For years, Ricky Graham has had the Midas touch for New Orleans theater. Name a work by Graham -- a result of his Producers Circle collaborations with Roy Smith, Becky Allen, Sean Patterson, Heidi Junius, et al -- and we'll pretty much show you a Big Easy Award or two. Most recent example: last year's When Ya Smilin', which copped Graham a Best Original Play award. Going further back, and there are the phenomenally successful Thoroughly Modern Millennium, ... And the Ball and All, and At the Club Toot Sweet on Bourbon Street. Well, if you haven't figured it out by now, Graham is back, this time on the Northshore, to debut his latest work, OUT DA BOX!, which opens Friday at the North Star Theatre (347 Gerard St., Mandeville, 800-924-5538 or 985-626-1500). This summertime musical revue of six comedy sketches and 10 musical numbers features collaborations with other familiar names including Bob Bruce, Harry Mayronne Jr. and David Cuthbert, with costumes by longtime co-conspirator (and fellow Big Easy winner) Roy Haylock, set by James Jennings, and lighting by Heather Stickney. Junius is staging the musical numbers, while Mayronne will serve as musical director. This time around, Out Da Box! will feature a country-western number with Allen and Junius, and a tongue-in-cheek tango for Papperson -- all in the service of sending up/saluting those who have ventured from the bumpy asphalt of the city to the greener pastures of the Northshore. ("Don't expect nothing right-side-up, here, darlin'," Allen says in the release.) The show also will include numbers from Millennium and Toot Sweet. Despite the usual collaborative star power, this has Graham's creative paw prints all over it. He has almost single-handedly defined the concept of contemporary New Orleans theater, with its broad comedic and musical strokes and its ability to walk that fine line between reverence and parody. (In New Orleans, after all, the line blurs every day.) Tickets to Out Da Box! are $24 and are available at the North Star Theatre box office. Performances are 8 p.m. Friday, 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. Saturday, through June 29. (There will be a special Thursday performance at 8 p.m. on June 27.) -- David Lee Simmons

The F--king Champs 10 p.m. Thursday, May 30 Mermaid Lounge, 1100 Constance St., 524-4747 The F--king Champs (formerly known as simply "the Champs") deliver fast and furious helpings of hyper-metal, unadulterated by vocals, hooks, or any other frills that might shift the speed to less than breakneck. Formed when guitarist Tim Green -- formerly of Nation of Ulysses and a long list of other little-known abrasive bands -- moved to San Francisco in 1995, the bass-less trio has made a career out of synthesizing the heaviest elements of rock's more extreme sub-genres, rolling them into one, utterly hardcore whole. Champs performances are like indie-rock portals to more intense listening, and newly-hooked Champs devotees will be inclined to pick up old seven-inch releases and new CDs at the show (while the faint of heart will run screaming from the venue). The latest album, V, is no less searing than the last two (III and IV) or last year's Double Exposure, a collaboration with indie-rock band Trans Am. Drunk Horse and Last of the Juanitas are also on the bill. Admission $8. -- Cristina Diettinger

Nita and Zita 8 p.m. Friday-Saturday, May 31-June 1; through June 16 The Core (inside State Palace Theater), 1108 Canal St., 866-7387 New Orleans has a long tradition of celebrating eccentrics. The duo of sisters known as "Nita and Zita, International Dancers," is no exception. Really named Flora and Piroska Gellert, the two Jewish immigrants from Romania stepped on Ellis Island in 1922. Near the end of their careers, the two settled into a home in Faubourg Marigny and performed often in French Quarter clubs. Outlandish behavior such as painting their home, both inside and out, a polka-dot design and walking to Schwegmann's wearing formal dresses made them local legends (one of their showgirl costumes hangs in the Louisiana State Museum). Nita and Zita explores various aspects of their lives as told by text, dance and music with dancers Kathy Randels and Katie Pearl and a live piano score by Tom McDermott. Tickets are $12 general admission, $10 seniors and students. -- Frank Etheridge

The Fabulous Thunderbirds 9 p.m. Friday, May 31 House of Blues, 225 Decatur St., 529-BLUE The Fabulous Thunderbirds tear through the blues Friday at House of Blues. Since the departure of guitarist and founding member Jimmie Vaughan in 1990, frontman Kim Wilson of the Fabulous Thunderbirds has taken a page from John Mayall's book, recruiting a succession of superb six-stringers to keep the T-Birds flying. Duke Robillard, Kid Bangham, and Kid Ramos have all filled the guitar chair, keeping the muscle in the T-Birds' mix of Texas, Chicago, Gulf South and West Coast blues, and most importantly, providing simpatico support for Wilson's incomparable harmonica playing. Wilson remains a pillar of contemporary blues harp, with a huge tone modeled after legends Big Walter and Little Walter, mixed with the swamp grease of Louisiana stalwarts like Lazy Lester. In their live performances, the T-Birds inevitably serve up radio hits "Tuff Enuff" and "Powerful Stuff," but the real attraction is hearing the band tear through early favorites like "She's Tough" and "Wait on Time," which established the T-Birds as a contemporary blues powerhouse built on traditional sounds. Andy J. Forest opens. Tickets $17.50. -- Scott Jordan

