Page 195 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - New Orleans

ENTER T AINMENT IN NE W ORLEANS  193

In the Marigny, The dazzling inside, with interiors
AllWays Lounge is a bar that suggest a frozen Mardi
and theater presenting Gras theme. Slot machines
more edgy material in predominate, but there are
an intimate, colorful also tables for blackjack, craps,
performance space. baccarat, and poker. Harrah’s
The New Orleans has slowly ventured into live
Contemporary Arts entertainment as well, with
Center (see p99) comedy and a Las Vegas-
doesn’t have a resident type revue. The area has two
company but hosts riverboat casinos – Treasure
numerous productions Chest in Kenner and Boomtown
every year, many of Casino on the West Bank.
The musicians of the Louisiana them multimedia,
Philharmonic Orchestra avant-garde works.
Le Petit Théâtre du Sports and Major Arenas
breaks of 2005. As a result, the Vieux Carré (see p57) is the city’s New Orleans loves its sports.
building has recaptured all of oldest theater troupe, dating The vast Mercedes-Benz
the glimmer and glamor of its from 1916. The company leans Superdome (see p97) is a
youth. Four more of the city’s toward musicals and comedies, national venue for sports, home
premier downtown venues usually with elaborate sets of the annual Sugar Bowl (see
were damaged by the disaster: and costumes. p45), and host to high-profile
the Municipal Auditorium, Professional dance companies events such as the Super Bowl.
the Saenger Theatre, the visit New Orleans several The hometown teams are the
State Palace Theatre, and the times a year under the aegis New Orleans Saints for football
Orpheum (the long-time home of the New Orleans Ballet and the New Orleans Pelicans
of the local orchestra). Along Association. There hasn’t been for basketball. After Katrina, the
with the old Joy moviehouse a New Orleans Ballet since 1991, venue was closed but reopened
on Canal Street, these venues but the organization presents in 2006 after a multimillion-
are in various stages of planning important companies such as dollar restoration.
for redevelopment as part the Alvin Ailey American Dance For baseball, the city has the
of a grand vision for a new Theater, the Miami Ballet, and Triple-A minor-league Zephyrs,
theater district. the Joffrey Ballet. Several times a farm team of the New York
The Louisiana Philharmonic a year, dance performances are Mets. They play at Zephyr
Orchestra (LPO) also has a also held at Newcomb College Stadium, in suburban Jefferson
strong traditional slant and of Tulane University (see pp112– Parish, a state-of-the-art facility
produces highly acclaimed 13), a former women’s college that even has a hot tub for use if
performances. The orchestra with a long history of dance you rent the private picnic area.
currently performs in the innovation and study. College baseball is a big draw,
Mahalia Jackson Theater and especially the Tulane, University
other venues around town. of New Orleans, and Louisiana
The symphony also holds Casinos State University teams.
several outdoor concerts Legal gambling came to New Horseracing has a long history
each year, in either Audubon Orleans in the 1990s, but the here. The Fair Grounds race
or City Park. law allows only one full-fledged course (see p128) is one of the
Theater in New Orleans has casino to exist at any one site. oldest continuously operated
become exciting with the rise of Harrah’s Casino (see p91) is a tracks in the country. The season
new playwrights, adventurous full-service casino that is runs from November to March.
productions, and an experi-
mental stage. The Southern
Repertory Theater is the city’s
leading theater company. It
presents strong new works
from around the country,
while actively seeking out
Louisiana playwrights.
There are also several nomad
theater groups that perform
in bars, coffeehouses, and
other unconventional spaces,
producing original works with
New Orleans themes and
reinterpreting the classics –
La Bohème in drag, for instance. The Mercedes-Benz Superdome, one of the country’s premier sports venues

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