under the gaydar...from 13 missing out, there are some many cool places to hold private events at the venue, but my favorite spot is the third floor reception space which has an incredible view of the skyline of New Orleans. Next up was the Sailor Jerry Reception at the WW2 Museum s Stage Door Canteen. They released a calendar spotlighting military heroes. It was a nice gathering that had some of the military heroes on hand at the event. The Victory Belles also performed singing classic holiday favorites for the delight of the guests. My final stop of the night was the Oz Christmas party which is always a fabulous time. Thanks to Oz for hosting this holiday event that thanks customers for their business year round. Guests brought toys for Toys for Tots while they ate and drank while great Christmas music was being played on the Video screens. The night ended with a special holiday Drag/ Boylesque show which was spectacular. Thursday was a uniquely moving day. My boss asked me to take part in a special day which started with us dressing as Santa Claus and going to bring bags of goodies to Padua. I had the talented Countess C Alice design my Santa outfit that was a mixture of Olde Saint Nicholas meets Priscilla Queen of the Desert. I was definitely the toast of the Santas (or at least I stood out more). We boarded the bus at Ernst Café after a few cocktails and then went to the Westbank, where we transferred onto the Drago s firetruck (totally awesome and a once in a lifetime experience) where we arrived at Padua with sirens blaring with police escorts. Padua Community Services offer comprehensive and specialized care for children and adults with disabilities through Padua House Residential Program, Padua Community Homes and Padua In-Home and Community Based Services. Care includes residential sites for clients. In 1977, the State of Louisiana announced that it would be sending some of its most vulnerable residents to be cared for out of the state, in some cases sending children away from their homes and families. Archbishop Philip Hannan, then Archbishop of New Orleans, in his wisdom and charity knew the local Catholic Church could not let that happen. He founded Padua House to provide not only vital care to the children but a place for them to call home. Today, Padua House is only one part of a broad scope of services provided for the intellectually and developmentally disabled in and around the New Orleans area through Padua Community Services. Through residential programs and in-home care, Padua Community Services is supporting the dignity of life and acting out the legacy of St. Anthony of Padua s care for the poor and vulnerable and their families. We brought each child/adult a Santa s bag filled with things that will enjoy but also to make their life better. These kids were in wheelchairs and some could not leave their beds. There were many with severe handicaps and all they did was cry or laugh or just shake their leg when they saw you arrive with their bag of goodies. I have to say, it was one of the most moving experiences of my life and yes, I cried. After giving the gifts to the residents, we made sure their caregivers who work so tirelessly were awarded with special gift certificates. We raised enough monies to cover the cost for new bathtub facilities which were badly needed. After our visit, then the group kicked into full gear stopping at a place for cocktails and pizza before the group of us still dressed as Santa Claus went to the Louisiana Hospitality Holiday Party which is the joint gathering of the Louisiana Restaurant association, Motel/ Hotel Association and Convention and Visitors Bureau. The party was at the Hyatt and I had already had a head start on my cocktailing so the open bar, delicious food and dance music just added to the festivities. They had a spot where you could get your nails painted or do a flipbook. Good times were had by all. Afterwards a few of the gays jetted out to the Corner Pocket for their holiday party. From handing out toys to children to stuffing dollar bills in stripper s underwear, my night was all over the map. Once their holiday drag show ended, my friends and I decided it was still time for more playing, so we popped into the 700 Club, Oz, Lafitte s in Exile before I turned in at stupid o clock in the morning. Oh will I ever learn, I am no longer 20. After a full day of work on Friday and the night of holiday debauchery on Thursday, my next outing was Saturday when I attended several holiday parties and then made a Southern Decadence appearance. My friend Michelle Dunnick hosted a housewarming/holiday soiree at her brand new home in Gentilly. There was plenty of family and friends around to enjoy her quaint new home impeccably decorated with a huge yard. It is destined to become a party house. After leaving Gentilly, my next stop was the home of Daniel Morvant and Jon Taylor. They opened up their lovely Marigny abode for the holidays. But the crowning touch was their electric laser light show in their