under the gayday...from 25

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1 under the gayday...from 25 The New Orleans Theatre Association proudly presents the New Orleans premiere of DR. SEUSS HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS! THE MUSICAL at The Saenger Theatre (1111 Canal Street). Hailed by The New York Times as 100 times better than any bedside story, this extended holiday run of a classic musical will enchant adults and children alike as part of the East Jefferson General Hospital Broadway in New Orleans season. Tickets for THE GRINCH start at $26.25 and will be available at the Saenger Theatre Box Office, BroadwayInNewOrleans.com, all Ticketmaster outlets and by phone at (800) Friday, November 25, 2016 You are cordially invited to NOAGE s Second Annual Gala themed NOAGE Goes to Vegas! The event takes place at Rosy s Jazz Hall from 7 10pm. There will be live entertainment, music, food, and drinks. There will also be lots of Vegas-style games, including card games and Roulette! Dress up as your favorite Vegas stars! - Elvis, Charo, Liberace, Britney, Celine, Frank, Dean, Sammy, Bette, Phyllis, Donny and Marie, Steve & Eydie,...the possibilities are endless! (Costuming is encouraged, but not required.) All funds raised will benefit NOAGE, ensuring that we can continue providing great programming and services for LGBT+ older adults. Tickets are $40 each. To order tickets go to Sunday, November 27, 2016 Come be a part of Johnny Passion s 5th Annual Winter Wonderland at the Eiffel Society (2040 St. Charles Ave). All proceeds after expenses to be split between Food For Friends and St. Anna s Food Pantry. VIP guests will enjoy a delicious catered sit down dinner while being entertained by local musicians. The venue will be decorated with beautiful winter holiday decorations. There will also be a red carpet entrance complete with paparazzi and a step and repeat background. After dinner, there will be a variety show filled with local celebrities and entertainers. To reserve your table or tables NOW, contact Misti Gaither via Facebook. Book of the Month: November As most people know, I am a huge Absolutely Fabulous fan, so when I received a signed copy of Jennifer Saunder s autobiography from some friends as a gift, I was ecstatic. Her autobiography, Bonkers: My Life In Laughs is an upbeat account of her life from childhood, school reports, past performances and the major events. I loved this novel, it is witty, poignant and inspirational. You will enjoy all of her life s highlights from Ab Fab to Shrek. There is also a healthy dose of name-dropping which is fabulously hysterical. As you can imagine, I enjoyed reading about the inception of AbFab and Jennifer s descriptions of her co-stars. You get insight to her family and her loving tribute to her deceased father. From her family life with her husband and three daughters to her battle with cancer (which she has overcome), Jennifer s light shines brilliantly through. Comedy is still definitely a man s world, but getting an intimate glimpse on how famous comedienne s made their way to the top is interesting. Jennifer s many collaborations in film, television and theatre are spotlighted throughout the book. She also goes into detail about the people who have shaped her life especially Dawn French. Whether you are an avid fan like I am or not, Bonkers is a great read about a fantastic actress who I look forward to seeing more of in the future. Party Down My two weeks leading up to Halloween was a ghoulishly fun mix of pirates booties, sexy zombies, live chickens, Olivia Newton-John and Vegas baby! There is so much to tell you so let s get started with my trip to Las Vegas for work. I took Southwest s direct flight at the crackle of dawn and landing in the other Sin City at 8am so I had the entire day to play. I got checked into one of my favorite casino/hotels on the strip, The Mirage. I love this place from the restaurants to the attractions, it has it all. Another major selling point it is pretty much centrally located with easy access to lots of things. I dropped my bags in my room, met up with my friend Jeremy and we were off on a fabulous shopping spree. We started at the shops located in Planet Hollywood then made our way to the Forum Shoppes in Caesar s Palace. To me Vegas is synonymous with shopping, whether high end shops, unique boutiques or chain department stores, this city has something for everyone. After my foray into binge shopping; we went to brunch at Mon Ami Gabi in the Paris hotel. This classic French bistro is an upscale chain found in Chicago, Vegas and DC. The food is spectacular especially the crepes and the onion soup. The staff is attentive and the cocktails are delicious. It is one of my favorite restaurants on the strip. I took a little break after lunch to relax and get some work done before meeting back up for dinner where we went to an experience like I have never been to before. Move over Hooters, there seems to be new restaurant in town with almost the same ilk. Toby Keith s I Love This Bar and Grill was set to open in New Orleans but never came to fruition, so when my friend joked about going there for dinner, I said why not. And guess what it was actually pretty fun and the home-cooking style food was wonderful. Now I do have to say it was an experiment in unusualness, since the waitresses (who were all very polite and hard-working) wore assless chaps with frilly underwear. We now know what part of the body Toby is fond of. There was a stripper pole by some of the bar tables, but the beer was served in mason jars (now that is kind of awesome). I have to say, all things considered, this was not a disappointing meal. After dinner cocktails were on call so we went to Fizz Champagne Bar. One of the club s managing partners is David Furnish, civil partner of Sir Elton John. The place has a very upscale vibe and their chandelier is pretty breathtaking, but prepare yourself the cocktails are pricey which is about $19 per drink. They even have a drink that is $2,500. Now I am big on frivolous spending, but that is a little too much for my taste. Afterwards, I thought a complete change of scenery was in order, so since it was the Halloween season, I conned my friends into joining me at the Zombie Escape Haunted House at the Linq Hotel and Casino. We went near its closing so it was cool we were the only ones in the compound like maze they set up. It was pretty intense and there were zombies jumping at you from every angle. I had to admit there were some good scares, but near the end, I ran