Big Easy Classical Arts Luncheon

New Orleans Opera Association's general and artistic director Robert Lyall and chorusmaster Carole Rausch

Monday morning brought the light of day to the city's first weekend of major parading leading up to Fat Tuesday. Yet, the focus of a luncheon held at the Monteleone Hotel had little to do with Mardi Gras. It was, in fact, a celebration of the classical arts that brought 30 tables of opera, classical music, ballet and modern dance patrons together to spend two and a half hours together. WWL-TV anchorwoman Angela Hill served as emcee introducing a number of influential arts leaders who announced nominations and winners in several categories. These nominations were reduced from scores of concerts held throughout the previous year. Two separate committees chose nominees for Classical and Opera and Dance. The Big Easy Awards also maintain two other committees for their Theatre Awards and Music Awards ceremonies, which until a few years ago were held jointly. I am one of only two people who sit on two of the different nomination committees. Were I especially masochistic, I would have elected to sit on the Music Committee in addition to my other duties on the Classical and Opera and Theatre Committees.

Delta Festival Ballet executive director Joseph Giacobbe with his award

New Orleans Freinds of Music was also awarded a Big Easy Award on their 50th anniversary.

Scramble for a birthday

A happy 23rd birthday at Antoine's

It is a sad fact that getting a reservation on Valentine's Day is always tough. It is the one night when most couples will dine out and it is especially busy should it fall on either a Friday or Saturday night. Other than those born on Christmas or New Year's Day, most people don't think about the other pittfalls of having a birthday on such a day. When most reservations are easily secured with just a day or two's advance notice, making sure that a Valentine's Day birthday can be enjoyed at the restaurant of one's choice can be problematic at best. Had I known 23 years ago how difficult it would be to get a reservation for my son's birthday, I might have asked to doctors to deliver him after the midnight hour. But no, we had him on February 14 and stuck with the date he was and we were ever since. Given the hardship I've alluded to in getting a Valentine's Day reservation, imagine the added drama one has while dealing with the numerous night parades that block traffic and congest the French Quarter during the weekends leading up to Carnival. Since all options for dining were, if you will pardon the phrase, off the table, last night we headed to Antoine's, the oldest restarurant in New Orleans to celebrate David's birthday. Finding a parking spot was somewhat challenging, but after a 20-minute delay due to the crowds and numbers of vehicles entering the area, we did manage to secure a place where Antoine's offered discounted parking. Even before we had walked in the doors of the establishment, I was happy. As usual, the meal was splendid and the wait staff was exceptional. The restaurant was so busy that nearly 1,000 diners were scheduled to enjoy meals there, a feat that most dining establishments would find nearly impossible. But again, the consistency is the reason that one goes to Antoine's and the fact that everyone was extremely busy didn't seem to matter. The outside world was filled with spillover from people headed to or coming from Carnival parades as well as the usual thrill seekers and heavy drinkers usually found on Bourbon Street. Antoine's, located on St. Louis Street between Bourbon and Royal Streets, is very close to the heart of the action in the Vieux Carre. It seems hard to believe that the vulnerable baby born as "my little heart" on Valentine's Day could be so tall and strong today. There is little doubt that his mother, who passed away just four days after his ninth birthday, would be very proud, indeed.

Where is Alan?

Well, Carnival activities have been fast and furious and I apologize to my faithful readers (all two of you) that I haven't had much of a presence lately. Between regular (or irregular as it were) work responsiblities and taking care of Carnival balls and tableau manuscripts, I have been a busy camper. It doesn't get less busy in the next two weeks. If anything can be said, it really gets ramped up and more frenetic until the big day, February 24. Mardi Gras is only one day, but we have a side economy built around it down here. The $1 billion it generates is nothing to sneeze at and, besides, it's so much more fun that one can ever have doing anything else. So, if you are on the street, look for me at Gallier Hall where I will be announcing several parades. If you happen not to reside in or around New Orleans or weren't planning on joining the festivities, my only question to you you is what's keeping you? A happy little phrase says it all: "laissez les bon temps rouler!" (which means "let the good times roll!").

