q. Mesler of Snellville, Anna D. Scott of Snellville, Christian James Sharpe of Snellville, Eric Warren Robbins of Stone Moun-tain, Nicholas C. Andryusky of Sugar Hill, Brodie Tyler Davila of Suwanee, Sarah C. Dameria of Suwanee, Clare M. Kelley of Suwanee, Lydia Darrington Melin of Suwanee, Grace E. Pattee of Suwanee, Michelle Kathryn Schleicher of Suwanee.

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SUNDAY, APRIL 24, 2016 13C •gwinnettdailypost.com

AUBURNLibrary hosting money

management classAnyone interested in

learning some basic tech-niques for handling money can pick up some tips at the Auburn Public Library this week.

The library will host a “Basic Money Skills” class from 6-7 p.m. on Tuesday. The class is sponsored by Community and Southern Bank and is being held in recognition of Money Smart Week.

The library is located at 24 Fifth St., in Auburn.

BARROW COUNTYPrescription disposal

box now at Winder Police Department

The city of Winder’s police department now has a prescription disposal box located inside of the lobby at 25 Midland Ave. The box accepts anything but sy-ringes including prescription medication, non-prescrip-tion medication, expired medication, vitamins, cold medicine, liquid or pill form medication and inhalers.

Utilities Director Roger Wilhelm said he is pleased that the city has taken the initiative to help prevent medications being sent down the drain and into the environment.

“The city of Winder understands the value in being environmentally con-scious, and we are commit-ted to operating our utilities responsibly and efficiently,” he said. “I greatly appreci-ate support and partnership with our citizens and cus-tomers, and we encourage everyone to take advan-tage of this new program in our community.”

Pharmaceuticals may be dropped off between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

For more information, call the non-emergency police line 770-867-2156.

BERKELEY LAKEConcert series coming to

ChapelAtlanta Plays It Forward

and All About Developmen-tal Disabilities is putting on a concert series at the Berkeley Lake Chapel.

The first date is on May 15 and its called “Atlanta Dance Party: Big Dance Hits of the 70s, 80s and 90s. There are other per-formances on Sept. 11 with Classic Recall: Timeless Classic Rock Hits and on Oct. 16 with Up On The Roof: A Magnificent Carole King Tribute.

Concerts are outdoors and attendees are encour-aged to bring a picnic and other refreshments. Alcohol is permitted. Rest-rooms are available.

Tickets are $10 to $140, including boats and tables that seat up to eight.

The series takes place rain or shine.

BRASELTON‘Beach Bash’ plannedThere’s a “Beach Bash”

planned in Braselton from 1 to 9 p.m. on May 7 at Braselton Park on Harrison Street.

The event is to feature live music, giveaways for kids, vendors, food trailers, bounce houses, face-paint-ing and 18 tons of sand.

“Bring lawn chairs and enjoy a day at Braselton’s beach!” an advertisement said.

For more information, visit downtownbraselton.com.

BUFORDCredit counseling offered

at libraryThe Buford-Sugar Hill

branch of the public library is hosting an April 25 credit counseling event.

Beatriz Mauersberg of ClearPoint Credit Coun-seling Solutions will help attendees learn how to create a “priority spending plan” to save money and meet goals.

ClearPoint Credit Counseling Solutions is a nonprofit that has been providing consumers with budget, debt and housing advice for 50 years.

The event is from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. The library is at 2100 Buford Highway.

DACULABusiness license

renewals due by June 30Businesses that need

to file paperwork to renew their business licenses in Dacula have a little over two months to do so.

The city recently an-nounced that the re-newal deadline is June 30. Paperwork, such as the business, occupational tax application and the home office affidavit, can be found on daculaga.gov. City staff will calculate a business’ license fee after copies of the paperwork is emailed to [email protected]. After the fee is calculated, the original paperwork and a check for the fee, to officials.

Officials said there is a $25 late fee for any paper-work submitted after June 30. Any questions about submitting the application can be answered by calling city hall at 770-963-7451.

DULUTHTouch A Truck event coming next month

The city of Duluth and Notre Dame Academy are partnering on May 21 for a “Touch A Truck” event from 10 a.m. to noon at Notre Dame Academy.

Attendees could touch and explore vehicles of all shapes and sizes and take pictures with Elsa and Anna from Disney’s “Frozen.” This event is free to the community and to RSVP visit ndacademy.org. Notre Dame Academy is located at 4635 River Green Parkway.

