Inside The Arts

In a city where Halloween is just one of many opportunities to dig through the costume closet, there's never a wrong time to reinvent yourself. NolaVie’s Renée Peck spoke with local fashion designer Alicia Zenobia , who creates Joy Suits, shiny second skins that spark reinvention for all occasions, costume parties and otherwise. Visit NolaVie's website for a related article written by Renée Peck.

This week on Inside the Arts, the Symphony Chorus of New Orleans presents the inaugural regional performance of Tyler's Suite . It is a nine-piece choral movement dedicated to the memory of Tyler Clementi who took his life after being bullied by his roommate during his first weeks of college.

While spring festival season in Louisiana is pretty much a given at this point, the fall is turning out to be an especially busy time for classical and orchestral music. The New Orleans Volunteer Orchestra , or NOVO, is among many of the city’s classical music organizations hard at work preparing for the fall concert season. To hear more about NOVO, David Benedetto spoke with Chris Bergeron, the Orchestra’s co-founder and conductor.

The first ever Beignet Fest is coming to Lafayette Square on October 8, and apart from gourmet beignets and great music, the festival’s cause provides even one more reason to come out and spread the powdered sugar. Founders Amy and Sherwood Collins started the festival as a way to support programs for individuals on the autism spectrum. Sherwood joins NolaVie’s Brian Friedman in the studio for a behind-the-scenes look at Beignet Fest 2016. Visit NolaVie's website for a related article written by

This week on Inside the Arts, Southern Rep Theater presents the regional premiere of Lisa D'Amour's Tony Award winning play, Airline Highway. Then, an acclaimed painter who calls New Orleans home answers the call of the wild. Alex Beard takes us on A Brush With Nature. And, the legends of a quintessential 'ladies man' opens the season for the New Orleans Opera Association with Mozart's Don Giovanni.

Since 2011, NOLA to Angola has been uniting people in a 170-mile solidarity bike ride from Municipal Court in the shadow of Orleans Parish Prison to Angola Prison, and that solidarity extends way beyond the miles trekked on the ride. The ride focuses on bringing people together, no matter what barriers separate them. NolaVie's Kelley Crawford speaks with Katie Hunter-Lowrey, one of the ride's organizers. Visit NolaVie's website for a related article written by Kelley Crawford.

The Saints take to the Dome for a big game on Monday night. But not all the action is generated by the players on the field. Fans are pumping up to express the indefinable spirit that is Saints culture -- everything from dance moves by the 610 Stompers to chants of "Who Dat!" NolaVie's Renee Peck talks to the Saints' Director of Game Day Entertainment, Jared Sampson, to find out about the elaborate planning that goes into entertainment at the Superdome. Visit NolaVie for a related article

Between overgrown vines, prickly thorns, and bugs of all kinds, the Louisiana environment presents a formidable challenge for any landscaper. No one knows this better than horticulturist Taylor Williams , who comes armed with pruning shears wherever he goes. On the eve of this year’s harvest, Kelley Crawford spoke with Taylor about his experiences in the weeds and wilds of Louisiana’s backyard. Visit NolaVie's website for a related article written by Kelley Crawford.

Stand-up comedy has never been central to New Orleans culture, but that may be changing. Many local comedians have found a home at the New Movement Theater on Saint Claude Avenue. Writer and comedian Kaitlin Marone has become a mainstay of the New Movement's stage through a unique humor that challenges convention. NolaVie’s David Benedetto sat down with Kaitlin to talk about how she’s developing her own brand of comedy.

This week on Inside the Arts, Broadway music, opera and orchestral masterworks will fill the air in response to unprecedented flooding in south Louisiana. The New Orleans Opera and the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra join forces to present The Arts Care: A Benefit Concert for Flood Victims.