This story was originally published by ArtsATL.
ArtsATL’s editors selected five Atlantans who are making waves this fall. It’s not about who is the best in any given genre, but we think these five are among the exemplary, and it’s worth watching what they do next.
Credit: Photo by Quadir Thomas
Credit: Photo by Quadir Thomas
Buddy Red charts his own musical path
Thanks to reality television, musician Messiah Harris grew up in the shadow of — and in the spotlight with — his famous father. But lately, the son of hip-hop legend T.I. and Tameka “Tiny” Harris has branched out on his own terms in the guise of the flamboyant, blues-rockin’ Buddy Red.
“People may compare me to ‘Pops,’” he said recently, referencing his lineage. “But my music is mine and it’s different. There’s no way to compare us, except that we’re related. Now I can be myself and sort of larger than life at the same time.”
Inspired by the Queen biopic “Bohemian Rhapsody,” Harris delved into classic rock and discovered an admiration for ’60s and ’70s-vintage rock and blues, including Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd.
The latter, Harris said, inspired his latest single, “Sold My Soul.” In a recent press release, the soft-spoken rocker said the song was conceived when he was 19. “I was coming to terms with losing my innocence for a greater purpose in life.”
Directly inspired by Pink Floyd’s “Time,” funky soul infuses the thought-provoking track, released independently this month and currently available through most streaming services.
Fueled by time spent on the streets of Atlanta and New York, the indie banger bristles with a white-hot, guitar-driven vibe. “There’s just something about the guitar that appeals to me. It represents so much of the music I love.”
He recalled that he started playing the electric six-string “around the age of 18 or so” and settled into his unique path to blues-based rock. “Yeah, I was just making beats and then I saw the Queen movie,” he said. “That’s when I discovered I wanted to be in the spotlight — on my own and on my terms.”
The video for “Sold My Soul” pays tribute to the origins of the blues, with a nod to the soul-selling legend of Robert Johnson. Footage in the clip also includes highlights of Harris playing at blues-friendly Northside Tavern in Atlanta.
“It’s where I learned how to play live, really,” he said. A veteran of the club’s Monday night Lola’s Jam series, he added that stage time at the venerable venue aided his musical growth.
Now at 25, Harris is determined to continue his own personal journey into the blues. “When I was younger, I didn’t really understand the message of it all, but the older I get, the more I really get it. And I’m finally getting recognized for being me, instead of someone you might’ve seen on TV. It feels so good.” — Lee Valentine Smith
Credit: Photo by Casey Gardner Ford
Credit: Photo by Casey Gardner Ford
Bridget McCarthy believes art will heal us
You’ve heard the name Bridget McCarthy around Atlanta’s theater circuit — and you’ll likely keep hearing it. The writer and performer behind “Fat Juliet,” recently staged at Theatrical Outfit for its Launchpad Festival, returned with her one-woman show last month and also recently performed it in Chicago.
One reason the show is earning attention in other markets, McCarthy said, is that it is one performer and a trim set. “So many theaters have been destabilized by NEA cuts, and (“Fat Juliet”) can be added to almost any season at a low cost to the institution.”
In addition to her work as a playwright and a performer, McCarthy is an expressive arts therapist, providing trauma-informed clinical care, and also a co-founder of the Association of Mental Health Coordinators. “I’ve always worked at the intersection of art and therapy,” she said. “‘Fat Juliet’ is about my upbringing in the Christian nationalism movement, evangelicalism and purity culture.
“But it’s not about my family,” she added. “It’s about how the character, Juliet, moves forward.”
Though she looks forward to some much-needed downtime with her partner, Joey Davila, McCarthy is at work on her next project: a book collection of academic writing focused on trauma and the arts, scheduled to come out in 2026. Davila is well-known in the Atlanta theater scene as well; he’s currently the audience engagement manager at Theatrical Outfit and met McCarthy while working as a dramaturg for an earlier staging of “Fat Juliet.”
“I have lived and worked all over the country, and I felt at home in Atlanta immediately,” McCarthy said. “I love that ‘Fat Juliet’ is an Atlanta piece of theater. I owe this city everything. I think that’s the important thing to know.” — Denise K. James
Credit: Photo courtesy of Terminus Modern Ballet Theatre
Credit: Photo courtesy of Terminus Modern Ballet Theatre
Dancer Lenai Wilkerson steps into leadership at Terminus Modern Ballet Theatre
When Lenai Wilkerson was an undergraduate majoring in ballet, she saw scant few Black women like herself directing ballet companies. She set her sights on becoming one of those leaders. But as she moved from Glorya Kaufman School of Dance at the University of Southern California into professional ballet environments, she found little support for young artists interested in leadership and few paths to help them rise into those roles.
