A story as timeless and magical as Beauty and the Beast seems as fitting as any to be the Jefferson Performing Arts Society's (JPAS) most ambitious production ever, in a year filled with ambition. This year, as many know, marks the debut of JPAS' Westwego facility, which served as the launching pad for a critically acclaimed production of Smokey Joe's Cafe. Beauty and the Beast is a special musical, from its fairy tale roots to Jean Cocteau's brilliantly conceived La Belle et la Bete (1946) up to Disney's Oscar-winning 1991 animated work that featured the voices of Robby Benson and Angela Lansbury. (Who knew Robby "Ode to Billy Joe" Benson could sound so menacing?) It was the Disney version (with a few new songs added) that fired up Broadway in 1994, featuring music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice, and book by Linda Woolverton. The musical earned an impressive nine Tony Award nominations, settling only for a win for Ann Hould-Ward's costume design. DISNEY'S Beauty and the Beast is still going strong on Broadway, which makes this satellite production surprisingly rare. Through a special arrangement with Music Theatre International that includes all authorized performance materials, the show will be presented Saturday and Sunday (and again on Dec. 11-12) at the Jefferson Performing Arts Center (400 Phlox Ave., Metairie, 885-2000; wwwjpas.org). Blaine Kern Jr.'s Mardi Gras Productions, which knows a thing or two about visual magic, has designed, constructed and painted the sets. This deceptively simple story follows pouty young Belle, who is fending off the advances of the egotistical Gaston when she is forced to travel through the woods in search of her lost father, Maurice. Belle's journey leads her to a dark, forbidding castle, where the Beast has imprisoned her father. When Belle trades herself for her father, the romance begins. Savannah Wise (left), daughter of Tony winner Scott Wise, will head a national cast that features New Yorker and native New Orleanian Stuart Metcalf (right) as the Beast and Edward R. Cox as Maurice. JPAS will take this production on the road afterward, to the Grand Casino in Biloxi (Dec. 17-29). Tickets to this production are $45 orchestra, $35 parquet and balcony, with students/children parquet seating $20; showtimes are 7:30 p.m. Saturdays, 2 p.m. Sundays. There will be three special, student-only performances at 9:45 a.m. Dec. 8-10; tickets are $10. -- David Lee Simmons

Slayer, plus Killswitch Engage, Mastodon, and Squint 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 30 House of Blues, 225 Decatur St., 529-BLUE; www.hob.com The old face of metal together with the new face of metal: Slayer headlines a bill with two of the biggest up-and-coming metal bands, Killswitch Engage and Mastodon. Slayer celebrates the release of Still Reigning (Universal), a DVD of a live show that features a performance of the entire 2002 Reign in Blood album. Contemporaries Slayer and Metallica have come to define heavy metal, but Slayer¹s more uncompromising attitude is a greater influence on the death-metal bands that dominated the ¹90s metal scene. Opening are Squint from Ruston, La., Killswitch Engage and between them Mastodon, whose newest album Leviathan (Relapse) has no easily recognizable forerunners, blending death metal, stoner metal, prog metal, jazzy drumming and more with ease. Tickets $34. -- Rob Bryant

Get Flanagan 8 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday, Dec. 1-4; 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 5 University of New Orleans, Lab Theatre, 280-7469; www.uno.edu/~drcom/theatreproductions.html We can't think of a more promising figure in the theater world than Sean Patterson; the Big Easy Entertainment Award winner (Fully Committed) displays unusual range as an actor while not teaching at UNO. Whether it's hamming it up with Ricky Graham or scowling away at a Shakespearean tragedy, Patterson delivers the goods. Which is why we're intrigued by this staged reading of Patterson's newly penned work, Get Flanagan. Directed by UNO MFA directing candidate Rusty Tennant, Get Flanagan explores the events leading to, and ultimately sinking, that noblest of New Deal products: the Federal Theatre Project. The story is told from the perspective of Vassar theater professor Hallie Flanagan, whom President Franklin D. Roosevelt chose to head the project. Tickets $8 general admission, $5 students/seniors, $6 all other students. -- Simmons

