I’ve loved dancing with the Pussyfooters in the annual Krewe of Jingle holiday parade for years. Sadly, the parade didn’t survive the pandemic, so organizers from various local organizations came together to create the first ever Children’s Hospital Holiday Parade. The float builders at Kern Studios created Louisiana and New Orleans-centritc floats like alligators and Mr. Bingle. TV cameras were set up throughout the city to report the action. Floating balloons (like in the Macy’s parade) were added to the many dance krewes and school bands crowds have come to expect. Continue reading
Tag Archives: Bryan Batt
Inaugural Children’s Hospital Holiday Parade
Filed under Carnival, Charity, Culture, decorations and costumes, free events and lagniappe, parade
Tagged as 610 stompers, beads, Blaine Kern, Bryan Batt, Children's Hospital, Children's Hospital Holiday Parade, Dolly Parton, Downtown Development District, El Lucha Krewe, Femme Fatale, Femme Fatales, floats, french quarter, holiday parade, Jingle parade, Kern, Kern Studios, Krewe of Dolly, Krewe of Iris, Krewe of Jingle, Krewe of Jingle Parade, Krewe of the Rolling Elvi, La Lucha Krewe, latonola, Laura Cayouette, Lucha Krewe, Mande Milkshakers, mardi gras, Margaret Orr, Mr. Bingle, Mystic Krewe of Femme Fatale, new orleans, parade, Pussyfooters, Rolling Elvi, Roux La La, Rudolph, Sassyracs, Smokey Mary, The Beyjorettes, the Pussyfooters
New Orleans Mystery Books
When I started this blog, I was working on a novel, Lemonade Farm. Ten years later, I’ve finished that novel, an acting book, Know Small Parts: An Actor’s Guide to Turning Minutes into Moments and Moments ints a Career with foreword by Richard Dreyfuss and endorsements from Kevin Costner, Lou Diamond Phillips and many more – and with the release of The Family Secret: A Charlotte Reade Mystery – I’ve just completed a 5-book series.
The first book of the mysteries-not-murders series begins as the Saints are marching toward their Super Bowl victory during Mardi Gras in 2009-10. As actor/producer Charlotte aids in the search for a birth mother, she comes across a haunted chandelier, and a mystery in her own family’s past. Continue reading →
Filed under Carnival, Concerts, Culture, decorations and costumes, entertainment industry, free events and lagniappe, history, Local Cuisine, Mardi Gras 2013, parade, shopping, Super Bowl 2010, the Saints
Tagged as A Charlotte Reade Mystery, acting, acting book, actor, Allison Leotta, amateur sleuth, bayona, behind-the-scenes, birth mother, book lovers, book promo, book series, book signing, Bryan Batt, carnival, Charlotte Reade, Charlotte Reade mysteries, concert, cozy mystery, cozy mystery series, Dancing Man 504, dancingman504, Django Unchained, drew brees, Easter Parade, family secret, FiFi Mahoney's, Fifi Mahony's, floats, french quarter, garden district, Garden District Book Shop, gift ideas, gifts, Glen David Andrews, good book, haunted chandelier, heist, John Schneider, kevin costner, Know Small Parts, Know Small Parts: An Actor's Guide to Turning Minutes into Moments and Moments into a Career, latonola, Laura Cayouette, Lemonade Farm, los angeles, Lou Diamond Phillips, M.S. Rau, M.S. Rau Antiques, mardi gras, Muff-A-Lottas, mystery series, new orleans, New Orleans mystery, Nola Snow, Nola Snow Snoballs, novel, parade, Pinterest, Pussyfooters, Q&A, Quentin Tarantino, readers, rebirth brass band, Red Fish Grill, Restaurant, richard dreyfuss, roots of music, Saints, second line, series, st. charles, Super Bowl, Superdome, The Family Secret, The Family Secret: A Charlotte Reade Mystery, The Haunted Heirloom, The Hidden Huntsman, The Missing Ingredient, The Secret of the Other Mother, theft, thief, Trashy Diva, treme, Wednesday at the Square, who dat, YouTube, YouTube playlist
Parades! ‘tit Rex, Krewe Boheme, Krewe du Vieux & Krewe Delusion
It was a gorgeous 75 and sunny day for the 10th annual ‘tit Rex parade. The miniature parade is an adult, often satirical spectacle of big creativity in tiny form. There were even people sipping little Bloody Mary’s, passing out tiny throws and cocktail umbrellas. Barbie and her friends in Mardi Gras beads crowded with their arms outstretched, their kids sitting in ladder chairs. Like my parents, people here grew up making shoebox floats in grade school and parading them down the halls, so the creations are nostalgic for many.
