Double Wide Christmas

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Mid City Theatre   |   3540 Toulouse Street   |   Box Office phone: 504-488-1460

“GRENADINE MCGUNKLE’S DOUBLE-WIDE CHRISTMAS!”

WHAT:  New Orleans’ trashiest, flashiest, all-around sassiest interfaith holiday musical extravaganza.

Grenadine and the Running With Scissors Gang at Mid City THeatre
 WHO: Running With Scissors’ cast of cut-ups, including Dorian Rush, Brooklyn Shaffer, Ashley Ricord Santos, Lisa Picone Love, Bob Edes Jr., Jack Long, and Kyle Daigrepont.

WHEN: December 6 – 21.

Shows are Friday and Saturday at 8pm and Sunday at 6pm.

WHERE: Mid City Theatre, 3540 Toulouse Street, New Orleans

TICKETS: $25 (Friday/Saturday) and $20 (Sunday) at MidCityTheatre.com or 504-488-1460.

PLOT: It’s Christmas Eve, and despite Grenadine McGunkle’s fears of terrorists and biological agents, things are pretty darned quiet around the Everlastin’ Arms Motor Park. Then China and Crystal – Grenadine’s cousins-slash-stepsisters – arrive to inform everyone that they’ve set up a holiday speed dating party, and it kicks off in less than an hour! Will Grenadine and the gang find love on such short notice?  Will Maillady Joanne Shoemake find a snuggie that fits? And will Helen Highwater find fame and fortune on reality television before landing in jail on obscenity charges?
Find out this December as Running With Scissors makes a mad dash for musical merriment at Mid-City Theatre!

NOCCA in Mid-City

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NOCCA COMES TO MID CITY THEATRE

TONIGHT… The New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (NOCCA) Musical Theatre Department is moving to Mid City Theatre for their production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.

nocca-in-midcityThis delightful show follows a group of students as they compete for the spelling bee title, learn some unexpected lessons, and even grow up a little along the way.   Joining the student cast will be local actors Amy Alvarez as Rona Peretti, the spelling bee host,  Blake Coheley as Vice Principal Douglas Panch, and Kevin Murphy as Mitch Mahoney the Comfort Counselor.

Direction is by Dan Pruksarnukul.  Music Direction by Jefferson Turner, Sets by Nick Bachae,  Costumes by Chris Arthur,  and Lights by Dan Zimmer.  

November 15, 20, and 21

All shows at 7:30.

TICKETS: $20 General Admit & $15 with NOCCA Student ID

RESERVATIONS: On-line at www.MidCityTheatre.com or by phone at 504.488.1460

  NOTE: VIP Reserved Tickets (add $5) by phone

The Location:

The Mid City Theatre is located at 3540 Toulouse St.   There’s plenty of free parking, and a well-stocked bar!

 I’m “live” 2:30-6, Tues-Sun…I may be working in the showroom, so leave a message…I’ll return your call, Su Gonczy 

Fred Nuccio’s Mid City Theatre  |  3540 Toulouse Street  |   New Orleans, LA 70119

Phone Hours:  Tues-Sun, 2:30-6pm at 504.488.1460 – or leave a message

Website:  http://MidCityTheatre.wordpress.com

Scrooge in Rouge

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Mid City Theatre
3540 Toulouse St | New Orleans

(near the Post Office on Bayou St. John)

December 6th (Thursday at 8pm) and continuing
December 7,8,9…14,15,16…21,22,23
(Fri/Sat at 8pm & Sun at 6pm)

Ricky Graham, Varla Jean Merman & Yvette Hargis
with Jefferson Turner in “SCROOGE IN ROUGE”

It’s Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” re-imagined as a British Music Hall Variety Show with three of New Orleans’ funniest actors playing all the roles (on the most beautiful set since Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson.) Step out of this world and into an olde fashioned theatre with this silly send-up for the Season’s beginning, middle and end…
“Bring your Mum!!”

Tickets: $26 are available on-line HERE

or by phone at 504. 488.1460

3540 Toulouse St | New Orleans

Imperial Theater

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The really cool Imperial Theater was at 814 N. Hagan St., at the corner of Dumaine Street. In its early days — the 1920s — the theater was the site of vaudeville shows. Later, many of the popular films of the day played at this neighborhood theater.

  Early on the morning of March 1, 1957, a fire burned the theater to the ground. Two firemen were injured as they tried to contain the blaze. Thirty people were evacuated from neighboring houses, but none of the houses sustained damage.

FROM: http://www.bestofneworleans.com/gambit/hey-blake-what-can-you-tell-me-about-the-imperial-theater/Content?oid=2020125

Rene Brunet Sr. hired the Boswell Sisters to sing at the Imperial before the trio became nationally famous. Price wars and giveaways also sought to lure audiences from one theater to another. Brunet recalled a Thanksgiving promotion that went awry when the prize turkey escaped and ran down Hagan Avenue.

Rene Brunet Sr. died of a heart attack in 1946, forcing his son to drop out of college to take over the Imperial. The young Brunet ran the theater until it caught fire and burned to the ground 10 years later. “It was a very dramatic thing for me,” Rene Brunet Jr. said. And while there wasn’t enough insurance to rebuild, he forged ahead.

