Cultural Arts in January
January 2013

As a New Year begins, the cultural season in New Orleans continues at the peak level of the previous year, with Broadway shows, classical music performances, live stage productions and other forms of lively entertainment heading the bill for January.

New Jersey comes to New Orleans on the 8th when Broadway Across America brings its vintage 1960s production of Jersey Boys (the Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons story) to the stage of the Mahalia Jackson Theater. The music of Queen "will rock you" on the 4th and 5th when the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra interprets the greatest hits of this top group from the '80s and '90s. World-renowned dancer/choreographer Jessica Lang introduces her brand-new, innovative, namesake dance company to the Crescent City from the 18th to the 20th and local theatres present more lively Broadway-style fare as well as original works.

All this and more is on tap for January here in "America's First City of Culture." And, speaking of "on tap," New Orleans Opera has some of that coming up on January 19. And, for even more lively free entertainment, come hear Bon Operatit! sing some of their "favorite things" from Rodgers and Hammerstein on the 9th. For full details on these events and more read on:

One Vision - The Music of Queen
January 4-5, 2013

Venue: Mahalia Jackson Theater for the Performing Arts
Presenting Organization: Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra
Tickets: Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra

"Mama Mia, Mama Mia"! Get ready for an amazingly musical night when Michael Shotton teams up with the LPO to pay homage to Freddie Mercury and Queen. You will hear orchestral interpretations of such Queen standards as "We Will Rock You," "We are the Champions of the World," "Another One Bites the Dust" and, of course, their twisted take on life as capsulized in "Bohemian Rhapsody."

Show times are 8:00 p.m. on both nights. For more information, including ticket availability, call 523-6350 or visit www.lpomusic.com.

Venus in Fur
January 4-24, 2013

Venue: Contemporary Arts Center
Presenting Organization: Southern Repertory Theater
Tickets: Southern Repertory Theater and Contemporary Arts Center

This sexy and seductive 2011-12 Tony Nominated comedy introduces Vanda, a seemingly unassuming, talented actress, determined to win the lead role by any means necessary. A frisky game of cat and mouse ensues and suddenly the lines blur between reality and play, seduction and power, and love and sex. An electrifyingly funny play that was "the most acclaimed new Broadway play of the season," it will be making its New Orleans debut with a preview on January 4 and officially opening the following night.

Performance times vary, with evening shows and weekend matinees. Call the CAC box office at 504-522-6545 or go online to www.southernrep.com.

Advisory: Recommended for ages 16 and above. Contains sexual themes and strong language.

Shut Up, Sweet Charlotte
January 4-19, 2013

Venue: Mid-City Theatre
Sponsoring Organizations: Mid-City Theatre
Tickets: Mid-City Theatre

An obvious parody of the 1964 horror classic, "Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte" (worded a bit more emphatically) this side-splitting comedy puts some of New Orleans' top comedic actors on the same stage for a three-week run at Mid-City Theatre.

The production brings together, on one stage, Varla Jean Merman, Ricky Graham, Yvette Hargis, Brian Peterson, Jack Long, Michael Sullivan and Brian Johnston. Tickets are $30 (plus a $2.64 fee) and show times vary. For more complete information, including show times, call the theatre at 504-488-1460, email them at info@MidCityTheatre.com or visit their website, www.midcitytheatre.com.

Jersey Boys
January 8-27, 2013

Venue: Mahalia Jackson Theater for the Performing Arts
Presenting Organization: Broadway Across America
Tickets: Broadway Across America, Ticketmaster or Mahalia Jackson Theater

"Sherry," "Big Girls Don't Cry," "Walk Like a Man," "Candy Girl," "Rag Doll," "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" . . . the hits just kept rolling, one after the other for The Four Seasons throughout the 1960s. But success didn't come easy or overnight for these four young, Italian-American, working-class kids from Newark, New Jersey and it certainly didn't come without its price.

Before they could develop their own unique vocal style, topped off by Frankie Valli's inimitable falsetto lead; before they could sell 175 million records worldwide, and before they could establish their worldwide following, they had to endure their own personal hardships and obstacles, some of which involved run-ins with the law and brushes with notorious gangsters. Winner of the 2006 Tony Award-winning Best Musical, Jersey Boys is their story, reaching behind the scenes of the musical milieu that made them pop icons from an era that was not as innocent as some have portrayed it. This is not just another "jukebox musical."

