46 • 46 • 46 • 46 • 46 • The Official Mag: AmbushMag.COM • Feb. 14-27, 2012 • Of • Feb. 14-27, 2012 • Of • Feb. 14-27, 2012 • Of • Feb. 14-27, 2012 • Of • Feb. 14-27, 2012 • Official Gay Mar ficial Gay Mar ficial Gay Mar ficial Gay Mar ficial Gay Mardi Gras Guide • GayMar di Gras Guide • GayMar di Gras Guide • GayMar di Gras Guide • GayMar di Gras Guide • GayMardiGras.COM diGras.COM diGras.COM diGras.COM diGras.COM ing amino acids plays a role in repairing the ravages of a hangover. Amino ac- ids are also available in capsule form at most health food stores. Have two cups of coffee. Coffee acts as a vasoconstrictor - something that reduces the swelling of blood ves- sels that causes headaches. Coffee can do a great deal to relieve the head- aches associated with hangovers and is often recommended as a hangover cure but coffee being diuretic may cause you to lose even more fluids. Eat a good meal. If you can toler- ate it, that is. A balanced meal will replace the loss of essential nutrients. But keep the meal light; no fats or fried foods. Toast, cereal, fruit and yogurt are easier to digest than eggs and dairy. And last but not least, the best way to cure a hangover is to not drink at all. But then where is the fun in that. Have a safe Mardi Gras. If you have an event, story or idea, you want covered, contact me at [email protected]. under the gaydar ...from 39 Metropolitan Opera: Live in HD and HD Encores at AMC Elmwood Palace 20 through April 25 W ant to have a front row seat to some of the most magnificent productions in the Metropolitan Opera’s repertoire without having to fly up to New York and pay hundreds of dollars for the tix? Then head to the AMC Elmwood Palace 20 in Harahan or any of the other multiplexes where screenings are held of the Metropolitan Opera’s Live in HD broadcasts and subsequent HD Encores. Tall of stature and with a rumbly bass voice, Ildar Abdrazakov was an imposing Henry VIII. Even better was the mezzo-soprano Ekaterina Gubanova as Boleyn’s lady-in-waiting Jane Seymour, who would become Henry’s third wife. When she and Netrebko faced off, the lush sound complemented the intensity of emo- tion on display. During intermission the renowned soprano Renée Fleming, no stranger to these broadcasts, spoke with cos- tume designer Jenny Tiramani who explained the research that went into the outfits. At one point during the inter- view, Abdrazakov and Gubanova could be seen cutting up in the background, providing a wonderful dichotomy to the drama on stage. Though there were only ten people in the audience for the HD Encore of Satyagraha in December, our hardy group was treated to an amazing con- temporary opera. Performed in San- skrit with no subtitles (perhaps partly the reason for the low attendance), this opera explores Gandhi’s formative years in South Africa and the develop- ment of his philosophy of non-violence. Before the start of the performance, the Met’s Managing Director Peter Gelb interviewed Glass who spoke of Gandhi’s links to Tolstoy, Tagore and Martin Luther King, Jr. each of whom appear briefly in the opera. Though the composer’s claim that the lack of sub- titles forces the audience to concen- trate on the visual aspects of the pro- duction, there was still powerful music sung beautifully by the Met’s chorus and Richard Croft as Gandhi. Even with a synopsis at the start of each act, the symbolic, non-linear nar- rative proved a bit difficult to follow. Host Eric Owens’ intermission inter- view with Croft thus enlightened us that what were watching was, in part, that which is going on in Gandhi’s head. Phelim McDermott and Julian Crouch’s imaginative production uti- lized larger than life puppets, that the camera gave us an up-close perspec- tive on. Though the third act was ex- quisitely slow at a point when some action would have been appreciated, the evening culminated in a powerful finale. Still to come this season is the Encore of Wagner’s Götterdämmerung, the acclaimed fourth installment of Robert Lepage’s Ring cycle; Verdi’s Ernani with Angela Meade, Dmitri Hvorostovsky and Marcello Giordani (Feb. 25/Mar. 14); Netrebko and Paulo Szot in Manon by Massenet (Apr. 7 and 25); and the wondrous Natalie Dessay and Hvorostovsky in La