During Jazz Fest, the Dew Drop Inn will debut their first annual Groove City series, which will welcome some of the biggest names in Black American Music including an intimate one-night-only experience featuring the Grammy nominated collective, the Sun Ra Arkestra, taking place on Sunday, April 28th at 9pm, as well as one of New Orleans’ most exciting new projects evolving this style of music in the 21st century – Steve Lands’ Rearranging the Planets on Sunday, May 5th at 9pm. MORE INFO AND TICKETS HERE
Noises Off at Jefferson Performing Arts Society Review by Todd Perley Michael Frayn’s timeless 1982 “Noises Off” rollicks and bumbles (in a good way) at JPAS through 4/21. This tightly-written comedy follows a traveling theater troupe rehearsing and performing a farce. Each of the eight characters are archetypes of the theater world, complete with various neuroses and shortcomings. Act I is the dress rehearsal…run poorly…and we get to know our cast and crew, as well as see a glimpse of the play they’re putting on. Best to listen to their material as we’re going to visit it again in progressively advanced states of decay (the endless plates of sardines will become the ninth character.) The merry players are supportive of their fellow cast members’ flaws and mistakes. Just a happy family putting on a show, tra-la! In Act II, a month later, we watch behind the scenes at a performance as the relationships amongst the once-chummy cast start to fall apart. “Start to fall apart” is perhaps a bit mild. They engage in fights, sabotage…and there’s an axe. Ahhh, the theater! Act II is a stunningly-choreographed, complex ballet of physical comedy that had us all roaring with laughter and applause. Act III, a month and half after THAT, we find our intrepid thespians at the end of their respective ropes, phoning in their performances and exhausted by the behind-the-scenes bickering, fights, and betrayals. The play they put on then is a farce of their own making, barely recognizable to the original material. What keeps Noises Off together is our affection for each of these fragile villains, whose awful behavior somehow never lessens their likability. The direction of the play (as opposed to the play within the play) is quick and lean and savvy, which is a fascinating complement to the ineptitude of the meta-play within. Every actor holds their own, with Elizabeth McCoy as the ditzy ingenue shining amongst them. Eric Porter’s set design is astounding, and as two-faced as the characters themselves. I won’t tell you what they do to the set for Act II, but it elicited a “Wow!” from most people seated near me. On a personal note, I confess I had a terrible hangover and was dreading leaving my house that night. Turns out Noises Off was the most effective panacea for what ailed me. I tell you this as testament to the miraculous healing power of good writing, acting, directing, and a healthy shot of laughter. Which is better than a shot of whisky. Live n’ learn. Noises Off plays at Jefferson Performing Arts Society through April 21st. Click here for show times and ticketing information. Sign up for the free, weekly Out All Day newsletter, with reviews, news, interviews and more: She Stoops to Conquer, UNO Robert E Nims Theatre Review by Dorian Hatchett Watching a play originally produced in 1770s London, on stage 251 years later, is not an uncommon experience for the modern audience. Shakespeare has been getting the modern adaptation treatment for 200 years longer than that. The success of shows like Bridgerton prove that Americans crave dramas about class struggle in an England still ruled by rigid social castes and obsessive adherence to filial responsibility. Each of these modern adaptations seeks a new way to connect with the audiences of now, though (I’m lookin' at you, John Leguizamo as Tybalt, or the pop music played on celestina in Bridgerton’s ballrooms). Director Madison Smith sought to capture her American audience by setting this Georgian Era story in the 1865 Gold Rush. While waiting for the play to begin, members of the chorus (who play background and small parts throughout the show as bar patrons and servants) interact with the audience. It might have been awkward, but it set the stage well for the production; we were to remember that this was a comedy of errors of social machination, and not to be taken too seriously. The chorus of musicians plays through the interludes and transitions, and the original music composed for the play was cohesive and fun. I found myself wishing that the singers had microphones, as some of the lyrics were lost in the small auditorium. Overall, though, the vibe landed and the music was a notable and positive addition to the show. The Gold Rush-era setting was never made explicitly clear (I learned it from reading the program) but it didn’t really matter to the value of