beautiful gardens. Guests were mesmerized by the illuminated space. With the moving lights against their foliage and florals, the garden was just alive with the holiday spirit. After partying at two separate homes, I went to the Golden Lantern for the check presentations to the charities from the monies Jeff Palmquist, Felicia Phillips, Jon Penton Robichaux and I raised during the numerous Southern Decadence events. Both Animal Rescue of New Orleans (ARNO) and New Orleans Advocates for GLBT Elders (NOAGE) received over $13,000. It was great to be a part of this fabulous four helping raise all this money for the community and our four legged friends. My friends and I stayed for the Divas R Us show afterwards where Ms. Monica Sinclaire-Kennedy along with her guest brought down the house with Christmas favorites. I concluded my night partying till the wee hours of the morning at Mag's 940 and the Phoenix. Obviously everything I learned on Thursday night went right out of the door. Sunday was a day of rest, but I managed to pry myself off the couch in the early evening to attend Frank Pizzolato s holiday party at his home on Elysian Fields. The weather outside was frightful, but the party inside was warm and inviting. And if you ever want to see a gaggle of hot men folk, go to Frank s party, he always has more to spare. I think one of the things I like most about the holidays is catching up with friends I do not see often. The next week of events started on Monday with my holiday party at Fulton Alley. Lots of bowling, craft cocktails, delectable dishes and a rousing game of White Elephant made for a great day. After I met up with some friends and went to GrandPre s holiday party. Ken put out quite a spread for customers showing his appreciation. The following day, I had two gay bar holiday parties, the first being the Double Play which again put out a lovely food presentation for guests then followed up with the 700 Club. The Double Play always has a core of fun and unique personalities to hang out with. That is a true New Orleans Quarter bar. Now I know that the guys who go to the 700 Club do not look like they eat anything, but holy cow it is the holidays throw some crackers and cheese out for guests, no food at a holiday party especially when alcohol is being consumed in high quantities can be treacherous. This night was their turnabout and all monies including the $30 door cover (and yet still no food) went to CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate). The CASA program was created in 1977 by a family court judge who could see that the system in place to care for foster kids was underfunded and overworked. This family court judge knew that children would have a much better chance if they could rely on a single adult volunteer that was outside of that system, and trained in how to advocate for each child s individual needs. He felt it was the only way to assure that each child in the system has a fighting chance. So successful was this Seattle program that soon judges across the country began utilizing citizen advocates. In 1985 CASA New Orleans was formed. It became the first CASA program in the State of Louisiana and has since served thousands of children under the jurisdiction of Orleans Parish Juvenile Court. In 1990, the U.S. Congress encouraged the expansion of CASA with passage of the Victims of Child Abuse Act. Today more than 900 CASA program offices are in operation, with trained women and men serving as CASA volunteers. They had a huge crowd and the workers gave it their all with some fabulous performances. The Hillary Clinton number was just hysterical. My next few days were family centric spending Friday day and night at my mom s house in River Ridge helping her cook for Christmas Day. I seem to be slowly becoming the cook for family events. Not sure how I feel about the work, but the payoff was worth it being with family having an incredible meal from recipes passed on down from my grandmother. On Saturday, it was all about Dem Saints. I attended the last Saints home game at the Dome and the atmosphere was festive with everyone in the holiday spirit. The saints even gave us a present by winning the game. My friends and I walked back to the Quarter for a quick drink at Patrick s Bar Vin, before I was scooped up by Princesse Stephaney and brought to Rodney Thoulion and RJ Buras home on the Westbank for their Christmas Eve fete. It was once again another household filled with family and friends. They has some great homemade dishes as well as a scrumptious dessert table. Christmas Day started with my ritual of opening up presents with my babies Dahlia and Magnolia. They loved all their gifts and I loved the present they gave me. Yes, I do buy myself a gift, wrap it and open it on Christmas Day. I believe everyone should give themselves a gift on the holiday. Then I was dressed and on my way to mom s house early so I can help her with the finishing touches for the holiday brunch we do. The entire family came over with a few