This festive season, the Jefferson Performing Arts Center in Metairie, LA, is the stage for an eclectic mix of performances that promise to captivate audiences of all ages. From legendary musical performances by Herb Alpert and Lani Hall to the timeless ballet of 'The Nutcracker', and the whimsical 'Potted Potter' experience, there's something for everyone. Whether you're drawn to Agatha Christie's mystery or enchanted by the elegance of 'Swan Lake', these events celebrate the diversity and richness of performing arts. Join us as we delve into the details of this cultural showcase.

Cultural Extravaganza at the Jefferson Performing Arts Center: A Journey Through Music, Dance, and Drama

The ballet is directed by Kenneth Beck and choreographed by Kimberly Matulich-Beck with the Jefferson Ballet Theatre. This is JBT’s sixth collaboration with JPA and its 17th annual Nutcracker production.

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The Nutcracker

Jefferson Performing Arts Center

Here is your chance to see 2 legendary performers. Music icon Herb Alpert & his wife Lani Hall who was the lead singer of those classic Brazil 66 recordings, "Mas Que Nada", "Fool On The Hill", "Going Out Of My Head"  and "Daytripper"

Herb Alpert & Lani Hall - A Christmas Wish

Lorrie Morgan, the first woman in her genre to begin her career with three consecutive Platinum albums, is back in the studio with award-winning producer Richard Landis, working on a new album. It is sure to be yet another collection showcasing the rainbow of emotions, from darkest heartache to bright, shiny humor, that is the hallmark of Morgan’s range.

Lorrie Morgan: Ruby Anniversary Tour 2024

New Orleans Smooth Jazz Jam

Conventional wisdom has it that Amy Grant put Contemporary Christian Music on the map, becoming the first CCM artist to have a platinum record, the first to hit No. 1 on the Pop charts, and the first to perform at the GRAMMY Awards. Since then, Grant has been strumming her way through a thirty-plus year adventure as a singer-songwriter, author, television host, and speaker.

Amy Grant

Legendary Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Judy Collins has inspired audiences with sublime vocals, boldly vulnerable songwriting, personal life triumphs, and a firm commitment to social activism. In the 1960s, she evoked both the idealism and steely determination of a generation united against social and environmental injustices. Five decades later, her luminescent presence shines brightly as new generations bask in the glow of her iconic 50-album body of work, and heed inspiration from her spiritual discipline to thrive in the music industry for half a century.

An Evening with Judy Collins

This fascinating romantic story set to the music of Edvard Grieg, Jules Massenet, Mozart, and Vivaldi, will give unforgettable bright emotions of happiness for adults and children. Handsome Kai, robbers, forest fairies, funny Snowman, fabulous trolls, and, of course, brave beautiful Gerda who will pass all difficulties on her way. Kai and Gerda are sitting in their garden among roses when a shard of a witch’s mirror gets into Kai’s eye. His heart becomes hard and cold. One winter day a whirlwind of snow rises around him and he disappears. He is taken by the Snow Queen who lives in a world of ice and snow. Gerda goes in search of Kai. There are many challenges ahead but love helps her get through them and free Kai from the spell of the Snow Queen.

Snow Queen

Jekyll and Hyde

The American Italian Federation of the Southeast was founded in 1973 to represent and support Italian-American Organizations of the Southeast at the Local, National, and International Levels. Found in 1978, the mission of Jefferson Performing Arts is to nurture the performing arts and enrich the cultural and economic vitality of Jefferson Parish and the Gulf South through production and promotion of a diverse range of quality programs, and arts training and education.

Italian Film Festival

Remember putting on an album and listening from start to finish? Relive that moment with a live concert experience unlike any other as The Black Jacket Symphony recreates Elton John’s iconic album Madman Across The Water live in its entirety—note-for-note, sound-for-sound—plus a full set of Elton’s greatest hits. Over the past ten years, the Black Jacket Symphony has performed over 40 classic rock albums, bringing an incredible night of entertainment to over a million music lovers across the US. The group of hand-picked musicians changes based upon the album being performed—and no sonic detail is overlooked, with the musicians doing whatever it takes to reproduce the album. It’s a full night of rock and roll magic—plus a visual experience unlike any other. Fans across the country flock to their shows—and once you see one, you won’t miss another!

