The Atlanta Opera reimagines “La Belle et la Bête,” Philip Glass’s hypnotic fusion of live performance and Jean Cocteau’s 1946 film—where music and image merge into one dreamlike experience. Then, a once-banned Black cinema classic returns to the big screen: “The Spook Who Sat by the Door, newly restored in 4K, with insight from Nomathandé Dixon and Natiki Hope Pressley, daughters of the film’s director and screenwriter.

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Episode Description): 🎧 WABE’s beloved Lois Reitzes sits down with Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Chorus Director Norman Mackenzie to explore Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 — its revolutionary design, emotional depth, and lasting message of joy. Together, they reflect on the influence of Robert Shaw and how Music Director Natalie Stutzman is guiding a new era of sound at Symphony Hall. Listen as two voices of Atlanta’s cultural scene unpack why “Ode to Joy” still unites audiences nearly 200 years later. 🎶

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🎧 Two creative journeys converge in metro Atlanta. As IrishFest Atlanta returns Nov. 7–9, founder Teresa Finley and musician Kieran O’Hare share how music and community keep Irish tradition alive. Then pop icon Debbie Gibson joins WABE Arts to discuss her memoir “Eternally Electric,” the message behind her music, and her upcoming author talk at the MJCCA Book Festival.

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Two Atlanta stages, two perspectives on power and legacy. CNN anchor Abby Phillip talks about her new book “A Dream Deferred: Jesse Jackson and the Fight for Black Political Power” ahead of her conversation with Ambassador Andrew Young at the Atlanta History Center. Then comedian Roy Wood Jr. shares what inspired his “The Man of Many Fathers” book and tour and why Atlanta will always be home.

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Atlanta’s creative pulse runs through two new releases.
🎶 Soul frontwoman Ruby Velle & The Soulphonics step up for democracy with “Step Right Up,” a rallying cry for joy and civic engagement ahead of Election Day 2025.
🎭 Then actor and musician Brian Jordan Jr. blends theater and sound in “Riley, the Mixtape, “ featuring Big Freedia, Amber Iman, Natalie Weiss, and Olivia Lux in celebration of  faith, HBCU legacy, and Black joy.

Listen to WABE Arts Tuesdays and Thursdays on Morning Edition and All Things Considered, or anytime at wabe.org/arts.

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From the flash of a camera to the rhythm of a beat — Atlanta photographer James Hicks reclaims fashion history through a Black lens in his new exhibit Moments: Icons, Legends & Muses

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Atlanta, past and present, in one quick listen: editor Sherri Daye Scott visits Oakland Cemetery’s after-dark tradition Capturing the Spirit with designer Sean Fahie and Oakland’s Sandy White (“enlightened, not frightened”). Then The Roots’s Tariq “Black Thought” Trotter shares what’s feeding him ahead of ONE Musicfest—creative discipline, influences, and Atlanta’s soundtrack. Listen to WABE Arts Tuesdays/Thursdays or anytime at wabe.org/arts.

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Ideas Festival Emory turns the university’s Oxford College campus’s historic quad into an open-air forum for conversation, performance, and community learning. Organized by the Center for Public Scholarship and Engagement, the annual gathering invites the public to experience university research in motion — from live music to graffiti art to fireside chats with authors and scientists.

Dr. Ken Carter, who directs the Center, says the goal is to move academic ideas beyond campus walls and into public dialogue. “A lot of what we do at universities is to discover and disseminate knowledge, but sometimes that knowledge is trapped in journals and academic books,” he explains. “This is one of our attempts to share that knowledge with the public.”

This year’s festival explores the theme of resilience, featuring panels and performances on how people adapt and find meaning through change. Singer-songwriter Rosanne Cash headlines the program, joining local scholars and creatives for a day of reflection and exchange.

“I’m hoping that from the different panels, [visitors are] going to find new ways to look at things, new ways to think about themselves and other people — and just really leave with a sense of hope,” Carter says.

Ideas Festival Emory takes place Saturday at Oxford College. Details are available at ideasfestival.emory.edu.

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When “Heart Sellers” opens at Horizon Theatre, it brings a rarely heard story to the local stage—two immigrant women finding friendship in 1970s America. The play arrives through a collaboration between Horizon and East by Southeast, an Atlanta collective supporting Asian and Asian American artists across disciplines.

Actor and producer Michelle Pokopac, who stars as Jane in the Horizon production, says the partnership reflects a broader shift in Atlanta’s theater scene, one where artists of color are shaping their own narratives and building infrastructure for lasting representation. Directed by Michelle Chan, the production layers humor and history with moments that echo contemporary debates about identity and belonging.

Heart Sellers runs through Nov. 9 at Horizon Theatre in Little Five Points. Details are available at horizontheatre.com.

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In this episode of WABE Arts:

Filmmaker Karyn Kusama reflects on her groundbreaking debut Girlfight twenty-five years later, ahead of its special screening at the Plaza Theatre as part of the Atlanta Film Society’s ¡CINEMÁS! series for Hispanic Heritage Month.

Rapper and filmmaker Ice Cube joins contributor Kenny Murray to discuss his creative process, Atlanta’s influence on hip-hop, and what to expect from his Before Hip Hop tour stop at State Farm Arena.

Catch WABE Arts on air Tuesdays and Thursdays during Morning Edition and All Things Considered on 90.1 FM, or visit wabe.org/arts for more stories.

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