Camellia City Old-Time Music & Bluegrass Festival Noon to 5:30 p.m. Saturday, June 1 First United Methodist Church, 3rd and Bouscarean streets, Slidell, (985) 643-0694 A grand tradition of folk music festivals in which musicians and music lovers mesh in sublime cohesion, the third annual Camellia City Old-Time Music & Bluegrass Festival takes root Saturday with an afternoon filled with free workshops and concerts, all capped off by a community jam session open to all players. Presented by the Northshore Country Dance & Song Society (NCDSS), the workshops are free and open to musicians of all ages and levels, with singing voice, guitar, mandolin, fiddle, banjo, bass and both hammered and mountain dulcimer all covered. The concerts find three distinct sounds and styles of old-time music presented. Hazel and the Delta Ramblers are 25-year veterans of Jazz Fest. Also performing are the River Road Ramblers, a traditional bluegrass group led by Ed Genois, and the Jeff & Vida Band, whose material spans from Appalachian-style bluegrass to alt country. Admission is $6 adults, $3 children. -- Etheridge

Komenka Spring Concert 2002 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. Saturday, June 1; 3 p.m. Sunday, June 2 Loyola University, Roussel Performance Hall, corner of St. Charles Avenue and Calhoun Street, 529-4676 For a smorgasbord of global dance styles, the Komenka Ethnic Dance and Music Ensemble is clearly a recognized leader, having earned a Big Easy Award for Best Ethnic Dance Production in 1993, 1995, 1997, 1999 and 2001. Perhaps that begins to explain the success of their annual Spring Concert, now in its 23rd year. This year, the journey of steps and sway has ports of call including Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Italy, the Philippine Islands, Russia, Spain and the United States. This year will mark the premiere of two Philippine Island works, choreographed by Jose Horstman Omila, former dancer with the acclaimed Bayanihan Philippine Dance Company. Other debuts include the Spanish-inspired "Paso Doble" and the ballet character sketch of "Tarantella." General admission is $9 advance, $8 at door; children, students and seniors pay $7 advance, $8 at door. For more information, call 529-4676. -- Etheridge

John Waters: Straight to Video 6 p.m. Saturday, June 1 (reception); exhibit through July 19 Arthur Roger Gallery, 432 Julia St., 522-1999 If you think director John Waters has a passion for Baltimore, he seems to be developing a small crush on New Orleans as well. The renowned camp auteur and director of everything from Pink Flamingos to Hairspray is also a much-talked-about photographer, and guess which city is the only other one besides New York where Waters likes to show his stuff? Yup. Better still, Waters will be in attendance for this reception kicking off his latest work, Straight to Video -- his third at Arthur Roger Gallery. In keeping with his abilities as a grand manipulator of cinematic genres (and often standing them on their heads), Waters' photographs also have a playfully manipulated quality about them. Rarely has a director shown such a bizarre reverence for his own craft, leaving the viewer to question whether he's being ironic, cheeky or sincere or maybe a little bit of everything. The Straight to Video reception also runs in conjunction with a reception for Michelle Elmore's latest works. Free admission. -- Simmons

Peter Murphy 9 p.m. Saturday, June 1 House of Blues, 225 Decatur St., 529-BLUE "Forget everything you think you know about Peter Murphy," the pop-out screen challenges from Murphy's Web site, in anticipation of the reaction to his first full release in seven years, Dust. That would be much easier to do if Murphy hadn't already firmly established himself with his identities as the iconic lead singer of the post-punk goth band Bauhaus and then as a solo artist in his own right. And in this later incarnation, Murphy (at least a decade ago) did a commendable job of balancing his goth roots with an eye toward the East. Now, on Dust, he's in full stare mode, pairing up with folks like Michael Brook and electronic violinist Hugh Marsh and washing his still-clean vocals in an ethereal Turkish dream state. It's a disappointing album if only because there's not enough Peter there -- I really don't want to forget everything I know about him -- but gets an A for effort with wispy tracks like "No Home Without Its Sire." Here's hoping for a solid reading from 1990's masterpiece, Deep, to go along with his latest ambient excursions. Tickets $23. -- Simmons

