Arts Listing

Arts

Dance

Terrebonne Folklife Cultural Center (Houma) 7910 Park Ave. Registration $5 for classes. (985) 873-6408.

“Cajun Dance Lessons,” Fridays, 6-7:30 p.m.

“Cajun Country Bands & Dancing,” Wednesdays, 5:30-7:30 p.m. Admission is $1. Food sells for $2. Jig Jagneaux & the Cajun Country Ramblers or Gene Bonvillain & the Playmates perform.

Houma Dance Spot (Houma) every Friday and Saturday night, at 9 p.m., at the Plantation Inn, 1381 W. Tunnel Blvd. (985) 868-0500.

Houma branch of USA Dance, Studio 371 (Houma) at 371 School St. (one block from St. Francis Cathedral). Classes are $10 per class per student; youth age 18 and under pay half price. (985) 655-3627 or visit www.studio-371.com.

Line Dance Classes (Thibodaux) at the Harang Municipal Auditorium. One-hour classes are $20 to $30 and are held Tuesdays only, at 4 p.m. and 5 p.m., through Dec. 13. (985) 446-7235.

Complexions Contemporary Ballet (Lafayette) Oct. 14, at the Heymann Performing Arts Center, at 7:30 p.m. The show is the work of co-artistic directors and former Alvin Ailey principal dancers Dwight Rhoden and Desmond Richardson. (337) 291-5555 or www.pasa-online.org.

Big Band Bash (Houma) Oct. 15, at the Houma-Terrebonne Civic Center, 346 Civic Center Blvd., beginning at 8 p.m. The Houma-Terrebonne Community Band performs big band hits. Admission is $12.50 at the door. (985) 637-3894.

Mark Morris Dance Group (New Orleans) Oct. 22, at the Mahalia Jackson Theatre for the Performing Arts. American dance icon Morris celebrates 30 years of dance with his tour group. Tickets are $20 to $125. (504) 522-0996, ext. 201 or www.nobadance.com.

Music

Cajun Music Jam Session (Thibodaux) Mondays from 5:30 to 7 p.m., at the Wetlands Acadian Cultural Center of Jean Lafitte National Historic Park and Preserve, 314 St. Mary St. (985) 448-1375. Local musician Jerry Moody, an accomplished accordion player, leads the sessions.

Bayou Music Festival (Golden Meadow) Oct. 1-2, at Oakridge Park, La. Highway 3235, from 10 to 2 a.m. Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Sunday. Features up to 15 south Louisiana bayou area bands – zydeco, country, rock and pop. (985) 632-4247 or (985) 696-4642.

Sunburst Media Presents Justin Moore (Houma) Oct. 2, at the Houma-Terrebonne Civic Center, 346 Civic Center Blvd., beginning at 7 p.m. Doors open at 5 p.m. Free to the public. Voodoo Bayou opens. (985) 868-9800.

8th Annual Voice of the Wetlands (VOW) Festival 2011 (Houma) Oct. 7-9, at Southdown Plantation House/The Terrebonne Museum, 1208 Museum Drive. Musical lineup features Tab Benoit and the Voice of the Wetlands Band and a host of others, as well as a variety of Cajun food. Open Friday from 5 to 10 p.m.; Saturday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. (985) 226-1004.

Billy Dean (Morgan City) Oct. 15, at the Scheier Theatre of the Morgan City Municipal Auditorium. Country crooner and actor performs. Season tickets are $45 (adults) and $10 (students) and include remaining six shows. (985) 385-2307.

Sean Jones (Morgan City) Oct. 31, at the Scheier Theatre of the Morgan City Municipal Auditorium. R&B and soul singer Jones’ voice has been described as “magnetic,” “captivating” and “genuinely soulful.” Season tickets are $45 (adults) and $10 (students) and include remaining six shows. (985) 385-2307.

“Downtown Live After 5” (Houma) Oct. 28, from 5 to 10 p.m., at Houma’s Courthouse Square. (985) 873-6408. Errol and the Blues Boys perform free. Concessions sold. Bring your lawn chairs.

St. Mary Parish Community Fund Chamber Music & Cocktails (Franklin) Oct. 29, from 7 to 10 p.m., at Oaklawn Manor, the home of former Gov. Mike Foster. Tickets are $125. Premier event to benefit community organizations and schools and to promote philanthropy locally. Includes heavy hors d’oeurvres and full bar.

Exhibits

The Ameen Art Gallery (Thibodaux) 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m., Monday through Friday, in Talbot Hall, room 200, on the campus of Nicholls State University. Online: www.nicholls.edu.

Bayou Lafourche Folklife and Heritage Museum (Lockport) 110 Main St., Tuesday and Thursday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Admission is $2 for adults, $1 for children under 12. (985) 532-5909.

“Bayou Excursion: 1910,” the museum’s permanent exhibit.

“Valentine Pulp Paper Company,” explores the people, the process and the products generated by the paper company from 1953 to 2007.

