 The cast of Mamma Mia! (photo by Joan Marcus) Mamma Mia! @ The Saenger Theatre
Review by Eileen Daley My finite life can be divided into two categories: days when I am the most rapt and credulous audience member to ever enjoy a musical, and days where I’d rather be anywhere else. This varies by show, of course, but the attitude I bring into the theater can color my entire experience. And what with the news being what it is, my life doing what it does, and The Big Game taking over town this past weekend, I wasn’t sure I was in the aisle-dancing mood. Luckily, the touring production of MAMMA MIA! at the Saenger theater was ready to show me how wrong I was. I don't know about you, but to me, it feels like MAMMA MIA! (and its giant Times Square billboard) has been around my whole life - at least as long as CATS and Les Mis have played on Broadway. But it actually had its New York premiere in October of 2001. Certainly those crowds would have found it even harder to suspend their disbelief and let a cheery ABBA dance party sweep them off their feet. Not only that, but its jukebox musical concept—while not completely novel—was unproven with modern audiences before MAMMA MIA! basically resurrected the genre. Jersey Boys, Rock of Ages and Jagged Little Pill would soon follow, but none achieved the success of the original, which is still the ninth-longest running Broadway show in history. And as true in 2025 as it was in 2001, the crowd loved it. Back then, after one of the performances in that first month, a certain small-time actress by the name of Meryl Streep wrote a note to the cast and director Phyllida Lloyd “to basically say: ‘Thank You For The Music and for the injection of joy that was so needful at that moment.’” I couldn’t put it better myself. The outrageous costumes, the expressionist vaporwave set design, and the slightly muppet-y deliveries all come together to form a lovely sort of dream scored by the world’s foremost Swedish pop quartet. Standouts included Madison Deadman as Sophie, and Stephanie Genito as Tanya. Seven years after that note, Phyllida Lloyd took a chance (took a chance, took a took a chance chance) on a complete unknown and cast Ms. Streep as the lead in the motion picture adaptation of her celebrated musical. Unfortunately, that’s not standard practice in showing appreciation for glowing reviews anymore. Shame! If you change your mind…you know where to find me. Mamma Mia! plays at The Saenger Theatre through Feb 16th - click here for showtimes and ticketing information  Topher Johnson and Philip Yiannopoulos in 'True West.' Photo: Rhys Lombardo TRUE WEST @ WESTWEGO PERFORMING ARTS CENTER Review by Todd Perley Sam Shepard’s play explores the rocky relationship between two estranged brothers, Austin, the educated screenwriter, and Lee, the thieving drifter counterpart, as they camp out at their mother’s house while she’s on an Alaskan holiday. As Austin tries to write his play, he makes an effort to be welcoming to his brother, but his patience runs dry as Lee’s truculence and interruptions quickly erode his attempt at brotherly love. When Lee muscles in on a meeting with Austin’s producer Saul and usurps his play, Austin’s bonhomie is over, and the characters’ personalities flip-flop as Lee tries to write and Austin raids neighborhood homes for toasters, trying to prove he can be a bad boy too. 'True West' opened in 1980 with Tommy Lee Jones and Peter Boyle as the sparring brothers, and in 2000 moved to Broadway with Philip Seymour Hoffman and John C. Reilly, where it was nominated for a Tony for best play. As Shepard said, “I wanted to write a play about double nature, one that wouldn’t be symbolic or metaphorical or any of that stuff. I just wanted to give a taste of what it feels like to be two-sided.” Goal achieved. Set in mom’s kitchen, which steadily becomes more and more trashed as the relationship grows tenser, Topher Johnson’s Austin and Philip Yiannopoulos’s Lee keep the sparks flying in a relentless crescendo. The booze starts flowing, façades are dropped, and the house (and theater) fill with the smell of fresh toast from Austin’s stolen toasters. Smelling toast is often a precursor to a stroke, I recalled, and the animosity between the brothers may be headed in that direction as well. Toast as metaphor? Shepard says no, but what does he know? Mom (Deb Margolin) makes a darkly comedic appearance towards the end as the men are reaching their limit, suggesting gently that perhaps they shouldn’t fight, then leaves for a motel because, “I don’t recognize my house anymore.” Her behavior tells us this is an old story between the siblings. The duality within each brother is relatable, as we all have different masks we wear. 'True West' seems a more masculine-oriented character study akin to Edward Albee. It could be subtitled “Who’s Pretty Damn Exasperated with Virginia Woolf?” 