Fundraisers, theatrical shows, drag performances and a little naughtiness are just a few of the exciting things happening this week. Enjoy a few of the Festively . Gay Things To Do this week below!
Monday, November 13, 2017
We Hear You Have Goblins: Mags 940; 940 Elysian Fields; 7:30 p.m.
Rockfire Theatre is happy to bring back our own sword and spell-slinging improv show. Our game master Glenn had his dice ready and our Heroes, having taken the Guardians Oath, return to battle creatures and save the world from evil. Join us!
Tuesday – Sunday, November 14 – 19, 2017
The King and I: Saenger Theatre; 1111 Canal Street
The Lincoln Center Theater Production of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s THE KING AND I will make its New Orleans premiere at the Saenger Theatre Nov. 14 – 19, 2017. Presented by the New Orleans Theatre Association, THE KING AND I is part of the East Jefferson General Hospital Broadway in New Orleans 2017-2018 season. Tickets for Rodgers & Hammerstein’s THE KING AND I start at $31 and are available now at the Saenger Theatre Box Office, BroadwayInNewOrleans.com, all Ticketmaster outlets and by phone at (800) 982-2787.
THE KING AND I, directed by Tony Award® winner Bartlett Sher, won four 2015 Tony Awards® including Best Revival of a Musical. One of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s finest works, THE KING AND I boasts a score that features such beloved classics as “Getting To Know You,” “Hello Young Lovers,” “Shall We Dance,” “I Have Dreamed” and “Something Wonderful.” Set in 1860’s Bangkok, the musical tells the story of the unconventional and tempestuous relationship that develops between the King of Siam and Anna Leonowens, a British schoolteacher, whom the modernist King, in an imperialistic world, brings to Siam to teach his many wives and children.
Tuesday, November 14, 2017
Atomyc Adonis Birthday Bash: Oz; 800 Bourbon Street; 8 p.m.
Come join the Men of Oz for A special edition of Bourbon Boylesque- F*€k’d up Fairytale a Birthday bash for Atomyc Adonis. Don’t put your costumes away just yet. Come join the cast and wear your own fairytale costume and party the night away with all of the Boylesque and Burlesque legends of New Orleans hosted by the birthday boy himself. No cover and drink specials from 4-8 p.m. before the show.
Tacos, Tequila and Tiaras; Buffa’s Bar and Restaurant; 1001 Esplanade Avenue; 8 p.m.
Tacos, Tequila, and Tiaras is a one of New Orleans’ only family friendly drag shows! Join us every Tuesday, have a taco or two, and learn a little bit about the art of drag with your hostess Vanessa Carr Kennedy! As always, $3 tacos and tequila drinks, and FREE tiaras.
Wednesday, November 15, 2017
Hell Yes Fest Presents Comedy Night Block #1: The New Movement; 2706 St. Claude Avenue; 7 p.m.
If you’re curious about what Nola’s comedy scene tastes like, then this is your can’t-miss chunk of Hell Yes Fest programming. Each show will feature a handful of the Big Easy’s coolest stand-ups, sketch groups, and improvisers in a gumbo-like variety spectacular. This evenings performers include Claws with Fangs, The Problem, Lauren Malara and Cyrus Cooper.
Oz Show Night: Oz; 800 Bourbon Street; 10:30 p.m.
This popular drag show is hosted by Persana Shoulders and features Nicole Lynn Foxx, Lisa Beaumann, Connie Hung, Anastascia Davenport; Chichi Rodriguez and Dominique DeLorean.
You Better Sing Karaoke; Good Friends Bar; 740 Dauphine Street; 7 p.m.
Join DJ Kory and DJ Derek as they play Karaoke at Good Friends Bar. Behind the bar slinging your drinks for you are Jeremy, Ryan, and Tim.
Thanksgiving Dinner With A Purpose Benefitting Food For Friends; Bourbon Pub and Parade; 801 Bourbon Street; 7 – 10 p.m.
Toby Lefort and Sandy Sach’s Annual Dinner with a Purpose will benefit the No/Aids Task Force “Food For Friends”. There is a $5 admission or FREE with at least 5 cans of food. Let’s all join for an evening of fun and good food while helping to give others a nice Thanksgiving.
Thursday, November 16, 2017
Evening of Art, Wine and Song: 53 Elaine Avenue (Harahan); 7 – 10 p.m.
Join The Lords of Leather for our annual Evening of Art & Wine! Donation of $20 gets you entry into this beautiful event at a private home where you can buy artistic creations, crafts, bath and beauty items, and jewelry by local artists. To add to everyone’s enjoyment, the amazing and talented Vanessa Carr Kennedy will be performing! They will serve light snacks, red and white wine, as well as Leather Love and Laughter during this evening of relaxation, creativity, and beauty. There will be silent auction items available as well.
