Wicked New Orleans Sit-Down — Page 2

New Orleans is trying to become Broadway of the South. Many new theaters are in the working stages around Canal Street and plan on having broadway productions as well as new ones.

---

So, just how rose-colored are those glasses?

---

New Orleans "Broadway of South"? I don't think so. Who ever is trying that is mentally deficient. New Orleans has a tendency to FLOOD. Theatre is EXPENSIVE. Sets can't be waterlogged.

^ Living in the Dallas area, I'd be more likely to suggest Atlanta first, simply because nothing has tried out here, and we still don't get everything.

For example, we didn't get the tours of My Fair Lady or Light in the Piazza, but we've had Mamma Mia nearly every season since 2003.

---

It's not as unlikely as you might think, LizCurry. Louisiana is offering considerable tax breaks for producers, which definitely sweetens the deal. After all, not too long ago, John Breglio had his try-out of Dreamgirls in Korea in the interest of saving money. New Orleans is one whole hell of a lot closer, not to mention a more attractive destination to most Americans.

"New Orleans "Broadway of South"? I don't think so. Who ever is trying that is mentally deficient. New Orleans has a tendency to FLOOD"

Yep. Okay. Now I know who you are/were, TheaterDork. Your tendency to insult the intelligence of others gave you away. Now I know how to take your posts. So moving on...

I don't know that they can pull off a "Broadway of the South", but I'm happy to see them try. They've already brought in a fair amount of film business with their tax breaks, so now they're trying it with theater. Unfortunately, their first attempt at a out of town Broadway try-out, White Noise, at The Petit Theater, basically imploded when their director went nuts and had to be banned from the theater. It even made Riedel's column. It closes this weekend (as scheduled, I believe).

I really do hope they can build a little theater base there, or at least parley it into a place for out of town try-outs. It's a cheap and easy place to get to, and there's plenty of other things to do once you're there. It's cheap enough that I flew down to see White Noise on a whim. I imagine others in NYC would do the same in order to see something possibly headed to Broadway. I wish them the best of luck.
Louisiana theatrical tax breaks

Nope.

Sorry that was unclear. I like Liz fine.

eta: Lizzie can be a little harsh at times, but his/her posts are usually spot-on and intelligent, and any overt insults are at least thought-out, not merely an attack on another poster's intelligence. The assessment, for example, that the OP is viewing through rose-colored lenses is pretty apt. I doubt, however, that Lizzie gives a rats ass what I think.

Updated On: 7/23/09 at 06:30 PM

Husk, that those shows haven't played there but MAMMA MIA (arguably, whether you like it or not, a MUCH bigger hit than both shows you mentioned) has returned year after year isn't because the producers don't want their tours there. Tours go into cities because presenters (like Dallas Summer Musicals) book them. DSM simply didn't book MY FAIR LADY or LIGHT... probably because they didn't know if they would sell well.