GRAYSONFarmers Market set to

start June 1The city is preparing for

its annual Famers Market, which will begin on June 1 and occur every Wednes-day during the summer

and last from 3:30 to 7:30 p.m. The market is located at 475 Grayson Parkway. The market runs from June 1 through the end of September.

LAWRENCEVILLESheriff’s Office hosts Virgin Islands correc-

tions officialsThe Gwinnett County jail

in Lawrenceville received some visitors from the Ca-ribbean who were interest-ed in learning how officials in Gwinnett County run their corrections facilities.

The Sheriff’s Office hosted the visit by the U.S. Virgin Islands Bureau of Corrections, led by former Gwinnett Deputy Rick Mull-gray, who left the office last year to take on the post in his homeland. Mullgray is working on bringing the bureau up to the level of the American Correctional Standards, according to Sheriff’s Office spokes-woman, Deputy Shannon Volkodav.

Volkodav added that the Virgin Islands group was trained by Gwinnett deputies in a variety of jail operations, including book-ing procedures, handling of contraband, searches, a prisoner’s constitu-tional rights, use of force, prisoner transport, inmate visitation, jail security, suicide screening, sexual harassment, mental health, food service, prisoner cor-respondence, hostage situ-ations, defensive tactics, prisoner activities, emer-gency procedures, pris-oner discipline, handling of disruptive prisoners, staff liability, staff-prisoner rela-tions and communicable diseases.

“I consider it a compli-ment that a former staff member who is now in a position of even greater responsibility thinks highly enough of our operations to implement our proce-dures in the US Virgin Islands prison system,”

Sheriff Butch Conway said in a statement. “We’re happy to support Direc-tor Mullgrav in his effort to bring excellence to his agency.”

Mullgrav added, “We’re very excited about the op-portunity to work with the Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office. This is a major step forward in achieving ASC compliance for our prison system. As a former deputy, I know firsthand how efficient operations are at the Gwinnett County Jail and I hope to bring their standard of operations to the US Virgin Islands Bureau of Corrections.”

LILBURNGrant to fund street

repairsThanks to a $75,000

Georgia Department of Transportation grant, road safety projects will be com-pleted in Lilburn this year.

The city is planning striping and sidewalk repairs, according to a news release. The city is responsible for 30 percent of the cost.

The striping locations are: Poplar Street, First Avenue, Wynne-Russell Drive, West Johns, Pop Johnson, John Carroll, Hillcrest, Church and Pine streets.

The sidewalk repairs are on Terry Lane at Young Street, Norman Drive, Velva Court, Velva Way and Elizabeth Way.

LOGANVILLECar show set for May 14

The Master’s Car Club along with the city of Lo-ganville will host the 12th annual benefit car show from 9:30 a.m. to noon with an awards ceremony at 2 p.m. Registration is $20 per car or $15 when regis-tering two or more cars.

Awards will be given for Best of Show, People’s Choice, Mayor’s Choice, Kid’s Choice and the top 25.

There will also be live music, a 50/50 raffle, food and drinks and door prizes.

NORCROSS‘Movie Monday’ to

feature ‘Steve Jobs’The next edition of

“Movie Monday” in Nor-cross will feature the Aaron Sorkin film “Steve Jobs.”

The biographical drama “explores the genius and shortcomings of computing guru Steve Jobs…through the lens of three product launches.”

There are two showings, one at 1:30 p.m. and one at 6:30 p.m., on May 9 at the Norcross Cultural Arts & Community Center.

The center is located at 10 College St.

PEACHTREE CORNERSBig crowd for bridge

design meetingMore than 200 people

attended a recent meeting in Peachtree Corners to review design options for the proposed Peachtree Parkway Pedestrian Bridge, according to a news release.

Community Develop-ment Director Diana Wheeler explained the safety and economic de-velopment benefits of the bridge and then presented five designs. The designs ranged from a traditional stone bridge with bell towers to a contemporary cable-suspension struc-ture.

Attendees were then invited to share comments and preferences.

“We’re delighted by the large turnout and excited to see so many people interested in providing their input on this landmark project,” said Mayor Mike Mason.

In the next 10 years, traffic on Peachtree Parkway is anticipated to increase to more than 50,000 vehicles per day. The bridge will con-nect Peachtree Corner’s

planned Town Center with the Forum shopping center.

