There's No Place Like the TheatreThe Wizard of Oz in Lake Charles for One More Performance

A girl named Dorothy stands surrounded by a bunch of small people and she look astounded as she is handed a giant cloud-like lollipop. As this happens, all of the small people start singing. Later, Dorothy is hungry and tries to pick some apples from some trees. They get upset and a scarecrow who has joined her journey insults them so that they start throwing apples and Dorothy is able to eat them. Once a lion joines Dorothy on her journey, he later whines about how somebody pulled his tail only to realize that he is the one who pulled his tail.

The Scarecrow insults the apple trees

If you haven't already guessed, these are scenes from The Wizard of Oz which was recently produced by Christian Youth Theatre in Lake Charles. There is no doubt that any of the actors that played the main characters - Dorothy, The Scarecrow, The Tin Man, and The Cowardly Lion - could easily go on to become professional actors.

Even the ensemble was extremely impressive with complicated dance moves that no ordinary person from off the street could perform. The adults (and maybe children) who built the set, made the costumes, and designed the lighting did a very impessive job, too.

If one remembers, I saw the Broadway tour of Waitress and while it was impressive, The Wizard of Oz was more impressive. Even more fun is the fact that the audience gets to mingle with the actors and actresses after the perfomance. It is less impersonal than seeing a Broadway or touring Broadway performance. Audience members get to mingle with people that they know and they also get to meet new people.

The main characters are played by Leslie Isreal (Dorothy Gale), Clay Corley (Zeke/Cowardly Lion), Jaylin Williams (Hickory Tinman), and Abram Connor (Hunk/Scarecrow). Other lead characters were played by Brynn Mayo (Aunt Em/Glinda the Good Witch of the North), Cole Becton (Uncle Henry/Emerald City Guard), Hunter Bectom (Miss Almira Gulch/The Wicked Witch of the West), Quaid Nichols (Professor Chester Marvel/The Wizard of Oz), Mila Alacatara (Wicked Witch of the East [Legs]), Ian Reeves (Munchkin Mayor), Briley Bryan (Mucnhkin Coroner), Gianna Lewis (Munchkin Barrister), Zoe Thrasher (Munchkin Fiddler), Kathryne Berken (Munchkin Braggart), Gabriella Barrios (Munchkin School Teacher), Dylan Freeman (Munchkin City Father/Winkie General), Rylee Menard (Munchkin 1), Natalie Lambert (Munchkin 2), Fisher Cooley (Nikko the Monkey Commander), and Zachary Benoit (Jitterbug Lead Dancer).

Actors and Actress in the lead ensembles were Ashre Gabre, Benjamin Gabrey, and Fisher Cooley (the Lollipop Guild), Addyson Miller, Kamila Vigo, and McKenzie Menard (the Lullaby League), Alana Fornet, Mila Alacantara, and Randilyn LeJeune (Trees), Cooper Self, Stuart Riviere, and Zachary Benoit (Crows), and Briley Bryan, Cole Becton, and Tristan Wainwright (Winkie Guards). Other ensembes in the play included the Ozian Ensemble (played by Mila Alacantara, Cole Becton, Zachary Benoit, Emilia Bernard, Blaire Buller, Fisher Cooley, Olivia Delano, CeeCee Doucet, Natalie Franks, Dylan Freeman, Olivia Foreman, Alana Fournet, Kellsie Jones, Karis Kane, Randilyn Lejeune, Gianna Lewis, Emma Marler, Blaire McManus, Emma Menard, Hannah Miller, Harleigh Miller, Bliss Nichols, Abigail Petterfer, Elizabeth Petterfer, Rachel Requelmy, Katherine Rion, Juliet Riviere, Mattie Schafer, Sophia thibodeaux, Zoe Thrasher, Kamila Vigo, and Tristian Wainwright), Poppies Ensemble (played by Cecilia Barrios, Finlee Boyett, Tucker Dunnehoo, Elliot Fuselier, Emma Juhala, Ava Lankford, Jolie Leubner, Austyn Manuel, Addyson Miller, Duff Nichols, Katherine Rion, and Amanda Sanders), Winkies Ensemble (played by Emmilia Bernard, Blaire Buller, CeeCee Doucet, Karis Kane, Rylee Menard, Rachael Requelmy, Juliet Riviere, and Kamila Vigo), the Monkeys (played by Gabriella Barrios, Katherthe Jyne Berken, Asher Gabre, Benjamin Gabre, Natalie Lambert, McKenzie Menard, Ian Reeves, Stuart Riviere, and Cooper Self), and the Jitterbug Ensemble (played by Mila Alacantara, Olivia Delano, Olivia Foreman, Alana Fontenot, Natalie Franks, Randilyn Lejeune, Kellsie Jones, Emma Marler, Blaire McManus, Emma Menard, Hannah Miller, Herleigh Miller, Bliss Nichols, Abilgail Petterfer, Elisabeth Petterfer, Mattie Schafer, and Sophia Thibodeaux).

Other production staff included Monique Reason (Director), Kane Todd (Assistant Director), Bryce Louviere (Musical Director), Jessica Broussard (Choreographer), Ashley Dickerson (Assistant to the Choreographer), Bevyn Taylor (Stage Manager), Noelie Puckett (Costumer), Jill Engel (Make Up), Mark LeBeau (Set Manager), Chelle Martin (Set Designer), McNeese Theatre Department (Sound and Lighting), Rebecca Sanders (Props Manager), Deborah LeBeau (Publlicity), Jill Engel Photography (Photography), Natalie Sell (Interim Artistic Director), Cherie Benoit (Managing Director), Brittany Menard (Show Coordinator).

The show is in Lake Charles for one more performance. Tickets are $15 and can be bought at The Christian Youth Theater Lake Charles Wizard of Oz site. The show is at 3pm on Sunday, October 27, 2019 and takes place in the Tritico Theatre on the McNeese State Campus at 4205 Ryan St. in Lake Charles, but it is actually on the corner of Sale and Ryan when locating the theatre.

