A spokesman for the organization told PlaybillArts that it has not been decided exactly how money raised will be allocated, but the funds will be directed towards the city's arts community.

The event will take place at the New Orleans Arena, the home of the city's basketball team. The Mahalia Jackson Theatre, where the company performed in the past, was damaged by Hurricane Katrina.

The restructured spring season for the company, which shut down in the wake of the hurricane last fall, includes the Barber of Seville on March 23 and 25 and Madama Butterfly on April 20 and 22. The spokesperson said it had not yet been determined where the performances will take place.

While more frequently thought of as the birthplace of jazz, New Orleans also has a long history of opera. Andr_ Ernest Gr_try's Sylvain was the first opera staged in New Orleans in 1796; over 400 operas received their U.S. premieres in the city in the nineteenth century. The New Orleans Opera Association was founded in 1943.

Tickets for the gala on March 4 gala are $10-$1,000. Call 504-529-3000 for more information.