Trodding the Boards

Curtain Up Now that Mardi Gras is just a happy memory, it’s time for theater to move back indoors again. Through Easter, lots of shows will be debuting on local stages from Metairie to the Northshore to Chalmette. Hope you’ll be able to check out some--or all--of the following. I vividly remember seeing The Colored Museum at the Public Theater in New York back in the … [Read more...] about Trodding the Boards February 20, 2024

New in New York If you’re planning a post-Mardi Gras getaway to New York in the next few weeks or, perhaps trading the Big Easy’s Carnival for the Big Apple’s never-ending festivities, here are some things you might want to check out. Broadway offers lots and lots of musicals of all sorts. If you’re looking for a play to see on the Fabulous Invalid, however, that may be … [Read more...] about Trodding the Boards February 6, 2024

Les Misérables at the Saenger Theatre, January 30-February 4 [This production of Les Misérables played at the Saenger Theatre in 2019 and returns later this month with Nick Cartell still starring as Jean Valjean . The following are excerpts from my January 2019 review of it.] You’ve read Victor Hugo’s book (maybe). You’ve seen the original production (probably). You saw … [Read more...] about Trodding the Boards January 23, 2024

Romeo and Juliet at Tulane’s Dixon Hall on January 12 [Romeo and Juliet, which played at Tulane’s Lupin Theater last summer, returns on January 12 for one performance at Tulane's Dixon Hall. The following are excerpts from my July 2023 review of it.] In trying to review the New Orleans Shakespeare Festival at Tulane’s (NOSF) production of Romeo and Juliet, to use the … [Read more...] about Trodding the Boards January 9, 2024

The Year in Review So, do I look at the cup half full or half empty, the “cup” being New Orleans’ 2023 theatrical season? On one hand, about 25% of the productions I saw provided memorable, worthy evenings, some spectacularly so, certainly a respectable amount. On the other hand, the other 75% faded quickly from the mind, not even noble failures, “okay” but not much more. … [Read more...] about Trodding the Boards December 31, 2023

A Christmas Carol at Loyola’s Marquette Theater through Dec. 21 Crescent City Stage is presenting Patrick Barlow’s adaptation of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol at Loyola’s Marquette Theater through December 21. In the spirit of the season, let’s do a “Naughty” and “Nice” review-- Nice --James Lanius III’s projections take us outside to the cobblestone streets of … [Read more...] about Trodding the Boards December 15, 2023

Curtain Up The holidays are upon us so don’t expect anything too heavy on local stages for the next month or so. Or to kinda quote Stephen Sondheim, “Comedy tomorrow, tragedy next year!” If you’re looking for something to do besides caroling and standing under the mistletoe, check out some--or all--of the following– Wicked, now the 4th longest-running show in Broadway … [Read more...] about Trodding the Boards November 28, 2023

Chicago Culture I hadn’t been to Chicago in a while and certainly not in November. I guess I shouldn’t complain as I had overall nice, sunny weather. But now I know why they call it the Windy City. No, it’s not because of Mother Nature’s blowjobs. Rather, it refers to the city’s windbag politicians. Still, I would’ve been much happier if someone had turned off the wind … [Read more...] about Trodding the Boards November 20, 2023

I Wrote a Song at The AllWays Lounge I Wrote A Song, Trey Ming’s 2018 musical, recently returned to The AllWays Lounge. Based on countless true stories, it’s just your average boy-meets-girl, boy-gets-married, boy-looks-at-gay-porn-becomes-a-Baptist-preacher-sneaks-off-to-bathhouses-gets-outed-in-disgrace-tries-a-conversion-camp-comes-out-anyway story. Set to music. I had … [Read more...] about Trodding the Boards October 31, 2023

Varla Jean Merman's Stand By Your Drag at Cafe Istanbul In July, I went to a Comedy Festival at the New Orleans Arena. Other than Tiffany Haddish, who was very funny, I laughed more at Varla Jean Merman's Stand By Your Drag than all the other comics combined. Why hasn’t Ms. Merman yet gotten her own sitcom? Stand By Your Drag, Varla’s (she really needs only one name) … [Read more...] about Trodding the Boards October 17, 2023