Hairspray Jr. Is Not Something to Be Mist Play Takes Place Two More Times in Lake Charles

A bunch of students stand in a yard playing some sort of dodgeball game that has many balls and not just one. In the front for everybody to see, stand two girls. One is the popular and bossy girl, thin and seen as "perfect." The other is plump and the "perfect" girl does not like her, and especially hates when others like her. In the "perfect" girl's mind, nobody should like this girl. The "perfect" girl then hits the other girl in the face with a dodgeball, making her pass out and fall to the ground.

These two girls are Amber von Tussle and Tracy Turnblad, of Hairspray, Jr. Bayleigh Keating, who plays Amber von Tussle doesn''t miss a beat as the preppy, "perfect," brat that seems to think she deserves everything she wants. In each of her scenes, she commanded the stage. Her portrayal of Amber evoked the essence of Ashley Tisdale as Sharpay Evans in High School Musical.

Jared Bates also gave a stellar performance as Corny Collins. In this reviewers mind, he also would have made an excellent Link Larkin. While the other performers did great jobs, these two were the stand outs among a talented cast.

The rest of the cast included Laylah Bennett (Tracy Turnblad), Rhianna Hasenbein (Edna Turnblad), Katelyn Liz Bonette (Penny Pingleton), Whitney Chaumont (Velma von Tussle), Grayson Ashford (Link Larkin), Joshua Anderson (Seaweed J. Stubbs), Koyae Praylor (Little Inez Stubbs), Alonnie Celestine (Motormouth Maybelle), Maria Thibodeaux (Prudy Pingleton), Declan Hickey (Wilbur Turnblad), Helaina Savoie (Principal), Christopher Abraham (Mr. Pinky), Madison Ezell (Gym Teacher), Whitney Nguyen (Matron 1), Isablla Cooley (Matron 2), Madison Fullerton (Beatnik Chick), Grant Dulplichain (Male Guard), and Meghan Moor (News Caster).

The Council members and Councilettes were played by Tyler Thomas (Brad), Cagle Kaogh (Tammmy), Caden Hyde (Fender), Reagan Cotton (Brenda), Manuel Domingues (Sketch), Emma Juhala (Shelley), Zane Doucet (I.Q.), and Triity Arnold (Lou Anne). The Run and Tell that Teeens were played y Imani Poullard, Jacog Tatmon, Celise Landry, Dezarai Aleris, Caqleb Broussarrd, Jayla Guillory, McKenzie Matthews, Iman Poullard, Elijah Roberts, Dorien Smith, and Cheysh Young Mr. Pinky's staff was played by Naomi Ratcliff, Whitney Nguyen, and Grant Duplichain. The Dynamites were played by Alonzia Carlon (Judine), Jasmine Semien (Kamilah), and Jordyn Darone (Shayna). Ensemble members included Manuela Iervoililino, Madison Williams, Kinsey Vidrine, Ajah Moore, Shontenaisha Monuel, Jameszetta Henry, Courtney Crader, and Emma Babin.

The vocals for singing were not as up to par as one might expect, with wavering notes and sometimes off-pitch singing, but that was usually only at the beginning of a song and could easily be chalked up to first night jitters. All of the cast remembered blocking and choreography which was amazing being there was so much of it and these are high school students who are not in a class, but an after school drama club.

For this reviewer, it was a little disappointing that a male did not play the role of Edna Turnblad as is often traditional in productions of Hairspray, however, that is not required. The effort that went into the staging of the musical is obvious and community should definitely support these hard working teens.

Hairspray Jr. is in Lake Charles for two more performances. It is being performed by the Barbe Drama Club even though it takes place in the auditorium of the LaGrange High School auditorium. Tickets to see the play are $7 and can be bought at the door. The play runs for aobut and hour and half and there is no intermission.

You can see the play at the following times:

• Saturday, October 19, 2019 at 7pm
• Sunday, October 20, 2019 at 2pm

LaGrange High School is located at 3420 Louisiana Ave., Lake Charles, LA, 70607

A Year with Frog and Toad Jumps to ItPlay Takes Place Two More Times in Lake Charles, Louisiana

A snail stands in the middle of the stage singing a song about how fast it can deliver the mail. Of course, it has been months since the original letter was sent, but the snail doesn't realize that it has gone that slowly. This is Po Snail from A Year with Frog and Toad.

Toad (Matt Dye), Tee Bird (Supratik Regme), Papa Bird (Joseph Comeaux), Maman Bird (Himshree Neupane), Frog (Brett Chase)

The musical, written by brothers Robert and Willie Reale and based on the Frog and Toad book series by Arnold Lobel, is currently playing in Tritico Theatre at McNeese State University. In another memorable scene, Cher Turtle sings about how Toad looks funny in his bathing suit and gets all of the animals of the swamp to join in with her singing as they all watch for Toad to get out of the water.

While the show is good from beginning to end, both Anne Sterman as Po Snail and Allison Marino as Cher Turtle give performances that make the show shine. Without these two, the show would still be a good show, but it would not hold up to the great production that it proved to be.

The leads, Brett Chase as Frog, and Matt Dye as Toad, are believable as swamp creature friends, though their friendship portrayed on stage at times seemed distant. However, that does not mean this type of friendship between a bumbling friend (Toad) and a matter-of-fact friend (Frog) doesn't exist.

The birds, Himshree Neupane as Mawman Bird, Supratik Regme as Tee Bird, and Joseph Comeaux as Papa Bird, were definitely convincing as birds, especially Maman Bird. The play also starred Sondre Guy (Hot Gator), Haleigh Gatewood (Boo Rat), Everly Spears (Big Nutria), and Betty Marino (Lil Nutria).

