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the "official" dish by Rip & Marsha Naquin-Delain Email: ripna@ambushmag.com
Official Pride Guide since 1985 Ambush Magazine brings you "your" Official Pride Guide since 1985 covering a multitude of events and celebrations throughout June. The achievements were long in coming, but determination and fortitude have led to huge successes for our LGBT+ community. Thinking back some 43 years ago, we could have never in our wildest dreams believed there would ever be same-sex marriage, transgender inclusion, and attempts to protect the LGBT+ communities basic equal rights to be open, honest and safe at home, work and in the community. And an end to the death sentence of the AIDS epidemic in the 80s and 90s. There are so many heroes who helped lay this original foundation... Alan Robinson, Charlene Schneyder, Toni J.P. Pizanie, Robert Udick, Miss Dixie Fasnacht, Stewart Butler, Marilyn McConnell and Jody Gates, Sonny "Cheridon" Cleveland, Andy Boudreaux, Noel Twilbeck, Bill McKenzie, Lee Fetherson (Miss Fly), Joe Melcher, Miss Do, Kevin Donahugh, Ken GrandPre, just to name a small sampling. But today the younger generation is taking flight with the likes of Frank Perez, Derek and Jon Penton-Robicheaux, Dustin Woehrmann, Misti Gaither, Ryan Cochran, Jeffrey Palmquist, Solitaire, Clint Taylor, Monica Synclaire-Kennedy, Jim Meadows, Rodney Thoulion, and Kyle Robin. We may not always agree on how to get there, but get there we must. Each of us has a duty to make our community ONE community united for the good of all!
PrideFest 2017 June 10 @ The Phoenix New Orleans Phoenix is the home for PrideFest 2017, the biggest Pride celebration this city has seen! Music, vendors, food, sexy dancers! "We close down the street at 2 p.m. Saturday, June 10, for four hours for this massive party. The Pride parade leaves from here at the bar. Get a first-hand look at all the floats and be the first on the route!" Tons of entertainment on the Bud Light Stage, including: Pink Slip, Miss New Orleans Pride Princesse Stephaney, Anais St. John, Rica Shay, DJ Matt Consola of Bearracuda and more! After the parade, come back for the annual Who’s Your Daddy contest presented by the Lords of Leather. Want to be a participant? Grab an application from the downstairs bartender or download it here. "And don’t forget the hot dancers we’ll have on stage all weekend long! Get ready for Jimmy Durano, Jake Ashford and Nate Pierce!!!" Visit www.phoenixbarnola.com. The Phoenix is located at 941 Elysian Fields.
Oz Kicks Off Pride June 10 & 11 Join Oz for the Official New Orleans Pride Balcony and Parade After Party Saturday, June 10. Watch the Pride Parade live as it crosses Bourbon Street on the club's famous balcony! Then dance the night away to the music of Father Figure and Bouffant Bouffant which is hosted by Southern Decadence Grand Marshal XLIII Persana Shoulders. The sexy Men of Oz dance on the bar tops with weekend lights by the fabulous Johnny Eubanks. Then on Sunday, June 11, close out Pride with amazing live performances! At 4 p.m., catch a special performance from former Miss Gay America and RuPaul’s Drag Race season 5/All Stars season 2 star, Coco Montrese! Then dance to a live set at 5 p.m. by L.A. performer extraordinaire, Rica Shay! Finally catch the Ladies of Oz perform for Legends of Oz at 9 p.m., all at 800 Bourbon Street. Oz brings you it's new lineup!
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Gulf South LGBT+ Entertainment/Travel Guide Since 1982 828-A Bourbon St. • New Orleans, LA 70116-3137 • 504.522.8049 ripna@ambushmag.com
ALL NEW MONDAYS - Join bartender Mark and a revolving cast of drag queen hostesses for LAZY SUSAN KARAOKE from 10 p.m. - 1 a.m. with music by DJ JRB. Mondays are a drag, so let’s make them fabulous and sing the night away! ALL NEW UPSTAIRS HAPPY HOUR - You can now enjoy happy hour from Oz’s balcony! Catch new upstairs bartender, Jake Morris, serving up drinks from 4-8 p.m.! 1/2 price drinks and a perfect view of Bourbon Street only at Oz! ALL NEW SUNDAYS - Bingo on Sundays has moved upstairs and is getting dirty! Join Oz as they present Raunchy Bingo in partnership with Our Dirty Secrets! An added selection of adult paraphernalia has been added as prizes for winners as well as the usual prizes furnished by Oz’s corporate partners. ALL OF this with the advantage of Oz’s new upstairs happy hour with Jake! The fun goes from 6-8 p.m.!
Wood Enterprises Ready for Pride Wood Enterprises has a weekend lineup for Pride 2017! Rawhide at 740 Burgundy host its Pride Blackout Party on Thursday, June 8 at 9 p.m. kicking off the weekend. Over at both Cafe Lafitte in Exile, 901 Bourbon, and Good Friends Bar, 740 Dauphine, they are offering $10 Barcardi Hurricane Buckets 1 p.m. Friday-Sunday for Pride Weekend. Lafitte's also closes out the weekend with Sunday Trash Disco 4-10 p.m.
Celebrate Pride June 911 @ Golden Lantern The Official Home of Southern Decadence: The Golden Lantern celebrates Pride June 9-11 at 1239 Royal Street. Catch The Dollhouse Revue with the incredible Nicole Lynn Foxx Friday 10-11:30 p.m. Saturday, "The First Lady of The Golden Lantern" Monica SynclaireKennedy brings you Divas R Us 1011:30 p.m. And close out the weekend with Sunday Social Jubilee with Reba Douglas 5-7 p.m.
Southern Decadence Press Party & Sponsorship Drive set for June 16 @ Parade The 2017 Southern Decadence Press Party & Sponsorship Drive has been set for Friday, June 16, 7-10 pm at Bourbon Pub & Parade, 801 Bourbon Street. Southern Decadence Grand Marshals XLIII Persana Shoulders, Princesse Stephaney and Coca J Mesa invite you to this exciting evening. Find out the OFFICIAL THEME, COLORS, SONG, CHARITIES, SPONSORS and the unveiling of the 2017 Poster! Quartermaster Deli will cater the illustrious
THE OFFICIAL MAG
Facebook.COM/AmbushMag Gulf South Entertainment/Travel Guide Since 1982 • Texas-Florida Official Gay Easter Parade Guide© Official Gay Mardi Gras Guide© Official Gay New Orleans Guide© Official Pride Guide© Official Southern Decadence Guide© AWARD WINNING:
Saints & Sinners Literary Festival Hall of Fame/2015, Louisiana Excellence Award: Media & Internet/2014, New Orleans Print Media Award/ 2014, 25th NO/AIDS Task Force Humanitas Award/2013, New Orleans Print Media Award/ 2013, Krewe of Mwindo Media Honoree/2009, Krewe of Petronius Carnival Spirit of Gay Mardi Gras XLVIII Award/2009, Forum For Equality Acclaim Awards X Media Recipient/2008, NO/AIDS Task Force Prometheus “Torch of Truth” [media] Award/2001 OFFICE/SHIPPING ADDRESS: 828-A Bourbon St., New Orleans, LA 70116-3137 USA OFFICE HOURS: 10am-3pm Monday-Friday [Except Holidays] Email: ripna@ambushmag.com PHONE: 1.504.522.8049 ANNUAL READERSHIP OVER 1 MILLION: 260,000+ in print/780,000+ On-line CIRCULATION: Alabama-Mobile Florida - Pensacola Louisiana - Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Lake Charles, Metairie, New Orleans, Slidell Mississippi - Bay St. Louis, Biloxi
STAFF: PUBLISHER/EDITOR R. Rip Naquin, New Orleans PRODUCTION DIRECTOR M. Marsha Delain, New Orleans GULF SOUTH/NEW ORLEANS AD SALES Rip Naquin • 504.522.8049 THEATRE/PERFORMING ARTS CRITIC Brian Sands AD REPS/JOURNALISTS/PHOTOGRAPHERS Misti Gaiter, Tony Leggio, Hubert S Monkeys, Felicia Phillips, Frank Perez, Rev. Bill Terry-New Orleans MIss Cie-Mobile, AL National Advertising Rep: Rivendell Media 212.242.6863 Ambush Mag is published on alternate Tuesdays of each month by Ambush, Inc., R. Rip NaquinDelain, President. Advertising, Copy & Photo DEADLINE is alternate Tuesdays, 4pm, prior to publication week, accepted via e-mail only: marsha@ripandmarsha.com, except for special holidays. The Publisher assumes no responsibility for the claims of advertisers and has the right to reject any advertising. The inclusion of an individual's name or photograph in this publication implies nothing about that individual's sexual orientation. Letters, stories, etc., appearing herein are not necessarily the opinion of the Publisher or Staff of AMBUSH Mag. Subscription rate is $45 for 1/2 Year; $75 for 1 year. Sample Copy is $3 First Class Mail. ©1982-2017 AMBUSH, INC., ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. NOTHING HEREIN MAY BE REPRODUCED WITHOUT WRITTEN PERMISSION OF THE PUBLISHER INCLUDING AD LAYOUTS, MAPS and PHOTOS. AMgrant - AMbush Advertising Grant Donation
affair. Doors open 6 pm, enter @ St. Ann to the The Parade. There is a $10 door donation with $50 VIP Tables of 4 available. (Contact Persana, Princesse or Coca for table reservations). Keep abreast of the latest information available in Ambush Magazine, your Official Southern Decadence Guide, www.SouthernDecadence.com, your Official Southern Decadence Website, or follow Southern Decadence at www.Facebook.com/ SouthernDecadenceNOLA. [continued on 10]
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the "official" dish ...from 4 Friends of The Golden Lantern (The Official Home of Southern Decadence) has already raised over $2,500 for this year's festivities! Oz New Orleans raised $1,006 at the SDGM Announcement Extravaganza. The Southern Decadence XLVI (46) celebration of LGBT+ life, music and culture is Labor Day Weekend, Wednesday, Aug. 30-Monday, Sept. 4, 2017. Other event scheduled include: TUESDAY, July 4th... 3pm, 4th Annual Potato Salad Contest, $10 to Taste/Judge includes Hot Dogs & Baked Beans, Winner receives giant trophy & 1/2 proceeds and 1/2 proceeds benefits Southern Decadence 2017, register to enter contest & pick up container @ GrandPre’s (contestants bring 5 lbs. of potato salad by 2 p.m.) @ GrandPre’s SATURDAY, July 8th... 10:15 p.m., Johnny Passion’s 4th Annual Smatch Game benefiting Southern Decadence 2017, New Impersonations, new entertainers added to already esteemed celebrity panel, surprise guests and production numbers!! VIP tables with 4 seats are extremely limited $80.00, also a small number of individual seats are available for $20.00, general admission is $15.00 @ Allways Lounge & Theater; THURSDAY, July 13th... 7-9 p.m., 3rdAnnual Southern Decadence Soiree benefiting Southern Decadence 2017, $100 per ticket @ Palmesa Mansion; SATURDAY, July 22nd 8-10 p.m., 30th Annual Gay Appreciation Awards Gala “Walking The Red Carpet with SDGMs XLIII Persana Shoulders, Princesse Stephaney & Coca J Mesa, announcing the winners in 24 categories voted online by the readership of Ambush Magazine June 20-27, 2017; benefiting Southern Decadence 2017, VIP Table’s for 4 are $200 (contact Rip Naquin to reserve your table 504.522.8049 or ripna@ambushmag.com), $10 door donation @ Oz New Orleans.