The Black Jacket Symphony Elton John’s "Madman Across The Water"

Back-N-Black delivers the goods with a set list that spans 4 decades of AC/DC's finest!

Back-N-Black

So much of what we love about Broadway musicals is their iconic dance numbers. Join us as we explore and celebrate the best of Broadway dancing from West Side Story, Carousel, Sweet Charity, and many more. Choreographed by Jefferson Ballet Theatre’s Kenny Beck (The Nutcracker, Jesus Christ Superstar) with accompaniment by the JPAS Symphony Orchestra conducted by Maestro Dennis G. Assaf, this promises to be an  evening of exhilarating sound and movement!

The Ballet Goes to Broadway

This intense, mystical-political two-person drama is about the last day on Earth of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. the evening after he delivered his “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” speech. The entire play is set in his Lorraine Motel room, where Dr. King is alone, trying to create yet another powerful speech. When he orders a cup of coffee from room service, a mysterious woman arrives, bringing much more than he requested. What follows is a reflective, sometimes humorous, often touching conversation in which Dr. King examines his achievements, his failures and shortcomings, and his unfinished dreams.

The Mountaintop

Jefferson Performing Arts Society

The ballet is directed by Kenneth Beck and choreographed by Kimberly Matulich-Beck with the Jefferson Ballet Theatre. This is JBT’s fourth annual collaboration with JPAS and its 16th annual Nutcracker production.

Toy soldiers, the Mouse King, and the Sugar Plum Fairy--experience these classic characters again this holiday season as part of the fantastical journey with The Nutcracker. Travel to the Land of Sweets with Clara as she befriends a nutcracker who comes to life on Christmas Eve to wage a battle against the evil Mouse King. This dancing and dreaming fantasy reminds us of the importance of imagination, love and childhood.

Holiday Inn, The New Irving Berlin Musical is a 2016 Broadway musical based on the Paramount Pictures 1942 film of the same name. The libretto is by  Gordon Greenberg and Chad Hodge, with music and lyrics by Irving Berlin. Based on the classic film, this joyous musical features thrilling dance numbers, laugh-out-loud comedy, and a parade of hit Irving Berlin songs, including “Blue Skies,” “Easter Parade,” “Steppin’ Out With My Baby,” “Heat Wave,” and “White Christmas.”

Celebrate all holidays in this clever romantic comedy based on the 1940s film!

This three-person drama is based on a real event that took place in the summer of 1965, when an inebriated Tallulah Bankhead required a full day to redub - or loop - one line of dialogue for her last movie, Die! Die! My Darling! The recording session ends up lasting 8 hours due to her drunken behavior, physical and mental meanderings, and constant need for dialogue, distraction, reassurance, and her own brand of talk therapy with the tech crew. Secrets are revealed, confessions are made, and both Tallulah and the sound engineer end up “looping back” to their own traumas to understand their lives.

Looped

Relive the hilarious 1974 Mel Brooks movie with this musical featuring the same monster sized silliness.
This zany musical “brings to life” the story of mad scientist Frederick Frankenstein, who repeats his grandfather’s monster mistakes–while creating a lot of insane fun along the way. Victor Frankenstein has died and Frederick travels to his grandfather’s castle in Transylvania where he ends up conducting his grandfather’s experiments to create human life. But by the time he realizes that the monster’s been accidentally given an abnormal brain, he has escaped, and everyone fears he will terrorize the countryside. Will Frederick repeat the mistakes of his grandfather, or will he turn the Frankenstein legacy around and turn his monster into a sophisticated man about town?

Young Frankenstein

Laugh and cry with these lovable Louisiana ladies who are “as delicate as magnolias but as tough as steel" as they support each other through the challenges of life.

Steel Magnolias

Take a step back in time to the French Quarter in 1973 as the patrons of The UpStairs Lounge help a modern-day millennial reevaluate his concepts of love and freedom. 

The View Upstairs

This play within a play is a fond look at the follies of theatre folk, whose out-of-control egos, lack of skill, and passionate affairs turn every performance into a high-risk adventure. A touring theatre troupe’s production of a sex comedy called Nothing On is on view here from start to un-finish: their dress rehearsal, the opening performance, and a performance towards the end of a debilitating run. The show is a delightful window into the inner workings of theatre, progressing and regressing from dress rehearsal mishaps to friction between cast members in the final performance. This delightful backstage farce comes complete with slamming doors, falling trousers, and flying sardines! 

