May 06, 2014
The good ole' summertime continues New Orleans' love affair with her culture and boundless joy for life. Remember, the unofficial motto for this city is that "anything worth doing, is worth overdoing."
With that in mind the theatre scene's cup runneth over. Great musical and theatrical performances are waiting in the wings to entertain the mind and soar the spirit. From rock 'n' roll to classical, from drama to comedy, from sentimental to hard-edged, what goes on in front of the footlights adds amazing memories to you wonderful people sitting out there in the dark.
If you are one of those adventuresome souls who hates to miss anything, your summer in New Orleans is going to be very busy.
The Mahalia Jackson Theater for the Performing Arts sits as the gilded centerpiece of Armstrong Park, gladly showing her glassed grand entrance hall with crystal chandeliers in the background of a dramatic water fountain installation.
What occurs inside the theatre is equally impressive. Coming on May 10, the Parsons Dance Company, presented by the New Orleans Ballet Association (NOBA), returns from their last triumphal performance, and this time the troupe will be performing the world premiere of a special musical extravaganza commissioned by NOBA. This will be an evening of high-voltage, high-energy modern dance accompanied by a talented orchestra of New Orleans musicians.
The Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra (LPO), the nation's first musician-owned symphony orchestra, will present Mahler's "Tragic" Symphony on May 10. The LPO is such a grand ensemble that any performance is cause for a night spent with music.
On May 16, get ready to hurt your sides and wipe the tears of laughter from your face as comedian, talk-show host and author, Chelsea Handler, brings her irreverent brand of comedy, featuring travel tips and proper etiquette guidance. Her new book, "Uganda Be Kidding Me," is a bestseller on the New York Times chart, and she is a most sought after guest for television talk shows.
The very next evening at Mahalia Jackson, the LPO will switch gears from classical music to rock'n'roll presenting "Remember the King," a retrospective performance highlighting the three distinct eras of Elvis Presley's career.
Then on May 24, the LPO returns to classical music mode with the performance centerpiece, Beethoven Symphony No. 9, Carlo Miguel Prieto conducting, featuring soprano Leslie Ann Bradley, mezzo-soprano Margaret Lattimore, and bass Kevin Deas, along with the Symphony Chorus of New Orleans.
The versatility of the Mahalia Jackson Theatre once again comes into focus on July 21 as Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds bring their legendary live music experience to town. The band is renowned for its innovative and distinctive live performances, which have been captured on vinyl record albums to the delight of their many fans.
Canal Street can't be left out of the entertainment equation. Not ever. And the Joy Theatre is right in the middle of the rebirth of Canal Street's theatre district. This movie theatre -- built in 1947, and recently converted to a live performance venue -- once again has its marquee lights blazing right on New Orleans' grandest commercial avenue. To prove the point, on May 13 Winter Circle Productions gets behind The Revivalists, likely the Next Big Thing from New Orleans' always enriched music scene. This soulful, syncopated rock group will be joined by two other up and coming bands, The Motet and Earphunk. The Joy will most certainly be rockin'.
Three performances, all on May 11, by Pamela Davis Noland, novelist, freelance writer, poet, and playwright bring her dreams and her creative energies to the Joy stage in "Badu-Isms"... A Tribute to Erykah,"
You will be both laughing and shaking your head in agreement when "Men are from Mars; Women are from Venus" takes the stage at the Joy May 15. The evening presents a series of vignettes taken from the hit book which sold 50 million copies worldwide. The 10,000 square foot Joy is the perfect venue for this hilarious romp, providing excellent seating and acoustics.
Just across Canal Street is the new crown jewel, but one that has been in that very place since 1927, The Saenger Theatre, recently re-opened and completely restored to its rightful place on the National Register of Historic Places. The ornate interior harkens back to the grand days of when performance venues were palaces.
John Legend, Grammy Award winning artist brings his "The All of Me Tour" to The Saenger Theatre on May 1. Legend will feature songs from his newest album, Love in the Future. His distinctive style of song and performance are perfectly suited for the opulent
And then on May 2, Gov't Mule triumphantly returns to New Orleans. This band's history with this town goes back to the group's founding in 1996, and even then they declared that New Orleans was one of their favorite places to play music.
