South Pacific 8 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, Jan. 8-12; 2 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 10; 2 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, Jan. 12-13 Saenger Theatre, 143 N. Rampart St., 524-2490 A great story put to greater effect on stage, the literary, stage and screen versions of South Pacific are classics. James Michener's novel, Tales of the South Pacific, and the Broadway musical it inspired both earned Pulitzer Prizes. Set against the strangely sensuous backdrop of World War II's Pacific Theater, the plot unfolds two love stories, each twisted into complexity by stressing agents of war and prejudice. Nellie Forbush, a feisty nurse from Arkansas, falls for Emile de Beque, a seasoned, widowed French planter with children of mixed race. Concurrently, the young American Lt. Joe Cable confronts his own deep-rooted prejudice in his love for Liat, an innocent Tonkinese girl. Michael Nouri (Broadway's Victor/Victoria, Hollywood's Finding Forrester ) stars as Emile, with Erin Dilly (Follies) capturing Nellie. Tickets range from $28.50 to $55.50, and can be purchased from the Saenger (524-2490) or through Ticketmaster (522-5555). -- Frank Etheridge

Bad Mayo 6 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 9 Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville Café, 1104 Decatur St., 592-2565 The name Bad Mayo conjures images of a sloppy po-boy that's been sitting in the sun, and while the band's material sometimes sways to the less kosher side of life, the overall output is easy to swallow. Bad Mayo serves up down to earth lyrics of everyday concerns in short, playful songs that nod toward backwoods country rather than any urban New Orleans style. Typical Bad Mayo ditties like "Feelin' Kinda Fat" and "Shutup" contain whimsical musings on obesity and domestic unrest, respectively. Comical lyrics are compounded by countrified vocals from Lynn Drury, slide guitar effects, and plenty of rhythmic twists. Dave Stover leads the whole unruly ride on electric and stand-up bass. For a sampling of Bad Mayo's output, check out their latest CD, Chicken Slipper. Bluesman John Fohl plays before Bad Mayo at 3 p.m. and the Mike West Band plays hillbilly bluegrass after at 9 p.m. No cover. -- Cristina Diettinger

Crönk 10 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 10 Tipitina's, 501 Napoleon Ave., 895-TIPS Crönk made quite a splash on the local scene in 2001. An unforgettable performance at Jazz Fest brought due attention to this relentless troupe of wacko-funksters, confirming their proclamation that Crönk is a musical concept to be reckoned with. With an overarching mission to take the party to its utmost potential, Crönk takes the basic New Orleans horn-funk band formula to monstrous proportions, perpetrating a curious progressive fusion of retro-soul, jazz, rock and hip-hop that appeals to hard-partying modern music fans. Crönk shows draw a heavy contingent of college-age female fans who dress up in flashy garb to dig the band's deep grooves, clever rhymes and comical lyrics of twentysomething courtship distress. Since the release of its debut album, Wegotchu, Crönk's original repertoire has expanded drastically with a crop of tunes for a new album in the making. Local poet and "raptivist" MYSELF opens with a set of socially conscious, reggae-laden material from his latest album, Rebel Souljah. Admission $6. -- Diettinger

Hamlet 7:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 11, and Jan. 16 Dixon Hall, Tulane University, 865-5105 Locally, no group performs Shakespeare quite like the casts conferred by The Shakespeare Festival at Tulane, with a practiced grasp of The Bard's greatest works offered several times of year. This week, the troupe provides a special repeat performance of last summer's success by tackling what is widely reputed to be the playwright's most challenging and complex work, Hamlet. Directed by Shakespeare Festival at Tulane Artistic Director Aimee K. Michel, these performances feature Tony Molina in the title role as the conflicted protagonist, a rendering that inspired Gambit Weekly theater critic Dalt Wonk to admit, "Molina's Hamlet is unlike any other I have seen." Managing Director Clare Moncrief reprises her role as Gertrude. Andrea Frankle appears as Ophelia, with other featured actors including Danny Bowen, Ron Gural, Gavin Mahlie, Patrick McNamara, Gary Rucker, Donald Lewis and Dane Rhodes. Tickets are $20 adults, $15 seniors and Tulane staff, $5 students. For tickets or more information, call 865-5105. -- Etheridge

