Broadway’s Back in Atlanta

After an 18-month hiatus, Broadway is finally coming back to Atlanta — partly thanks to Peachtree Corners resident, Russ Belin. Belin is vice president of the southeastern division of Broadway Across America.

In addition to overseeing the Broadway series at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta, he also oversees the Broadway touring seasons in New Orleans and Jacksonville. He brings “the biggest and best hits” directly from the Broadway stage to the Fox Theatre. Belin has worked for Broadway Across America for 10 years and has been a resident of Peachtree Corners, where he lives with his family, since 2008; he is married and has two sons, Jaykb (12) and Bryce (8). Both children attend local middle and elementary schools: Pinckneyville Middle School and Simpson Elementary School, respectively.

Belin is an active member of the Peachtree Corners community, he attends the Summer Concert Series at Town Center, and his children are both involved in local sports teams. “I love the location [of Peachtree Corners] but I also love the amenities, the neighborhoods, the sports,” he said, “but a lot of it comes down to location and how easy it is to get to [Downtown Atlanta]; it’s 25 to 30 minutes, which is reasonable,” he said. “I think Peachtree Corners is a gem.”

The return of Broadway

In its return from the pandemic shutdown, live theater will kick off on a high note and is sure to attract a diverse audience of eager theatergoers. “We have a great line-up this season!” Belin said. The Fifth Third Bank Broadway 40th Anniversary season does not disappoint after its much-anticipated return. “We are bringing six season titles along with four specials, including Hamilton — which is going to be our return on August 22nd,” he added.

The ground-breaking, 11-time Tony award-winning show is sure to be a smash debut. Tickets are going fast since they went on sale July 8th. Hamilton is the story about the creation of America using the faces and voices of today’s America. The Lin-Manuel Miranda score fuses elements of R&B, hip hop, jazz, rap and musical theater to put together a story about the titular “Ten Dollar Founding Father” that is resonant with every living generation.

Alexander Hamilton’s life story set to music has caused an unprecedented cultural and political revolution. The production has gained international acclaim, sweeping at the U.K.’s Olivier Awards, winning the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and even achieving an historic Kennedy Centers Honors Award. Tickets are available by visiting FoxTheatre.org/Hamilton. Hamilton will run August 22 to September 26, 2021.

Entertainment for everyone

Aside from Hamilton, there are many other shows to get excited about this season! Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of the Temptations is another title right off the Broadway stage that is sure to be a crowd pleaser. Ain’t Too Proud tells the incredible journey of the Temptations from their Detroit origins to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. With a Motown score will have everyone dancing in their seats and singing along, this Tony-winning musical will be in Atlanta from March 8 to 13, 2022.

Another must-see show is the musical adaptation of the 2004 Tina Fey classic, Mean Girls. This Tony-nominated musical comedy about hilarious yet ruthless high school girls will have audiences laughing out loud and humming the songs as they walk out of the theaters. With brilliant full-company dance numbers in a high school cafeteria and brilliant ballads that ring true to the original movie, the show is expected to be a standout of the season. Watch your back, because Mean Girls is coming to town July 19 to 24, 2022!

Undoubtedly, families will be lining up at the Fox this season to see Frozen. The Disney show is pure family-friendly fun. It’s coming straight off-Broadway as well, and will be here next summer, starting June 12, 2022. The show is enjoyable for everyone, from toddlers to grandparents. First-timers will quickly fall in love with the perky and loving Princess Anna and gasp in awe when Elsa, the Ice Queen, transforms into her iconic blue dress right before the audience’s eyes during the Academy-award-winning song, “Let it Go.” This icy fairytale warms the heart with its powerful tale about the love between sisters and brings out everyone’s inner child with that “classic Disney magic.”

That’s not all, folks!

Other titles for the season include:
■ Fiddler on the Roof —November 9-14, 2021
■ Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical —December 7-12, 2021
■ Tootsie — Jan. 25-30, 2022
■ Jesus Christ Superstar — April 19-24, 2022
■ Beautiful: The Carole King Musical — May 20-22, 2022
■ Blue Man Group — July 8-10, 2022

Ready to meet any challenges

When asked if “Broadway is back in Atlanta” after a year and a half of theater doors across the world being closed, Belin was greatly optimistic. “Yes! We are back!” he said. “It will 550 days since we closed Hello Dolly [the last production performed before shut down]. New York is reopening and the vaccine is available to anyone who wants it, so it feels like people are ready and now is the time to reopen.”

The biggest challenges lie within the shows themselves, Belin noted, as actors are displaced throughout the country with the closure of theaters, and new protocol and mandates have changed theater in many ways.

“It’s hard to tell what’s going to change… obviously some of the procedures have changed for the actors and crew as they travel around the country,” he explained. “Some people may remember being able to stand at the stage door and say hello or try to get an autograph; those things might not happen for a while. But outside of that, I don’t think much will change for the guest experience.”

After a year of virtual concerts and glitchy Zoom cocktail hours, live entertainment is finally back in business. We can now catch a baseball game at full capacity at Truist Park and even go to a live concert at Peachtree Corners’ own Town Center.

And Peachtree Corners is ready, more than ever, to be entertained. Broadway Across Atlanta is more than happy to provide.