The madness has overtaken the city. The tension in the air is palpable. Yet, it's business as usual for those people lucky enough to be in New Orleans at Carnival time. Here in the "City that Care Forgot" it is normal, acceptable behavior to don a wig, glue on a moustache and beard, don tights, and wear a jewel-bedecked crown and mantle with huge ostich feathers that stands nearly ten feet tall. The same applies to men. (Hee hee. Sorry, but I couldn't resist that one.) In the French Quarter, especially along busy Bourbon Street, the crowds are beginning to thicken. After the rain passes tonight, there will be quite a lot of activity there revolving about beads and how to get them. For those of you who do not know what illegal activity I'm referring to, suffice it to say that it involves displaying parts of the female anatomy that normally are well-hidden in exchange for colorful strings of beads. I say it is illegal, but it is so widespread and rampant that in all but a few isolated cases (where the subject is so drunk that she does so in full view of the police standing next to her, for example), it is usually ignored by the members of the local constabulary. Of course, there are scantily-attired gentlemen who insist on displaying portions of their anatomy to interested parties too, but I think you get the picture of the wild, seemy underbelly of New Orleans that is Bourbon Street. When the crowds swell to capacity on Fat Tuesday, one can literally be carried away on a wave of moving people. For smaller individuals like myself it is terrifying; it is something akin to being lifted by a tsumani and carried aloft and deposited by an unseen force. The parade-going public never sees that part of the show. They get to see the more family-friendly fare along the parade routes that rarely gets above the slightly risqué or somewhat provocative. Two parades passed in review in front of the official stand at Gallier Hall last night. I acted as the announcer for the Krewe of Ancient Druids, celebrating its 10th anniversary. The identity of the masked Arch-Druid is always kept secret and he does not speak directly to the crowd. A spokesman for the krewe spoke on his behalf. This year's theme used the Roman numeral "X" (for "ten") to poke fun at such things as "X-Wives," "X-Otic," and "X-Men," the last being a float that depicted a busty female with a five o'clock shadow. Also in attendance at the reviewing stand was my guest Inon Barnatan, an Israeli pianist now living in New York, who performed as part of the Lincoln Center Pianists tour this past Monday. I was fortunate to meet him following the performance at a private reception. (He had played the Mendelssohn "Andante and Variations in B-flat major for Two Pianos" and Faure's "Dolly Suite for Piano, Four Hands," named for the young girl who would later marry Debusssy.) When he told me he was interested in seeing a Mardi Gras parade, I sprang into action, immediately promising him a seat at the Gallier Hall reviewing stand, which he eagerly accepted. After he arrived, I introduced him to Cynthia Willard-Lewis, the City Councilperson who officially represented the city. He watched the parades pass by in wonderment as I announced each float and marching unit. It was wonderful to see someone from outside the culture come to learn the peculiarities of the time-honored traditions held so high here. The second parade, the Krewe of Pygmalion, paraded last night following a rain-out last Friday. All of the krewes were especially generous with their throws. I had warned him in advance to bring a plastic bag to haul away his throws. As we walked to my car, I heard him refer to his "bling" as he pulled out the bag and deposited his goodies from around his neck. With the cancellation of tonight's parades due to inclement weather, Inon was fortunate to see a part of the Carnival celebration before he leaves tomorrow for the frigid weather in Detroit where he is slated to perform Friday evening. If his luck holds, he will perform brilliantly as he and the five other pianists continue their tour. Only Inon will be alone in having basked a bit more in the Mardi Gras mania.
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