FROM: http://whatssospecialaboutneworleans.blogspot.com/2010/07/prytania-theater-owner-remembers-old.html

Faubourg St. John neighbor Jean Lichtfuss says,
“I remember as a child being awakened by my mother to come to see a fire blazing somewhere in our neighborhood. My mom probably wasn’t interested so much in our seeing the fire as to be prepared in case we’d need to evacuate.

Anyway, in the darkened kitchen, my mom, my brother and I watched out the kitchen door as sparkes lit up the sky and large pieces of burning material flew through the air.

Because I felt safe with my mom, it was quite a spectacle, and only with a tinge of fear did I watch the plumes of smoke and the smoldering timbers land in our yard. We lived on Ursulines at the time.

I also remember many a happy Friday night or Sunday afternoon going to the Imperial. Mama sent us on Sunday afternoon when we were young and when we got older we met our boyfriends there on Friday night. We kids of the 50’s had it good.”

Bell Theater

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The Bell Theater was located at 2800 Grand Route Saint John.

Photo from the Historic New Orleans Collection.

The Bell Theatre when it opened in 1922. Photo from the August 6, 1922 edition of the Times Picayune.

Click here to read the August 6, 1922 article as printed in the Times Picayune or just check out the screen captures below.

Firefighters battle a fire at 2800 Grand Route St. John, April 9, 1966.

Photo from the New Orleans Public Library’s website – nutrias.org

Neighbor Helps Bring Back Joy

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USA TODAY article sent in by Dean Burridge
Faubourg St. John neighbor Kenneth Gowland, like most architects, isn’t used to conducting building surveys in a boat. But when it came time to revive the historic Joy Theater in downtown New Orleans, there was just no other way.

Gowland recalls the scene when he first entered the theater last July to survey the building for restoration.
“At no point did anyone pump it out,” said Gowland, owner of MetroStudio in New Orleans. “(The Joy Theater) was filled with nasty, stagnate water.”

• STORY: Old movie theaters find new life
In 2005, the theater had been closed almost two years when Hurricane Katrina blew off much of its roof. The exposed, below-grade building collected large amounts of water as the storm devastated the city.

Gowland said the decision by four private developers to restore the theater reflects a growing realization that there are great business opportunities in the city’s historical core.

“The Joy is not the biggest or the oldest building on Canal Street, but it comes to everyone’s mind,” Gowland said. “This is where everyone in New Orleans saw Jaws.”

Six years after Katrina, the water was eventually pumped out as the entire building went through what Gowland called an “environmental remediation phase.”

“I think people are understanding that the value of a city is in its infrastructure,” he said.

Located on the main commercial thoroughfare in downtown New Orleans, Gowland said the Joy is the first theater in the area to breathe new life, with others beginning to follow.

“Renovation of the Saenger Theatre across the street is just now kicking off in earnest,” he said. “I think the Joy is a major catalyst.”

Although Gowland said he believes the theater’s revival is a sign of an improving downtown economy, he didn’t downplay its importance to the New Orleans community for nostalgic reasons.

According to Gowland, converting the former single-screen theater into a multiple-use facility was difficult because the original theater possessed little of the required technological and building infrastructure.

“It was like turning an apple into an orange,” he said. “There was no stage and we had to build a whole new balcony.”

A separate challenge was to ensure the building maintained its original historic facade, which was required to receive a historic tax credit to subsidize the $5 million renovation. This included replicating the marquee, the Joy Theater’s most distinguishing feature.

Gowland said he is pleased with the results.

“We ended up with a really unique multipurpose arts facility,” he said.

The theater reopened Dec. 29 with local Grammy winner Irma Thomas performing a set of her R&B and soul classics for the sold-out crowd.

Theater spokeswoman Sandie McNamara said the plan is to welcome more national acts in the coming months and provide space for film festivals, movie premieres and comedy shows.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/story/2012-02-01/theater-revival-new-orleans/53123520/1

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/story/2012-02-16/movie-theater-revival/53122180/1

Day Tripping

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article and photos by Charlie London

Those over 50 likely remember the Beatles’ song Day Tripper.
If you don’t, click on the video below.

My day trip started with my wife giving me a ride to City Hall so I could participate in the public commentary on the location of the Skate Park that drink manufacturer Red Bull is donating to New Orleans.

Mr. Vincent Smith, Capital Projects Administrator for the City of New Orleans basically repeated the information you can find in my previous blog post in the link below:
https://fsjna.org/2011/12/skate-park-meeting-at-city-hall-wednesday/

There were large poster boards explaining the selection criteria which you can see in the link below:
https://secureservercdn.net/198.71.233.167/end.894.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Skate-Park-Site-Selection-Criteria.pdf

I asked if the Skate Park would have a fence built around it. Mr. Smith replied that it would not and added that the preference for the Skate Park is for an area that already is “secure”. Meaning that parks that already have gates and regular opening and closing times would have preference.

That would almost certainly disqualify the Lafitte Corridor as it is open 24 hours each day. So, if you are interested in a Skate Park in Mid-City you should likely get busy asking for it.

