Centerplate’s multisensory, multimedia and multicourse culinary and historical jazz dinner theater show “Creole, of Course,” at the Ernest N. Morial New Orleans Convention Center, is in pre-production and is preparing to lure locals and tourists alike to celebrate New Orleans’ Tricentennial.
“Creole, of Course” offers an overview of the rich history and culture of The Big Easy, dancing by Mardi Gras Indian Chief Honey Banister and the Wild Bamboulas, live jazz music and five-course cuisine prepared by Centerplate’s world-renowned Chef Stephan Blaser. But, there is one more measure in the mix that makes this new entertainment extravaganza a must-see – creative content and narration by award-winning local author and artist Morgan Molthrop.
“No one has been able to create a show that captures the essence of New Orleans in video and with live performances during a jazz dinner theater setting,” Molthrop said. “Our show marches visitors through our incredible history with a matching menu, cooking demos and a lot of audience interaction. Really, when you come to New Orleans, you go on a steamboat or on a tour or to a jazz club. With this, you get a taste of many experiences with a wonderful story that ties it all together.”
Molthrop lived in Manhattan for 13 years and worked on Wall Street as a consultant for The Walt Disney Company. He graduated from New York Law School, taught at NYU, and most recently was the Chief Creative Officer of Custom Conventions New Orleans, the City’s oldest destination management company. This week, Molthrop announced his departure from Custom to concentrate on developing “Creole, of Course,” an official sponsor of the Tricentennial, and producing additional New Orleans-based shows.
“Custom is a destination management company that hosts many incoming groups,” Molthrop said. “Because ‘Creole, of Course’ will be sold to incoming groups, it’s a conflict of interest for me to be captive with one destination management company. We want all groups coming to New Orleans to see this unique show.”
“‘Creole, of Course’ fits with Centerplate’s goal of enhancing our local presence in one of our most unique and flavorful markets,” Richard Ginzel, General Manager of catering and hospitality service company Centerplate, said. “Tens of thousands of guests come to the city annually for conventions, and we want to make sure they get a taste for our food and culture when they are here.”
“You don’t need to make it up,” Carling Dinkler III, CEO of Custom Conventions New Orleans, said about New Orleans’ enviable folklore. “It’s all here.”
Dinkler has been in the destination management consulting industry since 1983, selling “authentic experiences” to corporate groups, cultural visionaries, conventioneers and a celebrity clientele.
“What I learned at Custom Conventions from Carling Dinkler III really helped me understand that groups in the city and visitors are craving authentic, safe experiences that answer the question ‘Why is New Orleans so unique?’ I have a talent and background for answering that question and found I am much better at the content side than at logistics.”
Creative content for “Creole, of Course” was developed by Molthrop’s publishing house Barataria Communications, which has also published his books including “Jean Lafitte’s Pirate Code,” “Andrew Jackson’s Playbook: 15 Strategies for Success,” “Love: New Orleans” and “Artist Spaces.”
Molthrop, who is considered one of New Orleans’ “premier storytellers” said life after Custom will include developing more entertaining, educational and cultural productions to be performed on one of the world’s greatest stages.
“New Orleans is a storyteller’s paradise,” Molthrop said. “You have incredible material to work with and a local audience that loves to hear about the people that made this city great. Content is ‘where it’s at’ and by focusing on ‘story’ I am positioning the company to take advantage of the setting, cast and sensory overload that is New Orleans. We tell the stories of New Orleans so that locals and guests get why we are so cool.
“Also, I use my own art and I do my own photography and I write the scripts,” he said. “We use a great videographer, Fire on the Bayou, but we can do filming and turn-around very quickly, which is necessary these days. When I paint or go out to photograph, I always find a new aspect of the story I would not think about if I were just scripting this stuff. New Orleans is multi-layered and to really understand it we take a very creative approach.”
Molthrop is currently performing a show about the entrepreneurial skills of French-American pirate and privateer Jean Lafitte based on his book.
“With painted backdrops of New Orleans in 1800, when Lafitte arrives, and the bayous in which he operated, I briefly tell the story of the pirate and then place him in the context of contemporary business practice,” he said. “What strategies did he use to corner the market and make himself the richest man in America? How did he use his charm and charisma to keep himself and his business front and center? How did he get away with it all? We go through a list of his secrets in an interactive way and talk with entrepreneurs about ways to use these strategies for success.”
In January 2017, Molthrop will present an art exhibit entitled “Alexander the Great Visits New Orleans” to precede his next book by the same name. Molthrop said he will use his artwork and the book to develop another show.
“I am fascinated by leadership strategies and the historical characters that used them best,” he said. “My ‘Holy NOLA Trilogy’ includes Andrew Jackson at the Battle of New Orleans, Jean Lafitte the Pirate, and Marie Laveau, the Vodou Priestess. But before I tackled Marie, I decided to veer off and pursue Alexander the Great. He died at 33, master of the ancient world. How did he do it? And what would he do if he arrived here in contemporary New Orleans? How would he solve our problems? He was a multiculturalist and a universal thinker. New Orleans would be the perfect city for him to explore and, perhaps, conquer.”
Molthrop and the team behind “Creole, of Course” plan to conquer the hearts of the hundreds of thousands of additional visitors due to visit New Orleans in 2018, thanks to the efforts of local tourism professionals. “Creole, of Course” will play a major part as the official show of the Tricentennial, Molthrop said.
“I think the [NOCVB] does an incredible job promoting the city,” Molthrop said. They came to the show, and I was really heartened by their response.”
The Ernest N. Morial New Orleans Convention Center partnered with Centerplate to provide theater space, production and ancillary support for “Creole, of Course,” which is already wowing members of the press, tourism VIPs, and destination management company audiences in preview performances.
Group reservations for “Creole, of Course” are now available for shows beginning in January 2017.
For more information about Barataria Communications
