The Year in Review When I reviewed 2016, the Anthony Bean Community Theater had discovered it needed more funds than expected to renovate its new location on Paris Avenue. After years without a permanent home, Southern Rep had just commenced an arduous journey to turn the long-vacant former St. Rose de Lima Church on Bayou Road into the Bayou Treme Center. Both situations … [Read more...] about Trodding the Boards
Arts & Culture
12th Night & the Mystik Krewe du Rue Royale Revelers
In the Roman Catholic calendar, January 6 is recognized as the Feast of the Epiphany—the day the three Magi visited the baby Jesus, thus representing Jesus’ revelation to the Gentiles. Because the Magi were thought to be kings (although the Biblical nativity stories never suggest this), the Feast of the Epiphany is sometimes called King’s Day. 12th Night, despite all the … [Read more...] about 12th Night & the Mystik Krewe du Rue Royale Revelers
Under the Gaydar
In Memoriam I fully admit and own that my columns are lighthearted and frivolous fun. But 2017 was a very tough year and we lost some valuable members and allies of our gay community. I thought before we start 2018 off, we take a moment to recognize the memories and contributions of those who have made our city and gay community a better place. (Please note if I have missed … [Read more...] about Under the Gaydar
Trodding the Boards
An American in Paris at the Saenger Theatre, Jan. 30–Feb. 4 [I had seen An American in Paris on Broadway in March 2016; that production comes to the Saenger later this month. Below is my review, slightly edited, that ran in April of that year.] With its classic story and gorgeous Gershwin songs, it’s hard not to like the stage version of An American in Paris. But with … [Read more...] about Trodding the Boards
Bobby Kennedy: A Raging Spirit.
Bobby Kennedy: A Raging Spirit. Chris Matthews. Simon & Schuster, 2017. ISBN: 978- 1-5011-1186-0. 396 pages. $28.99. On the night Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., was assassinated, Bobby Kennedy was giving a campaign speech in Indianapolis to a largely African-American crowd. Upon being notified of King’s death, Kennedy interrupted his speech to break the news. In his … [Read more...] about Bobby Kennedy: A Raging Spirit.
Bienville’s Wet Dream
Carnival 2018 takes on special significance as New Orleans celebrates its tricentennial. Many parades will draw inspiration from the city’s 300th birthday, but none as irreverently as Krewe de Vieux, whose theme this year is Bienville’s Wet Dream. Bienville, the founder of New Orleans, lived to be 87 and never married. Just saying. Although Krewe de Vieux is a relatively new … [Read more...] about Bienville’s Wet Dream
Under the Gaydar
Interview: Parker Simon One of my favorite aspects about writing for Ambush Magazine is getting to interview all kinds of interesting people locals, celebrities, philanthropists and even a scoundrel or two. Recently I was able to interview a wonderfully talented musician named Parker Simon who was in New Orleans performing two acoustic shows at Mags 940 and The Four Seasons … [Read more...] about Under the Gaydar
Unveiling the Muse: The Lost History of Gay Carnival in New Orleans
THE UNTOLD STORY OF A POWERFUL MARDI GRAS TRADITION “In Unveiling the Muse, Howard Philips Smith presents a lively and comprehensive history of New Orleans’s gay Carnival organizations formed in the post–World War II era. In addition, he takes a wider look at the places, people, and non-Carnival annual calendar of events that are allied with it. His use of archival sources, … [Read more...] about Unveiling the Muse: The Lost History of Gay Carnival in New Orleans
Trodding the Boards
Peter and the Starcatcher at Slidell Little Theater through Feb. 4 When I saw Peter and the Starcatcher on Broadway in 2012, I found the first act, set amid dreary workhouses and the dank holds of ships, overly dark and, worse, a gobful of exposition slowed it to a tedious crawl as we met a Lord, his daughter, her nanny, some nasty sea captains and their henchmen, a preening … [Read more...] about Trodding the Boards
Unveiling the Muse: The Lost History of Gay Carnival in New Orleans.
Howard P. Smith. University Press of Mississippi. ISBN: 9781496814012. 2017. 346 pages. $50.00. At long last, a book on the history of Gay Carnival has been published. And what a book it is. Simply put, this book is a triumph! Traditional Carnival has been well documented with a vast array of books published on the subject. However, few of them, if any, mention gay … [Read more...] about Unveiling the Muse: The Lost History of Gay Carnival in New Orleans.
