When I spoke to Kandi Burruss last March, she wasn’t sure if her new show, ‘The Kandi Factory‘ would get picked up. At the time, Bravo was airing a one-episode test pilot. Well viewers tuned in, and Bravo picked up the series…

Kandi celebrated the premiere of her new show Friday night with a screening at Aurum Lounge in Midtown. While Kandi posed on the red carpet with her fiance Todd and daughter Riley (see photo above), we spotted Mama Joyce, Funky Dineva, Kandi’s manager Don Juan, and other friends and family who came out to support Kandi’s success. But Kandi isn’t the only Atlanta Housewife getting her own show. Kim Zolciak‘s ‘Don’t Be Tardy’ premieres April 16th and Phaedra Parks‘ ‘Rich People’s Problems’ starts soon. ‘The Kandi Factory’ premieres Tuesday night.

Check out our exclusive interview with Kandi below on ‘The Kandi Factory’…

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Didn’t we just do this? Andy Cohen returns to Atlanta just a few weeks after taping The Real Housewives of Atlanta Season 5 Reunion Show. On Tuesday, April 9th, he’ll speak, meet fans and sign copies of his memoir, ‘Most Talkative‘ at the Georgia Tech Barnes & Noble in Midtown at 6 p.m.

Check out this behind-the-scenes clip from the Reunion show:

I say ‘didn’t we just do this?’ because Cohen already came to Atlanta once to sign his book at SCAD. That tour – and having it face the camera every night on Watch What Happens Live! – must not have been enough!

Check out our video from his first appearance at SCAD:

Georgia Tech Barnes & Noble, 48 5th Street NW, Atlanta

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Whoopi Goldberg, star of the hit ‘Sister Act‘ movie franchise and producer of the Broadway musical is now bringing it to the Fox Theatre…

Based on the mega-hit feature film, ‘Sister Act’ features an original score with a vast inspiration of musical styles from Motown, soul and funk to great big disco anthems and Barry White inspired musical comedy.

If for some reason you’ve never seen the ‘Sister Act’ movies, here the breakdown:

When disco diva Deloris Van Cartier witnesses a murder, she is put in protective custody in the one place cops are sure she won’t be found – a convent! Disguised as a nun, she finds herself at odds with both the rigid lifestyle and uptight Mother Superior. Using her fabulous disco-ness and killer voice to inspire the choir, Deloris breathes new life into the church, but in doing so blows her cover. Soon it’s nun-on-the-run time but she finds salvation in the heavenly power of her newly found sisterhood.

- ‘Sister Act’ will play the Fox Theatre April 23rd – 28th. Tickets go on sale today (January 13th) via Ticketmaster or the Fox Theatre box office.

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Tyler Perry‘s former 12,000 foot studios on Krog Street are soon becoming an upscale food market…

David Cochran of Paces Properties tells Creative Loafing in its ’20 People to Watch in 2013′ issue that ‘intown is the future.’ According to the paper, the new Krog Street Market will be similar to the Ferry Building Marketplace in San Francisco. (Another similar project, Ponce City Market, has been compared to the famed Chelsea Market in New York City, a foodie haven where The Food Network is based).

Krog Street Market will boast ‘local chefs, bakers, florists, and cheese makers inside the adapted sawtooth-brick building under 20-foot ceilings and clerestory windows. Restaurant patios will align the street and allow diners to gaze up on people jogging and biking along the Beltline.’

What do you hope to see at Krog Street Market?

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As usual, the ladies of The Real Housewives of Atlanta took over the top stories of December, 2012. Here they are the Top 5…

1) Did Kim Z Say the ‘N’ Word? According to sources, Kim Zolciak has been fired from the The Real Housewives of Atlanta. Yes, she has a spin-off coming our way, but apparently it’s made up of footage Bravo filmed while she was pregnant. As most of these shows go, what you’re seeing on Sunday night was taped six months to a year ago. There’s also speculation that she used the ‘N’ word during her final confessional that was bleeped out. Whatever, ‘Tardy for the Party’ will still be on our playlist New Year’s Eve! (Check out our Kim Zolciak Interview).

2) Frank Ski’s Big Announcement Thursday – V-103′s Frank Ski, an Atlanta radio host for over 14 years, said he was going to make a big announcement in December. Since Jenn Hobby had just announced she was leaving The Bert Show and going to Kicks 101.5 as a mid-day host, listeners speculated on what the announcement could be, and wondered if he could be leaving. Turns out they were right. Ski announced that he would be leaving, but staying in Atlanta. ‘I am not leaving Atlanta, this is my home,’ he said. He will be replaced by afternoon host Ryan Cameron, and former 106 and Park host Big Tigger will take his spot.

