NETHERWORLD Launches 2020 Haunt Season with COVID-19 Safety Procedures in Effect

AMERICA’S FAVORITE HAUNTED HOUSE OPENS FOR THE SEASON!
NETHERWORLD Haunted House Launches 2020 Haunt Season
with COVID-19 Safety Procedures in Effect

WHEN:
Every Wednesday – Sunday through Nov. 1
Nov. 6-7 and 13-14

7:30 p.m. – 10:30 p.m., Wednesdays and Thursdays
7:00 p.m. – 12:00 a.m., Fridays and Saturdays in October
7:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m., Sundays & all November Dates

WHERE:
1313 Netherworld Way, Stone Mountain, GA 30087
 
TICKETS:
Capacity will be very limited this season. Purchase in advance at www.fearworld.com. All tickets are date and time specific and include entry into both HALLOWEEN NIGHTMARES and CYBORG SHOCK. Reserved Time General Admission: $35. Reserved Time SpeedPass Admission: $55
 
ATLANTA: Haunt fans, the time has finally arrived – NETHERWORLD has returned for its third year in Stone Mountain and 24th year on the haunt scene, and now has its very own street name, 1313 Netherworld Way! After the success of sneak peek weekend on Sept. 25 and 26, this season’s two attractions, HALLOWEEN NIGHTMARES and CYBORG SHOCK, are ready to provide the mix of terrifying moments and exhilarating fun guests expect every year from this over-the-top Halloween event. Visitors will dive into two distinctly different scary experiences swarming with unique creatures, sets, and special effects, then explore new outdoor areas like The Festival of Monsters.
 
“Our entire crew has been working tirelessly to make this season’s haunts as thrilling and impressive as possible, and we are excited to finally announce our full calendar for the 2020 season,” said Billy Messina, NETHERWORLD Haunted House co-creator. “Along with delivering an incredible experience for our guests, we are dedicated to maintaining a safe environment for both our staff and guests alike. With a full slate of carefully planned COVID-19 policies and procedures in effect, such as limiting capacity and timing entry to allow for social distancing, this year is sure to be just as safe as it is spooky.”
 
Known for intense special effects, state-of-the-art makeup and incredibly elaborate sets, NETHERWORLD has built and maintained a loyal following over the last 24 years, and this season the haunt has already been ranked as one of "10 of the Scariest Haunted Houses in America" by O, The Oprah Magazine.
 
Despite COVID-19 related changes, guests can expect this year to be as thrilling and entertaining as ever.
 
COVID-19 Policies:
NETHERWORLD will be enacting a myriad of new safety measures, among the most obvious will be:

• Masks required for all staff and guests

• Greatly reduced capacity and timed/dated tickets to allow for social distancing

• Contactless temperature screenings for all staff and guests

• Enhanced cleaning and sanitizing procedures along with a multitude of available hand sanitizer/washing stations

For full details on all COVID-19 policies, please visit www.fearworld.com/wordpress/2020-netherworld-covid-19-policies.
 
2020 Ticketing:
Given the greatly reduced number of available tickets for the 2020 haunt season, guests are strongly encouraged to purchase tickets online and well in advance as timeslots will sell out. In addition, all tickets will grant access to both HALLOWEEN NIGHTMARES and CYBORG SHOCK, and guests will be directed from one haunt directly into the other to maintain single direction flow and allow for better social distancing.
 
Timed entry tickets allow guests access to the queue lines during a designated 30-minute timeslot. Up to one half hour before the designated timeslot begins, guests can wait in a socially distanced pre-queue area. Guests should not arrive earlier, if they do, it is suggested that they wait in their vehicle until 30 minutes before the time designated on their tickets. Additionally, SpeedPasses, which are also timed, are available and offer guests a convenience above and beyond that of a regular timed ticket, allowing entry at a greatly expedited pace. At the conclusion of both haunts, all guests will have access to the newly expanded Midway area.
 
For more details on ticketing or to purchase, please visit www.fearworld.com/wordpress/2020-tickets-holding.
 
Continue for more information about this year’s two new haunts…
 
HALLOWEEN NIGHTMARES:
 
Based on classic harvest and horror themes, HALLOWEEN NIGHTMARES’ story begins over one hundred years ago when the survivors of a brutal family feud sought vengeance against another mountain clan. Utilizing evil powers stolen from monsters beneath the earth, they were transformed into savage bat-like creatures and slaughtered their enemies on Halloween night! This Halloween, these subterrain monsters have resurfaced once more, disguised as distorted costumed revelers bent on bringing destruction to the cursed town of Whyshburg! Guests can expect eerie shadow creatures, legions of grinning jack-o’-lanterns, the Lair of the Ancient Alchemist, the Chamber of the Elder Thing and the Temple of the Bat God. Prepare for more vintage Halloween horror than one’s melted mind can handle!
 