Traviata (Apr. 14/ May 2). And while the price of food at the Elmwood Palace may be outrageous, it’s sure less than a round trip airfare to Manhattan. That Ain’t No Lady! at La Escuelita Cabaret Theater, NYC, Tuesdays T he New York Times said she “made me weep with laughter, often while groan- ing in disgust.” What was supposed to be a one month cabaret engagement has now been extended indefinitely. And A-gays who might’ve once not given a second look at “the old pig in a wig,” as she calls herself, are now lining up outside the Latino club La Escuelita on West 39 th Street and Eighth Avenue hoping to get in. Lady Bunny has clearly arrived. Looking like a mini-Mardi Gras float as her bouffant wig bounces along, Bunny traffics in tasteless celebrity endorsements and Amy Winehouse jokes that still have a frisson of naugh- tiness about them. One-liners, done in the frugging style of the old Laugh-In go-go party, come fast, filthy and funny. Tossing out necrophilia, pedophilia and incest gags, Bunny can proudly and rightfully claim “I’m sick.” Admittedly, for those of us here in NOLA used to Varla and Bianca, Lady Bunny can seem fairly tame. And some of her targets are pretty easy ones: Cher, Katy Perry (“I licked a girl...”), Britney (“What do you call Britney Spears with a brain? Pregnant.”). With an up-front warning that the show is “Rated X for X-tra Retarded”, though, it’s refreshingly clear that Bunny doesn’t take herself too seriously, in- forming us “Please don’t think I’d do anything so unprofessional as looking at the set list” as she looks right down at it. But professional she is. Clearly fighting a nasty winter cold the night I saw her, she advised us “I sound and trodding the boards by Brian Sands Email: [email protected]Now in their fifth season, these transmissions continue to offer the unique opportunity to enjoy not only the opera, but, before the show and during intermission, backstage interviews with the singers and members of the cre- ative team who make the magic hap- pen. The live broadcasts occur on Sat- urday afternoons; the encore rebroad- casts are on Wednesday nights a few weeks later. I’ve seen two so far this season, Anna Bolena with Anna Netrebko and Philip Glass’ Satyagraha about Mahatma Gandhi. Both were quite wonderful. Anna Bolena opened the Met’s season in September; it was the company’s first production of Donizetti’s breakthrough work from 1830 about Henry VIII’s second wife. The broad- cast started late due to transmission problems but at least an apologetic announcement was made. Though the libretto plays fast and loose with history, those Tudors have always provided juicy drama from Shakespeare to HBO. And in its dra- matic and musical highlights, of which there were many, the camera’s imme- diacy caused the opera to be abso- lutely thrilling. Not only was Netrebko, one of the world’s reigning divas, in glorious voice for this most challenging of bel canto scores, but with her high cheekbones and pouty lips she knows how to make love to the camera as well. ever done with temperance. In fact during Mardi Gras, we abandon all restraint and just get crazy. So I thought it might be a little helpful if I just gave you a few hangover cures that may help you get through this long season of late nights or walks of shame in the wee hours of the morning. And trust me if anyone is an expert at hangovers, it’s me. Well, maybe Elizabeth Bouvier may have me beat. Let’s begin with the old faithful; drink a large glass of water plus two Tylenols before bed and you will wake up feeling bright and cheerful. Unfortu- nately for me, they did not say that you should not have vodka in the water so I kind of screwed that one up. So after doing some research on the web, here are a few of the other hangover cures that many people have come up with. Drink fruit juice. A large glass of orange juice or tomato juice, in other words, will help accelerate removal of the alcohol still in your system the morning after. Again like before, no alcohol in it. Even though they say a little hair of the dog will keep your hangover at bay, that is a slippery slope to dependency. But hey everyone has to have a vice. Eat crackers and honey. Honey is a very concentrated source of