Special to the American Press

The Lake Charles Little Theatre, at age 97 the area’s pioneer arts organization, continues to offer entertainment for audiences and acting/singing opportunities for local talent.

It kicked off the 2023-24 season with “On With the Show,” a musical salute to LCLT’s near-century in town — a show written and directed by LCLT board president Brett Downer.

Next up at LCLT for 2023-24 is a revival of one of its most popular offerings, the hilarious Dan Goggin musical “Nunsense.”

The laugh-out-loud comedy has the hapless Little Sisters of Hoboken trying to stage “Grease” as a fundraiser. It’s a disaster in motion, but an endearing one.

Joy Pace is the director, featuring a cast of singing “nuns” whose company ranges from LCLT first-timers to veterans of past “Nunsense” casts.

“Nunsense” runs at 7 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, Sept. 21-23, and 2 p.m. Sept. 24. Like all LCLT mainstage shows this season, it will be performed at Southlake Theater, the new state-of-the art performance space near the intersection of Nelson and Country Club roads.

Leslie Harless is the producer of the show.

LCLT will present the musical “Scrooge” by Leslie Bricusse, in a semi-costumed, sing-along concert style — with Southlake Theatre’s wall-to-wall video backdrop displaying imaginative of Victorian scenes. Show dates will be Nov. 30 and Dec. 1-3. Open auditions will be in October.

Spring will bring “Ain’t Misbehavin,” an energetic song-and-dance tribute to 1930s jazz pianist Fats Waller, on Feb. 22-25, at Southlake. Open auditions will be in January.

Another show will follow in May. That title will be announced at the turn of the year.

LCLT will also be live on the air, in partnership with KBYS-FM, the McNeese State University community radio station, for a pair of shows:

• “War of the Worlds,” the famed Orson Welles “panic broadcast” of 1939, will be re-created live on Oct. 27. Open auditions will be in October.

• “It’s a Wonderful Life,” featuring nostalgic local “commercials” for businesses of yesteryear, will have its annual live broadcast on Dec. 15. Open auditions will be in December.

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For more information, tickets, underwriting, opportunities to volunteer offstage, and audition news, visit lclittletheatre.com and the Lake Charles Little Theatre page on Facebook.