With autumn’s arrival, we welcome an exciting new season of theater, dance, music and other cultural offerings in New Orleans. This calendar guide provides just a small taste of the options available from the city’s many arts organizations, but we hope it might entice you to explore more fully.
The Saenger’s stellar Broadway lineup, the return of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, a sparkling exhibition of glass at NOMA, and shows of every operatic, orchestral, dramatic, comedic, and photographic bent… cultural richness abounds around town this season. Celebrate artists homegrown and visiting, purchase a season subscription or a single ticket – there are so many ways to enjoy these arts offerings. Grab your calendar and start planning!
*For all organizations, we recommend checking the website for the most up-to-date information.
Saenger Theatre
1111 Canal St. // 504-525-1052 // Saengernola.com
The Saenger brings Broadway favorites to Canal Street all season long through its popular “Broadway in New Orleans” series.
“Girl from the North Country” (October 15-20, 2024)
A Duluth, Minnesota guesthouse in 1934 sets the scene for this production that serves up a reimagined take on twenty iconic songs from Bob Dylan.
“Beetlejuice” (November 12-17, 2024)
The beloved striped ghost from Tim Burton’s classic film is summoned to New Orleans in this high-energy musical adaptation.
“Elf” (December 3-8, 2024)
Buddy the Elf makes his way to New York City to find his birth father in this heartwarming holiday musical.
“The Cher Show” (December 17-22, 2024)
This musical biopic presents the story of one of the world’s most iconic and popular singers as she moves through professional and personal highs and lows.
“& Juliet” (January 14-19, 2025)
This compelling musical explores an alternate path for Shakespeare’s tragic heroine: what might have happened if she had another shot at life and love?
“Mamma Mia!” (February 11-16, 2025)
ABBA’s greatest hits and a Greek island paradise set the stage for a woman’s quest to determine which of her mother’s three former flames might be her true father.
“Funny Girl” (March 11-16, 2025)
The beloved tale of Fanny Brice and her journey to stardom features an iconic score including classics like “Don’t Rain on My Parade.”
“Hamilton” (April 8-20, 2025)
This Broadway smash breathed revolutionary life into the story of Alexander Hamilton and his fellow patriots.
“The Wiz” (May 13-18, 2025)
“Ease On Down the Road” to catch the all-new production of the Tony Award-winning musical adapted from L. Frank Baum’s “The Wizard of Oz.”
“Chicago” (June 10-15, 2025)
Roxy Hart, Velma Kelly and the rest of the cast bring the drama of the Roaring 20’s and “All That Jazz” to the stage.
Le Petit Theatre
616 St. Peter St. // 504-522-2081 // Lepetittheatre.com
This French Quarter gem sits at the city’s cultural epicenter. The historic theater dates to 1922 and provides a captivating stage for productions that showcase the area’s best professional talent across a range of dramatic, musical and comedic productions.
“Betsy Wolfe Cabaret” (September 7, 2024)
Le Petit Theatre is proud to welcome Betsy Wolfe from Broadway, where her lengthy CV includes being nominated for a Tony Award for her performance in “& Juliet” and wowing audiences as Jenna in “Waitress.”
“Murder for Two” (October 3-20, 2024)
This musical comedy homage to old-fashioned murder mysteries features two performers playing thirteen roles (plus the piano!)
“The Skivvies” (December 17-18, 2024)
Broadway’s Lauren Molina and Nick Cearley return to Le Petit Theatre for the third year in a row to strip down to their ‘skivvies’ and perform a program of eclectic covers and original music.
“Good Night, Oscar” (January 9-26, 2025)
Character actor (and true character) and pianist Oscar Levant was a favorite guest of late-night talk show host Jack Paar. This production takes us to 1958 and exposes the high price of fame.
“Jersey Boys: The Story of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons” (March 13 – April 6, 2025)
A quartet of blue-collar kids makes the leap from the streets of New Jersey to superstar status in this Tony Award- and Olivier Award-winning musical.
