 For those feeling LUCKY, Broadway in New Orleans' upcoming musical, BEETLEJUICE has announced a lottery ticket policy. The Saenger Theatre will be partnering with the digital ticket lottery platform Lucky Seat. On Friday, November 8, participants will have a chance to win $49 tickets for the New Orleans engagement, playing at the Saenger Theatre from November 12-17, 2024.
Entries for shows at The Saenger Theatre will open at 12pm. on Friday, November 1, and close at 9:30am. on Friday, November 8. Lucky Seat will send an email to winners starting at 10am on Friday, November 8, and will continue throughout the day as needed. Winners will have until 1 pm on Friday, November 8, to claim and purchase their tickets. Participants must have a Lucky Seat account to participate in the lottery. Entrants may create an account on LuckySeat.com to enter (conditions apply). Broadway in New Orleans will also offer special Student Rush Tickets for $30. Students simply need to bring valid college student identification with them to the Saenger Theatre Box Office beginning two hours prior to each performance. The Student Rush Ticket price will be valid for evening performances ONLY with a two-ticket limit per student ID. Student Rush Tickets are subject to restrictions. Performance Schedule:
 The New Orleans Museum of Art (NOMA) closes out a year of programming marking 20 years of the museum’s Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden with the Visionaries Garden Party. Attendees will enjoy music, dancing, and libations under the stars surrounded by some of the most celebrated works of art of the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries. Guests are encouraged to wear festive, garden party attire.
Friday, November 8, 7–11 pm @ NOMA’s Besthoff Sculpture Garden Funds raised support the future of NOMA and the Besthoff Sculpture Garden. The Visionaries Garden Party is part of a year of programming, events, new installations, and more celebrating 20 years of NOMA’s Besthoff Sculpture Garden, a landmark destination for visitors from New Orleans and around the world. Other events include the Visionaries Gala on Thursday, November 7, with an extremely limited number of seats available. Entertainment for the evening includes:
 Starting Friday, November 1, Café Normandie will extend its service to include dinner, available Friday through Monday from 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm. With this expansion, guests can now savor the restaurant’s unique culinary offerings throughout the day and into the evening. The updated hours of operation across The Higgins Hotel’s dining venues are as follows:
Café Normandie Breakfast: Monday-Saturday, 7am - 11am, Lunch: Monday-Saturday, 11:30am - 2pm, Dinner: Friday-Monday, 5pm - 9pm (Starting November 1) Rosie's Monday-Saturday, 4:00 pm - 10:00 pm Kilroy’s Friday-Monday, 11:00 am - 11:00 pm Tuesday-Thursday, 4:00 pm - 11:00 pm Provisions Open Daily: Monday-Saturday, 6:00 am - 10:00 pm  This November, Parkway Bakery & Tavern is again teaming up with the Al Copeland Foundation (ACF) for its annual fundraiser to support cancer research and innovative treatments. The fundraiser, sponsored by Crystal Hot Sauce, Leidenheimer Baking Co, and Blue Plate Mayonnaise, features Parkway’s famous Thanksgiving Poor Boy, available every Wednesday in November. Proceeds from the sale of the sandwich will directly benefit the Al Copeland Foundation.
Local fans looking to make a difference can purchase a $100 “Skip the Line” ticket, offering exclusive access to bypass the crowd from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Along with enjoying the iconic Thanksgiving Poor Boy, ticket holders will receive a commemorative t-shirt, sweet potato fries, a freshly made Arnold Palmer crafted by ACF Junior Board Member Joshua Bertuglia (courtesy of New Orleans Roast), and a Creole Cream Cheese ice cream sandwich from New Orleans Ice Cream. Tickets are available at AlCopelandFoundation.org or in person at Parkway Bakery & Tavern every Wednesday, where the Al Copeland Foundation will be hosting a special tent. Even without a “Skip the Line” ticket, everyone can contribute— a portion of all Thanksgiving Poor Boy sales will go directly to the foundation.  Pass Over Review by Momo Doll The scene has been set and it is a street in the ghetto, but also a plantation… but also, Egypt, a country built on slavery. In the NOLA Project's 'Pass Over', Antoinette-Chinonye Nwandu creates an up close and personal view of the struggle of what it means to be a Black man in a modern city. It also examines how the impact of the horrors of the plantation continue to drive racial tensions to trauma of biblical proportions. This emotional ride takes the audience through peaks of laughter and valleys of sorrow while weaving a tale of hope, helplessness, and the intense harm caused by ignorance and inaction. The story follows longtime friends Moses (Martin “Bats” Bradford, pictured) and Kitch (DC Paul), two young men with wells of trauma, dreaming about passing over into the promised land of the American dream. The audience gets a feeling of closeness and participation in the dreaming of these young