18th MASCARa Raises $5,259 Memorial Day Weekend for NOCCA; Now Over $131,412 Wood Enterprises presented the 18th annual MASCARa Race Memorial Day Weekend raising $5,259 for the NOCCA Institute. Since 2002, MASCARa has raised over $131,412! There were nine contestants this year including Southern Eagle Ian Jorgensen who won Quickest Time; Oz Mark Lanpher; Amon-Ra Zack Ledet; Good Friends Bar Jarrod Stetina; Café Lafitte in Exile Bobby Blackwell winning Most Money Raised $1,448, Prettiest, and Miss Mascara 2017; Rawhide Erik Wolfe; Sunshine Sunshine
Edae winning Miss Congeniality; Clover Grill Joseph Smith; and Republic Tony Scott winning Ugliest.
PFLAG New Orleans Awards $50,000 in Scholarships to 38 Students On May 13, 2017 the New Orleans Chapter of PFLAG awarded $50,000 in scholarships to thirty-eight highly qualified students at it’s twenty-seventh annual Sandra Pailet Champagne Reception. The students must be Louisiana residents, graduating high school seniors or enrolled in a post-secondary educational institution. This year’s recipients reflected the diversity present in the LGBTQ community. There were members of several different racial and ethnic back grounds, students aged 17-35, high school seniors and those completing a doctorate. There were thirteen students who identified as transgender, several who identified as non-binary or gender fluid, and others who identified as pan sexual, in addition to those who identified as Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual. Besides having remarkable academic achievements the recipients have outstanding accomplishments within the LGBTQ community. Most have either founded or belong to a student organization that supports the community. The range of future careers is diverse and impressive with many aspiring to have careers in the helping professions such as medicine, social work, counseling, education, veterinarian medicine, and law as well as the fine and performing arts. The reception began with Champagne and food provided by The Four Season Bar, The Bourbon Pub, Louisiana Pizza Kitchen Uptown and Food For Friends. The New Orleans Gay Men’s Chorus entertained the guests with a couple of songs to begin the awards ceremony. PFLAG’s Co-Presidents Julie Thompson and Joe Melcher introduced each recipient with a brief summary of their individual accomplishments. The scholarship program is dependent upon donations from businesses and organizations such as: American Aquatic Gardens, Southern Decadence, Volleyball New Orleans, and The New Orleans Tennis Association. In addition, several individuals have set up endowments through The Greater New Orleans Foundation in memory of or in honor of a loved one. Individual donors then round out the bulk of the scholarships.
NEXT DEADLINE: Tues., June 13 504.522.8049 ripna@ambushmag.com
Anyone interested in donating can obtain additional information by sending an email to: info@pflagno.org. The 2018 Reception is already planned for the Saturday evening before Mother’s Day.
Double Play Presents Southern Belle Review Pride Weekend The Double Play, 439 Dauphine, presents The Southern Belle Review Pride weekend on Friday, June 8. MC and host Beauty Bella brings her cast to the stage at 10:30 p.m.
Sinful Sister Sunday Social @ GrandPre's The Big Easy Sisters present Sinful Sister Sunday Social closing out Pride weekend at GrandPre's, 834 N. Rampart Street. Set for Sunday, June 11 from 4-7 p.m. its $10 All-You-Can-Drink Long Island Ice Tea.
Kajun's Pub brings Divas @ The Dive Pride Sunday, June 11 Vanessa Carr Kennedy presents Divas @ The Dive every Sunday at Kajun's Pub, 2256 St. Claude Avenue. It kicks off with Vanessa Carr live 5-6:30 p.m. It is followed by Drag Karaoke 6:308 p.m., ending with Audience Karaoke 8 p.m. until. Visit www.KajunsPub.com for more info.
"Love Wins" @ The Page Pride Weekend Partners Willie and Bobby Mackie celebrate "Love Wins" Pride 2017 at The Page, 542 N. Rampart Street. Join the weekend festivities at New Orleans premiere Soul and R&B Dance Club.
Corner Pocket Celebrates 35th Anniversary June 18 The Corner Pocket is gearing up for its 35th Anniversary Party & 10th Sugar Daddy of the Year Contest on Sunday, June 18. Food and refreshments will be served 8-10 p.m. Barry Bareass will host the contest at 10 p.m. Sponsor a boy, and you could win Sugar Daddy of the Year trophy! The Pocket is located at 940 St. Louis.
LGBT+ Archives Project to Hold Its Annual Meeting on June 8 The LGBT+ Archives Project of Louisiana will hold its annual membership meeting at the Marigny Opera House on Thursday, June 8, from 7 p.m.—9 p.m. Special guest speakers will include Bonnie Gabel and indee mitchell, Directors at Last Call: Queer Histories/Queer
Futures, and Mark Cave, Senior Curator and Oral Historian at the Historic New Orleans Collection. In addition to these keynote speakers, Officer and Board of Directors elections will also be held. Wine and refreshments will be served. This event is free and open to the public.
Miss Gay New Orleans America June 28 @ Oz Oz New Orleans and Persana Shoulders proudly presents: Miss Gay New Orleans America 2017 on Wednesday, June 28 at 800 Bourbon Street. Celebrating 21 years of excellence as the oldest preliminary pageant in the Miss Gay Louisiana America pageantry system, it celebrates the reigns of Miss Gay New Orleans America 2016 Arilyn Roberts, and Miss Gay Louisiana America Imani Nye Black. For more information on on MGNOA or to sign up please contact: persana@ozneworleans.com. Competition begins at 10 pm.
Libraries Celebrate June as Pride GLBT Month CHICAGO – The American Library Association (ALA) and hundreds of libraries will celebrate June 2017 as GLBT Book Month™, a nationwide celebration of the authors and writings that reflect the lives and experiences of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community. Every community has a GLBT population and GLBT families. Librarians, whether serving adults, teens, children, students, parents or others, work to make libraries welcoming and open to all. GLBT Book month™ promotes inclusion in libraries through celebrating books that portray the GLBT experience. Throughout GLBT Book Month™ libraries across the country will highlight their collections as part of monthlong activities culminating with activities at ALA Annual Conference in Chicago, including the presentation of the 2017 Stonewall Book Awards, the longest enduring GLBT Awards. The Stonewall Book Awards, along with the Rainbow Books and Over the Rainbow Books bibliographies, serve as invaluable tools for building quality GLBT Collections. To learn more, please visit www.ala.org/glbtbookmonth. GLBT Book Month™ is an initiative of the American Library Association and is coordinated through its Office for Diversity, Literacy, and Outreach Services and the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Round Table. Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion are fundamental values of the American Library Association, which is committed to the inclusion of diverse perspectives within our profession and association.