Now, a year after joining Terminus Modern Ballet Theatre, Wilkerson will step up as artistic director of Wabi Sabi Terminus, a dancer-led initiative that fosters creation of new works in outdoor environments. Initially directed by Terminus Artistic Director John Welker under the auspices of Atlanta Ballet, Wabi Sabi has reformed under Terminus with Atlanta Ballet’s blessing and is scheduled to launch at the Atlanta Botanical Garden Oct. 30 through Nov. 2. The first production will feature new works by Wilkerson and fellow Terminus dancer Amalie Chase as well as New York-based choreographer Christopher Bloom.
Welker said it was clear from the get-go that Wilkerson’s goals aligned with the Terminus way. Wilkerson, formerly a member of Ballet Hispanico and Cincinnati Ballet, was intentional about a career path as dancer, choreographer and teacher. She also sought avenues for artistic leadership, completing a master’s degree in organizational leadership at George Washington University while dancing with Terminus full-time last season.
In her first year, Wilkerson proved she has both the star power and the multifaceted skill set needed to help fulfill Terminus’ mission and to achieve her directorial goals, starting with the fearlessness she brings to studio and stage.
“There’s the quickness with which she learns,” said Welker. “She’s incredibly smart, incredibly musical. There’s a dynamic she brings that, coupled with that musicality, she finds such nuance inside the movement.” Welker said that Wilkerson’s speed and precision allow her to “take ownership of the role and then bring her own voice to it.”
As artistic director of Wabi Sabi, she’ll work with fellow dancers Elizabeth Labovitz and Amalie Chase to shape the troupe in the original Wabi Sabi spirit and with their own creative stamp. Wilkerson said she appreciates having the chance to bring Wabi Sabi back to life, “in a way that makes sense for me and in my body politics and with my voice and what I want to say.” — Cynthia Perry
Credit: Photo by Casey Gardner Ford
Credit: Photo by Casey Gardner Ford
Actor, composer and director Christian Magby is non-stop
Christian Magby just joined the tour of one of the hottest musicals in the world — a little show called “Hamilton” as Lafayette/Jefferson — but he is just as comfortable on screen or behind a piano.
“I’m one of those people that just loves to create and loves to work in any medium I can,” Magby said. “I really feel like [opportunities] just show up at the right time.”
An Atlanta native, Magby was a regular on local stages right out of college, with his first professional gig taking him to Aurora Theatre’s “In the Heights” as Sonny. Before long, however, his insatiable desire to create took him to directing music for the stage and film, composing musicals and even acting in recurring roles on some CW shows.
Just when it seemed his far-flung pursuits would keep him away from Atlanta stages for good, he burst back onto the scene as the Beast in City Springs Theatre’s “Beauty and the Beast” last year.
One of Atlanta’s only current homegrown composers, Magby has already had four musicals professionally produced, most based on children’s books. With another scheduled for an Alliance Theatre premiere next year, he has his sights set on someday writing for Disney. A line from “Hamilton” sums him up: “The man is non-stop.”
While many jobs have taken him elsewhere, he insisted his home base will continue to be Atlanta. You could even say his “Hamilton” story began here; in 2016, he appeared in Aurora’s ingenious holiday parody of the opening song “Alexander Hamilton,” as part of its annual “Christmas Canteen.”
“(Atlanta) is where I feel most comfortable creating art, and I have the resources to do so and know people who can help make it happen,” he said. “Atlanta is always home to me.” — Sally Henry Fuller
Credit: Photo by Matt Dykeman
Credit: Photo by Matt Dykeman
Waverly Alexander makes the future of classical music look bright
At just 17, violinist Waverly Alexander is already emerging as a strong presence in Atlanta’s classical music scene. As a member of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra’s Atlanta Youth Symphony Orchestra, she credits its Talent Development Program (an initiative to promote classical musicianship among Black and Hispanic students) with opening doors in her burgeoning career.
“I’ve been very fortunate,” she says of the program. “However, some of my friends haven’t been.” She points out that the awareness of a color barrier creates considerable apathy among her fellow musicians, with some even telling her she wouldn’t have a chance against musicians from other races. “Sometimes it’s a little bit difficult to hear people of my own age say that. It’s a little difficult to hear that your peers don’t believe in you.”
Those sentiments, bleak as they are, have not held Alexander back. The Talent Development Program has been an excellent springboard for performance opportunities. “Before I joined the TDP, I wasn’t performing anywhere. I was performing in my closet for myself,” she says with a chuckle.
The opportunities have been tremendous: She’s been featured on CNN and PBS and performed at movie premieres and summer festivals. Through it all, she takes tremendous satisfaction in being able to promote classical music to kids younger than herself.
Outstanding among those opportunities was performing “Adoration for Solo Violin and Orchestra” by composer Florence Price with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration earlier this year. “That was when I made my solo debut,” she recalls. “I learned a lot in that moment about remaining professional on such a big, amazing stage.”
More big, amazing stages are no doubt in the future for Waverly Alexander. Presently, she’s looking forward to music college, with Juilliard, New England Conservatory and the Blair School of Music at Vanderbilt University being her dream schools. — Jordan Owen
Credit: ArtsATL
Credit: ArtsATL
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