Know What It Means

Saw the Ricky Graham show at Le Chat Noir, I Know What It Means, which is in answer to Louis Armstrong's question, "Do you know what it means to miss New Orleans?", the anthem of post-Katrina New Orleans. Ricky Graham claims that he does.

What can I say? It's a cabaret show. Jokes, costumes, songs. Ricky Graham's a talented performer and comic. A boy-man who sings like Carol Channing. But I gotta say, I don't love musical theatre. And unless you are a local or have lived some portion of time in New Orleans, you won't get much of the show, reminiscences of the way things used to be.

I remember some things. I did live in New Orleans in the early 80s. There were still Maison Blanche and D.H. Holmes department stores, the Macy's and Gimbel's of New Orleans. The World Expo was here. I remember the Rosenburg's jingle and Becky Allen on the radio doing the Time Saver commercials. I made a Mardi Gras float out of a shoebox in elementary school. My family frequented a chain of Chinese restaurants called "Takee Outee". I know who Morgus the Magnificent is/was and Mister Bingle. So I got a lot of the jokes, but pity any tourists who saw the show.

Ricky Graham does come up with some entertaining characters. The black, Uptown blues singer who pronounces "Orleans" like "onions". Miss Yvonne. I did not care for Louis XIV. But I always enjoy a slide show, and have used them in my own comedy.