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spotlight feature 11th Baton Rouge Pride Slated June 17 The 2017 Baton Rouge Pride festival is set for 1 p.m. until 8 p.m. Saturday, June 17, at the Raising Cane’s River Center Arena in downtown Baton Rouge. In addition to a variety of great entertainment, Baton Rouge Pride also will have more than 70 resource fair participants and another giant marriage equality celebration. “Each year we try to offer a family friendly event that promises something for almost everyone who wants to celebrate,” said Tom Merrill, chairman of Baton Rouge Pride Inc. “This year, our 11th anniversary celebration should be even bigger and better than anything we’ve offered before.” The festival, which is the largest indoor family friendly GLBTQ pride celebration in the South (if not the world) kicks off with a free afternoon of fun from 1 p.m. until 8 p.m. on June 17. The celebration also will be preceded by the first Baton Rouge Pride March, organized by Capital City Alliance, which will begin with a rally at the Louisiana State Capitol building at 11:30 a.m. and a march to the River Center at 12:30 p.m. The Baton Rouge Pride festival entertainment lineup includes several new acts this year, as well as favorites from year’s past. Among them are the Austin Babtist Women, Krewe of Divas and friends, Michigan Avenue, Pate Salzeta and 9 Volt, Melomania, Violet Lotus Studios dancers, TomPlay and DJ Cameron Kelly. In addition, the event will include its traditional blessing of relationships, along with a giant marriage equality victory celebration. Officiants even will be on hand for any couples who come with a marriage license in hand and want to be married at pride. The celebration also will include a GLBTQ art show, featuring the work of more than a dozen artists, and a special outdoor play area for the kids will be offered. As another feature, organizers will recognize John Deshotel, a leader in both the Mystic Krewe of Apollo and Baton Rouge Pride for many years, as the honorary grand marshal for the 11th annual BR Pride celebration. Admission for Baton Rouge Pride is free to anyone who wants to celebrate thanks to sponsors like Red Stripe ($10,000) donor Cox Communications, as well as a host of other sponsors at various levels. Among them at the Orange Stripe ($2,500 or more) level are AHF, Capital City Alliance, Gilead, Lamar, Tom Merrill and Rick Cain, Metropolitan Community Church of Baton Rouge, Tyler & Possa and Visit Baton Rouge. But the sponsors don’t stop there – with another dozen at the Yellow Stripe ($1,000) level, including Allstate - Paul Scaffidi Insurance Agency, Aveda Institute, Dow, Dr. J. David West and Dr. Billy F. Dudley, George’s Place, Gerry Lane Enterprises, Greenoaks Memorial Park and Funeral Home, Hubert S Monkeys Photography, Lineage Law LLC, the Louisiana Public Health Institute, Service Radio / IBS and SPUNK. In total so far, more than 40 businesses and individuals have made major contributions to ensure Baton Rouge Pride is the best ever. “We always say you can bring everyone from your kids to your grandmother, and we mean that again this year. Everyone who attends should have a great time,” Merrill said. “So bring your friends, neighbors, co-workers and anyone else who would like celebrate with us. After all, what’s better than a free party accompanied by a giant community resource fair and so much more?” For more details, including complete details on the schedule, an advance look at the program and a full list of supporters of the event, visit www.BRPride.org. To volunteer to help with planning and setup or to find out ways your group or organization can become involved, visit that site or email BRPride@bellsouth.net. Complete Entertainment Lineup for Baton Rouge Pride on June 17, 2017: Prizes 12:30 p.m. DJ Cameron Kelly Grand Marshal Recognition 1:00 p.m. Welcome / Opening AnBlessing of Relationships nouncements Presentation of Cake 1:15 p.m. Melomania 4:30 p.m. Pate’ Salzeta and 9 Volt 2:00 p.m. Announcements / Door 5:15 p.m. Announcements / Door Prizes 2:10 p.m. Violet Lotus Studios Belly Prizes 5:30 p.m. Austin Babtist Women Dancers 6:30 p.m. Announcements/Door 2:25 p.m. Announcements / Door Prizes Prizes 6:45 p.m. 2:30 p.m. TomPlay 7:30 p.m. Krewe of Divas / Guest 3:15 p.m. Announcements / Door Performers Prizes 8:00 p.m. Thanks / Final Announce3:30 p.m. Krewe of Divas / Guest ments/Door Prizes Performers DJ Cameron Kelly 4:00 p.m. Announcements / Door
Michigan Avenue
Melomania
Baton Rouge Mayor Proclaims ‘Pride Day’ June 17 Baton Rouge/East Baton Rouge Parish Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome continued the tradition of proclaiming Baton Rouge Pride Day in the city-parish. The proclamation of June 17, 2017, as “Baton Rouge Pride Day” is a first for Mayor Broome, who is in her first few months in office, although Mayor-President Melvin “Kip” Holden had taken such actions for several years. Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards also issued such a proclamation last year in honor of the 10th anniversary edition of the Baton Rouge Pride Festival. Mayor Broome’s proclamation reads: “Whereas, Baton Rouge is a city composed of a great variety of diverse people, and whereas, Baton Rouge recognizes the inherent worth and dignity of every person, and whereas, the Baton Rouge Pride Festival is celebrating and promoting unity to the community, now, therefore, be it resolved, Sharon Weston Broome, Mayor-President of the City of Baton Rouge and the Parish of East Baton Rouge, does hereby recognize June 17, 2017, as Baton Rouge Pride Day.” This year’s Baton Rouge Pride Festival will be celebrated from 1 p.m. until 8 p.m. Saturday, June 17, at the Raising Cane’s River Center Arena in Baton Rouge. Visit www.BRPride.org or Facebook.com/ BRPride for more details.
TomPlay
Pate’ Salzeta
Austin Babtist Women
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out front Frank Marino—Diva of Divas! by Brian Sands Joan Rivers may be gone, but when Frank Marino comes on to emcee Divas, the Las Vegas revue he’s headlined for many years, you’d swear she had come back from the great beyond! Marino will be taking his cast of celebrity superstar female impersonators to the IP Casino-Resort-Spa in Biloxi for two shows on June 16 and 17. It promises to be a fabulous evening. I first saw Marino in Las Vegas in 2000 and he created such a fine illusion of Ms. Rivers that, fan of hers that I am, I couldn’t get enough of him. In fact, Marino has had a number of cosmetic operations to look more like Joan; because of this, she once sued him for personality plagiarism. They later reconciled, however, and even appeared on TV shows together. Marino is Las Vegas’ longest-running headliner. Growing up in Brooklyn, he always knew, even as a child, that he would become a star. Little could he have imagined back then, though, that he’d be wearing glittering gowns designed by Bob Mackie, famed for his work with Cher, Carol Burnett and Ms. Rivers herself. In Divas, he changes those gowns in between every number and each of them is more stunning and drop-dead gorgeous than the last. As an adult, Marino would head out West and, for over thirty years, he has nightly been summoning up the persona of Joan Rivers in Las Vegas drag shows, holding the record as the longest-active headliner on the Strip. He’s performed 25,000+ shows to audiences totaling over 10 million people. He’s also an accomplished author. His first book, His Majesty, the Queen, was a bestseller
Marino has received two Las Vegas Walk of Fame stars and even has a street named after him there. In 2005, Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman honored his hard work and commitment to the Las Vegas performance world by proclaiming February 1st to be “Frank Marino Day.” As multi-talented as Frank Marino is, however, Divas would not be the tremendously enjoyable success that it is were it not for all the other gifted performers who contribute their talents to it. When I saw the show in Las Vegas, there was a killer Bette Midler, an amazing Michael Jackson, and the Diana Ross was perfect. Comic versions of Madonna and Tammy Wynette displayed some twisted humor, a refreshing change from all the pretty girls. I’m not exactly sure who you can expect to see in Biloxi, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Liza Minnelli, Tina Turner, and Cher take to the stage. Among the younger set of divas, Lady Gaga, Beyoncé, and Britney Spears are all likely to put in appearances in this energetic show. Mississippi may not be the most progressive state in the nation but hats off to the IP Casino-Resort-Spa for bringing Frank Marino and the highly accomplished cast of Divas to Biloxi so that we here on the Gulf Coast can enjoy their outstanding brand of entertainment. For tickets, visit http:// www.ipbiloxi.com/whats-new/events/divas-starring-frank-marino.
off at 7:30 p.m. from the corner of North Rampart and Elysian Fields Avenue. Looking ahead - Sunday July 16 will be the Lords’ Annual Pool Party/ Luau. This will also be the location of the drawing of the Krewe’s $1,000.00 cash giveaway prize from this year’s raffle. For online advance tickets for both the $1K raffle ($10) and pool party ($15) please visit https:// w w w. t i c k e t l e a p . c o m / e v e n t s / ?q=Mystic+Krewe&page_size=10.
Pridelicious Pasta ThrowDOWN June 18; Champion Wins Trophy & Cash @ Double Play Grand Reveler III Rip Naquin, presents "A Pasta Contest" Sunday, June 18th 3 to 5 p.m. at The Double Play, 439 Dauphine St. in New Orleans. Entries must Include 2 ingredients: 1) pasta and 2) meat or seafood. Entry fee is $10 per entry/winner takes all! Winner also takes home championship trophy.
Lords’ “Who’s Your Daddy 2017?” Contest
and has been released in paperback as well. He made his film debut in Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous which starred Academy Award winner Sandra Bullock.
Come out to the Phoenix after the Pride Parade on Saturday, June 10 at 10 p.m. to see who will win this year’s Lords of Leather “Who’s Your Daddy?” contest. Sexy men of all shapes, sizes and ages are invited to compete for the 2017 sash and a Phoenix bar tab. A panel of judges will pick the winner and 1st runner-up based on humorous Qs & As, on (and off) stage challenges and response from the audience. Contest entry forms will be available from any Phoenix bartender or from Lords members during the day of the contest. There is no fee for entering. Be sure to stay after the contest as the Phoenix will have live entertainment in the form of hot and sexy dancers on the stage to make your Pride night complete! On Pride Friday June 9 the Lords will be hosting a Beer Bust from 9 p.m. until midnight. Just $10 gets you all the keg beer, soda and snacks you can swallow! Jello shots will be just one dollar. On Pride Saturday June 10 the Lords will also be holding a $10 Beer Bust from 2 p.m. until 7 p.m. on North Rampart Street just outside the Phoenix in conjunction with the New Orleans Pride Phoenix Block Party. This will precede the Pride Parade which steps
All entries must arrive by 2 p.m. in half size (11” x 9”) pan with name of dish. Contact Rip @ 504.522.8049 or ripna@ambushmag.com for more info. It is $10 to Taste/Judge benefiting LGBT+ Archives Project of Louisiana, the official charity of Mystik Krewe de la Rue Royal Revelers (www.GayMardiGras.com/rrr).