Zion Harmonizers 6 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 2 The Ogden Museum of Southern Art, 925 Camp St., 539-9600; www.ogdenmuseum.org The Zion Harmonizers are as associated with the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival as the Neville Brothers, having played the first Jazz Fest and only missing one since, and leader Sherman Washington books the Rhodes Gospel Tent. The Nevilles, however, play often enough that fans can see them throughout the year, but unless fans choose to see the Zion Harmonizers at House of Blues' gospel brunch or a spiritual venue, they have a time seeing these gospel ambassadors. The group started 65 years ago, with Washington joining in 1942, and while they've remained true to their traditional, a cappella roots, they've incorporated instrumental backing and remained current. Admission free for Ogden members, $10 for non-members. -- Alex Rawls

Def Poetry Jam 8 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 2 Saenger Theatre, 143 N. Rampart St., 524-2490; www.saengertheatre.com Rap mogul Russell Simmons' urbane brainchild Def Poetry Jam thrives on an appealing (and rare) combo of critical acclaim and enough raw, infectious energy to earn legitimate street cred. An off-shoot of the popular HBO series taped in New York and aired quasi-regularly, Def Poetry Jam is now embarking on a 65-city national tour and makes a one-night stop at the Saenger Theatre. This version was widely hailed upon its Broadway debut; in selecting its year's '10 Best' performances, The New York Times gushed, 'This cast gives us romance, realism, comedy and politics. That's entertainment.' This tour offers eight rising performance poets that pack plenty of the show's signature fire, insight and comedy. Scheduled to appear are Black Ice -- the first spoken-word artists signed to Def Jam Records -- Bronx native Flaco Navaja, Atlanta's Georgia Me, Palestinian-American Suheir Hammad and the multi-talented Poetri. Tickets range from $25 to $45. -- Frank Etheridge

Backstage Photo Confessions: A Multi-Media Exhibit 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. Friday, Dec. 3; exhibit runs through Jan. 17 TwiRoPa Mills, 1544 Tchoupitoulas St., 595-5091; www.nolastyle.com The daughter of the owner of New York nightclub The Bottom Line, Leslie Snadowsky was backstage and mingling with rock 'n' roll royalty as a 3-year-old. Her professional background as a journalist provides Snadowksy with backstage access in venues all across the country, and her captured images from the 1980s to the present day will be on display in Backstage Photo Confessions: A Multi-Media Exhibit. While Snadowsky's exhibit of photos and related memorabilia will be on display at TwiRoPa through Jan. 17, Backstage Photo Confessions comes ushered in by a party designed to emulate the fun, style and rock 'n' roll attitude that is the ephemeral backstage vibe. A DJ will spin songs of the artists on display, who come from an eclectic and appealing mix and include everyone from Mick Jagger to Kermit Ruffins. Partygoers are asked to dress as their favorite rock star and party like one with martinis, hors d'oeuvres, cakes and a live performance by Will Hoge. Free admission. -- Etheridge

Pleasure Club, plus Rock City Morgue 10 p.m. Friday, Dec. 3 The Howlin' Wolf, 828 S. Peters St., 522-WOLF; www.howlin-wolf.com No one commits himself to a song like James Hall, and in Pleasure Club he has a band that can match that intensity. As this year's The Fugitive Kind (Purified) and 2002's Here Comes the Trick prove, the band puts that intensity in a British glam-influenced framework, mediating the power with style and memorable choruses. A song like 'Hey! Hey! Hey!' is Hall at his most motor-mouthed, leading to 'It feels so good to be alive,' a refrain that's hard to shake. Marc Hutner's guitar has become a fine foil, changing voices throughout a song to provide muscle in one passage, color in another, and cheap thrills when needed. With Rock City Morgue, which just finished recording its first album, this will be a good night of dramatic rock 'n' roll. Tickets $10. -- Rawls

