From a global pandemic to a surge of storms, the Bayou Region has suffered many losses. Forced quarantines and evacuations had communities in South Louisiana scrambling for refuge, and some of these communities are still recovering. Although the daily functions of Nicholls have persisted, the university would like to invite the community back to campus for an opportunity to be a part of its revitalization of the arts.
Nicholls State University has long served as a hub for celebrating music, arts and storytelling, from its Jubilee Arts Festival and performances by the Nicholls Players, Opera, and Wind Ensemble to hosting high-profile, international performers like Steinway artists and tribute ensembles. The continuation of these traditions were made possible by the lasting legacy of the Mary and Al Danos family.
To honor their support and reinvigorate arts in the community, Nicholls’ College of Liberal Arts is happy to announce its new performance series “Vive Les Arts.” This series is an opportunity to witness five different performances, including two high-profile external performances in addition to musical and theater productions showcasing the talent and creativity of Nicholls’ students and faculty.
Performances at the Mary and Al Danos Theater will include the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra on Sept. 20, a jazz concert on Nov. 12, a Christmas sing-along on Dec. 7 and the Nicholls Players production of “Arsenic and Old Lace” by Joseph Kesselring on March 21. The series will culminate in the Student Union Cotillion Ballroom on April 14 with an evening of music and fine dining, featuring student and faculty performers. Proceeds from this series will support the College of Liberal Arts’ performing arts initiatives.
For more information and to purchase tickets or packages, visit www.nicholls.edu/vive-les-arts.
As advocates of Nicholls, proponents of the arts and pillars of the community, the Danos Family’s generosity changed the way the university could contribute to the region’s performing arts by supporting high-quality programming and high-tech facilities. “Our parents started giving about 35 years ago. My daddy may be an LSU graduate, but when we began to attend college, he took an initiative. He saw how single parents, those with jobs or those in need struggled to afford a college education. He saw how important Nicholls was in serving those types of communities, so he took the first step to try and get the word out about Nicholls,” said Rene David, Mary and Al’s daughter.
Allen and Mary Danos made Nicholls’ Talbot Hall and theater become a lively place for events, community gatherings and student growth. The couple helped the music department achieve All-Steinway status, elevating the reputation of the music program through a commitment to ensure faculty and students used only the best instruments for education and performance.
In 2012, Talbot Theater was named to honor Mary M. Danos, Allen Danos’ late wife who strongly supported the arts, music and Nicholls. Shortly after, Al Danos helped the Nicholls Foundation raise more than $1.5 million in private donations and worked closely with former Sen. Norby Chabert to secure another $4.4 million in state funds to renovate Talbot Hall for College of Liberal Arts programming and facility updates.
“If there’s one thing Al and Mary had an appreciation for, it’s the performing arts,” Chabert said. “I join them and their family, for thanking the Nicholls community for making this possible.”
Once renovations were complete, the Danos Family Foundation partnered with the Nicholls Foundation to establish an endowment fund for enhancing and maintaining the theater. At the time, Danos remarked, “My family is excited about the renovation of the Mary and Al Danos Theater. Once that work is complete, we want to ensure that funds will be available to maintain the state-of-the-art theater so that Nicholls’ importance as a regional center for the performing arts will continue to grow. This is just the beginning for all of us.”
The Mary and Al Danos Theater gained new seating, lighting, curtains, flooring, walls, along with a new ceiling, sound system and more accessible accommodations for those with disabilities. Before this, the space had not been renovated since 1971. “You know how when you love your children, you have a lot of pride. You are proud of them, and you like to show them off,” Rene David said. “Well, daddy did that with Nicholls. He really did that with this theater. He was really, really proud of this theater. When I come to one of the performances, it is like he is here.”
In addition to the theater renovations, the campus TV studio, KNSU radio station and two Talbot Hall classrooms received technological upgrades to enhance student learning. Those upgrades enabled the university to broadcast athletic events through ESPN3, facilitating national coverage of Nicholls Athletics.
Perpetuating the generosity of their parents, in 2016, Al and Mary’s children, as part of the Mary and Al Danos Family Foundation, contributed $1 million to support the newly renovated theater and the academic programs that benefit from it. This contribution fulfilled one of the last wishes of Mary and Al.
The four Danos children – Rene, Alyce, Andre and Marcel – presented this donation during the grand reopening of the 5,500-square-foot, 325-seat theater named in honor of their parents. At the event, Nicholls students and faculty were featured with an Opening Night Showcase of the Arts that included performances by the Nicholls Concert Choir, Jazz Band and Nicholls Players.
“Our dad always had everything planned and prepared. Even in his passing, he wanted to make sure this theater was taken care of. Our parents would be really proud of this,” the Danos family said. “This will forever be a special place in our hearts to remember everything they’ve done. We can’t thank Nicholls, Sen. Chabert and the community enough.”
“This is what he wanted, and the fact that his legacy lives on in us and that we can continue his work to help Nicholls, it’s very touching to us. It’s a commitment daddy wanted us to fulfill. To know the way you see it today is how it’s going to look 20, 30, 40 years from now – that was very important to him,” said Rene David.
Mary and Al Danos Theater is one of the most heavily used facilities on Nicholls campus and is a major cultural center for the region, hosting community events, documentary screenings, theater workshops and productions, musical competitions, wind ensembles and choirs.
For more information on Nicholls’ College of Liberal Arts efforts to restore arts within the region, visit www.nicholls.edu/liberal-arts.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Friday, Sept. 12, 2025
MEDIA CONTACT: Payton Suire
Media Relations & Publications Coordinator,
985.448.4141 or payton.suire@nicholls.edu