Entertainment
Five For Fighting Comes To Peachtree Corners For A Free Show On May 25
Published
11 months agoon
Grammy-nominated, platinum-selling artist, Five For Fighting (aka John Ondrasik) will be playing a free show at Peachtree Corners Town Green for one night only on May 25.
Ondrasik will bring along his band, drummer Randy Cooke, bassist Sean Hurley, and guitarist Peter Thorn, to play the songs his fans have loved for over two decades, along with recent hits.
To date, Five For Fighting, has released six studio albums, including the platinum certified America Town and The Battle for Everything as well as the top-10 charting Two Lights, along with other EPs and live albums.
Ondrasik has penned major hits, including 100 Years, The Riddle, Chances, World and Easy Tonight, which have earned tens of millions of streams and place him as a top-10 Hot Adult Contemporary artist for the 2000s.
Five For Fighting’s music has also been featured in more than 350 films, television shows, and commercials, including the The Blind Side, Hawaii Five-O, The Sopranos and the CBS drama, Code Black.
Ondrasik’s passion for supporting humanitarian efforts and freedom has been a longstanding commitment for the artist as well.
Recently, he’s been taking a non-political stance on key events around the world, writing songs from a humanistic perspective. He recently released OK in response to the October 7 Hamas attacks in Israel, while addressing the cultural aftermath both in America and around the world – watch the video here.
Hours before Iran’s missile attack on Israel on April 13, Ondrasik performed OK in Tel Aviv. The singer/songwriter also performed his 9-11 anthem song, Superman (It’s Not Easy). Watch the performance and listen to his comments here.
Ondrasik has been one of the few in the entertainment industry who has spoken up after the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks on Israel. You can read more about in this Wall Street Journal story.
Ondrasik penned the track for OK in the same vein as his previous songs, Blood On My Hands, about the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan and Can One Man Save The World?, which was recorded in Kyiv in support of Ukraine. Ondrasik, says “’OK’ is not a political message, but a moral one. A call to action.”
Tying in with “Music In Our Schools Month,” Ondrasik teamed up with The Tullman Family Office, through its operational philanthropic wing Tullman Community Ventures, for the Music Matters Challenge.
The national online music challenge asks Americans to create an original rendition of the song Let Music Fill My World, a song recorded and written by Five For Fighting’s John Ondrasik and students of the Farragut Career Academy in Chicago, Illinois.
The challenge is designed to spotlight the magic of music and bring awareness to the generational impact of removing music from schools. The Grand Prize winners will be announced on May 31. More information can be found here.
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Around Atlanta
Mike Schleifer to Leave Alliance for Lincoln Center Theater
Published
5 days agoon
March 26, 2025After leading Atlanta’s Alliance Theatre through two major renovation projects, a global pandemic and more than 100 productions over 11 years, Managing Director, Mike Schleifer, will leave the Alliance at the end of the year to become the managing director of Lincoln Center Theater in New York.
As managing director of the Alliance, Schleifer oversees all operational, marketing, financial, fundraising and shared services activities. In his new role, Schleifer will oversee LCT’s financial and operational health and ensure long-term sustainability and growth. He will also work to align strategic planning with artistic goals, manage the theater’s union relationships, lead budgeting, marketing and capital planning efforts and identify and develop new revenue opportunities.
“While it’s rare to find a managing director who is equally brilliant at the operational and financial part of the job, it’s simply unheard of to find one who excels on those fronts and leads with such unabashed heart, vision and humor,” said Jennings Hertz Artistic Directors Tinashe Kajese-Bolden and Christopher Moses in a joint statement.
“For the past 11 years, we had the unfathomably good fortune to have all that and more in Mike Schleifer. Mike’s willingness to bet on our mission and invest in the extraordinary talent of the Alliance staff allowed us to realize aspirational dreams we never would have dared to dream without his encouragement and faith. We’ll miss him daily but cannot wait to witness the joy he’ll bring to the Lincoln Center Theater.”
During his tenure
During his tenure with the Alliance, Schleifer led the administrative and producing teams on over 100 productions and moved four shows to Broadway, including last season’s “Water for Elephants” and this season’s “Maybe Happy Ending.”
He spearheaded the $36 million renovation of the award-winning Coca-Cola Stage and is currently leading the $26 million renovation of the Goizueta Stage for Youth and Families. Under his leadership, the Alliance more than doubled its operating budget, tripled its endowment and continued to lead the country in work developed for young audiences.
“It’s been a true honor and privilege to work, lead and learn at the Alliance Theatre for the last eleven years,” said Schleifer. “I’m deeply grateful to the staff, artists and audiences of the Alliance Theatre and Woodruff Arts Center who have made this journey so rewarding.”
“We’ve achieved remarkable milestones — from moving productions to Broadway to completing transformative capital projects,” he continued. “I’m excited for what’s next, but I won’t be leaving until we cut the ribbon on the new Goizueta Stage for Youth and Families — a project that reflects the Alliance’s deep commitment to the next generation of theatergoers, both with the physical theater space and with the endowment we’re raising to make the work on that stage financially accessible for all.”
Additional roles
In addition to his work at the Alliance, Schleifer serves on the boards of the League of Resident Theatres and True Colors Theatre Company. In 2018 he co-founded Volute Partners, a theatre consultancy focused on capital projects and the subsequent operational support and budgets needed to sustain them.
“We are immensely grateful for Mike’s leadership and tireless dedication to the Alliance Theatre. His vision, passion, and expertise have left an indelible mark on this organization,” said Hala Moddelmog, president and CEO of Woodruff Arts Center.
“We take great pride in seeing him step into this well-deserved opportunity, knowing he will make a lasting impact at Lincoln Center Theater.”
