Mysteries, mischief and a malevolent storm are making themselves felt as playhouses and more celebrate live theater in the Crescent City.
Who Dat Whodunnit?
Marie Macalusa is known as “The Agatha Christie of Barataria Boulevard.” From that one phrase, locals and mystery lovers will be intrigued and looking forward to another installation of Ricky Graham’s comedic capers.
“Murder Most Meemaw” hits the stage at Kenner’s Rivertown Theaters for the Performing Arts with a New Orleans-set sleuth courtesy of Macalusa, a Crescent City author who has written local versions of “classic British murder mystery, except in good ol’ Yat talk that people can understand.”
Presented in a radio-style format, “Hercules Pirogue And The Jambalaya Liar” and “Miss Maple and The Case of The Killer King Cake” are the fabrications of “Meemaw” and “star” neighbors and friends.
Graham and Rivertown’s Gary Rucker share the writing and directing duties, plus appear in the show, along with Vatican Lokey, Lisa Picone-Love, Jessie Terrebonne Thompson, Ryan Nocito and Emily Bagwill.
There’s no mystery to where Graham gets his love of a good whodunnit, naming several luminaries in the mystery-writing field as must-reads.
“My favorite mystery writer (other than the classics — Conan Doyle and Agatha herself) is Anthony Horowitz,” he said. “His ‘Magpie Murders’ series is simply brilliant. The books are about the author Alan Conway and his detective character, Atticus Pund. The meta writing style and intricacy of books is constantly fascinating.”
But Graham noted the fun that’s afoot at Rivertown will be a “bon temps.”
“Meemaw’s stories are easy to understand, and you don’t need no interpreter of ‘fawncy’ English talking.”
Three performances are planned, including 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday at the 325 Minor St. playhouse. Tickets start at $35. Visit rivertowntheaters.com.
Voices from the storm
“Swimming Upstream: The Katrina Monologues” focuses on the true stories of women and hurricanes Katrina and Rita with words, song and movement at the Mahalia Jackson Theater for the Performing Arts.
Produced by Ashé Cultural Arts Center, the show, originally produced on the 10th anniversary of the storms in the Caesars Superdome, features activists and artists including Troi Bechet, Sekyiwa Shakur, Joanna Hale, Jennifer Pagan, Monique Domingue, Simone Immanuel, Australia James and Karel Sloane. The show was originally produced by Carole Bebelle and Eve “V” Ensler.
The show will run at 7 p.m. Friday and 5 p.m. Saturday in the Armstrong Park theater. Tickets start at $37. Visit mahaliajacksontheater.com.
At the ‘Mother-In-Law’
Rob Florence
A staged reading of Rob Florence’s “Katrina” will benefit the Ellis Marsalis Center for Music on the anniversary weekend of the storm.
The real stories of six survivors at the Mother-In-Law Lounge crafted into a play by the local author, the show will feature Wanda Rouzan, Janet Shea, Zeb Hollins III, Alex Martinez Wallace, Troy R. Poplous and Rudy Rasmussen.
The “pay-what-you-can” benefit will be at 7:30 p.m. Friday at 1901 Bartholomew St. inside the New Orleans Musicians Village. Visit facebook.com/katrinamotherinlaw.
Extra-marital madcap
A tasty French farce is the first course for the Playmakers Theater menu of productions for its 71st season in Covington opening Sept. 6.
“Don’t Dress for Dinner” is a countryside romp of mistaken identities, mixed-up mistresses and a lot of fun. A planned rendezvous of a man and his mistress, complete with a Cordon Bleu chef, goes askew when his wife and his “alibi” descend as well. Oh, and there’s another husband in the mix. Mon dieu!
Directed by Julie Generes, the show features Anysia Genre, Eric Generes, Quinton Schully Williams, Casey Lipscomb, Mona Nasrawi, Matthew Waranius and Scott Lemonier.
Tickets start at $25. The show runs 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 2 p.m. Sundays through Sept. 21. Visit bontempstix.com.
On stage this week, Aug. 28-Sept. 3
Brittany Chandler and Lorene Chesley will appear as Dr. Joan Watson and Sherlock Holmes in Crescent City Stage’s production of ‘Ms. Holmes and Ms. Watson — Apt. 2B’ opening Aug. 28 at Marquette Theater on Loyola University’s Uptown campus.
“MS. HOLMES & MS. WATSON — APT. 2B”: 7:30 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays and at 2:30 p.m. Sundays at 2:30 p.m. through Sept. 14; Marquette Theater, Loyola University, 6363 St. Charles Ave. Crescent City Stage performs playwright Kate Hamill’s take on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s traditional characters and propels them into the present with a fresh take on Sherlock and Dr. Watson, both in terms of time and gender post-COVID and their efforts to solve a mystery, coexist and survive and thrive in a new world after the pandemic. Special nights, including cast talkbacks, ladies’ night and date night, are planned. Tickets start at $12. crescentcitystage.com.
“OUR CITY OF SAINTS”: 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday; Jefferson Performing Arts Center, 6400 Airline Drive, Metairie. Jefferson Performing Arts production, written by Aleen LeBouef with music and lyrics by Paul Soniat, of the show follows the Sinclair family through the five decades of the Saints’ trek from newbie team to Super Bowl champs. The family is going through many of the same highs and lows as the hometown team. Tickets start at $38. jeffersonpac.com.
Toto
“THE WIZARD OF OZ”: 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays through Sept. 7; Slidell Little Theatre, 2024 Nellie Drive. Based on the classic book and movie, the musical has Dorothy and her trio of friends roaming through the magical land in search of the Wicked Witch of the West, hoping to get their hearts’ desires from the all-powerful (?) wizard. Tickets start at $25. slidelllittletheatre.org.
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‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.nola.com ’