extended friends. We got to spend time with my cousins who I have not seen in years. It was memorable and heartwarming to be together at this time. After everyone left and helped mom clean up, I came back to the Marigny and went to my friends Laura and Gary Tennyson s house for their holiday dinner. I got to see a different group of friends I rarely ever see and finish off the evening laughing and going around the table talking about our hopes for the coming year. From my corny traditions to debaucherously filled evenings out, I love that my life has afforded me a wide and diverse group of friends. So my New Year s Wish is not for me but for everyone, have a healthy 2017! Remember we are a very strong community and together we will thrive and prosper. 16 The Official Mag : AmbushMag.com Jan. 3-16, 2017 Official ficial Gay Mardi di Gras Guide GayMardiGras.com
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The Year in Review Curtains down! Curtains up! And so 2016 s top story seemed to be a revival of 2015 s headline show about theatrical real estate in New Orleans, a recurring melodrama that seemed to have a mostly happy ending this year. January started with the abrupt shuttering of the Old Marquer Theatre due to a capricious landlord. This was quickly followed by the Anthony Bean Community Theater losing its home when the Central St. Matthew United Church decided to expand its school program. ABCT looked to be on a quick road to re-opening when it secured St. Raymond Church on Paris Avenue for its new location. But fundraising demands for more extensive renovations than anticipated forced ABCT to cancel the rest of its season. I hope there ll soon be an announcement as to when productions will resume. After some complications with fire codes were worked out, in mid-autumn the spirit of the Old Marquer rose like a phoenix as the Valiant Theatre and Lounge in Old Arabi. Under Richard Mayer s direction, it has so far presented burlesque shows and some theatrical offerings. I look forward to visiting it soon. There may have been other, more hard-to-pin-down reasons, but without the Old Marquer, home to Lux et Umbra productions as well as those of other companies, and ABCT, there were at least 10% fewer productions in 2016 than usual. Let s hope both of these entities will be presenting a full slate of shows before long. Meanwhile, the good news at Southern Rep was that after years without a permanent home, they will be developing the long-vacant former St. Rose de Lima Church on Bayou Road into the Bayou Treme Center which will contain two theaters. If all goes according to plan, it will open in 2018. Until then, Southern Rep will continue in residence at Loyola University which follows its residency at UNO. Delgado Community College opened its newly renovated mainstage theatre with Michael Aaron Santos production of Romeo and Juliet. Officially named the Timothy K. Baker Theatre in a fitting tribute to the late Tim Baker, former director of Delgado s Theatre Program, it s a beautiful locale for Delgado s shows and, I hope, other companies as well. Other new venues, or at least new to me, included Art Klub in the St. Roch trodding the boards by Brian Sands Email: bsnola2@hotmail.com neighborhood (Vagabond Inventions dystopian dramedy A Kingdom, A Chasm and Nari Tomassetti s bioconcert Rainbolt Cypher, The World Tour); New Orleans Art Center on St. Claude in the Bywater (See Em On Stage s rocker Lizzie Borden the Musical and In Good Company s On The Verge) though after Verge s truncated run it may remain solely as an art exhibition space; Gretna Community Center for the Arts, which debuted with an entertaining production of The Women last winter but has not mounted anything since; Catapult (Artspot s Sea of Common Catastrophe workshop), a performance laboratory in the Marigny dedicated to the development of original theater; NOLA Spaces, a dance studio near the Garden District that has been repurposed as a theater (See Em On Stage s evening of 10-minute plays Take Ten); and Sanctuary Cultural Arts Center (the peripatetic See Em On Stage s The Lion in Winter), a non-denominational church/multi-use cultural arts center. Three new theater companies that debuted in 2015 appeared to have staying power. Rockfire Theatre s Abraham Lincoln s Big, Gay Dance Party was a hoot and best comedy of the year. Though I regret missing the Chalmette-based The Company: A St. Bernard Community Theatre s Into the Woods and Little Shop of Horrors, their Urinetown manifested true community spirit with Shelby Donovan and, especially, Vieta Collins standouts in it. And The Tennessee Williams Theatre Company of New Orleans made a mark with its evening of Weird Tales which included three of Williams one-acts. Were they gems? No. But they were all weird and two of them were world premieres which counts for something. As TWTCNO s season continued with The Rose Tattoo and Dangerous Birds (if Agitated), another collection of one-acts, each production showed a significant improvement over