With a world premiere musical, several plays nominated for Tony’s, and a number of campy delights, Atlanta’s spring theater season promises a lot for LGBT audiences.

Lesbian director Sheri Sutton is helming one of the most anticipated productions – Tony-nominated musical “Xanadu” by Douglas Carter Beane at Actor’s Express. It’s a goofy show based on the Olivia Newton John musical from 1980, where an Australian Greek muse comes to help a young man open a disco. One of its stars is openly gay actor Craig Waldrip and some of the campy moments are, fittingly, on skates.  

Also at the Express is Stephen Adly Guirgis’ Tony-nominated comedy drama “The Motherf***er With the Hat,” just on Broadway with Chris Rock and Bobby Canavale. Centering on the relationship between a long-time couple in and out of rehab, it is directed by openly gay Actor’s Express artistic director Freddie Ashley. According to Ashley, the drama was not in the company’s original 2011-2012 season but when “The Night of the Iguana” fell out he jumped to do this instead.

The Process Theatre’s “Auntie Mame” also looks to be one of the hot button productions of spring.  The hitch here – it’s done mostly in drag, with Topher Payne taking on the character of flamboyant Mame Dennis and DeWayne Morgan playing Vera Charles. Expect lots of camp and scenery chewing. Morgan promises that the comedy, based on the Rosalind Russell movie, will be a lot of fun, in tone with Process’ popular “Designing Women” performances.

The spring sees the return of the LGBT fave Miss Richfield 1981, the Midwestern beauty queen with a big ole bouffant. The Atlanta stop kicks off a national tour of the new “2012: We’ll All Be Dead By Christmas.” Miss Richfield was previously in town last year around this time and was a popular ticket.

Much buzz surrounds The Alliance Theatre’s “Ghost Brothers of Darkland County,” a world premiere musical featuring a collaboration between two unlikely artists - author Stephen King and musician John Cougar Mellencamp. Called a Southern gothic musical, it takes place in Mississippi, with a 40-year old secret involving the death of two brothers and a girl.  Among those in the cast of the world premiere is Justin Guarini of “American Idol” fame.

A smash here two seasons ago, the Tony Award winning musical “Jersey Boys” is returning to the ATL. It charts the rise of the Four Seasons band and has a gay character, that of gay record producer Bob Crewe. 

Also returning is a new version of the iconic “The Wizard of Oz,” which bows at the 14th Street Playhouse and is being staged by Curtains Up Inc., with a cast of children and teenagers.

Openly gay Brian Clowdus, artistic director of Serenbe Playhouse, opens his three-season summer season with Rachel Teagle’s unorthodox world premiere version of “Alice in Wonderland,” which he is directing. The season also includes the gay-themed “Time Between Us” later in July.

Finally, the gay-owned Theatre in the Square, assuming it can get out of its financial crunch, will be staging the campy “Tuna Does Vegas,” directed by gay Ed Howard and created by Howard, Joe Sears and Jaston William, also gay.  According to Palmer Wells, artistic director of Theatre in the Square, the company has a March 16 deadline to raise money or it will have to close its doors.

MARCH

‘The Motherf***er With the Hat’
March 15 – April 14 at Actor’s Express
887 W. Marietta St., Atlanta, GA 30318
www.actorsexpress.com

Miss Richfield 1981’s ‘2012: We’ll All Be Dead By Christmas’
March 30 - 31 at 14th Street Playhouse
173 14th St., Atlanta, GA 30309
www.14thstplayhouse.org 

APRIL

‘Ghost Brothers of Darkland County’
April 4 – May 13 at Alliance Theatre
1280 Peachtree St., Atlanta, GA 30309
www.alliancetheatre.com

‘Auntie Mame’
April 13 – May 5 at Onstage Atlanta
2597 North Decatur Road, Decatur, GA 30033
www.onstageatlanta.com

‘Tuna Does Vegas’
April 25 – May 27 at Theatre in the Square
11 Whitlock Avenue, Marietta, GA 30064
www.theatreinthesquare.com

MAY

‘Xanadu’
May 10 – June 16 at Actor’s Express
887 W. Marietta St., Atlanta, GA 30318
www.actorsexpress.com

‘The Wizard of Oz’
May 16 -20 at 14th Street Playhouse
173 14th St.,  Atlanta, GA 30309
www.14thstplayhouse.org

‘Jersey Boys’
May 22 – June 10 at Fox Theatre
660 Peachtree St. Atlanta, GA 30308
www.broadwayacrossamerica.com

‘Alice in Wonderland’
June 1- July 28 at Serenbe Playhouse
9110 Selborne Lane Suite 210,
Chattahoochee Hills, GA 30268
www.serenbeplayhouse.com

Top photo: Miss Richfield 1981’s “2012: We’ll All Be Dead By Christmas” is one of many productions of gay interest playing this spring. (Publicity photo)