CYBORG SHOCK:
 
Can guests survive the Robot Rampage? A strange metallic obelisk of unknown origin stored in a secret facility known as the BOX has blasted out an electromagnetic pulse and seized control of the entire base. Now the robotics and cloning sections have begun creating nightmarish Cyborgs, half metal and half flesh, animated by a strange energy emanating from the artifact. This army of hybrid horrors is making its way to the surface armed with the most advanced weaponry imaginable, bent on total domination! Can guests halt this menace before they escape to wreak havoc on an unsuspecting world? 

NETHERWORLD, Atlanta's most popular self-guided, dark attraction, is one of the most highly acclaimed Haunted Houses in the world. Known for its over-the-top special effects, unique make-up, elaborate costuming, skilled stunt actors, and unusual themes, NETHERWORLD has established itself as an Atlanta Halloween tradition. Since the attraction first opened 24 years ago, NETHERWORLD has been voted the top haunt in the nation by publications such as Hauntworld Magazine, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Buzzfeed, Business Insider, Dread Central, Fangoria, and USA Today and has been recognized both locally and nationally by media including CNN, O, The Oprah Magazine, Thrillist, Travel + Leisure, “The Today Show,” “The Early Show,” “The Travel Channel,” and Wall Street Journal. Every season, this innovative horror experience continues to draw in generations of thrill-seekers eager to see what new nightmares have been unleashed! For more information, visit www.fearworld.com or call 404-608-2484. 

FASHIONADO

Piedmont Park Conservancy sends letter with COVID_19 updates to its Patrons

Piedmont Park is an Atlanta staple. The historic park that spans more than 200 acres is one of the most popular (and beautiful) spots in Midtown Atlanta. From music festivals to community based events or just picnic-ing in the park or playing with your dogs, Piedmont Park has now become the to-go place for cabin fevered self-quarantined Atlantans.

The President of the Piedmont Park Conservancy provided COVID_19 updates as it relates to park business and the public so we felt it was worth sharing:

I am writing to you today because of the new reality that COVID-19 has brought to Piedmont Park.

Piedmont Park, already the most visited attraction in Atlanta, has seen an immense surge in visitation since St. Patrick’s Day weekend when Atlanta companies, schools and local attractions all began to close and move to home-based activities. Visit the Park on any given day, and you would think it was a summer Saturday in the Park with some sort of event happening. But instead, we are seeing people who just need to get out of their homes, clear their minds and move their muscles in an open, 200+ acre space that doesn’t threaten their social distancing efforts.

The Piedmont Park Conservancy is working harder than ever. Our small landscape crew is continuing to operate in order to keep up with the park demand. Director of Operations David Esslinger is strategically rotating and distancing the crew in order to preserve our workforce so that everyone can enjoy Piedmont Park for however long this lasts. Eight men, David, Stanley, Derek, Alan, John, Lorenzo, Todd and Michael, are showing up to contribute to something much bigger than themselves.

Right now, City of Atlanta parks are open. Our bathrooms need more cleaning, and we recently obtained 30 extra trash bins which need emptying. We also made an investment of adding soap dispensers to all of Piedmont Park’s bathrooms, and are funding the soap supply throughout this time, even though we typically rely on city funds for bathroom maintenance. 

Even if mandates relating to isolation or gatherings become more stringent, Piedmont Park is in full bloom: the grass will still grow, plants and trees will still need watering, and bushes will need trimming. Without focused care and attention, it doesn’t take long for beautiful Piedmont Park to not be so beautiful.

We are adjusting to operational disruptions that nonprofits everywhere are experiencing - Our volunteer groups are no longer a resource. Two of our three revenue streams, public programs and facility rentals, are and will be experiencing a significant loss for the foreseeable future. But thanks to a dedicated staff, committed board of directors and friends like you, I know we will be able to weather these unprecedented times together.

We encourage you to visit our alerts and closures page for the latest updates: https://www.piedmontpark.org/alerts-closures/ Please never hesitate to contact us if we can provide any information or be of service.

Thank you for your continued passion and interest in beautiful Piedmont Park. 

Mark Banta
President and CEO
Piedmont Park Conservancy

Stay healthy. Stay safe.

FASHIONADO

The Atlanta Ballet presents A WHOLE NEW ‘NUTCRACKER’

Atlanta Ballet’s first fresh holiday show in 2 decades

was 2 years in the making. Creators hint

that it will be brimming with surprises.

Atlanta Ballet’s “The Nutcracker” runs Dec. 8-24 at the Fox Theatre, 660 Peachtree St. NE. Details, tickets HERE or at 404.892.3303. 