“Doubt: A Parable” (May 1-18, 2025)
This powerful Tony Award- and Pulitzer Prize-winning drama follows the story of Bronx school principal Sister Aloysius as she investigates her suspicions of young Father Flynn and his relationship with a male student.
“Ain’t Misbehavin’” (June 5-22, 2025)
The music of Thomas “Fats” Waller sets the score for this Tony Award-winning musical that follows the swinging story and sound of an American musical icon.
Rivertown Theaters for the Performing Arts
325 Minor St. // 504-461-9475 // Rivertowntheaters.com
This beloved spot in Kenner’s Rivertown neighborhood brings a broad array of spectacular musical, family-oriented and other programming to the stage.
“Pageant” (August 9-18, 2024)
It’s a pageant like you’ve never seen, when audience judges cast their votes for the winner of the Miss Glamouresse title in 90 minutes of campy, high-energy fun.
“Hairspray” (September 13-29, 2024)
It’s back to 1962-era Baltimore when Tracy Turnblad achieves her dream of dancing on the “Corny Collins Show” – and shakes up a lot more than a can of hairspray in the process.
“The Toxic Avenger” (October 25 – November 10, 2024)
This comedy based on Lloyd Kaufman’s cult film presents New Jersey’s first Superhero, Toxie, as he takes on pollution and global warming – and a run at romance.
“It’s a Wonderful Life Y’all” (December 6-22, 2024)
Ricky Graham writes some New Orleans flavor into this family-friendly holiday favorite that follows George Bailey’s journey to redemption.
“Xanadu” (January 10-26, 2025)
This production based on the cult classic movie of the same name (starting Olivia Newton-John and Gene Kelly) transports us to the 80’s with a lively mix of hit songs, roller disco, romance and Greek mythology.
“Once Upon a Mattress” (March 14-30, 2025)
This musical retelling of the classic tale “Princess and the Pea” features a spirited princess, a kingdom of quirky characters and a royal romance.
“Something Rotten!” (May 9-25, 2025)
Nick and Nigel Bottom are two brothers attempting to write a hit play in 1590s England, despite the competitive pressure from a highly successful playwright “The Bard.” The result is a musical comedy that’s set to change the world.
“Annie, the Musical” (July 10-20, 2025)
Our favorite redheaded orphan takes the stage with her gal pals, powerful allies, and rags-to-riches story set in 1930s New York City.
Contemporary Arts Center
900 Camp St. // 504-528-3800 // Cacno.org
Gestures of Refusal: Black Photography and Visual Culture (through September 15, 2024)
This exhibition brings together the work of more than one hundred contemporary Black artists with ties to New Orleans, five immersive installations, and more than two hundred art objects to explore “the production of Black visual culture, bringing attention to the ways contemporary photographers and visual artists regularly wield the power of the camera and their creative practices to discern, behold, celebrate, and document people, places, events, collective memories, encounters, and other ever-present moments of Blackness that refuse the violence of erasure and subjectivity.”
Untitled (Beyond Opacity) (from August 3, 2024)
This exhibit will highlight the work of CAC artists.
Jefferson Performing Arts Society
Jefferson Performing Arts Center, 6400 Airline Dr. // Westwego Performing Arts Theatre, 177 Sala Ave. // 504-885-2000 // Jpas.org
The Jefferson Performing Arts Society presents its 47th season at the Jefferson Performing Arts Center and Westwego Performing Arts Theatre (WPAT).
“School of Rock: The Musical” (September 13-22, 2024)
This musical based on the hit film follows a rock-star wannabe to his new gig as a prep school teacher and the musical revolution that ensues. At JPAC.
Murder Mystery TBA (October 3-13, 2024)
Stay tuned for details! At WPAT.
“Jekyll & Hyde: The Musical” (October 25-November 3, 2024)
This musical take on Robert Louis Stevenson’s tale probes the dark side of a brilliant mind. At JPAC.
“The Leopard” (November 14-24, 2024)
Yabo Yablonsky wrote this one-man show about the final days of author Ernest Hemingway. At WPAT.
“Elf Jr.: The Musical” (December 13-15, 2024)
The magic of the beloved holiday film translates to the stage in a JPAS Theatre Kids! production. At WPAT.