the play. The dialog of the show was left as originally written, so at times was hard to decipher to the modern vernacular ear, but the actors' physical comedy more than made up for any meaning lost to verbiage. Notable among the cast were Laszlo Fulop as Mr. Hardcastle, with a spirited intonation as the patriarch who was charmingly off-kilter but clearly adored by his family. Violetta Valverde had a dramatic physical response to every emotional trigger, endearing her to the audience despite her being the antagonist of the show. The rest of the cast all had stand-out moments: Caylee Sanders was so believable as clever, lovestruck Kate, and Morgan Hall as Sir Charles Marlowe had few lines but was by far the best vocal actor of the entire cast. The leads, however, carried the show as the adults in a room of slightly confused children, reminding the audience and supporting cast alike that to laugh at oneself is the height of wisdom. Like many plays of the era, the scope of the production was centered on emotional interchange, and this was no different. I can lovingly describe Austen as books about the horror of being perceived at the homes of other people, and She Stoops to Conquer (originally produced just two years before the birth of Jane Austen) is a clear predecessor to the tone of the soap opera-like literary devices of the time. The actors in this production are obviously comfortable with each other and the subject matter, even if they occasionally trip over the more deprecated language. The set is simple (but incredibly efficient) and it didn't overcomplicate the visual storytelling with unnecessary details. The focus was entirely on the emotions and words (and the wardrobe, which the play references often) and that was very well done on the part of the company. Confusion about the setting aside, the show was bright, well-rehearsed, and the whole experience was a delight. She Stoops to Conquer runs at UNO Robert E Nims Theatre through April 20th. Click here for show times and ticketing information. Sign up for the free Out All Day weekly newsletter, with news, reviews, interviews and more:
There are many impressive elements in Dune 2, the second part of Denis Villeneuve’s adaptation of Frank Herbert’s 1965 sci-fi novel.
For starters, there’s the scale of the thing. Villeneuve has vocally expressed his love of visuals over dialogue, and he pours everything into the aesthetics of his world building. Planets, industrial compounds, desert landscapes and imperial palaces are all delivered with a sense of scale and grandeur that’s reminiscent of the epic movies of David Lean. On the big screen especially, these lingering landscapes and interiors are gorgeous and intimidating. Secondly, the sound design. Every vehicle and weather system has a rich, layered acoustic presence, and it really helps with the immersive nature of the movie. The dragonfly-like ‘Ornicopters’ buzz and purr and groan as if they are organic creatures. It’s a huge universe, with lots to cover, and we won’t get into a detailed plot summary as it could take all week. Suffice to say, Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) is a Christ-like figure, prophesied to lead the indigenous people of Arrakis (the Freman) to freedom. A race called The Harkonnens do the violent, oppressive dirty work for the shadowy Emperor (Christopher Walken) as they seek to control the planet’s resource: Spice. There’s also the influence of Paul’s mother Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson), part of the occult Bene Gesserit sisterhood. Dune (2023) set all of this up, and Dune 2 focuses on Paul taking up the mantle of savior. Like any good hero in their monomyth, he has to train himself in new disciplines, wrangle his magical powers and win over his disciples. We get a series of training montages where he learns to ride the huge sandworms and the special way to walk in the sand to avoid these massive predators. All of this time, the enemy plot, and we see the ascendance of the psychopathic Feyd-Rautha, played by Austin Butler. He is the Harkonnen Baron’s nephew, and we meet him at his birthday celebrations, where he slaughters gladiators in a huge arena. This is one of the best scenes, the stadium cast in monochrome thanks to their black sun, the countless hordes cheering from their seats. Suffice to say that there’s a lot of plot to cover - this is even before we get to the love interest of Chani (Zendaya) and the increasing religious fervor of warrior Stilgar (Javier Bardem). At over two and a half hours long, some of the pacing takes a hit, but if you’re happy just to let the visuals flow over you, then it’s not too arduous. You do feel that Villeneuve is fighting against exposition (tricky with just so much of it necessary) so that he can focus on the striking visual flourishes, and maybe slightly more judicious