::

CURTAIN UP on the glow and oh-so-pretty snow. It’s finally time to crack open a whole new Nutcracker because, as Atlanta Ballet Artistic Director Gennadi Nedvigin says, every generation deserves its own.

Choreographer Yuri Possokhov in rehearsal for the new “Nutcracker.” Atlanta Ballet Artistic Director Gennadi Nedvigin describes his friend as “a child in big-person pants” and calls his work “amazing.” Photo: Kim Kenney

Nedvigin, a Bolshoi-trained artist, became the fourth artistic director in the company’s 89-year history two seasons ago. He last danced with San Francisco Ballet, and moved to Atlanta knowing he’d help oversee an all-new Nutcracker ballet.

Young people who grew up attending its predecessor, a storybook production staged for 23 seasons, are continuing the tradition. The old version was set against rich, jewel-toned backdrops that evoked 19th-century Russia. It blended clever comedic moments and ethereal classical ballet sequences with thrilling pas de deux.

Nedvigin’s new $3.7 million staging, choreographed by friend and Russian-born dancer Yuri Possokhov, returns to the original source material: German author E.T.A. Hoffmann’s 1816 fantasy story, “Nutcracker and Mouse King.” It places the opening Christmas Eve party scene in a small German village.

A magical uncle

With dream-versus-reality notions, along with toy soldiers and snowflakes and such, The Nutcracker opens its imagination wide to artistic invention. But its central story line often remains: a magical uncle figure brings handmade toys to children at the party. Among them is a nutcracker, which is soon broken. A young girl named Marie checks on it in the middle of the night and discovers it has come to life. The nutcracker battles a mouse king, and then turns into a prince who carries Marie off to a fantasy kingdom inhabited by dolls.

A costume fitting with designer Sandra Woodall. Photo: Kim Kenney

Hoffmann’s tale contained bleak, even scary elements. As a leader in the German Romantic movement, he was accustomed to writing fantasy and Gothic horror, with tales full of inanimate objects coming to life. In 1844, French writer Alexandre Dumas toned down much of the darkness in Hoffmann’s story. An all-new Nutcracker, which premiered in 1892 in St. Petersburg, Russia, paired the lighter Dumas telling with the familiar Tchaikovsky score.

The ballet was not an immediate hit, finding success gradually and chiefly after 1954, when George Balanchine created a version for New York City Ballet. Atlanta audiences have seen that version, too, and until now the one choreographed by Possokhov predecessor John McFall. Possokhov’s ballet is unlike either of those.

“Yuri is truly a child in big-person pants,” Nedvigin says. “He has such a great sense of creativeness inside him. The dancers can prove my words. He truly becomes a child and runs and plays when he is creating. It’s amazing to watch him. We’ll be having dinner, and you will see him just sort of float away. You discover he is making steps in the air.”

The ‘firepower’

Atlanta Ballet hints that its new  Nut “will rival a Broadway show in terms of production firepower.” A versatile team was assembled to help make that happen:

A costume rendering for Christmas Eve party guests by designer Sandra Woodall.

SCENIC DESIGNER TOM PYE sometimes designs costumes as well. He received a Tony nomination for the scenic design of Broadway’s 2004 Fiddler on the Roof revival.

COSTUME DESIGNER SANDRA WOODALL has done costumes and scenery for prominent ballet companies around the world. She designed costumes for Atlanta Ballet’s Helen Pickett-choreographed Camino Real (2017). A “costume can be absolutely stunning,” Pickett says, “but it cannot take away from what the body is doing … how the body describes the story … and Sandra understands that.”

LIGHTING DESIGNER DAVID FINN did lights and scenery for Camino Real. Next for him are world premieres of The Little Prince for the National Ballet of Canada and Frankenstein for London’s Royal Ballet.

PROJECTION DESIGNER FINN ROSS did scenery for Broadway’s Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Frozen and Mean Girls. He won London’s Olivier Award (2012) and Broadway’s Tony Award (2014) for the scenic design of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. He and his team spent nine months making the short, three-dimensional film shown during the overture.

And that’s not all. Robert Allsopp, known in  theater circles for his sculptural costumes, was hired to create mice costumes and some headpieces. His work is among more than 250 costumes this Nut uses, many hand-dyed and handcrafted in the United States and three other countries.

Friends & colleagues

Possokhov and Nedvigin have known each other for 18 years. Both were San Francisco Ballet principals near the ends of their performing careers, which also is when Possokhov’s choreographic reputation began growing.

“Oh, so many wonderful surprises,” promises artistic director Gennadi Nedvigin. “So much more is possible.” Photo: Hyosub Shin

“The Nutcracker is rooted in Tchaikovsky’s music,” Possokhov says, and gives choreographers “much room for imagination.” Its magic is “its ability to bring people together — children, parents, grandparents, friends, people from all different backgrounds and various faiths.”

