This week, while the nation focuses upon the second inaugural of Donald J. Trump on Monday, January 20, 2025 (ironically also the Martin Luther King holiday), the Louisiana political world will be focused on the following four-day weekend in the nation’s capitol. Hy and Christopher talk about the major event and even go into how Opera influenced Mardi Gras— a major theme of the first event of Washington Mardi Gras.Washington Mardi Gras may have begun 76 years ago as means for homesick Pelican State congressional staffers to throw themselves a Carnival Ball, yet from Thursday, January 23 to Sunday, January 26 the entire Louisiana political establishment will descend upon the Washington Hilton for a series of receptions so grand and well-funded that the main event of the Ball Saturday night almost feels like an afterthought.Interest groups have good reasons to put on a cavalcade of parties and mixers, one after another, as every elected official in Louisiana is invited each year to the Ball, and as such, a good party allows facetime with a Parish President, Legislator, or member of Congress, all at the same time. Over 2000 Louisianas attend. Interestingly, this year, thanks to Louisiana’s GOP bent, many of the attendees will come for Trump’s inauguration and stay the week, with extends the parties to Wednesday night—where Gov. Jeff Landry will be feted with a major fundraiser.Still, Washington Mardi Gras is supposed to stand as a non-partisan event. New Orleans Democratic Congressman Troy Carter serves as the 2025 Chairman of the Ball Committee, and the various events welcome politicians and their staffs from both sides of the aisle. This year’s King is Hispanic (Rico Alvendia, a decorated Iraq War vet, West Point grad, and founder of the Krewe of Mars) and Queen is African-American (Kendall Williams, a college student and noted civic volunteer who also founded the ‘Diversity Club’ at Louise McGehee School).Even the events betray a non-partisan gist. Thursday kicks off with the New Orleans Opera Association’s fundraiser/concert at the James Beard-award winning Equinox Restaurant from 11:30-2 pm with a Franco-Creole luncheon and a performance by LA-born Metropolitan Opera star Cadie J. Bryan (NOOA’s Susanna in 2023 Le nozze di Figaro) at $350 per person and honoring Opera-supporter LA PSC Commissioner Eric Skrmetta.That is followed by 'economic development' lunches hosted by “Elevate Louisiana” and “Louisiana Alive”, invitation-only dinners for politicians and their supporters Thursday evening, the Chamber’s luncheon on Friday, then an endless number of private receptions in the Washington Hilton that afternoon, evening, and throughout the day Saturday. The Ball is Saturday night at the same hotel, and JEDCO underwrites the breakfast-goodbye Sunday morning.It is not an accident that the bar at the Hilton is draped with a banner reading “Welcome to the 65th Parish”. It is the center of the political year for interest groups, a series of parties with the purpose of kicking off the legislative session, the state’s priorities in the next Congress, and the simple act of asking every politician necessary for support on a particular issue—when they are assembled in the same place, and unusually pliable after days of libations.The fact that key political players from other states now clamor to attend the receptions and Ball underpins Louisiana’s growing Congressional power. Steve Scalise is a long-time member of the Mystic Krewe of Louisianans, and he and Mike Johnson attend multiple events yearly. They draw fellow members of the leadership to the parties. So does Troy Carter, who often is able to convince his fellow Democrats (sometimes including his one-time fraternity brother Hakeem Jeffries) to come by for a drink, food, or a second-line. In other words, as the new Trump Administration comes to power, the Pelican State reminds all of Washington that week who is in control at the other side of Pennsylvania Ave.—and our tribunes in DC do it in the most Louisiana way; throw a party.Modern Mardi Gras was Born Though OperaMany know New Orleans as “America’s First City of Opera”. After all, the performance of Sylvain in 1796 constituted the first staged opera in current boundaries of the United States. Moreover, New Orleans would host the North American premieres works by European master composers such as Verdi, Rossini, and Bellini from 1830 to 1912, with dozens of major operas first presented to US audiences in the Crescent City.Less well known was that French Opera House –Théâtre de l'Opéra– served as the center of New Orleans Carnival from 1859 until 1919 (when it was destroyed by fire). Parading Krewes like Comus, Momus, Proteus, and Rex and society balls such as Nereus, Athenians, and Atlanteans all would meet at the French Opera House for their revels—which always included an operatic performance as part of their ...
