The art of music

Herman Leonard moved to New Orleans in the early 1990s, where he photographed the city’s jazz scene until Hurricane Katrina forced his evaculation to Los Angeles. Leonard titled this photo, ‘Palm Court Cafe, New Orleans, 1996.’ It is one of 36 photographs in the exhibit An Eye on Jazz: Photographs by Herman Leonard.

Look past Duke Ellington, and you will see yourself watching him as he watches Ella Fitzgerald. His face is frozen in awe, and it’s likely that yours will be, too. Herman Leonard captured it all, but one wonders if he planned on capturing the viewer’s presence as it’s reflected in the glass. Because you’re moving … Continue reading →

Tickets available for final Cool Jazz concerts

Ray Moore will perform at Hot Summer Jazz Cool Nights on June 20.

Tickets are still available for the final two performances in LSU’s Hot Summer Nights & Cool Jazz concert series. These concerts are set for 7:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday, June 20-21, in the LSU School of Music Recital Hall, Dalrymple Drive on campus. The June 20 concert will feature saxophonist Ray Moore, and the June … Continue reading →

LSU museum aims programs at children

This summer, the LSU Museum of Art in the Shaw Center for the Arts, 100 Lafayette St., will offer two new community arts programs aimed at teaching children in the community the value of the arts. Art Explorations will take place Thursdays, June 20, 27 and July 11 at the museum, with a theme of “Look, … Continue reading →

Annual Wine Gala will benefit Swine Palace

Tickets are on sale The Wine Gala, Swine Palace’s annual fundraiser, set for 7 p.m.-9 p.m. Thursday, July 11, at the Reilly Theatre, Tower Drive on the LSU campus. Those attending will be able to sample an assortment of 24 champagne and wine varietals. There also will be food and live music. All proceeds will benefit … Continue reading →

Fedeli to play Stradivarius in N.O. concert

World-renowned violinist Matteo Fedeli, known as “L’uomo degli Stradivari” or “Man of the Stradivarius” in his native Italy, will perform a classical concert on a Stradivarius violin at 7 p.m. Friday, June 21, at the Civic Theatre, 510 O’Keefe St., New Orleans. This concert will feature unparalleled sound of a “Grand Stradivarius” violin, one of only … Continue reading →

Bad guys use weather as weapon in Leviathan Effect

Catherine “Cate” Blaine is serving as Secretary of Homeland Security in this meteorologically driven thriller. As a former congresswoman and the daughter of a general, she knows how to exhibit confidence as she navigates the political environment; but she is as ill-informed as the president and the rest of his team are when it comes to a new form of hi-tech terrorism: weather manipulation. Continue reading →

Book Events for June 16-June 22

Edward “Kid” Ory and his band created the first African-American New Orleans jazz recordings ever made. Kid Ory’s music captured the spirit of the jazz age, and his most famous composition from that period, “Muskrat Ramble,” is a jazz standard. Who was Kid Ory? Visit the Ascension Parish Library Main branch, 708 S. Irma Blvd. in Gonzales, at … Continue reading →

Culturally Speaking for June 16

Cangelosi dance intensive

Cangelosi Dance Project will conduct professional dance auditions at 6:15 p.m. Monday, June 24, at the company’s studio, 3749 Perkins Road. Auditions are for dancers age 21 and older who demonstrate strong classical ballet, modern dance technique and performance skills. The company director is seeking male and female dancers who are versatile in ballet, contemporary, tap and hip hop. Continue reading →

No joke: Jester wanted at Austrian hotel

Wanted: A jester. Wallflowers need not apply. It’s no joke. An Austrian hotel is advertising for a modern-day court fool, who is communicative, extroverted, musical, creative and imaginative. Applicants are asked to bring — and play — their musical instrument during the job interview. Also welcome: creative costumes. The successful candidate … Continue reading →

Once dying, Birmingham, Ala., is suddenly a hot address

Associated Press photoPeople sit on a hillside during a performance by the Alabama Symphony Orchestra in Railroad Park in Birmingham, Ala.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — It feels like Birmingham finally is emerging from the shadows cast by the ugly racial violence of 1963. Long haunted by black-and-white newsreel footage of the fire hoses and police dogs city leaders turned on blacks demonstrating for civil rights, the city has a new vibe that’s generating buzz all its own 50 … Continue reading →

Actors all atwitter over Merchant’s modern take

Advocate staff photo by HEATHER MCCLELLANDThe life philosophies of Shylock, played by Nic Hamel, front, and Portia and Bassanio, played by Addie Barnhart and Benjamin Koucherik, are in conflict with one another in Swine Palace's The Merchant of Venice. Above, the actors pose for a photo promoting the upcoming production.

