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Belle Noire, a musical tribute to the iconic Black songstresses from the dawn of early jazz to the height of the swing era, comes to Ashé Powerhouse Theater on Saturday, August 9 at 7:00 PM and Sunday, August 10 at 3:00 PM.
Created by New Orleans-born vocalist Kayla Lewis, this immersive theatrical concert celebrates the sound, style and soul of legends like Lena Horne, Billie Holiday, Eartha Kitt and Dorothy Dandridge—not through imitation, but through bold, evocative reinterpretation. Blending vintage visuals, cinematic projections, elegant costuming, tap dance and live jazz, Belle Noire offers a cabaret-meets-theater experience that is at once nostalgic and strikingly contemporary. Kayla will be joined by NYC jazz luminary Dandy Wellington, along with a stellar cast of performers from both New York and New Orleans. Tickets are available for purchase (with early bird tickets at $10 off available until July 15) at bellenoireshow.com, with 30% of proceeds benefiting New Orleans non-profit organizations Second Line Arts Collective (a jazz education nonprofit dedicated to mentoring and empowering young musicians) and the New Orleans Dance Collective (a vibrant program teaching tap to local youth and nurturing the next generation of dancers). For more information on Belle Noire: An Ode to Black Songstresses of Eras Past and to purchase tickets, visit https://bellenoireshow.com/. Le Petit Théâtre du Vieux Carré has announced its 2025-26 season:
October 2 - 19, 2025 Weaving together nearly two centuries of family history, this epic theatrical event charts the humble beginnings, outrageous successes, and devastating failure of the financial institution that would ultimately bring the global economy to its knees. THE LEHMAN TRILOGY is the quintessential story of western capitalism, rendered through the lens of a single immigrant family. January 8 - 25, 2026 Novelist Charles Condomine arranges a séance in his home with the eccentric and flighty Madame Arcati as research for his upcoming novel and finds himself haunted (literally) by the ghost of his late wife, Elvira. This unexpected reunion causes conflict with Charles’ current wife, Ruth. Soon he finds himself caught in a supernatural love triangle, and his attempts to fix the situation only make things worse. BLITHE SPIRIT is Noël Coward’s beloved comedy. March 5 - 29, 2026 One of the greatest musical comedies of all time, this award-winning classic gambles with luck and love under the bright lights of Broadway. Brimming with gangsters, gamblers, showgirls, and holy rollers, GUYS AND DOLLS: A MUSICAL FABLE OF BROADWAY is an oddball romantic comedy that finds Nathan Detroit setting up the biggest craps game in New York while fending off questions of marriage from his fiancée of 14 years, Adelaide. April 30 - May 17, 2026 What happens when two sets of parents meet up to deal with a playground altercation between their eleven-year-old boys? A calm and rational debate between grown-ups about the need to teach kids how to behave properly? Kids will be kids, but the adults are usually worse – much worse. GOD OF CARNAGE won the Olivier Award® for Best Comedy and the Tony Award® for Best Play. June 4 - 21, 2026 On the streets of Dublin, an Irish musician and a Czech immigrant are drawn together by their shared love of music. Over the course of one fateful week, an unexpected friendship and collaboration quickly evolves into a powerful but complicated love story, underscored by emotionally charged music. From the very first note, ONCE draws you in and never lets go. BOX OFFICE: 504.522.2081 x 1 or [email protected] / Le Petit Theatre website As part of the “Starter Pack for Foodies” (SPF) campaign, Arnaud’s is celebrating the summer with a curated collection of culinary experiences:
Summer Prix-Fixe Menu (July 1 – September 7): Celebrating the flavors of classic Creole cuisine with this specially curated seasonal offering, available in both private and public dining. Highlights include Lobster Bisque, Pan Roasted Snapper, Chicken Fricassée, Profiterole Mousse Trio, and more. Young Professionals Discount (July 1 – September 7): Diners aged 21 to 30 can enjoy 30% off dinner (food only) Monday through Wednesday. Summer Happy Hour: Happening at French 75 Bar and the Richelieu Bar. From 5 to 7 p.m., guests can savor select classic cocktails like the Daiquiri, Paloma, and Frozen Martini for just $8. Pair your drink with $5 snacks . Summer Fridays: Treat yourself to Friday lunch service on July 18 and August 22. July 18: A Very Merry Rosé Christmas (in July) from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Guests can celebrate with a table décor competition, DJ Raj Smoove, and a toy drive benefiting Ochsner Children’s (accepting new and unwrapped toys, books, stuffed animals, crafts, and puzzles). August 22: Pink Rosé Club from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Moët French Riviera Pop-Up: Experience the flavors of the Mediterranean at the French 75 Bar, July 28 – September 7. Guests can indulge in exclusive dishes and beverages inspired by the sun-soaked Riviera, including sorbet pour overs, mini lobster rolls, tapenades, soufflé potatoes with aioli, and oysters. Summer Scoops: A combination of sorbet and liqueur, featured on Arnaud’s à la carte menu, offers a balance of dessert and cocktail. For more information, news, and updates on Arnaud’s Restaurant, visit www.arnaudsrestaurant.com WHO/WHAT: Alma Cafe invites you to savor summer with a special available at both the Bywater and Mid-City locations. Priced at only $18, the special features a Baleada Sencilla – a traditional Honduran staple filled with beans, crema, and queso – and an Agua Fresca, available in a variety of delicious flavors including mango, watermelon, tamarindo, and horchata de cacahuete.
