Bring it on. Recent unveilings by the Acadiana Center for the Arts, the Acadiana Symphony Orchestra and the Performing Arts Society of Acadiana of their upcoming seasons have us marking our collective calendars, including a handful of events right out of the gate in September.
Friday, Sept. 7, 2012
Written by IND Monthly Staff
AcA, ASO, PASA announce stellar 2012-'13 schedules
Bring it on. Recent unveilings by the Acadiana Center for the Arts, the Acadiana Symphony Orchestra and the Performing Arts Society of Acadiana of their upcoming seasons have us marking our collective calendars, including a handful of events right out of the gate in September.
Singer-songwriter John Hiatt performs at the AcA in October.
AcA Oct. 16: John Hiatt & The Combo
One of America's premier singer-songwriters and a founder of the Americana genre, Hiatt and band will also be celebrating the release of new record.
Tickets range from $70 to $90.
Jan. 22, 2013: Los Lobos En Vivo
Hard rockin' yet traditionally Chicano, Grammy Award-winning Los Lobos rose to fame for their La Bamba soundtrack a quarter century ago.
Tickets range from $65 to $85.
Jan. 27, 2013: Travis Tritt -
Solo & Unplugged
Country music icon Tritt is a multiple Grammy winner and fixture at the Grand Ole Opry. He'll bring classic hits and new material - just him and an acoustic guitar - to the AcA's intimate performance space.
Louisiana Crossroads
The series kicks of Oct. 25/26 with Allen Toussaint, one of the grandfathers of New Orleans music.
Other Crossroads performances include Mia Borders (Nov. 14), Lil' Band O' Gold (Dec. 5), Joel Savoy's Honky Tonk Merry-Go-Round (Jan. 30, 2013), Anders Osborne (March 14/15), Zachary Richard (April 11/12) and Dirty Dozen Brass Band (May 9/10).
Crossroads tickets range from $20 to $60; special season packages are available.
Jazz @ the Center
The AcA's series dedicated to the quintessential American music form launches in October. The AcA performance space is modified for these gigs to mimic a New York City jazz club, with candlelit table seating and cocktail waitresses. Way cool.
Oct. 5: Mark Whitfield Quartet
One of the most respected jazz guitarists in the world, Whitfield has sat in and/or recorded with some of the greats including Dizzy Gillespie, Herby Hancock, Wynton Marsalis and George Benson, as well as with some of the top performers in contemporary pop and R'n'B - Sting, Mary J. Blige and Lauryn Hill among them.
Nov. 9: Judy Carmichael
Perhaps better known for her jazz outreach through her popular radio program "Jazz Inspired," Carmichael is a consummate jazz pianist who earned the nickname "Stride" from the immortal Count Basie.
Jan 25: Claudia Acuña Quintet
Acuña is Chile's most acclaimed singer-songwriter, although she makes her home in New York City.
Feb 22: Preservation Hall Jazz Band
From the cradle of jazz to the AcA, Preservation Hall's famed ensemble traces its lineage back to Jelly Roll Morton, Satchmo and Bunk Johnson. The group has performed at some of the most prestigious halls in the world and before world leaders.
Also on the Jazz @ the Center lineup: Terence Blanchard Quintet (March 22) and the UL Jazz Ensemble (May 3). Tickets range from $20 to $60 and, like Crossroads, package deals are available.
For details on the full slate of performances slated for the AcA, which also include theater-, family-, opera- and dance series, call (337) 233-7060.
ASO Sept. 14: The ASO kicks off its upcoming season with "Hitting the Haute Note," a concert/couture runway show featuring Raoul Blanco's Dovima 1950s-inspired fashions.
Sept. 22: The ASO's "Four Corners of Europe" concert does just that, whisky the audience across a soundscape celebrating the diverse symphonic sounds of the Old World.
Also on tap for the ASO: The Linden Quartet (Oct. 6) and Venice 1712 (Oct. 21).
Tickets are available through TicketMaster and the Heymann office. For more information call (337) 232-4277, ext. 1.
PASA Oct. 28: Pride and Prejudice
L.A. Theatre Works' stage adaptation of Jane Austin's 200-year-old classic is winning raves everywhere the curtain closes. The tale of Elizabeth Bennet and her suitor, Mr. Darcy, cast the template for romantic comedy in Western literature.
Dec. 14: Cirque Chinois
The National Circus of the People's Republic of China, respected the world over for its deep tradition and sparkling innovation, helped transform the concept of "circus," setting the stage for company's like Cirque de Soleil that followed.
Jan. 23, 2013: Moulin Rouge - The Ballet
The story - turn of the 20th Century Paris, the dawn of sexual liberation - is familiar. Its ballet adaptation has been hailed as "stunningly beautiful."
Also on tap for PASA's 2012-2013 season: Dreamgirls (March 27, 2013)