Adam Jones-Keeley, President of Conway, Inc. said: “As the president of an international com-pany headquartered in Peachtree Corners and a resident of the city, I’m a strong advocate for the construction of an iconic symbol for our commu-nity. We need a landmark structure so that we can be remembered, known for something more than that new city that used to be Norcross.”

SNELLVILLENew assistant chief gets

trainingNewly-appointed

Snellville Assistant Police Chief Greg Perry recently received training. He at-tended the Chief Executive Training Class for new chiefs of police and heads of law enforcement agen-cies at the Dr. Curtis E. McClung Training Center in Duluth, according to a news release.

The 60-hour course, administered and provided by the Georgia Associa-tion of Chiefs of Police, is required by state law.

Perry was among 50 law enforcement adminis-trators who attended the course.

SUGAR HILLNext Stop donates hand-

made birdhousesThe Next Stop Founda-

tion, a local organization that centers around adults with special needs, has donated 25 hand-crafted birdhouses built by their members. The birdhouses will be on display at Gary Pirkle Park to be viewed and enjoyed by the public, and also provide shelter for the city’s bird population.

The Next Stop Founda-tion started in 2007 when they began serving adults with special needs with the intention of providing them meaningful and productive experiences after they age out of the traditional school system at 22 years old.

One of the most impor-tant goals of the organiza-tion is to ensure that their members understand they are a part of our community. To help them understand the value of community and to truly feel it themselves, “service projects” were established.

Through these proj-ects, they have collected for organizations such as Samaritan’s Purse, the Rescue Ranch and the Shepherd School in Haiti. In a recent and more hands-on project, 20 percent of the members and their families partici-pated in the local “Feed My Starving Children” food packing event.

SUWANEECitizens Police Academy

coming this summerThe latest class of

Suwanee’s Citizens Police Academy is accepting ap-plications to provide area residents with a hands-on glimpse behind the badge and a better understanding of the risks and responsi-bilities of Suwanee police officers. The 10-week program will next be of-fered on Monday evenings, June 6 through Aug. 15, from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Classes will be at the Su-wanee Police Substation/Training Center at 2966 Lawrenceville-Suwanee Road.

The academy offers classroom training and ex-periences in crime scene processing, traffic stops, building searches, crime prevention and narcotics identification and provides an understanding of the day-to-day responsibilities of officers.

Notarized applications are due by June 2 at 5 p.m. Classes are free and open to the public, but space is limited. For additional information, contact Richard Pope at [email protected] or 770-904-7

your community: city by city City by City is a weekly look at the happenings in the places you call home

MORE FROM GRAYSON

Grayson Day celebration set for April 30

The 37th annual Grayson Day will honor the Grayson community’s most phenomenal festivals, individuals and businesses on April 30.

The Grayson Day Parade and Festival will feature over 200 vendors who will display their variety of arts, crafts, food, music, enterprises and more in the Grayson Community Park. According to event coordinators City Administrator Laura Cone and Mayor Allen Wilkerson, they are expecting an even bigger turnout than last year’s attendance of more than 5,000 people.

The parade will begin at 10 a.m. with this year’s theme being “Simply the Best.” The parade will include floats from the recognized businesses along with tractors, beauty queens, little league teams, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, marching bands and the Gray-son High School’s athletic teams.

Although the festival ends at 4 p.m., Grayson Day will continue into the night.

Lanier Jazz will kick off the evening at 6 p.m. by providing live music to the park, and guests are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and dinner to enjoy the first ever family movie at the park as “The Good Dinosaur” will be shown.

Vendors also will be on hand selling their wares. The Grayson Day Road Race is to be held before

the festival begins with a 1-mile fun run at 7:30 a.m. and a 5K race at 8 a.m. The registration fee is $25 for the fun run and $30 for the 5K. The race benefits the Grayson High School cross country team.

Additional information about the festival can be found at cityofgrayson.org while additional informa-tion about the road race can be found at graysonday-roadrace.com.

Grayson Day will take place at the Grayson Community Park, which is located at 475 Grayson Parkway in Grayson. For more information, visit cityofgrayson.org.

By Zach Miles

Staff Intern

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A country store makes me remember, smileThere is a country store

that sits in the middle of hundreds of acres of farm land embedded with hardwoods and pines that have grown, untended, for a century or two. In this little rural community live people who mostly work with their hands, raise much of what they eat and pray for any extra help they can get from any place that they can get it.

