This week, we take a look ahead into 2021.

For the arts and entertainment, both locally and nationally, it has been a tough year. We miss going to concerts. Touring companies of Broadway hits have shut down their road shows. Even the movie and TV industry have felt the impact, as production became both more expensive and more difficult. Will 2021 be a better year for entertainment? For a glimpse of what’s coming in 2021, arts and entertainment writers at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution have provided a round-up of upcoming shows and events big and small, live and virtual.

Check out last week’s podcast for a look at local arts events and organizations. This week, we’ll look at entertainment options with Melissa Ruggieri and Rodney Ho.

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This week, we take a look ahead into 2021. For the arts and entertainment, both locally and nationally, it has been tough year. Theaters and playhouses remained dark or shifted to virtual-only performances. Concert halls were empty, though some performers shifted to drive-in concerts and online performances. Museums and galleries closed their doors to the public for months. Will things improve in 2021? For a glimpse of what’s to come this year, arts and entertainment writers at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution have provided a round-up of upcoming shows and events big and small, live and virtual.

Next week, we’ll look at entertainment options, but on this week’s podcast we’re talking about the arts with Bo Emerson and Rosalind Bentley.

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This week, we take a look back at 2020.

Because life changed so much this year, we had to change how we did things. Suddenly, there were no events, concerts or live theater to tell you about, but there was no shortage of news. There was still plenty to do, but we were doing a lot more of it from our homes. As this truly strange and remarkable year comes to an end, we thought we’d revisit some of our favorite stories with senior editor for Arts and Entertainment Nicole Smith on this week’s AccessAtlanta podcast.

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This week, we talk about a virtual visual arts show.

Like everything else, the visual arts have felt the impact of the pandemic. It’s made it more difficult to see the work in person, but it’s also prompted museums and galleries to expand online access. This week, we’re talking about the work of Dawn Williams Boyd, whose work you can actually see in person at the Atlanta Contemporary Art Center. It offers a perspective on the Black experience, through the medium of quilts, or, as they’re referred to here, cloth paintings. Rosalind Bentley brings us a couple of conversations about this show on this week’s AccessAtlanta podcast

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This week, we talk about the year in music with Melissa Ruggieri.

The pandemic has had a major impact on everything this year, and the recording industry is no exception. Despite all of the obstacles and upheaval, 2020 was a pretty good year for music, at least the recorded variety. Live music is a different and more troubling story.

Take a look back at the sounds of 2020 on this week’s AccessAtlanta podcast

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This week accessAtlanta looks at that staple of the holidays, “The Nutcracker.” The season wouldn’t be the same without a performance of this dream-like tale by the Atlanta Ballet, but this year posed some challenges. Atlanta’s nationally recognized troupe devised a variety of solutions – including a drive-in “Nutcracker” – to get around the pandemic and help shake some fairy dust on the month of December.

To find out how, Atlanta Journal-Constitution staff writer Bo Emerson and freelancer Cynthia Perry go backstage and behind the scenes at the ballet on this week’s accessAtlanta podcast.

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This week, we’ll take a look at some food-inspired ways to make this unusual holiday season a little brighter.

Thanksgiving has come and gone, and for some, it was bittersweet without in-person gatherings with loved ones. Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and New Year’s Eve also might not have the usual bevy of family and friends. So, how can we keep things merry and bright as we finish out this challenging year? Cooking can be part of the answer.

On this week’s podcast, AJC dining editor Ligaya Figueras spoke with a few culinarians –  Cynthia Graubart, Chadwick Boyd and Ashley English – to see how they’re making the best of the holidays.

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This week, the AJC’s Melissa Ruggieri pays a visit to Chuck Leavell and gets a glimpse of his dual life as a rock keyboardist and a tree farmer, which is also explored in the new documentary, “The Tree Man.” When he isn’t onstage with the Rolling Stones or working on albums with John Mayer or the Allman Betts Band, Chuck Leavell isn’t a rock star, even though his enviable silver mane and crinkled-eyed smile always present an aura of understated cool. Hear our interview with Leavell.

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This week, we look at the music of television. Television show theme songs have a powerful nostalgic effect. They can transport us back to an earlier time, and remind us of those days. When there were only three networks and a few dozen shows, these songs became so deeply entrenched in the landscape, almost anyone of a certain age could sing the lyrics to “The Brady Bunch” or “Green Acres.” But broadcast TV began scaling back the length of TV theme songs in the 1990s as the pressure to place more ads grew.

Today, we’ll take a look at some of the most memorable tunes that introduced some great TV shows — and maybe a few that weren’t so great — with the AJC’s pop music writer Melissa Ruggieri and our TV and radio expert Rodney Ho.

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In this bonus episode of accessAtlanta, guest host Melissa Ruggieri discusses the 51st running of the AJC Peachtree Road Race. Atlanta Track Club executive director Rich Kenah joins the podcast to discuss the race’s switch to virtual as well as logistics for the event, which is set to take place from Nov. 26 to Nov. 29.

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