Arriving at the Saenger on May 6, Il Divo, a classical/pop music crossover group, that has sold over 26 million albums worldwide, received 160 Gold and Platinum sales awards, achieved more than 50 Number 1 records on various charts, and has staged four record breaking world tours, performs. The international quartet is celebrating their 11th year together. This performance is titled, A Musical Affair: The Greatest Songs of Broadway Live.
A Mother's Day live concert on May 11 from the talented Avant and Donell Jones is a great way to spend a special day at the Saenger.
An award-winning show that was a powerful motion picture and is an amazing story, "War Horse," will be told in a robust way on the stage at The Saenger May 13-18. The 2011 Tony Award-winning production will have you on the edge and out of your seat, living through what could have been a children's story but is in fact a true tale of human and animal bravery and love.
MOVE Live on Tour with Julienne and Derek Hough takes "to the boards" at the Saenger on June 8. These superstar sibling dance impresarios will cover the genres of ballroom, tap, salsa, hip-hop and everything in between. The Houghs, you may recall, were winners of "Dancing with the Stars" and they conceived and staged this show. Not to be missed. Every great city has an outlet for cutting-edge theatre production conceived at the local level. For New Orleans, our good fortune is that it's the top-quality Southern Repertory Theatre. The performances, the conception of the production, even the setting, exhibits why live theatre is still such an exciting creative outlet and is supported more than 3,000 years after the Greeks' grand network of ancient sites devoted to drama and comedy plays.
Speaking of comedy, "Debauchery" is a serial production, with each performance building on the last one. Often bawdy, always funny, and encouraging audience interaction, you have to be there -- May 14, June 11, and July 9 -- to understand what all the buzz is about.
To reinforce the idea that New Orleans is a creative and talented community, three different local playwrights have each written one-act plays which explains the title, 3 X 3. Featured June 16-17 in performance at New Orleans' Mid-City Theatre will be the works of Madison Curry, Pat Bourgeois, and Sean Patterson. Tickets at a mere $10, are available at the door.
In the heart of the French Quarter, Le Petit Theatre du Vieux Carre presents "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" July 11-26. The musical has been a staple of modern theatre since 1970. Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice penned music and lyrics which immediately received worldwide acclaim and 8 Tony Awards, following its premier in London's West End in 1973 and the Broadway opening in 1982.
Le Petit is one of the oldest community theatre companies in the United States, founded in 1916, and is located on a prime corner of Jackson Square, surrounded by the historic buildings of the area.
Harrah's Theatre, located inside the casino, will host the original girls' night out group, the Chippendales,, June 21-22 performing their male revue which has earned them the plaudits of ladies all over the world. Audience participation is encouraged. Adults only.
Entertainment enthusiasts can't go wrong " any night of the week " at Irvin Mayfield's Jazz Playhouse. One of New Orleans' premier jazz artists keeps the flame burning hot every night, no cover, within a comfortable venue right on the city's main entertainment street. Irvin plays every Wednesday, when he is not out on tour, and the rest of the time his friends come by to keep the party rockin' Great bar, comfortable surroundings, fine music.
The Mahalia Jackson Theater for the Performing Arts, Armstrong Park, 1419 Basin Street www.mahaliajacksontheater.com
The Joy Theatre, 1200 Canal Street, 504-528-9569 www.thejoytheatre.com
Saenger Theatre, 1111 Canal Street,504-525-1052 www.saengernola.com
Southern Rep, Mid-City Theatre, 3540 Toulouse St., 504-522-6545 www.southernrep.com
Le Petit Theatre du Vieux Carre, 616 St. Peter Street, 504-522-2081www.lepetittheatre.com
The Theatre at Harrah's, 228 Poydras Street, 504-533-6000 www.harrahsneworleans.com
Irvin Mayfield's Jazz Playhouse, Royal Sonesta Hotel, 300 Bourbon Street 504-553-2299 www.irvinmayfield.com
With that in mind the theatre scene's cup runneth over. Great musical and theatrical performances are waiting in the wings to entertain the mind and soar the spirit. From rock 'n' roll to classical, from drama to comedy, from sentimental to hard-edged, what goes on in front of the footlights adds amazing memories to you wonderful people sitting out there in the dark.