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celebrazzi
Wood Enterprises' Marketing Director Chris Ward, Big Easy Sisters' Onya Neeze, Tom Wood, Wood Enterptises' Office Manager Katherine Stretch,, Operations Manager Derek Waselenak, and Controller Gary Agee, and Big Easy Sisters' Glory Bea presented the 18th annual MASCARa Race Memorial Day Weekend raising $5,259 for the NOCCA Institute beginning at the Clover Grill. Since 2002, MASCARa has raised over $131,412!
PFLAG New Orleans 2017 Scholarship Recipients were awarded $50,000 to thirty-eight highly qualified students at it’s 27th annual Sandra Pailet Champagne Reception at UNO Alumni Center.
The Krewe of Amon-Ra hosted its annual Crawfish Boil at The Double Play in New Orleans benefiting its 53rd consecutive Mardi Gras Ball on Saturday, January 20, 2018 at Frederick J. Sigur Civic Center, in Chalmette, LA.
Café Lafitte in Exile contestant Bobby Blackwell swept the field winning Most Money Raised $1,448, Prettiest, and Miss Mascara 2017 for the 18th MASCARa Race Memorial Day in New Orleans.
Krewe of Satyricon President Todd Blauvelt joins newly crowed Queen of the Hookers Ball 2017 Will Antill, aka Wilma Do of Double Play fame, and Queen of the Hookers Ball 2001 Tittie Toulouse at Four Seasons in Metairie.
The 43rd Southern Decadence Grand Marshals Princesse Stephaney, Persana Shoulders and Coca J Mesa are joined on stage at Oz New Orleans by former SDGMs following the SDGM Announcement Extravaganza. The event raised $780 at the door plus $226 in stage performance tips for a grand total of $1,006 for Southern Decadence 2017! Visit www.SouthernDecadence.com for more info.
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Wood Enterprises' 18th annual MASCARa Race Memorial Day Weekend raises $5,259 for the NOCCA Institute (photos by Bootsie DeVille, Chris Ward, Jeremy Weinberg)
snap paparazzi
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mobile paparazzi Miss Cie & Lynn Maggio, MIss Cie with Mr Michael Benedetti, Courtney Act with Miss Cie, Miss Cie & Jordan, Happy Birthday Miss Venus, Regine Phillips @ B-Bob's, Gavin & Company, Brian & Courtney Act, Courney Act with Jerry Ehlen @ B-Bob's, Gavin & Company, Alotta Woods @ B-Bob's, Graham & Company, Jeremy & Company, Rivers Family, Champagne Munroe (photos by Miss Cie)
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The Page
Satyricon's Hooker's Ball @ Four Seasons in Metairie
(photos by Todd Blauvelt, Bootsie DeVille, Willie Mackie, Jeremy Weinberg) Krewe of Amon-Ra Crawfish Bpil @ The Double Play
The Double Play
snap paparazzi
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TROPICAL ISLE: Home of the Hand Grenade, 721 Bourbon St., 529.4109, TropicalIsle.COM VALIANT THEATRE AND LOUNGE, 6621 St. Claude Ave., Arabi, LA, 504.900.1743 Slidell, LA [985] BILLY'S, 2600 Hwy. 190 West, 847.1921 Biloxi, MS [228] CLUB VEAUX, 834 Howard Ave., 207.3271
bookstores New Orleans, LA [504] FAB - Faubourg Marigny Art & Books, 600 Frenchmen St., 947.3700
circuit/events
classifieds
Aug. 30-Sept. 4, 2017, 46th Official Southern Decadence Celebration of Gay Life, Music & Culture, end of Summer Blowout including the Southern Decadence Parade & loads of activities, bringing over 180,000 revelers to New Orleans, LA, sponsored by Ambush & SouthernDecadence.com Oct. 20-22, 2017 Halloween 34, benefiting Project Lazarus, New Orleans, LA, sponsored by AmbushMag.COM, HalloweenNewOrleans.com Dec. 29, 2017-Jan. 1, 2018 Gay New Year's in New Orleans, New Orleans, LA, GayNewOrleans.com Feb. 9-13, 2018, 69th Official Gay Mardi Gras, New Orleans, LA, sponsored by Ambush, GayMardiGras.com Easter Sunday, April 11, 2018, 19th Official Gay Easter Parade, New Orleans, sponsored by Ambush, GayEasterParade.com
costumes New Orleans, LA [504] QT PIE BOUTIQUE - 241 Dauphine St., 581. 6633
galleries New Orleans, LA [504] CASSELL-BERGEN GALLERY, 1305 Decatur St., cassellbergengallery.com, 504.524.0671
guides AMBUSH Mag, 828-A Bourbon St., New Orleans, LA 70116-3137; 504.522.8049, AmbushMag.COM; marsha@ripandmarsha.com
groceries/delis New Orleans, LA [504] QUARTERMASTER DELI, THE NELLIE DELI, 1100 Bourbon, 529.1416
bars Mobile, AL [251] B-Bob's Downtown, 213 Conti St., 433.2262, B-Bobs.COM Flip Side Bar & Patio, 54 S. Conception St., 431.8819, FlipSideBarPatio.COM GABRIEL'S DOWNTOWN, 55 South Joachim St., 432.4900 THE MIDTOWN PUB, 153 Florida St., 450.1555 Pensacola, FL [850] THE ROUNDUP, 560 East Heinberg St., 433.8482 Baton Rouge, LA [225] GEORGE'S, 860 St. Louis, 387.9798, SPLASH, 2183 Highland Rd., 242.9491, SplashBR.COM Lake Charles, LA [337] CRYSTAL'S, 112 W. Broad, 433.5457 Metairie, LA [504] FOUR SEASONS & PATIO STAGE BAR, 3229 N. Causeway, 832.0659, FourSeasonsBar.com New Orleans, LA [504] 700 CLUB, 700 Burgundy, 561.1095, BIG DADDY'S, 2513 Royal, 948.6288 BIG EASY DAIQUIRIS, 216 Bourbon, 501 Bourbon, 409 Decatur, 617 Decatur
THE BLACK PENNY, 700 N. Rampart BOURBON PUB & PARADE, 801 Bourbon St., 529.2107, BourbonPub.COM CAFÉ LAFITTE IN EXILE, 901 Bourbon Street 522.8397, Lafittes.COM CORNER POCKET, 940 St. Louis, 568.9829, CornerPocket.NET COUNTRY CLUB, 634 Louisa St., TheCountryClubNewOrleans.COM, 945.0742 CUTTER'S, 706 Franklin, 948.4200 THE DOUBLE PLAY, 439 Dauphine, 523.4517 THE FRIENDLY BAR, 2301 Chartres, 943.8929 GOLDEN LANTERN, 1239 Royal, 529.2860, Facebook.COM/GoldenLanternBar GOOD FRIENDS BAR, 740 Dauphine St, 566.7191, GoodFriendsBar.COM GRANDPRE'S, 834 N. Rampart St., 267.3615, Facebook.com/grandpres KAJUN'S PUB, 2256 St. Claude Ave., 947.3735, KajunPub.COM MAG'S 940, 940 Elysian Fields Ave., 948.1888 OZ NEW ORLEANS, 800 Bourbon, 593.9491, OzNewOrleans. COM THE PAGE, 542 N. Rampart St., 875.4976 PHOENIX/EAGLE, 941 Elysian Fields, 945.9264, www.phoenixbarnola.com RAWHIDE 2010, 740 Burgundy St., 525.8106, Rawhide2010.COM
hair salons New Orleans, LA [504] Two Guys Cutting Hair, 2372 St. Claude Ave., Suite 125, appointments: Adikus 215.519.5030, Trent 504.239.2397
hardware New Orleans, LA [504] MARY'S FRENCH QUARTER HARDWARE, 732 N. Rampart, 529.4465
accommodations New Orleans [504] AARON INGRAM HAUS, 1012 Elysian Fields, New Orleans, LA 70117, PHONE: 504.949.3110, www.ingramhaus.com/xqey, e-mail us at ingramhaus@yahoo.com. Condos with queen-size beds, private entrances; located only six blocks from Bourbon Street and walking distance to most New Orleans attractions. Several favorite bars are within one block. [0118] BLUES60 GUEST HOUSE, 1008 Elysian Fields Ave. New Orleans, LA 70117, Phone: 1.504.324.4311, www.blues60guesthouse.com, info@blues60guesthouse.com. The Blue60 Guest House with 5 suites provides a peaceful retreat in the center of the Faubourg Marigny, just blocks
from the French Quarter and Frenchman St. [1115] BURGUNDY BED AND BREAKFAST, 2513 Burgundy St., New Orleans, LA 70117, PHONE/FAX: 504.942.1463, Toll Free (Continental US only): 1.800.970.2153, www.theburgundy.com, E-mail us at theburgundy@cox.net. Gay owned and operated in newly renovated 1890's double. Four guest rooms with private baths, guests' parlor and "halfkitchen", courtyard and half-open tubhouse with spa (hot tub/whirlpool). Clothing optional in sunbathing and hot tub area. Walking distance to French Quarter. Immediate vicinity of gay and lesbian bars/venues. [0815] THE FRENCH QUARTER GUEST HOUSES, 1005 St. Peter, New Orleans, LA 70116, Phone: 1.800.367.5858, FrenchQuarterGuestHouses.com, email: Info@frenchquarterguesthouses.com. Four meticulously restored boutique inns located in the heart of the French Quarter's most popular LGBT neighborhood. Each building's individual character and charm provides an unforgettable authentic French Quarter experience!
