It’s 1917 in the middle of Mardi Gras. Just two blocks from the French Quarter is Storyville, the red light district of New Orleans with its saloons, gambling joints and brothels. Louis Armstrong, Ma Rainey and Jelly Roll Morton are creating the unique sound of American jazz and this is the place to hear it.

Set in the bawdy “Mulligan’s Saloon and Cabaret Club,” this musical will ignite the stage with music duels between two kings of the jazz trumpet and sizzling dance numbers.

Previews begin Friday, Nov. 13, on the Lyceum Stage in San Diego. Opening night is Friday, Nov. 19. "Storyville" runs through Dec. 12.

Part of San Diego REPertory Theatre’s 35th season, "Storyville" was written by award-winning playwright Ed Bullins, a leading figure in African-American theater of the 1960s and 1970s, and revised and directed by Broadway veteran Ken Page and produced by special arrangement with Muse Enterprises.

"It is so exciting to bring this musical to life again. To do it with such an amazingly talented group of people is the best that a director could hope for. Like the spirit of New Orleans itself, 'Storyville' continues to soar," Page said.

Join Butch Cobra Brown, a former prizefighter who arrives in New Orleans with trumpet in hand to join the musical renaissance. The star of the cabaret scene is torch singer Tigre Savoy, a single mother on the verge of a soaring musical career. Butch and Tigre might become lovers, but the political machine has its own plan for their futures.

Butch is forced into a high-stakes boxing match that leads to a street brawl. The Department of the Navy shuts down the Storyville red light district forever, forcing the musicians, their culture and their music to roll north up the river, spreading the new sound and energy of jazz music across the heart of American culture.

With music and lyrics by Mildred Kayden, "Storyville" features a cast of 21 singers and dancers, and a live seven-piece band, led by William Foster McDaniel. From the opening street parade down the aisles of the Lyceum to the soaring climax on the tracks of the infamous Basin Street Railway Station, "Storyville" is a soulful jazz musical.

“Storyville is a banquet of musical styles and live jazz musicians telling a story that reflects a collision of cultures and desires set in one of America's most magical cities,” said Sam Woodhouse, artistic director and co-founder of San Diego REPertory Theatre.

Surround Events are planned

San Diego REP will host Surround Events to enhance the performance experience for guests. Discussions, performances and interactive events related to the themes of "Storyville" will be held in the Lyceum Lobby before selected performances.

Surround Events are free and open to the public. See below for a complete list of events.

The box office is open Tuesday through Sunday from 12 noon to 6 p.m., on non-performance days and noon to curtain on performance days. Call (619) 544-1000.

Ticket prices are $34 to $53 with student, seniors and military discounts available. Groups of 10 or more can purchase tickets at a discounted rate. For more information, visit the San Diego REP's website.

Please note that due to the subject matter, the recommended minimum age to attend is 15 years old.

Grab a beverage and discover the insights of extraordinary scholars, artists and unforgettable personalities. All Surround Events are free with proof of ticket purchase.

Creole Cuisine by The Gumbo Pot

Treat yourself to authentic New Orleans cuisine. With family roots in Louisiana going back more than 150 years, Richard Taylor owns the only mobile Creole/Cajun/Southern/Soul Food vendor in town.

The Gumbo Pot’s “fantabulous” offerings have won rave write-ups in San Diego City Beat and 944 Magazine. Have dinner at the Lyceum before the show, with a choice of such items as gumbo ya ya, jambalaya, red beans and rice, shrimp creole, shrimp ettouffee, beignets, bread pudding, pralines and other delights. Dates are: Sunday, Nov. 14, at 6 p.m.; Saturday, Nov. 20, at 7 p.m.; Sunday, Nov. 21, at 1 p.m.; Friday, Nov. 26, at 7 p.m.; Saturday, Nov. 27, at 7 p.m.; Sunday, Nov. 28, at 1 p.m.; Friday, Dec. 3, at 7 p.m.; Saturday, Dec. 4, at 7 p.m.; Sunday, Dec. 5, at 6 p.m.; Friday, Dec. 10 at 7 p.m.; Saturday, Dec. 11, at 7 p.m.

Hairstyles from the Era of "Storyville"

Sunday, Nov. 14, 6 p.m. (prior to the 7 pm show)

Cheryl Morrow of The San Diego Monitor and hair stylist Louticia Grier will take you on a journey through the hairstyles worn by African Americans in 1917. Find out which styles were popular at the time and why.

See examples of those styles and learn what women and men had to do to get and keep the look of the day.

Hot and Muggy to Cool and Sunny: The Move of Jazz Musicians from "Storyville" to San Diego

Tuesday, Nov. 16, at 6 p.m. (prior to the 7 p.m. show)

After Storyville was closed down, many early jazz musicians migrated North to cities like Chicago, but some also came west to San Diego. Join Lou Curtiss, KSDS-FM DJ, record store owner, jazz historian, and San Diego icon, for stories about the jazz history of San Diego and Tijuana.

You’ll be amazed by Lou’s breadth of knowledge about the music of the Storyville era and its impact on America’s Finest City.

Gallery Opening: "400 Years Without a Comb"

Wednesday, Nov. 17, at 6 p.m. (prior to the 7 p.m. show)

Hair and history are intertwined for African Americans like they are for no other people, says Dr. Willie Morrow, publisher of the San Diego Monitor. And he should know; Dr. Morrow is also the creator of California Curl, a leading African-American hair care product and author of "400 Years Without a Comb," an extraordinary history of African American hair care.