“Out For Queer Blood” Book Launch: Cafe Lafitte’s in Exile; 901 Bourbon Street; 7 – 10 p.m.
“Out for Queer Blood: The Murder of Fernando Rios, and the Failure of New Orleans Justice” By Clayton Delery will have a book launch at the oldest gay establishment in NOLA, Cafe Lafitte’s in Exile.
About the Book:
In September of 1958, three young men in the French Quarter were looking for a way to pass time on a Saturday night. They decided to beat up a gay man. They chose Fernando Rios, a tour guide from Mexico City who was visiting New Orleans as part of his job. The beating Rios received at their hands was so severe that he died of his injuries fifteen hour later. Though the assailants were arrested and tried, they were acquitted by a sympathetic jury, and when the verdict for acquittal was announced, the courtroom erupted into loud and sustained cheers.
Clayton Delery has written a riveting account of the crime itself, and the social and political context in which the events took place. He shows that New Orleans in the 1950’s did not have the free-spirited, laissez-faire attitude with which it is now credited, and was, in fact, engaged in an official municipal known as the drive against the deviates, which was intended to rid the city of homosexuality. Anti-Mexican prejudice was also at a high point, with thousands of people of Mexican heritage being forcibly deported as part of Eisenhower’s “Operation Wetback.” Fernando Rios had the misfortune to belong to two groups who were in particularly low regard at that place and time. Thus, Delery convincingly argues that both the crime and the verdict were not only predictable, but virtually inevitable.
About the Author:
Clayton Delery is also the author of The Up Stairs Lounge Arson (McFarland 2014). This non-fiction account of the deadliest fire in the history of New Orleans was named Book of the Year by the Louisiana Endowment for Humanities. After a teaching career that spanned more than thirty years, Delery retired from the Louisiana School for Math, Science, and the Arts, and moved to New Orleans, where he continues to write. Price: $19.99
The Jeff D Comedy Cabaret; Oz; 800 Bourbon Street; 10 p.m.
The Comedy Cabaret stars Jeff D. featuring Gia Giavanni. Enjoy hilarious comedians, amazing talent and the Ladies of Oz.
Strip Off: Oz; 800 Bourbon Street; midnight
Persana Shoulders hosts the Strip Off every Thursday night. Sign up begins at 11 p.m. and the show features a spotlight performance by Miss Gay Louisiana America 2013 Mercedes Ellis Loreal. Winners receive
1st PLACE – $100 Cash • 2nd PLACE – $50 Bar tab
Friday, November 17, 2017
At Home In The Vieux Carre Season Opener: 1022 St. Peter Street; 5:30 – 7 p.m.
A French Quarter favorite event is back and they’re kicking off this stunner of a season with a krewe of neighbors. They will have wine and other refreshments as guests will enjoy these tucked-away paradises.
Concerts int he Courtyard: Historic New Orleans Collection; 533 Royal Street; 6 – 8 p.m.
Join the final show of the 2017 fall Concerts in the Courtyard series. Javier Oloson & AsheSon will take the stage at 6 p.m. Admission is $10, free for The Historic New Orleans Collection members, and includes three beverages. White wine, craft beer, and soft drinks will be available. The exhibition Giants of Jazz: Art Posters and Lithographs by Waldemar Świerzy from the Daguillard Collection and the museum shop will also be open to concert attendees. Guests must be 21 or older to enter. In the event of rain, visitwww.hnoc.org. Capacity is limited, and the event is designed primarily for a standing audience. Outside chairs, food, and beverages are not permitted on the premises.
NOAGE Goes on Safari: The Audubon Zoo; 6500 Magazine Street; 7 – 10 p.m.
Join NOAGE for our third annual gala! This year’s theme is “NOAGE Goes on Safari!” The gala will feature music and dancing, an open bar, delicious food, an auction, and much more! All proceeds benefit New Orleans Advocates for GLBT Elders (NOAGE). Suggested dress code: Safari attire or dressy casual. Tickets will be $65. Get your tickets by going to Eventbrite or on their Facebook page. For more information, email info@noagenola.org or call (504)517-2345.
2017 Beaujolais Nouveau Celebration; JW Marriott; 614 Canal Street; 7 – 10 p.m.
The French-American Chamber of Commerce – Gulf Coast – celebrates the first wine of the harvest! With Georges DuBoeuf-Beaujolias Nouveau, we will be announcing the inaugural Tour de Fromages, an annual cheese and wine festival debuting November 2018!