Being the play is being performed in Southwest Louisiana, the swamp was set as if it was a bayou. The lighting for the stage worked very well for a bayou. It was dim on the sides and had a bright yellow to orange light in some scenes with pinks and blues in others conveying the different seasons in the middle as if the sun were shining on a swampy area in front of a bayou full of water.

The set was believable as tiny little houses or camps on swampy land. None of the set pieces looked perfect as if they were newly bought, but like animals had repurposed items into their houses and uses.

All of the set and light was brought to the stage by theatre students and the brilliant tech crew including Rylee Hall (Stage Manager), Bacot Wright (Director), Michael Parker (Musical Director/Piano), Andrew Wang (Piano), and Michelle Brunson (Technical Director).

You can catch this wonderful musical for two more performances. Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for McNeese faculty and staff, senior citizens, and K-12 students and teachers, and free for McNeese and Sowela students with ID.

The last two times to see this play are as follows:

• Saturday, September 28, 2019 at 7:30pm
• Sunday, September 29, 2019 at 2pm

The play takes place in Tritico Theatre on the McNeese State University Campus. Tritico Theatre is located inside the Shearmann Fine Arts Annex on the corner of Sale and Ryan St. in Lake Charles, LA. Tickets can be bought online at the McNeese Vendini site for A Year with Frog and Toad, by calling 337-475-5040, or in person at the box office before the show.

Noises Off in Lake Charles, Louisiana for Six More Performances

The director sits down and he immediately stands up because a cactus attacked his butt, or at least that is how it might as well have been said for this scene in the play Noises Off. It may sound as if it is one off gag in a play that might be boring, but that is not the case. Another time, there are three burglars on the stage when there should only be one. Throw in some "showmance" affairs and constantly trying to find the alcoholic actor, Selsdon, and the playwright, Michael Frayn, has successfully written a play depicting the disasters that can happen during the rehearsal and performance of a play (in this case, called Nothing On when the cast does not act professionally.

The Lake Charles Little Theater is nothing like the cast that they are portraying on stage.

Brooke, Poppy, and Mrs. Clackett

Rebecca Harris plays the vapid and ditzy Brooke (who plays Vicki) wonderfully. She gives the perfect looks with the inattention that Brooke tends to have towards everybody.

Paula McCain is a joy to watch as Dotty (who plays ,Mrs. Clackett), especially as she learns how things are supposed to go and then has to deal with all of them going wrong and not being her fault at all resuling in her being extremely flustered.

Angela Martin does a great job of portraying Poppy (The Assistant Stage Manager and understudy to the female roles) with how she is over-sensitive about every detail of what needs to be done for the play.

All of the other actors do terrific jobs as well. They are Greg Stratton as Lloyd (the director), Michael Davis as Garry (Roger), Cary Martin as Frederick (Phillip), Heather Partin as Belinda (Flavia), Kane Todd as Tim (the stage manager), and Gary Shannon as Selsdon (the burglar).

The set, to where you can see on stage and back stage for different acts in the play is impressive. There are many doors and stairways and many confusing props as well. Yet, the set allows for the cast to act exactly where they need to be.

The only bit that might be somewhat difficult at times is trying to understand the English accent used by the cast as the play is set in the UK. However, this usually is not an issue. The play is hilarious and you should go if you desire an evening of laughter.

Tickets are $18 for adults, $12 for seniors (65+), $10 for students, and $10 per person if a group of ten or more comes to see the play.

The play is in Lake Charles for seven more performances at the following dates and times:

• Friday, September 20, 2019 at 7pm
• Saturday, September, 21, 2019 at 7pm
• Sunday, September 22, 2019 at 2pm
• Friday, September 27, 2019 at 7pm
• Saturday, September 28 2019 at 7pm
• Sunday, September 29, 2910 at 7pm

Tickets for the shows can be bought at Lake Charles Little Theatre Vendini Site

The Lake Charles Little Theatre is located at 813 Enterprise Blvd. in Lake Charles, LA. It can be reached by phone by calling 337-433-7988

Annie Jr. in Lake Charles, LA for Three More Performances

A group of female orphans sing and dance on stage while one jumps into a huge laundry bin. Another one joins the first in the laundry bin and the first one jumps out of the bin. When the head of the orphanage looks for the second orphan, all of the other orphan girls laugh and say that she escaped and the head of the orphannage gets mad.

Later on, the stage is split so about a third of it is a radio station and the other two-thirds is the orphanage where the girls are listening to the radio. They are amazed because that second orphan is now on the radio.

Radar and I posing with Miss Hannigan.

These are two scenes that can be seen in Lake Charles's Christian Youth Theater's production of Annie Jr. The play is currently being produced in the auditorium at LaGrange Senior High School.

An actress to watch is Allison Snider. Her talent and obvious hard work show in her portrayal of the bitter orphan hating Miss Hannigan. Also great is Randilyn LeJeune as Annie. If close enough to the stage, it can be seen that her facial expressions are perfect when it comes to the character of Annie.

The rest of the cast is also very talented and there is nothing weak about any of the cast in this play. They include McKenzie Menard (Molly), Gianna Lewis (Tessie), Elizabeth Campbell (July), Hannah Miller (Duffy), Ava DeLano (Kate), Elisabeth Pettefer (Grace Farrell), Quaid Nichols (Rooster), Olivia DeLano (Lily), Abram Conner (Warbucks), Zachary Benot (Drake), Chase Landry (Mrs. Greer), Hunter Becton (Mrs. Pugh), Claire Bailey (Cecile), Brynn Mayo (Annette), Cooper Self (Bundles), Maria Lee (Chauffer), Benjamine Gabre (Louis Howe), Rachael Riquelmy (Dogcatcher), Duff Nichols (FDR), Dylan Freeman (Bert Healy/Announcer), Annalise Funk (Sounds Effects Woman), Alana Fournet (Star to Be), Kyah Busby (Police Officer Ward/Cop/Policewoman), Olive Foreman (Man/Maid Servant #1), Abigail Pettefer (Man/Maid Servant #2), Harleigh Miller (Man/Maid Servant #3), Bliss Nichols (Man/Maid Servant #4), Kellsie Jones (Man [Woman]), and Aubree Babaz (Usherette).

