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by Brad Benedict
BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA

Apollo Bal Masque XVIII Theme Announced

The Baton Rouge Krewe of Apollo held their Theme Announcement Party at the Joseph Possa complex in the trendy lake section near LSU. This handsome and sexy lawyer opened up his home to the krewe, and everyone got to view the costume designs for Bal Masque XVIII to be held in the early part of 1999. I am indebted to my buddy TTT for all his help on this particular night. I was in Lafayette judging the R.O.U. contest, so Tommy filled me in on everything and took pictures for me while I was away.

Joe and Les are repeating themselves in a way. They were responsible for the success of Bal Masque XVII and a marvelous library collection. Now, the krewe looks ahead to a fantastic opera season with wonderful costumes of which many have already been issued to members. And speaking of members, the krewe is growing by leaps and bounds. There's new enthusiasm here, and lots of new faces are joining the ranks. If you are interested in membership, pick up an application at Hibiscus Bookstore on Main Street or Four Seasons Flowers and Gifts on Essen Lane.

The krewe will choose a new king and queen-elect for next year's ball at their May meeting. The early selection is necessary in order to allow ample time for mastering and fine-tuning the costumes for this special event. Sam and Jim are the reigning King and Queen Apollo XVII, and they are thoroughly enjoying their royal roles.

When it comes to leather, the girls of Red Stick can do it up right. The Hide-A-Way was the setting for a leather extravaganza, and it was one of their most successful nights ever. Minette and Sharie were style-setters for this holiday weekend as were Marie and Bubba, but you knew you were in for a fine evening the minute you stepped through the door.

Dizie was leather clad and a fine welcoming addition to the Hide-A-Way staff. Jonathan was perky, but his perkiness was in anticipation of Matt's return from that trucking school, which he passed with flying colors. DJ for the evening was Frankie, and Suzanne was absolutely gorgeous in that fancy black attire. From participants to lookers, it was nice to see how the occasion won so much support from within the local community. It's the beginning of many planned events that will feature different themes.

The Time Zone held another successful event, a crawfish boil. The bad weather didn't seem to dampen the spirits at this Main Street establishment. Customers came from near and far to enjoy the great food and fine spirits furnished by James and Kyle. They are continually changing their surroundings to make it more inviting and offer the Gay and Lesbian community a nice place to relax and socialize.

Cody and Mark kept George's in tip-top form while Richard and Guy enjoyed a Las Vegas vacation. Cody is responsible for those fantastic karaoke sessions on Thurs. nights, and, of course, Mark graces the place with his gorgeous body. He's the bartender who makes you feel so much at home, and this is what makes George's such a successful establishment, the place with the personal touch.

Another couple to hit the vacation trail was the dynamic duo of Mark and Mike. I believe Mike said they saw eight plays and toured just about every important spot in the Big Apple. Mark was delighted with Ellis Island and came away with memories only a descendant could understand. It was here that his family came to America in 1917, and he was overpowered by the stark realism that the museum depicts.

The Blue Parrot patio was the setting for a great photo session recently. Our TTT got to experience the warmth and kindness of Mr. Butt Beautiful of 1998. They cuddled in the patio, and I'm not sure who was the happiest, TTT or Mr. BB.

The Mirror Lounge has a lot of activities scheduled for their establishment. There are some major contests coming up which should appeal to everyone. There are Mr. and Miss contests in abundance on tap for the capital city. This is the show bar of the region, and everything seems to be coming up Rose - oops - roses. Talk about a hot tail, this is the one who lights up the stage with her presence. Even the antics of the mighty Lady Rhonda can't measure up to THAT event.

Evolution has been packing them in with that new dance floor and lighting equipment. They too have some nice things on tap for the local community. Of course, this just happens to be the best dance emporium in the Deep South. If you haven't been there lately, you've missed a chance to have a great time and experience their special magic of sight and sound. If you are from out of town, you'll learn pretty quickly that this is the place to be to have a gay old time.

Hibiscus Bookstore has undergone a great change. The interior has been altered completely, and everyone is shocked when they enter the complex. The security system is working perfectly, and the organization of merchandise is quite good. Plans are now under way for an autograph party to beat all autograph parties. It will surprise and please the masses.

As I stated earlier, I missed the Apollo function because of my position as judge of the Mr., Miss and Ms. R.O.U. contest at Sound Factory in Lafayette. I had a delightful time and even stayed over for the night. Precious Kenny insisted that I relax in the comfort of that hotel room that he reserved for me. I've known this young man for a long time, and I am constantly amazed at his energy and hard work for the local community. That's why I named him to the movers and shakers list in my column a couple of issues back.

Of course, the other mover and shaker I talked about in that Ambush column was Chris Terro, who gave up his Mr. R.O.U. title to newly-named John Abshire. This young man is always there when you need him, whether as an entertainer or as a worker behind the scenes. He's one of the most talented singers around, but it's that quality of goodness that makes him stand so tall. He's a little package of energy and a delight to be around. He scored the hit of the evening with his penis - oops - pina colada song.

Stephanie Stevens was the emcee for this event, and this lovely lady is charming and delightful to know and to love. Her final number of the evening found her in a black evening dress, which was so becoming to her radiant beauty. She's the reigning Queen R.O.U., and she is doing such a fine job with this title.

Baton Rouge was well represented at this event. Current King James and his Toddy were there as was the fabulous Finis, better known as Christine King. I didn't get to talk to everyone, but I did notice lots of Red Stick faces in the audience.

John's Sound Factory is a fabulous entertainment complex. If you haven't been here, you need to make it a point to check out this wonderful setting. They have lots of fun here on Sun., so you have a choice between here and New Orleans. John has a great dance emporium, and I rather enjoyed the way he has designed it into two separate entities. One side is the main dance area while the opposite side is the game area. He also offers one of the nicest dressing rooms around for the drag divas and others who entertain here. The sound booth is behind a glass wall, which is draped for events such as the R.O.U. contest. It was a thoroughly enjoyable experience for me, but I did miss my Coca boy. He had an emergency on the back forty, and I had to spend the night alone. But, alas, there will be other days - and nights.

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