fruc- tose. Believe it or not, sauerkraut juice is said by some to neutralize conge- ners. Get some pain relief. A headache is invariably a part of the package that goes with a hangover. Take aspirin, acetaminophen or ibuprofen but noth- ing stronger than that. Willow bark is a natural, organic pain reliever as it con- tains a natural form of salicylate, the active ingredient in aspirin. Drink bouillon. Broth made from bouillon cubes or any homemade soup broth will help replace the salt and potassium your body loses when you drink. Replenish your water supply. “Al- cohol causes dehydration of your body cells,” says John Brick, Ph.D., chief of research at the Center of Alcohol Stud- ies of Rutgers State University of New Jersey. “Drinking plenty of water be- fore you go to bed and again when you get up the morning after may help relieve discomfort caused by dehydra- tion.” Take B-complex vitamins. Drink- ing drains the body of these valuable vitamins. Research shows your sys- tem turns to B vitamins when it is under stress—and overtaxing the body with too much booze, beer, or wine defi- nitely qualifies as stress. Replenishing your body with a B-complex vitamin capsule can help shorten the duration of your hangover. Eat amino acids. Amino acids are the building blocks of protein. Like vita- mins and minerals, they can also be depleted by use of alcohol. Replenish- [continued on 50]
ing amino acids plays a role in repairingthe ravages of a hangover. Amino ac-ids are also available in capsule form atmost health food stores.
Have two cups of coffee. Coffeeacts as a vasoconstrictor - somethingthat reduces the swelling of blood ves-sels that causes headaches. Coffeecan do a great deal to relieve the head-aches associated with hangovers andis often recommended as a hangovercure but coffee being diuretic maycause you to lose even more fluids.
Eat a good meal. If you can toler-ate it, that is. A balanced meal willreplace the loss of essential nutrients.But keep the meal light; no fats or friedfoods. Toast, cereal, fruit and yogurtare easier to digest than eggs anddairy.
And last but not least, the best wayto cure a hangover is to not drink at all.But then where is the fun in that. Havea safe Mardi Gras.
If you have an event, story or idea,you want covered, contact me [email protected].
under the gaydar ...from 39
Metropolitan Opera: Live in HD and HD Encores atAMC Elmwood Palace 20 through April 25
Want to have a front row seat to some of the most magnificentproductions in the Metropolitan Opera’s repertoire without havingto fly up to New York and pay hundreds of dollars for the tix? Then
head to the AMC Elmwood Palace 20 in Harahan or any of the other multiplexeswhere screenings are held of the Metropolitan Opera’s Live in HD broadcastsand subsequent HD Encores.
Tall of stature and with a rumblybass voice, Ildar Abdrazakov was animposing Henry VIII. Even better wasthe mezzo-soprano EkaterinaGubanova as Boleyn’s lady-in-waitingJane Seymour, who would becomeHenry’s third wife. When she andNetrebko faced off, the lush soundcomplemented the intensity of emo-tion on display.
During intermission the renownedsoprano Renée Fleming, no strangerto these broadcasts, spoke with cos-tume designer Jenny Tiramani whoexplained the research that went intothe outfits. At one point during the inter-view, Abdrazakov and Gubanova couldbe seen cutting up in the background,providing a wonderful dichotomy to thedrama on stage.
Though there were only ten peoplein the audience for the HD Encore ofSatyagraha in December, our hardygroup was treated to an amazing con-temporary opera. Performed in San-skrit with no subtitles (perhaps partlythe reason for the low attendance), thisopera explores Gandhi’s formativeyears in South Africa and the develop-ment of his philosophy of non-violence.
Before the start of the performance,the Met’s Managing Director Peter Gelbinterviewed Glass who spoke ofGandhi’s links to Tolstoy, Tagore andMartin Luther King, Jr. each of whomappear briefly in the opera. Though thecomposer’s claim that the lack of sub-titles forces the audience to concen-trate on the visual aspects of the pro-duction, there was still powerful musicsung beautifully by the Met’s chorusand Richard Croft as Gandhi.