editing could keep things moving. It’s hard to be too bored with such glorious renderings, though, and the fight and action scenes jolt you back into the thick of things with stirring regularity. At this point, if you’re invested, you’re invested. If, like me, you missed the first chapter and streamed it before going to the sequel, you’ll rue not making it to the cinema in the first instance. Films like this are what big screens are for, and not many directors working today understand that as well as Villeneuve. Dune 2 is showing at AMC Theaters and at The Prytania Canal Place More recent Reviews SIGN UP FOR YOUR FREE WEEKLY NEWSLETTER: New York Lonely Girls: Annie @ The Saenger Theater review by Eileen Daley There’s an unwritten rule in show business to never work with children, animals, or starring roles for women over 40. Part of the eternal appeal of 'Annie', which played this weekend at the Saenger Theater, is that it bucks all of these conventions. The success of each production hinges on a large cast of child actors, an intelligent yet appropriately scruffy mutt, and the ratio of relatability to delicious cruelty in the portrayal of a certain harried orphanage matron. I was delighted to watch Friday night’s performance of the classic 1977 musical walk this tightrope with grace and pluck. Annie’s popularity was evident with the theatergoing crowd, which skewed younger than most at the Saenger – it was a sea of mothers and daughters (or very lucky orphans), some in red curly wigs and matching fire-engine dresses. It made me reflect on why Annie is one of those child actor roles that really sticks with people. It’s a very popular school production, and has spawned no less than three feature film adaptions in the last five decades. Almost every theater kid knows an Annie, played an Annie, or was rejected as an Annie. It’s a role that’s never in danger of being aged up, as anyone who’s tried to sing “Maybe” after their voice dropped can tell you. Paradoxically, though, the stars shouldn’t be more polished than they are charming – it’s harder to buy the woes of an orphan that are sung through perfectly golden pipes. So, it’s an achievable goal for young wannabe actors who dream of the hard knock life. The musical zips along at a quick pace that keeps kids and adults alike entertained. Since it’s based on a comic book, the scenes play out almost like episodic vignettes, bookended by a catchy tune near the top and its matching reprise to tie things up. The wonderful ensemble cast really shines in the large performances such as “We’d Like to Thank You, Herbert Hoover” and “You’re Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile,” two of my favorites, and they even manage to make the pat love letter to metropolis “N.Y.C.” go down a little smoother. Though Annie’s dog Sandy is offstage more than I’d like, the under-dog/study Kevin puts in a perfect effort (the program helpfully provided pictures of both dog actors, so we could identify him by the distinctive ears). As for the main cast, they were dazzling and heartbreakingly vulnerable in turns. The namesake lead Rainey Treviño belts with the best of them and makes Annie easy to root for. Her orphan companions, especially Molly (Jade Smith), are fiendishly adorable. Both Daddy Warbucks (Christopher Swan) and Rooster (Jeffrey T. Kelly) also give standout performances and showcase impressive vocals, but the most entertaining of them all is the delightfully dour Miss Hannigan (Stefanie Londino). She lends such world-weary pathos to the portrayal of the miserly old maid that by the end of her solo, “Little Girls”, the whole theater audience of moms was ready to ride into battle for her. It’s so much more fun to watch a villain that could be yourself on a bad day than it is to watch a caricature, and it was easy to see that she has fun playing it, too – underneath all the misery on the surface. Watching Annie as an adult is a more darkly humorous experience than you might expect. The title character’s bright optimism seems hopelessly naïve, and President FDR features much more prominently than I’d remembered. Most of all, the conceit of the main plot – Warbucks’ staff bring him an orphan to mentor for two weeks before Christmas – seems more like a cruel Youtuber stunt than the setup for a heartwarming family tale. But, just like a Depression-era radio soap opera, the melodramatics coalesce into a rewarding message about perseverance and found family. It’s enough to keep you humming about “Tomorrow” for weeks. The Saenger Theater's Broadway in New Orleans season continues in May with Mrs Doubtfire SIGN UP FOR YOUR FREE WEEKLY NEWSLETTER: Buff justice: Love Lies Bleeding