The Orphan Ensemble is made up of Kaylee Mayo, Nyla Sonnier, Rylee Menard, and Zoe Thrasher. The Servant/NYC Ensemble is made up of Amanda Sanders, Blaire Buller, Elliot Fuselier, Grace Boyer, Kamila Vigo, Katherine Pierrotti, Kathryne Berken, Morgan Castillo, and Niobe Jade.

The lighting is wonderful. White lights highlight happy scenes while red illuminate and give the feel or hate or anger. Blue lights are often used for sadness or night time.

I lost my program somewhere along the way from leaving the theatre to my car, so I am sorry for not mentioning everybody. The director, ?, and the assistant director, Brahnsen Lopez, did a wonderful job of making it so the actors are always visible, yet, when they need to be in groups, they are placed into groups, yet not bunched into a crowd. The choreography by Joey Boyette is extremely impressive as the actors follow it at all different ages and yet, it is stunning and fun to watch on stage.

Annie Jr. can be seen three more times. They are:

• Saturday, May 11 at 2pm
• Saturday, May 11 at 7pm
• Sunday May 12 at 3pm

Standard Tickets are $15. Tickest for children aged 12 and under, people 65 years of age and older, members of the military, students, and for each person if in a group of 10 or more are $10. If tickets are purchased at the door, they are $20.

Get the $15 online via credit card at Lake Charles's Christian Youth Theater's Webite by clicking the blue button that says "Purchase Tickets."

Spring Awakening in Lake Charles, LA for Three More Performances

A group of 19th century German boys sit in a classroom reciting rote literature. When the teacher goes to talk to somebody else, a couple of them start discussing what is obviously a wet dream that one had. However, he is extremely embarrassed by it and finds it to be a terror. Then a discussion of the dreams of the different boys in the class are had and suddenly they break out into the song, "The Bitch of Living" while dancing.

That scene can be seen in Spring Awakening which is currently being produced by Black Market Theatre. It is based on the play by Frank Wedekind. The entire cast did an amazing job, but two actors truly stand out. Those two are Bryce Louviere who plays Melchior and Brian Lazo who plays Moritz. These two actors especially stand out when they have scenes together. Of course, Joey Boyette, who plays Hanschen and Rupert. He also provided the amazing choreography performed by the entire cast.

Other cast members include Ella Theriot (Wendla), Davin Faulk (Ernst and Reinhold), Jeff Johns (Georg and Dieter), Sydney Landry (Otto and Ulbrecht), Hailey Cooley (Ilse), Bryanna Rose (Martha), Joy Abshire (Anna), Jessica Broussard (Thea), Noelie Puckett (Adult Woman), and Trevor Chaumot (Adult Man).

Black Market Theatre does what it does best. It puts on edgy shows that challenge the audience. However, Spring Awakening deals with issues that we still deal with today. These issues are important to bring to light however it is done. This play, as they say, truly brought all the feels.

Sometimes when there is a live band for a performance, there can be issues with having them on the stage. However, the band is in this was perfect for the show. At no time did the music overpower when the actors were singing. The band members include William Lormand (guitar), Collin Thomas (bass), Daniel Fontentot (drums), Isaiah Windsor (piano), and Nikki Guillory (cello).

The lighting design by Jonathan Richards complimented the shows themes very well. It was mostly dark with blue lights and some with red and the lighting definitely help evoke emotions. Jessica Lormand did an amazing job of costuming, especially the finding the German school boys.

Others involved with the productions of this play are Ted Oliver, Richard Chricton, Devin Faulk, and Dennis Murdock.

Spring Awakening contain many adult scenes and some disturbing subject matters. These include physical violence, sexual violence, suicide, victim blaming, mental illness, domestic abuse, and more. The show is for adults.

Spring Awakening can be seen for three more times in Lake Charles, LA. The show is being performed at the Benjamin Mount Theatre in the Old Central School at 809 Kirby St. in Lake Charles, LA. Tickets are $18 (a total of $19.71) when bought online. Ticket sales are located at The Black Market Theatre Yapsody Page for Spring Awakening.

The show can be seen at the following times:

• Friday, May 3, 2019 at 7:30pm
• Saturday, May 4, 2019 at 7:30pm
• Sunday, May 5, 2019 at 2:30pm

Bye Bye Birdie in Lake Charles, LA for Eight More Performances

A crowd stands on a train platform with two reporters each trying to get a story about the singer Conrad Birdie. Whenever something is about to go wrong with how Conrad Birdie's reputation would be portrayed, Albert J. Peterson or his secretary, Rosie Alvarez, start giving answers that will protect Birdie's reputation. If they can't come up with an answer, Peterson tells Birdie's fan club to sing and they start singing, "We love you, Conrad."

Kim MacAfee and Ursula Merkle

Eventually, Birdie ends up going to Sweet Apple, Ohio and is supposed to kiss the head of the local fan club, Kim MacAfee. However, complications occur when she is pinned by her boyfriend, Hugo Peabody.

The story is obviously based off of Elvis Presley who was drafted into the army. Antonio Dre does a great job of capturing the Elvis-like Conrad Birdie with many personal vices. Heather Foreman and William (Sam) Stanfield are perfectly cast as Kim MacAfee and Hugo Peabody. They are entertaining as their characters and captured them and the emotions of teenagers who are in love, upset with each other, and then in love again very well.

