This Friday, January 8, local jazz singer Anais St. John will bring her Donna Summer tribute show to its biggest stage yet, New Orleans’ Joy Theater.

Billed as “Last Dance: A Tribute to Donna Summer,” the show will find St. John backed by an all-star band that includes arranger and keyboardist Mike Esneault, keyboardist Erin Demastes, bassist Mark Brooks, guitarist Danny Abel, drummer Doug Belote, saxophonist Clarence Johnson III and percussionist Alexey Marti. Also joining her will be backing vocalists Erica Kyker, Romy Kaye, Jayna Morgan Decuers and Trixie Minx.

With St. John at the helm, the group will work through many of Summers’ most recognizable hits, delivering a powerhouse performance that the singer hopes will do justice the Queen of Disco’s talents, as well as her influential catalog.

“There’s a lot of amazing females in music history, but you can’t omit the Queen of Disco,” explains St. John. “She had so many hits and helped start the disco movement. Soon after her death, I saw her being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and it just came to me: I have to do a show about this woman.”

“Disco has a tough rep,” she adds. “A lot of the time, you mention disco and people turn up their nose. So I thought I could make this fun and appealing with a live band of New Orleans musicians.”

This Friday’s show will mark St. John’s fourth foray into the role of Donna Summer. The show made its debut in New Orleans in the spring of 2014, with follow up performances taking place here and in McComb, MS.

Things will be a bit different this time around, as the show will utilize the Joy Theater’s state-of-the-art sound system, as well as feature a costume contest and even more theatrics. Fans that like to get their party started a bit earlier will also be happy to hear that New Orleans favorite DJ Soul Sister is scheduled to play a full set at the venue before the Donna Summer tribute begins.

“It’s more than a concert, it’s an experience,” says St. John. “We’re encouraging everyone to dress in 70s costumes–think Studio 54. There will also be go-go dancers. I want the show to be interactive so that the audience is always moving. I’m a cabaret person, so it’s like cabaret in that you’re getting a little bit more.”

The experience is sure to be a fun one, but it comes with an educational aspect too. Not only will St. John put her spin on Summers’ greatest hits, she’ll be giving the audience a bit of a history lesson too.

“You’ll get all of the music, but in between performances I’m going to tell you some history about her songs and her life,” she says. “So hopefully you’ll walk out of there having learned something that you didn’t know.”

Despite disco’s less-than-stellar reputation, the genre has been making a comeback in recent years as younger music fans latch-on to an electronic dance music sound that is very much influenced by Summers and her disco contemporaries. St. John hopes that those at her show will recognize Summers’ contribution to the modern music landscape.

“Donna Summer’s ‘I Feel Love,’ which she recorded with the Italian producer Giorgio Moroder, was basically the beginning of electronic dance music. That song, it was an important moment in music history.”

Last Dance: A Tribute to Donna Summer will take place at the Joy Theater at 8pm on Friday, January 8. Tickets for the show are on sale here. OffBeat is also giving away a pair of tickets to the show to one lucky winner.