media New Orleans, LA [504] AMBUSH Mag, Official Gay Easter Parade Guide, Official Gay Mardi Gras Guide, Official Gay New Orleans Guide, Official Gulf South Guide, Official Pride Guide, Official Southern Decadence Guide, 828-A Bourbon St., 70116-3137, 522.8049, AmbushMag.COM; email: ripna@ambushmag.com AMBUSHonLINE, 828-A Bourbon St., 70116-3137; 522.8049, ambushonline.com, email: ripna@ambushmag.com
organizations FOOD FOR FRIENDS, 504.821.2601 ext. 254 FRIDAY NIGHT BEFORE MARDI GRAS (FNBMG), 504.319.8261, www.fridaynightbeforemardigras.com GAY APPRECIATION AWARDS, 828-A Bourbon St., 70116-3137; 522.8049; AmbushMag.COM/GAA GAY EASTER PARADE, 828-A Bourbon St., 70116-3137, 504.522.8049, info@gayeasterparade.com, GayEasterParade.COM GAY MARDI GRAS, 828-A Bourbon St., 70116-3137, 504.522.8049, GayMardiGras.COM GAY NEW ORLEANS, 828-A Bourbon St., 70116-3137, 504.522.8049, GayNewOrleans.COM HAART (HIV/AIDS Alliance Region Two, Inc.), 4550 North Blvd. Ste. 250, Baton Rouge, LA 70806, 225.927.1269, www.haartinc.org, offers a complete continuum of care to people living with HIV/AIDS including housing, primary care, medications, case management, and an array of supportive services. In addition HAART provides HIV prevention education and FREE testing to the Baton Rouge area. HALLOWEEN IN NEW ORLEANS, INC., PO Box 52171, 70152-2171; halloween neworleans.com/ambush KREWE OF AMON-RA, PO Box 7033, Metairie, LA 70010, KreweOfAmonRa.COM KREWE OF ARMEINIUS, PO Box 56638, New Orleans, LA 70156-6638, kreweofarmeinius.org KREWE OF MWINDO, PO Box 51031, 70156; 913.5791, KreweOfMwindo.ORG, krewe@kreweofmwindo.org KREWE OF NARCISSUS, PO Box 3832, New Orleans, LA 70177. Contact: 504.228.9441 KREWE OF PETRONIUS, PO Box 1102, Kenner, LA. 70063-1102, www.kreweofpetroius.net KREWE OF QUEENATEENAS / KING CAKE QUEEN ROYALTY CLUB, 828-A Bourbon St., 70116-3137, 522.8049, GayMardiGras.COM/KCQ LGBT+ Archives Project of Louisiana, 1308 Esplanade Ave., New Orleans, LA 70116, 504.475.7911, www.lgbtarchivesla.org LORDS OF LEATHER, 1631 Elysian Fields, #161, 70117, www.lordsofleather.org
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MARY'S FRENCH QUARTER KITCHEN & BATH, 732 N. Rampart, 529.4465 QT PIE BOUTIQUE - 241 Dauphine St., 581. 6633 XXXSHOP, 1835 N. Rampart St., 504.232.3063
services New Orleans, LA [504] Formal Connection, 299 Belle Terre Blvd. LaPlace, LA, 985.652.1195
MYSTIC KREWE OF SATYRICON, 2443 Halsey Ave., New Orleans, LA 70114, 504.906.7990 Todd J. Blauvelt / Secretary, krewe.of.satyricon@gmail.com, MysticKreweOfSatyricon.COM NO/AIDS TASK FORCE, 2601 Tulane Ave., Suite 500, 70119; 504.821.2601; NOAIDSTaskForce.COM PRIDE, NOLAPride.ORG RENEGADE BEARS OF LOUISIANA, PO Box 3083, New Orleans, LA 70177; renegadebearsoflouisiana@gmail.com SOUTHERN DECADENCE, 828-A Bourbon St., 70116-3137, 504.522.8049, SouthernDecadence.COM ST. ANNA'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH, 1313 Esplanade Avenue New Orleans, LA 70116 947.2121, stannanola.org
pharmacy Mumfrey's Pharmacy, 1021 W. Judge Perez Dr., Chalmette, LA 70043, 504.279.6312, www.MumfreysPharmacy.COM. Supporting & serving the LGBT Community for over 20 years. Local pharmacy offering personalized family-like service, automatic refills & free metro wide confidential pickup & delivery. Also offering shipping for out-side our delivery area. When you call us you speak to a person, not a machine. See our ad.
819 Rue Conti, 581.3866, http://broussards.com Cafe Sbisa, 1011 Decatur St., 522.5565, www.cafesbisanola.com Cheezy Cajun, 3325 St. Claude Ave., 265.0045, www.TheCheezyCajun.com Clover Grill, 900 Bourbon St., 598.1010, www.CloverGrill.com Country Club Restaurant, 634 Louisa St., www.TheCountryClubNewOrleans.com, 945.0742 Gene's Po-Boys & Daquiris, 1040 Elysian Fields Ave., 943.3861,
theatres New Orleans, LA [504] CAFE ISTANBUL, 2372 St. Claude Ave., #140, 504.974.0786, CafeIstanbulNOLA.COM
tours New Orleans, LA [504] Gay New Orleans Walking Tour, Crescent City Tour Booking Agency, (LGBT Business of the Year) 638 St. Ann St., 568.0717. follow Gay New Orleans Walking Tour @ Facebook.COM
REAL ESTATE
www.genespoboys.com Ilys Bistro, 1040 Elysian Fields Ave., 947.8341, www.Facebook.com/ILYSBistro Kingfish Kitchen & Cocktails, 337 Chartres St. 598.5005, www.KinfishNewOrleans.com Mona Lisa Restaurant, 1212 Royal St., 522.6746 Orleans Grapevine Wine Bar & Bistro, 720 Orleans, 523.1930, www.OrleansGrapevine.com Quartermaster: The Nellie Deli, 1100 Bourbon St. , 529.1416, www.QuartermasterDeli.net
Royal House Oyster Bar, 441 Royal St., 528.2601, www.RoyalHouseRestaurant.com
photography
real estate
New Orleans, LA [504] GRAHAM/STUDIO ONE NEW ORLEANS, by appointment, grahamstudioone.com
restaurants
New Orleans, LA [504] Latter & Blum, Steven Richards Realtor, 504.258.1800, SteveRichardsProperties.com New Orleans Relocation, Realtors — gayowned boutique real estate agency for locals and newcomers. 504.273.0088 www.NOLArelo.com
Metairie, LA [504] Chef Ron's Gumbo Stop & Pub, 2309 N. Causeway Blvd., 835.2022, GumboStop.com New Orleans, LA [504] The Bombay Club, 830 Rue Conti, 577.2237, www.bombayclubneworleans.com Broussard’s Restaurant & Courtyard,
New Orleans, LA [504] BOURBON PRIDE, 909 Bourbon, 566.1570 COK (Clothing or Kinkl), 941 Elysian Fields, 945.9264
retail/shopping
1224 Piety Street, NOLA $189,000 Just renovated Bywater historic home on a deep lot. Features include real hardwood floors, new stainless appliances, tall ceilings & new HVAC. Call/Text Mark @ 504.655.2233.
4th of July DEADLINE:
Tues., June 13th 504.522.8049
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moments in gay new orleans history by Professor Frank Perez E-mail: f.perez@sbcglobal.net Photo by: Larry Graham, GrahamStudioOne.COM
“Artist Paul Rizzo” Paul Rizzo is obsessed with the 1970s. He jokes that he moved to New Orleans from Provincetown because he couldn’t live in New York in the ‘70s. Art is a form of time travel for Rizzo, who considers himself a process painter who specializes in abstraction, self-portraits, sketch books, and collage. He is particularly interested in the role of sexuality in art and often draws inspiration from vintage magazines and old movies. He has an extensive collection of porn magazines from the 1970s and 1980s from which he often draws inspiration to create hypothetical magazine covers. This connection with and longing for the past is evident in Rizzo’s Artist’s Statement: nostalgia is involved and I can’t remember a thing whereas my conscious mind is usually oblivious my unconscious is somehow totally aware obsessed with documentation I fill sketchbooks attack my paintings in self-defense and recreate dated gay porn as if it were reliable time travel the whole process being purely reactionary I am far more in touch with my heart than my head Rizzo has a B.A. in Fine Arts from the Massachusetts College of Art and Design and also studied at the Pont Aven School of Contemporary Art in Brittany, France. He has had solo shows in Boston, Provincetown, and New Orleans. From 2012—2016, his work was featured at the prestigious Patty DeLuca Gallery in Provincetown, MA. His work has also been exhibited at the Kate Werble gallery in New York. In New Orleans, Rizzo’s work has been shown at the Hyph3n gallery, the Community Print Shop, and the Ogden Museum of Southern Art. Rizzo arrived in New Orleans two years ago and will soon be moving back home to Massachusetts. Reflecting on his time in New Orleans as both an artist and a bartender at Rawhide, Rizzo observes: “I’m so glad I moved here. I moved here to make art and to try living somewhere else. Since living here I’ve been to short mountain in Tennessee for Beltane twice, I got bartender of the month, won first place in a wet ass contest . I’ve shown at the printshop, hyph3n gallery, the Ogden
a community within communities by The Very Rev. Bill Terry, Rector St. Anna’s Episcopal Church, New Orleans Email: fr.bill@stannanola.org
A New Mission and Ministry There was this kid, a nice kid, and a culturally Italian background. He has a fascinating story as so many of us do. He is a “Marshall Plan baby”, that is he was adopted via agencies in the U.S. after WWII; not quite an orphan but close enough. He was raised both in Chicago and Baton Rouge.
museum, and I had my work in a show in Manhattan curated by my mentor Laurel Sparks. I’ve also found family and friends at my job at Rawhide as well as in the city in general. I’ll miss New Orleans I love it here but I’m homesick for Provincetown. I’m grateful for my time here in New Orleans and I’ll definitely be back to visit.”
