by Wally Sherwood
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA
THE CALENDAR FOR LUNDI GRAS keeps growing longer and fatter with each passing Carnival season. And the Krewe of Olympus, which was born in New Orleans and is now being bred in Houston, will be back in town to proudly show the video of their lavish ball on Mar. 3 at high noon with long-time member Lou Bernard playing host at Lucille’s Golden Lantern. Then at 6pm, the crew from Hot Ash will light the fuse for their cigar social at the New Orleans Eagle.
Another regular Fat Monday fixture is Miss Thompson’s Annual Hookers Ball beginning promptly at 7pm. Contestants interested in entering should call 504.943.8929 after 11am. The winner will receive $100 and a crown, with the runner-ups getting $50 and $25 each.
There will be a $5 donation, plus door drawings with a parade of grand prizes, with all proceeds going to Buzzy’s Boys and Girls. The festivities will likely be one of the last major events at Body and Soul, as the location at the corner of Marigny and Chartres is slated to become the Marigny Flower Shop sometime after Mardi Gras.
The Krewe of Mwindo will host its Lundi Gras Celebration from 11pm until 3am at Mama Rosa’s, featuring low-priced cocktails. Admission is $10 in advance and $13 at the door and includes food and special entertainment. Then, just six days later on Mar. 9 at 5pm, the young krewe will be seeking new members during the rush party at Armstrong Cafe and Bar.
Putting a different spin on things this year will be a Lundi Gras version of "Lysistrata" at the ARK, almost next door to Body and Soul at 511 Marigny St. The time-honored Greek comedy, with women withholding sexual favors until their men calmed down and declared peace, was modernized with "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers". The staged reading will begin at 8pm and the number to call is 504.947.0982.
ARK director Kelly McGrittigan comments, "I believe the aesthetic and bawdiness of the play fits in perfectly with the raucous festival and will help make Carnival part of the global anti-war effort." Yes, Kelly, but with another erstwhile royal family on the throne in the White House, will the court jester be listening?
AND IT IS BEAR-LY MARDI GRAS: Amid all the coronations, the New Orleans Bear and Bear Trapper Social Club will be crowning another Mr. Big Easy Bear on Mar. 1 from 7 until 9pm at the Phoenix. There will be plenty of prizes and bar tabs to go around. The new title-holder will receive a sash to parade around with on Mardi Gras and all three of the top finishers will receive trophies. Judging will be on the basis of cruising wear, fetish attire and bear-related questions from the panel of judges. For an application, see any member or tap into www.neworleansbears.com.
And if you are going to be in Mobile on the final weekend of Carnival, then be sure to support the Gulf Coast Bear and Leather Association at B-Bobs, just off the downtown parade route at 213 Conti St. To raise funds for their Bears on the Beach blow-out on Memorial Day, they will be selling jello shots on Fat Tuesday, as well as during the huge Joe Cain Celebration on Sunday. If you are not up on your pre-Lenten history, Joe Cain is the man who refused to let Mardi Gras die in Mobile following the destruction of the Civil War. And people have been raising cain every since.
HOT TEXAS NIGHTS IN HOUSTON: Those Texas longhorns and leathermen just do not like a good party to die. It all started 30 years ago when the Houston Council of Clubs decided to continue the madness of Mardi Gras for another weekend with a Let Us Entertain You (LUEY)run. In past years, we have been there. Last year, there were 727 representing 29 states and four foreign countries. This year, the Cavaliers Motorcycle Club will be there. But will you?
Early registration will be on Mar. 6 from 8 until 10pm at EJ’s with plenty of food. The following night, you can sign up from 8pm until midnight at Mary’s. There the first of three parties will be thrown by the Lancers Motorcycle Club, which originally was based right here in New Orleans. The snacks and cocktails are all free, just as is the entire weekend to out-of-towners. Matt Foster has created an erotic fetish poster to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the LUEY world-wide gathering.
And the regulars at Cowpokes want to remind you that the rodeo scene is starting to heat up. Unfortunately, the Southern Spurs Rodeo on May 30-June 1 in Atlanta has been cancelled for this year. But still on and ready to ride nearby are: Mar. 28-30—Cowtown Rodeo, Will Rogers Memorial Center, Fort Worth, 214.346.2107; Apr. 25-27—Rodeo in the Rock, State Fairgrounds, Little Rock, 501.261.1130; and May 23-25—Great Plains Rodeo, State Fairgrounds, Oklahoma City, 405.947-2351, ext. 100.
If you were born in March, be sure to be at the birthday blow-out on the 22nd at 5pm at Big Daddy’s. Coming up next at the Barn Theatre on Mar. 21-Apr. 6 is double trouble from the DRAMA! troupe,"And Tell Sad Stories of the Deaths of Queens" and "Hello From Bertha," And Rusty LaRoux will headline another Zoo Revue on Mar. 8 at 11pm at Big Daddy’s.
ASHES TO ASHES, DUST TO DUST: Following the frantic fantasy of Mardi Gras comes the stark reality of Ash Wednesday and the realization of our own mortality. The late Bill Moore, a mainstay of the New Orleans Bears and the Gay Men’s Chorus, left us at age 49 due to cancer. He was founder of the first Gay students group at LSU, where he majored in music.
Moore was honored with a celebration of life on Feb. 11 at the Garden District Hotel, with his ashes distributed on the Mississippi River afterwards. A fond memory we have is Bill always calling us "Pervert!" while soaking up all those martinis served by Red at the Phoenix. He loved to costume and there are note cards available at Alternatives with him and Ron Winter from Southern Decadence 2001 as the Vixens of Vinyl. It was Bill’s final wish that donations be made to Belle Reve.
