Baton Rouge Ballet’s “Beyond Ballet” event happens April 17. See the Arts Best Bets section below for more info. Courtesy of Baton Rouge Ballet
COMMUNITY EVENTS FOR APRIL 2015:
APRIL 11-12 Zippity Zoo Da. The Baton Rouge Zoo’s Zippity Zoo Fest presents an annual spring festival with a children’s village and animal encounters. Regular zoo hours and admission apply. brzoo.org
Frank Caliendo
APRIL 17 Have a laugh. Frank Caliendo, a comic known for his impressions and his appearance on Mad TV, performs at L’Auberge Casino & Hotel Baton Rouge. Doors open at 7 p.m. The show starts at 8 p.m. Tickets are $50. lbatonrouge.com
APRIL 19 Dinner party.Slow Food Baton Rouge hosts its fifth annual Dinner in the Field at Oakland Plantation in Gurley. 3 p.m. Tickets are $125. slowfoodbr.org
APRIL 25 Dancing the night away.Local celebrities will show off their moves at Pete Maravich Assembly Center in Big Buddy of Baton Rouge’s annual Dancing for Big Buddy event. Seats are $250, and proceeds go toward Big Buddy. bigbuddyprogram.net
ALSO THIS MONTH
APRIL 7:The Broadway smash STOMP comes to the Baton Rouge River Center. 7:30 p.m. Tickets start at $40. brrivercenter.com
APRIL 10-12:Celebrate the 11th annual Kite Fest Louisiane in west Baton Rouge. The free, family-friendly event brings more than 20,000 people to Port Allen each year. westbatonrouge.net
APRIL 23: Enjoy cuisine from the area’s best restaurants and caterers at The Taste at L’Auberge Casino & Hotel Baton Rouge. The event benefits Mary Bird Perkins Our Lady of the Lake Cancer Center. 7 p.m. Tickets are $100. mbpolol.org/taste
APRIL 28:Community leaders come together for Capitol Day. The event takes place at the Louisiana State Capitol at 9 a.m. and discusses how to eliminate sexual and domestic violence in the area. lafasa.org
ON THE ROAD:
New Orleans
APRIL 19: Love, marriage and comedy take center stage at the Mahalia Jackson Theater as the husband and wife team of Nick Offerman and Megan Mullally perform. 7 p.m. $39.50. mahaliajacksontheater.com
APRIL25: Hot off the release of his critically acclaimed album I Love You, Honeybear, folk artist Father John Misty performs at the Civic Theatre with Luluc opening. Doors open at 9 p.m. The show starts at 10 p.m. $20. civicnola.com
Lafayette
APRIL18: Head to Parc International in downtown Lafayette for the annual Hopefest. The event includes live music, face painting and fun jumps. It benefits Healing House. Noon-7 p.m. downtownlafayette.org
APRIL 24: Sunny Duval & Friends perform in the final edition of the free lunchtime concert series Bach Lunch at Parc Sans Souci in downtown Lafayette. 11:15 a.m. lafayettetravel.com
ARTS BEST BETS:
APRIL 17:Go beyond ballet. Baton Rouge Ballet Theatre presents its spring concert, “Beyond Ballet,” at the River Center at 7:30 p.m. Tickets start at $28. batonrougeballet.org
APRIL 18: Sidra Bell Dance New York performs at Manship Theatre. 8 p.m. Tickets are $30. manshiptheatre.org
APRIL 19: Enjoy classical tunes at the LSU School of Music Building’s recital hall during the Louisiana Sinfonietta Concert. 2 p.m. music.lsu.edu
APRIL 20-24:Still life reevaluated. See Chelsea Ramirez’s solo exhibition, “A Charming Re(a)d,” at Foster Gallery. Ramirez is a current M.F.A. candidate at LSU and has shown works in San Diego as well as at the Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge’s Firehouse Gallery. A free reception starts at 6 p.m., April 24. chelsearamirez.com
APRIL 23:Encore! Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra closes the books on another season with a Masterworks VI performance with mezzo soprano Sonja Bruzauskas at the River Center Theatre. 7:30 p.m. Tickets start at $39. brso.org
APRIL 24-MAY 10:Boeing Boeing. Theatre Baton Rouge performs the 2008 Tony Award-winner set in the 1960s. The show is about a jet-setting architect who is juggling a relationship with three flight attendants. Tickets are $25. theatrebr.org
APRIL 24:LSU Opera performs two radio operas, Voice in the Forest and Comedy on the Bridge, at Shaver Theater. 7:30 p.m. $20. 578-5128. music.lsu.edu
APRIL 28:The Russian National Ballet performs Giselle at the LSU Union Theater. 7:30 p.m. Tickets start at $43. 578-5141. as.lsu.edu
MUSIC BEST BETS:
APRIL 8: For fans of alt-rock. California’s own Delta Spirit plays an early show at The Spanish Moon. Doors open at 7 p.m. Tickets are $15 in advance. thespanishmoon.com
APRIL 9: Singer-songwriters Joe Ely, Paul Thorn and Ruthie Foster bring their soulful stories to Manship Theatre as part of the Southern Troubadours tour. 7:30 p.m. $60. manshiptheatre.org
American Aquarium. Courtesy Alysse Gafkjen
APRIL 15: North Carolina’s finest. American Aquarium, an alt-country band, performs songs from its latest release, Wolves, at The Varsity. The Humble Kind will open. Doors open at 8 p.m. The show starts at 9 p.m. $10. varsitytheatre.com
APRIL 17: Country singer-songwriter Corey Smith plays The Texas Club. Doors open at 8 p.m. The show starts at 9 p.m. $15. thetexasclub.com
APRIL 17: A little bit of everything.Funk/hip-hop/rock band T Bird & The Breaks brings its energetic blend of tunes to Chelsea’s Café. 10:30 p.m. chelseascafe.com
APRIL 19: R&B singer R. Kelly brings his tunes to BR, scheduled to perform at the River Center as part of the “For Lovers Only” tour. brrivercenter.com
APRIL 23: Enjoy blues-rock from Benjamin Booker at The Varsity. Doors open at 8 p.m. The show starts at 9 p.m. $12. varsitytheatre.com
APRIL 29: Modern piano genius. The final River City Jazz Masters concert of the season features the Marcus Roberts Trio performing at Manship Theatre. 7:30 p.m. Tickets start at $25. acgbr.com