Like so many in the 1970’s he dated a girl or two. A bit later he dated a girl or two and would dump them on a date and go to the local ‘gay bar or disco.’ Yep he got caught once and a relative was around and so he was outed. His father’s response was to smack him around a bit and to call him horrible names while his Mom cried (not because he was gay necessarily but because of the violence going on). His father was always hard on him. Yet, when his father was dying he was there for his father’s passing and held his hand and he prayed. That is the kind of guy this person is. He was surrounded by family members and some were in the uh traditional Calabria business. If you know what I mean your good if not read recent BBC articles about Calabria. Anyway, many of his family knew he was gay and like so many in long ago time pretended he wasn’t. Whenever his father smacked him around the community that surrounded him, relatives and friends, would do all that they could to protect him. Even to this day a neighbor who would take him for days on end think of him as the son they never had. But you see in those days it was “don’t ask, don’t tell” for so many things including child abuse. Of course our hero left the house. He wandered a bit and that wandering was in the streets. He was for all intents and purposes homeless. Being a scrappy kid raised in part on the south side of Chicago he returned to Chicago to try and make it. Over the years he experienced what so many did from that generation: almost all of his close friends and lovers from those early days after coming out
are dead due to AIDS (many forget about those tragic years); he bounced around the Disco scene; he experimented with his real persona. He began to discover who he really is/was. Yet, hidden away was always his sense that he wasn’t good enough. Yes, his religion and a few of his old family members encouraged that sense of being not quite what he should be. “Bambino, when are you going to stop having those men roommates and settle down and marry a girl?” Or, “I cannot allow you to receive communion so long as you are living in a life of sin.” Yet, as the psalmist said (Psalm 107): Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their storythose he redeemed from the hand of the foe, those he gathered from the lands, from east and west, from north and south. Some wandered in the desert wastelands, finding no way to a city where they could settle. And so “Bambino” was redeemed. A lady next door in Chicago, one of those who gave him refuge as a child taught him to pray and to love first the blessed virgin then Jesus and yes, they were good Polish Catholics, reciting the rosary with no condescending priest above them they prayed together that old lady and the young child. Something was instilled in the Bambino at that time. So, when he came out he [continued on 30]
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trodding the boards by Brian Sands
Email: bsnola2@hotmail.com
New in New York Sure, you want to see Bette Midler in Hello, Dolly! We all do, but if you don’t have your tickets already or don’t want to pay a week’s salary (or more) to see the Divine Miss M there are lots of other options. In fact, not everything on Broadway is pure froth. The following plays will stimulate your mind, while I’ll be writing about a fourth in a future column that will mercilessly tickle your funny bone. Oslo (Vivian Beaumont Theater) tells the backstory of the Oslo Peace Accords, the first-ever peace deal between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization. J.T. Rogers came to write it after meeting Terje Rød-Larsen, a Norwegian diplomat, who, with his wife Mona Juul, an official in the Norwegian Foreign Ministry, were the catalysts who set the Accords in motion. Sounds dry, eh? Not at all. In Bartlett Sher’s phenomenal production, three hours whiz by and, even though you know how things will end, in the manner of such similar “Based on a true story” works as the movies Argo and Sully, Rogers still manages to make the conclusion a real nail-biter. As the occasionally pompous yet always decent Rød-Larsen and the wise, calming Juul proceed, they initiate the process first by introducing two Israeli academics to two PLO officials, since it was illegal for Israeli government agents to speak unofficially to their sworn enemy. By Act Two, the stakes have been ramped up, Israeli governmental ministers have become involved, and the political maneuvering is breathtaking. As the Playwright’s Note says “the events of the play all happened” but details have been fictionalized (I wonder how true a marvelous bit involving culinary diplomacy is) and all the words the characters say come from Rogers’ pen. By doing so, Rogers has transformed life into powerful art that is dense with ideas and facts yet never confusing. Gripping from the start, Rogers’ dialog defines the people on stage with precise individuality. Profound for the issues it brings up, Oslo effortlessly switches from the comic to the highly dramatic. That Rogers’ script is witty and dishy (“What [Arafat] says makes no sense but he says it with panache.”), while still being fair to both sides, injects vital humor into what could have been a mere history lesson. That he layers it with a bounteous humanity causes Oslo to be surprisingly affecting as well. Under Donald Holder’s sublime lighting, Jefferson Mays brilliantly conveys both Rød-Larsen’s tetchiness when excluded from the negotiations and his aboveboard manner that endeared him to both the Palestinians and the Israelis. The superb Jennifer Ehle plays Juul with quiet subtlety yet displays forceful backbone when necessary. The rest of the cast are all magnificent with Michael Aronov as the showboating Israeli negotiator especially memorable.
True events also inspired both Sweat and Indecent; if neither pack quite the wallop of Oslo, both are still worthy dramas. In Indecent (Cort Theatre), Paula Vogel dramatizes the history of God of Vengeance, Sholem Asch’s 1907 Yiddish play that, when it debuted on Broadway in 1923, featured the first romantic kiss between two women there. Although it had had a successful prior run in Greenwich Village, with the greater attention it received uptown, various forces combined to have the production shut down and the cast arrested on obscenity charges. God of Vengeance details a Jewish brothel owner’s attempts to become respectable by commissioning a Torah scroll and marrying off his daughter to a yeshiva student; the daughter has begun a relationship with one of her father’s prostitutes hence the kiss. I wish Vogel had concentrated just on the New York production of the play which provides plenty of fascinating drama itself (the kiss scene was rewritten distorting the play’s original message and infuriating certain cast members; the conviction was successfully appealed; two of the actresses are involved with each other— a storyline I presume Vogel invented but which still works well—but one must leave the production before Broadway because her English isn’t good enough). Instead, the show’s first third, about God of Vengeance’s creation and early success in Europe, is told more dutifully than compellingly. But if parts of Indecent feel a bit didactic and Vogel inserts some easy jokes involving immigrants’ accents, the drama forcefully draws parallels to intolerance, religious and otherwise, in our own time while acutely examining what it means to sell out. And in rendering the rain-drenched “kiss” scene from different perspectives, Vogel makes its final iteration heartrending. Indecent is directed with flair and vast imagination by Rebecca Taichman who co-created the work with Vogel. The opening moments, as the cast members stand and ashes pour out of their coat sleeves, are just the first of many visually stunning images, all aided by Christopher Akerlind’s exquisite lighting. The entire cast (Katrina Lenk, Mimi Lieber, Max Gordon Moore, Tom Nelis, Steven Rattazzi, Richard Topol, Adina Verson) does wonderful work, most in multiple roles. They are listed in the program as “Actors” in a “Troupe”, however, rather than the individual characters they play. This seems to diminish all the people who contributed to (or even thwarted) God of Vengeance’s success. For in rescuing Asch’s play from obscurity, Vogel & Co. should not bestow such a fate on those who were part of it, real or imagined. The characters in Sweat (Studio 54) all spring from playwright Lynn Nottage’s imagination. But they were inspired by
research she did in Reading, Pennsylvania, which according to the 2010 census, had the highest share of citizens living in poverty in the nation. Most of Sweat takes place 10 years earlier before jobs moved to Mexico. Cynthia and Tracey have worked together for years on the line at the local steel tubing factory. They celebrate birthdays and hang out, along with their friend and colleague the often-soused Jessie, at the neighborhood bar. Their sons are friends. That Cynthia’s black and Tracey is white doesn’t seem to make much difference. Until a job in management opens up and both apply and one gets it and the other doesn’t. And when layoffs become the reality and a strike occurs, the sh*t really hits the tubing. With beautifully written dialog, Nottage makes the growing worries over jobs and money visceral (“A meal at Olive Garden and a movie will set you back two weeks pay.”). We see how different characters have differing levels of aspiration (“Management is for them, not us.”). Stunted dreams compete with a pervasive desperation (“One day life is good. The next you’re treading water.”). Sweat’s two acts are bookended by scenes that take place in 2008 and show the aftereffects of what occurred eight years ago. By then, it’s heartbreaking to see what’s happened to some of the characters but Nottage does end her play on a hopeful note. Unlike Indecent which gets more emotionally involving as it goes along, this Pulitzer Prize-winning play holds your attention from start to finish with its incisive portrait of the working class. But a somewhat schematic quality permeates it as though Nottage was checking off all the particulars her research uncovered. It’s a well-made and well-intentioned play that’s consistently interesting, but too rarely surprising or deeply moving. Director Kate Whoriskey smoothly choreographs her cast while being keenly attuned to the rhythms of the play. Like Oslo and Indecent, all the actors are topnotch. Standouts include Johanna Day as the tough Tracey who, when she says “I’m not prejudiced,” makes it clear that in some deep down way she is; Michelle Wilson as the decent Cynthia whose ascent, even as an unwitting pawn of management, we root for; Kris Davis as Cynthia’s son whose survivalist turn to religion is wrenchingly sad; and John Earl Jelks making Cynthia’s estranged husband a terrifying portrait of an addict. Three plays. Three very different topics. But all deserving of a viewing.
