https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-New-Orleans-Burlesque-Festival/224223057636806?ref=ts
Once I found out what the weather was going to be like in New Orleans in mid Sept (rainy, hot, and muggy) I could then begin obsessing over what to pack.
As a Stage Kitten, I was supplied with a beautiful ensemble from Secrets In Lace, a sponsor for the New Orleans Burlesque Festival, and the maker of truly well constructed and gorgeous underpinnings. I worked the House of Blues shows, and was on hand to help pass out promo materials for Secrets In Lace as needed.
With my stage wardrobe taken care of, I only had to pack for dinners, parties, and running around in general. I packed a leopard pinup halter dress, a slinky black jersey tea length dress with a wicked slit up the leg, an almost-off-the-shoulder tight Sophia Loren-esque dress with a masculine pinstripe, a red strapless A-line chinese silk floral dress, and a second-skin gunmetal grey stretch dress in a very conservative style and a very un-conservative fit. I brought a black pashmina and a light evening sweater, as well as a thin raincoat I thankfully didn't need. Pair all that with leggings, a couple cute tanks, a pair of jeans, and nice shorts. LOADS of hair accessories and jewelry. DONE.
Even though Nola's French Quarter is known for its ankle turning cobble stone walkways, I refused to bring touristy-style 'sensible' shoes. I did pack a couple pair of kitten heels and ballet flats, and even after an evening of cocktails, I was able to manage in my heels. I will tell you that at the end of my trip, my feet were not happy with me for a couple days!
We stayed at the Astor Crowne, which offered a discount to Festival goers and was just off Bourbon St and everything was within walking distance- even in impractical shoes.
Running around town:
Day/Night 1:
Some of my girlfriends went to the Ritz Carlton for High Tea: http://www.ritzcarlton.com/en/Properties/NewOrleans/Dining/DavenportLounge/Menu.htm, while I ran to my Secrets In Lace fitting. I met Dan, owner of Secrets In Lace, and the nicest gentlemen. It was like Christmas at the fitting! Bullet bras, girdles, garters, all made so well with every shape of every woman in mind- this is lingerie engineering meets exceptional execution, technique, and quality....AND THE HOISERY! I was completely smitten with the hoisery. I did not know that Secrets In lace has over 50 styles of hosiery EXCLUSIVE to them. I found this out when I kept telling Dan how I was falling in love with every pair as they were opened, and how I had never seen stockings like these- the denier and styles were breathtaking. Once I was outfitted in the proper size and style, I walked around the Quarter and snapped pics, my head was spinning like in a Fairytale! I headed back to the room to get ready for the evening.
We decided to dine at Muriel's: http://www.muriels.com/ The food was amazing, and since we were pressed for time (we had a tour scheduled at 8pm), we did not know they keep a table there for their Ghost. Actually, it's a private dining room. Ask about it if you go.
We then walked to the Ghost Tour : http://www.hauntedhistorytours.com/. It is about an hour and a half long, and takes you through some of the paranormal activity that has been reported throughout the French Quarter. While we didn't spot any ghosts, the stories and our guide were very interesting. I recommend some type of tour like this. It gave me more of a feel of the rich history of the streets beneath me.
On our way to Pat O'Brien's, we stopped in at the Royal Sonesta Hotel quickly, and were completely delighted to see the infamous Perle Noire perform right in front of us! In the sweetest intimate little venue! What a treat that was. Absolute HIGHLIGHT!!!
On to Pat O'Brien's: http://www.patobriens.com/patobriens/ Pat has dueling pianos! Requests are welcome, usually written on a napkin (include a tip) and your song will be belted out by performers and patrons alike. They are famous for their Hurricane here- basically a giant hurricane glass filled with lots and lots of alcohol!
Day/Night 2:
After an easy morning, I got ready to head over to Harrah's for the Secrets In Lace Fashion Show rehearsal. They had a hair team come in and pamper us, and as nice as that was, it was actually more nerve-racking for me and my poofy-wild-lion mane. I should have styled myself, but now I know. The Fashion show was wonderful. All the ladies backstage, performers and kittens, were as sweet as could be. Stormy Gayle did an incredible job of organizing everything, and made us all feel at home. This is the first time I got to meet and talk to my favorite performers- Ginger Valentine, MediaNoche, Dinah Might, Miss Redd, just to name a few. That was thrilling! Once finished, I threw my little black dress over my lingerie and it was on to the next thing...