I asked about better public input. I work at night so I have the luxury of attended a few daytime meetings. Most people don’t. With meetings that begin at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. that leaves most folks out of the planning process for the Skate Park. Mr. Smith indicated that people should be able to comment by phone and on the internet soon.

There were about 10 people who attended the meeting. Michael Homan, his son Gil and myself were there on behalf of the Lafitte Corridor. Councilmember Jon Johnson and several others were there to promote the Skate Park going in at Joe Brown Park in New Orleans East and a couple of people were there to try to get the Skate Park in Martin Behrman Memorial Park in Algiers.

Regardless of whether you are for or against a Skate Park make your opinion known to Councilmember Guidry at sgguidry@nola.gov *** Follow Gil Homan’s lead and make your voice heard.

My day trip continued with a walk from City Hall down Loyola where I encountered this new and innovative bus stop at Tulane and Loyola. It’s been there about one week.

I continued my day trip to Canal Street where I waited for the streetcar to take me all the way to Esplanade Avenue by the museum. The newly restored Joy Theatre was across from the streetcar stop and the first performance will be by Irma Thomas tonight.

If you have the time, I highly recommend riding the streetcar downtown from or to the museum. And, don’t forget you can get on the Esplanade Bus at Fortier Park which will take you right to the French Quarter. Both the busses and streetcars are very clean.

It’s only $1.25 each way and sure beats paying much more to park your car, that is… if you have the time. The streetcar and bus schedules are getting better but aren’t quite up to running exactly on time.

(courtesy youtube user kouran92)

Mid City Theatre Presents

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Already “over” the Holidays?
Well, Mid City Theatre has an alternative for you…

AJ Allegra stars in “The Santaland Diaries”

Author, David Sedaris, spent some time as Santa’s Helper. The
experience was unforgettable and his hit play, The Santaland Diaries, is his true and darkly humorous account of life as an elf in “SantaLand” at legendary Macy’s Department Store. Starring award winning actor, AJ Allegra, this is the holiday show that’s NOT for children.

The perfect antidote to the holiday blues, come prepared to laugh so hard your tummy will shake like a bowl full of jelly….

Dec. 2, 9 & 22 at 8pm, Dec. 4 & 16 at 9pm and Dec. 11 at 3pm Tickets $20, open seating.
Also…

THE EIGHT: The Reindeer Monologues

A sex scandal erupts at the North Pole and Santa and his elite eight
reindeer team are at the heart of it all!It’s SEX, LIES and Santa as Rising Shiners brings us Jeff Goode’s hilarious alternative to standard holiday fare: SPUD MCCONNELL (as lead reindeer Dasher) leads an all-star local cast including Maureen Brennan (Blitzen), Bob Scully (Donner), Ken Thompson (Cupid & Hollywood), Fayard Lindsey(Comet), and Jessie Terrebonne (Dancer/Vixen)!

Dec. 5 – 7, 12, 13 & 19 – 21 at 7:30pm Tickets $20, open seating.

…if music is needed to soothe, join us for Song Stories with Doug Belote
Sit back and join Hostess, Nikki Reyes, in a relaxed Smoke Free venue with an evening of conversation and music with New Orleans’ legendary movers and shakers. Wednesday, December 14, 7:30pm
Tickets $10 (open seating)

Mid City Theatre 3540 Toulouse Street

— between N. Cortez and Jeff Davis Pkwy, just behind the American Can Company. There is a cash bar, and free parking all around the theater! …box office hours: 2-6pm Tues-Sat, 504.488.1460

Play Dates at Mid-City Theatre

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“Play Dates” will leave you laughing and maybe even ready to fall in love all over again..”Play Dates” also was the first production I’ve attended at the newly opened Mid-City Theatre – a most welcome addition to the local board. comfortable, (with) central location and ample parking, this will become a sought-after location. – Theodore P. Mahne, Times-Picayune

Theatre 13 presents at Mid City Theatre

“Play Dates” by Sam Wolfson.is a hilarious examination of love and relationships, ranging from kindergarten to adulthood that has audiences roaring with delight!

Directed by Ashley Ricord Santos

Starring: Ashley Ricord Santos, Gary Rucker, Leon Contavesprie and Lisa Picone

NOW through November 19, 2011
Thursday through Saturday at 8pm

Tickets $25 Cash or Credit Cards accepted.
Mid City Arts Theatre, 3540 Toulouse St.

Behind the American Can Company, Free Parking and Cash Bar

Nov 20: Last Show at Mid-City Theatre

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ONE NIGHT ONLY – Don’t miss Ricky Graham & Friends at the Mid City Theatre on Nov 20th!

Hey, y’all!
It’s our last show this year!

Mandy Zirkenbach, Yvette Hargis, Matthew Mickal, and Jefferson Turner
join Ricky Graham for one night of REAL New Orleans comedy and music!< Check out the Mid-City Theatre, which has a bar
and free parking!
SUNDAY, NOV 20TH
AT 6PM
No Saints game that day!
TICKETS: $25

LIMITED SEATING!

http://therickygrahamshow.blogspot.com/2011_10_01_archive.htmlCall Su for tickets:
504-488-1460