Curtains Up Southern Rep concludes its season with the regional premiere of Father Comes Home from the Wars (Parts 1, 2 & 3) by Suzan-Lori Parks at Loyola’s Marquette Theatre. In this American Odyssey, “Hero” is promised his freedom from slavery in exchange for his service in the Civil War— on the Confederate side. He leaves behind his community, his father, and the woman he loves for what may be an empty promise; what he finds on the front lines might make it impossible for him to return home the same man. Valerie Curtis-Newton directs Sam Malone, Robert DoQui, Idella Johnson, John Ray Proctor, Martin Bradford, Lakesha Glover, Harold X. Evans, Zeb Hollins, Todd
d’Amour and Greg Baber. Father runs through June 25. Cripple Creek and New Orleans Shakespeare Festival at Tulane join forces to present The Taming of the Shrew, a socalled comedy about power and the intimate makings of a servant as Petruchio sets out to “tame” the unbridled Katherina. This version promises a suitably 2017 approach that offers dignity for all and a feminine comeback. Emilie Whelan directs Khiry Armstead, Marie Becnel, Chris Lane, Donald Lewis, Jessica Lozano, Devyn Tyler, Andrew Vaught, Cameron-Mitchell Ware and Philip Yiannopoulos. Shrew runs through June 18 in the Lupin Theater on the Tulane uptown campus. It will be followed by the Bard’s autumnal comedy The Tempest which NOSF@T will be presenting solo July 7-23. Another co-production opens June 9 when The NOLA Project and Le Petit Théâtre du Vieux Carré team up for Terrence McNally’s outrageous backstage farce It’s Only a Play. It’s the opening night of The Golden Egg on Broadway and the wealthy producer Julia Budder is throwing a posh party in her lavish Manhattan townhouse. Downstairs the celebrities are pouring in, but the real action is upstairs in the bedroom where a group of insiders have staked themselves out to await the reviews. Will it be the massive flop to end their careers or the greatest new American play this century? Only The New York Times will tell. NOLA Project Artistic Director A.J. Allegra directs a cast including Ricky Graham, Sean Patterson, Leslie Castay, Cecile Monteyne, James Bartelle, Keith Claverie, and Alex Ates. It’s Only a Play runs June 9-25 at Le Petit Theatre in the French Quarter.
communities ...from 28 would silently sit in the back of the church, loving the liturgy, not listening to the condescending priests. In time even his going to church stopped, “Why bother they say I am disordered. I don’t think so. F_ _ _K ‘em!” So it went with organized religion for the Bambino. Yet, in time he found a home where the liturgy was rich, the acceptance without restraint or qualification and he began to thrive. Today, he remembers those days of wandering in the desert wastelands finding no way to a city where he could settle. Today he sees young men, mostly, maybe young women as well. They too have been kicked out of the house, shunned, ostracized, and deeply deeply hurt. They too are trying to figure “it” out. There are little resources for gay kids to turn to that are runaways. If fact if you admit that you are gay most shelters especially youth shelters won’t take you in. There is a project to consider building a “gay” runaway center at some point. But the need is present and imminent to afford something for those runaways. So many are living on the streets so many commit suicide so many are turning tricks to simply eat and survive. [continued on 32]
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under the gaydar by Tony Leggio Email: ledgemgp@gmail.com Photo by: Larry Graham
Hot Happenings Memorial Day has passed and the official start of the New Orleans summer party season has commenced. Next up is Pride, 4th of July, Essence, tales of the Cocktail and finally ending with Southern Decadence. But there are many other festivals, fundraisers, parties and hot happenings to keep your attention. Here are just some ideas. Tuesday, June 6 – Sunday, June 11, 2017 Get your Abba freak on at the Saenger Theatre (1111 Canal Street). Over 54 million people all around the world have fallen in love with the characters, the story and the music that make MAMMA MIA! the ultimate feel-good show! Writer Catherine Johnson’s sunny, funny tale unfolds on a Greek island paradise. On the eve of her wedding, a daughter’s quest to discover the identity of her father brings three men from her mother’s past back to the island they last visited 20 years ago. The storytelling magic of ABBA’s timeless songs propels this enchanting tale of love, laughter and friendship, and every night everyone’s having the time of their lives! For tickets, go online at www.BroadwayInNewOrleans.com or by calling 800.218.7469, Monday through Friday between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.
community ...from 30 So, in the meantime there is a representative of St. Anna’s who is trying to start a grass roots effort to bring resources to runaway gay kids- I will call him Bambino. Those resources will be modest compared to the need but at least something will start that says, as our community within communities, “you matter.” It may start with simply collecting toiletries, shaving kits, and maybe a gift card or two which can be easily and effectively given to runaways. Yes, some will take them that really shouldn’t but mostly those that need them will get them. The distribution points will be where these kids “work.” So, if you hear of a collection for toiletries pitch in. We, many of us, share this experience of wandering and being an outcast. It is the redeemed, the suffering servant, that serves best. A collaboration between St. Anna’s and several local bars and social clubs is now underway. More information will be available but we are always up for good ideas. We want modest doable ideas. Things that can be put into place quickly. Like did you know that several days a week St. Anna’s offers HIV/AIDS testing on a confidential basis? We plan to make that available near where the kids work, maybe in a room at a bar. We plan to make resources that are already in place known to these gay kids that are on the edge of suicide. We
CST. Wednesday, June 7, 2017 The cast and crew of Mama Mia, the smash hit musical based on the songs of ABBA, who are in town for a week performing at the Saenger Theatre will take over the stage at Cafe Negril (606 Frenchman Street) on Frenchmen Street to entertain in a CABARET FOR A CAUSE. Mama Mia cast member Andrew Tebo will be the MC for the cabaret style event. There will be music, audience participation and a live auction where audience members can bid on gifts, local art, tours and Mama Mia tickets and one of a kind items. All proceeds from ticket and auction sales will benefit New Orleans Pride. For tickets, go to www.neworleanspridefestival.com. The event starts at 11 p.m. Wednesday, June 7, 2017 NOAGE - New Orleans Advocates for GLBT Elders is hosting another movie night at the Broad Theatre (636 N. Broad Street). The movie they are screening is Maurice. Maurice is a Merchant/Ivory film based on E.M. Forster’s posthumous 1971 novel by the same name, “Maurice.” It follows the story of two Cambridge students, Maurice (James Wilby) and Clive (Hugh Grant), who fall in love in Edwardian
plan to make mental health workers available immediately to them; also, health screenings available which are currently available but underutilized. All of this and more by simply giving a kid who is “working” a gift bag with some toiletries in them and perhaps some life changing information. In addition our St. Anna’s contact plans to be present to these kids as a friendly person to lean on and to eventually trust in a world that has thus far shown no reason to trust. It is how we show our love this is how we walk the walk. We are so grateful to have so many walk this path with us. We are proud of our community of “The Community” that is so willing and has already expressed such a desire to support this street ministry. One of the first to step up to the plate to offer her support and input is one of this year’s Southern Decadence Grand Marshal’s Princesse Stephaney and yes I know that the other Marshal’s will be equally engaged. This is something that we can, should, must and will do as a Community within Communities. God bless us one and all and we shall march with PRIDE. I will let you now speculate as to whom “Bambino” is and I am not talking about Babe Ruth. He’ll become known to you as he becomes a servant of the community bound to do good, pray, and hold everyone in his heart. He will be healed he will march with PRIDE.
England, when same-sex relationships were taboo and punishable by law. Join us for the New Orleans premiere of the 4K high definition restoration, which was recently commissioned in celebration of this classic, landmark film’s 30th anniversary. For more information on attending this free screening, go to www.noagenola.org. The event starts at 7 p.m. Thursday, June 8, 2017 LGBT+ Archives Project of Louisiana’s 2017 Annual Membership Meeting will be held at the Marigny Opera House (725 St. Ferdinand St.) from 7 – 9 p.m. All are welcome! Join them, and learn how the LGBT+ Archives Project is working to get our history out of the closet! Special guest speakers will include Bonnie Gabel and indee mitchell, Directors at Last Call: Queer Histories/Queer Futures, and Mark Cave, Senior Curator and Oral Historian at the Historic New Orleans Collection. Wine and refreshments will be served. Friday, June 9 – Sunday, June 11, 2017 Now, more than ever, it is time to stand up and have your voice heard in the community! New Orleans Pride Weekend will host more than 20 parties and events geared towards all ages and walks of life. For more information on Pride and the events, go to www.NewOrleansPrideFestival.com. Saturday, June 10, 2017 RISQUE’: The Sultry Side of Drag will make its much anticipated debut at the Allways Lounge (2240 St. Claude Ave) from 10 p.m. – midnight. RISQUE’ promises not to be your “average” drag show;
Free Health Outreach Clinic from Anna's Place NOLA Anna’s Place NOLA is a mission of St. Anna’s Episcopal Church with the mission “to promote healing and wholeness of body, mind and spirit in the surrounding community and Greater New Orleans area by offering academic, cultural, and arts enrichment; holistic health care; and healthy lifestyle education.” To live into our mission, we offer FREE health screenings and health care twice a week. No appointment needed. Donations graciously accepted. Both Days - blood pressure screening, diabetes, screening, health education, referrals to local clinics Mondays (call for times) - medical services similar to a walk-in clinic, simple physicals Wednesdays (3:30 pm-7 pm) - HIV testing, Hepatitis C testing, Medicaid application assistance Diana Meyers, Director of Mission, says “Whether it’s to check your blood pressure or because you have a sinus infection, it can be difficult to get to a doctor, especially for those without health insurance. Anna’s Place NOLA’s clinic offers a community-based, convenient, cost-effective resource.” Contact Anna’s Place NOLA, St Anna’s Episcopal Church, 1313 Esplanade, New Orleans, www.annasplacenola.org, 504.947.2121,504.947.2121.