If you are one of those adventuresome souls who hates to miss anything, your summer in New Orleans is going to be very busy.
The Mahalia Jackson Theater for the Performing Arts sits as the gilded centerpiece of Armstrong Park, gladly showing her glassed grand entrance hall with crystal chandeliers in the background of a dramatic water fountain installation.
What occurs inside the theatre is equally impressive. Coming on May 10, the Parsons Dance Company, presented by the New Orleans Ballet Association (NOBA), returns from their last triumphal performance, and this time the troupe will be performing the world premiere of a special musical extravaganza commissioned by NOBA. This will be an evening of high-voltage, high-energy modern dance accompanied by a talented orchestra of New Orleans musicians.
The Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra (LPO), the nation's first musician-owned symphony orchestra, will present Mahler's "Tragic" Symphony on May 10. The LPO is such a grand ensemble that any performance is cause for a night spent with music.
On May 16, get ready to hurt your sides and wipe the tears of laughter from your face as comedian, talk-show host and author, Chelsea Handler, brings her irreverent brand of comedy, featuring travel tips and proper etiquette guidance. Her new book, "Uganda Be Kidding Me," is a bestseller on the New York Times chart, and she is a most sought after guest for television talk shows.
The very next evening at Mahalia Jackson, the LPO will switch gears from classical music to rock'n'roll presenting "Remember the King," a retrospective performance highlighting the three distinct eras of Elvis Presley's career.
Then on May 24, the LPO returns to classical music mode with the performance centerpiece, Beethoven Symphony No. 9, Carlo Miguel Prieto conducting, featuring soprano Leslie Ann Bradley, mezzo-soprano Margaret Lattimore, and bass Kevin Deas, along with the Symphony Chorus of New Orleans.
The versatility of the Mahalia Jackson Theatre once again comes into focus on July 21 as Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds bring their legendary live music experience to town. The band is renowned for its innovative and distinctive live performances, which have been captured on vinyl record albums to the delight of their many fans.
Canal Street can't be left out of the entertainment equation. Not ever. And the Joy Theatre is right in the middle of the rebirth of Canal Street's theatre district. This movie theatre -- built in 1947, and recently converted to a live performance venue -- once again has its marquee lights blazing right on New Orleans' grandest commercial avenue. To prove the point, on May 13 Winter Circle Productions gets behind The Revivalists, likely the Next Big Thing from New Orleans' always enriched music scene. This soulful, syncopated rock group will be joined by two other up and coming bands, The Motet and Earphunk. The Joy will most certainly be rockin'.
Three performances, all on May 11, by Pamela Davis Noland, novelist, freelance writer, poet, and playwright bring her dreams and her creative energies to the Joy stage in "Badu-Isms"... A Tribute to Erykah,"
You will be both laughing and shaking your head in agreement when "Men are from Mars; Women are from Venus" takes the stage at the Joy May 15. The evening presents a series of vignettes taken from the hit book which sold 50 million copies worldwide. The 10,000 square foot Joy is the perfect venue for this hilarious romp, providing excellent seating and acoustics.
Just across Canal Street is the new crown jewel, but one that has been in that very place since 1927, The Saenger Theatre, recently re-opened and completely restored to its rightful place on the National Register of Historic Places. The ornate interior harkens back to the grand days of when performance venues were palaces.
John Legend, Grammy Award winning artist brings his "The All of Me Tour" to The Saenger Theatre on May 1. Legend will feature songs from his newest album, Love in the Future. His distinctive style of song and performance are perfectly suited for the opulent
And then on May 2, Gov't Mule triumphantly returns to New Orleans. This band's history with this town goes back to the group's founding in 1996, and even then they declared that New Orleans was one of their favorite places to play music.