Rubashkin is released and Best's is bested

A while back I expressed discomfort with a court ruling that kept Sholom Rubashkin in jail while awaiting trial. While there is no doubt that Rubashkin faces serious charges and is a considerable flight risk, the former manager of the Agriprocessors kosher meat plant in Postville, Idaho was used as a pawn in a game whereby his mere religious affiliation as a Jew was used to deny him bail. The prosecutors alleged and a judge agreed that Rubashkin would automatically use Israel's "right to return" and flee the jurisdiction of the court. That meant that every Jew, no matter how guilty or innocent, could be denied bail because of the policy of an outside nation. Somehow this strikes me as inherently wrong and another judge agreed with me because Rubashkin was granted release on $500,000 bail at the end of January. The Rubashkin crisis in the kosher meat industry has caused many an observant shopper to mutter aloud "oy vey" as some grocers and distributors switched affiliation from Agriprocessors products in reaction to the allegations leveled against them. A number of products literally disappeared from grocer's refrigerators and freezers. Chalk up another loss in this ongoing crisis. Sara Lee, the parent company of Best's Kosher meat label has decided to kill the company it acquired not so very long ago. This means that one of the best kosher salamis and hot dogs around will no longer be purchased nationwide. It seems so sad for those of us who were faithful consumers, but such is the way of this economy. I am certain we will see more fallout in the future when one day we may echo a famous TV commercial: "Where's the beef?"

Super Weekend

This weekend has been fairly exciting, but not for the reason that might jump to mind for most people occupied with the big game in Tampa. There is Super Bowl fever across the country, but it is mitigated here in New Orleans. The reason? Two words. Mardi Gras. No, don't check your calendar. I haven't lost it all completely. The date for Fat Tuesday is still February 24; that hasn't changed. But the hoopla leading up to the big day has taken off this week with the first of several weeks of Carnival balls I will be narrating. The first one occurred Friday with the Krewe of Iris, the oldest woman's krewe in Carnival founded in 1917. Celebrating a 92nd birthday at the Pontchartrain Center in Kenner, the krewe members, royal court consisting of maids, dukes, king and queen took part in a tableau titled "On the Road Again." The event ended at 10:30 p.m., but the night was still young. The krewe sponsored a "supper dance" that began at 12 midnight across town at the New Orleans Hilton Riverfront Hotel. After the royal court was introduced (shortly after 12:30 a.m.), the dancing and music provided by local legend Bobby Cure and the Summertime Blues -- the guys who played at my wedding back in 1984 -- continued until the meal was served. That was sometime around 1:30 a.m. Dessert was served around 3:00 a.m. Anyone who doesn't live in New Orleans will never fully comprehend what this whole thing is about, but trust me, once you're sucked into it, you never fully recover.

Rabbit At Peace

John Updike, the erudite novelist and poet who garnered admirations and envy among his peers and pleasure from his multitudes of adoring fans, passed away yesterday. He was, to be sure, a writer among writers and his most well-known novels ("Rabbit Is Rich" and "Rabbit At Rest" won Pulitzer Prizes 30 years apart from the other) guaranteed his star to be firmly placed in the firmament of literary giants. A tireless author, Updike churned out at least one successful novel year after year. He did so with so little apparent effort that he created enmity among his equals. But don't blame Updike. He clearly couldn't help himself. A chronicler of American adultery, Updike once admitted that if he hadn't exhausted the topic, "it clearly has exhausted me." Many of you will recall his "Witches of Eastwick" was converted into a successful movie, although the follow-up "Widows of Eastwick" didn't capture lightning in a bottle again. I was amazed at the length and breadth of Updike's prolific output. He was an inveterate reviewer of other authors and the arts and on several occasions released volumes of short stories in addition to his lesser known poetry. Unfortunately, all of my Updike collection (like nearly all of my library) was lost during the flooding that followed Hurricane Katrina. Yet, I still remember them and Updike's highly stylized writing. I will treasure their memory as well as the writer responsible for them. Updike, a victim of lung cancer, was 76.
Thank you, Congress. Talk about taking the wind out of my sails. After alerting everyone about the impending changeover to all digital broadcasting the other day, the wise men and women of Congress decided to push back the switch until the summer, making my scribblings seem somewhat unnecessary. While our rabbit ears are safe for now, I wouldn't get too complacent. Time marches on and digital will be here soon enough.
And now a personal word to my mother, Annette, who today celebrates her 77th birthday. Have a happy birthday. I know that if her birthday is here, Mardi Gras can't be very far off. Indeed, it is less than a month away and the Carnival ball season is into full swing this weekend.