Even with a synopsis at the start ofeach act, the symbolic, non-linear nar-rative proved a bit difficult to follow.Host Eric Owens’ intermission inter-view with Croft thus enlightened us that
what were watching was, in part, thatwhich is going on in Gandhi’s head.
Phelim McDermott and JulianCrouch’s imaginative production uti-lized larger than life puppets, that thecamera gave us an up-close perspec-tive on. Though the third act was ex-quisitely slow at a point when someaction would have been appreciated,the evening culminated in a powerfulfinale.
Still to come this season is theEncore of Wagner ’sGötterdämmerung, the acclaimedfourth installment of Robert Lepage’sRing cycle; Verdi’s Ernani with AngelaMeade, Dmitri Hvorostovsky andMarcello Giordani (Feb. 25/Mar. 14);Netrebko and Paulo Szot in Manon byMassenet (Apr. 7 and 25); and thewondrous Natalie Dessay andHvorostovsky in La Traviata (Apr. 14/May 2).
And while the price of food at theElmwood Palace may be outrageous,it’s sure less than a round trip airfare toManhattan.
That Ain’t No Lady! atLa Escuelita CabaretTheater, NYC, Tuesdays
The New York Times saidshe “made me weep withlaughter, often while groan-
ing in disgust.” What was supposed tobe a one month cabaret engagementhas now been extended indefinitely.And A-gays who might’ve once notgiven a second look at “the old pig in awig,” as she calls herself, are nowlining up outside the Latino club LaEscuelita on West 39th Street andEighth Avenue hoping to get in. LadyBunny has clearly arrived.
Looking like a mini-Mardi Gras floatas her bouffant wig bounces along,Bunny traffics in tasteless celebrityendorsements and Amy Winehousejokes that still have a frisson of naugh-tiness about them. One-liners, done inthe frugging style of the old Laugh-Ingo-go party, come fast, filthy and funny.Tossing out necrophilia, pedophilia andincest gags, Bunny can proudly andrightfully claim “I’m sick.”
Admittedly, for those of us here inNOLA used to Varla and Bianca, LadyBunny can seem fairly tame. And someof her targets are pretty easy ones:Cher, Katy Perry (“I licked a girl...”),Britney (“What do you call BritneySpears with a brain? Pregnant.”).
With an up-front warning that theshow is “Rated X for X-tra Retarded”,though, it’s refreshingly clear that Bunnydoesn’t take herself too seriously, in-forming us “Please don’t think I’d doanything so unprofessional as lookingat the set list” as she looks right downat it.
But professional she is. Clearlyfighting a nasty winter cold the night Isaw her, she advised us “I sound and
Now in their fifth season, thesetransmissions continue to offer theunique opportunity to enjoy not only theopera, but, before the show and duringintermission, backstage interviews withthe singers and members of the cre-ative team who make the magic hap-pen.
The live broadcasts occur on Sat-urday afternoons; the encore rebroad-casts are on Wednesday nights a fewweeks later. I’ve seen two so far thisseason, Anna Bolena with AnnaNetrebko and Philip Glass’ Satyagrahaabout Mahatma Gandhi. Both werequite wonderful.
Anna Bolena opened the Met’sseason in September; it was thecompany’s first production of Donizetti’s
breakthrough work from 1830 aboutHenry VIII’s second wife. The broad-cast started late due to transmissionproblems but at least an apologeticannouncement was made.
Though the libretto plays fast andloose with history, those Tudors havealways provided juicy drama fromShakespeare to HBO. And in its dra-matic and musical highlights, of whichthere were many, the camera’s imme-diacy caused the opera to be abso-lutely thrilling.
