Join STEPPIN' OUT for the premiere of its
25th season Friday, September 10, 2010
at 6:30 p.m. Repeats at 11:00 p.m.
This weekly program, hosted and produced by Peggy Scott Laborde, highlights our area's arts and entertainment scene with Poppy Tooker providing restaurant coverage, David Cuthbert covering the local theatre scene, Rick Barton fills us in on what movies to watch and John Kemp surveys the visual arts scene. Brian Morgan will continue to provide an overview of the classical music scene, and Alfred Richard remains STEPPIN' OUT'S critic-at-large.
The DeSoto Street Band on STEPPIN' OUT shown with Rick Barton, Peggy Scott Laborde,
Poppy Tooker and David Cuthbert.
“We have been so fortunate to be able to cover the area’s arts and entertainment scene for a quarter of a century! Even with the challenges of funding these days, the visual and performing arts remain vibrant. " said Laborde. “ We'll continue to cover the visual and performing arts scene and, in addition to our local writers, feature folks who are involved in cultural endeavors. We’ll also be presenting a series of features on some local museums and on how they are adapting to today’s New Orleans.”
STEPPIN' OUT guest Irving Mayfield with
Peggy Scott Laborde, Poppy Tooker and longtime entertainment critic Al Shea.
Look for profiles by producer Barbara Sillery on
the New Orleans Pharmacy Museum on Friday, September 17th and the New Orleans African-American Museum on Friday, September 24th. During the season, tune in for a profile on jazz drummer Paul Ferrara, who played with Louis Prima for many years and another on the history of the New Orleans Jazz Club.
STEPPIN' OUT is made pos
sible by
Brennan's Restaurant
and
The Historic New Orleans Collection
For additional information about STEPPIN' OUT, contact WYES Associate Producer Ashli Richard at (504) 840-4888, or at arichard@wyes.org.
Director is Michelle Fouchi Esneault
Technical Director is Maria Estevez
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Peggy remembers her friend and dedicated STEPPIN' OUT fashion and set consultant
- CELESTE JUDELL -
WHEN I FIRST MET CELESTE, I WAS A BIT OVERWHELMED. IT WAS CERTAINLY A GOOD KIND OF OVEWHELMED.
HERE WAS THIS GLAMOROUS, GORGEOUS WOMAN WHO I THOUGHT WOULD BE UNAPPROACHABLE.
BOY WAS I WRONG! SHE WAS WARM, AND DOWN TO EARTH.
I FIRST MET HER WHILE SHE WAS VOLUNTEERING FOR THE STATION WITH THE PRODUCERS CIRCLE, A GROUP OF DONORS WHO SUPPORT LOCAL PROGRAMMING.
ONE DAY SHE OFFERED TO HELP ME WITH MY WARDROBE FOR STEPPIN' OUT. I THOUGHT THIS MEANT PERHAPS A FEW FASHION TIPS. INSTEAD WHAT DEVELOPED WAS A WARM FRIENDSHIP THAT INCLUDED CELESTE BECOMING OUR FAHION CONSULTANT AND SET CONSULTANT, SINCE WE HAD TO START FROM SCRATCH AFTER KATRINA.
FOR OVER A DECADE, SHE MADE US LOOK CLASSY. ALWAYS INTERESTED IN THE ARTS, SHE CAME UP WITH ‘THE PAINTING OF THE WEEK” IDEA THAT SHOWCASED LOCAL ARTISTS.
SHE WAS A KEEN OBSERVER. SHE WOULD WATCH OUR PROGRAM EACH WEEK, EVEN THOUGH SHE WAS THERE AT THE STEPPIN’ OUT TAPING, AND WOULD MAKE SUGGESTIONS AS TO HOW SOMETHING COULD BE BETTER OR OF COURSE EXTEND A COMPLIMENT IF SHE PARTICULARLY ENJOYED SOMETHING ON THE SHOW.
SHE WAS INVOLVED WITH MANY ORGANIZATIONS BUT OPERA WAS TRULY A LOVE. WORKING TIRELESSLY FOR THE WOMEN’S GUILD OF THE NEW ORLEANS OPERA ASSOCIATION, SHE CHAIRED THE MADHATTERS LUNCHEON, AMONG MANY ACTVITIES, AND WAS ON THE BOARD OF AMICI, A GROUP OF MUSIC LOVERS WHO ASSIST THE REGIONAL FINALISTS OF THE METROPOLITAN OPERA COMPETITION .
CELESTE WAS SOMEONE WHO WANTED EVERYONE TO LOOK THEIR BEST AND SO SHE RAISED FUNDS TO HELP COVER THE BUDDING OPERA SINGER’S EXPENSES, WHICH WOULD OFTEN INCLUDE A NICE OUTFIT TO WEAR AT THE NEW YORK AUDITION.
BUT OF COURSE FIRST AND FOREMOST FOR CELESTE WAS HER FAMILY. SHE AND HAROLD WERE VERY CLOSE AND OFTEN SEEN AT BENEFIT GALAS, ALWAYS ELEGANTLY ATTIRED. SHE ADORED HER CHILDREN AND THEIR CHILDREN, AND SPOKE OF THEM OFTEN.
CELESTE WAS BORN IN BEVERLY HILLS. HER MOM WAS A SILENT FILM STAR. MAYBE THAT WAS JUST A HINT OF WHY CELESTE EXUDED THE POISE AND GLAMOUR THAT SHE DID. I ALSO ALWAYS THOUGHT SHE WAS BRAVE. SHE WASN’T AFRAID TO ASK FOR DONATIONS FOR GOOD CAUSES. THAT’ S HARD TO DO.
CELESTE AND HAROLD LOVED TENNIS AND TRAVEL. THEY WENT ALL OVER THE WORLD, BUT THEIR TRIPS TO WIMBLEDON WERE VERY SPECIAL TO THEM ,AND THEY WERE EARLY SUPPORTERS AND FIXTURES AT THE US OPEN.
MANY YEARS AGO MY FRIEND DAVID CUTHBERT CAME UP WITH A TERM THAT EPITOMIZES CELESTE. SOME FOLKS HAVE A GENEROSITY OF SPIRIT. I WOULD ADD THAT SHE ALSO HAD A SPIRIT OF GENEROSITY. SHE WAS ALWAYS INTERESTED IN YOUR ACTIVITIES TOO, YOUR TRIP. AND HER ENERGY LEVEL WAS CERTAINLY AN INSPIRATION.
I AM SO GRATEFUL TO HAVE KNOWN HER, LEARNED FROM HER AND SO ENJOYED THE TIME WE SPENT TOGETHER. SHE HAS SET HIGH STANDARDS AND THE BEST WAY TO HONOR HER IS TO CONTINUE TO MEET THOSE STANDARDS.
THANK YOU CELESTE FOR BEING YOU.
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