'True West' plays at Westwego Performing Arts through 16 February  The cast of Timbuktu, USA (photo by Leah Floyd) Timbuktu, USA @ The New Marigny Theatre Review by Aura Bishop Two very different women choose the bear - or in this case, the monkey- over belonging to a man in Timbuktu, USA. This absurdist two-act play about power, politics, gender roles, and sex is presented by Intramural Theater company and deftly directed by Frenchie Faith. Kelly Kilkenny (Lauren Wells) is a career politician who turns down sex and marriage in order to maintain power. But she doesn’t stop at politics. She’s a puppet-master to her nephew Bobby Kilkenny (Benjamin Dougherty) who is plagued with gay sex scandals and gossip while pursuing his own political goals. Kelly makes the executive decision to find Bobby the perfect wife to smooth over his reputation (and hers.) She calls upon Babette (Mary Langley) - the overly-sheltered daughter of Senator Henry Rosequest (Joshua Tierney.) Babette and Kelly share an intense fascination and attraction to Kelly’s “pet” monkey Timbu (Emily Laychak) who was the gift of one of Kelly’s rejected suitors many years ago. We soon learn that Babette is more clever than given credit, and is privy to a secret that could destroy Kelly’s career and ambitions. Bobby, Babette, Kelly and Timbu are now in a kind of four-way-tango of tension, lust, and power. This is Timbuktu, USA’s regional premiere. It originated in Boston during the time of President Trump’s first inauguration and the subsequent women’s marches that followed. The subject matter, which was timely then, finds itself relevant still, or maybe yet again. Playwright Ken Prestininzi’s writing style in this piece in many ways seems to echo style, rhythm and themes in the works of late playwright Edward Albee. Actor Lauren Wells even seems to embody a little hint of Elizabeth Taylor in Who’s Afraid of Virgina Woolf? This was my first time attending a show in The New Marigny Theatre, which is a stunning and versatile space utilizing a renovated church just off of St Claude Avenue. It’s an excellent addition to other venues in the area. The space was used creatively with moving set pieces, hanging windows, and effective lighting. Timbuktu features strong, high-energy performances and innovative use of props. Be prepared to go on a strange trip into the human psyche and the monkeys that people have on their backs. Timbuktu, USA plays at the New Marigny Theatre through Feb 3rd. Click here for more information and ticketing MORE REVIEWS SIGN UP FOR YOUR FREE WEEKLY NEWSLETTER  It's a Bard knock life...& Juliet at The Saenger Theatre First Night Review: & Juliet @ The Saenger Theatre review by Dorian Hatchett We are such stuff as dreams are made on Shakespeare is for the people. I would posit the notion that every adaptation, every derivative work, is exactly in keeping with the voice of the bard. Each time someone picks up a play that was written for the stage at the Globe Theatre and says “But what if…” a new flower grows in Stratford-Upon-Avon. Jukebox musicals are the very definition of theatre for the sake of fun. If music be the food of love, play on & Juliet premiered in 2019 at the Manchester Opera House, and has been playing continuously in one form or another ever since. The soundtrack is by Pop songwriting phenom Max Martin, who is arguably the reason we know names like The Backstreet Boys, Britney Spears, Pink, Katy Perry, and even Taylor Swift. The super-cut medleys in this show are pure nostalgia for millennials, candy coated love letters to the wreckless times in the late 90s and early aughts before social media and phones with built in cameras. The characters are believably teenagers because this was the treble and bass of our teenage years right there played out in lights and rhinestones. All the world's a stage, And all the men and women merely players: They have their exits and their entrances; And one man in his time plays many parts. & Juliet examines what would happen if the final tragic moments in Romeo and Juliet hadn’t been the end at all, but a prequel to Juliet waking up and realizing she kind of let herself get carried away with that star-crossed lovers bit. Rachel Simone Webb as Juliet is a rose we need by no other name. Her best friend May (Nick Drake) is the yassss every teenage girl needs in her corner. It also plays out a marital rift between the playwright (Shakespeare is played by Corey March) and his wife (Teal Wicks is Anne Hathaway) and as these story lines weave in and out of one another, and finally coalesce, we are shown a lesson about the value of kindness and truth in the pursuit of love. The course of true love never did run smooth This show is above all, polished. There’s a dynamic set, a company of skilled dancers who take up space and fill the background, a costume department that is at once a riot of color and variety and also completely cohesive. Just the right amount of broadway magic transports you into the action as confetti rains down during a rhinestone-studded climax when Juliet finally learns the lesson that her heart had been seeking the entire time. Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none &Juliet Plays at the Saenger Theatre January 14-19th, click here for information and ticketing 