It’s funny being a dyed-in-the-wool Gen X-er, raised on the cinematic neon and throbbing synth bass lines of 80s thrillers. To see those elements lavishly celebrated - not as a gimmick, but as a legitimate aesthetic, is what first drew me into Love Lies Bleeding. I guess the kids might call it vaporwave meta-irony, but this movie could have been made in 1987. It feels as authentic a period piece as The Holdovers, and it wears its influences on the ragged sleeve of a sweaty, blood-stained, pastel jogging suit. I was already a fan of director Rose Glass’s 2020 breakout, low-budget horror Saint Maud, and this is also something of a genre film, though much more mixed. It’s part neo-noir thriller, part Gen Z Thelma and Louise, part fantasy pastiche. In small-town New Mexico, gym manager Lou (Kristen Stewart at her best: nihilistically moody and uncompromising) has her interest piqued by new-to-town, ambitious bodybuilder Jackie (played with charismatically chaotic chutzpah by Katy O’Brian). They fall for each other fast, their romance straining to break free of the psychodramatic gravity created by two villains: Lou’s ratlike, abusive brother-in-law JJ (Dave Franco) and sinister patriarch Lou Sr., evoked with full-throated, seedy relish by Ed Harris. At first, it’s all sweet nothings on hazy afternoons in bed, coupled with gently romantic steroid abuse, coupled with sex scenes that - come on, let’s be adults about this - are nothing that dozens of pulpy ‘erotic thrillers’ didn’t get away with back in the day. There’s nothing here that Mickey Rourke or Kim Basinger didn’t do to service a plot. The vicious entanglements of the town’s underbelly throw a greasy wrench into the relationship, though. Violence is an intrusion and also a necessary response, and the tentacle-like machinations of low-level organized crime insistently encompass Lou and Jackie’s worlds. Jackie’s tilt at a bodybuilding competition becomes divisive as she starts to lose her grip on reality. Lou Sr. starts to exert criminally paternal pressure, and Lou sinks into a flailing, emotional morass. She’s spinning plates with ever-increasing tension, the turmoil (reminiscent of movies like Uncut Gems) pulling her apart as she attempts to reconcile her past with her possible future. Some might recoil at the film’s employment of magical realism and honestly, it’s not something I’m generally a fan of. If you just trust the director, though, and see it as another way in which the film fights against being boxed into an easy classification; you can choose to find it daring. The graphic, visceral scenes rub against the 80s visuals to create a grubby, restless world, which slips even further into depravity as the psychological vice tightens. The performances across the board are impressively committed, and keep a compelling love story well above simple parody. (PO) Movie review: The Zone of Interest
This work of course comes with the heaviest of baggage, especially since Jonathan Glazer's Oscar win. Those issues fall beyond the scope of this review - I’m going to focus on my impressions of Zone of Interest as a work of art. The setting is mainly the household of a high-ranking German official in 1943. It is located next to the Auschwitz death camp, separated only by a high stone wall. From the first frames, the cyclical swells of the horrors beyond begin to intrude. These atrocities are unseen. We don’t need visuals. They have been enshrined in our collective consciousness from any number of history books and TV documentaries. We witness them today and every day on the news and on social media. The family goes about its everyday business. Rudolf Höss (Christian Friedel) attends to the logistical challenges of mass incineration, while Hedwig Höss (Sandra Hüller) runs the household, organizing maids, playing with their four children and gardening. They are an upwardly-mobile family, Rudolph’s star in the ascendance and provincial girl Hedwig becoming used to the trappings of a new, middle-class life. The party favors them. They have a swimming pool and servants and Rudolph hosts parties of officers who all toast his successes. They are a bourgeois family, living in comfort and security, concerned with material things and high standards of living. Hedwig’s mother comes to visit. The couple wrestle with the problem that a promotion (and therefore relocation) would entail. Glazer doesn’t spoon feed you anything. When Hedwig gifts her staff new dresses, it takes a second to realize where those clothes came from. Every luxury and amenity they have, from toothpaste to brandy, is drenched in blood. Even as they bask in their affluence, the screams and sinister smoke stacks and the relentless sounds of firing squads intrude. The necrotic waste from the camp begins to physically infest their living space and leisure time. The sound design alone makes The Zone of Interest worth the ticket. The drones of anguish filter in and out almost subliminally, with varying levels of intensity. Glazer employs a hidden camera-like