3) SCANDAL: Walter Jackson Confesses Kenya Moore Asked Him to PLAY Her Boyfriend – This one had everyone from bloggers to fans to Wendy Williams talking. As we’ve seen on the show, Kenya Moore says she’s been dating Walter Jackson, owner of a local towing company, South Dekalb Towing & Transport, and clearly wants him to pop the question. But just as those episodes were airing, Jackson told V103′s Frank and Wanda Morning Show that Kenya asked him to play her boyfriend on TV, telling him it’s ‘like acting.’ Wait, a reality show isn’t real?? Imagine that! Well-spoken Kenya quickly issued a statement saying, ‘I can do way better than Walter, and I will.’

4) The End of the Frank and Wanda Morning Show? – Rumors speculated that V103′s Frank and Wanda show, who had JUST broke the news about Kenya Moore’s fake boyfriend, would be coming to an end. Turns out the rumors were true. Wanda Ski announced she would be leaving soon after Frank Ski said he was, and according to Sandra Rose, broke down and cried after she made the announcement. (Listen to it here).

5) THEY SAY: Gay Rumors Plagued Kordell Stewart‘s NFL Career – This one is apparently about to come to light soon on The Real Housewives of Atlanta. In case you don’t know, Kordell Stewart is the retired Pittsburgh Steelers NFL player who now lives in Atlanta and is married to Porscha Stewart. Yes, she’s dumb as a box of hair, but pretty and likeable. She’s also the newest member of the Real Housewives of Atlanta who replaced Sheree Whitfield, and is the graddaughter of Hosea Williams. Here’s what they say according to our friends at Straight from the A: When Kordell Stewart was playing for the Steelers, he frequented Schenley Park in Pittsburgh that is frequented by gay and transsexual men. There were also rumors than an officer once witnessed Kordell Stewart having gay sex in the back of a limo, but quieted the incident because of Stewart’s position as the city’s star quarterback. As they say, we’ll have to watch what happens!

The post Kenya Moore, Kim Zolciak, Frank Ski, Wanda Ski, Kordell Stewart [MOST POPULAR DECEMBER 2012] appeared first on ATLboy.

Georgia restaurant sales are predicted to reach $16 billion in 2013, up 3.8% from $15.4 billion in 2012, according to the Atlanta Business Chronicle. So what can we expect from our local chefs? Here are 8 food trends from a survey of more than 1,800 professional chefs the National Restaurant Association says will hit our plates this year:

1. Locally sourced meats and seafood
2. Locally grown produce
3. Healthful kids meals
4. Gluten-free cuisine
5. Sustainable seafood
6. New cuts of meats
7. Restaurant gardens
8. Environmentally sustainable cuisine

What’s out? Chefs say flavored popcorn, gazpacho, mini burgers, flavored water, foam and desserts with bacon.

What are you favorite (or least favorite) food trends? Comment below…

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The 24th Annual Atlanta Peach Drop was a party to remember, as Beatles tribute band Abbey Road LIVE! rang in 2013 and celebrants sang along to some of rock’s most well-known tunes. The excitement culminated as the beloved 800-pound peach descended from 138 feet in the air, and confetti and fireworks illuminated the sky above a crowd of more than 175,000 at Underground Atlanta. Opening for Abbey Road LIVE! on the main stage were The Magictones, Seven Handle Circus, Lingo and Noah Pine and DJ World Famous G-MACK served as the evening’s host. PAC-MAN, in honor of the world’s first PAC-MAN PLAY Arcade which opened at Underground Atlanta in August, pulled the switch to lower the iconic peach alongside Councilmember Cleta Winslow, Underground Atlanta General Manager William “Chick” Ciccaglione and Dan O’Leary.

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Two of the featured zombies from ‘The Walking Dead,‘ Sonya Thompson (above) and Larry Mainland (below), will be at Netherworld tonight (November 1st) from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. to sign autographs and take photos…

Take pictures with your own camera or get a FREE digital download with a special Netherworld and The Walking Dead border, sure to make a fun keepsake!

The Walking Dead star Chandler Riggs, WWE reigning champ CM Punk, Evander Holyfield, and Jermaine Dupri also braved the haunt, and we’re happy to report they all made it out alive.