men through the open-air setting of the play, which allows the actors to improvisationally use the sounds of New Orleans to remind the audience that this play could, and likely is, happening every day in our city with our very real community members. Moses and Kitch are a beautiful display of the comradery of young men who have bonded through years of shared survival in a way that grows friendship into unconditional love and brotherhood. The arrival of a stranger who is clearly where he should not be and interactions with law enforcement, both characters played by Keith Claverie, highlight the impact that years of surviving just to stay alive has interpersonal communication and responses to everyday behavior. The audience is drawn in to the discomfort of the interracial dynamic between the characters with life experience on opposite ends of the societal spectrum. The interaction between the three man is a brilliant explanation of the deep impact of words and how the ignorance of privileged entitlement often poses a bigger threat to the dreams and advancement of the oppressed than open hatred. This play is an experience and a lesson in cultural differences between people living in the same city, the connection of history to the present, and deep love between friends. As an added bonus, there is also an abundance of pop culture references throughout the play that give moments of comedic relief during the turmoil of the 80 minutes of emotional investment in the lives of two men just dreaming of a life worth living. Take a friend down to the New Orleans African American Museum and see this amazing performance. You won’t regret it, and if you take “that” friend who is awkward in diverse groupings, then you could also be helping a friend learn. Pass Over plays at NOAAM through November 9th READ OUR INTERVIEW WITH NOLA PROJECT ARTISTIC DIRECTOR, TENAJ WALLACE  Jekyll & Hyde @ JPAC review by Todd Perley Halloween is a good time to wear a mask and pretend to be something horrifying. If you need instruction, 'Jekyll & Hyde' is here to help. The musical veers from Robert Louis Stevenson’s 1886 allegorical novella, adhering more to the first stage production from 1887, which most notably added a love interest—or interests, since both Jekyll and Hyde get girlfriends—aw, how sweet! The novella, play, and musical all explore the dichotomy of good v. evil in all of us and the battle between ego and id, but with murder and mayhem to zhuzh things up a notch. This seemed to be the Victorian zeitgeist of the moment, since a year after Stevenson gave us the good doctor and nasty ole’ Hyde, Oscar Wilde gave us Dorian Gray. So many naughty Victorian boys! I prefer my musicals dark and eerie. 'Jekyll & Hyde' came out in 1990, eleven years after 'Sweeny Todd', and the two make lovely, macabre bookends. I’m fine with adding music to an eldritch tale if said music is sufficiently moody, frenetic, and sinister, which this certainly is. The songs complement the skeletal set and dreary lighting. It’s a fair guess that Danny Elfman saw 'Jekyll & Hyde' and was inspired by the songs for his 1993 scoring of 'Nightmare Before Christmas'. Both productions use music as paint for the spooky atmosphere effectively, and both are composed to perfection from the same color palate. This is a juggernaut of a production, with the principle cast and ensemble numbering twenty-nine, plus a twenty-seat orchestra, resulting in a continuous wave of aural and visual inundation. Tough to keep this hectic pace going for nearly three hours, but they succeed. Tyler Walls plays the eponymous hero/villain with empathy, and his pipes are frankly amazing. Ever try to sing a duet with yourself? Mr. Walls pulls it off. Monique Abry Knoepfler and Stephanie Abry (real life sisters-in-law) bring softness to the stage as Jekyll and Hyde’s respective boos, tempering the dark themes with humanity. And again with the pipes! The ensemble pieces, backed by the gorgeous orchestra, are hair-raising—a wall of exquisite sound, like hell’s own choir. Ken Goode’s direction keeps the plot and character arcs sailing smoothly along. He has this to say: “The show is darker and more violent than most of the rest of the musical theatre canon,” (I’m here for it!), “but it is a lush melodrama at its core and its indulgent score and story keep it extremely relevant to current societal issues and conversations.” Societally relevant indeed. If you also find jolly catharsis in the violent dispatching of self-righteous hypocrites, this one’s for you. Jekyll & Hyde plays through 3 November at Jefferson Performing Arts Center  The Big Easy Boys & Babes return to Le Petit Theatre with a hit revue that honors New Orleans' spirit and musical heritage. The Big Easy Boys’ newest act, Live at Le Petit: The Big Easy Beat! is a rocking tribute to the musical heritage of New Orleans including music by iconic artists such as Fats Domino, Irma Thomas, The Dixie Cups, and more! The Big Easy Boys are Jonathan Drury, Deiveon Martinsen, Pat Smith, and Michael Taravella. Their knockout sidekicks, The Big Easy Babes, will be joining them onstage. The Big Easy Babes are Whitney Mixon, Josie Oliva, and Cristen Spencer.