The weekend started with a new French Quarter walking parade from Krewe Boheme. Continue reading →
Filed under Carnival, Culture, decorations and costumes, free events and lagniappe, history, Mardi Gras 2019, parade, walking
Tagged as 'Tit Rex, beads, brass band, brass bands, Bryan Batt, carnival, Chewbacchus, dancingman504, floats, french quarter, krewe, Krewe Boheme, Krewe du Vieux, Krewe of Chewbacchus, Krewedelusion, latonola, mardi gras, miniature, music, New Breed, New Breed Brass Band, new orleans, parade, paradetracker.com, shoebox parade, throws, Tom Cianfichi
Reading, Writing and Gift Ideas
Whenever I go too long between writing posts for this blog, you can rest assured I’m still writing. When I started this blog in 2009, I wrote all the time – at least a couple posts a week. Then I took a job writing for a local paper and it cut into my blogging time a bit. In 2012, I published my first book, Know Small Parts: An Actor’s Guide to Turning Minutes into Moments and Moments ints a Career with foreword by Richard Dreyfuss and endorsements from Kevin Costner and a dozen other industry luminaries. Next came Lemonade Farm, my first novel. Award winning and New York Times bestselling author Tom Franklin Continue reading →
Filed under Culture, entertainment industry, Mardi Gras 2010, shopping, Uncategorized
Tagged as 1970s, A Charlotte Reade Mystery, acting, acting career, acting industry, actor, actor's guide, Airplane Reading, Allison Leotta, amateur sleuth, author, blog, blogging, book, books, Bryan Batt, chandelier, Charlotte Reade, Charlotte Reade Mystery, Christmas, commune, cozy mystery, culture, dance, Dancing Man 504, dancingman504, detective novels, Django Unchained, festivals, food, Garden District Book Shop, gift ideas, gifts, good book, haunted, haunted chandelier, Haunted Heirloom, haunted house, Hidden Huntsman, holiday gift, How to Be a Widow, How to Be a Widow: A Journey from Grief to Growth, kevin costner, Know Small Parts, Know Small Parts: An Actor’s Guide to Turning Minutes into Moments and Moments ints a Career, latonola, Laura Cayouette, Lemonade Farm, mardi gras, Missing Ingredient, music, mysteries, Mystery, mystery series, new orleans, New Orleans mystery, New Orleans Pelicans, New Orleans Saints, Norma Dupont, novel, parade, parades, Pelicans, Pinterest, Pinterest clipboard, playlist, promo video, Pussyfooters, Quentin Tarantino, reviews, richard dreyfuss, Saints, season ticket holder, Secret of the Other Mother, shopping, signed book, signed copies, summaries, Super Bowl, The Haunted Heirloom, The Hidden Huntsman, The Missing Ingredient, The Secret of the Other Mother, Tom Franklin, videos, writer, writing, YouTube
Another New Orleans Mystery!
If you’ve read any of my books, perhaps you’re already familiar with Charlotte Reade, the L.A. actor who returns to her family home in New Orleans to attend a funeral and ends up helping to find a birth mother in The Secret of the Other Mother: A Charlotte Reade Mystery. Charlotte’s search takes her down a path that starts in a laundromat in the 1950’s and winds through costume experts and a burlesque tour before landing her on the infamous Bourbon Street. Set during the Saints’ 2009 march to Super Bowl victory and the most-amazing-Mardi-Gras-ever, many of the details of those events are based on this blog.
Charlotte’s back in this second installment of the local best-seller Charlotte Reade Mystery series, The Hidden Huntsman. Continue reading →
Filed under Concerts, Culture, decorations and costumes, entertainment industry, history, Local Cuisine, Mardi Gras 2010, moving, oil spill catastrophe, parade, Super Bowl 2010, the Saints
Tagged as acting, amateur sleuth, Amazon, author, bayona, birth mother, book, Book Tent, brass band, Bryan Batt, carnival, chandelier, Charlotte Reade, Charlotte Reade Mystery, child literacy, children's literacy, Commander's Palace, concert, dancingman504, Derrick Tabb, family, family mystery, french quarter, French Quarter Fest, garden district, Garden District Book Shop, ghost, Hazelnut, Hidden Huntsman, jazz fest, Kindle, latonola, Laura Cayouette, literacy, los angeles, Mad Men, magazine street, mardi gras, mardi gras indian, music, Mystery, mystery book, mystery series, new orleans, New Orleans Gulf South Booksellers Association, New Orleans mystery, NOGSBA, oil disaster, parade, paranormal, Pinterest, playlist, promo, Pussyfooters, rebirth brass band, Restaurant, roots of music, Saints, second line, Secret of the Other Mother, series, signed copy, st. charles, stalker, Super Bowl, super sunday, Superdome, Susan Spicer, The Hidden Huntsman, The Hidden Huntsman: A Charlotte Reade Mystery, The Secret of the Other Mother, The Secret of the Other Mother: A Charlotte Reade Mystery, treme, Wednesday at the Square, YouTube
Pussyfooting in the Krewe of Thoth Parade and Mardi Gras Wrap-up