the previous one in terms of entertainment value, and the clarity & imaginativeness of Augustin J Correro s direction. But, for me, 2016 will be most memorable for the incredibly high quality of works at NOCCA and our local universities. Mark Routhier s powerful production of Beyond the Horizon by Eugene O Neill at Loyola topped the dramas this year with wrenching performances by Eduardo Ramirez Kortright, Marisa Nieto and Crawford Steck. Right behind it were director Mel Cook s brilliant all-female Julius Caesar at Tulane set in a women s prison; the ineffably moving The Aliens by Annie Baker at UNO with Cooper Bucha magnificently idiosyncratic as an alienated youth; and the timely, Blacks Lives Matter-inspired Hands Up at Dillard directed by Ray Vrazel. In the musical realm, Kevin Murphy s production of 1776 at NOCCA would have been superb under any conditions; that there wasn t a Y chromosome in the cast made it revolutionary. Also at NOCCA, Janet Shea delivered a wonderfully ebullient Crazy for You with leads Olivia Worley and, particularly, Ross Quinn already displaying Broadway-caliber talent. The same could be said for Hannah Hubbard, Emily Hynes, Shana Moore, Sofia Oprea and Catherine Sillars of 1776. Loyola s annual One-act Festival provided wit and laughs with the imaginative stage version of The 39 Steps, and Good Luck (In Farsi), Neil LaBute s caustic portrait of competitiveness between two actresses. Shelby Kirby directed the former, Ronald Chavis the latter; let s hope they ll be guiding more shows in 2017. And given the abundant young talent that could be seen in ABCT s The Lion King, Jr. and Southern Rep s Into the Woods, Jr., the future of New Orleans theater is quite bright. Among those already out of school, two productions stood out. Promethean Theatre s presentation of Annie Baker s profoundly insightful, Pulitzer Prize-winning The Flick exemplified vital theater. Director Stephen Eckert found just about all the nuances in it; as aimless young adults, Khiry Armstead and Stephen Foley were both extremely fine, while Susan Lanigan was perfect. With the surest of hands, Alex Ates allowed not an ounce of sentimentality to creep into his heartbreaking Sive for The NOLA Project. The entire ensemble of this tragic Irish tale was flawless, none more so than Yvette Bourgeois, Alex Martinez Wallace and Kristin Witterschein. I also admired the non-traditional casting of James Bartelle and Carol Sutton in NOLA Project s 4000 Miles by Amy Herzog, if not entirely the play itself. And if the script could ve used some refining, Andrew Larimer proved once again with his Exterior. Pool- Night, another NOLA Project project, that he is one of the canniest no, make that THE canniest director in town as he led audiences through the CBD after beginning, and eventually ending, his three-stranded Hollywood tale around a rooftop hotel pool. Directing García Lorca s The House of Bernarda Alba for In Good Company, Rebecca Frank almost had more ideas than she could comfortably fit into the production, but I ll take that over those who give us the same old, same old over and over again. In an overall solid cast, Kathleen McManus fearlessly etched the stern, domineering mother, eschewing any sympathy from the audience and displaying only a flicker of remorse upon learning of a daughter s unnecessary death. Among musicals, The Toxic Avenger may not be the most profound but it is witty, tuneful and immense fun, and when done as assuredly and sportingly as See Em On Stage s version, made for an absolutely delightful evening. Christopher Bentivegna, having a banner year, directed with bountiful inventiveness, and all the players, individually and collectively (Luke Halpern, Janie Heck, Elyse McDaniel, Kevin Murphy, Eli Timm) were ideal. In a season in which there was too much of that same old, same old for my tastes, I fondly recall three musicals, more for their sublime productions than, for the most part, their material. I wish Shrek the Musical s book didn t sag in the first act. I wish its score was more memorable. But I also wish I could experience again Scott Sauber s Shrek at Slidell Little Theater. With passion and precise attention to detail, he astutely deployed and costumed a large cast 71! led by John Giraud s touching Shrek and Melanie St. Cyr s spunky Princess Fiona to enchanting effect. I know Ragtime has many fans; I m not one of them. But Emilie Whelan s vibrant in-the-round staging for Cripple Creek at the Marigny Opera House was a treat for both the eyes (thanks to Marcus Stanley s exquisite lighting) and ears (ditto Musical Director Jefferson Turner on solo piano). Kudos to all, especially Amy Alvarez, AshleyRose Bailey, Ian Hoch, and Cameron-Mitchell Ware. I tend not to care for rock musicals (subtitles please); Lizzie Borden didn t change my mind. But Christopher Bentivegna s production, enhanced by Robert Camp s dramatic lighting and featuring four axcellent singing actresses (Leslie Claverie, Idella Johnson, Abbey P. Murrell, Kali Russell), was a killer (told you he was having a banner year). Beyond theater, Bryan Batt, Barbara Motley & Tom Cianfichi brought classic cabaret back to the Big Easy with the sterling Liz Callaway Live! at Le Petit, the very definition of what a cabaret act should be. Broadway@NOCCA thankfully returned, after a brief hiatus, with the ever-sassy Seth Rudetsky and the charming, gracious & very talented Gavin Creel. Courtesy of impresario [continued on 20] 18 The Official Mag : AmbushMag.com Jan. 3-16, 2017 Official ficial Gay Mardi di Gras Guide GayMardiGras.com
