20 ways to be entertained in 2020

Now that the holidays are behind us, it’s time to jump-start the new year with some stellar entertainment. Bust out your calendar and prepare to pencil in some of these smoking hot events coming to a stage or venue near you in 2020.

Celine Dion. Named by Billboard magazine as one of the best live shows in 2019, Celine Dion’s Courage tour comes to Atlanta on Jan. 11. Expect a set list combining hits from earlier in her career, like “Beauty and the Beast”; songs from her new album, “Courage”; and a show-stopping encore featuring “My Heart Will Go On.” (7:30 p.m. Jan. 11. $125-$327. State Farm Arena, 1 State Farm Drive, Atlanta. 1-800-745-3000, ticketmaster.com)

‘Fun Home.’ Actor’s Express presents the smash hit Broadway musical based on Alison Bechdel’s bestselling memoir told in graphic form about her family’s complicated relationships. The coming-of-age story revolves around Alison’s burgeoning sexuality and her father’s secretive behavior. Adapted by Lisa Kron and Jeanine Tesori, the musical won five Tony Awards. Freddie Ashley directs. (Jan. 8-Feb. 16. $20 and up. Actor’s Express. 887 W. Marietta St., Atlanta. 404-607-7469, actors-express.com)

Oprah. ‘Tis the season for New Year’s resolutions, and who better to motivate your self-improvement efforts than Oprah Winfrey? Presented by WW (formerly Weight Watchers), her 2020 Vision: Your Life in Focus tour is a daylong event featuring inspirational lectures, reflection exercises, tips on drafting a personal action plan for 2020, a movement exercise led by Julianne Hough and an appearance by Dwayne Johnson. (9 a.m. Jan. 25. $119-$299. State Farm Arena, 1 State Farm Drive, Atlanta. 1-800-745-3000, ticketmaster.com, weightwatchers.com)

Eagles. The Eagles kick off their Hotel California 2020 tour with three — count ‘em, three! — shows in Atlanta. The concerts will feature a performance of the “Hotel California” album in its entirety accompanied by an orchestra and a choir. After an intermission, the second set will revisit the band’s greatest hits. The lineup includes Don Henley, Joe Walsh, Timothy B. Schmit, Vince Gill and the late Glenn Frey’s son, Deacon Frey. (8 p.m. Feb. 7-8, Feb. 11. $205-$750. State Farm Arena, 1 State Farm Drive, Atlanta. 1-800-745-3000, ticketmaster.com)

Atlanta Jewish Film Festival. Prominent Atlantans including Congressman John Lewis, former Ambassador Andrew Young and rabbis Alvin Sugarman and Peter S. Berg appear in the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival’s opening film, the documentary “Shared Legacies: The African-American Jewish Civil Rights Alliance.” An examination of the cooperation between blacks and Jews during the civil rights era, the movie screens Feb. 10 at Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre and will be followed by a Q&A with the filmmakers. Also on tap is “Standing Up, Falling Down,” a feature film starring Billy Crystal and Ben Schwartz about an aspiring comic forced to move back to his hometown and the intergenerational friendship he forges with an older barfly. It screens Feb. 15 at the Woodruff Arts Center. The full lineup for the 20th annual festival will be announced Jan. 10, and tickets go on sale Jan. 27. (Feb. 10-27. $16 and up. Various venues. ajff.org)

Alan Jackson. One of the bestselling music artists of all time, Country Music Hall of Famer Alan Jackson embarks on a 10-month tour in 2020 with a Valentine’s Day stop in Atlanta. Expect to hear selections from the Newnan native’s 20-plus albums, including hits such as “Chattahoochee” and “Small Town Southern Man.” (7 p.m. Feb. 14. $29-$139. State Farm Arena, 1 State Farm Drive, Atlanta. 1-800-745-3000, ticketmaster.com)

Flower Show. What better way to brighten the winter doldrums than a flower show at the Atlanta Botanical Garden? This luscious indoor show will feature dazzling floral displays as professionals and amateurs alike compete for prizes in floral design, horticulture and photography. There will also be a landscape design competition just for pros. Additional attractions include a lecture by floral designer Jane Godshalk and displays of Ikebana, a Japanese style of floral arrangement. A preview party will be held Feb. 20. (Feb. 21-23. $21.95. Atlanta Botanical Garden, 1345 Piedmont Ave., Atlanta. 404-876-5859, atlantabg.org)

Diana Ross. At age 75, Diana Ross is still going strong. Her Top of the World tour spans seven months and three countries, including her first tour in Great Britain since 2008. Atlanta fans get the pleasure of seeing Ross, winner of the Presidential Medal of Freedom and a Grammy for Lifetime Achievement, at the Fox Theatre in March. (8 p.m. March 1. $40-$100. Fox Theatre, 660 Peachtree St., Atlanta. 404-881-2100, foxtheatre.org)

‘Porgy and Bess.’ The Atlanta Opera presents one of opera’s most popular productions, George Gershwin’s English-language tale of disabled beggar Porgy, his love for the beautiful Bess, and his attempts to save her from her abusive boyfriend, Crown, and her drug dealer, Sportin’ Life. Set in Charleston, South Carolina, the opera features classic songs such as “Summertime” and “Bess You Is My Woman Now.” David Charles Abell conducts. (March 7-15. $45-$150. Cobb Energy Performing Arts Center, 2800 Cobb Galleria Parkway, Atlanta. 404-881-8885, atlantaopera.org)