Cameron Scallan shows off his acting skills as the no-nonsense business man and song writer Albert J. Peterson, who always succumbs to the pressure of his mother, Mae, played by Ashley Dickerson. Dickerson is hilarious in her portrayal of Mae Peterson and definitely deserves all of the laughs she gets when she enters the sage.

The entire fan club is great, but Rebecca Harris truly stood out as Ursula Merkle. As for the MacAfee family, the other standouts were Jordan Gribble as Harry MacAfee and Cole Becton as Randolph MacAfee. Cole did an awesome job of portraying a boy whose voice is changing because he is going through puberty. There honestly wasn't a single actor that could have been considered miscast in this play. The costumes by Heather Partin were also wonderful and captured the 1960s.

Being that this was opening night, the performance was amazing. There were only minor little hiccups like a few notes missed at the beginnings of one or two songs, a tiny bit of problems with changing out a small piece of the set, and some things that happened with the stage that were unavoidable and had to be fixed immediately in order for the show to continue.

Other actors include Taylor Novak (Rose Alvarez), Calista Netherland (Helen), Amber Netherland (Mrs. Doris MacAfee), Huy Dang (Mayor, Maude), Monica Mere (Edna [the mayor's wife], traveler), Leslie Harless (Mrs. Merkle, Mrs. Johnson, Reporter), Madyson Mitchell (Nancy, Deborah Sue), Stacy Solak (Gloria Rasputin), Aimee Mayeux (Phyllis, Alice, Teen Chorus), Kirsten Bush (Penelope, Telephone Hour, Dancer), and Kane Todd (Policeman, Harvey Johnson).

Other dancers and members of the teen chorus are Alice Fang, Fiona Heffernan, Sarah Klump, James Klump, Brianna Newman, Laurel Vittetoe, and Karly Marcantel (who also served as a choreographer along with Heather Partin). Crew members include Randy Partin (director), Dan Sadler (music director), Jonathon Richards (lighting designer), Carson Turgeon (lighting operator), Daniel Castille (sound operator), Hunter Becton (stage crew), Justin Liptak (stage crew), and Kevin Driscoll (hair and makeup).

The show runs eight more times. Buying tickets to this show would be a perfect gift for anybody that loves theatre or Elvis Presley. You can see the show at the following times and dates:

• Sunday, April 14, 2019, 2pm
• Thursday, April 18, 2019, 7:30pm
• Friday, April 19, 2019, 7:30pm
• Saturday, April 20, 2019, 7:30pm
• Thursday, April 25, 2019, 7:30pm
• Friday, April 26, 2019, 7:30pm
• Saturday, April 27, 2019, 7:30pm
• Sunday, April 28, 2019, 7:30pm

Tickets can be bought by visiting The Lake Charles Little Theater Vendini Page for Bye Bye Birdie.

Lake Charles Little Theater is located at 813 Enterprise Blvd, Lake Charles, LA, 70601 and can be contacted by telephone at 337-433-7988.

The Little Mermaid, Jr. in Lake Charles for Two More Performances

A bunch of seagulls dance and sing about how wonderful human stuff is. The birds argue over some of the terms humans use and all of the humor of a dinglehopper and a snarfblat, just like in the original movie of The Little Mermaid is kept.

That is just one impressive scene that you will see in LaGrange Senior High's production of The Little Mermaid, Jr.. However, not only LaGrange students were involved in the production. Students from high schools across Lake Charles, Louisiana joined together in joint theatre classes and joint rehearsals to make this production happen.

While the main characters, Ariel (Leslie Israel), Flounder (Yasmine Fontentot), Sebastian (Jakylyn Bowers), Ursula (Jaini Turner), Prince Eric (Caleb Tullos), King Triton (Kalen Brown), and Scuttle (Jaylin Williams) are important the stars of the show, if you are able to spot them always sneaking about, are Flotsam (Caitlyn Wilson) and Jetsam (Jamyriah Trahan). The two of them are constantly sneaking around and watching and listening to Ariel. It can be fun to wonder where they are and then to spot them.

Israel's performance of Ariel is also great. She shines from the stage whenever she is on it and she does so without letting her ego be too big. Tullos has the perfect looks for Prince Eric.

The one weak spot in the performance was that Brown never actually sounded angry or really showed any emotion as King Triton. His performance was flat. However, this was the 11th show he had performed this week, so his voice may have been too tired to truly scream and he may have been exhausted.

Of course the show would not be complete without the others Aquata (India Turner), Andrina (Haylee Clophus), Arista (Nihya Fairley), Atina (Leah Orphey), Adella (Lisa Rious), Alanna (Bella Schannette), Chef Louis (Jaylin Williams), Grimsby (Alarick Lewis), Carolotta (Kim Nguyen), Pilot (Marcus Ross), Windward Seahorse (Trinity Dugas), and the Leeward Seahorse (Samantha Wiley).

There are also all of the people who played sailors, seagulls, various sea creatures, and chefs. They are Alexis Braxter, Anya Humphrey, Ashantae Arceneaux, Blair McManus, Bree Dculus, Enissa Edwards, HayLeigh Gatewood, Hayleigh Henderson, Jamarion Yancy, Jerard Wilridge, Juztyce Lewis, Kaelani Carter, Kaitlyn Savoy, Kamryn Antoine, Kayla Ryals, Makenzie Clophus, Marquis Ross, Matilyn Schafer, Sylvia Leger, Trinidy Savoy, Tristen Collins, and Yahara Chambers.

Dancers consist of Brynlee Wiliams, Haleigh Malveaux, Isabelle Adams, Jirah Carter, Joiya Melancon, Kamiyah Carter, Leyah Prejean, Shania Bradley, Skylar Hall, Zaria Citizen, Dinaiya Prevost, Maleah Harrison, and Derrionna Glodd.