“The Nutcracker” (December 21-22, 2024)
This production based on “The Nutcracker and the Mouse King” by E.T.A. Hoffmann is presented in partnership with Jefferson Ballet Theatre. At JPAC.
“True West” (February 6-16, 2025)
American playwright Sam Shepard explores sibling rivalry in a family drama set in the San Gabriel Valley foothills. At WPAT.
“Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Nile” (February 14-23, 2025)
This three-act murder mystery adapted from Agatha Christie’s Death on the Nile unfolds aboard a river cruiser. At JPAC.
“Joe & Marilyn: A Love Story” (March 13-23, 2025)
Willard Manus wrote this glimpse into the relationship between two of the twentieth century’s biggest stars, Joe DiMaggio and Marilyn Monroe. At WPAT.
“Billy Elliot: The Musical” (March 28 – April 6, 2025)
In this inspiring tale, a boy hailing from northeast England’s coal country finds an unlikely outlet in ballet. At JPAC.
Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra
2533 Columbus St., Ste. 202 and the Orpheum Theatre // Box office: 504-523-6530 // Lpomusic.com
The GRAMMY® Award-winning orchestra’s primary performance home is the Orpheum Theatre, but they also perform at a variety of venues across the area, including concerts on the Northshore. All concerts below are at the Orpheum Theatre; check the website for full event calendar.
Opening Night: Symphonie Fantastique (September 12, 2024)
The LPO opens the 2024-25 season with Music Director Matthew Kraemer and Dukas’ “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice,” Berlioz’s “Symphonie Fantastique” and the LPO premiere of “Pulse” by Brian Raphael Nabors.
Mozart, Haydn, & Strauss (October 4, 2024)
Guest concertmaster Alexandra Preucil leads the LPO in a ‘conductor-less’ concert of eclectic pieces.
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon Concerto (October 30, 2024)
A rousing program includes Andy Lin on the Erhu (a Chinese stringed instrument) for the theme from “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” and other pieces including Respighi’s symphonic suite “Church Windows.”
The Planets (November 14, 2024)
Matthew Kraemer conducts a program that includes Gustav Holst’s treasured work as well as “Asteroid 4179: Toutatis” from Kaija Saariaho and Debussy’s “Nocturnes.”
An Evening with Kristin Chenoweth (November 20, 2024)
One of Broadway’s most accomplished luminaries joins the LPO for an evening of fan favorites.
Classical Christmas (December 5, 2024)
Ring in the holidays with conductor Jaman Dunn and excerpts from Handel’s “Messiah,” Mendelssohn’s “Von Himmel Hoch,” and selections from Menotti’s “Amahl and the Night Visitors.”
Symphonic Dances from West Side Story (January 16, 2025)
Guest violinist Sirena Huang leads the LPO in a theatrical concert featuring works by Gershwin, Ellington, Barber and Bernstein.
A Tale of God’s Will: A Requiem for Katrina (January 18, 2025)
Terence Blanchard commemorates the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina with this impassioned, Grammy Award-winning work featuring Blanchard’s SEXTET and the LPO.
New Orleans Opera Association
2504 Prytania St. // Box office: 504-529-3000 // Neworleansopera.org
General and Artistic Director Lila Palmer leads New Orleans Opera in its 82nd season featuring powerful productions at the Mahalia Jackson Theater for the Performing Arts. Look for Opera on Tap and other events throughout the season as well – details on website.
“Tosca” (September 27, 29, 2024)
Giacomo Puccini’s Tosca brings the epic tale of love, passion, and political intrigue to the stage. Melody Moore sings the title role.
“Samson and Delilah, in Concert” (November 8, 10, 2024)
This concert version of Camille Saint-Saëns’s opera blends spellbinding arias and choruses with the artistry of the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra.
“Opera on the Bayou: Voices of New Orleans” (February 5, 2025)
This very special collaboration brings together local vocalists with Electric Yat Quartet in a 90-minute concert that highlights homegrown talent.