Following the Fashion show at Harrah's, I decided to take a cab over to the House of Blues where I would be working as a stage kitten for the Bad Girls of Burlesque Show. I checked in with the performers (again, all women I have admired immensely- Coco Lectric, Lydia DeCarllo (we shared a fun moment over a robe)Peekaboo Pointe, GalFriday, Charlotte Treuse, and so very many more ) and then hopefully I got out of their way. HOB had a fantastic stage manager- Domenic Castelli. He was on top of things like I had never seen, all while being utterly gracious and fun. https://www.facebook.com/domenic.castelli He is currently working the Montreal Burlesque Festival, lucky bastard. I spent 2 evenings working by his side, and he was a pleasure and a true professional. AND HOLY COW- Derek Jackson was front and center in the audience shooting away with his camera- more than a bit intimidating! And the costumes! The workmanship, ingenuity, and engineering of these items was exquisite. I took great care in how I gathered everything and met the performers immediately after their piece to be sure all was accounted for. The only thing that took me a little longer was a pair of shoes behind the far end of stage right- they belonged to GalFriday- I was so distracted by her duet with Peekaboo Pointe that I completely and utterly forgot I had a job to do! At the end of the night I thanked the performers and made certain everybody had everything they needed and came with before leaving.
Post-Show we decided to check out Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop: http://www.lafittesblacksmithshop.com/Homepage.html .Built in 1722 and the oldest structure in the country to be used as a bar. There is no electricity, it's all lit by candle....there is alot of old brick.....and a piano. Everyone gathered around the piano and we sang. Some of us were encouraged to lie across the piano (Sable Switch was quite breathtaking in the role of Siren!) while there was serenading. It was a wonderful way to wind down the night. We made a quick stop into Flanagan's Bar where a nice gentleman made me a CD of some cool eclectic classical tunes.
....then a long walk back to the hotel.
Day/Night 3:
Having gotten in around 6am, I should not have been surprised when I woke at 12:30. I scrambled to make my feather fan class with the amazing Queen Coco Lectric. Fortunately for me, the workshop was downstairs in my hotel! The workshop was casual, and incredibly informative. It's amazing how one hour with a seasoned performer can work wonders for your technique. I would definitely take classes from her again if I get the chance. She went out of her way to offer her help to me absolutely anytime I needed, which shows you how generous and confident a woman and dancer she is.
After class, we met with some friends who now live in New Orleans for a quick soda (one can only drink so much!) and some catching up, followed by running back to the hotel to get ready for a fancy dinner at Galatoires: http://www.galatoires.com. What a beautiful restaurant. Gorgeous food and wine, and the dessert!!! We wrapped up dinner, the ladies went to the Queen of Burlesque Show while I got ready to stage kitten at the House of Blues for the Queen's Ball. HIGHLIGHT OF MY NIGHT- meeting Legend Bambi Jones. She is stunning. Truly beautiful, with a rockin' bod and a wicked sense of humor.
The Queen's Ball was sooooo good. Stellar performances, among my favorite was Foxy Brown- definitely a crowd favorite as well. Every single performance in this showcase was epic. Every one. AND I finally got to work with another Kitten, Iris Le'Mour, an absolutely GORGEOUS woman, inside and out, with just the right amount of Sass. Loved her.
After the show and a quick change into a party dress, I headed to the Foundation Room for a private party hosted by none other than Rick Delaup, Creator and Producer extraordinaire of The New Orleans Burlesque Festival, as well as the Bustout Burlesque, and Strut shows. All wildly successful, boasting the absolute best talent in the world- the creme de la creme, if you will. He was charming, quiet, and kind. And threw one hell of a party!
At the party, everyone was on a high. The Festival was a raging success, everyone gave incredible performances, and now it was time to relax and dance for fun! HIGHLIGHT for me at the party was meeting Derek Jackson, a photographer and true artist from Atlanta. If you've seen any amazing pics from the BIGGEST Burlesque events of the BIGGEST stars, chances are, he shot those. http://jetblasted.wix.com/derekjacksonphotography#!
Walked back to the hotel, where I met Angi B Lovely, and she was. Freshly crowned Queen of Burlesque, looking dazzling in a royal blue slinky evening dress, she gave me a huge hug, wrapped her arm around my waist and we boarded the elevator up to our rooms. Her smile was infectious and wonderful.
Day 4:
Packed up in the morning, took a stroll, then headed to Cafe du Monde for coffee and beignets. All my favorite people in one spot to reflect on our time together. My beautiful girlfriend Erin (she moved to New Orleans a bit ago) and her beau joined us. It was a gorgeous day out, the weather had been perfect the entire trip. This is where we all parted. My girls to the Alligator Farm, Erin to work, and me off to the airport, after a jaunt to St Louis Cemetery, which I arrived a half hour too late to get into, but I could look inside. It is definitely on my list for next trip.
Last little WOW moment in New Orleans- meeting Angelique DeViil in the airport terminal, introducing myself and thanking her for the privilege of working with her.......and having her not only recognize me, but compliment me on a wonderful job. ANGELIQUE FREAKIN DeVIL y'all! (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Angelique-DeVil/124089625258?ref=ts.)
In closing, avery large THANK YOU to Rick Delaup, Secrets in Lace, http://www.secretsinlace.com , Stormy Gayle, all the incredible, powerhouse Performers, and my fellow Stage Kittens. Shall we do it again next year?
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