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Joy Theater on Canal Street comes back to life, 6 years after Katrina Throughout its history as a Canal Street movie house, the Joy Theater was always the kid brother to the older, elegant downtown picture palaces. Because it was a generation younger than its counterparts, the Joy epitomized streamlined design, which meant it lacked the older theaters' jaw-dropping architectural refinements, including statuary, fountains and alcoves. Most of its pictures came from Universal, a much less prestigious studio than Warner Bros. or 20th Century Fox. But come Dec. 29, the Joy will be the one in the spotlight, as it becomes the first downtown theater to reopen on a permanent basis since Hurricane Katrina. Read More >>

Joy Theater open on Canal Street The Canal Street corridor is being revitalized one landmark at a time. More than 6 years after it closed and was damaged by Hurricane Katrina, the Joy Theater is back! Mike Theis was there on opening night with the Best Seat in the House. Read More >>

Irma Thomas sparkled during the Joy Theater’s opening night performance During Thursday’s opening night performance at the newly refurbished Joy Theater, Irma Thomas dedicated a cover of Etta James’ “At Last” to the contractors, owners and workers who toiled for months to remake the crumbling movie house into a live entertainment venue. “When they nailed that last nail and put in that last chair, I’m sure they said, ‘At last!’” Read More >>

The Unsung Hero Who Helped Bring the Joy Back to New Orleans As Irma Thomas took the stage on December 29, the historic Joy Theater restored from the inundation of Katrina, came back to life. “This is a great chance for a renaissance of this part of Canal Street, to give everybody, not just tourists but the locals, something exciting to do,” Joe Jaeger, one of developers who salvaged the Joy, told The Associated Press. He and his partners transformed the circa 1947 movie-house into a music, concert, and theater venue that can host over 750 patrons a night. Yet, forgotten throughout the festivities, as stars like Thomas and Kermit Ruffins sung to local luminaries awed by the perfect blend of historic restoration and state-of-the-art sound-systems, was that the rebirth of theatrical Canal Street might never have happened were it not for Roger Wilson. Read More >>

No More Joy – the Rise and Fall of New Orleans’ Movie Theaters View the story of how social changes, technology, and the distribution of films contributed to the rise and fall of New Orleans' movie theatres, including the original Joy Movie Theater on historic Canal Street. Journey from the beginning of the Twentieth Century to the present and reminisce over the places New Orleanians went to the movies. No More Joy is a documentary that was finished in 2004 and combines hundreds of original photographs with interviews in a compelling story of how the film exhibition industry continues to go through changes in the New Orleans area. No doubt the results of hurricane Katrina will force more independently-owned theatres to close their doors. The Joy Theater has since been fully renovated and repurposed as a multi-purpose venue that features live music, live theater, comedy performances and much more. With a grand opening of December 29, 2011, it's rebirth is worthy of the city of New Orleans, whose grit and determination is a part of the culture of the people of Louisiana. Read More >>

The Joy Is Back! It was a classic, New Orleans-style celebration marking the rebirth of a historic venue. Tuesday evening, with the Baby Boyz Brass Band providing the soundtrack, soul singer Irma Thomas officially flipped the switch, lighting up the Joy Theater marquee once again. After months of renovations, the theater is set to reopen with a concert Dec. 29. Read More >>

The Joy Theater Brings Entertainment to Canal Street With the reopening of The Joy Theater, entertainment returns to the upper-end of Canal Street. Live music, comedy, and theatrical productions are all part of the vision. Additionally, there are plans to create unique productions that highlight the heritage of New Orleans culture. Musical productions highlighting R&Street both have a rich history. Read More >>

Joy Theater to open with trio of concerts in December According to WWL-TV's Scott Satchfield, The Joy Theater on Canal Street will reopen on Dec. 29 with a bang, starting with Irma Thomas and Lance Ellis on that date, and continuing with a string of shows. The following night, Dec. 30, Cyril Neville's Tribe 13 and Soul Rebels Brass Band will play, and Kermit Ruffins and the BBQ Swingers will perform on New Year's Eve. Read More >>