RJD2, Lyrics Born, Diplo 10 p.m. Friday Dec. 3 The Parish at House of Blues, 225 Decatur St., 529-BLUE; www.hob.com Turntablist RJ Krohn -- known as RJD2 -- has retained his underground stature despite licensing tracks to Saturn commercials and the mainstream movie Wimbledon because he hasn't sacrificed his dark, soulful style or his willingness to experiment. For Since We Last Spoke (Def Jux), the sample-based artist learned drums and guitar, then sampled himself playing them. The results range from hard rock to Latin funk and maintain his penchant for druggy moods within discordant yet funky songs that often have cinematic themes. Samples still comprise 60 to 70 percent of his songs, but now tracks include the cuts and clicks characteristic of glitch electronica. In this tour, Krohn will utilize four turntables, a sampler, and an acoustic guitar. Lyrics Born and Diplo will open. Tickets $15. -- Reuben Brody

Washboard Chaz Trio CD-release party 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 4 The Spotted Cat, 623 Frenchmen St., 943-3887 Washboard Chaz Leary has made a niche for himself. With only a washboard with a bell attached, he animates country blues and small band swing with flair. On Dog Days (Corrugated), the second album by the band, Leary, guitarist Roberto Luti and harmonica player Ben Maygarden stay on familiar territory, mixing blues classics with originals. The trio's wild take on Robert Johnson's 'If I Had Possession (Over Judgment Day)' gains energy from Luti's swooping slide and Leary's field-holler vocal, while a slow, dread-filled 'You Got to Move' is leavened by Maygarden's warm solo and Leary's conversational vocal. The originals are slighter but more upbeat, with the breezy 'Can't Go Back No More' sweetened by guest Andy J. Forest's chromatic harmonica solo. No cover. -- Rawls

Michael Flatley's wildly successful Lord of the Dance 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 4; 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 5 Saenger Theatre, 143 N. Rampart St., 524-2490; www.lordofthedance.com Michael Flatley's wildly successful Lord of the Dance, a touring Irish dance performance that achieved phenomenon status in the late '90s, comes to the Saenger Theatre for two shows this weekend. The local stop follows Lord of the Dance's four-year residency in Las Vegas and having performances for 50 million people in 45 countries since its 1996 debut. Flatley -- who holds the Guinness Book of World Records honor for 'world's fastest feet' with 35 taps per second -- has said in numerous reports that Celtic dance is very dear to his heart. The show illustrates the form, through a good-versus-evil plot based on Irish folklore. The 21 scenes that spin the tale of Don Dorcha, the Dark Lord, come accented by precise choreography, elaborate set design and costumes. Tickets range from $34.75-$48.75. -- Etheridge

Virsky Ukrainian National Dance Company 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 4 Mahalia Jackson Theatre of the Performing Arts, Armstrong Park, 522-0996; www.nobadance.com The New Orleans Ballet Association continues in its mission to bring world-class dance to New Orleans this weekend as it plays host to the renowned Virsky Ukrainian National Dance Company. In the spirit of its namesake founder, legendary ballet master Pavlo Virsky, the troupe is an 85-member ensemble that since its inception in 1937 has pleased audiences across the globe with a deft blend of athletic, intricate ballet and traditional Ukrainian folk dance. The Ukrainian style comes mixed in doses of Byzantine, Greek, Russian and Jewish influences, but the true crowd-pleasing movements come with huge leaps, smooth spins and dashes of humor. For this performance, a live orchestra will provide the soundtrack to 12 separate vignettes, with highlights that include a traditional puppet show, the joyous dance 'Hopak,' traditional folk dances such as the 'Tsyganksy' and a dance led by tambourines. Tickets range from $26.50 to $76.50. -- Etheridge

"Bangorama," Krewe du Vieux Fall Fundraiser 9 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 4 One Eyed Jacks, 615 Toulouse St., 943-7970; wwwkreweduvieux.org The theme for next year's parade is certainly a frightening proposition: WWKdVD (as in, 'What Would Krewe du Vieux Do?'). I mean, can you imagine the possibilities if The Word was handed down from on that high? Boggles the mind, no? Then again, one of the many charms of the KdV is its inherent sense of egalitarianism -- along with, of course, its royal blue sense of humor and satire, which causes a totally different shade of color on the faces of paradegoers during Mardi Gras season. But the people really do believe they have a vested interest in the success of this not so rag-tag group, whose fall fundraiser features music by Twangorama, the Bonerama Horns, and special guest Leigh 'Little Queenie' Harris. Speaking of entertainers, Al 'Carnival Time' Johnson will be this year's grand marshal, which definitely answers one question about what this krewe would do. Tickets $10. -- Simmons

