Director Donald Byrd follows WHITE NOISE with AIDA At Le Petit in New Orleans

Le Petit Théâtre du Vieux Carré's 94th season opens on September 3rd with Elton John and Tim Rice's "Aida," directed by Tony Award-nominated choreographer and director Donald Byrd. Le Petit is the nation's oldest continuously operating community-based theater. Byrd signed on to direct "Aida" after co-directing the smash pre-Broadway hit "White Noise" at Le Petit in July and offered to be part of the kick-off to the historic theater's rebirth.

"Last spring, Le Petit was really struggling," said Gary Solomon, Jr., president of Solomon Group, the theater's new managers. "When we came in, we saw tremendous opportunity to bring the place back to life, to solvency, and to offer the community a contemporary theatergoer's experience. Donald's presence supports that effort and is a real credit to the caliber of New Orleans' theater professionals."

Under Byrd's direction, "White Noise" garnered local and national acclaim. "It was a pleasure to be part of the New Orleans theater community during White Noise," said Byrd. "I jumped at the opportunity to linger a while longer and to direct ‘Aida' in a wonderful city that I've come to feel very much a part of, with such fine theatrical talent."

Donald Byrd brings an extraordinary level of expertise and experience to the Le Petit production, having led his own critically acclaimed and highly regarded contemporary dance company from 1978 to 2002. An accomplished creator of more than 80 works, Byrd has served on the faculty of celebrated university programs across the nation and served as a fellow at The Institute on the Arts and Civic Dialogue at Harvard. Byrd's stage work includes choreography for Broadway's "The Color Purple," which earned him a Tony Award nomination.

Recent coverage by The Times-Picayune called the production "the latest step in the rapid turnaround of Le Petit." That turnaround has included "a brand-new approach to subscriptions; introducing reserved seating for the first time at Le Petit; a slate of productions that really fit the space; and a host of additional events from local and visiting groups," according to Solomon.

"This is what theater by the New Orleans community, and for the New Orleans community should be - accessible, entertaining and innovative," said Solomon. "The rebirth of Le Petit has entailed five months of hard work by a very dedicated team of volunteers and board members who are all committed to keeping the longest continuously running community theatre not only alive, but thriving. I'm thrilled with the results of our efforts and the excitement building as we start our 94th season."

Following "Aida," Le Petit's 2009-2010 season includes "Damn Yankees," "13," "Grey Gardens," and "The Wedding Singer," as well as a special holiday presentation of Irving Berlin's "White Christmas."

Patrons seeking tickets, student pricing and subscription information, please visit Le Petit's Box Office online at www.lepetittheatre.com, or call 504-522-2081.

 

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