Not only was Netrebko, one of theworld’s reigning divas, in glorious voicefor this most challenging of bel cantoscores, but with her high cheekbonesand pouty lips she knows how to makelove to the camera as well.
ever done with temperance. In factduring Mardi Gras, we abandon allrestraint and just get crazy. So I thoughtit might be a little helpful if I just gaveyou a few hangover cures that mayhelp you get through this long seasonof late nights or walks of shame in thewee hours of the morning. And trustme if anyone is an expert at hangovers,it’s me. Well, maybe Elizabeth Bouviermay have me beat.
Let’s begin with the old faithful;drink a large glass of water plus twoTylenols before bed and you will wakeup feeling bright and cheerful. Unfortu-nately for me, they did not say that youshould not have vodka in the water soI kind of screwed that one up.
So after doing some research onthe web, here are a few of the otherhangover cures that many people havecome up with.
Drink fruit juice. A large glass oforange juice or tomato juice, in otherwords, will help accelerate removal ofthe alcohol still in your system themorning after. Again like before, noalcohol in it. Even though they say alittle hair of the dog will keep yourhangover at bay, that is a slippery slopeto dependency. But hey everyone hasto have a vice.
Eat crackers and honey. Honey isa very concentrated source of fruc-tose. Believe it or not, sauerkraut juiceis said by some to neutralize conge-
ners.Get some pain relief. A headache
is invariably a part of the package thatgoes with a hangover. Take aspirin,acetaminophen or ibuprofen but noth-ing stronger than that. Willow bark is anatural, organic pain reliever as it con-tains a natural form of salicylate, theactive ingredient in aspirin.
Drink bouillon. Broth made frombouillon cubes or any homemade soupbroth will help replace the salt andpotassium your body loses when youdrink.
Replenish your water supply. “Al-cohol causes dehydration of your bodycells,” says John Brick, Ph.D., chief ofresearch at the Center of Alcohol Stud-ies of Rutgers State University of NewJersey. “Drinking plenty of water be-fore you go to bed and again when youget up the morning after may helprelieve discomfort caused by dehydra-tion.”
Take B-complex vitamins. Drink-ing drains the body of these valuablevitamins. Research shows your sys-tem turns to B vitamins when it is understress—and overtaxing the body withtoo much booze, beer, or wine defi-nitely qualifies as stress. Replenishingyour body with a B-complex vitamincapsule can help shorten the durationof your hangover.
Eat amino acids. Amino acids arethe building blocks of protein. Like vita-mins and minerals, they can also bedepleted by use of alcohol. Replenish- [continued on 50]
On January 29th, some-where between 75 and100 people packed
Tubby’s Golden Lantern to see the firstBearlesque drag show to be held there.Five performers were on stage thatnight, four of them doing dirty drag, andone of them, the emcee of the evening,Miss Monique Michaels performed intraditional glamour drag. The showwas bawdy and fun and moved quicklyonce it began. The show began withMonique do-ing a mono-logue andstrip teasethat got thecrowd riled upand ready forthe show.
The firstentertainer of the evening, Nathan Mar-tin, who is a member of the New Or-leans Bear and Bear Trapper SocialClub and also the producer of the eventperforming as Lucinda Bedroom; cameout in a blue skirt with matching top,and classic hair do done up on his headand rocked out the first number lip-syncing for his life. When he started tostrip the crowd went wild.
Next up was Hal Kloran who per-formed as Strawberry Absinthia in a fulllength 1960’s colored Mumu and dirtydrag get up while lip-syncing a fiercenumber for the raucous crowd. By thistime in the show it was standing roomonly.
Jimmy M, President of the NewOrleans Bear and Bear Trapper SocialClub, came out on stage as ShalitaBuffet with bright red finger nails, anever present lit cigarette and performeda great number. There was a bucketon stage and the audience enjoyedinteracting with the performers by plac-ing dollars down their cleavage ortucked into a garter if they could.
Next up was Josh Goodman per-forming as Lady Biscuit, in a short littlenumber and with nobeard or sideburnslady Biscuit, was arunner up for realdrag performancethat evening.
