theater
1940s RADIO HOUR. St. Clement of Rome, Ralph Carroll Complex, 4317 Richland Ave., Metairie, 834-7161. Musical by Walton Jones reflects on the magic of the songs of the '40s, including "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy," "Blue Moon" and "That Old Black Magic." Tickets $12. Performances 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday.
AMAZING PLACE, THIS NEW ORLEANS. True Brew Theatre, 200 Julia St., 945-6789. Roberts Batson's solo performance that brings to life the history and characters that helped shape the story of New Orleans based on his Scandal Tours. Tickets $20. Performances 5 p.m. Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.
COLD READ. Le Chat Noir, 715 St. Charles Ave., 581-5812. Open rehearsals for The Bar Mitzvah by Bernard Burk and The Bonding Room by James Perry, both selected for presentation at the 2002 One Act Play Competition. Free admission, one-drink minimum. Performances 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.
HURLYBURLY. Le Chat Noir, 715 St. Charles Ave., 581-5812. David Rabe's award-winning Broadway play focuses on the relationships between friends, lovers, enemies and strangers. Dane Rhodes directs Christopher Lee, mikko, Veronica Russell and others. Tickets $16 Thursday, $19 Friday and Saturday, $11 students. Performances 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, through June 1. (Reviewed in this issue.)
IMPORTANT CHICKEN. Martine's Lounge, 2347 Metairie Road, Metairie, 831-8637. Comedy spoofing key figures in Louisiana politics. Stars Chris Champagne, Peggy Sanders and others. Tickets $10. Performances 8 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday.
LATE NIGHT CATECHISM. Le Petit Theatre du Vieux Carré, Directors Studio, 616 St. Peter St., 522-2081. The "Sister" teaches an adult catechism class and alternately rewards and chastises her students. Amanda Hebert stars. Tickets $21 Thursday and Sunday, $26 Friday and Saturday. Performances 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 1:30 p.m. and 6 p.m. Sunday. Open run.
NITA AND ZITA. The Core, State Palace Theater, 1108 Canal St., 866-7387. Full-production premiere of the story of two sisters from Baia Maire, Romania, who arrived in the United States at Ellis Island, toured the country as "Nita and Zita, International Dancers," and settled in New Orleans as performers and local legends. Stars Kathy Randels and Katie Pearl. Tickets $12 general, $10 students and seniors. Performances 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
OUT DA BOX! North Star Theatre, 347 Gerard St., Mandeville, (985) 626-1500. Ricky Graham's new musical revue featuring songs and comedy sketches that reflect a local point of view. Graham directs Becky Allen, Sean Patterson and Heidi P. Junius. Tickets $24. Performances 8 p.m. Friday, 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. Saturday, through June 29.
POLITICS WITH A PUNCH. Le Chat Noir, 715 St. Charles Ave., 581-5812. Local political pundits, media personalities and comedians conduct unrehearsed discussions on Louisiana politics. Hosted by Jeff Crouere and featuring Chris Rose, Becky Allen and others. Tickets $21. Performance 8 p.m. Monday.
art
Venues preceded by an asterisk are celebrating opening receptions this week. Call each space for information.
A GALLERY FOR FINE PHOTOGRAPHY 322 Royal St., 568-1313 -- Photos by Henri Cartier-Bresson, through July 14; photos by Edward Curtis, through Aug. 30; photos by Jan Saudek, through Aug. 15 (reviewed in this issue); photos by Marion Post Wolcott, through Sept. 15.
ABITA ART GALLERY 72078 Maple St., Abita Springs, (985) 867-3323 -- Recent paintings and etchings by John Akers, through June 17.
ACADEMY GALLERY New Orleans Academy of Fine Arts, 5256 Magazine St., 899-8111 -- The Annual Student Exhibition, through July 20.
ARIODANTE 535 Julia St., 524-3233 -- Family Affair, jewelry by Maureen and Rebecca Worth, through May.