9 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 4 House of Blues, 225 Decatur St., 529-BLUE; www.hob.com This New York City-based quintet, at first glance, could be written off as yet another in the bandwagon of platform-booted, glam-rock poseurs rocking gimmicky fin de siecle decadence (cough, the Darkness, cough). However, a listen to their self-titled debut reveals something like dance-pop genius lurking beneath the Stevie Nicks scarves and PVC pants. Vintage gay disco grooves (their cover of Pink Floyd's 'Comfortably Numb' erases any trace of Roger Waters' sneering doom and reinvents it as pure danceable joy) meet the best of George Michael and Elton John with an approving nod to the Pet Shop Boys. Their glamorous party anthems are a fond sonic recollection of the now innocent-seeming excess of the Studio 54 golden age of clubbing and more importantly, stand up to anything produced then. Tickets $15-17.50. -- Alison Fensterstock

An Evening on the Steamboat Natchez 6 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 5 Toulouse Street Wharf, 523-1553/525-0932 The tirelessly preservation-minded Vieux Carré Property Owners, Residents & Associates (VCPORA) will use the occasion of its 2004 gala fundraiser to honor a man it labels 'a true preservationist' -- the late Capt. Wilbur Dow, founder of the New Orleans Steamboat Company. Dow is credited with saving and ultimately transforming the old Toulouse Street Wharf, now home to the Steamboat Natchez, an authentic, charming steamer built in 1974 (the first of its type constructed since 1925). His son, William P. Dow, today is chairman of the New Orleans Steamboat Company. VCPORA, an organization with a 68-year history of working to preserve the architectural and cultural treasure that is the French Quarter, annually holds a holiday-time event with food, drinks, entertainment and more. Tax-deductible tickets are $75 per person. Boarding begins at 6 p.m., with sailing from 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. -- Etheridge

Richard Stoltzman with American String Quartet 8 p.m. Monday, Dec. 6 Tulane University, Dixon Hall, 895-0690; www.friendsofmusic.org Reaching the rarefied air of 'classical superstar' (so says The New York Times), clarinetist Richard Stoltzman generates a buzz and excitement not typically found in the classical set. Stoltzman in all seriousness is hailed by many as the greatest clarinetist of our time, perhaps ever. He comes to Tulane University next Monday night in another concert marking the New Orleans Friends of Music's 50th anniversary season. Stoltzman, a two-time Grammy winner, will perform with the American String Quartet, an acclaimed New York-based chamber music ensemble. The son of a jazz-playing railroad man, Stoltzman plays in a stirring meld of classical and jazz, making categorizing him rather difficult for most pundits. He's played for jazz greats Wayne Shorter and Chick Corea, but also released a Grammy-winning album that covers Beethoven, Brahms and Mozart. For this concert, Stoltzman and the American String Quartet will perform works by Mozart, Brahms and Shostakovich. Tickets are $18 general admission, $10 students. -- Etheridge

Glamazon: Paintings by Elizabeth Fox Through December Barrister's Gallery, 1724 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd., 525-2767 Back in the 1960s, Jane Fonda starred in a sci-fi movie called Barbarella, which was a kind of pop sex farce in outer space. Sometimes Elizabeth Fox's paintings at Barrister's, with their occasional otherworldly cocktail parties, recall Fonda's vintage space odyssey. Fox has a thing for stylized, long-legged babes and flying saucers, but she also zeros in on pop culture, the allure of glamour and consumer commodities, which she explores in either the stratosphere or just down the street at Gambino's bakery, where, as always, drama and intrigue await her leggy heroines. Armed with an arsenal of attitude, cosmetics and high heels, they face the world with the well-coiffed resolve of 21st-century foxes, foot soldiers in the culture and gender wars that bubble up regardless of what planet you happen to be on. -- D. Eric Bookhardt