The Celebration also features tastings from over 20 New Orleans vendors, entertainment by the Yat Pack, complimentary valet parking at the hotel (enter on Common St.). For information on ticket sales visit:https://501auctions.com/beaufacc or send an email to info@facc-gc.com.
Swamp Galaxy Gala: The Sugar Mill; 1021 Convention Center Blvd.; 7 – 11 p.m.
Come celebrate the opening of Prospect.4: The Lotus in Spite of the Swamp! Featuring dinner, dancing, and a New Orleans-style celebration at the Sugar Mill. This evening is sure to be an exciting evening of jubilee with wonderful cuisine, fabulous entertainment, exciting libations, and more! The attire is festive and all ticket will be held at the door. For more information, or assistance in purchasing, please contact Megan Koza Mitchell at 409.893.2201 or megan@prospectneworleans.org.
OOH La La: Favela Chic; 525 Frenchman Street; 9:30 p.m.
Vanessa Carr Presents is thrilled to announce her new show, Ooh La La! Opening Night is Friday, November 17th at 9:30 p.m. with the incomparable talents of Vanessa Carr Kennedy, Jessica Champagne, Karli LaCorre, Kayla Starr, and Miranda Kelli.
Playgirlz Show: The Golden Lantern; 1239 Royal Street; 10 p.m.
The show stars Gia Giovanni, Monica Sinclaire Kennedy,Cookie Baker, Vida Carlton and guest star Princesse Stephaney.
F$@K It Up: The Goat; 1301 St. Bernard Avenue; 11 p.m.
Enjoy some of your favorite DRAG QUEENS ‘F*@K IT UP’ for you literally! Staring Laveau Contraire, Franky, Gayle King Kong, Olivia Delye and hosted by Nicole Lynn Foxx. Doors at 11PM / Show at MIDNIGHT / $10 cover.
Saturday and Sunday, November 18 – 19, 2017
2017 TREMÉ CREOLE GUMBO FESTIVAL: Armstrong Park
Welcome to the 10th annual Tremé Creole Gumbo Festival – New Orleans’ premier brass band showcase. If you love brass bands and gumbo – or, better yet, enjoying some delicious gumbo while listening to brass bands playing live in a beautiful New Orleans park – then this is the event for you.
The 20176 Tremé Creole Gumbo Festival takes place Saturday, Nov. 18, and Sunday, Nov., 19, from 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. both days in Louis Armstrong Park. Admission is free. The festival is produced and presented by the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation, the nonprofit that owns the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival presented by Shell. Once again, we will host the finest display of traditional and contemporary New Orleans brass band jazz to be found anywhere on the planet.
Gumbo symbolizes the melting-pot nature of New Orleans’ culture. It’s a spicy, savory blend of ingredients and influences – much like the mélange of cultures that led to the advent of jazz in and around New Orleans’ historic Tremé neighborhood. The Tremé Creole Gumbo Festival is our way of paying tribute to our ancestors and our cultural traditions – with great food, music and fun. There will also be an art market and kids activities.
2017 Tremé Creole Gumbo Festival Performance Schedule:
Saturday, Nov. 18
11:00 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Tuba Skinny
12:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. Tremé Brass Band
2:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Original Pinstripe Brass Band
4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Free Agents Brass Band
6:15 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. To Be Continued (TBC) Brass Band
Sunday, Nov. 19
11:00 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. LPO Brass Ensemble
12:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. Pinettes Brass Band
2:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Hot 8 Brass Band
4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Trumpet Mafia
6:15 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Rebirth Brass Band
For more on what we do, please visit us at www.jazzandheritage.org.
Saturday, November 18, 2017
Thoroughbred Season Opening Day with Starlight Racing; Fair Griunds Race Course and Slots; 1751 Gentilly Blvd.; 3 – 11 p.m.
Join us for Opening Day of the 146th Thoroughbred Racing Season. We’re running out of the gates with Starlight Racing! The first post is at 3 p.m,. B The Chee-Weez are performing in the Clubhouse from 7-11 p.m . and The Jukebox Heroes of New Orleans will be in our newly re-designed Miller Lite Beer Garden from 4-9pm! For tickets go to
http://purchase.tickets.com/buy/TicketPurchase?orgid=41029&agency=FGNO_PLAGENCY.
Queer Tropics Opening and Pool Party/P.4 Opening Weekend; Pelican Bomb Gallery then Drifter Hotel; 5 – 11 p.m.