Good seats are still available for this third official production of the 2012-2013 season by Broadway in New Orleans. Show times vary. For more information about tickets, show times and the shows themselves, patrons can visit BroadwayInNewOrleans.com, call the Broadway Across America Ticket Hotline at 1-800-218-SHOW (7469), fax 1-800-535-2929 or email http://neworleans.broadway.com/shows/jersey-boys-baa/.

Opera Returns to Bourbon Street with Bon Operatit!:
"A Few of My Favorite Songs"
January 9, 2013

Venue: Four Points by Sheraton
Sponsoring Organizations: Four Points by Sheraton and Bon Operatit!
Tickets: FREE and Open to the Public; $5.00 Valet Parking Rate Available for Attendees

A talented trio of classically trained singers, consisting of tenor Jesse Nolan, mezzo-soprano Mary Penick Akin and soprano Lauren Mouney Gisclair, Bon Operatit! will be offering up "An Enchanted Evening" with "A Few of My Favorite Songs" from the songbook of Rodgers and Hammerstein.

For two hours Broadway music lovers will be entertained with classics from such R&H hit musicals as Oklahoma, South Pacific, The Sound of Music and more. This free performance will last from 7:00-9:00 p.m. at the Four Points by Sheraton French Quarter hotel in the heart of New Orleans' French Quarter, and the public is invited. Valet parking is available for a nominal $5 charge.

For more information about Bon Operatit! visit their website at www.bonoperatit.com. Copies of their newly released CD, along with their first one, will be on sale at the event.

Spanish Evening with Pepe Romero
January 10, 2013

Venue: First Baptist Church
Presenting Organization: Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra
Tickets: Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra

In the world of classical guitar music, Pepe Romero is an artist without peer. Over a long career, he has performed for and been honored by kings, heads of state, and major institutions. He has communicated the richness and beauty of the classical guitar to millions of people throughout the world becoming, in the process, an ambassador of classical music with the unique ability to span generations.

Romero will perform selections from Bizet's "Carmen Suites 1 and 2," Joaquin Rodrigo's "Concierto de Aranjuez," Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov's "Capriccio Espagnol" and Zarzuela Preludes and Intermezzos. LPO Musical Director Maestro Carlos Miguel Prieto conducts the 70-member LPO. Show time is 7:30 p.m. For more detailed information, including ticket availability, call 523-6350 or visit www.lpomusic.com.

The Class of '70 Something
January 11-27, 2013

Venue: Rivertown Theaters for the Performing Arts
Presenting Organization: Theater 13
Tickets: Rivertown Theaters for the Performing Arts

The original hit musical is back! Dust off your bellbottoms and platform shoes and get ready to take a rollicking journey through the 1970s with the groovy hits you remember. The producers guarantee you'll be dancing in the aisles!

Avenue Q
January 12-20, 2013

Venue: Jefferson Performing Arts Center
Presenting Organization: Jefferson Performing Arts Society
Tickets: Jefferson Performing Arts Society

Winner of the Tony "Triple Crown" for Best Musical, Best Score and Best Book, Avenue Q is an lol! (laugh-out-loud) musical that tells the timeless story of a recent college grad named Princeton who arrives in New York City with big dreams but a small wallet. Quickly discovering he can't afford Manhattan, he moves into a shabby apartment all the way out on Avenue Q, presumably in Queens or Brooklyn. He soon discovers that, although the residents seem nice and normal, this is not an ordinary neighborhood. Together, Princeton and his new-found friends (including Muppet-like hand puppets) struggle to find jobs, dates, and their ever-elusive purpose in life.

The show runs for approximately two hours with a 15-minute intermission. Show time is 7:30 p.m. Saturday and 3:00 p.m. Sunday and ticket discounts are available for children under 12, students, and seniors over 65. For more information go to www.jpas.org.

Advisory: Adult language and humor. Parental discretion is advised.

3x3: The One-Acts
January 14-15, 2013

Venue: Mid-City Theatre
Sponsoring Organizations: Southern Repertory Theater
Tickets: Mid-City Theatre

This ongoing series presents three one-act plays by New Orleans writers on each of two nights. On January 14 and 15, six local playwrights will have an opportunity to showcase their work before an audience in this Southern Rep-sponsored event.