Join for a celebration of classic rhythm and blues on November 14, 15, and 16 at 7:30 PM. Tickets are on sale now, starting at $25, or choose a flexible package. PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE: November 14 – 16, 2024 at 7:30 PM WHERE: LE PETIT THEATRE - 616 St. Peter Street BOX OFFICE: 504 522 2081 x 1 or lepetittheatre.com TICKETS: Single tickets range from $25-$45. $15 student tickets are available for every performance.  New Orleans-based Americana artist Dusky Waters is back with her highly anticipated new single, 'A House on King Street', accompanied by a powerful music video filmed at the Whitney Plantation Museum. Available on all major streaming platforms on October 25, 2024, fans can pre-save the track now. This marks Dusky’s first release since her critically acclaimed debut LP 'Pass It On', which she released independently in June 2023. In Dusky's own words, 'A House on King Street' is deeply personal: "This song is a meditation on what it means to find a place that feels like home, told through the stories of my ancestors and my own journey of finding belonging in New Orleans. Last year, at a family gathering for my maternal grandmother, stories of our family’s history were told, all centered around this house that my great grandfather, a carpenter, built in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. It was a refuge from the racial violence of Jim Crow Arkansas, a place where my great-great grandfather, who was emancipated in Mississippi, also found safety after making his way to Arkansas. Their stories of resilience have deeply inspired me. The search for a place of safety and wholeness is something so many of us are striving for in a really turbulent world. This song is my ode to everyone on this journey.” Meanwhile, acclaimed New Orleans singer/songwriter/guitarist Joy Clark releases her debut album, Tell it to the Wind. A proud, queer, Black woman, Tell it to the Wind is both a declaration of Joy's independence, and a love letter to the traditions that shaped her. After a childhood steeped in music from the church, Clark left the confines of that experience to find her true community. After becoming a sought-out side player in New Orleans, her incredible musicianship, tenacity and sheer instinct landed her a regular spot playing with Grammy winner and living legend Cyril Neville, mesmerizing audiences in the U.S. and abroad. Clark’s songcraft, paired with sophisticated progressions, and themes of freedom, love and self-acceptance are gaining her momentum on the national folk and Americana scene. Both releases can be found on all music platforms - see taster videos below:
 On November 7th, a new play will premier at the New Marigny Theatre. 'Open Up The Kingdom, Mama' is "a vexing modern day tragedy", written and directed by Anita Vatshell. Anita Vatshell is a playwright living in New Orleans. Vatshell describes the play: "A highly unexpected pregnancy causes controversy in this absurdist tragedy. A fifty-six year old widow must determine if her miracle conception is fate or the result of a Voodoo hex on her lover. Set in a post-Roe New Orleans where access to reproductive health care is severely restricted regardless of choice."
Anita is an RN with over twenty years' experience in reproductive health care and advocacy. As a playwright, her main emphasis is on reproductive justice with levity and compassion. Open Up The Kingdom Mama is the second in her reproductive trilogy of plays. Operating Theatre is the first of the trilogy and premiered in New Orleans November 2022. Anita’s plays have been produced in New Orleans and Missoula, Montana. Her work has been described as irreverent, witty, polished and powerful. For more information and ticketing, go to Open Up The Kingdom Mama.  First Night Review: Girl From The North Country @ The Saenger Theatre
Review by Dorian Hatchett The realization that each random passerby is living a life as vivid and complex as your own is called sonder. It’s one of those rare occurrences that can be deeply unsettling or overwhelmingly joyful. It usually happens to me in airports. The Girl From The North Country is perfectly sonder-inducing. Whether that can be credited to the cast, (exemplary) the music, (featuring 20 artfully arranged Bob Dylan songs) the characters (a wildly disparate group of disconnected strangers thrust together by the Great Depression) or some secret greater than the sum of its parts, I cannot say. The result is magic, and it won a Tony and was nominated for 6 others and a Grammy on its Broadway run. Shows that feature a cast of unconnected characters brought together by circumstance are common enough. Thornton Wilder’s Our Town or more recently Johnathan Larson’s Rent explore the idea that humans are naturally social and can find new common ground through experience. Producers of The Girl from the North Country used the music of Bob Dylan to find that common ground, and the result reaches right down into your heart and wrenches all the nostalgia and sorrow free to circulate through the audience as the lights go down and the voices rise up. Set in Duluth, Minnesota during the winter of 1934, the show tells the story of a boarding-house owner and eternal pessimist Nick Laine (John Schiappa) who is on the verge of losing everything, and is doing his best to simply exist in a game he knows he cannot win. He has demons from his past that inform his thoughts and feelings, and his relationship with his wife Elizabeth (Jennifer Blood) was already on the rocks when she develops a disease that renders her mentally unstable. Elizabeth's outbursts act as minor tragedies and occasionally comic relief, as the story winds through the lives of their children Gene and Marianne (Ben Biggers and Sherae Moultrie) and all the boarders in the house. There are infidelities, heartbreaks, and everyone is fleeing from something, whether it be internal or external. As an onlooker, you are powerless to help or stop the story as it spins out in front of you and at the crux of this feeling is the true magic of the show. Like the moment in a horror film when you want to scream, “Look out behind you!” as though the actor on the screen can hear you, watching the story come tumbling across the stage to the inevitable conclusions is moving and difficult at times. The entire tableau is narrated by Dr. Walker, who sets the scene with a sort of grim detachment (Alan Ariano) and whose painful end seems obvious when it happens but is the twist no one was expecting. Theatre is about feeling something, and The Girl from the North Country is a masterclass in emotion. The Girl From The North Country runs at The Saenger Theatre through October 20th. Click here for further information and ticketing. |
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