It seems to be with some kind of regularity that we, these days, drive past it on our way to somewhere else. People always seem to be driving past it, going some-where besides there. Perhaps for that reason among others, it is long abandoned. Its gray painted cinder blocks are dusty with neglect; a screen door dangles at an angle,

barely hanging on; the front door, shielded by a small porch and three columns as in the style of those old stores, is boarded up while weeds spring up through cracked asphalt.

Though Tink never knew it when it bustled with commerce, when old men in worn overalls stopped by to pick up a jar of snuff, when a can of baking soda

was needed for a last minute cake, and when kids like me poured a pack of peanuts into an ice cold bottle of Coca-Cola pulled from the glass topped cooler where the drinks were stacked on top of each other, he taps his horn to both pay homage and to say, “Hey y’all.”

I always smile, for I re-member when. I can see my cousins and me clattering, barefooted, into the store, armed with handfuls of change that our parents had dropped coin by coin into our hands. The � oor was old and wooden, cleaned and darkened with oil. The small room was lighted only from the sunlight that streamed in with varying amounts, depending on the amount of sunshine or clouds, from the

six windows. The air was sweetened with the smell of candy with the spice of tobacco cutting boldly through the sugary smell. The woman, weary and gray, rarely smiled when she took our money. I think we were too boisterous for her liking.

That store represents more than cold Cokes, salty peanuts and Baby Ruth candy bars to me. Whenever I see it, I think back to the days when everyone I loved was still alive and how it was the imagination of children that entertained us all. We built playhouses that were outlined with rocks we gath-ered, then we settled into our “houses” and made mud pies and had teas with invisibles cups and saucers. One of my cousins had seen on televi-

sion that proper people stuck their pinky � ngers out when-ever holding a teacup, so we poor country kids pretended to be rich and pompous.

When we tired of that, we sauntered to the barn, sometimes stopping to swing in the old black tire that hung from a tree or to chase the chickens that pecked at the dirt. We’d climb the old ladder to the barn loft, plop down in a circle in the midst of the hay-strewn � oor, then lean in close as we each took turns trying to tell a bigger ghost story than the last.

At the end of those Sun-day afternoons, we’d pile into the backseat of our fam-ily sedans after saying good-bye to grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. Before Daddy was three miles down

the road, I pushed my good Sunday clothes to the side, laid down, tucked my red dirt-covered feet under me and slept soundly until we arrived home 45 minutes later.

It was dark and late of hour when we passed the little store the other night. Tink tapped his horn and this time I did more than smile. I blew a kiss toward it then settled back in my seat to think back on those happy days.

It was better than a cold Coke with peanuts.

Ronda Rich is the best-selling author of “What Southern Women Know (That Every Woman Should)”. Visit www.rond-arich.com to sign up for her free weekly newsletter.

Ronda Rich

In defense of subtle and sophisticated ‘dad jokes’Faithful readers of this

column are always telling me how funny I am. I ap-preciate that, and I happen to agree. I think I’m pretty funny, too.

There are, however, people who do NOT think I’m funny. They’re called my children. To them, I’m just “Dad,” and my jokes are nothing more than “dad jokes” — which of course is the least humorous form of humor there is.

On one level, I under-stand. I’m also a son, and as such have been subjected

to dad jokes all my life. There’s just one important difference: My dad is not funny. I am.

That my kids can’t grasp this obvious truth is prob-ably due to the bad rap dad jokes often get. Dads in the media are usually portrayed as un-funny goofballs oblivious to their own lack of comedic talent. On the contrary, they seem to think they’re ready for the Improv, much to the disgust of their

long-suffering offspring.Good thing that doesn’t

describe me.I believe such stereotypes

are unfair. In reality, dad jokes are among the most subtle and sophisticated on the planet. Ample support for this assertion lies in the fact that only dads, it seems, get dad jokes.

Dad humor basically comes in three types: puns, comic exaggerations and mild bathroom humor (sometimes complete with sound effects). What all three have in common is that they serve not only to amuse but — in keep-ing with the true purpose of fatherhood — to teach children important lessons about linguistic and behav-ioral norms.

