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Home , Here I Am Again, Love Is the Foundation, Van Lear Rose

GayMardiGras.COM • GayNewOrleans.COM • SouthernDecadence.COM • Oct. 23-Nov. 5, 2012 • The Official Mag: AmbushMag.COM • 41 ekley

mobile paparazzi Toni Dee, Judy & Miss Cie Miss Cie & friends Twelve-year partners Phillip & Jerry celebrate the weekend Bartender Ricky & GM Bob Brunson

Derrick Barry as Britney Spears Stevie, singer/comedienne Sharon Gabriel’s bar baron Carl McNight, Jerry & Josh Ambush Mag’s Marsha & Rip

Show Director Miss Cie Bartender Leon, Derrick Barry & bar baron Jerry Mobile’s Bold & Beautiful Miss B-Bob’s DJ Chromatic Venus with B-Bob’s owner Jerry

Venus Shante DaVis

Jawakatema Davenport & GM Bob Brunson, Rick & Patrick Oz’s Dusty DeBris Miss Southern States Regine Phillips B-Bob’s 20th Anniversary Weekend ~ Mobile, Alabama Photos by Bob Brunson, Cieanne & John, Frankie Fierce, Rip Naquin, Leon We B-Bob’s 20th Anniversary Weekend

Scotty & Michael welcome you at Dusty DeBris, Frankie Fierce & Frankie & Dusty snag the hot shot Derrick Barry & Toni Dee the door Christopher boy, Josh!

42 • The Official Mag: AmbushMag.COM • Oct. 23-Nov. 5, 2012 • Official Halloween Guide • HalloweenNewOrleans.COM GayMardiGras.COM • GayNewOrleans.COM • SouthernDecadence.COM • Oct. 23-Nov. 5, 2012 • The Official Mag: AmbushMag.COM • 43 trodding the boards

