Mamma Mia! (Here I go again)

On Tuesday night Alex and I saw Mamma Mia at the Fabulous Fox Theatre. WHAT A SHOW! I saw it for the first time a few years ago in London's West End, so I didn't think it could get any better. The first time he saw it, Alex thought it was cheesy, so we sat with different expectations as the overture started. By the time Sophie came out on stage I remembered why this is one of my favorite shows; it took Alex until the title song started.

The show was just as great as I remembered, and there were some surprises that I forgot about. Apart from the occasional extra loud bongo, the orchestra rocked all the ABBA classics. For those of you who don't know the story, I won't spoil it, but the premise is that a wedding is about to begin on a Greek island (not Lesbos) and they manage to seamlessly weave all the best ABBA has to offer.

If you aren't on your feet dancing by the end of the show, you have left too soon. If you have seen it, leave a comment below or a voicemail in the column to the right - I'd love to hear your thoughts.

It plays at the Fox every night at 8:00 until Sunday, June 15. Tickets are going fast (the place was packed at Tuesday's opening night performance) so get yours now - that means you, Steve! They run $35.00 - $64.00. I thought I would share another ABBA favorite below. Enjoy.

A Coke and a Penley

Yesterday I had the opportunity to meet artist Steve Penley at the new World of Coca-Cola (WOCC). He was there to celebrate his new-installed exhibit on the WOCC Pop Culture Gallery. His work replaces the Andy Warhol exhibit that has been there since the new World opened last year (more about that later). The exhibit is mostly Steve's take on the contour bottle in his signature style. There is also a piece that was commissioned for the new World of Coca-Cola's first anniversary that hangs in the gallery (see picture above).

This weekend there will be special events celebrating the first anniversary of the new WOCC, so if you and your family aren't part the more than 1.2 million visitors since the site opened last Memorial Day weekend in Pemberton Place, then this might just be your chance to go. Penley will also be there on Saturday and Sunday to sign autographs.

2,000 years in the making

Last night I got a sneak peek at The First Emperor: China’s Terracotta Army. It will open at the High Museum in November 2009, but it is never too early to start planning and getting your tickets. In 1974 a Chinese farmer was digging a well when he pulled up a terracotta soldier's head. That was the beginning of a discovery that would eventually uncover more than 1,000 soldiers (with an estimated 7,000 total).
The soldiers will settle in Atlanta from November 16, 2008 – April 19, 2009. They will also include artifacts from the era, gold and jade pieces and some interesting architectural elements.