Musicals Set in New Orleans?

[myshikobit]

Posted: 2/3/12 at 11:29am

Hey!

I'm an undergrad taking a class on the sounds of New Orleans right now. As we began discussion, I immediately remembered that both Thou Shalt Not and Marie Christine opened and failed within two years of each other (1999-2001) and were both set in New Orleans. I'm looking into seeing if I can do a case study/analysis of sorts of musical theatre's take on New Orleans, and am wondering what other musicals use New Orleans as a setting? Thanks!

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 2/3/12 at 11:34am

I once saw a terrible college production of Jekyll & Hyde that re-set the show in New Orleans, but that was probably illegal.

Good luck!

[Jon]

Posted: 2/3/12 at 12:13pm

There is an adaptation of Midsummer Night's Dream called DREAM ON ROYAL STREET that's set in N.O. during Mardi Gras. it's been done regionally, by community theatres and schools.

[Mark_E]

Posted: 2/3/12 at 12:23pm

The Princess and the Frog. Only a film, but I still class it as a "musical"

[Calvin]

Posted: 2/3/12 at 12:34pm

"Oh, Streetcar!" :)

Actually, an acquaintance of mine did a reading for a musical adaptation of "The Awakening" a few years ago. Not sure whatever became of it.

[EponineAmneris]

Posted: 2/3/12 at 12:35pm

Harry Connick Jr's THOU SHALT NOT.

Updated On: 2/3/12 at 12:35 PM

[uncageg]

Posted: 2/3/12 at 12:40pm

"Dorian-The Musical". I saw it 3 times in Denver. It also ran in CA. Never made it to Broadway.

http://www.dorianthemusical.com/main.html

[gvendo2005]

Posted: 2/3/12 at 12:45pm

Excusez Moi (or was it X-Cusez Moi?) was one. Anyone recall this? It was an original show (all-black cast) with a plot that, to the best of my memory, went like this: One night a year in New Orleans, the dead come back to party with the living; ghosts become flesh and blood again for the purpose of making love. Enter a young man of the living who falls for a woman (who is a ghost, unbeknownst to him); hilarious hijinks ensue.

It ran Off-Broadway at Sweetwater (300-seater cabaret) back in '88, and then later (I wanna say 1992-94 period) it played the Nile on West 44th, Cafe 44, and the Lonestar Road House. The score was something else... technically you could call it a jukebox musical, but I don't think a jukebox has had these songs in a long time. There were some really raw down-and-dirty blues tunes (Bessie Smith material for example), and then on the other hand there were some bluesy adaptations of grand Italian opera (I swear I heard some Puccini snatches).

Anyway, yes, to answer the OP, it was set in New Orleans, and a hell of a show.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 2/3/12 at 12:47pm

Mardi Gras

[After Eight]

Posted: 2/3/12 at 1:33pm

The New Moon, Louisiana Lady, Saratoga, Pousse-Café are some others.

[PattiLover]

Posted: 2/3/12 at 2:24pm

Haha, I was just going to say "Oh, Streetcar," which has a surprisingly awesome score.

"Can't yah hear me yell-ah,
Stell-ah!"

[ghostlight2]

Posted: 2/3/12 at 2:35pm

The beginning of Jelly's Last Jam.

[morosco]

Posted: 2/3/12 at 2:54pm

House of Flowers

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 2/3/12 at 4:03pm

^House of Flowers is set on a Caribbean island.

I didn't see it but I believe part of Lestat takes place in New Orleans.

[morosco]

Posted: 2/3/12 at 4:27pm

House of Flowers is set on a Caribbean island.

D'OH! What was I thinking?

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 2/3/12 at 5:54pm

Dr Jazz which I actually saw & still have the Playbill from it

Mardi Gras has a great score by the way.

There was also one that played the new Helen Hayes . The High Rollers & I cannot remember the rest of the title

Updated On: 2/3/12 at 05:54 PM

[sueb1863]

Posted: 2/3/12 at 7:37pm

The scary thing about the Simpsons' "Oh, Streetcar!" was how much the parody music actually sounded like it could have come from a bloated Broadway spectacle style musical. O_O

[After Eight]

Posted: 2/3/12 at 7:41pm

"There was also one that played the new Helen Hayes . The High Rollers & I cannot remember the rest of the title "

The High Rollers Social and Pleasure Club.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 2/3/12 at 8:33pm

Thanks

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 2/3/12 at 10:41pm

Dream on Royal Street is minor but awfully cute with some good songs. It's an early Alan Menken project (not sure who did the lyrics... Spencer?)

*edit* Spencer did the lyrics for Menken's Duddky Kravitz musical, not Royal Street, those were by David Rogerts. More info and clips of the promo CD here http://www.guidetomusicaltheatre.com/shows_d/dream_on_royal_street.htm and here http://www.dramaticpublishing.com/p2117/The-Dream-on-Royal-Street-(promotional-CD)/product_info.html

[myshikobit]

Posted: 2/4/12 at 3:32am

Hmmm... interesting! It's also interesting to note that Mardi Gras and Doctor Jazz, too, were flops that played in close chronological proximity to each other. I really don't know if there are reasons for this proximity, but it sure is interesting and there are parallels to be drawn. And it's good to know that I'm not missing any obvious-New Orleans based musicals! As far as "Princess and the Frog" goes, the professor who's teaching the course just published work of some sort on the underside of the Disney Princess landscape (believe it or not, she's NOT a fan of "Princess...". I'm not a fan of Disney as a corporation and am not a fan of film-to-stage musical transfers, so it's no real loss for me. Thanks for all of your help!

[AADA81]

Posted: 2/4/12 at 5:03am

Doesn't the musical "Lestat" take place in part in New Orleans? I mean, I know it was only around for about 15 minutes on Broadway but the source material is partially New Orleans based.