Then back onstage was MoniqueMichaels, she wasa natural at han-dling the crowd andher comedy routines were bawdy,naughty and hilarious to witness, herperformance was literally somethingyou have to see live to really appreciateand she has so far agreed to do theevent again nextyear.
For Straw-berry Absynthia’ssecond number,she wore a hotpink wig, blackfishnet stockingand a black tututhat came off aspart of the strip.
Shalita Buffet performing a sec-ond number came off the stage andworked the floor. During the perfor-mance the tips kept flowing and a lot ofadmiration as well as dollars for thecharity came from the crowd.
For Nathan Martin’s final numberas Lucinda Bedroom, He wore his SireUrsus Sashalong with aw o m a n ’ sdenim jacketand leathertop with amessy wigand a dia-mond Tiarain a perfor-mance thatthe audiencew h o o p e d
and hollered at.Monique did a final number to end the 90 minute show and the crowd
cheered as all the performers came out for a final applause from the crowd anda group photo.
The fundraiser brought in $716 for the Food for Friends program, a divisionof the NO/AIDS Task Force, as well as donations of canned and non-perishablefood items for the program. According to Nathan Martin, due to the success ofthis first event, there will be a second annual Bearlesque show next year beforeMardi Gras. Also later this spring, a new Bearlesque Variety Show will bestaged at JohnPaul’s Bar on Elysian Fields. That show will not be focused on dragbut will be an all around entertainment with a talent show as part of the evening.Anyone wanting to take part in the upcoming event is encouraged to contact theNew Orleans Bear and Bear Trapper Social Club, which you can find online, andthey will get your information to Nathan for that production.
pride: beyond the rainbow
There are many excitingevents coming up for Pride2012 that we encourage you
attend! Come out and meet the newBoard Of Directors, ask questions, andhave some input for this year’s Pride!
April 7, 7pm-midnight, is the PrideGrand Marshal Announcement Partyand Gala. Come out to the HotelMonteleone 2nd floor, at 214 Royal. Allformer Pride Grand Marshals will bepresented, and the 2012 Grand Mar-shals will be announced! Advancetickets on sale now for $20 atwww.prideneworleans.org. This givesyou: entry to the gala, a concert byAmanda Shaw from 9pm-midnight,food, and raffle items with cash bar.
May 20, 6pm, is the Mr./Miss PridePageant 2012. Come on out toHarrah’s Hotel, 228 Poydras. There isa $25 contestant entry fee with $5donation at the door.
Visit www.prideneworleans.org to:nominate someone for Pride GrandMarshal, enter the Pride Pageant, pur-chase tickets for Amanda Shaw/GrandMarshal Party, enter the Pride Parade,and donate to Pride 2012.
Make sure to “like” us on Facebookand follow us on twitter@NewOrleansPride.
Anyone interested in becoming aPride sponsor, please email us [email protected]
feel like shit but I’m gonna give you myall tonight.” And she did.
Amidst the hilarity, one brief linestood out, with Bunny’s innate flair dust-ing over the underlying pathos: “To beold and gay and a bottom in New YorkCity is a miracle.”
Having been around since the1980s, this ageless and intrepid per-former continues to make lots of fun ofherself (“Pity I have to shave my titties.”)and many others. Here’s to miracles.
Coming soon—Beginning March 21, A Street-
car Named Desire will be coming hometo its Elysian Fields Avenue neighbor-hood courtesy of Southern Rep. Hav-ing lost its Canal Place home earlierthis year, Southern Rep is relocatingthe production to Michalopoulos Stu-dios, 527 Elysian Fields Avenue, thevery same block where TennesseeWilliams first imagined it.
Directed by Jason Kirkpatrick andpresented in collaboration withInSideOut Productions, Streetcar willfeature Southern Rep’s Artistic Direc-tor Aimée Hayes as Blanche Dubois,with InSideOut Productions’ MichaelAaron Santos as Stanley, Ashley Ricordas Stella, and Mike Harkins as Mitch,joined by Austin Alleman, Caitlyn Allison,Charles Buggage, Tracey Collins, Mar-tin Covert, Monica Harris, Jelani Pitcher,Phil Karnell, Melaina Ricks, Dean Aus-tin Wray, and James Yeargain.
