New Orleans Blues and the Arts
Featuring the Tenessee Williams Festival


sponsored by Theatre Development Fund



This 5 day 4 night cultural tour of New Orleans is highlighted by the Tennessee Williams Literary Festival. The trip includes: airfare, accommodations, 2 tickets to Tennessee Williams Festival productions, 1 ticket to the opening night staged reading, walking tour of the French Quarter and Garden District, entrances to D-day Museum, Cabildo Museum and Historic Mardi Gras Museum, daily breakfast, 2 dinners, airport transfers and porterage.  
 
Trip price: $1659 per person (double occupancy), details below.  
 



Experience the vibrancy of New Orleans on tdf’s sixth tour to the Crescent City. Partake of the New Orleans' literary scene at the annual Tennessee William’s Festival. Sample New Orleans jazz and cuisine at the legendary Arnaud's. Visit the historic Cabildo, and New Orleans’ newest attractions the New Orleans Museum of Art Sculpture Garden, and the award winning D Day Museum.   On walking tours you will see architectural gems in the Garden District and a historic Creole house in the French Quarter.  
 
We spend four nights at the Bienville House, an intimate, boutique hotel in the French Quarter.  We offer a blend of planned activity and free time so you may dine at the extraordinary restaurants, ride a streetcar along Canal Street, partake of the cafe' au lait and beignets at the Cafe Du Monde, or take an afternoon cruise on a Mississippi Riverboat.  Whatever your interests, on our tour you're bound to discover that New Orleans is a rare collection of literary, theatrical, architectural, culinary and musical gems waiting to be savored.  
 






1.  Wednesday, March 30     
We depart New York/LaGuardia on American Airlines non-stop flight at 11:00am, arriving in New Orleans at 1:45pm where our local escort meets and assists us to our private motorcoach.   We have a panoramic tour of the city as an overview.   After the tour we check into our hotel, the Bienville House, ideally located in the French Quarter, perfectly situated for the Festival events.  The hotel recently completed a multi-million dollar, lobby-to-rooftop restoration, and it offers a charming mixture of the old and the new, resplendent with elaborate wrought-iron balconies, four sundecks, a tropical flagstone courtyard and pool, and other such amenities. There is time to relax before our welcome dinner at Tujacques Restaurant, a favorite of the New Orleans’ locals.  



2.  Thursday, March 31     
After breakfast, we follow the ghosts of William Faulkner and Tennessee  
Williams on our morning guided walking tour in the French Quarter.  As  
we saunter down the sidewalks of Royal, Bourbon and the other famous  
streets named after both saints and sinners from New Orleans' European past, we  
learn the real history as well as the legends of the people and places that  
make up this unique and mysterious neighborhood.  After free time and  
lunch (on own) we visit the Cabildo,  one of the most historically significant buildings in America. As the site of the Louisiana Purchase transfer in 1803, it is a cultural and historic treasure. Wander through this elegant 18th-century building. Walk up its magnificent, winding stairway, and you will find more than 1,000 artifacts and original works of art. We complete the day with a tour of  Madame John’s Legacy, a rare and excellent example of 18th century Louisiana Creole home design and  one of the few remaining structures of this architectural style in Louisiana.  
 
This evening we attend the opening reception of the Tennessee Williams Festival where we mingle with the locals and enjoy a celebrity staged reading.      
 



3.  Friday, April 1     
This morning we have a tour of the New Orleans Garden District, situated on what was once a large sugar plantation up river from the French Quarter.  We walk through the narrow streets of the Garden District for a peek inside a city that is truly a treasure chest filled with architectural gems. On a walking tour you will see a confluence of French Colonial, Greek and Gothic Revival, Italianate, and Queen Anne architectural styles. Many of these magnificent homes were built before the Civil War and some have been in the same families for over 100 years. We stop at Lafayette Cemetery, located in the "dead center" of the Garden District. The cemetery is an outdoor museum, which chronicles the neighborhood’s fascinating history.    
 
We continue to the New Orleans Museum of Art for a visit to the Sculpture Garden, which has become the latest cultural destination for locals and must-see for visitors to the Crescent City. The world-class collection of modern and contemporary sculpture is presented in an incredible natural setting with delights at every turn. You can remain at the museum after the tour of the sculpture garden or return to French Quarter.  The afternoon is free. Why not take in one of the literary panels at the Williams Festival?    
 
Tonight we join the Festival as we celebrate the master playwright with a performance of five unpublished one-act plays, including four world  premieres.    



4.  Saturday, April 2     
This morning we visit New Orleans's newest attraction, the National D Day Museum that has received acclaim for its collection of rich artifacts from the Battle of D-Day and subsequent campaigns.  This stunning national museum, honoring the heroes and events of World War II, traces America's history from the early moments of the 1930s preceding the war to the Normandy Invasion and the decisive battles that led to victory in Europe and the Pacific.  The museum celebrates the American spirit, the teamwork, optimism, courage and sacrifice of the generation of men and women who fought and won World War II, preserving and illustrating their values for future generations.    
 
This afternoon we see TALKING TENNESSEE , which has been conceived by the critically-acclaimed actor/playwright Jeremy Lawrence from Tennessee Williams’ occasional writings, which originally appeared in newspapers, magazines and on record jackets.  Tonight we have our farewell dinner at Arnaud's Jazz Bistro.  Looking out on lively Bourbon Street, we dine to the rhythm of classic Dixieland, and enjoy classic Creole dishes.    



5.  Sunday, April 3     
After breakfast we depart to the airport for our 10:00am flight on American Airlines arriving at 2:00 pm at LaGuardia.  





This engaging experience includes:

  • Round-trip, non-stop air on American Airlines
  • 4 nights at the Bienville House Hotel
  • 2 tickets to Tennessee Williams Festival productions
  • 1 ticket to opening night staged reading of Tennessee Williams work
  • Walking tour of the French Quarter
  • Walking tour of the Garden District
  • Entrance to WWII D-Day Museum
  • Cabildo Museum
  • Historic Madri Gras Museum
  • Daily buffet breakfast at hotel
  • Welcome and farewell dinner
  • Airport/hotel group transfers
  • Porterage at hotel and airport
PROGRAM PRICES  
Per person (double occupancy) from New York:$1659  
Single Supplement: $395  
Air Taxes: $50