Ambush readers of a certain age may remember blueboy. From 1974 to 2007, this glossy magazine featured pictures and centerfolds of naked men. Some people even read the articles. A friend of mine recently dug out his April 1988 issue and showed me an article about New Orleans entitled “New Orleans: Last American Refuge.” I eagerly read the article and while it was mostly … [Read more...] about Traveling Back to 1988 and 1971
Arts & Culture
Executive PR & Talent (EPR&T)
A little over a decade ago, after getting his start in the entertainment business working at OZ Nightclub as Director of Public Relations and Promotion, Michael Benedetti (California native, New Orleans resident as of 2000 / for 17 years) set out to forge his own talent agency, public relations consulting, and touring management company, Executive PR & Talent (EPR&T). … [Read more...] about Executive PR & Talent (EPR&T)
Trodding the Boards
Orpheus in the Underworld at the Mahalia Jackson Theater In New Orleans Opera’s first-ever production of Jacques Offenbach’s Orpheus in the Underworld, Orpheus may have wound up in Hell but, for the audience, it was pure Heaven. Hector-Jonathan Crémieux and Ludovic Halévy’s libretto satirizes the ancient Greek myth of Orpheus. Their frothy plot features Gods revolting … [Read more...] about Trodding the Boards
The Pox Lover – An Activist’s Decade in New York and Paris by Anne-Christine d’Adesky
The Pox Lover is a personal history of the turbulent 1990s in New York City and Paris by a pioneering American AIDS journalist, lesbian activist, and daughter of French-Haitian elites. In an account that is by turns searing, hectic, and funny, Anne-christine d’Adesky remembers “the poxed generation” of AIDS—their lives, their battles, and their determination to find love and … [Read more...] about The Pox Lover – An Activist’s Decade in New York and Paris by Anne-Christine d’Adesky
Under the Gaydar
Ambush on the Road: Go Go Gulfport I am a wonderful fan of quick getaways from NOLA that are just a short drive away. They do wonders for your mental state and you get to explore cool places. One of my newest favorite spots for a break from NOLA is Gulfport, Mississippi about an hour and change form the city. Gulfport is located along the Gulf Coast and boasts sandy … [Read more...] about Under the Gaydar
Remembering Rip
I knew who Rip Naquin was long before I knew him as a friend. I had seen him at the bars for years and had even been introduced to him a time or two at various social events. Marsha was always, without fail, at his side. Together, they struck me as an enigmatic couple—mysterious and intriguing, yet aloof and unapproachable. There was something about them that made me want to … [Read more...] about Remembering Rip
Trodding the Boards
Bridget Everett and Murray Hill--Live in New Orleans! at One Eyed Jacks Thanks to Presenter Daniel Nardicio, Bridget Everett and Murray Hill, two mainstays of New York’s alt-cabaret scene, recently made their joint New Orleans debut at a packed One Eyed Jacks. Everett, star of the indie dramedy Patti Cake$ and Amazon’s Love You More, exploded onto the stage with one of her … [Read more...] about Trodding the Boards
An Oral History of the New Orleans Ninth Ward by Caroline Gerdes.
An Oral History of the New Orleans Ninth Ward. Caroline Gerdes. Pelican Publishing Co., 2017. ISBN: 9781455622634. 192 pages. One of the inadvertent legacies of Hurricane Katrina was to give the 9th Ward of New Orleans a certain cultural cache in the national imagination. Prior to the storm, most people had never heard of the neighborhood and it was certainly not on … [Read more...] about An Oral History of the New Orleans Ninth Ward by Caroline Gerdes.
Trodding the Boards
On the Road--Motown, Mo’ Better Now I hadn’t been to Detroit in fifteen years. I have cousins in one of its suburbs and a friend in Ann Arbor. Its Black Pride Festival, Hotter Than July!, is held the last weekend of that month. So last year I figured why not visit for a long weekend getaway from New Orleans’ summer heat’n’humidity. I’m happy I did. The previous time I was … [Read more...] about Trodding the Boards
Gay History Goes to the Armeinius Ball
Gay History Goes to the Armeinius Ball The Krewe of Armeinius recently celebrated its golden anniversary as well as New Orleans’ tricentennial at its annual Bal Masque. The theme of the ball was “Nouvelle—Orleans: 300 Years of Fabulous” and featured the following historical characters from New Orleans history: The Lady Bugs of New Orleans (mosquitos, termites, cockroaches, … [Read more...] about Gay History Goes to the Armeinius Ball