WHEN/WHERE: Available at both locations, Monday-Friday. Alma Café Bywater is located at 800 Louisa Street. Alma Mid-City is located at 301 N. Carrollton Avenue. For additional information, please visit https://eatalmanola.com/. Reservations can be made on OpenTable. Restaurant August has been honored for its outstanding wine program in Wine Spectator’s 2025 Restaurant Awards, which celebrates the world’s best restaurants for wine. August’s award-winning wine list features 365 selections, and a growing cellar of nearly 3,600 bottles – an expansion of more than 30% over the past year. Recent additions highlight regions like Priorat and Portugal, as well as the rising popularity of lesser-known Burgundy villages such as Maranges. The restaurant has also expanded the by-the-glass offerings to include unique varietals like Timorasso from Italy’s Piedmont region.
Tyler Cox, Restaurant August Wine Director and Assistant General Manager, said “This honor affirms our commitment to thoughtful curation, dynamic offerings and exceptional service. From Old World classics to emerging regions, our evolving wine list is designed to elevate each guest’s journey through the menu and celebrate the rich culinary spirit that makes New Orleans so special.” Some local hotels have offers and promotions aimed at locals and visitors, including poolside happy hours and discounted staycations:
HOTEL MONTELEONE
 Checkered flagging: F1
Review by Jeff DeRouen When a studio wants to make a big, loud, fun summer movie, Joseph Kosinski is the guy to call. He made Top Gun: Maverick, so they know Joe is gonna bring the spectacle and pure entertainment – and if that’s what you’re looking for (who isn’t?!), F1 is perfect. However, if you like your beautiful sports car movie to have a very nice alternator or maybe transmission, then F1 needs a lot more under the hood. Or F1 is like driving a Corvette with a lawnmower engine. Or something like that. The movie stars the always charming Brad Pitt as aging race car driver, Sonny Hayes. Sonny agrees to race for his friend whose team needs help (the friend is embodied honorably by Javier Bardem wearing a blazer in every scene). There, Sonny meets the beautiful scientist (Kerry Condon) who’ll become his love interest and the cocky, young hothead played by Damson Idris, a rising talent that proves here that he can command a cinema screen. Damson’s character, Joshua Pierce, will hate Sonny, learn from him, then love him the way all the men in these movies do. The question: is it interesting? The answer is yes! Kind of. There are effective moments here, but nothing new to offer in the way of character objectives or development. The movie passes, and smartly never lets a scene run too long, but Ehren Kruger is a good writer, so it’s a shame that studios make scribes play these scripts so predictably. I know the guy who gave us Arlington Road can cook, and I wish studios would empower artists like him to break new ground or, at the very least, push boundaries with these narratives. The result would be better movies. The bottom line is that you’re gonna have a good time with this play-by-the-numbers action sports drama because what you’re there for is the racing and, oh boy, is it good. Kosinski and cinematographer Claudio Miranda do with the racetrack what they did with the sky in Top Gun. These guys put the audience in that car with those drivers, and it’s thrilling. See this movie (I say this every week because it’s TRUE) on the biggest screen possible and, I assure you, you will be white knuckling it through every turn. The technical innovations they employed and allowing their stars to ACTUALLY DRIVE the cars (thank you insurance!) gives the movie a fresh energy that can be exhilarating. I give F1 a confident green light and think it’s worth putting pants on and going to the theatre for the big screen experience. However, I wonder why Hollywood (with ALL of the writers in that town) can’t seem to offer something fresh with the characters in their tentpole scripts. It tells me what the studios think about the audience: that we don’t want them to deviate from the norm. They think we want that standard Hollywood structure filled with all the predictable Tinseltown clichés. I hope the enormous success of Sinners shows executives and bosses that we actually crave originality, because the hits are getting harder to sit through. |
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