Props are handled by Raemani McClelland, Zoria DeVille, K'Leigh Guillory, Audriana Obey, Braylin Davis, Chiara Guillory, D'Airra Joseph, Davionne Preot, Derrica Moncriette, Jada Allen, Jailyah James, Jessica Walls, Jonae Vital, Judith Dariste, Kadon Hawkins, Makaela Easton, and Tashianna Deville.

The technical aspects provided by Porche Advanced Systems are outstanding. However, if you want to make sure that you see more of the actors than the lighting equipment, make sure that you sit far enough back as the lighting equipment is on the front of the stage.

Warning: For those with epilepsy, autism, Asperger's, and other sensory issues, there are many flashing lights, loud music, and occasional use of fog machines.

You can catch the performance two more times. Once today,Saturday, March 30, 2019 at 7pm and tomorrow, Sunday, March 31, 2019 at 3pm. Tickets are $7 and are available at the door. Make sure to bring cash in order to buy your tickets, any concessions, and any items from the gift shop.

LaGrange Senior High is located at 3420 Louisiana Ave, Lake Charles, LA 70607. The play is held in the auditorium.

Forever Plaid in Lake Charles, LA for Seven More Performances

Four young singers in doo wop group similar to The Platters and The Diamonds, stand on stage singing into really long handles of plungers. Later on, one of them sits on a stool and croons a toon while the other three run around frantically trying to act out what would be like a full hour of The Ed Sullivan Show in less than four minutes.

These four singers are Sparky, Smudge, Jinx, and Francis. They are respectively played by Cole Becton, Jaylin Williams, Clay Corley, and Quaid Nichols. The singing group is known as The Plaids. At first, they are dressed in what seems to be an oddly bedazzling white. However, when the plot is that they come back to earth after being killed and having to spend time somewhere between earth and heaven, of which where that exactly is, they aren't sure, it makes more sense.

It isn't explicitly stated in the play, but it seems like the Plaids must perform one last concert before they are allowed to go to heaven. There are quite a few props used throughout the play to change their looks, but there is one big change before the last song.

Michael Parker joins Becton, Williams, Corley, and Nichols on stage as the pianist that "came with the room." All of these young actors have great talent and voices that would allow them to be professionals if the opportunity arose. While lighting for a play is always important, the lighting in this play is almost an actor itself. The lighting designer is Dennis Murdock. The play is directed by Dan Sadler.

Forever Plaid is playing at The Lake Charles Little Theater located 813 Enterprise Blvd., Lake Charles, LA 70601.

You can see this play in Lake Charles for seven more performances. You can see the play at the following times:

• Sunday, February 10, 2019 at 2pm
• Friday, February 15, 2019 at 7:30pm
• Saturday, February 16, 2019 at 7:30pm
• Sunday, February 17, 2019 at 2pm
• Friday, February 22, 2019 at 7:30pm
• Saturday, February 23, 2019 at 7:30
• Sunday, February 24, 2019 at 2pm

Tickets are $20 for adults, $15 for seniors (those 65 years of age or higher), and $10 for students. Tickets can be bought online at The Vendini Site for Forever Plaid at Lake Charles Little Theater, by calling the theatre at 337-433-7988, or at the box office before the show starts. However, judging from the crowd on a cold Saturday night, it is probably best if you secure your tickets by buying them online.

Songs for a New World in LakeCharles, LA for Two More Performanes!

A woman walks along a balcony and sing and almost screams to Murray about the things that he never buys her. She lets him know she knows about the other women and al the things that he says claiming that she is embarrassing. She threatens to jump from the balcony. When the song ends, we don't whether she jumped or not. All we know is that it stopped at a point where she could've made either decision to jump or to walk back into the building. Lara Conally sings this song and gives a edge-of-your seat performance.

There isn't a name to the character that Connally plays because none of the roles in the play are actually one character. This play lies somewhere between a musical and a song cycle. However, it is really an abstract musical that is kept connected because all of the songs in it have the theme of making a choice. Songs for a New World is written by Jason Robert Brown

Other actors in are Tyler Brumback, Peyton Stanford, MaryKate Core, Amy Phillips, and Heather Foreman. This performance is directed by Renee Luedders, the music is directed by Garry Leonberger, and the band is directed by Hasmig Aroian. The technical director is Michelle Brunson and the stage manager is Luke Connally.

The talent to watch for in this play is definitely Tyler Brumback and with a little bit more experience and education, Peyton Stanford.

Others that helped or are helping with rehearsal, technical aspects, and design are Tony James Isaiah Windsor, Brent Lensing,Keegan Crawford, Tyler Young, Jacob Miller, Madelyn Wright, Hannah Jolivette, Rebecca Harris, Leroy Tademy, Himshree Neupane, Jennifer Tolbert, and Sean Hinchee.

You can see the performance of this play two more times.

Saturday, January 12 at 7:30pm
Sunday, January 13 at 2pm


The play is being performed at Tritico Theatre in the Shearman Fine Arts Annex at McNeese State University. The main address of the university is 4205 Ryan St, Lake Charles, LA 70605. Tritico Theatre is located across from Raising Cane's on Ryan St. and Walgreens on Ryan St. and E. Sale St.

Blog will be back

I'm sorry that I've not written a blog in a long time. I am not exactly sure what happened to me, but I have had to take a break to take care of my mental, emotional, and physical health. The blog will update when I am feeling better, although I cannot promise a daily blog. Thank you - Theatre Geek

Hypocrite - Theatre Etymology - Part 53

Most people know that if they call somebody a hypocrite, that means they think that the person is pretending to be one way or pretends that he or she does something when the opposite is true. A person may go out and act like he or she gives tons of money to charitable causes when really, all the person does is try to get even the poorest people to spend money on whatever he or she is selling. Maybe a person goes out in public and says or at least acts like he or she never uses bad language, but at home that person constantly uses swear words.

A quick overview of the etymology of the word hypocrite tells us that it comes from the Middle English word ipocrite which comes from the Old French which comes from the Late Latin word hypocrita which comes from the Greek word hypokritḗs (ὑποκριτής in the original Greek) meaning a stage actor, pretender, or dissembler.