Martin Lawrence. Will 2020 be the year Martin Lawrence gets back on top? A huge star in the ‘90s, with a Fox sitcom and starring roles in the “Big Momma” and “Bad Boys” film series, Lawrence saw his career stall in the 2000s with a bad run of stalled or poorly received productions, as well as hospitalizations and bizarre behavior attributed to exhaustion. “Bad Boys for Life” opens Jan. 17, and Lawrence brings his LIT AF tour to Atlanta in March. (7:30 p.m. March 7. $55-$250. State Farm Arena, 1 State Farm Drive, Atlanta. 1-800-745-3000, ticketmaster.com)

Sturgill Simpson. The Grammy Award-winning country music artist kicks off his A Good Look’n Tour in Birmingham, Alabama, in February with a stop at Infinite Energy Center in Duluth the following month. The tour supports the Kentucky native’s latest album, “Sound & Fury,” and features country bluegrass artist Tyler Childers as the opening act. (7:30 p.m. March 7. Sold out. Infinite Energy Center, 6400 Sugarloaf Parkway, Duluth. 770-626-2464, ticketmaster.com)

Itzhak Perlman. The world-renowned violinist and winner of 16 Grammy Awards performs Bruch’s Violin Concerto No. 1 with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, which is celebrating its 75th season this year. The program, which also includes Mahler’s Symphony No. 1 “Titan” and Verdi’s “La forza del destino” overture, will be conducted by Yoel Levi, who was the ASO’s director from 1988-2000. (8 p.m. March 11. Sold out. Atlanta Symphony Hall, 1280 Peachtree St., Atlanta. 404-733-5000, atlantasymphony.org, ticketmaster.com)

‘Pee-wee’s Big Adventure.’Marking the 35th anniversary of the 1985 cult classic directed by Tim Burton about man-child PeeWee Herman’s hilarious quest to recover his stolen bicycle, star and creator Paul Reubens attends a screening and engages with the audience in a follow-up Q&A. VIP packages include the opportunity to meet Reubens and get a photograph with him. (7:30 p.m. March 12. $59-$79. Tabernacle, 152 Luckie St., Atlanta. 404-659-9022, livenation.com)

Gabriel Iglesias. The stand-up comic gained a national profile as a finalist on the reality TV series “Last Comic Standing” in 2006. Now he’s touring the country playing arenas, including State Farm in Atlanta. (8 p.m. March 21. $35-$350. State Farm Arena, 1 State Farm Drive, Atlanta. 1-800-745-3000, ticketmaster.com)

Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. Prior to a performance at Carnegie Hall in New York on April 4, Robert Spano will lead the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, the Atlanta Symphony Chorus and opera singers Susanna Phillips, Sasha Cooke, Benjamin Bliss and Matthew Rose in a performance of Beethoven’s five-part mass, “Missa solemnis,” at the Woodruff Arts Center in March. (8 p.m. March 26-27. $29-$98. Atlanta Symphony Hall, 1280 Peachtree St., Atlanta. 404-733-5000, atlantasymphony.org)

‘Giselle.’The Atlanta Ballet’s spring production is the romantic masterwork that tells the story of a jilted lover who dies from a broken heart and comes back from the grave accompanied by the spirits of betrayed women. Bent on revenge, they entrap and torment men, culminating in Giselle forcing her beloved to dance until his death. (March 27-29. $20-$130. Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, 2800 Cobb Galleria Parkway, Atlanta. 404-892-3303, atlantaballet.com)

‘Hamilton.’ Lin-Manuel Miranda’s beloved Broadway musical about Alexander Hamilton returns to Atlanta for a monthlong run. (March 31-May 3. $80-$349. Fox Theatre, 660 Peachtree St., Atlanta. 404-881-2100, foxtheatre.org)

Terry Fator. After winning “America’s Got Talent” in 2007, the stand-up comic, impressionist and ventriloquist has been headlining the Mirage hotel in Las Vegas for the past 10 years. Expect spot-on impressions of Justin Timberlake, Elvis and Karen Carpenter when he comes to Atlanta in April. (8 p.m. April 2. $35-$75. Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, 2800 Cobb Galleria Parkway, Atlanta. 770-916-2800, cobbenergycentre.com)

‘Cotton Patch Gospel.’ Veteran Atlanta actor, director and playwright Tom Key stars in a bittersweet production of the musical he penned with Harry Chapin and Russell Treyz as he prepares to resign the post he’s held for a quarter-century as artistic director for Theatrical Outfit. (April 22-May 17. $15-$51. The Balzer Theatre at Herren’s, 84 Luckie St., Atlanta. 678-528-1500, theatricaloutfit.org)

Atlanta Film Festival. Celebrating its 44th year, the Atlanta Film Festival will screen more than 200 films from around the globe over 11 days at a variety of venues. The Creative Conference, featuring more than 40 panel discussions about filmmaking, also returns. (April 30-May 10. Details TBA. 470-296-0170, atlantafilmfestival.com)

This story was written by Suzanne Van Atten with The Atlanta Journal Constitution.

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