Brian Sands

Dear Mr. Williams at Le Petit Theatre through October 24 I had seen Bryan Batt’s reading of his one man show Dear Mr. Williams at the 2019 Tennessee Williams Festival. I admired his telling of his personal story, but felt that the sections taken from Williams’ plays and other writings slowed things down, and questioned how much they really added to the script. I’m thus … [Read more...] about Trodding the Boards October 19, 2021

Matilda, the Musical at Slidell Little Theatre [Knowing the production would have closed prior to this publication date, I posted the following on Facebook the day after seeing Matilda, the Musical. I’m including it here to let readers know what’s happening in St. Tammany Parish.] Congratulations to the cast and krewe of Slidell Little Theater's Matilda! Director Scott … [Read more...] about Trodding the Boards October 5, 2021

Rent at 30 by Ninety Theatre through October 3 It's been a tough month or so for theaters in our area what with first the Delta variant surge and then Hurricane Ida’s devastation. Many have had to cancel or postpone productions as they’ve dealt with damage to their structures, uprooted rehearsal schedules, and/or concerns about cast, crew, staff & audience members who … [Read more...] about Trodding the Boards September 21, 2021

Houston and Dallas on the Evacuation Tour I hadn’t expected to stay in Texas for 10 days when I evacuated the day before Hurricane Ida hit. I hoped it would be like so many other storms that have threatened NOLA over the years which turned out to be more much ado about nothing than the tempest. Mother Nature had another tale in mind, though. First of all, I hope everyone … [Read more...] about Trodding the Boards September 7, 2021

Teatro Sin Fronteras Latin Late Night Live at Café Istanbul, monthly, third Tuesdays thru December Tired of the late night shows of Jimmy and James and Seth and Stephen? Then head over to Café Istanbul on the third Tuesday of each month for Teatro Sin Fronteras Latin Late Night Live. Poet/performance artist José Torres-Tama hosts and produces, along with ArteFuturo … [Read more...] about Trodding the Boards August 24, 2021

Matilda, the Musical at Swamplight Theatre It’s almost hard to believe that it’s been just two years since Matilda, the Musical had its regional premiere with a stellar Tulane Summer Lyric production as, in that short pandemic-filled time, it’s become a staple of local high schools (Hahnville in pre-Covid 2020) and community theaters with three productions scheduled in the … [Read more...] about Trodding the Boards August 10, 2021

Reverse Negative at The Columbia Theatre for the Performing Arts through July 31 Driving back from the North Shore recently, lightning crackled in the distance over Metairie and the West Bank. Lightning, however, had already sizzled earlier in the evening in Hammond at RoBenHood Productions and The Columbia Theatre for the Performing Arts’ presentation of Reverse Negative, … [Read more...] about Trodding the Boards July 27, 2021

Lehrer's Lyricisms at Canal Place Cinemas on July 15 (with possibly more dates to come) Since the demise of Le Chat Noir and Mid-City Theatre, New Orleans has been hungering for a venue suitable for cabaret, revues and small-scale theater. As it turns out, the solution might’ve been right before our eyes. Lehrer's Lyricisms, a new revue featuring the songs of Tom Lehrer, … [Read more...] about Trodding the Boards July 13, 2021

Mount Rushmore and Southwest South Dakota I was looking forward to two days of exploring southwest South Dakota with a friend in his Airstream, but thanks to American Airlines’ mega-snafu of delays and cancelled flights, which forced me to spend 23 hours in the Dallas/Fort Worth Airport and a nearby Super 8 Hotel, I wound up with only a day in the 40th State. Frustrating as … [Read more...] about Trodding the Boards June 29, 2021