by Brian Sands Email: [email protected] Tom Hook (piano), Eric Jump Jive and Wail! The Music of Louis Prima Bernhardt (sax), Jay at the WWII Museum’s Stage Door Canteen Hagen through Nov. 24 (trumpet), and he Stage Door Canteen has a winner with its new, take-no-prisoners revue David Phy Jump Jive and Wail! The Music of Louis Prima. What in any other city (trombone) in Tmight’ve been merely a cheesy stroll down memory lane geared towards fans Jump Jive and of an older generation, at The WWII Museum is an authentic, rollicking tribute to a native Wail! The son, superbly done. Music of Louis Even more so than last year’s Glenn nist and is an engaging narrator. The six Prima Miller show, Jump Jive and Wail! suc- outstanding musicians who back him up cessfully integrates music with Prima’s life for the 20+ numbers are all a bunch of he can still come off as a love struck with Edyta Kulczak (Delilah), Richard Cox story, a tale of ups & downs and constant showmen as befits a Prima tribute and 20something as in a duet from Luisa (Samson), and New Orleans native Greer re-invention, that for those unfamiliar with they’re all pretty good singers too! Fernanda. He is, in a word, amazing. Grimsley as the High Priest. the details of his career keeps you wonder- The horn section, all recent trans- Domingo was joined by four other The season concludes on April 12 ing as to what comes next. And because plants to New Orleans, especially stands singers. The exceptional mezzo-soprano and 14 with Puccini’s Madame Butterfly Prima covered a wide range of styles and out. Sexy sax player Eric Bernhardt with Stephanie Blythe brought steeliness and starring Maria Kanyova as Cio-Cio San song genres, Jump Jive and Wail! pro- his long hipster sideburns wails on There’ll passion to her arias, her voice evoking the and Bryan Hymel, yet another New Or- vides a variety of tempos and moods, be No Next Time standing in for Prima’s richness of a Stradivarius cello. Ana María leans native, as Lieutenant B. F. Pinkerton. never settling into just one groove. legendary sideman Sam Butera. Trom- Martínez sang beautifully with an earthy Hmmm...when will N.O.O. program an all- Prima grew up at 1812 St. Peter Street bonist David Phy adds a playfulness with sensuality while negotiating tricky runs. NOLA Traviata with McMahon, Hymel and on the edge of the Storyville District. By his long slide. And trumpeter Jay Hagen New Orleans’ own Sarah Jane McMahon Grimsley? age 16, he was a bandleader. Five years hits some heavenly notes in the finale of was as charming as ever opposite Domingo later, Guy Lombardo caught his act in New Sing, Sing, Sing one of the greatest songs in Don Giovanni’s Là ci darem la mano at IP Orleans and convinced him to come to from any era, here given a phenomenally while bringing out the humane determina- New York. A move to Los Angeles in 1935 swinging version. tion of Make Our Garden Grow from Casino Resort in Biloxi led to cameos in some movies and by Cristina Perez capably handles vocal Candide and the glittery sophistication of nother golden milestone was 1939, following the trends of the times, he duties, though if you’re not aware of Smith’s La Traviata’s Libiamo. recognized during Loretta had started a big band. deadpan demeanor, you might think Perez Though an audience favorite, tenor ALynn’s recent performance at Prima must’ve been quite a guy. Rather is zoning out during the Prima/Smith sec- David Lomelí exhibited some slight strain the IP Casino Resort in Biloxi namely her than run from his Italian heritage during tion. In a nice touch, dancers Chance as he went for the high notes in an other- 50th anniversary of becoming a member of World War II, he took a chance and em- Bushman and Lisa Casper add visual and wise worthy rendition of Nessun dorma the . At 80, Lynn has lost braced it leading to such hits as Angelina kinetic appeal by jitterbugging, boogie- from Turandot. He was more relaxed, and none of the infectious enthusiasm and and Zooma Zooma. At a time when the woogeying, and jiving in an array of period much better, in an aria from the zarzuela impish humor that marks her persona, armed forces and many other institutions appropriate costumes, as well as a gorilla La Tabernera del Puerto. joking about how she got a very expensive were still segregated, Eleanor Roosevelt suit, designed by Judy Claverie and Reed. Conductor Robert Lyall and the Loui- watch from the Opry in honor of the occa- heard him play at a black nightclub in Prima’s songs and recordings remain siana Philharmonic Orchestra shifted sion. Seems like she would’ve been just as Washington, D.C. and invited him to per- invigoratingly timeless yet the audience I seamlessly from Verdi to Wagner to Mozart. happy getting a cheap one. form at FDR’s birthday celebration. How saw it with recently skewed older including Joined by the New Orleans Opera Chorus, This should come as no surprise from did he greet the President? “Hey, Daddy- some WWII vets. There’s nothing wrong the combined forces were especially stir- the woman who, as a 13 year old, taught o!” FDR loved it. with that (and might be explained as it was ring in the Candide finale with Lyall mar- younger kids to read in a one room school- As Prima’s popularity began to fade in a matinee up against a Saints game), but velously capturing its grandeur. house that her great-grandfather had built, the early 1950s, he moved to the I hope new generations will go and dis- Yet, despite all the outstanding vocal- something Lynn now looks back on with up’n’coming Las Vegas with his soon-to- cover this vibrant part of New Orleans’ and izations, there were two non-singing mo- pride mixed with disbelieving laughter. be wife, Keely Smith. In November 1954, America’s musical heritage. You have until ments that I found most memorable. Dur- Lynn recently had knee surgery and they opened the Casbar Lounge at the November 24 to do so. Jump to it! ing the Libiamo, Domingo, who also has a so did not move around the stage as much Sahara and by 1958 they were doing five distinguished career as a conductor, took as the last time I saw her in 2008. And she 45-minute sets six nights a week starting at New Orleans Opera the baton from Lyall in a seemingly im- was visibly annoyed at her voice that didn’t midnight each night(!!!). Prima and Smith promptu maneuver and led the orchestra always want to cooperate when it came to became known as the “King and Queen of at the Mahalia Jackson for several minutes. Even if this had been hitting the high notes despite Lynn’s assur- Vegas” and “the greatest stage act couple Theater through planned, there was a wonderful playful- ances that she was not suffering from a in American history” with her playing ness to it. cold. But if Lynn’s tone sometimes sounded “straight guy” to his wild stage antics. They April 14, 2013 And after all the bows, as the lights a little hoarse, on those songs that sat would go on to win a Grammy at the first ew Orleans Opera kicked off were coming up, Domingo went towards comfortably in her range, like You Ain’t Awards ceremony in 1959 for “Best Perfor- its season with a gala concert, the back of the stage, took a chorus mem- Woman Enough To Take My Man and the mance By A Vocal Group” for That Old NCelebrating 50 Years of ber by the hand and brought her to the beautiful Kentucky Girl, she was as great Black Magic. Placido Domingo, in honor of the 50th podium. Although the microphone was no as ever. There’d be more drama in the ’60s as anniversary of the distinguished singer’s longer at full volume, Domingo announced For this outing, Lynn related more Smith, the fourth of his five wives, divorced debut with the company. And what a won- that she had been in the chorus when he tales of her life than in past appearances him and rock’n’roll threatened to eclipse derful night it was! made his debut 50 years ago. Then, with a like how she supported her family by pick- him. But he changed styles, remarried At 71, Domingo continues to sing with graciousness rare in anyone let alone a ing strawberries in Washington State when (Gia Maione who served as an advisor to warmth in his voice, a beautiful tone, and superstar, he escorted her offstage arm in she was just starting out and making only the show), and scored one of his biggest the greatest sensitivity. Not only is there arm. May Domingo be around to celebrate $50 a night for singing. And how Patsy successes as the voice of King Louie, the still a ping in his timbre as he effortlessly the 75th Anniversary of his Debut with New Cline “learned” her to yodel. And how King of the Orangutans, in Walt Disney’s spins out Don Giovanni’s lines, but he is Orleans Opera! and she loved each other, animated film The Jungle Book, which very much the elegant roue. Mistress of The N.O.O. season continues with but just as a brother and sister would. spawned the hit song I Wanna Be Like Ceremonies Patricia Clarkson noted Rossini’s The Barber of Seville on No- And in case you’re interested, she’s You. Domingo’s acting as well as singing abili- vember 16 and 18. The cast features trying to find a boyfriend but “can’t find one Bandleader Tom Hook, who came up ties, and he did not disappoint with a Deborah Domanski, Michele Angelini, old enough.” with the concept for Jump Jive and Wail! pensive but ultimately triumphant Nemico Matthew Worth and the renowned bass- (During the performance’s introduc- along with the Canteen’s Entertainment della patria from Andrea Chénier as well baritone Samuel Ramey as Don Basilio. tion, Patsy Lynn, Loretta’s daughter, told Director Victoria Reed, captures Prima’s as a defiantly accusatory Maravilla from Samson and Delilah by Camille Saint- enthusiastic joie de vivre as vocalist/pia- the zarzuela Amor, Vida de mi Vida. Yet Saëns follows on March 15 and 17, 2013 [continued on 45]

