Saturday, November 26, 2011

Quirky Fun in New Orleans

It has been four years since we have been back to New Orleans for the Fringe Festival.  There were over 75 groups performing in many, many venues around the city.   The performances we attended included a fast paced monologue describing life after death in Heaven, a two woman comedy team presenting how each overcame matriarchal deficiencies of alcoholism and narcolepsy to become well-adjusted humans, a theatrical group depicting life in the old west where any problem was solved by a dead eye aim of a six shooter, two contortionists playing inside and outside of gigantic objects of a spool of thread, a rabbit, and buttons, and a madcap circus complete with trapeze artists, juggler, acrobats, lion, ring master, hula hoopers, and accordionist.



Yard art in the Faubourg Marigny and Bywater neighborhoods was part of the festival.




A ribbon cutting ceremony was held for Louis Armstrong Park after several years of mismanagement and shoddy construction.  The Treme Brass Band accompanied the scissor holders that included the Mayor of New Orleans. There were both repaired and new sculptures to grace the grounds of the center of music culture in the United States.






A large group of people attended especially for the opening of Congo Square in the park celebrating with drumming and singing and dancing.





The Spotted Cat is our favorite music venue on Frenchmen Street.  The Smoking Time Jazz Club was playing great dancy jazzy music when we dropped in for a set.



Everyone must eat at the Commander's Palace at least once in their lifetime where at least four waiters make your visit a warm and tasty one for over two hours.