Bye-bye rabbit ears (not you, Bugs!)

With the impending demise of broadcast TV, I am thanking my lucky stars that I am the owner of a satellite system. (If you wonder which one, it rhymes with "wish TV.") In a little over three weeks the era of analog broadcasting will cease and the beginning of exclusive digital broadcasting will begin. What that means is that all of those rooftop antennas that were formerly perched on rooftops in the Sixties, Seventies and Eighties are now about as pertinent as fins on the backs of automobiles. It also means the effective end of the interior TV antenna, better known as rabbit ears. About a year ago, I purchased a small black and white TV set at a drugs store for less than $20. I intended to keep it in my kitchen in order to keep me engaged while I was preparing breakfast or dinner. It would appear that its days are numbered because the only way it would receive broadcasts after the switch to digital would require the hookup of a digital receiver. In case some of you haven't been checking, the cost of those darlings is quite high. The federal government has promised discount certificates for those who will be hard hit by the switch, but the program that ensures the availability of funds has run out of money. That translates into huge costs to the consumers who have not made plans prior to the switch to continue receiving TV broadcasts in digital. I'm not spending $100 or more to continue to receive broadcasts over a $19 unit. Besides, there aren't nearly enough electric wall receptors in my kitchen. Are there ever really enough in any kitchen? But for those of us who are presently receiving cable or satellite TV broadcasts in our homes, we are spared the problem. We will notice not one scintilla difference after February 17 than what we have now. Of course, we'll also have those fairly high bills that come with those services. At a time in our nation's economy when we should be conserving money, we're still spending it with abandon when it comes to TV reception. As a child, I remember growing up with only four TV channels to view, one of them a PBS affiliate. Later, there were two more UHF channels added to the mix and I thought I was in TV heaven. Today I have 100 channels to view, but several of the ones I viewed with my pre-Hurricane Katrina cable service are not included in the satellite TV package I chose. So, Turner Classic Movies, Bravo and American Movie Classics are not available unless I want to upgrade to a more expensive package. For the package I receive today I spend almost $500 a year. That seems a lot higher than my comfort level, considering the broadcast TV signals I received growing up cost me nothing. I no longer receive cable broadcasts (in case you're wondering, it rhymes with "pox cable") because the monthly bills, which used to be less than $20 per month including HBO, climbed to almost $50 per month with no premium channel. But think about the incredible progress we've made. Aside from the now six local channels from which I can choose, I also have huge numbers of home shopping selections and hundreds of channels that I can see on my guide. Unfortunately, most of them require an upgrade in service in order for me to see them. As it turns out, I am usually only viewing only a few more than the local TV channels under my present contract. It seems that most of the time I am consoled watching "Law and Order" in its various iterations, "Monk," "Psych" and "Burn Notice," the last three of which are USA Network programs. Despite their popularity, I haven't been much of a "24," "Desperate Housewives," "Gray's Anatomy," or "American Idol" fan, probably because my schedule is such that I can't devote that much time to watching programs on a regular basis. When all is said and done, I'm so lucky I don't have to worry about receiving that pesky "free" broadcast TV anymore. Besides, look how much more beautiful my interior is without those horrible rabbit ears. It's a giant leap for mankind, don't you think?