New Orleans and burlesque hold a similar, seductive power. Both are fundamentally feminine and lavish in culture and passion. On Tuesday at 5 p.m., the Louisiana Humanities Center’s “The People Say Project” brings the two together in a discussion about culture and money, with another in a series of conversations hosted by Brian Boyles, the director of public relations and programs at the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities. Tuesday’s guests are burlesque artists Trixie Minx and Wild Cherry, who come from different generations, and they will discuss what it takes to get by.
Trixie Minx. Photo by Elsa Hahne.
So, why burlesque? Partially because New Orleans’ culture and people do make up the ideal climate for such an art form to flourish. The event also roughly coincides with the New Orleans Burlesque Festival, which starts Thursday. However, the inspirational thread for the match-up between Trixie and Wild Cherry came from Boyle’s partner in the project, Jarret Lofstead, an instructor of English at Loyola University New Orleans. “We usually try to find subjects that will be an interesting combination, and that will be able to hold a conversation on culture and economics,” Boyles says. Lofstead knew Minx to be a dynamic presence on the burlesque scene, and she suggested Wild Cherry, who spent a lot of time on Bourbon Street throughout her career. (Wild Cherry will also be a part of the Legends Panel at the New Orleans Burlesque Festival Saturday at noon at the Canal Place Westin.)
“One of the cooler things about this project is the limitless list of subjects to chose from for future conversations,” Boyles says. Next month’s panel has not been finalized, but since the LEH is a partner with the New Orleans Film Festival, the discussion will be on the economics of film in New Orleans. On November 15, writer and creative writing teacher Anne Gisleson will be in conversation with Vera Warren Williams, owner of the Community Book Center, and George Porter, Jr. and Dee-1 will talk about the business of music on December 13.
The environment of “People Say” will resemble that of a late-night talk show, Boyles says. “We talk directly to the artists and try to get an intergenerational response.” The goal of the series goes beyond entertainment, though. He wants “People Say” to expose the realities of the culture business as experience by those who work in it. “Only then can we begin to understand what is really working and what isn’t, so we can then plot a better course for the city—a step that is typically skipped.”
Because the “People Say” conversations take place during happy hour, there will be free food from Green Goddess, Zapp’s, and Cupcake Fairies, and free beer from Abita.