Arriving at the Saenger on May 6, Il Divo, a classical/pop music crossover group, that has sold over 26 million albums worldwide, received 160 Gold and Platinum sales awards, achieved more than 50 Number 1 records on various charts, and has staged four record breaking world tours, performs. The international quartet is celebrating their 11th year together. This performance is titled, A Musical Affair: The Greatest Songs of Broadway Live.
A Mother's Day live concert on May 11 from the talented Avant and Donell Jones is a great way to spend a special day at the Saenger.
An award-winning show that was a powerful motion picture and is an amazing story, "War Horse," will be told in a robust way on the stage at The Saenger May 13-18. The 2011 Tony Award-winning production will have you on the edge and out of your seat, living through what could have been a children's story but is in fact a true tale of human and animal bravery and love.
MOVE Live on Tour with Julienne and Derek Hough takes "to the boards" at the Saenger on June 8. These superstar sibling dance impresarios will cover the genres of ballroom, tap, salsa, hip-hop and everything in between. The Houghs, you may recall, were winners of "Dancing with the Stars" and they conceived and staged this show. Not to be missed. Every great city has an outlet for cutting-edge theatre production conceived at the local level. For New Orleans, our good fortune is that it's the top-quality Southern Repertory Theatre. The performances, the conception of the production, even the setting, exhibits why live theatre is still such an exciting creative outlet and is supported more than 3,000 years after the Greeks' grand network of ancient sites devoted to drama and comedy plays.
Speaking of comedy, "Debauchery" is a serial production, with each performance building on the last one. Often bawdy, always funny, and encouraging audience interaction, you have to be there -- May 14, June 11, and July 9 -- to understand what all the buzz is about.
To reinforce the idea that New Orleans is a creative and talented community, three different local playwrights have each written one-act plays which explains the title, 3 X 3. Featured June 16-17 in performance at New Orleans' Mid-City Theatre will be the works of Madison Curry, Pat Bourgeois, and Sean Patterson. Tickets at a mere $10, are available at the door.
In the heart of the French Quarter, Le Petit Theatre du Vieux Carre presents "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" July 11-26. The musical has been a staple of modern theatre since 1970. Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice penned music and lyrics which immediately received worldwide acclaim and 8 Tony Awards, following its premier in London's West End in 1973 and the Broadway opening in 1982.
Le Petit is one of the oldest community theatre companies in the United States, founded in 1916, and is located on a prime corner of Jackson Square, surrounded by the historic buildings of the area.
Harrah's Theatre, located inside the casino, will host the original girls' night out group, the Chippendales,, June 21-22 performing their male revue which has earned them the plaudits of ladies all over the world. Audience participation is encouraged. Adults only.
Entertainment enthusiasts can't go wrong " any night of the week " at Irvin Mayfield's Jazz Playhouse. One of New Orleans' premier jazz artists keeps the flame burning hot every night, no cover, within a comfortable venue right on the city's main entertainment street. Irvin plays every Wednesday, when he is not out on tour, and the rest of the time his friends come by to keep the party rockin' Great bar, comfortable surroundings, fine music.
The Mahalia Jackson Theater for the Performing Arts, Armstrong Park, 1419 Basin Street www.mahaliajacksontheater.com
The Joy Theatre, 1200 Canal Street, 504-528-9569 www.thejoytheatre.com
Saenger Theatre, 1111 Canal Street,504-525-1052 www.saengernola.com
Southern Rep, Mid-City Theatre, 3540 Toulouse St., 504-522-6545 www.southernrep.com
Le Petit Theatre du Vieux Carre, 616 St. Peter Street, 504-522-2081www.lepetittheatre.com
The Theatre at Harrah's, 228 Poydras Street, 504-533-6000 www.harrahsneworleans.com
Irvin Mayfield's Jazz Playhouse, Royal Sonesta Hotel, 300 Bourbon Street 504-553-2299 www.irvinmayfield.com
