We’ve got your weekend: From Fringe Fest and Prospect4 to pure pleasure

Manna Nichols and Kavin Panmeechao in Rodgers & Hammerstein’s The King and I (photo by: Matthew Murphy)

Wednesday, November 15/Generation Hall (310 Andrew Higgins Drive): New Orleans hospitality and entertainment leaders have banded together (yes, the pun is intended) and announced the formation of Playing it Back: Hurricane Relief Benefit Concert, a major fundraising event for the recent storm victims of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma. The relief concert will raise funds for the Cajun Navy Relief and the Junior League New Orleans’ diaper bank. The benefit concert will feature live performances by Rockin’ Dopsie, Jr., The Phunky Monkeys and Armando Leduc y Salsa Royal. Tickets for the event are now on sale for $20 and can be purchased here.

Thursday, November 16/The Saenger Theater (1111 Canal Street): Has it been a while since you’ve felt like the King of the World? Although you may not be able to play a king, starting this week you can see a king in action, but a cool king. You know, the kind that are on stage and not actually ruling anyone. What are we talking about? We’re not sure, but we do know that The King and I will be at the Saenger Theater! The show opened on Tuesday, November 14 and it will be running until Sunday, November 19. Tickets start at $31, and you can purchase them here.

Thursday, November 16-Monday, November 20/Court 13 Headquarters (2801 Franklin Avenue): In this city, we do pleasure pleasurably. What does that mean? Again, we aren’t sure, but we do know that Always for Pleasure is happening this week. That means 5 days of movies, music, art, performance and mayhem, showcasing new work from the Court 13 Artists-in-Residence, movies by filmmakers from New Orleans and beyond, and the world’s only known Karaoke Parade. There’s too many events to list, so check out the Always for Pleasure page, and get yourself ready for overwhelming pleasure.

Thursday, November 16-Sunday November, 19/1000 North Rampart Street: What does the DuBoisian double-consciousness look like in the age of the surveillance state? What is the Matrix doing to the souls of black folk? What have you been hushing at the dinner table, the boardroom, the checkout counter, so not to be “that” person? Through narrative poems that speak my heart, the amazing Michael Quess Moore (aka. A Scribe Called Quess?) will attempt to answer these questions and spawn so many more in his most recent book, Sleeper Cell. Through multi-media and performance, this one man show will bring the words to life, and you can be a part of it. This performance is part of Fringe Fest, which start November 15, and you can get your $10 ticket here.

Saturday, November 18/New Orleans Photo Alliance (1111 St. Mary Street): What does “self” actually mean? You can contemplate this while viewing Samantha Geballe’s work at the New Orleans Photo Alliance this weekend. Samantha Geballe makes self-portraits in order to reverse the perspective of how she sees herself with that of the viewer. The show is called Self-Untitled, and envisions the feeling that false interpretation provokes. From images to video, to questioning yourself and others, the night begins at 6:00 PM with an artist talk at 7:00 PM. For full details, you can check out the NOPA website.

Saturday, November 18/All around the city: Prospect.4: The Lotus in Spite of the Swamp is the fourth iteration of the international contemporary art triennial, on view to the public from November 18 through February 25, aligning with the City of New Orleans’ Tricentennial celebration. This means new installations, exhibits, and performances all around New Orleans. For a full list of where and when to see the exhibits, check out Prospects website, and simply keep your eyes open for some new beauty in the city.

Sunday, November 19/Contemporary Arts Center (900 Camp Street): Following her acclaimed performances of ReVUE at the CAC in 2014, Sidra Bell returns with the world premiere of her new work, Mönster Outside, created in collaboration with Swedish composer Per Störby, his critically acclaimed chamber ensemble New Tide Orquesta, and set designer Amy Rubin to develop a voyeuristic discourse about the nature of outliers in contemporary society. This performance is said to be playful and disturbing, as narrated by the band’s experimental vocalization. The piece will be performed in a multitiered stage arena of moving parts and screen filters designed by the dynamic design team Amith Chandrashaker and Amy Rubin. Marrying dance, theater, chamber music, vocal scoring and scenic and lighting design, sounds like an instersting Sunday night to us. Tickets are $35 (advance) $40 (at the door), and the show begins at 7:30 PM. For full information, check out the CAC’s website.