Fall fun kicks off on local stages next week, with two shows featuring “not-so-good” protagonists — but the villains might not be who they first appear to be.
On both sides of Lake Pontchartrain, conspiratorial laughs await.
“The Swamp of My Hometown”
It’s only fitting that “Shrek the Musical” will be making a Louisiana stop on its national tour.
After all, Shrek lives in a swamp filled with fairy tale characters, and South Louisiana is a swamp, so there’s no shortage of fairy tale characters in the Crescent City.
Saenger Theatre’s production of “Shrek the Musical” stars Naftali Jacob Currie as the Donkey and Nicholas Hambrook as the title character.
Photo provided by/cyorkphoto
Based on the 2001 Oscar-winning DreamWorks animated film, this comedy features an ogre, his unwelcome sidekick donkey (who is actually a donkey), a princess, a traitorous lord, and a cast of witty characters that includes Pinocchio, the Three Little Pigs, Peter Pan, and a dragon.
Apparently, fairy-tale creatures have overrun Shrek’s swamp because Lord Farquaad wants to drive them out of his “perfect” world. Shrek, along with Donkey, must rescue Princess Fiona from the dragon for Lord Farquaad, so the titular terrorist can return the swamp to the idyllic landscape Shrek desires.
Rescheduled from spring, this Tony Award-winning production is packed with music, dancing and fun.
Shows are at 7:30pm on Sept. 6, 2pm and 8pm on Sept. 7, and 1pm on Sept. 8 at 1111 Canal St. Tickets start at $29. Visit saengernola.com.
“Please fasten your seat belt.”
From left, Sean Patterson, Joanna Parr and Laura Hayes rehearse for “Til Beth Do Us Part,” which opens Sept. 7 at Playmakers Theatre.
Photo provided
The story is a bit like “All About Eve,” but in this case it’s all about Beth. And it’s funny.
Covington’s Playmakers Theatre is celebrating its 70th season with a production of “Til Beth Do Us Part,” a comedy about a successful woman and her business and a sly assistant who infiltrates her marriage, with funny but terrifying consequences.
The show is being written by the same team who wrote Playmakers’ 2023 sold-out smash hit, “The Savannah Shipping Society.”
The show stars Joanna Parr, Shawn Patterson, Stephanie Sayles, Jenna Patterson, Laura Hayes, Daniel Jenkins and Nada Elkassouf. The show is directed by Derek Thrash with assistant director Jenna Patterson.
The show will open on September 7 and run through September 22 at 19106 Playmakers Road on Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 pm and Sundays at 2 pm. Theater officials said showtimes will be slightly later to accommodate traffic congestion caused by bridge construction. The new season will also introduce Friday performances and reserved seating.
Tickets start at $15. For more information, visit playmakers-theater-05.webself.net. For tickets, visit bontempstix.com.
In production
The Hunchback of Notre Dame: Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., Sundays at 2 p.m., through Sept. 8. Slidell Little Theatre, 2024 Nellie Drive. Based on the Disney animated film, the story tells of a 15th-century bell-ringer from the famous Notre Dame who escapes into town for the Feast of Fools and meets the Roma Esmeralda, who is kindly treated by her. But she catches the eye of Captain Phoebus and Archbishop Dom Claude Frollo, who also serves as Quasimodo’s sly caretaker. slidelllittletheatre.org.