Tickets are just $10 at the door (plus a $1.54 fee), and, yes, there will be cocktails. Shows start at 7:30 p.m. For directions and more detailed information go the Mid-City Theatre website at www.midcitytheatre.com.

Debauchery
January 16, 2013

Venue: Mid-City Theatre
Sponsoring Organizations: Southern Repertory Theater
Tickets: Southern Repertory Theater and Mid-City Theatre

Pat Bourgeois brings you Debauchery! The Soap Opera about a wealthy, eccentric family just trying to find love, family, and infamy in New Orleans. Will Buff tell Cartier that he is really Nick – long lost husband of her sister, Chanel? Will Chanel continue her marriage to dull, predictable Larsen, or will she consummate her coitus-interuptus honeymoon with Nick, who is now Buff? And, if Buff was impotent during his marriage to Cartier, who fathered the twins?

Come join the fun and find out! Performances start at 7:30 p.m.

Jessica Lang Dance
January 18-20, 2013

Venue: Freda Lupin Memorial Hall
Presenting Organization: New Orleans Ballet Association
Tickets: New Orleans Ballet Association

As a former Twyla Tharp dancer and graduate of the Juilliard School who created more than 75 stunning works for major companies, Jessica Lang became one of the most sought-after American choreographers. With credentials as impressive and prestigious as the Joffrey Ballet, Birmingham Royal Ballet and American Ballet Theatre, it surprised no one when she established her own namesake dance company. She launched her brand new company, Jessica Lang Dance, at the prestigious Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival in July 2012, and now New Orleans has the honor of being one of the first cities to feature the troupe.

The January 18 and 19 performances are at 8:00 p.m. and the January 20 performance is at 2:00 p.m. For tickets and information visit the New Orleans Ballet Association's website at www.nobadance.com.

NOTE: The January 19 performance is sold out but last minute seats may still become available.

Opera on Tap
January 19, 2013

Venue: Four Points by Sheraton
Sponsoring Organizations: New Orleans Opera Association
Tickets: None (FREE and Open to the Public)

The New Orleans Opera Association reprises its highly popular "Opera on Tap" program of light operatic and live stage fare at the French Quarter hotel that stands on the site of the historic, former French Opera House (1859-1919). Before you enter, be sure to read the plaque on the wall facing Bourbon Street adjacent to the main entrance. It will give you some of the history of the building that once served as the focal point for New Orleans' cultural scene.

Founded in 2007, Opera on Tap is enjoying ever-growing popularity, as evidenced by the increasing size of the audiences that come to hear them sing familiar (and not-so-familiar) opera arias and classic songs from hit musicals. The performance starts at 7:00 p.m. and runs until 8:30. It is free and open to the public. For more information visit the New Orleans Opera Association's website and Facebook page.

6x6
January 23, 2013

Venue: Mid-City Theatre
Sponsoring Organizations: Southern Repertory Theater
Tickets: Southern Repertory Theater and Mid-City Theatre

6x6 translates to 6 ten-minute plays by 6 playwrights. These six staged readings of six brand new ten-minute plays will explore themes close to the heart of New Orleans.

An ensemble of actors and directors will interpret and present staged, script-in-hand readings of the six new short plays written by the 6x6 Writers Group: James Bartelle, Gamal Chasten, Michael Aaron Santos, Lisa Shattuck, Jared Gore, Jon Broder, Paul Werner, Mike Harkins, Andy Vaught, Brittain Valenti, Lucy Faust, Brian Sands, Kerry Cahill, Mandy Zirkenbach, Pat Bourgeois and Madison Curry.

Tickets are just $10 at the door and, yes, there will be cocktails. For directions and more detailed information go the Mid-City Theatre website at www.midcitytheatre.com.

Beethoven Violin Concerto
January 26, 2013

Venue: First Baptist Church
Presenting Organization: Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra
Tickets: Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra

Maestro Carlos Miguel Prieto once again leads the 70-member LPO in an evening of works by German composers. The selections for the evening are Anton Webern's "Passacaglia," Ludwig Van Beethoven's "Violin Concerto" and Robert Schumann's "Symphony No. 3 "Rhenish."

Show time is 8:00 p.m. For more detailed information, including ticket availability, call 523-6350 or visit www.lpomusic.com.