but will entertain you with tantalizing performances that will push the limits, rattle the foundations and literally set the stage on fire! Starring JOHNNY PASSION, Monique Michaels-Alexander and Pussi Hertz with special guest stars - Fire Cat (Cat Landrum) and Ava Gina. Door cover is $10.00. Sunday, June 11, 2017 Join the Krewe of Amon-Ra as they get together for an afternoon of drinks and camaraderie. They’re out to thank and support their sponsors with our 2nd Annual Sponsor Bar Crawl. Pre-gaming starts at 2 p.m. at GrandPre’s until they officially kick things off at 3 p.m. at Double Play. Other stops include Voodoo, Good Friends, Napoleons Itch and the Corner Pocket. Saturday, June 17, 2017 Join the 25th Annual HRC Louisiana Gala Dinner and Silent Auction at the Hyatt Regency (601 Loyola Avenue) from 5 – 11 p.m. This year, they’ll be honoring Robin Roberts of ABC’s Good Morning America (and WWLTV’s Sally-Ann Robert’s sister!), and CrescentCare with HRC’s Visibility Award, and Local Leader Equality Award Recipient. Proceeds from the gala go towards our fight for equality, and with the likes of Donald J. Trump, Mike Pence, Jeff Sessions, Betsy Devos, and even our own local Jeff Landry at the helm, we have a LOT of work to do. The dress is Blacktie optional. For tickets and more information, go to http://www.hrc.org/events/hrclouisiana-gala. Saturday, June 17, 2017 EXOTIQUE is one of the city’s premiere drag shows and will be hosting its June edition at the Four Season’s Bar (3229 N. Causeway Blvd) starting at 10 p.m. This month they welcome DANYEL VASQUEZ from Akron Ohio. Danyel is a world class performer who travels the states performing to her favorite artists. They will also be raising money for Southern Decadence that evening so come ready for a silent auction and more. Peace and Love. Monday, June 19, 2017 The New Orleans Drag Workshop will present its new Draglings to the world at the Allways Lounge (2240 St. Claude Avenue). Cycle 6 has proven to be strong, hardworking and VERY talented. Nine new students will take the stage for the first time in Drag and break the house down. Expect comedy, drama and sexy sexy! The variety of Kings and Queens and In Betweens is unrivaled. This group will have put in well over 100 hours into their craft by the time they take the stage, and it will SHOW!! Doors for this event are at 7pm and the show starts promptly at 8pm. The event is mostly seated and tickets are general admission, first come first served. The last 5 Cycles boasted SOLD OUT crowds. Don’t get left on the street. Here’s a link for tickets. http:// www.brownpapertickets.com/event/ 2960613. Saturday and Sunday, June 24 and 25, 2017 The NOLA Caribbean Festival is a yearly multi-cultural Caribbean festival showcasing Caribbean cuisine, music, and culture while highlighting New Or-
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32 • The Of g©: Amb ushMa g.com • J une 6-19, 2017 • Of .or g • Souther nDecadence .com Offficial Ma Mag©: AmbushMa ushMag June Offficial Pride Guide since 1985 • NOLAPride NOLAPride.or .org SouthernDecadence nDecadence.com
under the gaydar ...from 32 leans’ deeply rooted cultural connections as the Caribbean’s northern-most city! This year it will be held at Central City BBQ (1201 South Rampart St.) from 5 – 10 p.m. nightly. General Admission tickets get entry to the entire outdoor area including the music mainstage, food, bars, salsa tent, kids’ corner, arts/craft vendors and seating; VIP tickets include a NOLA Brewery beer, separate VIP line, access to indoor restaurant, A/C, indoor stage, indoor bathrooms, outdoor VIP seating. For more information, go to www.nolacaribbeanfestival.com.
Party Down Now that Memorial Day has come, the summer season of events has started in NOLA. There is so much in store for us over the next three months that I cannot wait. My two weeks leading up to Memorial Day was a fast and crazy time filled with pool parties, theatrical productions, lots of cocktails, drag queens and of course the passing of a very important baton. I started my two weeks off on Monday with an announcement party at the Allways Lounge for See Em On Stage Productions. This wonder theatre company in the city produces great shows and swept the Big Easy Awards this past year. They had a fun little gathering at the Theatre on St. Claude located in the Allways Lounge that included food, a silent auction, a kissing booth with some hot men and a performance or two. I am so excited about the next year’s shows which include Alien Nation, Thrill me, At Home at the Zoo, The Wiz, Titus Andronicus and American Idiot.
Thursday was an important day for me, for it was the day when Jeffrey Palmquist, Felicia Phillips, Derek PentonRobicheaux and I announced the new grand marshals for Southern Decadence 2017. There was a packed crowd at Oz that night which started with a meet and greet of the current grand marshals upstairs that was catered by Misael from the Quartermaster Deli (and also a past grand marshal) and the Cheezy Cajun. The food was absolutely delicious. The festivities started at 8 p.m. with a show produced by Felicia. Thanks go out to all the people who donated their time for the first official fundraiser of Southern Decadence raising $1,006. After all the entertainers it was time for the big moment. Derek chose Persana Shoulders, Jeff picked Coca Mesa, Felicia picked La La land (nobody) and my choice was the one and only Princesse Stephaney. The three ladies took the stage and met their cheering fans. I cannot wait to see what they have in store for us this year. So in true Decadence fashion, their reign started with some interesting controversy thanks to a certain underwear mogul. Suffice to say, I do not care how rich or pretty you are, you better watch your step or a true New Orleans Princesse will take you down! The next day was a Halloween New Orleans Happy Hour at Phillips Bar Uptown. They had boiled crawfish and lots of hot men to celebrate the end of the week. And Phillips have started their Friday Happy Hours again. I followed up my drinking on Saturday at the Chalmansion (home of Elizabeth Bouvier). She hosted a little pool party with food, drink and an inflatable unicorn which is now my entire world. I
nearly lost my mind playing on that thing all day and into the evening. Sunday was a little more laid back with an evening barbecue at the Dow compound located in the French Quarter. I think intimate dinners with a few friends can be so nice and a perfect way to end a My next week’s events started on Wednesday with a networking hospitality event hosted by Biz Magazine at Cornet on Bourbon Street. This restaurant formerly known as Embers Steak House has a great menu and just recently was honored as best red beans and rice in the city according to the “Red Bean Madness” competition conceived by members of the Krewe of Red Beans, a Lundi Gras marching organization known for its dried bean mosaic costumes. On Thursday, my Memorial Day weekend started early when I attended the New Orleans Food and Wine Dinner at Marche. Each year NOWFE kicks off their three day event with dinners at various restaurants and venues paired with wines. Some friends and I attended the one at Marche which is located along the riverfront. The evening was perfect with a great view of the city and the river. The five courses and passed appetizers were paired with a wine or champagne. Each one was better than the next. These dinners are incredible meals and you get an opportunity to try some amazing, and sometimes rare, wines. One of the bottles we tried retails at $250.00 each. I mean WOW! I kept the spirit of a cocktail themed weekend by attending the Krewe of Armeinius’ Permission To Shoot Sir, a military themed drag show at the Three Palms bar located on Tulane Avenue.
There were lots of great performers, but Dragzilla brought the house down twice with her ode to Donald Trump and her Wonder Woman inspired Holding Out for a Hero number. They even had a combat stripper to boot. On Saturday, I was off to Laplace for another pool party at the Roget Estate. Rhonda Roget and her husband David opened their home up to a unique cast of characters and friends for swimming, drinking, and snacks. It was great day and I got to catch up with lots of people I have not seen in a long time while working on my tan. Great event. Sunday was a pretty laid back day, all I did was attend the NOLA Project’s production of the Spider Queen at the Sculpture Garden in City Park. It was a cool evening to sit among the trees as the sun set and watch this fun show that was B Movie Sci Fi lover’s dream. There was great costumes and puppetry as well as lots a scenery chewing. I love a show that does not take itself too seriously and has fun with itself. Memorial Day was spent catching a little of the Mascara Run, congrats to all the winners and then going to another pool party and barbecue at the Dow Compound. Matt Dow hosted a lovely afternoon soiree at his family house. This was the epitome of a true holiday barbecue, right down to the hot dogs, hamburgers and potato salad. The only thing missing was apple pie, but we did have lots of beefcake in attendance, does that count. That rounds out my two weeks, I hope everyone had a great holiday also. I look forward to seeing you around the hot city.
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ambush paparazzi
Swimming in The Big Easy
43rd Souithern Decadence Grand Marshals Announcement Extravaganza @ Oz New Orleans
(photos by Tony Leggio, Jeremy Weinbereg) The Corner Pocket
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