Atlanta Ballet calls the new production “a Nutcracker for our time,” without getting too specific. “You will lose your mind to it,” Nedvigin says, “and will forget what is outside the theater walls. You will be transported to a completely different world.”

Nedvigin and Possokhov want audiences to have a hard time discerning what is and isn’t real “but in a good way.” Almost whispering, Nedvigin says, “Oh, so many wonderful surprises. So much more is possible. One time will not be enough to see it or love it.”

fashionado

Giant sculptures return to Atlanta Botanical Garden on May 5

THE GIANT TOPIARY EXHIBITION Imaginary Worlds returns May 5 to the Atlanta Botanical Garden with an all-new menagerie of living plant sculptures. The show runs through Oct. 28 and can be seen at both the Midtown and Gainesville locations.

Photos: Atlanta Botanical Garden

Imaginary Worlds first lumbered into the Garden in 2013/14, returning now by popular demand and mostly with creations that have never been seen before. The sculptures, which will be seen inside and out, are mostly custom-made and come from  the nonprofit International Mosaiculture of Montreal.

The  sculptures — steel forms covered in soil-and-sphagnum moss and planted with thousands of meticulously groomed plants — will be staged in 14 installations. In Midtown, look for a giant phoenix towering over the Alston Overlook, as a mermaid lounging beside Howell Fountain, a massive dragon and sleeping princess near the Great Lawn, a peacock inside the Fuqua Orchid Center, and three camels making their way through the Skyline Garden. The Gainesville landscape, meanwhile, will see such characters as a friendly ogre, panda bears and frolicking frogs.

The process began taking root about six months ago when conceptual drawings were done in Montreal, metal frames were fabricated and plant palettes were chosen. The empty frames were shipped to Atlanta in January, where the Garden’s horticulturists began covering them with a mesh fabric and stuffing them with soil. More than 200,000 plants, mostly annuals, were inserted one by one. The sculptures were built in sections and planted inside a greenhouse outside the city, then trucked to the Garden when the weather warmed for assembly. 

The exhibit is free with Garden admission ($21.95; $15.95 ages 3-12; under 3 and Garden members free in Midtown). From May through October, the Garden is open 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday; and 9 a.m.-9:30 p.m. Thursday featuring illuminated sculptures and Cocktails in the Garden. Details, tickets HERE or at 404.876.5859.

fashionado

MOTOAMERICA’S SUZUKI CHAMPIONSHIP DESCENDS ON ROAD ATLANTA THIS WEEKEND

The MotoAmerica Suzuki Championship descends upon Road Atlanta in Braselton, Georgia this weekend, Friday April 13 through Sunday, April 15, 2018.  This can't-miss event includes three full days of motorcycle road racing, freestyle BMX, skateboarding, stunts, and live music… plus Tony Hawk and Friends getting rad on a 40-foot skate/BMX ramp on Saturday and Sunday.  If all that's not enough, the event features The Wall of Death motorcycle stunt riders, an interactive kids zone with Stryder bikes, a pump track, Mini Moto exhibitions and bounce houses, and renowned DJ Jayceeoh spinning a special set on Saturday.  While the demos, skating, BMX and motorcycle stunts and races last all weekend, Hawk will be skating on Saturday only on his personal, state-of-the-art vert ramp brought in just for the event. 

Five classes will compete in the Suzuki Championship at Road Atlanta: Superbike (Saturday and Sunday), Supersport (Saturday and Sunday), Junior Cup (Saturday and Sunday), Twins Cup (Saturday) and Stock 1000 (Sunday). Practice and qualifying will be held on Friday and Saturday. Additionally, WERA will race its 1000 Superbike class on Sunday.

Action enthusiasts looking for the full experience, can treat themselves to VIP Full Throttle ticket packages that includes entrance to the incredible M2 Lounge — luxury suites and stages that deliver the ultimate viewing experience for all the action. Besides complimentary food and drink, VIP goers will experience meet-and-greets with riders and Maxim magazine hostesses, escorted pit lane access, and a chance to walk the track and see first-hand the twists and curves that make MotoAmerica one of the world's most exciting new sports. 

MotoAmerica’s Full Throttle ticket package will cost $119 prior to April 11 and $149 after April 11, and that package is nearly sold out. Premier VIP Parking is available for $50 prior to April 11 and $75 after April 11.  There is also a VIP Full Throttle ticket package that includes entrance to the M2 Lounge – luxury suites that deliver the ultimate viewing experience for all the action. The VIP Full Throttle ticket package is available for $299 for the two-day experience.

For more information, the full schedule of events and to purchase tickets, visit http://motoamerica.com. 

fashionado