into this zombie who was shirtless, smeared with blood and had long flowing hair. I was smitten, so after he jumped out at the group, I took the opportunity to give him my dig to see if he wanted to meet up later. Don t judge, you know you have met guys in worse places. The rest of the night is one of what the saying What Happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. On Monday, my meetings started until noon, then I was able to break away and have lunch at the always good Wolfgang Puck California Pizza Kitchen in The Mirage. The food is consistently good and they always have new creative salads and pizzas to choose from. That evening, was a special treat because my company had private busses take us to the president s palatial home in the desert for a cocktail reception. The adobe style mansion had an entrance courtyard, three fireplaces (two outdoor and one indoor), a pool, Jacuzzi and a spacious backyard that looked like it was right out of Home and Garden. We had a suburb dinner, then was transported back to the strip, where a few of my friends and I hopped in a car and went to the House of Blues Foundation Room at Mandalay Bay. We had bottle service (which is literally all the clubs do in Vegas) and drank very nice champagne well into the next morning. The Foundation Room at the House of Blues in Vegas boasts one of the most spectacular rooftop views of the strip. Their laid back, sexy vibe was the perfect way to finish off a great day. On Tuesday, I was on the trade show floor all day promoting the city of New Orleans to groups interested in booking our city. After, my company hosted a party for current and potential clients at Tao, the hot nightclub in the Venetian. The club is a very Zen, but hip place. So it was a pretty amazing way to start off the night connecting with possible clients, seeing current ones all while having lots of libations. From the party, I met up with some friends at truly one of my favorite restaurants in Vegas, Japonais. This trendy restaurant that is in New York provides a menu of classic Japanese cuisine with an American twist. My favorite dish at the restaurant is their awesome tempura Brussel sprouts. I honestly would fly to Vegas just to have that dish. After the wonderful meal, I gambled a little bit before bed. I love to gamble unfortunately this trip did not prove very fruitful, I left my heart and $150 in their fare city. The next day, I again spent it on the trade show floor all day, but afterwards, I met up with some friends and we went to see the incredible Olivia Newton John at the Donny and Marie Theatre in Vegas. OMG, I love her! She did all her hits from Xanadu and Grease as well as her rock and roll and country tunes. She ended with the heartfelt I Honestly Love You and my heart just melted. We capped off the night by going to the Hash House A Go Go in the Linq Hotel. It is hard to describe this slice of Americana fabulosity. The décor is farmer chic with cow hide chairs and metal fittings. Come hungry because the portions are huge, even the small portions could feed an army. Thursday, I was at the booth all day and took the red eye flight back to NOLA. I was home just in time for the weekend s festivities starting with the Krewe of Armeinius fundraiser Cocktoberfest at their Mid-City den on Saturday. Once again the Krewe hosted an exemplary event that had great food, lots of cocktails, good entertainment and a nice silent auction. It was a splendid evening to hang out with friends and my auction wins helped start my holiday shopping. Sunday was the last of the host parties leading up to the big holiday weekend. The party was held once again at Jim Mounger s home Uptown on Nashville. Jim always graciously hosts this party which I enjoy attending every year, so I can marvel at his art collection, which is probably one of the best in the city. The man has well-appointed taste in art. My next week s event started on Tuesday night when I attended the premier of The Illusionist with Jeff Mallon at the Saenger Theatre. I was never a big magic person, but this was an entertaining show that incorporated comedy, suspense and a little sexiness. The magicians ranged from the outrageously flamboyant to the hip, smoldering sensual types including a mind reader, a martial arts expert, an escape artist. The Halloween New Orleans event started on Thursday with the Lazarus Ball at Il Mercato, the beautiful venue located on Magazine Street. The food, silent auction and live band made the night memorable. I love this dressy affair because it gives hosts a chance to mix and mingle in a more quietly refined space. And it is a great place to get your drink started for the weekend. My jet lag from the week before caught up with me so I missed Friday s event at the Civic Theatre for some much deserved rest, but I bounced back with a vengeance for their Saturday event at the Contemporary Arts Center. My group and I were in fabulous pirate drag and went as The Real House Wenches of the Caribbean. The decorations this year were astonishing, especially the cave photo Opp and the pirate ship stage. Ralph Brennan s Catering did the food in the Host Lounge so it was delectable as expected. Congrats to the team who put on the event, it was very festive. Sunday was a more laid back day on the Creole Queen. I am so happy they returned to the boat because it allows the out-of-towners to enjoy something touristy while they are in town and gets them out of the bars for a few minutes. Besides, I cannot describe the feeling of dancing on the top deck of the boat to hot dance tracks as the city sails past you. When we left the boat, HNO organized a second line parade for the guests to the corner of St. Ann and Bourbon, once again giving them another unique New Orleans experience. After a few cocktails at the bar, I dragged my tired butt home to crash. Halloween fell on Monday so I thought I would include that in my two weeks. Halloween was more relaxed. My friends and I attended Michael Shlenker and Don Schwenn s house party at their home right by Metairie Cemetery. They had a red velvet brain cake, open bar with specialty cocktails and lots of neighbors celebrating the holiday. It was the perfect way to cap off my two weeks. Now that Halloween is over, there is no need to stay wicked, so in celebration of the next holiday, go out and stay thankful that we live in one of the most amazing cities in the world. 26 The Official Mag : AmbushMag.com Nov , 2016 Official ficial Gay Mardi di Gras Guide GayMardiGras.com

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