“One of Streetcar’s primarythemes is about re-invention: the OldSouth adapting to a post-World War IIeconomy and after the loss of BelleReve, Blanche DuBois leaving Laurelbehind and hoping for a new life,” saysHayes. “Southern Rep, too, is re-in-venting itself as we try to find a new
home for our next 25 years.”One hour prior to each perfor-
mance, there will be A StreetcarNamed Desire-themed walking tourso audience members can discoverwhere Stanley and Stella Kowalski lived,worked and played in 1947 New Or-leans. Walking and talking with cock-tails will be encouraged!
—From March 29 to April 21, Ris-ing Shiners Theatre Company will bepresenting David Caudle’s VisitingHours, a tale of a lesbian couple’slongtime relationship that is threatenedwhen their estranged adult son resur-faces, having been arrested for aggra-vated assault. Their struggle mirrorsthat of any couple, gay or straight,faced with the prospect that their childwill never be “ok.”
Caudle’s The Sunken LivingRoom won the 2007 Ambie Award forBest Original Work when it was pre-sented that year by Southern Rep.Visiting Hours will be directed by AnnMahoney and will feature Becky Allen,Becki Davis, Tari Hohn, JessieTerrebonne and Nick Thompson. It’llbe done at the Mid-City Theatre, 3540Toulouse Street.
—Dubbed by Time Out NY as oneof ten New York City women “every gayman should know and be obsessedwith,” vocalist and comedic perfor-mance artist, Amber Martin premieresher award-winning chops at New Or-leans’ own Allways Lounge, 2240Saint Claude Avenue, on Friday, March9.
In combination with new materialcreated just for the vibrant NOLA audi-ence, Martin will present pieces fromher recent sold out NYC performanceseries, Amber Alert! an arousing, ifnot mind-altering hour of meticulouslychosen musical and comedic vignettesfrom Amber’s strange and fascinatingtoy box of characters.
Chicken Salad Croissant @ TheDecadence Shoppe, 806 N.
Rampart St.
Garlic Shrimp Pasta (jumboshrimp with garlic butter sauce
over angel hair pasta) @ LouisianaPizza Kitchen, 95 French Mkt Pl
New Orleans Muffuletta (generoushelping of ham, salami, provoloneand olive salad) @ Restaurant/Deli
of the Year Quartermaster: TheNellie Deli, 1100 Bourbon St.
Blending music, raunch, stories,movement, and acid-capped comedywith a pristine, multi-octave solo sing-ing voice, Amber has seasoned herprevious performances with rotatingcelebrity collaborators Justin VivianBond, John Cameron (Hedwig andthe Angry Inch)Mitchell, Jake (“Scis-sor Sisters”) Shears and Karen Black,to name a few. In keeping with tradi-tion, Amber has invited some very spe-cial guests for this debut performance.
—Out in Slidell, an original musicalWidow Bride will be presented by theSlidell Little Theatre, 2024 Nellie Dr.Slidell, from March 2 through March18. The score is by John Giraud who
trodding the boards...from 48
was nominatedfor an AmbieAward last yearas Music Direc-tor for his workon SLT’s Evita.
W i d o wBride tells thestory of a Gulf War widow and her family in the year2000. It raises such questions as “How does she handlean angry teenage son, and a little girl who never knewher father?” and “How long should she mourn, andwhen is it okay to love again, if at all?”
For comfort and guidance, she reads her deadhusband’s letters from the war and we see how asoldier’s family forges ahead and honors the sacrificeby living a life full of hope and love. Widow Bride alsofeatures a lesbian character, the widow’s sister, whofinds a love match of her own.
Once we recover from Mardi Gras, there certainlywill be lots of theater to keep us busy!