Join Pelican Bomb for an opening reception for “Queer Tropics,” their new exhibition at Pelican Bomb Gallery X (1612 Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard), followed by a poolside after-party at the Drifter Hotel (3522 Tulane Avenue) with exciting performances by four New Orleans-based artists. Think palm trees, bright colors, vivid patterns, and spicy cocktails. And the pool is heated.
5–8 pm: Opening Reception at Pelican Bomb Gallery X
1612 Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard – Free and open to the public
Artists on view: Ash Arder, Kerry Downey, Madeline Gallucci, Victoria Martinez, Joiri Minaya, Carlos Motta, Pacifico Silano, and Adrienne Elise Tarver.
“Queer Tropics” considers the abstract idea of the tropics and how that conception has been created, reinforced, and confronted through visual culture. “Queer Tropics” features eight artists from around the country who explore how our collective imagination of the tropics informs and is informed by aesthetics, sexuality, and tourism. The exhibition is organized by Pelican Bomb as a satellite program of “Prospect.4: The Lotus in Spite of the Swamp.”
8 pm–12 am: After-Party at the Drifter Hotel
3522 Tulane Avenue – $10 cover, drinks for sale
From 8:30 to 10:00 pm, drag, burlesque, and musical performances will pop up in different locations throughout the hotel. The line-up: Grand Mafun, Mz. Asa Metric, Lune Noirr, and Oblivia. And all night, we’ll be dancing to an exclusive mix by Cqqchifruit, one of the artists behind Chicago’s TRQPiTECA, a platform exploring queer and tropical aesthetics.
New Orleans Pride 8th Annual Pub Crawl: Around the French Quarter; 7 – 10 p.m.
Get ready for one of the biggest and best Pub Crawls in the French Quarter! New Orleans Pride hosts its 8th Annual Pub Crawl: The Color Crawl at 7:00 p.m. This year, New Orleans Pride is teaming up with Stonewall Sports! For every “Stonewall” ticket sold, the organization will receive $5 from New Orleans Pride. The crawl is open to the first 100 participants. $25 includes a limited edition 2018 New Orleans Pride T-Shirt, a Pride Bandana, shots and give-a-ways at up to 8 bars. This year, there will be a mix of free drinks, free shots, $1 shots, and happy hour drinks.
COSTUMES ARE ENCOURAGED! Come decked out in your favorite color and you can win extras! To register: NewOrleansPrideFestival.com on the event page.
Jason Dottley – Life on the Gay List 2 Premier; Four Seasons Bar; 3229 N. Causeway Blvd.; starting at 8 p.m.
Dottley star of “Sordid Lives:The Series” premiering his new one man show “Life on the Gay List 2: All The Sordid Details”at The Four Seasons Patio and Stage Bar Saturday November 18th doors at 8 p.m. and showtime 9 p.m. Get tickets on Eventbrite or their Facebook page.
Petronius Does Disney – Drag Show and Sing-a-long: Oz; 800 Bourbon Street, 8 – 10 p.m.
Join the Krewe of Petronius as we take on your favorite Disney numbers. All proceeds benefit Bal Masque LVII.
Tales From The Darkside Of A Room; Always Lounge; 2240 Sty. Claude Avenue; 8 p.m.
Three one act performances by three New Orleans queers. Dennis Monn presents “The Legend of Addie Hall” Monologue, Dreambaby presents “Witch Cabaret” Songs and stories Vinsantos presents “Hexorcisms and Feelings” Songs and Stories. This event takes place in the Allways Lounge Theater. Doors for this event are at 8pm and the show starts promptly at 9 p.m. There is a suggested $10 donation.
Sunday, November 19, 2017
The Krewe of Amon Ra Gumbo Cookoff: Napoleon’s Itch; 734 Bourbon Street; 11:30 a.m.
The Krewe of Amon ra presents their annual Gumbo cookoff. For $10 try several different kinds of gumbos from all the contestants. There is a $25 fee to enter the contest with you gumbo. The winner gets a $200. Cash prize.
Circus of Heathens: Four Seasons Bar; 3229 N. Causeway Blvd.; 7 – 10 p.m.
Step Right Up and join Four Seasons for a night of Depravity and Naughty Fun! Burlesque, Drag, and Live performances are all on the varied menu for the evening. Featuring Sir Solitaire, Sister Glory Bea, Sister Prim N Proper, Sister Moansalot, Christy LaRitz, Z, Cyanide Seduction and Tag deCuir.
Oz Show Night: Oz; 800 Bourbon Street; 9:30 p.m.
This popular drag show is hosted by Persana Shoulders and features Nicole Lynn Foxx, Lisa Beaumann, Connie Hung, Anastascia Davenport; Chichi Rodriguez and Dominique DeLorean.