Forsyth & Luckie: The Arts Intersection

At the spot where Forsyth St. meets Luckie St., lives an Atlanta whose evenings are bright with spotlights, and where music and laughter cut through the rush of city traffic. The Arts Intersection is home to two institutions that are both widely acclaimed centers of live performance and part of Atlanta’s history. Beneath the row of glowing marquees stand the Rialto Center for the Arts and Theatrical Outfit. Whether you’re in the mood for musicals, dance, world music, film, jazz, or just a soul-stirring story, look no further than Luckie-Forsyth--the Arts Intersection.

The Arts Intersection brings these two highly-acclaimed performing arts institutions together, literally and figuratively, to promote arts and culture to visitors, workers, students and residents in Downtown Atlanta. The Arts Intersection at Forsyth-Luckie is home to musicals, dance, world music, jazz, film, opera and theatrical performances.

The Rialto Center boasts not only an acoustically pristine theater facility and presents an extensive repertoire including international music, dance, and song, but also a century-old legacy--a Rialto Theater has been open on the Forsyth-Luckie corner since 1916, when it opened as a vaudeville house. The reopening of the Rialto under Georgia State University in 1996, marked a turning point in the revitalization of the historic Fairlie-Poplar district in Downtown Atlanta. Today the Rialto stands tall as a grand beacon on Forsyth Street. The Rialto’s vibrant marquee brings the corner to life, broadcasting each night’s events to the whole city.

Just next door, Theatrical Outfit serves as Luckie Street’s dramatic ambassador. Beyond being the second oldest continually operating theatre company in Atlanta, the Outfit is also the caretaker of one of Atlanta’s most powerful landmarks: the historic Herren’s Restaurant. In what was the first integrated restaurant in Atlanta, the Balzer Theatre at Herren’s synthesizes a state-of-the-art performance experience and a beautifully preserved piece of history into something truly inspiring.

Where Forsyth meets Luckie, Where Atlanta Meets the World, where Downtown meets the arts--the corner brings further resonance to a city that’s on the move. Both the Rialto and Theatrical Outfit have exciting seasons ahead, and will breathe new life into the Arts Intersection at Forsyth-Luckie.