The short etymology tells us that the word comes from the theatre being that it could mean a stage actor. However, there is more to the word. The word hypocrite is actually a compound word when coming from the Greek. It is made up of the Greek words hypo and krisis. Hypo means under and krisis means to distinguish, to judge, or to interpret. This makes the word hypocrite mean somebody who interprets from under.

This may sound strange at first, but it isn't. In Greek theatre, the actors would wear huge masks. Each mask was different so audiences could tell the characters apart. Because actors wore these masks, they were known to interpret the story of the play from under the masks.

The word eventually moved into vocabulary meaning any person who pretended to be something they were not. It was often used in religious texts to refer to people who pretended to be pious or morally good, but were not. At this time, it was often spelled ypocrite. The form of the word as hypocrite seems to have come about sometime in the 1500s.

In the early 1700s, hypocrite started to mean a person who acts in opposite ways to what he or she states about his or her beliefs or feelings. As far as language goes, this seems to be a surprisingly long time.

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Hanky-Panky - Theatre Etymology - Part 52

When people today hear "hanky-panky," they tend to think that it has to do with people engaging in sexual activity. After all, that is how most people use the term. It can also mean bad behavior or trickery. It is this second definition that comes from the theatre and performances.

The term hanky-panky originated in the 1840s. It is thought that it came from the magician's handkerchief and might be an alteration of hocus pocus. The first time it appeared in print seems to confirm these theories. It was in 1841 in the British humor magazine Punch, or the London Charivari. It stated, "Only a little hanky-panky, my lud. The people likes it; they loves to be cheated before their faces. One, two, three – presto – begone. I’ll show your ludship as pretty a trick of putting a piece of money in your eye and taking it out of your elbow, as you ever beheld."

By the 1900s, the meaning of loving or sexual activity became associated with the term hanky-panky. It is likely that the term became and stayed popular because of the rhyming words.

The origin of hanky-panky (neither term having a meaning that means the same thing when the words are put together) is considered an H-P rhyming compound created sometime between 1835 and 1845. Other H-P rhyming compounds are hocus-pocus, higgledy-piggledy, hinky-pinky, hinkity-pinkity, hodgepodge, and hokey-pokey.

Hanky-panky has since been used for the title of many things. A few of these things are musical albums by Tommy James and the Shondells and a musical album by Hank Jones. There's also an episode of King of the Hill titled "Hanky Panky" and 1982 and 2017 films.

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Winter Wonderettes in Lake Charles, LA for Seven More Performances!

Four girls, each dressed in their own color dress, stand in a line, singing Christmas carols. They've been hired as the entertainment for Harper's Hardware Holiday Party. During one of them, one of the girls, Betty Lou, does not want to sing in German, so while she sings in German, she does it not so well, even though the other girls congratulate her. During the whole time, the girls are waiting for Santa to appear, but he never does. Other antics take place that even include audience members. This is just part of the fun that is Winter Wonderettes.

The play is full of 60s versions of Christmas carols. It is family friendly and will easily be enjoyed by all ages. This is a great way to spend a Friday or Saturday night or a Sunday afternoon.

Shauna Temple plays Betty Jean, Victoria Burton plays Missy, Markie Hebert plays Suzy, Allison Marino plays Cindy Lou, Rebecca Harris and Sydney Landry play elves. Trip Wamsley, Michael Parker, (and I think one other - but I forgot my program right now, so I don't have all the names). I also apologize if I have any of the names wrong for the actresses and will fix them later.

You can still see the show at the following dates and times.

• Sunday, November 25, 2018 at 2pm
• Friday, November 30, 2018 at 7:30pm
• Saturday, December 1, 2018 at 7:30pm
• Sunday, December 2, 2018 at 2pm
• Friday, December 7, 2018 at 7:30pm
• Saturday, December 8, 2018 at 7:30pm
• Sunday, December 9, 2018 at 2pm

You can buy tickets for the show online at The vendini site for Winter Wonderettes at Lake Charles Little Theatre. Tickets are also available at the door, but with a show that is this popular, tickets may easily sell out.
All shows take place at The Lake Charles Little Theatre which is located at 813 Enterprise Blvd in Lake Charles, Louisiana 70605. You can call the theatre at (337) 433-7985.

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Explode - Theatre Etymology - Part 51

Most people know that explode basically means to burst open and usually to scatter pieces of whatever burst open all over the place. Of course, sometimes the word explode is used figuratively such as a person exploding with talent. That is still meant to convey that the person scatters talent all over the place.

The etymology of the word explode ties directly into its origin in the theatre. Explode comes from the Latin word explōdere meaning to drive off by clapping, or to drive away. It is the equivalent to the Latin prefix ex- which is a combining form of e and the preposition ē meaning out of, from, or beyond and the stem plod- which is a variant of the stem plaudere meaning to clap or beat.

This etymology matters because in the Roman theatre, it was common practice to applaud when an act was not liked. The applause was meant to drive an actor off of the stage. So, while explode usually now has a positive connotation when used in the theatre (unless something is literally going to explode when it isn't meant to explode), it has turned from negative into positive. It is now wanted that an audience explodes with applause because they appreciate the performance.

Some historians think that applause started as pausitive in other cultures ad continued and finally got mixed into the Roman culture. Others think that Romans made it a positive action by having an actor come out at the end of the show and basically say what translated to "Goodbye and applause."

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Twinkle Toes - Theatre Etymology - Part 50

If somebody is called twinkle toes, it tends to mean that he or she is light on his or her feet. It may also mean that the person is a good dancer. The phrase is usually used as a compliment.

It is likely that this phrase originated in dance rather than from theatre. However, both are closely related. It could have bee that a person who had to dance for theatre was called twinkle toes. There is not a certain story of origin for this phrase.

