By ALAN SMASON, WYES-TV Theatre Critic (“Steppin’ Out“) It is perhaps most appropriate that for the third jewel in Summer Lyric Theatre at Tulane’s studded crown is Carousel, the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical celebrating its 80th anniversary this year. The old chestnut is always welcomed when it allows for all stops to be pulled out…
By ALAN SMASON, WYES-TV Theatre Critic (“Steppin’ Out”) When Company by Stephen Sondheim (and a book by Mark Furth) opened on Broadway in 1970 it was such a breath of fresh air and so unlike anything else he or anyone else had done previously that it took a notably short period of time for it…
By ALAN SMASON, WYES-TV Theatre Critic (“Steppin’ Out“) A decade ago the NOLA Project mounted an unusual production of Adam Szymkowicz’s Clown Bar at The Little Gem Saloon. Set in a seedy bar run by a crime syndicate of clowns, Szymkowicz spun a dark tale of menacing clowns that would give chills to any coulrophobic…
By ALAN SMASON, WYES-TV Theatre Critic (“Steppin’ Out”) Le Petit Theatre du Vieux Carré has removed any doubt about whether it could creatively pull off the first local production of Jersey Boys. In fact, the talented directing team of artistic director A. J. Allegra and choreographer and co-director Jauné Buisson have produced a very satisfying…
By ALAN SMASON For the past several weeks, I’ve been promoting this weekend as a way for the local theatre community to give back to Le Petit Theatre du Vieux Carré, the historic theater founded in 1916 and nestled in the heart of the French Quarter. Friday night, September 6, was Le Petit’s annual fundraiser,…
By ALAN SMASON, WYES-TV Theatre Critic (“Steppin’ Out“) James Bartelle, a founding member of The NOLA Project, has written a number of original works for the troupe of young, innovative performers through the years. These include their highly imaginative The Spider Queen performed in the outdoor splendor of the New Orleans Museum of Art’s Sidney…
By ALAN SMASON, WYES-TV Theatre Critic (“Steppin’ Out“) In a town famous for launching its most famous celebration on Twelfth Night, one might think the connection to the self-named Shakespearean comedy would be a given. But, alas, the title selected by the Bard for this memorable work has absolutely nothing to do with the promise…
By ALAN SMASON, WYES-TV Theatre Critic (“Steppin’ Out“) There is an adage well known to pharmacists and those familiar with shampoo. The directions “repeat when necessary” come to mind for a great many things, but with the current joint production of the NOLA Project and the New Orleans Museum of Art (NOMA) of Shakespeare’s “A…
By ALAN SMASON, WYES-TV Theatre Critic (“Steppin’ Out“) For the second time in less than six months, The Play That Goes Wrong, the hit West End and Broadway award-winning comedy is on the boards in the Greater New Orleans area. Written by Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer and Henry Shields, the comedy is the only one…
By ALAN SMASON, WYES-TV Theatre Critic (“Steppin’ Out“) Sharai Bohannon is an activist playwright who doesn’t shy away from tackling issues that some might feel uncomfortable discussing. When a group attempted to mount a production of her play Craigslisted without authorization, she fought back, even when they threatened her with legal action. For her efforts, which…
By ALAN SMASON, WYES-TV Theatre Critic (“Steppin’ Out“) When Robert Louis Stevenson penned his classic tale of buccaneers and buried booty, “Treasure Island,” he could not have had a clue that 141 years later he would inspire a raucous comedy by the peerless crew of The NOLA Project, the award-winning troupe of actors who have…
By ALAN SMASON, WYES-TV Theatre Critic (“Steppin’ Out”) The second and final weekend of Summer Lyric Theatre at Tulane’s Jesus Christ Superstar brings with it the remaining shows of the Michael McKelvey era. McKelvey, who came to Summer Lyric Theatre and Tulane a little more than five years ago, has been busy bringing lots of…