New leadership
The leadership of the Woodruff Arts Center, with support from members of the Alliance Theatre Board of Directors, will conduct a national search for the Alliance’s next managing director, led by executive search firm, Corps Team.
“On behalf of the Alliance’s board of directors, we want to thank Mike for more than a decade of service to the Alliance and Atlanta community,” said Kendrick Smith, Alliance Theatre Board of Directors chair. “He oversaw a period of unprecedented growth with a spirit of collaboration and unwavering commitment to the theater’s artistic vision.”
“As we begin the national search for his successor, we remain dedicated to the theater’s mission of expanding hearts and minds, on stage and off.”
About the Alliance Theatre
Founded in 1968, Alliance Theatre is the leading producing theater in the Southeast, reaching more than 165,000 patrons annually.
The Alliance is led by Jennings Hertz Artistic Directors Tinashe Kajese-Bolden and Christopher Moses and Managing Director Mike Schleifer and is a recipient of the Regional Theatre Tony Award® for sustained excellence in programming, education and community engagement.
In January 2019, the Alliance opened its new, state-of-the-art performance space, The Coca-Cola Stage at Alliance Theatre.
Known for its high artistic standards and national role in creating significant theatrical works, the Alliance has premiered more than 140 productions, including eleven that have transferred to Broadway.
Additionally, the Alliance education department reaches more than 90,000 students annually through performances, classes, camps and in-school initiatives designed to support teachers and enhance student learning.
The Alliance Theatre values community, curiosity, collaboration and excellence and is dedicated to representing Atlanta’s diverse community with the stories they tell, the artists, staff and leadership they employ and the audiences they serve.
For more information, visit alliancetheatre.org.
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Arts & Literature
Q&A with Terry Gabbard, Norcross High’s New Theatre Director
Published
4 weeks agoon
March 4, 2025The Norcross High School drama department has a reputation for presenting quality productions each year, and 2024-2025 is no exception. They staged a one-act show of “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” in October followed by “Miss Nelson is Missing” in January. Next up for NHS Theatre is Matilda the Musical, set to open in April.
Leading the department this year is NHS’ new theatre director, Terry Gabbard, who came to Norcross with degrees in educational theatre and educational leadership, as well as over 20 years of public school theatre teaching and directing experience.
An award-winning director and playwright, he received the prestigious John W. Parker Award for excellence in directing in 2015, has had numerous productions named “distinguished play” from the North Carolina Theatre Conference and has three Best Musical wins from the Blumey Awards (Charlotte, NC’s version of the Tony awards).
Gabbard has also published two plays, one of which, “Our Place,” was named one of the top ten most produced short plays in American high schools.
Additionally, in 2020, his production of “Puffs” (a clever and comedic play set in the world of Harry Potter) was selected as one of only a handful of productions in America to perform at the International Thespian Society festival.
Though busy with preparations for Matilda, Gabbard recently took the time to answer a few questions about his career, his love of theatre and what’s next for the NHS drama department.
Which productions have you worked on since joining NHS?
We started off performing The Legend of Sleepy Hollow in October, and we did a performance of Miss Nelson is Missing in January.
Where did you teach and direct before coming to Norcross?
I always explain that my wife supports my teaching habit, so we tend to move as her opportunities change.
I’ve taught mostly in high schools in Florida, North Carolina and now Georgia. I have taught in Gwinnett Public Schools before at Paul Duke STEM and in Cobb County at Campbell High School.
How did the move to NHS come about?
After leaving GCPS for a short few years, I was anxious to get back to this system and this community, and when this opportunity presented itself, I jumped at the chance.
Have you always had a love for theatre?
I started participating in theatre when I was in 9th grade and have never stopped. For me, the thing that drew me to the art form was the sense of community that theatre creates.
What led you to pursue a career teaching and directing? Was there a specific moment that you realized it was what you wanted to do?
When I was a senior in high school, my theatre director let me direct a play in his theatre [for] one class. This is when I realized how much I loved directing and coaching other actors.
What was it like to win the John W. Parker award in 2015? And to be recognized with so many other honors?
I have been blessed to have been recognized several times by my peers and the organizations I’ve partnered with. It’s always nice to have these recognitions, but I have come to believe that any high school theatre production is a miracle in and of itself.
Producing theatre in high schools is always a challenge and getting to opening night is always a huge accomplishment.
Will you continue playwriting in addition to your work as NHS theatre director?
I haven’t written any plays in some time, but I’m definitely starting to get the itch. All of my plays have premiered at the schools where I was teaching. I imagine a world premier will happen at Norcross pretty soon.
What can you share about the school’s upcoming Matilda the Musical production? Is it one that you’ve directed in the past?
I have never directed Matilda, and I am extremely excited for the challenge. The music is incredible, and the characters are big and over the top.
What plans do you have for the NHS theatre program for the remainder of this year and next year?
After Matilda, things wrap up for us. I haven’t yet decided what shows to tackle next year. I know that I want to find plays that have a different tone than the pieces we did this year. The shows have been comedic this year. Something more dramatic is definitely in our future.
The NHS production of Matilda the Musical opens in April.
Dates and show times are:
- Thursday, April 24 at 7 p.m.
- Friday, April 25 at 7 p.m.
- Saturday, April 26 at 7 p.m.
- Sunday, April 27 at 2 p.m.
For more information, visit nhs-drama.com.
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City of Peachtree Corners
PTC NEW Events Calendar for 2025
Published
2 months agoon
February 6, 2025The City of Peachtree Corners has a lot of great events planned for 2025. From the return of concerts and flicks on the Town Green, to holiday happenings, ongoing classes and community fun, you’ll find it here!
So, check the calendar and save the dates!
To see more of what’s happening throughout the city and in your community you can also visit PTC’s new Online Community Calendar, which launched January 20.
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