A room of one's own: Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf, playing at Big Couch
First Night Review: Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? @ Big Couch Review by Todd Perley Edward Albee’s notorious play landed in the early 1960s and was groundbreaking—and controversial— for its graphic autopsy of a nihilistic marriage. The idealistic ghost of the 1950s was finally put to rest when our less-than-ideal couple’s dirty laundry was displayed on stage, and this was beyond shocking for the era. Though certainly a play of its time, it remains timeless. Just as the play caused a stir in 1962, Mike Nichols’ film version starring Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton was controversial in its own way. Shot in 1966, two years before the official demise of the tiresome Hays Code, there was nothing this raw and edgy in American cinema. It’s helpful to remember the historical and cultural significance when seeing this play through jaded 21st century eyes. Drowning George (Casey Groves) and Battleaxe Martha (Fire Weeds’ co-artistic director Lin Gathright) stumble home at 2:00am from a faculty party, and are soon joined by young newcomers to the college, Nick (Logan Macrae) and Honey (director Jaclyn Bethany). Thus begins three marvelous, unforgettable hours of liquor-ridden psychological warfare between our merry coterie. The play is just as funny and witty as it is eviscerating. All four Fire Weeds’ actors hold their own throughout the tricky material. In particular, Gathright manages to coax out the subtle, fragile pathos of braying, brazen, brutal Martha beyond even Elizabeth Taylor’s Oscar-winning film performance. I’ve never had so much sympathy for Martha as in this production. And I thought I knew Martha so well! The setting is crucial. Bywater’s theatre “Big Couch” seats a mere thirty-five people, and the intimacy of this theater-in-the-round literally puts you in George and Martha’s living room amidst the mayhem. Seated four feet away from a raving Martha is a frightening experience, and you can’t help feeling a part of the party. When George suggests a venomous game of Get The Guests, I reverted back to fourth grade, hoping the teacher wouldn’t call on me to participate. The tiny space also allows the performers, in less tumultuous scenes, to get as small and quiet as they please. Even whispering can be heard clearly. A larger venue would prohibit these quieter moments. Only Big Couch could provide this rare environment that serves the material so well. Whether you love the play and know it backwards as I do, or you’re a virgin, Fire Weeds and Big Couch offer a unique way to experience Albee’s masterpiece. I would call this a must see, but get your tickets soon. Those thirty-five seats are gonna fill up quickly. “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” plays at Big Couch with an newly-extended run, through January 19 - click here for information and ticketing A free, weekly, curated arts and culture newsletter for New Orleans. Sign up here: 
A ward to the wise: The cast of Human Troubles at The New Marigny Theatre
First Night Review: Human Troubles @ The New Marigny Theatre Review by Todd Perley Set in the fictional (???) hospital called “Orleans Parish Psych Ward for Poor Mutherfuckers,” (and I’d like to place a bid on the neon sign telling us this), Mariana Santiago’s new, one-act play follows the...ahem...“recovery” of four patients treated by a staff of caregivers who all suspiciously resemble each other. Dora (Liz Johnston-Dupre) has been committed for a three-day evaluation after a suicide attempt. She is smart, but depressed. Her intelligence is not recognized because depressed people are clearly stupid in the eyes of this cut-rate facility. She just wants to get this 72 hours behind her, but becomes embroiled in the neuroses of her fellow inmates. It’s difficult to call this musical comedy a satire since its examination of America’s lackluster mental health care seems awfully close to how many of these facilities are actually run. We immediately sympathize with Dora as she voices her distaste for the facility and her new comrades, and her displeasure is only more ‘proof’ of her diagnosis of crazy. Through absurdly short and dismissive one-on-one sessions with the shrink, neglect from the nurse (“If they want me to care about you, they’re gonna have to pay me $2 an hour more”), and pointless art therapy classes, none of our inmates does much recovering. The lack of character arcs is in itself a damning commentary—people leave very much the way they came in. Except perhaps for Dora, who may or may not survive the ordeal due to death threats from the Jesus freak, appropriately named Christian. Santiago’s play does not indulge in the hubris to propose a solution to the dilemma; rather, she holds a mirror to the problem, and then laughs at it. Laughter is, after all, the best medicine. - Human Troubles plays at New Marigny Theatre January 2nd–5th - click here for more info and ticketing - READ OUR INTERVIEW WITH MARIANA SANTIAGO - SIGN UP FOR YOUR FREE WEEKLY ARTS & CULTURE NEWSLETTER  Gnome alone: Elf, The Broadway Musical