Noises Off

Based on the novel by quintessential horror writer Stephen King, Misery tells the story of novelist Paul Sheldon as he transitions from writing historical romances featuring heroine Misery Chastain to publishing literary fiction. Annie Wilkes, Sheldon's number one fan, rescues the author from the scene of a car accident. 

MISERY Loves Company! Join us for the stage version of Stephen King’s novel!

Teatro Wego

This controversial and popular 1971 Broadway musical infused with rock, gospel, folk, and funk as well as modern colloquialisms is set against the events told in the Gospels as seen through the eyes of Judas Iscariot. The show follows the last week of Jesus Christ's life leading up to his betrayal by Judas and his crucifixion by the Romans. Combining ancient political history and modern sensibilities, this work explores timeless themes of fame, revolution, radicalism, and humility.

Jesus Christ Superstar

Murder on the Orient Express is widely regarded as one of Agatha Christie’s greatest literary achievements. This theatrical adaption by Tony-nominated playwright Ken Ludwig is a stylish, suspenseful murder mystery about an unlikely cast of potential suspects - including a colonel, a princess and a countess, all with alibis – trapped aboard the luxurious Orient Express.

Agatha Christie’s ultimate mystery novel is now an elegant comedic thriller!

This joyful musical follows five women as they come together to clean out their matriarch’s home and discover fragments of their past. As they share stories and memories, they honor black women throughout history while performing top hits from the 1930s to the 1990s, from Billie Holiday to Beyonce. Based on real interviews with African American women, this uplifting show contains a range of emotions and sing-a-long soulful tunes for all generations, from “Oh, Happy Day,” “Mr. Big Stuff,” and “I Will Survive” to “Tyrone,” “I am Not My Hair,” and “A Woman’s Worth.”

A song-filled journey full of soul and history!

Toy soldiers, the Mouse King, and the Sugar Plum Fairy--experience these classic characters again this holiday season as part of the fantastical journey with The Nutcracker. Travel to the Land of Sweets with Clara as she befriends a nutcracker who comes to life on Christmas Eve to wage a battle against the evil Mouse King. This dancing and dreaming fantasy reminds us of the importance of imagination, love and childhood.

Toy soldiers, the Mouse King, and the Sugar Plum Fairy

In the Heights is a Tony-Award winning musical with music and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda (Hamilton) and a book by Quiara Alegría Hudes. The story is set over the course of three days, involving characters in the largely Dominican American neighborhood of Washington Heights in Upper Manhattan, New York City.

In the Heights

Sweet Potato Queens is a high-powered musical that tells the story of Jill and her closest friends and how they learn to grab life by the sequins, feathers, and tiaras to live their lives on their own terms…as big as a parade! Based on the wildly successful 1980s Sweet Potato Queens books by Mississippi based writer Jill Conner Browne, this colorful, upbeat show features a writing dream team of pop music and Broadway song icons Melissa Manchester, Rupert Holmes and Sharon Vaughn.

Bring Your Boa To This Bawdy and Bodacious, Sweet and Sassy Musical!

Created by two-time Olivier Award–nominated BBC Television actors Daniel Clarkson and Jefferson Turner, and seen by over 1,000,000 Potter fans around the world, the show will cast a spell over the Jefferson Performing Arts Center from December 26 through January 5.

Potted Potter: The Unauthorized Harry Experience

Agatha Christie's Murder on the Nile

Prepare yourself to be mesmerized by the enchanting performance of Swan Lake, presented by the prestigious State Ballet Theater of Ukraine. Lose yourself in the magic of this legendary masterpiece, which will be showcased at the magnificent Jefferson Performing

Swan Lake

Billy Elliot tells the story of a young boy from a coal mining village in northeast England who transcends class and circumstance to become a ballet star.

Jefferson Performing Arts Center

21 - 22 Dec, 2024

The Nutcracker

Dec 26, 2024 - Jan 5, 2025

Potted Potter: The Unauthorized Harry Experience

14 - 23 Feb, 2025

Agatha Christie's Murder on the Nile

Mar 13, 2025

Swan Lake

Mar 28 - Apr 6, 2025

Billy Elliot the Musical

21 - 22 Dec, 2024

The Nutcracker

Dec 14, 2024

Herb Alpert & Lani Hall - A Christmas Wish

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Jefferson Performing Arts Center