Co-created by former movie and TV professionals, Ben Armstrong and Billy Messina, Netherworld features more than 100 elaborate sets, employs approximately 300 actors and features stunning makeup and costuming each night.

Home to the experts on all things fear, the haunt’s chief makeup artist of 15 years, Roy Wooley, was a top contestant on Syfy’s original series ‘Face Off‘ this season.

‘Face Off’ judge and three-time Oscar Winner for Best Makeup, Ve Neill, also made a trip to Netherworld this season to check out what goes on behind the scenes.

You have until November 3rd to check out the infamous attraction, which has earned recognition as the best haunted house in the country.

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Something wicked this way comes, just in time for the holiday season…

The ‘Cirque du Soleil‘ ‘Grand Chapiteau’ big top and its performers rolled into Atlanta on Friday with a new show, ‘Totem.’ Inspired by mythology, ‘Totem’s theme is evolution, from our original amphibian state to our ultimate desire to fly.

‘In each and every number there is an evolutionary factor,
which is the thread that runs through the show…’
- Jeffrey Hall, Choreographer

‘Totem is about the evolution of mankind, the human body, civilization and what each of us goes through in our lives’ says Cirque du Soleil spokesperson Frances Jalbert. ‘It goes from one part of the world to the next – since the show doesn’t present the steps of evolution in chronological order, it’s like you’re moving back and forth through time.’

‘Totem is about evolution, so it was appropriate
that the sets went through their own evolution…’
- Carl Fillion, Set & Props Designer

52 performers work the show from 17 different countries. They perform 11 acrobatic acts, most of which are new to Cirque du Soleil. The final act, ‘Russian Bars,’ was so popular in Cirque’s ‘Allegria‘ that they been brought it back for ‘Totem.’

‘All the images are drawn from nature, even when they seem quite abstract.’
Pedro Pires, Projection Designer

The turtle is the heart of many founding myths, representing the earth and carrying the weight of the world on its shell. The large oval framework on stage represents the skeletal structure of a huge turtle shell. It serves as both a decorative stage element and as acrobatic equipment, weighing 2,700 pounds with 2 horizontal bars completely covered in a non-slip finish.

‘The theme of evolution extends into the acrobatic acts in the show.
We selected them to reflect the evolution of human motor functions.’
- Florence Pot, Acrobatic Performance Designer

Through the magic of moving images, the island (AKA the stage) becomes a virtual swamp, a river, a marsh, a lake, an ocean, a volcanic island, a pond and a starry sky. The images in the projections were drawn from nature and shot for the show in Iceland, Hawaii and Guatemala. Photographs by Cirque du Soleil creator Guy Laliberte during his 2009 Poetic Social Mission aboard the International Space Station are also integrated into the show.

‘The most sophisticated piece of engineering on the stage is the human body.
It never ceases to amaze me to see what the artists are capable of doing.’
- Pierre Mass, Acrobatic Equipment & Rigging Designer

All of the costumes at Cirque du Soleil are handmade. It is the biggest costume workshop in the world with 400 people working on a daily basis.

‘Although ‘Totem’ is quite fantastical, there’s also a sense of reality…’
- Kym Barret, Costume Designer

Kym Barrett created the costumes for ‘Totem.’ She also created the costumes for Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes in Baz Luhrman’s ‘Romeo + Juliet,’ all of the costumes in ‘The Matrix,’ ‘The Matrix Reloaded,’ ‘The Matrix Revolutions’ and Johnny Depp’s costumes in ‘From Hell.’

The Crystal Man, AKA The Human Disco Ball

‘Although ‘Totem’ is quite fantastical, there’s also a sense of reality,’ Kym says. ‘The costumes were inspired in part by documentary film. I wanted them to have a kind of documentary patina, even though we were inventing our own reality.’

‘I’ve been cut a few times, but real glass gives a better reflection…’
- Joe Putignano, The Crystal Man AKA The Human Disco Ball

The Crystal Man, played by Joe Putignano, opens and closes the show. His costume is covered entirely with 4,001 small mirrors and crystals made of real glass. It weighs about seven pounds, and Putignano is in the air most of the time. He says he has been cut a few times. ‘Real glass allows for the best sparkling effect, as opposed to say plexiglass,’ he tells me. But they check the costume every night for sharp edges.’

‘The fabrics’ textures closely match the real skin of fish and frogs…’

In the opening scene the marsh is populated by fish and frogs. Their patterns and colors came from real fish and frogs – replicated by the pixelation of the image in the screen printing process. The textures of the fabrics also closely match the real skin of fish and frogs found in nature.