Bayou Terrebonne Waterlife Museum (Houma) 7910 West Park Ave., 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and noon-4 p.m. Saturday. Admission is $3 for adults; $2 children ages 12 and under. Group rates are available. (985) 580-7200.

Contemporary Arts Center (New Orleans) 900 Camp St., Thursday through Sunday, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Admission is $5 adults, $3 for students and senior citizens. Children ages 15 and younger admitted free. (504) 528-3805.

D-Day Museum (New Orleans) 945 Magazine St. Admission is $14 for adults; $8 for seniors. (504) 527-6012.

“Pieces of Hitler’s Atlantic Wall.” Three large segments of Nazi Germany’s infamous Atlantic Wall – each piece measures 5.5 feet tall and 18 inches thick and, in total, weighs nearly 22 tons – all pockmarked from the gunfire of incoming Allied troops, were donated by the Utah Beach Museum at Sainte-Marie-du-Mont, France.

“Roosevelt, Rockwell and the Four Freedoms: America’s Slow March from Isolation to Action,” through Nov. 13. Four original Norman Rockwell posters depicting The Four Freedoms, as enunciated by President Roosevelt in his January 1941 State of the Union Address: Freedom of Speech and Expression, Freedom of Religion, Freedom from Want and Freedom from Fear.

Downtown Art Gallery 630 (Houma) 630 Belanger St., Mon.-Sat., 10 a.m.-4 p.m. (985) 851-2198.

“Artist of the Month: Rose Nugent.”

Member competition: Animals in art.

E.D. White Historic Site (Thibodaux) 2295 La. Hwy. 1, 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays. Admission is free. (985) 447-0915.

“Story of Bayou Lafourche” Tells of the area with sections on the Chitimacha Indians, Acadian settlers, sugarcane plantations, slavery and the family of former Gov. Edward Douglas White and his son, former Supreme Court Chief Justice Edward Douglass White.

Everett Street Gallery (Morgan City) 201 Everett St., 1-4 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, and 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday. Admission is free. (985) 385-9945. Online: www.everettstreetgallery.org.

The Frame Shop (Morgan City) 708 Front St., Monday-Friday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. or by appointment. (985) 385-0730.

Doris Beaudean’s collection of porcelain and clay tiles and oil paintings.

Continuing exhibitors: Catherine Siracusa, Clyde Peterson, Ed Leonard, Maria Heymann, Cheryl Roy, Vera Judycki, Stacy Stiel, Alex Williams, Judy Broussard, Jackie Chauvin, Melissa Martin, Tommy Gross, Dena McKee and Pitcairn Island crafts.

The Historic New Orleans Collection/Williams Gallery (New Orleans) 533 Royal St., Tuesday through Saturday (excluding holidays) from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and Sunday from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (504) 523-4662. Online: www.hnoc.org.

“West Florida: Contact, Conflict and Culture.” Exhibition on the history of Louisiana’s Florida parishes – the eight parishes east of the Mississippi River and north of Lake Pontchartrain.

“The 18th Star: Treasures from 200 Years of Louisiana Statehood,” through Jan. 29, 2012. Features an array of signature items from the HNOC to tell stories that have defined Louisiana since its entry into the Union on April 30, 1812 as the 18th state.

Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve (Thibodaux) 314 St. Mary St., Monday and Tuesday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Wednesday and Thursday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (985) 448-1375.

LeFevre’s Art Supply & Gallery (Houma) 230 Enterprise Drive, (985) 580-7991.

“Works by Richard Champagne.” Champagne has painted around the country and in Japan. He uses acrylic on canvas and watercolor paper.

Louisiana Art and Science Museum (Baton Rouge) 100 River Road. (225) 344-5272.

“Old Methods, New Visions: Three Louisiana Artists,” through Oct. 12. Features Troy Dugas, Shawne Major and Jonathan Pellitteri, whose contemporary work is inspired by age-old techniques – traditional occupations such as crocheting, quilt-making and carpentry.

Louisiana Museum of Art (Baton Rouge) 100 Lafayette St., Third Floor. (225) 389-7200 or www.lsumoa.com.

“Under the Big Top” Oct. 25 through Dec. 31. This fanciful exhibition highlights the magic and timelessness of the circus through the museum’s collection of toys and fine art.

Louisiana State Museum (Patterson) 118 Cotton Rd. (985) 399-1268.

“The Golden Age of Aviation – Louisiana Enters the Space Age,” in Kemper Williams Park, adjacent to the Patterson Civic Center. Highlights include a 1939 Beechcraft Staggerwing, 1940 Steaman Crop Duster, President Eisenhower’s Aero Commander and a full-size replica “44.”

“Patterson Cypress Sawmill Collection,” features artifacts, photos and film documenting the history of the cypress lumber industry in Louisiana. Highlights Frank B. Williams’ cypress sawmill, once the world’s largest.