In that sense, dad humor is the modern equivalent of the “Trickster” tales in

Native American culture. Those outlandish and often uproarious stories, passed from father to son around many an ancient camp� re, did more than just entertain. They also helped preserve tribal customs and mores. (Google “The Winnebago Trickster Cycle” to see what I’m talking about.)

For example, here’s one (non-scatological) joke I love to tell, much to my kids’ dismay:

For his birthday, an archeologist’s wife bakes him a special cake, covered in Egyptian hieroglyphics and other ancient runes. He thanks her warmly and is about to cut himself a piece when his wife stops him. “What are you doing?” she asks. “You know we can’t have archaic and eat it, too.”

If you’re not a dad, you might think that’s pretty

corny. But as any dad can see, it’s actually a clever pun, which is not only funny but contains a stealth vocabulary lesson. My kids have known what “archaic” means since they were 5 or 6 years old.

The best part is, they didn’t even realize they were learning something. They just rolled their eyes and silently vowed never to tell their kids dumb jokes.

But of course they will. And while they may never admit that my jokes were funny, they will certainly be convinced theirs are — even if they’re the same jokes.

Rob Jenkins is a local freelance writer and the author of “Family Man: The Art of Surviving Domestic Tranquility,” available at Books for Less in Buford and on Amazon. Email Rob at [email protected].

Rob Jenkins

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Restaurant ...................................................Address ............................................................Score

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Shabu Shabu Plus ......................................2550 Pleasant Hill Road, Duluth ..........................85

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Why your enthusiasm may be off-putting“I’m not sure he really

believes in this.” The proj-ect manager was frustrated because he felt like his boss was just giving lip service to his initiative.

Have you ever been in a situation where you’re passionate about some-thing, yet you wonder if the people around you are just going through the mo-tions?

You’re diligent about the project management system, but your boss refers to it only occasion-ally. Perhaps you’re totally committed to clean healthy eating, yet your spouse continually brings up the cost of organic.

When you’re zealous about something, it’s frus-trating when other people don’t share your passion.

Recently, I was working with a group of executives to identify their organi-zational customer-driven Noble Purpose and create a strategy behind it. Mem-bers of the team were concerned that their boss wasn’t totally on board. One said, “Our boss says he believes in this — he seems to care about cus-tomers — but at the end of

the day, I think he’s more focused on the money.”

It’s a common scenario. People are excited to learn that organizations with a noble purpose bigger than money — companies that focus on customer impact — create more engaged and pro� table businesses than organizations that focus on internal � nancial metrics. “What? We don’t have to be a slave to these monthly � nancials?” they say.

But it’s only a matter of time before the purists emerge. They’re the ones who believe that any talk of � nancial goals detracts from the nobility of their cause. Someone brings out a spreadsheet, and they shout, “We’re not about pro� ts, we’re about

customers!” At which point the CEO’s head starts to spin around, and so does mine, as I remind them, “It’s both/and, people; purpose; and pro� t are linked.”

The problem with being a purist (about anything) is that blinds you to the holistic nature of things. And it often causes you to ignore the very valid goals and agendas of others.

When you � nd yourself descending into the zealot role (Believe me, I’ve been there myself, and will sure-ly visit that territory again) it’s helpful to remember these three truisms about human nature:

1. People can care about more than one thing

Just because the other

person doesn’t care as much as you do about the subject, doesn’t mean that they don’t care at all. The spouse who doesn’t share your zeal for organic may be trying to juggle � nan-cial priorities. Not every-one has the luxury of being all in for one thing.

2. If they care enough to start, they care enough

If your boss isn’t super excited about your new system, but is willing to try it, that’s enough. Many of the people who supported the civil rights movement weren’t willing to risk their lives marching or sitting at lunch counters. But they supported it enough to make it happen. If that level of support was good enough for MLK and his team to change the world,

it’s good enough for you to ignite your own change.

3. You don’t know what’s in someone’s heart unless they tell you

The team who wasn’t sure their boss believed in Noble Purpose had actually misinterpreted their boss’s quiet, engineering, spread-sheet-oriented methodical nature as an absence of passion. They were wrong.

If you want to get things done, you have to meet people where they are. Purists may be � lled with passion, but if you want to change the world, it takes all kinds.

Lisa McLeod is the creator of the popular business concept Noble Purpose and author of the bestseller “Selling with Noble Purpose.”

Forget Perfect

Lisa McLeod

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