2002 Bluesberry Festival 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, June 1 Bogue Falaya Park, Covington Doug Kershaw helps celebrate the 2002 Bluesberry Festival on Saturday at Covington's Bogue Falaya Park. Though the ripening of sweet Louisiana blueberries is enough news for many to celebrate, combine this with great music, art, a worthy cause and the dawn of summer, and -- voila! -- you have a festival. The 2002 Bluesberry Festival will be held on a shady stretch on banks of the Bogue Falaya Park in historic downtown Covington. A variety of vendors will provide treats prepared with the featured fruit, along with other Louisiana cuisine. The blueberry will also mark the artwork, ranging from jewelry to needlework. The music begins at 1 p.m. with Amedee Frederick, followed by Under the Gun, J.B. Elston, Lenny McDaniel, Joe Stark, Timothea with Walter "Wolfman" Washington, and a closing set by Doug Kershaw. New this year will be a children's activities area. Proceeds benefit the St. Tammany Art Association. Tickets are $ 8 advance, $10 at the gate; children under 10 admitted free. -- Etheridge

Jonathan Richman 10:30 p.m. Monday, June 3 El Matador, 504 Esplanade Ave., 569-8361 It's easy to see why Jonathan Richman is the oft-revered hero of college radio's ultra-alternative underpinnings. He's the obvious dork-rock role model for decades worth of would-be outsiders like Violent Femmes and Michael Stipe, and his quirky, allegorical ditties pay no mind to self-consciousness. Richman's always been honest about his musical experimentation, with self-indulgent albums that come right out and say it (It¹s Time for Jonathan, Jonathan Sings, Jonathan Goes Country, and the ultimate confession, I¹m So Confused). His latest album, Her Mystery Not of High Heels and Eye Shadow, is as charming as his work with the Modern Lovers. Well, almost. And if you want to hear all that old stuff laid out on CD before you catch Richman's no-holds-barred live show, try last year's Rhino Records compilation, Rock ¹n¹ Roll With the Modern Lovers. Admission TBA. -- Diettinger

Richard Campanella: Time and Place in New Orleans 7 p.m. Saturday, June 1 Borders, 3131 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Metairie, 835-1363 Richard Campanella has made it his mission to document New Orleans' changing landscape. In his new book, Time and Place in New Orleans: Past Geographies in the Present Day (Pelican Publishing), he once again juxtaposes the past with the present, combining photos and text to demonstrate in stunning detail just how New Orleanians have lived in our city, and how the city has impressed itself on us. Imagine a guided tour that compares the city's drainage system over the past century, discusses the major sites of newspaper publishing, tracks the growth of our street systems, and deconstructs the meaning of our landmarks. It's a truism that below-sea-level New Orleans is a city where no city really has a right to exist, but Campanella, the assistant director of environmental analysis at the Center for Bioenvironmental Research at Tulane and Xavier universities, shows us how we pulled it off. Tonight, Campanella will lecture and sign his new book. Free admission. -- Michael Tisserand

"Les Romantiques Francais: Arias and Melodies of 19th Century France" 6:30 p.m. Sunday, June 2 The Columns Hotel, 3811 St. Charles Ave., 899-9308 Nineteenth-century French opera is often virtually synonymous with whimsy, and what more whimsical way to enjoy a few Gallic classics than in the cozy ballroom of The Columns Hotel? Soprano Hallie White and pianist Steven Blackmon team up for a program that ranges from the arias of Jacques Offenbach and Charles Gounod to melodies by Georges Bizet, Claude Debussy, Gabriel Fauré and others. White, a native New Orleanian who has sung locally and abroad, holds her master's degree in vocal performance from the University of New Orleans and was a featured soloist for the Jefferson Performing Arts Society's Evening With Gilbert & Sullivan. Blackmon serves as director of music and organist for St. Charles Avenue Presbyterian Church, a post he has held for the past 16 years; during his tenure, he has conducted memorable performances with members of the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, most recently Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Grand Mass in C-Minor. Free admission. -- Shala Carlson

Artist's Market Group Exhibition Ongoing Artists' Market, 85 French Market Place, 452-1339 "Thirty days in the market, take him away ... ." So went the old Jelly Roll Morton song about the quaint 19th-century practice of sentencing petty scofflaws to 30 days cleaning the French Market. Today, the Market is still quaint, and if souvenirs have displaced some of the produce, arts and crafts still abound, especially on weekends, when ceramic, glass and metal work by local artists can be found amid the endless aisles of miscellany. If that sounds a little diffuse, the adjacent Artist's Market at 85 French Market Place offers a more focused view of work by area artisans. Open from 10 a.m. till 6 p.m. every Friday, Saturday and Sunday, it's an artist's co-op dedicated to preserving the old arts-and-crafts traditions that have endured at the French Market ever since the first French settlers bought artfully woven baskets from Choctaw Indians at that same spot near the river, hundreds of years ago. -- D. Eric Bookhardt