44 • The Official Mag: AmbushMag.COM • Oct. 23-Nov. 5, 2012 • Official Halloween Guide • HalloweenNewOrleans.COM trodding the boards ...from 44 Good Witch’s sister), Lynn continues to be winning , this was Clint Black (Nov. 3), Kenny Loggins (Nov. a master storyteller in such songs as They one of her best-paced concerts with the 9), The Charlie Daniels Band (Nov. 10), how her “Dad could never get away with Don’t Make’em Like my Daddy Any More spotlight firmly planted on her and her and Dwight Yoakam (De. 1). If you pur- anything in our house; Mom would write a and . She can be back-up singers doing just a few numbers chase General Admission tickets, plan to song about it and the whole world would touching as in or When which gave her a chance to sit down briefly. be at the theater by 7:15pm to get the know!” Loretta has now been inducted into the Tingle Becomes a Chill yet finds the Not one to rest on her laurels, no wonder better seats...and leave plenty of time for more Songwriter Halls of Fame than any zesty humor in Fist City and One’s on the Loretta Lynn continues to have a lovefest parking. And before you go to the all-you- other woman. Guess it pays to have an Way (changing the lyric from Jackie to with her audiences. can-eat buffet, just remember that the aisle ornery spouse.) “Michele is in the White House”). between the two rows of bar stools in the Looking resplendent in her bejeweled, Though I was disappointed that she Other headliners coming up at the IP back of the theater was not made for plus sparkly lavender gown (picture Glinda the didn’t include any songs from her Grammy- Studio A include Howie Mandel (Nov. 2), size people!

GayMardiGras.COM • GayNewOrleans.COM • SouthernDecadence.COM • Oct. 23-Nov. 5, 2012 • The Official Mag: AmbushMag.COM • 45