MJCCA’s Fall Arts + Authors Lineup Brings Song & Laughter

The Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta has fun, literary drama and melodies in store.

By Marcia Caller Jaffe September 23, 2026, 11:26 am Edit

After 37 years with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and now with the AJT, , Jaffe’s focus is lifestyle, art, dining, fashion, and community events with emphasis on Jewish movers and shakers.

The Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta (MJCCA) kicked off its Fall Arts + Authors series with a lineup that’s equal parts heartfelt, melodic, high-energy, and downright hilarious. If opening night is any indication, audiences are here for it.

The season launched Aug. 16 with “Gotta Sing Broadway,” a musical theater sing-along party led by co-founders, Lisa Reich and Hildee Isaacs. The sold out/standing room only Sunday show featured Isaacs roaming through the crowd, coaxing even the shyest guests off their seats.

No memorized lyrics were required, since every word was projected on screen. Fan-favorite singalongs included, “Don’t Rain On My Parade” (Funny Girl), “Summer Nights” (Grease), “Matchmaker” (Fiddler on the Roof), and “You’ll Be Back” (Hamilton).

Isaacs told the AJT, “The reaction was overwhelming with attendees calling it a ‘unique and engaging concept’ and only half-joking that we should be on ‘Shark Tank.’” (“Gotta Sing” is produced in other cities.)

Mostly senior fans swayed to the Velvet Hour, Gold Age of Cool at the MJCCA.

The mood shifted, but not the enthusiasm, on Aug. 23 with “The Velvet Hour,” a Sinatra-style swing and standards celebration of the golden age of cool. A largely 65-and-up crowd tapped their toes and nodded along as a quartet with piano, keyboard, trumpet, and percussion moved through classics like “Birdland,” “Someone to Watch Over Me,” and “Feeling Good.”

The season’s literary centerpiece arrived Sept. 10, when bestselling author, Harlan Coben, discussed his new book, “Plot Twist: Life, Craft, and the Messy First Draft – A Memoir on Writing.”

Comedy takes center stage at 7:30 p.m., Oct. 1, with “A Night of Kosher Comedy,” featuring Eitan Levine, followed by, “Baddies of Broadway,” a live cabaret concert with Deborah Bowman at 8 p.m., Oct. 10.

Families aren’t left out as “All Smiles,” a production for the very young (ages 0–5), plays Oct. 11 with performances at 10 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. at the Alliance Theatre.

Capping the season, the Book Festival of the MJCCA returns Nov. 1–22, marking a milestone 35th anniversary of bringing authors and readers together.

To purchase tickets, please visit atlantajcc.org/shows.