An exhibit of the same name, a collection of rare beauty and hair care artifacts, memorabilia, archival photographs and fine art will be at the Lyceum Theatre during the run of Storyville. It celebrates major figures in the evolution of African American beauty salons, barbershops and hair care products. Join Dr. Morrow and his special guests at the opening reception for this fascinating exhibit.

Talkin’ Theatre with Todd

Thursday, Nov. 18, at 7 p.m. (prior to the 8 p.m. show)

The making and staging of a big musical is a complex journey. REP Associate Artistic Director Todd Salovey hosts an intimate discussion with the two master artists who have guided the birth of this new version of Storyville. Broadway musical theatre veteran Ken Page has revised the book and directed the production. Dance wizard Hector Mercado created the new choreography. Discover the inside artistic story in a revealing conversation with two distinguished theater makers.

The Fabulous Earrings in Concert

Saturday, Nov. 20, at 7 p.m. (prior to the 8 p.m. show)

Kathryn Herbruck, Angie Serrano and Trish Marr are The Fabulous Earrings, an all-female vocal trio who specialize in tight vintage harmonies. Big fans of the music of The Andrews Sisters and The McGuire Sisters, the Earrings have crafted a special evening of songs that pay tribute to The Boswell Sisters (It’s The Girl, Roll On You Mississippi) as one of the 20th century’s all-time greatest jazz vocal groups who began their career in the vaudeville houses of New Orleans.

Playwright and scholar Calvin Manson, Artistic Director of the Ira Aldridge Repertory Players, hosts the concert and will share his commentary on the music and people of Storyville. Come hear these ladies swing.

Saving Lives after Hurricane Katrina: The San Diego-New Orleans Connection

Saturday, Nov. 27, at 7 p.m. (prior to the 8 p.m. show)

David Perez, entrepreneur, philanthropist, San Diego resident, and founder of 2 Life 18 Foundation honored by A&E Network as one of the top 10 people in the world who had the greatest impact on the lives of people in 2005, likes to remind us that “saving one life is like saving the whole world.”

Join him and four of the displaced New Orleans residents he helped. Learn what motivated Perez to mount an unprecedented relief effort and the effects of that effort on Perez, his beneficiaries, and New Orleans. Bernardo Ferdman, Ph.D., professor at Alliant International University, will moderate, and $5 from each ticket (use code LIFE) will go to support 2 Life 18 Foundation’s continued support for current relief efforts benefiting displaced New Orleans residents.

Readings from the Work of Ed Bullins

Wednesday, Dec. 1, at 6 p.m. (prior to the 7 p.m. show)

"Storyville" book writer Ed Bullins is a pioneering artist of the Black Theatre Movement in the '60s and '70s, author of more than 50 plays and winner of Obie and New York Drama Critics Circle Awards. Hassan El-Amin, artistic director of San Diego’s Common Ground Theatre, and Common Ground board member and actress Monique Gaffney will present readings from Bullins’ work.

Common Ground Theatre’s mission is “to produce classics and new works by and about people of color that enlighten, enhance, and empower by offering opportunities that provide a ‘common ground’ for people of all ages, cultures, and backgrounds to connect and share their love of the performing arts.” Hear the acclaimed writing of a master American playwright performed by a pair of San Diego’s finest actors.

Sam’s Salon: Cecil Lytle Plays American Jazz

Thursday, Dec. 2, at 7 p.m. (prior to the 8 p.m. show)

Internationally renowned classical and jazz pianist Cecil Lytle is an American musical treasure. Who better to share provocative insights and a live piano mini concert that will illuminate the world of American jazz music in the first quarter of the 20th century? Lytle’s global concert appearances have included performances with the Boston Symphony, San Francisco Symphony, Boston Pops, London’s Royal Albert Hall and the Beijing Conservatory of Music.

In San Diego, he served as the former Provost of Thurgood Marshall College at UCSD and the founder of the UCSD Preuss Charter School. Join Artistic Director Sam Woodhouse for a rare and special salon with a master teacher and performer.

Vodou vs. Voodoo; Fact vs. Fiction

Friday, Dec. 3, at 7 p.m. (prior to the 8 p.m. show)

Voodoo queens, zombies, and dolls, oh my! No place in the country is as closely associated with Voodoo as New Orleans. Discover the truth about Voodoo (including the proper spelling) and learn how Voodoo became an integral part of New Orleans culture. Trace the roots of this religion from West Africa and the Caribbean to contemporary practices and rituals.

Guests include: Dr. Robert Cancel, professor of African and comparative literature at UCSD; Dr. Sara Johnson, UCSD literature professor with a background in African-American literature and cultural studies of the African diaspora; and Dr. Keith McNeal, professor of anthropology at UCSD whose research focuses on Afro-Caribbean religions.

Write Out Loud: To Hell with Dying

Saturday, Dec. 4, at 7 p.m. (prior to the 8 p.m. show)

Shortly before his death his 1967, Langston Hughes edited an anthology of short stories by black writers written between 1899 and 1967. WRITE OUT LOUD presents two of his selections: The Revolt of the Evil Fairies by Ted Poston and To Hell With Dying by Alice Walker. Actress Monique Gaffney leads the cast. Visit WriteOutLoudSD.com.