AIDS has, unfortunately, claimed another victim. James Robert Piroli, co-owner of Sully Mansion Bed and Breakfast in the Garden District, passed on at the age of 52. His partner, Raymond L. Manci, survives him. And as many of us well know, a pet can become a beloved member of the family. Mike Melancon, president of the New Orleans Bears, has unfortunately lost his chocolate lab Max after 14 years of companionship. Perhaps dogs really do go to heaven.
NOTHING LIKE HAVING TWO BALLS: The Krewe of Mwindo celebrated the opening of the Gay Carnival ball season in grand style, followed quickly by Amon Ra. And, appropriately for their Fifth Anniversary milestone, Mwindo also celebrated the lives of two of their members lost in the span of just three months. The dynamic duo were Jacob Simmons, an esteemed and valuable founding member, and Norman Zardes, a former king who was always very gracious to all.
This was our first Mwindo ball and, having heard about all the magnificent costumes before, the krewe did not disappoint and more than lived up to the hype. The icing on the birthday cakes that adorned each table, however, was appropriately the coronation itself. In a tableau harking back to the grand old days of Comus and Rex, the simple white-and-silver splendor of King and Queen V was a class act that will not be soon forgotten. All hail to their majesties, Paul Matthews and Willie Hyams, and a very nice over-all job by captain Evans Alexander.
The opening tableau of "Celebrate" was almost like the dawn of creation itself. Mantles illuminated only by tiny stars slowly gave way to the light of the rising sun, which cast a glow on the celestial bodies of the retiring royalty, J. Kelley Terry and Rene Bryant. There were many other delights along the way, including the Rose from the Royal Gardens in blood-red bondage-like garments and the fantastic Fish who was the best of the trio of Royal Gatherers. But how could anyone ever forget the African Violet, particularly when the leaves started falling off on purpose?
But as sensational as the costumes were, the overall ball itself was unfortunately too slow. There were simply too many peaks and valleys and the storyteller, Maurice Johnson of Houston, had a hard time trying to set a steady pace. The fund-raiser in the middle was even worse, as it stopped the action on dead center. We are not against charities, as we do them ourselves, but this was not the time or place. It took five presentations until the magic of the Witch Doctor finally brought the ball back to the life it deserved.
AMON RA FIRES HEAVY AMMUNITION: Creativity was definitely the hallmark of the Krewe of Amon Ra’s "Games People Play" Ball. It had to be hindsight for the Knights d’Orleans while performing security, as it was also the theme for their 28th Anniversary Run last October. And with the big gun of War Games, captain Ron Essler probably produced the cleverest costume of the season thus far. Highlighted with red, white and blue, flanked by the flags of the Confederacy and the United States, here was this huge cannon barrel sticking out from between the legs. Was that a phallic symbol or not?
Card Games was a grand slam with dogs playing poker, but dog-gone it, the dealer then wound up being stripped down to a bare butt. Another engaging entry was the Wheel of Fortune representing Game Shows and, at first, we thought we had caught an "M." Then we turned it around and it was a "W," obviously thrown just for little ole Wally. Thank you, Vanna White!
The retiring majesties, Ann Sauve and Gary Delaune, made a glittering return and, from that moment on, the secret of the success of the ball was obvious. The energy continued at high voltage throughout the unbroken chain of Clue, Carnival, Spy, Mind, Physical, Beach, Casino, Pub, Bingo and Political Power games. And, then, the crowning achievement of all, the curtains parted to reveal Lady Giselle Bouvier and Pete Eschette as the King and Queen of Chess, dressed in magnificent medieval designs, and accompanied by all their human playing pieces.
One of the joys of the bal masque was seeing Pat O’Rourke back in sterling shape as emcee. A member of the krewe since way back when, he is truly one of the masters of the microphone. Chet’s was the place to be after the ball, with the Royal Reception the next day at 4 Seasons, just around the corner from the newly-opened second location of Queen Fashions in Metairie. And, here is a reminder of the Amon Ra rush and video party on Mar. 23 at 2pm in the Balcony Bar above Cafe Lafitte in Exile.
AND THE PARTI GRAS CONTINUES: Vic Vest, popular vice president of the New Orleans Bears, is looking for you. At least from his "Scarlet" float, No. 13, during the Krewe of Troth parade that rolls on Mar. 2 at 11:30am. He will be on the right side, so be sure to yell, "Hey, Vic, throw me something!" The People of Substance will host their Endymion Party on Mar. 1 from 11pm until 3am. It is $12 at the door of Ebony Square, but only $10 in advance
Orlando’s Society Page Lounge was a beehive of activity for members and friends of the Krewe of Mwindo. Kicking it all off was a Gratitude Party on Thursday, followed by a Cocktail Party on Friday, a Pre-Ball Reception on Saturday and then the Royal Coronation Party for the Fifth Anniversary king and queen. And it should come as no surprise that krewe captain Timm Holt will host the after-ball party for the Lords of Leather on Mar. 2 at his bar, Cowpokes.
Officials from a new krewe in Lake Charles, Morpheus, were special guests of Miss Electra City, Queen XXXVII, at the Amon Ra bal masque. They were queen Phyllis LeBleu, captain Angela Propst, duchess Dee Bennett, duke Gordon Propst, lieutenant Bob Manuel and Tina Bourque.
The Saturday before Mardi Gras, the Fat Tuesday Floozies will take over the Golden Age Revue stage at Lucille’s Golden Lantern. The show begins a little after 10pm, so go watch or bring a CD and be a star. And if you are still standing on Mar. 5, join the Ass Wednesday Recovery Party from 9am until noon at the Phoenix. And as far as being Merlin on the Mardi Gras 2003 poster, Larry Graham is the one you have to blame. But it is the actual costume we will be wearing, so be sure to ask for your very own magic wand!