cinematography, switching between views in real time as actors move between rooms. It results in a reality TV-like effect, drawing yet more parallels with contemporary life. Many reviews refer to the famous “banality of evil” phrase, but although many of the scenes are of regular, quotidian tasks and events, it feels anything but banal. We see all of their personal, social, and sexual missteps. The party does not care for them beyond what they can deliver in terms of corpses - the far right fetishizes individuality, but only until you’re not useful, of course. It’s a Holocaust film, but one you haven’t seen before. I believe the bold artistic choices that Glazer makes elevate The Zone of Interest beyond many of its subject-related peers. New experiences in cinema are vanishingly rare these days. This movie delivers one, however uncomfortable, and it will stay with you. (PO) The Zone of Interest is showing at The Prytania Theatre, Canal Place The Nutcracker @ The Saenger Theatre
review by Dorian Hatchett In the far distant darkness of our past, long before we had Die Hard or even Miracle on 34th Street, there was ballet for Christmas. First scored in 1891 by Tchaikovsky, this classical ballet remains New Orleans second favorite Russian export (the first, vodka, is of course significantly less family-friendly.) Productions of The Nutcracker remain the the industry's most faithful box office draw to this day internationally, in part to its appeal to children and adults alike. To that end, my date for the evening was my ten year old son, and whether by a trick of genetics, or simple lizard brain appeal, we both found the same notes of interest in our post- show debriefing. His exclamations of "It was very sparkly!" And "The hoop guy was so cool!" Were the same takeaways I myself had noted (though perhaps in slightly different phrasing in my mind). This particular staging was by Ukranian Principal Artists with accompaniment by local partner studio Arabesque Ballet Theater International of Mandeville. The costuming was indeed "very sparkly", giving the whole production a bit of burlesque flavor that is near and dear to the NOLA performance zeitgeist. Paired with flawless lighting, it felt like a spectacle, drawing the eye around the stage to the cast with such rapidity that no single pairing of dancers stood out most of the time, and contributing to the feeling of dreamlike disorientation that elevated the ballet from its usual 'a-little-too-precious' tone, to something more frantic. No show at the Saenger Theater exists in a vacuum, and the beauty of the room always plays an important role in the experience, enhancing the action on stage. The shining stars of this production, aside from the rhinestones, were the acrobats. Several movements in the second act were punctuated by acrobats (a dancer in emerald operating a cyr wheel never failed to elicit both applause and a smattering of delighted exultation) and the Arabian and Slavic dances were both embellished by feats of strength and skill. The Arabian dancers' slow motion contortions and balancing acts contrasted with the wild gyrations and high- jumps of the Slavic scene. Special note needs to be made of the puppeteers, who in each themed set of the second act played background characters, and whose bumbling antics stole the show occasionally from the refinement of the principals. The children in the audience responded to these in particular, even my usually stoic kid laughing out loud at the giant bear refusing to yield the stage to the next group of dancers. As an avowed Christmas hater, I went into this show with mixed emotions - the last show I saw at this theater was Viking ghost metal. My gruff expectations, though, were betrayed by the joy of the production; an unexpected warmth and a feeling that they got this one just right. Inhabiting the larger-than-life persona of all-American baton-botherer Leonard Bernstein has been a long-held passion project for Bradley Cooper. Speilberg (Steven) and Scorsese (Martin) have donned producer hats to help him bring his vision to the screen with Maestro, and it’s a stylized vision at that. Dialogue comes at you from all sides with minimal editing, a conversational, naturalistic choice that has divided critics. Bold staging and imaginative photography keep the biopic moving at an allegro pace, Cooper conducting Lenny’s unstoppable career and gossip-worthy personal life with relish. The scenes focus mainly on his love affair with his wife Felicia Montealegre (Carey Mulligan), his family and his many indiscretions. The evocative music washes over the whole messy triumph, culminating in a concert at Ely Cathedral, England that is recreated with one of the year’s greatest single shots. Well worth seeing at the cinema for the score alone. High culture and the dalliances of the upper crust are fetishized and