Smokey Joe's Cafe 8 p.m. Friday-Saturday, Jan. 11-12; 2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 13; through Feb. 3 Le Petit Theatre du Vieux Carré, 616 St. Peter St., 522-2081 Resembling a party just as much as a play, Broadway's longest-running musical revue, Smokey Joe's Cafe captures the essence of another time, embracing mantras like "We Like Ike!," and poodle skirts as fashion of the highest order. A Grammy Award winner and seven-time Tony Award nominee, mokey Joe's Cafe goes far beyond its '50s throwback motif. It's all about the music and the way it makes you move, celebrating the string of hits created by the famed songwriting team of Jerry Lieber and Mike Stoller, frequent visitors to the Top 40 list in the '50s and '60s. In the performance, you'll hum and tap along to the solid gold singles of Elvis Presley, the Coasters and the Drifters, featuring songs such as "Hound Dog," "Love Potion #9," "Stand by Me," "On Broadway" and "Jailhouse Rock." Tickets $26. For tickets or more information, call 522-2081. -- Etheridge

Fredy Omar con su Banda, Son Del Pantano, Los Vecinos 10 p.m. Friday, Jan. 11 Howlin' Wolf, 828 S. Peters St., 522-WOLF There is nothing like a saucy Latin triple bill to heat up your spirits in the dead of winter. With Fredy Omar at the helm, this program makes a case for the vitality of the local Latin music scene. Resident Honduran Omar and his band draw crowds from miles around with everything from merengue to forthright salsa and other upbeat Latin styles. Los Vecinos stay on the mellower side of the Caribbean canon. A motley collection of versatile musicians from the Ninth Ward and Bywater, Los Vecinos (meaning "the neighbors") play traditional acoustic Cuban son music, including popular favorites from the Buena Vista Social Club repertoire ("El Cuarto de Tula," "Chan Chan"), as well as originals in the son style. One such composition, "Guajira en Cyberspace," is the title track on their 2000 debut album. In the same rootsy vein, Son Del Pantano also brings the traditional Cuban vibe to the mainland. Admission $8. -- Diettinger

Dixie Dregs 10 p.m. Friday, Jan. 11 House of Blues, 225 Decatur St., 586-1094 Led by the dazzling fretwork of guitarist Steve Morse, the Dixie Dregs bridge the gap between the Allman Brothers and Frank Zappa. The band's Georgia roots are responsible for their Southern charm, but since their inception in the mid-70s, the Dregs' rotating lineup has been stocked with virtuoso instrumentalists (including fiddle wizard Mark O'Connor and Mahavishnu Orchestra's Jerry Goodman) that play a searing brand of rock/jazz fusion leavened with doses of Zappa-like humor. Manic showcase pieces like "Wages of Weirdness" and "Refried Funky Chicken" have kept the Dregs' devoted fan base faithful for 25 years. They've maintained that following despite long hiatuses between albums, and Morse's status as sideman-for-hire for prog-rock band Kansas, and most recently, playing Ritchie Blackmore in the most recent Deep Purple incarnation. Morse leads a handful of Dregs alumni on this current tour, which kicks off in New Orleans, and promises highlights from the Dregs' eclectic canon. Tickets $20. -- Jordan

Jane Monheit 8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 11 Contemporary Arts Center, 900 Camp St., 528-3805 Like her peer Diana Krall, 24-year-old Jane Monheit has taken the contemporary jazz world by storm. And like Krall, Monheit's beguiling looks haven't hurt her success, but it's her sultry vocal talent that turns people into believers. Monheit won second place in the Thelonious Monk Institute International Vocal Competition in 1998, paving the way for a record contract and her acclaimed debut album, Never Never Land. Monheit hasn't slowed down since. Her 2001 follow-up CD, Come Dream With Me, is a lush set of ballads that finds Monheit standing tall next to a heavyweight collection of veterans including Christian McBride, Michael Brecker and Kenny Barron. One of Monheit's biggest boosters is New Orleans trumpet luminary Terence Blanchard, who tapped Monheit to sing on his 2001 CD, Let's Get Lost: The Songs of Jimmy McHugh. Her CAC show marks Monheit's first New Orleans appearance, and is part of the CAC's Jazz America Concert Series, which could spark a reunion between Monheit and series director Blanchard. Tickets $20 general admission, $15 for CAC members. -- Jordan

Materials of Africa: African Art from New Orleans Collections Through Feb. 17 Newcomb Art Gallery, Newcomb College, 865-5328 It is well known that New Orleans is the gumbo city of the great American melting pot. And at least some people know that gumbo was originated in Africa, with liberal helpings from other cultures along the way. So it only makes sense that some serious African art collections would reside here, and indeed they do, as we see in the Newcomb Art Gallery's MATERIALS OF AFRICA show of 140 African art works selected from private New Orleans holdings. Fashioned from materials as diverse as gold, silver, ivory, wood, iron, copper, hair and feathers, and ranging from 2,000-year-old Nok terracotta busts to a Baule tribal mask from the Ivory Coast, most have never appeared in public before. Family Day, designed to introduce children 6-12 and their adult companions to African art, is Sunday, Jan. 13, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free. -- D. ERIC BOOKHARDT