Review by Dorian Hatchett New Orleans loves Christmas. Any holiday that comes with an excuse to add glitter to anything really speaks to us. We are the rhinestone-bedecked drag queen of American cities, and so it is no surprise that a musical whose primary message is that the christmas spirit can be found in the shimmering refraction of tinsel and lights would be well received. Elf: The Broadway Musical at the Sanger is a saccharine, sparkling package wrapped in the exact right amount of ribbons and bows for our addiction to anything extra. I enlisted the aid of my eleven year old to add a youth perspective, and while he insisted that he would “literally die” if I tried to quantify the show’s relative level of “rizz” in a published review, all potential parental embarrassment was immediately forgotten as we approached the theatre entrance. Giant snow machines making soap bubble flakes transformed the marquis into a magical wonderland and turned every person in line into a kid anticipating an epic winter adventure. It doesn’t snow in New Orleans (3 times in my entire life, to be precise, and never enough to stick) but the Saenger Theatre would not be deterred, and even an avowed Christmas-hater like myself was melted a little bit by the kids and adults twirling around in the fluffy white flurries pouring onto the brick pavers. Director Sam Scalamoni brings us a feel-good story based on the 2003 Movie that’s appropriate for kids and adults alike. The cast is a mix of seasoned actors and relative newcomers who play their parts with sincerity and delight. Special mention must be made of New Orleans’ own Tyler Price Robinson (Store manager, Mr. Greenway) who absolutely lights up the stage with his presence, chewing up scenery along the way. Broadway traveling shows are known for bringing a high level of technical production value and Elf is no different. Layers of curtains and backdrops move the action like the page turns of the story book that Santa is reading, and the musical numbers are tight and polished. In particular both the kid and I agreed that the Nobody Cares about Santa scene was our favorite, with choreography and lighting equal or better to any scene we’ve seen on Broadway. A grip of department store Santas and bell ringers eat late night dinner at a Chinatown restaurant and bemoan the lack of Christmas spirit in the city that never sleeps, while cabaret lighting and classic chair dance moves create a vibe that feels very reminiscent of Cell Block Tango. Physical comedy, a few belting voices singing ballads, and costumes as bright and colorful as a dish of ribbon candy really complete the chemis-tree equation for a holiday show that sleighs. Elf: The Broadway Musical runs at The Saenger Theatre through December 8th.  Patrick Barlow, writer of the Broadway and West End hit The 39 Steps, has retold Charles Dickens’ holiday classic, A Christmas Carol. This thrilling adaptation uses only five actors to bring some of Dickens' most beloved characters to life. From Scrooge and Tiny Tim to Bob Cratchit and Mr. Fezziwig, Barlow's A Christmas Carol uses nothing more than some simple props, fresh physicality, and the power of imagination to convey this timeless story of redemption. Witness Ebenezer Scrooge's transformation from a stingy miser to a man who generously celebrates the spirit of the season all year long, in this highly theatrical adaptation.
A Christmas Carol can be seen in a limited run from December 4th to 15th at the Loyola Marquette Theater. Evening performances are at 7:30 pm with Sunday matinees at 2:30 pm. Tickets are on sale now - click here  Fresh off their Gambit 2024 Best of New Orleans top local theatre company win, Crescent City Stage is serving up a festive masterpiece guaranteed to warm your heart and spread holiday cheer.
Now in its second year, this production of Patrick Barlow’s adaptation of 'Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol', brings the magic of Christmas alive with just five local actors. LeBaron Thornton, Erin Cessna, Eleanor Frederic- Humphrey, Ryan Reilly, and Michael A. Newcomer will morph into Scrooge, Tiny Tim, Bob Cratchit, and a merry band of characters. A Christmas Carol can be seen in a limited run from December 4th to 15th at the Loyola Marquette Theater. Evening performances are at 7:30 pm with Sunday matinees at 2:30 pm. Tickets are on sale now HERE .  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:
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