So, after rehearsal you’re going to meet up with friends, right? Or you’ll at least call someone. “No, we won’t have time,” Benjamin Koucherik said. Why? “Because we have to go post on Facebook,” he said, flashing his big smile. This is a joke isn’t it? It has to be, because … Continue reading →

The Week In Arts for June 16-June 22

A compilation of arts events for the week ahead. ART SHOW, SALE AND RECEPTION: 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Rosedale Art Depot, 15021 Depot St., Rosedale. Reception and awards presentation, 2 p.m.-4 p.m. Sponsored by the Iberville Chapter of the Louisiana Art and Artists’ Guild. Free. http://www.laag-site.org. THE WIZARD OF OZ: … Continue reading →

Off to see the Wizard

Advocate staff photo by TRAVIS SPRADLINGLeft to right, Tin Man (Michael Hicks), Scarecrow (Jason Duga), and Cowardly Lion (Robert Wilson) provide support for Dorothy (Danielle Adams) in the Playmakers production of 'TheWizard of Oz' at the Reilly Theater.

Even though the musical is only a little more than an hour long, Playmakers of Baton Rouge’s version of the Wizard of Oz “gets all the great moments,” according to director Paige Gagliano. “We do it all — the tornado, the farm, the munchkins,” she said. Besides being the fine arts chair and theater director … Continue reading →

Walls Project will celebrate new mural

After completing five mural installations in downtown Baton Rouge, the Walls Project is now gaining the support of organizations across the city to expand its mission. In partnership with Mid City Redevelopment Alliance and Cash America Pawn, the Walls Project will unveil its latest mural at 5 p.m. Thursday, June 13, at 3347 Government St. The … Continue reading →

The Week In Arts for June 9-June 15

A compilation of arts events for the week ahead. ART EVENTS: 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Poydras Center, 500 W. Main St., New Roads. Treasures of Pointe Coupee exhibit and Petite Gallerie, treasure hunt. http://www.artscouncilofpointecoupee.org. THE DAY THE WAR STOPPED: 1 p.m.-3 p.m., Rosedown Plantation, 12501 La. 10, St. Francisville. Historical demonstrations. … Continue reading →

Book Events for June 9-June 15

The ever-popular Bloomsday Celebration, hosted by the Baton Rouge Irish Club, will be held 6:30 p.m.-9 p.m. Sunday, June 16, at the Baton Rouge Gallery at City Park, 1515 Dalrymple Drive. Bloomsday is celebrated annually to commemorate the life of Irish novelist James Joyce and the fictitious events in his novel Ulysses. The word Bloomsday is derived … Continue reading →

Culturally Speaking for June 9

Photo provided by Elizabethan Gallery'Baton Rouge Blues,

The Iberville Chapter of the Louisiana Art and Artists’ Guild will accept entries through Thursday, June 13, for the group’s annual art show and sale set for Friday through Sunday, June 14-16, at the Rosedale Art Depot, 15021 Depot St., Rosedale. Artists age 18 and older can enter one or more works in any media at either … Continue reading →

Two by two, artists at BR Gallery influence each other

Photos provided by Baton Rouge GalleryEleanor Owen Kerr's photo, left, is paired with that of Paul Caponigro in the June exhibition at Baton Rouge Gallery.

The place, the time, even how they met doesn’t mean as much as the fact that they did, indeed meet. And Mary Ann Caffery and Dennis Siporski were friends from the beginning, fellow artists with different visions. So, the collision was inevitable. You can see it in the subjects. even in the colors, in … Continue reading →

Best-Sellers for June 9

1. Inferno. Dan Brown 2. And the Mountains Echoed. Khaled Hosseini 3. 12th of Never. James Patterson, Maxine Paetro 4. Dead Ever After: A Sookie Stackhouse Novel. Charlaine Harris 5. Silken … Continue reading →

Rivertown will stage  Spamalot

Tickets are on sale for Rivertown Theaters for the Performing Arts’ Mainstage production of the hit Broadway musical, Spamalot, set to run Fridays through Sundays, from Friday, June 14, through Sunday, June 30, at the theater, 325 Minor St., Kenner. Show times are 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays. Spamalot is the … Continue reading →

Le Petit plans six plays for new season

The Le Petit Théâtre du Vieux Carré, 616 St. Peter St., New Orleans, will stage six plays in its new season, beginning with the Friday, July 19, opening of the lagniappe production, Love, Loss and What I Wore. This production is a prelude to the theater’s seasonal lineup of five plays, which run through mid-2014. Continue reading →

Union Theater bringing on Broadway

Photo by JOAN MARCUSHilary Maiberger, left plays Belle and Darick Pead is the Beast in the traveling production of Beauty and the Beast, coming to the LSU Union Theater Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2014.

Give my regards to Broadway ... No, really. Musical theater fans in the Baton Rouge don’t have to make a trip to New York this year, because plenty of Broadway will be coming to them. Make that fully staged and orchestrated musicals in an intimate setting. That’s something fans don’t always get in New York, … Continue reading →

N.Y. to get double dose of Rylance

Rylance

Broadway will get a double dose of Mark Rylance this winter — the two-time Tony Award-winning English actor will alternate between starring in Twelfth Night and Richard III. Producers said Thursday that the Shakespeare’s Globe productions of both Shakespeare plays will transfer from the West End to … Continue reading →

Newseum in DC to feature Anchorman: The Exhibit

The Newseum in Washington is poking some fun at TV anchors with a new exhibit about the 2004 comedy Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy starring Will Ferrell. The Newseum announced plans Tuesday for Anchorman: The Exhibit to be created with Paramount Pictures. It’s scheduled to open Nov. … Continue reading →

Divers volunteer on coral restoration in Florida Keys

Associated Press photoKen Nedimeyer shows recreational divers how to tie new corals onto a tree nursery in an effort to restore corals during a workshop on restoring coral reefs in Key Largo, Fla.