It’s been a week since Carnival ended and I’m still winding down from my best and busiest Mardi Gras season ever! As always, I attended dozens of parades, caught throws and wore costumes but this year I was a Pussyfooter in 3 parades, even wearing my pink pride while riding with Quentin Tarantino in his Orpheus float. Experiencing the parades from the inside gave my insight into the work, love and commitment it takes to create the biggest party in the world and provide it to everyone for free. Bless the Krewes who pay for this extravaganza and the thousands of people who costume-up to throw beads, dance, play in bands, twirl batons, stilt walk, ride horseback, sling flambeau lamps, roller skate and otherwise entertain the masses. Continue reading →
Filed under Carnival, Culture, decorations and costumes, entertainment industry, festival, free events and lagniappe, Mardi Gras 2014, parade, the Saints
Tagged as bacchus, Barkus, beads, Bryan Batt, carnival, Chewbacchus, Children's Hospital, costumes, cupid shuffle, Django Unchained, floats, Greasing of the Poles, high school, John Schneider, krewe, Krewe Delusion, Krewe of Bacchus, Krewe of Barkus, Krewe of Chewbacchus, Krewe of Orpheus, Krewe of Thoth, Laissez Boys, latonola, magazine street, marching band, mardi gras, Muff-A-Lottas, music, new orleans, Organ Grinders, orpheus, parade, paradetracker.com, Pussyfooter, Quentin Tarantino, riding, Saints, st. charles, Thomas Morstead, thoth, throws
Judging the Greasing of the Poles
Last year, I was asked to be a “Celebrity Pole Greaser” at the Royal Sonesta’s 43rd Greasing of the Poles to kick off Carnival weekend. The person who recommended me to the Sonesta was a fan of this blog and a member of the Pussyfooters – who performed with me that day. While we were lining up to go out to the crowd, another Pussyfooter suggested I should join their group. I’ve loved watching them since my first full Mardi Gras season in 2010. Just seeing their pink power dancing my way made me smile and made me proud of my own brand of pink-corset-and-combat-boots femininity. Continue reading →
Filed under Carnival, Culture, decorations and costumes, entertainment industry, free events and lagniappe, Mardi Gras 2014, parade, the Saints
Tagged as acting, Bryan Batt, carnival, chef, d'etat, endymion, Fleur de Tease, french quarter, Greasing of the Poles, Hermes, iris, Jodi Borrello, John Folse, latonola, Mad Men, Malcolm Jenkins, mardi gras, morpheus, new orleans, orpheus, Praline Dupree, Pussyfooters, Quentin Tarantino, Royal Sonesta, Saints, Thomas Morstead, thoth, tucks
A Very Big Easy Birthday Party
New Orleans is known for being a good time and a great place to party. There may be no bigger party in the nation then the marathon of Mardi Gras – especially when we are taking a “break” from Carnival in the middle to have a week of Super Bowl festivities! That said, the only topper would be to celebrate your birthday during this party-palooza. A friend of mine did just that last weekend and it was as good as it gets. Continue reading →
Filed under Carnival, Concerts, Culture, entertainment industry, Local Cuisine, Mardi Gras 2013, parade
Tagged as Barkus, beads, birthday, Bounce AEG, Brennan's, Bryan Batt, Carrie Fisher, chef, Chrissie Hynde, concert, Dan Aykroyd, Dane Rhodes, Django Unchained, Donald Link, Dr. John, Elms Mansion, Emeril, floats, french quarter, General Honore, Glen David Andrews, Gregg Allman, Harry Shearer, House of Blues, Jason Latimer, Jessie Karlin, Joe Walsh, John Besh, Judith Owen, katrina, Kimberly Roberts, Knights of Sparta, latonola, M Bistro, Make It Right, mardi gras, Mindi Abair, music, new orleans, Nick Mason, parade, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Republic, Restaurant, Ritz Carlton, Robbie Robertson, Saints, st. charles, Steamboat Natchez, Super Bowl, Trouble the Water, Vernon Reid, who dat
Saints in the Playoffs at the Dome!
The Saints have a name for for the fans that attend the games at the Superdome – the Twelfth Man. Like all fans, we cheer on our team when they do well and encourage them when they need it. What makes us the Twelfth Man, the extra player on the field, is our volume. We play defense, drowning out all attempts by the opposing team to communicate in the huddle and at the line of scrimmage. Just like the team brings a little extra enthusiasm to each playoff game driving them closer to the Super Bowl, so did the Twelfth Man. Continue reading →
Filed under decorations and costumes, Super Bowl 2010, the Saints, walking
Tagged as 610 stompers, Archbishop Hannan, BCS Championship, bourbon street, brass band, Brett Patron, Bryan Batt, Champions Square, crunk, drew brees, flag, french quarter, Golden Girls, latonola, LSU, Mad Men, marching band, Mercedes-Benz Superdome, new orleans, NFL, Our Lady of the Star Sea, Pierre Thomas, pre-game chant, Saints, second line, Super Bowl, Superdome, Ticket Exchange, Tiger, Tony Ricard, Twelfth Man, who dat, Who Dat Nation