The hospitality community in our city offers some incredible opportunities to make a good living. And one of the most lucrative jobs can be bartending, especially for those who are professional and personable. There is a saying that a bad bartender can ruin a great bar, but a good bartender can make a mediocre one great. It’s all about perspective. My Bartender … [Read more...] about Bartender Spotlight – January 2024
Arts & Culture
Trodding the Boards January 23, 2024
Les Misérables at the Saenger Theatre, January 30-February 4 [This production of Les Misérables played at the Saenger Theatre in 2019 and returns later this month with Nick Cartell still starring as Jean Valjean . The following are excerpts from my January 2019 review of it.] You’ve read Victor Hugo’s book (maybe). You’ve seen the original production (probably). You saw … [Read more...] about Trodding the Boards January 23, 2024
Ambush Across the Pond Part 2
Back in August I made a trip across the pond to Merrie Olde England. Here is Part Two of my exploits. The second leg of my journey after visiting Brighton for their Annual Gay Pride Celebration was a few days in London. I LOVE London! Like New Orleans, it is a well-balanced mixture of old and new, just in their case, their old is very old. There is something to … [Read more...] about Ambush Across the Pond Part 2
Announcing King Cake Queen XXIX – George “Rita George” Roth, The Classic Queen
Ambush Magazine and the Krewe of Queenateenas is pleased to announce George “Rita George” Roth as your King Cake Queen XXIX, The Classic Queen. Roth was born in 1936 and raised in New Orleans where he attended St. Aloysius High School. He then attended Louisiana State University. While in college, Roth served as a cheerleader for the Tigers. After attending L.S.U., Roth … [Read more...] about Announcing King Cake Queen XXIX – George “Rita George” Roth, The Classic Queen
Trodding the Boards January 9, 2024
Romeo and Juliet at Tulane’s Dixon Hall on January 12 [Romeo and Juliet, which played at Tulane’s Lupin Theater last summer, returns on January 12 for one performance at Tulane's Dixon Hall. The following are excerpts from my July 2023 review of it.] In trying to review the New Orleans Shakespeare Festival at Tulane’s (NOSF) production of Romeo and Juliet, to use the … [Read more...] about Trodding the Boards January 9, 2024
Trodding the Boards December 31, 2023
The Year in Review So, do I look at the cup half full or half empty, the “cup” being New Orleans’ 2023 theatrical season? On one hand, about 25% of the productions I saw provided memorable, worthy evenings, some spectacularly so, certainly a respectable amount. On the other hand, the other 75% faded quickly from the mind, not even noble failures, “okay” but not much more. … [Read more...] about Trodding the Boards December 31, 2023
Under the Gaydar (January 2024 Event Calendar)
Welcome to 2024! New Year, new you and all that fun stuff. January does not mean the end of the holiday season in NOLA, but the start of it with 12th Night. Mardi Gras season is upon us and it is a short one folks, so hold on to your feather masks and boas, it is going to be a wild and bumpy ride. Here are just some of the hot happenings in January to put on your … [Read more...] about Under the Gaydar (January 2024 Event Calendar)
A Gay on the Mississippi Gulf Coast: Ambush on the Road
Family time can always go one of two ways, either fun-filled joy, or a test of your patience and tolerance (or in most cases a little of both). Every Thanksgiving, I do a road trip with Mama Dawn to somewhere fun. Past trips have included Branson, Natchez, Nashville, Natchitoches, Mobile, Pensacola, Memphis, San Antonio and Houston. As she … [Read more...] about A Gay on the Mississippi Gulf Coast: Ambush on the Road
Trodding the Boards December 15, 2023
A Christmas Carol at Loyola’s Marquette Theater through Dec. 21 Crescent City Stage is presenting Patrick Barlow’s adaptation of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol at Loyola’s Marquette Theater through December 21. In the spirit of the season, let’s do a “Naughty” and “Nice” review-- Nice --James Lanius III’s projections take us outside to the cobblestone streets of … [Read more...] about Trodding the Boards December 15, 2023
Bartender Spotlight – December 2023
New Orleans has a lot of magical qualities that draw people to her (yes, I like to think of our 300+ year-old city as a Grand Dowager full of stories, history and sass) such as our architecture, cuisine and the artistic scene. But we have another huge draw, our cocktail culture. The cocktail may not have been invented in New Orleans but we have been a renowned … [Read more...] about Bartender Spotlight – December 2023