“Elixir of Love” (April 4, 6, 2025)
Gaetano Donizetti’s romance moves to a Western town where we follow the lovelorn farmer Nemorino in his quest to win the heart of the enchanting Adina, aided by a mysterious elixir.
New Orleans Ballet Association
935 Gravier St., Ste. 800 // 504-522-0996 // Nobadance.com
The New Orleans Ballet Association is the state’s leading dance presenting and service organization, bringing dance to the community through its Main Stage Series as well as internationally recognized tuition-free training, health and wellness programs at up to 20 neighborhood locations in three parishes for ages 4-80+, including the youth program, Senior Dance Fitness (age 55+), and Dance for Parkinson’s. This season’s Main Stage performances bring dance companies across genres to the stage at the Mahalia Jackson Theater, in partnership with NOCCA and Tulane University.
Houston Ballet (October 19, 2024)
The Houston Ballet presents a stunning program of premieres including George Balanchine’s “Tschaikovsky Pas de Deux” and Stanton Welch’s “Velocity.”
Giordano Dance Chicago (November 16, 2024)
America’s original jazz dance company has spent over 60 years delighting audiences, and this season, they will present ‘quintessentially American’ works including the premiere of “Gershwin B” by Emmy Award-winning choreographer Al Blackstone.
Ballet Hispánico (February 1, 2025)
One of the country’s most significant Latino organizations, Ballet Hispánico will perform CARMEN.maquia, a ‘Picasso-inspired contemporary take on Bizet’s classic,’ with choreography that reflects the influence of paso doble and flamenco.
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (March 21, 22, 2025)
In its 66th year, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater continues to dazzle. Their performances will include two different programs of new works and classics, including “Revelations,” an Ailey powerhouse.
The Joy Theater
1200 Canal St. // 504-766-8051 // Thejoytheater.com
Since its birth in 1947 as one of the city’s first “modern” movie theaters, the Joy has brought entertainment to generations of New Orleanians within its grand Art Deco walls on Canal Street. A significant renovation in recent years has restored the venue to its glory, allowing the Joy to host concerts, shows and other events.
Bearracuda (August 30, 2024)
The Lox: 30th Anniversary Tour (September 14, 2024)
Cuco (October 2, 2024)
Talib Kweli (October 5, 2024)
Glass Beans: Mahal Tour (October 15, 2024)
Beats Antique (October 23, 2024)
IDKHOW: Impending Gloom Tour (November 3, 2024)
Local Natives – Time Will Wait For No One But I’ll Wait for You Tour (November 9, 2024)
Danae Hays (November 15, 2024)
Washed Out (November 22, 2024)
Justin Willman: Illusionati Tour (December 7, 2024)
New Orleans Museum of Art
One Collins C. Diboll Circle, City Park // 504-658-4100 // Noma.org
Envisioning Japan: Transformational Gifts from Kurt A. Gitter, M.D. and Alice Yelen Gitter (through October 27, 2024)
This exhibition features major works of Japanese art including significant works by Edo-period painters (1615-1868) and ceramic art dating from the late 20th century through the present.
Come! Come! Come!: A Triptych by Wang Qingsong (November 2024)
The 2005 triptych by contemporary artist Wang Qingsong, an artist known for large-format photographs focusing on societal trends in post-Mao-era China, documents and comments upon the embrace of capitalism and China’s rapid Westernization in the late 20th/early 21st centuries.
Afropolitan: Contemporary African Arts at NOMA (through December 29, 2024)
This exhibit highlights pioneering African artists of the 20th and 21st centuries within the museum’s collection.
Show and Tell: A Brief History of Photography and Text (end date TBD, through 2024)
In this exhibit, objects drawn from the museum’s permanent collection illustrate the interconnectedness of photography and written language, dating back to the introduction of photography through the present.
Rebellious Spirits: Prohibition and Resistance in the South (through January 5, 2025)
Objects made and enjoyed during the period of Prohibition, which began in 1919 and lasted for 14 years, reflect the ways in which people adapted to continue enjoying spirited cultural traditions.
