20 Years of Opéra Louisiane
Opéra Louisiane will launch its twentieth season with an evening of song, dance, and satire when it presents Life, Liberty and Laughs: The American Dream in Operetta, at the Manship Theatre on September 20.
Across two decades, Opéra Louisane has evolved to become a pillar of the state’s performing arts community. Internationally renowned operatic tenor and Lake Charles native Paul Groves, who serves as the company’s General Director, said, “If you think opera is for the elite, you’re so wrong. It’s for everybody. That’s why Mozart wrote his operas. Verdi is about normal people and normal life. Rigoletto is about the struggles that we go through in life.”
Local audiences have gotten the message. The company’s April production of Puccini’s Madame Butterfly at the Raising Cane’s River Center was packed almost to capacity. “With the downbeat of the last chord, the entire audience jumped to their feet and started screaming. It made all the hard work worth it,” Groves recalled.
Cuban musician Alfredo Rodriguez
20 Years of River City Jazz Masters
The Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge’s River City Jazz Masters performance series is also marking its twentieth anniversary. Each season the organization brings four concerts to Baton Rouge’s Manship Theatre featuring some of the finest jazz musicians in the world. Beyond the bright lights, another element of the series’s mission is an accompanying educational program that brings those same musicians into local classrooms.
“Every year we try to identify at least three artists who are performing and bring them to a school,” said Jonathan Grimes, President of the Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge. “It goes a long way to have a world-renowned professional tell you what they think you should be doing when it comes to mastering your craft.”
River City Jazz Masters’ twentieth season kicks off at the Manship Theatre on October 7 with a performance by Cuban pianist, composer, and producer Alfredo Rodriguez. Recognized worldwide for his explosive blend of jazz, classical virtuosity, and Afro-Cuban roots, Rodriguez will be accompanied by his band, which features the percussionist Pedrito Martinez. Other performers this season will include jazz trumpeter Wendell Brunious, and nine-time Grammy nominee Tierney Sutton.
artsbr.org/river-city-jazz-masters/
Photo by Eye Wander Photo
Kick It Out
Forty Years with Of Moving Colors
As Baton Rouge’s premier contemporary dance theatre, Of Moving Colors has brought countless productions to local stages, enthralling audiences for generations. With programs such as Kick it Out! an annual show which gives kids from around Baton Rouge opportunities to get a taste of modern dance while performing alongside professional dancers, the company plays a vital role in nurturing young talent and promoting interest in contemporary dance. This year, the non-profit marks its fortieth anniversary of staging original productions and choreographies in the capital city.
“One of the things that’s important to us as we celebrate our anniversary is that we focus on the dancers themselves,” said Artistic Director Garland Goodwin Wilson. On October 1, Of Moving Colors will present Partner Works at the John and Virginia Noland Black Box Studio at the Cary Saurage Community Arts Center. Wilson said that the program would present “a select group of world-class artists,” combining their creative efforts to meld an exciting, unique event to celebrate OMC’s landmark anniversary.