manipulated in Emerald Fennell’s Saltburn. It’s a campish romp through the English class system as working class scholarship boy Oliver (Barry Keoghan) lands at a Oxford University, becoming the token poor friend of posh Felix (Euphoria’s Jacob Elordi). Over the course of a summer, visiting Felix's intimidatingly-regal family home, Oliver is first seemingly exploited, but then begins to work his own machinations within the family. There’s hints of Parasite and The Talented Mr. Ripley and Brideshead Revisited, and while there are some fun twists, the plot melts into near-incoherence towards the third act. There are charismatic turns from the leads, as well as Richard E Grant and Rosamund Pike as Felix’s parents, but don’t think about the plausibility of the story too much. Believability is completely abandoned in the magical realism of Poor Things, the latest from Yorgos Lanthimos (The Favourite, The Lobster). Lanthimos creates alien worlds that are just familiar enough, with skewed conventions and edgy thought experiments as reality. Poor Things is no exception, Emma Stone’s Bella Baxter emerging as a kind of Frankenstein’s monster out of the laboratory of Dr Baxter (Willem Dafoe). Her social, moral and sexual education takes place amid lab assistants and test tubes, and then under the influence of a lascivious, globetrotting playboy (Mark Ruffalo). Surreal versions of Athens, Lisbon and Paris provide the backdrop for their saucy misadventures. There’s a joyful, dreamlike weirdness to the worlds, revealed to us via hyperreal landscapes and through strange fisheye lenses, and it’s a colorful, bawdy tale of exploitation and bourgeois sensibilities. Moving through elevated, rarified worlds could be a unifying theme, such as there is one between these three movies, but stylistically, aesthetically and tonally, they’re very different interpretations of that particular journey. (PO)
Manifesting witch face review by Eileen Daley Origin stories are ten a penny these days, with everyone from the Joker to Cruella de Vil enjoying a deep dive into their beginnings. Wicked is perhaps the origin of origin stories if you will, and is celebrating 20 years on the stage. If you’re not familiar, Wicked is an expansion of the Wizard of Oz theatrical universe, telling the story of how the good and bad witches came to be. It’s based on the novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West and it’s a thoughtful adaptation that foreshadows the themes more organically than you might think. Wicked is a true Broadway sensation, now in its third decade, and it continues to captivate audiences thanks to its inventive story, dazzling production, and powerhouse performances. From the moment Glinda the Good Witch (played with effervescent charm by Celia Hottenstein) descends in her glittering bubble, to the gravity-defying entrance of Elphaba (portrayed with vulnerability and strength by Olivia Valli), the audience was spellbound. The shifting chemistry between the leads is engaging to watch, the musical bringing a dynamic energy to a complex relationship. Eugene Lee's set design seamlessly blends grandeur and intimacy, transporting the audience from the towering spires of the Emerald City to the learned halls of Shiz University. The lighting design (by Kenneth Posner) creates a kaleidoscope of colors that maintain the sense of wonder. A giant dragon frames the stage, which is a neat device, reminding us that we’re watching a kind of traveling marionette version of a story. Wicked's huge success hinges on its iconic music, though, and this production did not disappoint. Tunes like ‘Defying Gravity’, ‘Popular’ and ‘For Good’ were met with panoramic excitement, fans remembering a thousand Tumblr memes and many likely seeing this show live for the latest in, well, any number of times. The ensemble cast deliver notable performances, bringing the citizens of Oz to life with infectious energy. Big ensemble numbers, such as ‘One Short Day’ and ‘Dancing Through Life’, enjoyed daring choreography that added an extra layer of drama. Wicked's timeless themes of friendship, identity, and the consequences of prejudice resonate strongly, and they kind of turn the musical romance trope on its head. The narrative's depth and emotional resonance are brought to the forefront by the cast's powerful performances, backed by a solid musical soundtrack (delivered by a lush-sounding live orchestra). Wicked is a triumphant continuation of a Broadway phenomenon. With its striking visuals and a narrative that remains as relevant as ever, it continues to pull in loving crowds. It’s fun to reevaluate the movie through a different lens, and it’s clear that, even after all these years, there's no place like Oz. Wicked plays at The Saenger Theatre through Dec 17th. More info and tickets here. |
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