Louisiana State Museum (New Orleans) Properties include the Cabildo, Arsenal, Presbytere, Old U.S. Mint, Madame John’s Legacy, 1850 House and Friends of the Cabildo Walking Tour. Admission and hours vary. (504) 568-3660 or http://lsm.crt.state.la.us/

“Living With Hurricanes: Katrina & Beyond,” at the Presbytere. A must-see exhibit on the history and science of these awesome storms – and their profound impact on our lives.

“Mardi Gras: It’s Carnival Time in New Orleans,” at the Presbytere. Parades, balls and the Courir du Mardi Gras are explored in this newly-renovated show.

New Orleans Museum of Art (New Orleans) 1 Collins Diboll Circle. 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Wednesdays-Sundays. (504) 658-4100.

“Bookmarks: The Artist’s Response to Text,” through Nov. 28. The livre d’artiste rejects the 2-dimensional page, embracing unusual forms and shapes instead.

“Wayne Gonzales: Light to Dark/Dark to Light” Oct. 7 through Feb. 26. Includes early never-before-seen works, as well as paintings from Lee Harvey Oswald to the Louisiana Rigolets.

“Prospect 2 New Orleans,” Oct. 20 through Jan. 29.

Nicholls State University Art Studio (Chauvin) 5337 Bayouside Dr., Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 1-4 p.m., or by appointment. Admission is free. (985) 594-2546 or (985) 448-4597. Online: www.nicholls.edu/folkartcenter.

Permanent collections include paintings, photographs, sculpture and pottery created by local artists.

Southdown Plantation House/The Terrebonne Museum (Houma) 1208 Museum Drive, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Admission for the special exhibit room only is $2. Admission for full museum tour is $6, $3 for children. (985) 851-0154.

“Jeff Duke: Wanting to be Different,” through Nov. 30. The Houma minister’s art reflects religion, sports, his family and nature.

Wetlands Acadian Cultural Center (Thibodaux) 314 St. Mary St., open 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Monday and Tuesday; 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday; and until 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday. (985) 448-1375. Online: www.nps.gov/jela.

Theatre

“Chicago” (Kenner) through Oct. 2, at the Rivertown Repertory Theatre, 325 Minor St. (504) 468-7221 or www.rivertownrepertorytheatre.org. Tickets are $17 to $35. (Optional dinner is $30 for adults, $15, children.) In roaring ’20s Chicago, chorine Roxie Hart murders a faithless lover and convinces her hapless husband Amos to take the rap … until he finds out he’s been duped and turns on Roxie. Convicted and set to death row, Roxie and another “Merry Murderess” Velma Kelly, vie for the spotlight and headlines, ultimately joining forces in search of the “American Dream”: fame, fortune and acquittal.

“The Drowsy Chaperone” (Westwego) through Oct. 16, at Westwego Performing Arts Theatre, 177 Sala Ave, Suite A. (504) 371-3330. Tickets are $30 adults, $27 senior citizens, $20 students and $15 for children age 12 and under. A die-hard musical theatre fan plays his favorite cast album, a 1928 smash hit called “The Drowsy Chaperone,” and the show magically bursts to life. The audience is immersed in the rambunctious tale of a brazen Broadway starlet trying to find and keep her true love. Includes tunes “Show Off,” “The Cold Feets” and “Toledo Surprise.”

“A Midsummer Night’s Dream” (New Orleans) Oct. 6-16, at NOMA’s Besthoff Sculpture Garden, at 7 p.m. Tickets are $16, general admission; $8, students. (504) 658.4100 or www.noma.org. Four love-sick youths wander into an enchanted forest where they encounter fairies, gods and goddesses determined to play tricks on their raging hormones.

“Let Freedom Swing” (New Orleans) Oct. 7 through Nov. 20, at the Stage Door Canteen (National WWII Museum). www.stagedoorcanteen.org. Features singers and dancers performing “In the Mood,” “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy,” “Don’t Sit Under the Apple Tree” and other hits from the 1940s.

“Waiting Around (the Restaurant Musical)” (Lockport) Oct. 7-30, at the Bayou Playhouse. As sung by the wait staff.

“Devil Boys from Beyond” (Metairie) Oct. 13-29, at the Actor’s Theatre of New Orleans, 4539 N. I-10 Service Road W, Suite 200. (504) 456-4111 or www.atnola.org. Tickets are $20. A pair of Eisenhower-era New Yorkers investigate an alien landing in the backward town of Lizard Lick, Fla., while fending off their nosy and archconservative rival. The out-of-this-world visitors in question turn out to be smoothly gorgeous muscle studs, who have attached themselves to the town’s sex-starved older women.

“The Great American Trailer Park Musical” (Thibodaux) Oct. 20-21, at NSU’s Talbot Theater. Tickets are $12, adults; $7, students. The Nicholls Players take on this zany musical featuring a stripper on the run in the happy home of Armadillo Acres, the finest mobile home community in south Florida.Arts