By Jeanni Ritchie
There are theatres you visit, and then there are theatres that mark the seasons of your life. For me, the Saenger Theatre in New Orleans has always been the latter.
Over the years, I’ve seen more than two dozen shows here. I spent my 30th birthday at the Saenger watching Beauty and the Beast with my two oldest daughters, a weekend gift from my parents. My grown daughters later returned the favor with Aladdin and a girls’ weekend in New Orleans. I’ve shared Mamma Mia! with my mom, sister, and niece. Even my NOLA travel assignments mostly orbit Broadway dates. The Saenger isn’t just where I go to see shows — it’s where memories quietly collect between acts.
Opened on February 4, 1927, the Saenger Theatre was designed to feel like an Italian Baroque courtyard, complete with ornate architectural details, classical statues, and a ceiling that gives the illusion of an open night sky. Built for $2.5 million at the time (roughly $34 million today), it originally welcomed more than 4,000 guests to silent films and live performances for just 65 cents a ticket.
As entertainment evolved, so did the Saenger — from silent films to talkies, Broadway productions, concerts, and live events — until Hurricane Katrina devastated the theatre in 2005, when floodwaters rose 14 feet and submerged the orchestra level. After an eight-year, $53 million restoration, the Saenger reopened in 2013, carefully returned to its 1927 beauty using historical photographs to recreate lighting fixtures, finishes, and architectural details.
Most recently, I returned to the Saenger for Back to the Future: The Musical, a show I’d waited two years to see. The touring production stays true to the beloved 1985 film, blending nostalgia, humor, and impressive stagecraft into a fast-moving, crowd-pleasing performance. From the moment Marty McFly stepped on stage, it was easy to forget this wasn’t Michael J. Fox — Lucas Hallauer captured the spirit of the character so well that I was fully immersed all over again.
Standout moments included Lorraine’s numbers like “Something About That Boy,” Doc Brown’s heartfelt “For the Dreamers,” and the jaw-dropping use of modern stage effects, including a very real DeLorean brought to life on stage. The ensemble — through choreography, costumes, and precision — elevated the production even further. As always, I teared up during the curtain call before clapping along to an encore number.
What keeps audiences coming back, year after year, is the Saenger’s range. Professionally managed by the Ambassador Theatre Group, the venue hosts more than 100 performances annually, spanning Broadway tours, concerts, comedy, family shows, and special events.
Shortly after Back to the Future’s run, my parents headed to New Orleans for their second Mannheim Steamroller concert of the season. They chase their favorites just as I chase mine!
Upcoming highlights include Water for Elephants (February 3–8, 2026), The Phantom of the Opera (March 4–15, 2026), Wanda Sykes’ Please & Thank You tour (March 19, 2026), The Thorn (March 20–21, 2026), Robert Plant with Saving Grace (March 22, 2026), and The Great Gatsby: A New Musical (March 24–29, 2026). The diversity of programming is part of what makes the Saenger such a cultural anchor — not just for New Orleans, but for the whole Southern region.
Some places impress you once. Others invite you back for a lifetime. The Saenger Theatre is interwoven into the fabric of my life.
Jeanni Ritchie is a travel writer from Central Louisiana. She can be reached at jeanniritchie54@gmail.com.