*ARTHUR ROGER GALLERY 432 Julia St., 522-1999 -- Straight to Video, works by John Waters; works by Michelle Elmore, through July 19.
AXELLE FINE ARTS GALERIE ROYALE 709 Royal St., 299-1666 -- Works by Michel Delacroix, Adre Bourrie and others, through June.
*BARRISTER'S GALLERY 1724 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd., 525-2767 -- The Second Coming, new work by John Lawson, through June; Displaced, group show of documentary photographs of New Orleans housing projects, through July.
BASSETTI FINE ART PHOTOGRAPHS 233 Chartres St., 529-9811 -- Photos by Shelby Lee Adams, through May. (Reviewed in this issue.)
BERGERON STUDIO & GALLERY 516 Natchez St., 522-7503 -- Jazz Legends at Preservation Hall circa 1962, photographs by Bob Coke, through June.
BRUNNER GALLERY 215 N. Columbia St., Covington, (985) 893-0444 -- Spatiotempora, clay work by Lucille Hunter; paintings by Bryan Gill, through June 1.
BRYANT GALLERIES 316 Royal St., 525-5584 -- Paintings by Dean Mitchell, through June 18.
CALLAN GALLERY 3506 Magazine St., 899-8782 -- New collection of 19th and early 20th century French Impressionist and post-Impressionist paintings, through June.
CAMERON JONES 2127 Magazine St., 524-3119 -- Group show by 12 local artists including George Ufford, Marcel Flisiuk, Ruth Marie Wright, and Chris Clark, through June.
CAROL ROBINSON GALLERY 840 Napoleon Ave., 895-6130 -- Group show of gallery artists including Karen Jacobs and Sonia Kouyoumdjian, through July.
*COLE PRATT GALLERY 3800 Magazine St., 891-6789 -- Paintings by Gaither Pope and Robin Durand, through June.
CONTEMPORARY ARTS CENTER 900 Camp St., 523-1216 -- Digital Louisiana, group show featuring recent computer-processed prints, photographs and interactive art by Louisiana artists, through June 9.
CRESCENT GALLERY 531 Wilkinson Row, 525-5255 -- Exhibition of work by National Arts Club Members, through May 30.
DAISIE MAE'S ASTRAL PLANE cafE & GALLERY 4409/11 Magazine St., 895-6753 -- Give it Up for the Arts, current work by Heather Weathers, Gabriella Mills, Sarah Spell and Shawn Maholland, through June 21.
*D.O.C.S. 709 Camp St., 524-3936 -- Annual group exhibition, through July.
*EVANS GALLERY 3815 Magazine St., 897-2688 -- Group show featuring works by Jean Geraci, Janet McGreal and Adele Sypestyn, through June.
FRENCHY GALLERY 319 Royal St., 561-5885 -- Photographs by Shannon Brinkman; 2002 Jazz Fest paintings by Frenchy, through June.
GALLERY CARROLL 4817 Prytania St., 861-8838 -- New work by August Martens, George and JoAnn Saucier, Carroll Becker, MacDonald Eaton and Eva McDaniel, through June.
GALLERY INFERNO 3336 Magazine St., 891-1006 -- Work by Pat Juneau, through May.
GALERIE LAFITTE 533 St. Louis St., 524-0105 -- Paintings by Gustavo Duque, Christina Juran and Jordan Ivanov; sculptures by Cauvin Eustis, through June.
*GALERIE SIMONNE STERN 518 Julia St., 529-1118 -- The Blue Highway, paintings by Tony Scherman, through July 3.
HANSON GALLERY 229 Royal St., 524-8211 -- Paintings by Patterson & Barnes, Christian Vey, through May.
*HERIARD-CIMINO GALLERY 440 Julia St., 525-7300 -- Daylight Is Dangerous, photographs by Mick Vovers, through June.
HUBER HOUSE GALLERY 1522 St. Charles Ave., 561-0628 -- New work by Christi Simoncioni, through May.
