Arts and music are essential elements of any real community. They unite us, bring out the human spirit and remind us of the incredible gifts and talents and good things we can do when we let our creativity fly.

Baton Rouge isn’t particularly known as a high brow kinda place as far as the arts are concerned but there are plenty of hidden gems, and you don’t have to scratch the surface hard to find outlets and venues that are showcasing the best of the musical, visual and performing arts.

Jason Langlois is Executive Director of the Manship Theater, which opened in 2005 on the ground floor of the Shaw Center for the Arts. The building was transformative for downtown Baton Rouge and the theater was its anchor tenant, bringing new cultural offerings to the heart of the city that include musical performances, dance, poetry, plays and movie nights.

Jason Langlois, Stephanie Riegel Out to Lunch at Mansurs on the Boulevard. As Executive Director of the Manship Theater, Jason books everyone from “cool bands” to local standup comedians

Jason grew up in Austin and New Orleans and has lived in Baton Rouge since 2001 when he was a student in the EJ Ourso college of business. He has been at the Manship since 2009, started their Films at Manship program and more recently the standup comic series.

Over the years Jason has helped grow the theater and put it on more stable financial footing, bringing in new audiences with ever more offerings.

Raudol Palacios is Artistic Director and cello and ensemble teacher at Palacios House of Arts, a local family run nonprofit that offers lessons in the musical, visual and performing arts to people of all ages – and regardless of their ability to pay.

Raudol Palacios (r) explains to Stephanie Riegel how he teaches ensembles, cello, and 101 other responsibilities at Palacios House of Music and still finds time to play in a band

Raudol and his parents, Gloria Ruiz and Manuel Palacios, started the Palacios House of Arts in 2018, as a way to bring their love of music and arts to the community. The family is originally from Cuba and in 2015 the family moved to Baton Rouge, when Raudol was studying music at LSU. Today, he is a professional musician and also helps run the school with his parents, teaching classes, organizing events and programs and other cultural activities that engage community participation.

Jason Langlois, Stephanie Riegel, Raudol Palacios, Out to Lunch at Mansurs on the Boulevard

Out to Lunch is recorded live over lunch at Mansurs On the Boulevard.