‘Performers go through a 3-D scanner so masks are perfectly fitted...’

The monkey masks are all handmade, with each hair sewn by hand. Each performer goes through a special 3D scanner that creates a 3D replica of his or her head. That way when the masks are created, they fit perfectly and will not fall off.

‘The show deals with humanity in all of its diversity and richness…’
- Nathalie Simard, Make-up Designer

All of the Cirque du Soleil performers do their own makeup. ‘The show deals with humanity in all of its diversity and richness,’ says make-up designer Nathalie Simard. ‘I used the patterns and iconography of a vast array of different cultures to create the different characters. I’m just as inspired by all the artists, their energy and their performance to create characters that are a really good fit.’

‘The unicycles are very light, allowing them to easily maneuver…’

The unicycles are 7 feet tall but very light, allowing them to easily maneuver down the ramp at the beginning of the act. The Cirque du Soleil tent, however, is not so light. It weighs 11,500 pounds and takes eight days to set up. 65 trailers were needed to transport ‘Totem’s 1,200 tons of equipment to Atlanta. It will seat 2,600 and is 66 feet high, with 4 masts that stand 80 feet above ground.

‘The word ‘Totem’ suggets that human beings carry
in their bodies the full potential of all living species..’
- Robert LePage, Writer & Director

Cirque du Soleil ‘Totem’ is written and directed by Robert LePage, who also created ‘Ka,’ now playing in Las Vegas. ‘Totem’ explores the birth and evolution of the world, the relentless curiosity of human beings and their constant desire to excel,’ he says.

‘Totem’s’ composers, who have worked with Cirque du Soleil since 2007, are simply named ‘Bob & Bill.’ ‘Each acrobatic number has its own respirations, its own rhythm, and its own arc,’ they say. ‘The music has to take that into account – not only in the interests of the audience, but in the interests of the artists too.’

The show’s band leader is actually from Macon. Charlers Dennard spent over ten years working as a professional jazz musician in New Orleans and taught jazz music at the University of New Orleans before joining Cirque du Soleil. He started out as the keyboardist for ‘Allegria,’ and moved up to the band leader of ‘Totem’ in 2010. Dennard is in charge of the perfect symbiosis between the eight-piece band and the action happening on stage every night.

‘The scientist represents reason and the quest to understand…’

One of the coolest acts in the show is ‘Manipulation.’ The Scientist represents reason and the quest to understand the universe in ways that can be quantified, measured and put into boxes. His ‘laboratory’ features an orchestra of glass containers filled with mysterious fluorescent fluids. He steps into a transparent cone and juggles with luminous balls that represent plants and molecules – making them chase after each other in spiral orbits.

‘The Real Housewives of Atlanta‘ took in ‘Totem’ Saturday night.

In 1984, 73 people worked for Cirque du Soleil. Today the company has 5,000 employees including more than 1,300 artists from 50 countries speaking 25 languages. More than 100 million people have seen a Cirque du Soleil show since 1984, and close to 15 million are expected to see a Cirque show in 2012. The Real Housewives of Atlanta took in the show on Saturday night.

Jalbert says Atlanta has been a great market for Cirque du Soleil. ‘We have been coming to Atlanta since the mid-90s,’ he says. ‘Every time we open a new show it’s natural for us to bring it here. ‘Totem’ has been showing around the world for two and a half years, right now we’re on the east coast and are very excited. It’s a long run, we will be in Atlanta until December 30th. We hope people will come to see us!’

- ‘Cirque du Soleil: Totem‘ runs through December 30th at Atlantic Station. Photos by Jordan McAuley and Jarrad Boty.

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Jimmy Alexander moves to Atlanta from D.C. and is paired up with Cindy Simmons on Star 94. CREDIT: Salvation Army Cindy Simmons , long-time host at Star 94, now has a new morning partner: Jimmy Alexander from D.C. Alexander comes from the Jack Diamond Morning Show in Mix 107.3 , which is similar to Star 94 here in its adult pop music blend. Cindy’s co-host for eight years, Ray Mariner , was unceremoniously dismissed in May, no explanation given. (In fact, even in the grinding rumor mill that is Atlanta radio, I have heard precious little why he was cut and he isn’t… >>

Read more Cindy Simmons has a new Star 94 morning host: Jimmy Alexander from D.C. at Radio & TV Talk…

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