Twinkle comes from the Middle English verb twinklen or the Old English verb twinclian. Toes is the plural of toe. Toe comes from the Middle English word and the Old English word tā. It may also come from the Dutch word teen, the German word Zehe, or the Old Norse word tā.

Twinkle toes is now often used to name dance companies or dance classes, especially for little girls. It has also been used to name the shoes that light up when children walk in them. It may be found in names of makeup or shoe paint as well.

An example of how twinkle toes is used to mean light on one's feet is found in the face that Fred Flintstone's bowling nickname is twinkletoes. A video of the reason for this can be viewed below.



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Strut Your Stuff - Theatre Etymology - Part 49

If you strut your stuff, it means that you act with confidence or that you show off your talents or fashion with pride. It can also mean to behave in a pretention and showy manner. It may also mean that you want to show people that you can do well.

While there isn't a clear theatre origin for this phrase, it seems pretty obvious that it probably came from some type of performing arts, so likely, the theatre. When used in a performing arts sense, it means to show off how good you are at performing. An actor struts his stuff on stage when he is good. A ham may strut his stuff even if he isn't a good actor.

The word strut comes from the Middle English word strouten meaning to protrude stiffly, swell, or bluster or the Old English word strūtian meaning to struggle. The Old English is a derivative of *strūt coming from the Middle English word strut meaning strife.

The word you comes from the Middle English and the Old English word ēower which are genitives of gē. a form of ye. It could also desecend from the German word euer.

The word stuff comes from the late Middle English verb stuffen meaning to equip or furnish which comes from the Old French verb estoffer meaning to stuff which comes from the Frankish verbs *stopfōn and *stoppōn which are akin to the word stop. The word stuff could also come from the Middle English noun which comes from the Old French word estoffe which is a derivative of the verb.

Today, there are many theatre and dance companies that use the phrase "strut your stuff" for their names. There are also songs such as the following song from 1980 by Young and Company called "Strut Your Stuff."



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To Sing a Different Tune - Theatre Etymology - Part 48

If somebody sings a different tune, it means they have changed their opinion about an issue or a person. This often means from bad to good. However, it does not have to be that way. It just means that the opinion has changed. Many dictionaries define the phrase as changing the way one talks about something. This would show some literal type of sound, but that does not have to be how it is, either. Of course, this does not have to do with literal singing.

While the exact source of the phrase is not clear, it might have its beginnings in the theatre. TV Tropes has an article about a Counterpoint Duet. This is where one character sings one tune to a set of chords and another character sings a different tune to that set of chords. This is to show that the characters have different opinions. If the characters come to have the same opnion, they may both end up singing a different tune to the set of chords. If only one changes his or her opinion, the tune may change to the other character's tune.

The word sing comes from the Middle English word singen or the Old English word singan. It cold also be derived from the Dutch word zingen, the German word singen, the Old Norse word syngva, or the Gothic word siggwan. The word different comes from Middle English which comes from Anglo-French which comes from the Latin prefix different- (which is a stem of differens). It also comes from the present participle of the Latin word differre. The word tune comes from Middle English variation of tone which comes from Middle English which comes from the Latin word tonus which comes from the Greek word tónos meaning strain, tone, or mode. It literally means a stretching and is akin to teínein meaning to stretch.

You can watch a video about the idiom "to sing a different tune" from USEmbassyBogota below.



An example of a counterpoint melody is "I Think I Got You Beat" from Shrek: The Musical. You can watch the video below and hear how Sherk and Fiona disagree, but then in their disagreement start to have a moment where they come to "sing a different tune" about each other even though it isn't shown outright.



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To Get Into the Groove - Theatre Etymology - Part 47

If you get into the groove of something, it means that you become comfortable with doing that thing. Today, it is used in the theatre to mean that a person is getting used to acting or is getting comfortable in the role or position they are in within the theatre. However, even though the term is still used in the theatre, it had a different start within it.

During the 1600s, scenery was changed by having a set of grooves on the stage floor in which flats were inserted. They could be moved for scene changes by using a pole that hooked onto them to move them where they needed to be. Thus, when a flat was in position for the current setting, it was "into the groove." People had to get flats "to get into groove" in order for them to be in the correct places for the show.

The word get comes from the Middle English verb geten which comes from the Old Norse word geta meaning to obtain or beget. It could also be descended from the Old English suffix -gietan (which comes from the Middle English word yeten), the German suffix -gessen as in the German word vergessen meaning to forget. The word groove comes from the Middle English word grofe or groof meaning mining shaft. It may also be descended from the Middle Dutch word groeve, the Dutch word groef, or the German word Grube meaning pit or ditch.

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To Drag Your Feet - Theatre Etymology - Part 46

To drag you feet can have a literal meaning of actually not picking up your feet and dragging them along the floor so a part of the foot touches the floor. It can also have the meaning of doing something else that is not what needs to be done. This is in order to delay what needs to be done. This can be as simple as actually walking somewhere or it may mean doing an activity that is different to the one that needs to be done. You might also do the activity, but do is slowly and reluctantly because you do not want to do it.

Sometimes it is said that a person drags his or her heels rather than feet. Both ways work. It seems that this phrase might come from the theatre when describing a type of walk for a character who does not want to do what he or she is supposed to do in the play. The character is know to drag his or her feet or heels. Another way some scripts may write this is that the character may shuffle.

The word drag comes from the Middle English noun and verb which probably comes from the Middle Low German word dragge, grapnel, or draggen meaning to dredge. The word foot comes from the Middle English and Old English word fōt. It is also descended from the German word Fuss which is akin to the Latin word pēs and the Latin stem ped-, as well as the Greek word poús and the Greek stem pod-.The word shuffle comes from the Low German word schuffeln meaning to walk clumsily or with dragging feet, or mix (cards). The root of shuffle is akin to the root of shovel.

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