The festival formerly known as Fringe is gearing up for its first appearance under a new name. The Faux/Real Festival of Arts, Nov. 4 through 22, will offer three weeks of cutting-edge performances, readings and competitions, along with food and beverage tastings.
Among dozens of other local and national acts, marquee performances will include the New Orleans Opera Association’s “Die Fledermaus” at the Mahalia Jackson Theater and “Terminator: The Musical” at The Old Marquer Theatre.
The NOLA Project will perform its hilarious “Clown Bar” at the Little Gem Saloon.
Also look for readings at Cafe Faux/Real, at the corner of North Rampart Street and Elysian Fields.
Featuring dozens of shows and hundreds of performers, the Faux/Real Festival will be centered on St. Claude Avenue between Elysian Fields and Franklin avenues, with food, street performances, a central box office and information center. Secondary stages will be announced in Central City, Mid-City and other neighborhoods.
Faux/Real Executive Director Ben Mintz says the rich mix of local arts and talent provides ample opportunities “to show the world the incredible creative products coming out of the Crescent City.”
See fauxrealneworleans.com or facebook.com/fauxrealnola for more information.
Chekov re-imagined
Fresh from its September fundraiser at the New Orleans Pharmacy Museum, innovator Goat in the Road Productions is working on an adaptation of a much-loved work. The company plans to present its interpretation soon of a Chekhov classic in “Uncle Vanya: Quarter Life Crisis.” Watch for more details at GoatInTheRoad-Productions.org and check back for the young playwright’s festival called Play/Write in May.
What’s in a name?
The surge in commercial and artistic activity along St. Claude Avenue in recent years is worth celebrating, in the view of theater veteran Jim Fitzmorris, which is why he recently paid tribute to the avenue by rebranding a local stage.
The Marigny Theater, as the “back stage” at the AllWays Lounge & Theatre was known for some time, now is The Theatre at St. Claude, Fitzmorris announced recently. He said the name aims “to reflect not only the venue’s actual location on St. Claude Avenue, but also the energy contained on the street.”
Fitzmorris and his brother, Ryan Fitzmorris, who are the producers at Broken Habit Productions, point to the growth of eateries, shops and entertainment venues along St. Claude, a street that Jim Fitzmorris says “fuses elements of the city’s distant past and its hopeful future.”
Audiences at the theatre should expect “scandalous laughter and a good scare,” he says. He launched the rebranded stage in August with a production of David and Amy Sedaris’ “Book of Liz.”
See brokenhabitproductions.com or call 504-638-6326 for more information.
Adieu, Mid-City Theatre
Proprietor Fred Nuccio held on as long as he could, but his lease finally ran out last summer and he closed the doors of Mid-City Theater, which during its short life became a popular drawing card near Bayou St. John and the American Can apartment building.
“We’ve been a live theatre in New Orleans for a few wonderful years,” Nuccio’s right-hand gal Su Gonczy says in a message on the venue’s website.
“If you know of a space with parking that might suit us, please contact FredNuccio@yahoo.com,” she adds.
Su, meanwhile, has undertaken her own journey of local exploration via her personal blog. See sugonczy.wordpress.com to follow her adventures.
On stage and in the news
The fall season has launched in performance venues in and around New Orleans, and the lineup of drama, comedy, music and musical theatre means that months of great entertainment lie ahead.
Flip through the following pages for hints and highlights of what’s to come. Take a look at the brief profiles for capsules on local theatres and performance organizations, and check the organizations’ websites for updated details. Be sure to arrive for shows by curtain time so you don’t miss a moment of what the city’s top theater and music professionals have to offer.
Kathy Finn
Editor
OnStage@RenPubLLC.com
