Atlanta theater productions in fall 2022 include race, religion and musicals
“Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812.” Inspired by roughly 70 pages (out of 1,200) from Russian novelist Leo Tolstoy’s historical epic “War and Peace,” this “electro-pop” musical depicts a tale of love and fate set in a romantic world of chandeliers and caviar in the salons and opera houses of 19th-century Moscow, where passions ignite as Napoleon’s war rages outside the city. The cast and musicians circulate among the audience during the show, mounted for Horizon by Heidi Cline McKerley, who worked wonders with a similar approach to the company’s more intimate “Once” (2020). Sept. 30-Nov. 6. Horizon Theatre, 1083 Austin Ave. NE, Atlanta. 404-584-1750. www.horizontheatre.com.
“In the Heights.” Before the phenomenon that was his Tony- and Pulitzer-winning sensation “Hamilton,” Lin-Manuel Miranda conceived and composed this musical, telling a universal story about the vibrant Dominican American community in New York’s Washington Heights neighborhood. On the brink of change, full of hopes and dreams both realized and dashed, it’s a place infused with the rhythms of three generations, where the biggest struggle may be choosing which traditions you take with you and which ones you leave behind. Oct. 21-Nov. 6. Byers Theatre, Sandy Springs Performing Arts Center, 1 Galambos Way, Sandy Springs. 404-477-4365. www.cityspringstheatre.com.
“Oh, to be Pure Again.” Religion and purity collide with rebellion and sex at a fundamentalist Christian summer camp in Texas. An idealistic counselor strives to shepherd the young residents of the girls’ cabin through a delicate phase of self-discovery, teaching them how to connect with something bigger than themselves — only to be confronted with questions about her own spiritual faith and beliefs. They all find themselves facing an uneasy tension between obedience and resistance in a cultural environment obsessed with their sexual virtue. Nov. 3-27. Actor’s Express, King Plow Arts Center, 887 W. Marietta St. NW, Atlanta. 404-607-7469. www.actors-express.com.