*JOHN PRODUCT GALLERY 2027 Magazine St., 581-5280 -- First Annual Going Out of Business Sale, works by Lisa C. Soto and John Product, through July 31.
*JONATHAN FERRARA GALLERY 841 Carondelet St., 522-5471 -- Simple Moments, steel sculpture by Gina Laguna; Complexities, paintings by Jeffrey Pitt, through July 15.
KURT E. SCHON 510 St. Louis St., 524-5462; 523 Royal St., 523-5902 -- Salute to Royal Academy Landscape painters such as James Webb and James Edwin Meadows, through June.
LALLYBROCH 240 Pelican Ave., Old Algiers Point, 362-2226 -- Group show of New Orleans architecture, through May.
*LEMIEUX GALLERIES 332 Julia St., 522-5988 -- New paintings by Margaret Ross Tolbert, through July 27.
*MARGUERITE OESTREICHER FINE ARTS 720 Julia St., 581-9253 -- Group show of 17th, 18th, and 19th century original drawings; works on paper by Austrian artist Gerhard Muller, through July.
MARIO VILLA GALLERY 3908 Magazine St., 895-8731 -- Group show of gallery artists, through August.
MY MAMA 'NEM ARTISTS' STUDIO 4129 Magnolia St., 894-0634 -- You Done Good Baby, works by Charles Collins Jr., through June 10.
*NEIGHBORHOOD GALLERY 1410 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd., 524-8800 -- Save America's Treasures, pictorial exhibit of the lower St. Charles Avenue corridor, through June.
N.O. SCHOOL OF GLASSWORKS & PRINTMAKING STUDIO 727 Magazine St., 529-7277 -- New Orleans ArtWorks Exhibit, group show, through June.
SOREN CHRISTENSEN 400 Julia St., 569-9501 -- Black-and-white photographs by Michael Book, through May.
STELLA JONES GALLERY Bank One Center, 201 St. Charles Ave., 568-9050 -- Windows of the Soul, new work by Faith Ringgold, through June 28.
*STEVE MARTIN STUDIO/GALLERY 624 Julia St., 566-1390 -- Group exhibit, through June.
*Sylvia Schmidt GALLERY 400A Julia St., 522-2000 -- Works by Ken Hanning, Katherine Keller, Pamela Sun and Madeline Faust, through June.
VINCENT MANN GALLERY 713 Bienville St., 523-2342 -- Paintings and lithographs by Francoise Gilot, paintings of the French countryside by Luc Didier, through May.
VINTAGE 429 429 Royal St., 529-2288 -- The Art of Dr. Seuss, through May.
WAITING ROOM GALLERY 904 Pauline St., 949-1805 -- Snooks Jazz, jazz-inspired collage paintings by Margo Kren, through June 8.
WYNDY MOREHEAD FINE ARTS 3926 Magazine St., 269-8333 -- Allegory of Color, paintings by Haitian artist Vidho Lorville, through May 29.
YOUNG ASPIRATIONS/YOUNG ARTISTS INC. 628 Baronne St., 529-3306 -- New work by high school and college-age "Ya/Ya" artists.
spare spaces
LESBIAN & GAY COMMUNITY CENTER 2114 Decatur St., 945-1103 -- Works by Omar Angel, through May.
museums
NEW ORLEANS MUSEUM OF ART 1 Collins Diboll Circle, City Park, 488-2631 -- A Brush With History: Portraits From the National Gallery, through Aug. 11 (see cover story); Southern Graphics Council Printmakers Emeritus, 1978-2002, through June 23; Bingo! Photographs by Andrew Miksys, through June 9.
NEW ORLEANS PUBLIC LIBRARY 219 Loyola Ave., 596-2567 -- Mardi Gras: A Louisiana Celebration, through June 5.
books
Saturday 1
BARRY RAINE. Octavia Books, 513 Octavia St., 899-7323. Author reads and signs Where the River Bends. Free admission. 6 p.m.