St. Anna's Toy Drive @ Mag's 940 Double Play Christmas Party C'est si Bon ~ New Orleans, Metairie ~ Photos by Paul Melancon, Rip Naquin, Gary Toulouse Page Christmas Party ambush paparazzi Four Seasons Christmas Party in Metairie SouthernDecadence.com Jan. 3-16, 2017 Facebook.com/AmbushMag The Official Mag : AmbushMag.com 19
REAL ESTATE trodding the boards...from 18 Daniel Nardicio, the incomparable Dina Martina came back to NOLA with more of her anarchic humor while the astounding jazz violinist Aaron Weinstein made his local debut. New Orleans Opera and The WWII Museum teamed to present Brundibár, the children s opera that the Nazis allowed to be performed in the Theresienstadt concentration camp. Ela Weissberger who is now the sole still-living participant from that production spoke after the captivating performance; the sense of encountering history was palpable. Though it s been around a few years, I only discovered Cecile Monteyne s You Don t Know the Half of It last January (and, full disclosure, participated in it in June). If you want to discover for yourself the zany hilarity that ensues when playlets are halfscripted/half-improvised, check out its 5 th anniversary extravaganza on January 15. In a phenomenally funny class by itself was the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra s Holiday Spectacular with The 610 Stompers, a true Only in New Orleans experience. 1005 Barracks St., NOLA $449,000 1084 square feet! Great value for a 2-bedroom, 2-full bathroom French Quarter Condo in excellent condition. Features include an exclusive street balcony, renovated kitchen, new electric (2015), new plumbing (2015), hardwood floors, private master suite & washer/dryer inside the unit. Small, boutique building with large pool & courtyard. Call/Text Mark @ 504.655.2233. And at the risk of leaving somebody out, here are, in addition to those already mentioned, some other praiseworthy folks who trod the boards in 2016: Ashton Akridge, Denise Ponce, Andrea Watson (The Women); Trina Beck (Pippin, Le Petit); Courtney Boe (Pictures of Marilyn, Stage Door Canteen); Ross Britz (Colossal, Southern Rep); Kerrry Cahill (Grounded, Southern Rep); Leslie Castay (Sweeney Todd, Tulane); Ryan Michael Decker (The Aliens); Micah Richerand Desonier (West Side Story, JPAS); Cara Duffaut (Beyond the Horizon); Bob Edes, Rahim Glaspy, Jessica Lozano, Andrew Vaught (Sleeping Beauty, Le Petit); Robert Facio, Bob Murrell, Kris Shaw (The Ultimate Christmas Show (Abridged), JPAS); Ricky Graham, Sean Patterson, Jeff Roberson (Ditzyland); John Michael Haas (Thoroughly Modern Millie, Summer Lyric Theater at Tulane); Monica R. Harris, Gavin Robinson, Stephen Stanley (Abraham Lincoln s Big, Gay Dance Party); Ian Hoch (Don Quixote, NOLA Project); Rebecca Elizabeth Hollingsworth (Late: A Cowboy Song, Lux et Umbra); Zeb Hollins III (The High Priestess of Dark Alley, Le Petit); Madison Kerth (Heathers, NOCCA Stage Company); Lyndsay Kimball (The Illusion, Shakespeare Festival at Tulane); Preston Meche, II (How to Succeed..., The cast of Playmakers' Chicago Rivertown); Kevin Murphy, Price Provenzano (The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Rivertown); Thomas Francis Murphy, Carl Palmer (Airline Highway, Southern Rep); Olivia Ros (No Exit, Tulane); Kali Russell, Jake Wynne-Wilson (The Lion in Winter); Frankie Thams (Joseph and..., SLT@Tulane); Alex Martinez Wallace (The Lion in Winter, Pippin). Last but not least is Justin Lapeyrouse s production of Chicago at Playmakers Theater in Covington. It featured a chorus of women (Laurie Bonura, Sheri Sable Campbell, Erin Fernandez, Kristi-Anne Lyons, Deborah Marcelle, Lori Molinary) with as wide a range of ages and body types as I ve ever seen, though none typical of Fosse s young, lithe dancers. As the show began, my companion and I looked at each other and silently exchanged Simon Cowell-esque glances. But then they launched into their signature number, Cell Block Tango, with precision, flair and altogether strong vocals, and we were filled with that exhilarating frisson of seeing untapped potential being set free. There were other such joyous surprises in the show, particularly the razzle-dazzle of Lisa Keiffer s Velma and Anysia Genre s Roxie, that reminded me of the power that theater has to thrill and excite. Here s hoping there ll be many more such surprises in 2017! 20 The Official Mag : AmbushMag.com Jan. 3-16, 2017 Official ficial Gay Mardi di Gras Guide GayMardiGras.com