Arts & Culture

The desire to source food locally has caused many restaurants to reevaluate how they do business. That's just one of the reasons why a local chef has transformed a patch of land across from his establishment into an urban farmstead. On this week's Notes from New Orleans we'll hear how farming is just one of the many responsibilities juggled by Johnny Blancher.

To read a related article written by Sharon Litwin, visit Nolavie.com.

It is an invasion of British humor with a local twist, as a popular 1950's comedy show makes a comeback in the Metro area. We go Inside the Arts for a sneak peek at the GooNOLAs, a live radio slapstick-comedy stage production, reminiscent of the old Goon Show.

Performances are June 1 and 2, at 7:30 p.m. at Deutsches Haus, 1023 Ridgewood Drive, Metairie. Doors open at 6 p.m.  More info at www.goonolas.com

I'll always love big musicals. Shows like Hairspray and Anything Goes just want to make me happy, and if they don't change my life, then so what? There are worse things than smiling for two hours while 35 hotties nail a synchronized tap number on the prow of a boat.

But sometimes, I love a musical that makes me come to it. Instead of singing in my face, a show like that whispers in my ear, giving me a private message to consider on the way home.

Actor, singer and comedian David Hyde Pierce is best known for his Emmy-winning role as Niles Crane on the long-running TV series Frasier. He's also a Tony-winning actor for his role in Curtains. As a child, Pierce began in classical music as a pianist, but one summer, that all changed.

New Orleans is now home to the brand-new Birdfoot Chamber Music Festival, which is garnering attention from musicians across the globe.

We go Inside the Arts as three days of concerts kick off this inaugural fest, with performances tonight at the Old U.S. Mint in the French Quarter.

More info at birdfootcmf.org

Mike Nichols has won every major entertainment award over a decades-long career that includes theater, comedy, television and film. He performed as half of the comedy team Nichols and May, won his first Academy Award directing The Graduate, and returned to Broadway with a revival of Death of a Salesman, which picked up seven Tony nominations. Nichols warns that the production may be his last.