John Scott: Blues Poem for the Urban Landscape (through January 26, 2025)
An installation of ten woodcut prints in the museum’s Great Hall showcase the renowned artist’s series “Blues Poem for the Urban Landscape.”
Sand, Ash, Heat: Glass at the New Orleans Museum of Art (August 30, 2024 – February 10, 2025)
Showcasing an impressive range of work from NOMA’s extensive glass collection, this exhibit explores the more-than-4,000-year history of glass and its innovative intersections with science, technology, foodways, art, and more across civilizations.
Ogden Museum of Southern Art
925 Camp St. // 504-539-9650 // Ogdenmuseum.org
Southland (through September 22, 2024)
This exhibition examines the role of photography in the visualization of the diverse natural landscape of the American South, from Louisiana marshlands to Florida beaches, to the mountains of North Carolina and Virginia and beyond.
Louisiana Contemporary, presented by the Helis Foundation (August 3 – October 13, 2024)
Ogden Museum of Southern Art first launched Louisiana Contemporary, presented by The Helis Foundation, in 2012 to showcase the practice of artists working across Louisiana. This statewide, juried exhibition promotes contemporary art in Louisiana and provides an opportunity to exhibit living artists’ work and connect with a contemporary audience. This year’s guest juror, Lauren Haynes, Head Curator, Governors Island Arts and Vice President for Arts and Culture at the Trust for Governors Island, has selected 41 works by 37 artists from more than one thousand submissions.
Baldwin Lee (October 5, 2024 – February 15, 2025)
More than 40 gelatin silver prints have been selected from thousands of images Lee made during his travels across the South in the Reagan-era 1980s, creating portraits of Black Americans and landscape and cityscape images. This presentation marks the first exhibition for many of these photographs.
Crescent City Stage
Marquette Theater on the Loyola Campus // Crescentcitystage.com
This theatrical organization led by Michael A. Newcomer, Jana Mestecky and Elizabeth Elkins Newcomer was formed to provide a “diverse environment for the creation of theatre to thrive, enlighten, empower, educate, enhance, and evolve in the Greater New Orleans and surrounding areas.” In addition to its regular calendar of theatrical productions, Crescent City Stage also offers its CCS Studio Series of classes ranging from beginning acting to advanced technique courses.
“A Doll’s House” (September 5-22, 2024)
The classic drama by Henrik Ibsen has been newly adapted by Amy Herzog. Jana Mestecky directs and Elizabeth Elkins Newcomer stars as Nora, a wife and mother grappling with a shocking secret.
“A Christmas Carol” (December 5-22, 2024)
This holiday season, Crescent City Stage will feature a production of Patrick Barlow’s new version of the classic Charles Dickens tale. In Barlow’s take, directed by Elizabeth Elkins Newcomer, five actors bring the story and its hundreds of characters to life.
The Orpheum Theatre
129 Roosevelt Way // 504-274-4871 // Orpheumnola.net
This landmark theatre dates back to 1921. Its opulent hall hosts performances throughout the year. Check the website for updated schedules.
Lalah Hathaway: VANTABLACK Tour (August 25, 2024)
An Evening with Chris Botti (September 15, 2024)
André 3000: New Blue Sun in Concert (September 19, 2024)
Ray LaMontagne: Long Way Home (September 21, 2024)
International Arts Festival 2024 (September 27, 2024)
Jim Henson’s Labyrinth: In Concert (October 22, 2024)
Taylor Rave – A Taylor Swift Rave (October 25, 2024)
Felipe Esparza: At My Leisure World Tour (November 7, 2024)
Esperanza Spalding (November 13, 2024)
Kristin Chenoweth with the LPO (November 20, 2024)
Stephanie Mills and Will Downing (November 23, 2024)
PJ Morton – Annual Black Friday Show (November 29, 2024)
Mark Normand: Ya Don’t Say Tour (November 30, 2024)
Nickel Creek (December 3, 2024)
Andrew Santino: Freeze Peach Tour (December 6, 2024)
An Evening with Gregory Porter: 2024 Holiday Tour (December 18, 2024)