Ken Nedimeyer likes to say that he breathes new life into coral reefs. In fact, he’s been doing it for more than a decade, and recreational divers are volunteering in the effort. “We are trying to put Humpty Dumpty back together again,” said Nedimeyer, whose Coral Restoration Foundation has … Continue reading →

Louisiana Travels for June 9

Photo provided by Gambel CommunicationsHoles on one of the courses at City Putt spotlight well-known New Orleans streets, inlcuding Elysian Fields.

FORE! City Putt, New Orleans’ City Park’s newest attraction, is open. The miniature golf complex offers two disabled-accessible 18-hole courses, and is located at 8 Victory Drive across from the park’s Storyland. Local flavor and Louisiana elements inspire the courses’ decor, including the swamp, Louis Armstrong, alligators and music. One course highlights various cities around … Continue reading →

Self-taught art

Photo provided by the Ogden Museum of Southern ArMississippi artist Jimmy Lee Sudduth's 1999 painting, 'Man on a Proud Horse,' is one of some 200 pieces of self-taught artwork in the Ogden Museum of Southern Art's exhibit, 'When You're Lost, Everyting's a Sign: Self-Taught Art from The House of Blues,' which runs through Sunday, July 21.

Oh, Adell. You’re going to hell. Royal Robertson wedged this prophecy into his Bible verse-filled calendar, something he felt he had to say. Well, more like something he couldn’t resist saying. Because Adell’s leaving him for another man spiraled him into a rage, and he never got over it. He’d been having visions … Continue reading →

SummerFest tickets on sale; Rhythm and Hues exhibit opens

Ann Hogan's 'Springtime,' 2012 Treasures of Pointe Coupee Best in Show

Tickets are on sale for Swine Palace’s SummerFest 2013. The company opens the festival with William Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice from Tuesday through Sunday, June 25-30; followed by Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night from Tuesday through Sunday, July 23-28, both in the Studio Theatre in the LSU Music & Dramatic Arts Building, Dalrymple Drive on campus. … Continue reading →

Sinfonietta will visit EBR Parish libraries

The Louisiana Sinfonietta, under the direction of Dinos Constantinides, will present four concerts featuring music for children at Baton Rouge area libraries. A musical story, The Penguin Parade, adapted by former librarian Judy Constantinides, will highlight the program. Judy Constantinides also will be the reader. The concerts schedule is: 10:30 a.m. … Continue reading →

Brown takes lesser option with Inferno

This book cover image released by Doubleday shows

Dan Brown, author of The Da Vinci Code, Angels & Demons and The Lost Symbol, would have us believe, like Chicken Little, that the sky is falling. Maybe it will, perhaps even soon, but not immediately, for Brown grants us the time to purchase his latest book, Inferno, whether we get around to reading it or not. Continue reading →

Best-Sellers for June 2

1. Inferno. Dan Brown 2. 12th of Never. James Patterson, Maxine Paetro 3. Dead Ever After: A Sookie Stackhouse Novel. Charlaine Harris 4. Silken Prey. John Sandford 5. The Hit.Continue reading →

Book Events for June 2-June 8

The National Endowment for the Humanities, or NEH, recently awarded a grant of $194,152 to the LSU Libraries Special Collections to digitize, index and provide free access to family papers, business records and public documents pertaining to free people of color in Louisiana and the lower Mississippi Valley. In addition to LSU, the primary grant recipient, … Continue reading →

Theatre BR honors actors, actresses and volunteers

Albert Nolan

Theatre Baton Rouge honored volunteers from its 67th season at its Beaux Arts Ball, “What’s in a Name?” on Saturday. The Outstanding Actress in a Musical award was given to Alaina Ellen Richard for her role as Patsy Cline in Always … Patsy Cline, and the award for Outstanding Actor in a Musical was given to … Continue reading →

The Week In Arts for June 6-June 8

A compilation of arts events for the week ahead. FIRST SUNDAY: 1 p.m.-5 p.m., Louisiana Art and Science Museum, 100 River Road South. Free admission to the LASM galleries and reduced admission to planetarium shows. http://www.lasm.org. FREE FIRST SUNDAY: 1 p.m.-5 p.m., Fifth Floor, Shaw Center for the Arts, 100 … Continue reading →

Crescent City   Cruising

Advocate photo by CYNTHIA V. CAMPBELLPassengers gather on the pool deck to view downtown New Orleans as the Navigator of the Seas prepares for departure.

Cruise into New Orleans. Cruise out down the Mississippi and into the wide expanse of the Gulf of Mexico. It’s easy and it’s blissful. Three major lines, Carnival, Norwegian Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean International, offer cruises out of New Orleans. All provide vacations that are good value for your money. With a little planning, we chose … Continue reading →