Our Court, consisting of Dukes and Maids, and our Royalty, King Gabriel and Queen Évangéline are all chosen by drawing eligible members' names from a hat. No one outside the Captain, the Costume Mistress and the witnessing Board Member know who the King and Queen really are. The other Court Members don't even know. Preserving identity secrecy of the Royals is another old tradition dating back hundreds of years. The names Gabriel and Évangéline refer to the two lovers in Henry W. Longfellow's epic poem, Evangeline, which tells the tale of unrequited love, set against the backdrop of forced exile from an idyllic homeland. This is the story of our ancestors, the Acadien or "Cajun" people, our fathers and mothers.
Our themes are chosen by our Captain, who consults closely with the Founding Members
and the Costume Mistress and Creative Director. Themes can be chosen on virtually any subject: historical figures/events, Louisiana topics, and mythology, to name a few. These and many other ideas can be linked with appropriate costumes, music and with a thematic core that forms the basis for the pageant, called a Tableau, that takes place within the context of the ball itself.
The basic outline of our Mardi Gras Bal Masqué is: A Cocktail Hour, where guests who are dressed in strictly formal attire, according to the oldest Louisiana traditions, arrive at the Fox Theatre's Egyptian Ballroom/Grand Salan, and turn in their invitations. We limit participation to 450 guests, making invitations a highly-coveted item! Our guests are always invited to wear masks to add to the ambience and excitement of the evening. During the cocktail hour, the members of the Court are tapped by the Founding Members, and quickly excuse themselves to retire to the Court Den.
At this time all Courtiers must quickly change into their custom-designed costumes. As the guests file into the Ballroom and take their seats, the emcees
direct the ushers to close the doors, another old tradition that enables only those privileged enough to be inside to view the Tableau that will soon unfold. No one is allowed to reenter, if they exit the ballroom for any reason during the Tableau.
Once the signal is given, the Tableau gets underway with the formal welcoming of all guests, and introduction of the emcees. The Captain's debut comes next, followed by the entrance of the Acadien Revelers, who take their places at the feet of those guests who are seated around the dance floor. The new King Gabriel is introduced, fully costumed and masked, in white and gold, and he then waits for his new Queen Évangéline to make her first promenade, also masked and costumed to hide her true identity.
Once all the Royal Courtiers have promenaded, we pause only long enough for the recipient of our charity to receive our donation.
Then we proceed with unmasking, one Duke/Maid at a time, leaving the King and Queen for last. At that time, our own members finally learn who is really whom on the Court, along with the other guests. Guessing and speculation are all part of the fun. Our retiring King and Queen then come forward for a final promenade ending their reign as they invest King Gabriel with his Royal Goblet and crown Queen Évangéline with her diadem.
All past Kings and Queens are then called out, restoring their crowns to their heads only for a few moments, as they bow before the new Royals, and then the Captain leads the new Royals, the Courtiers, and all Past Royals in the Grand Promenade, a glittering spectacle of crystal rhinestones, sequins, glitter, embroidered capes, feathers and custom-made costumes, for everyone to behold.
After the Grand Promenade, the party pauses at the back of the room, and the Captain signals the Acadien Revelers to begin throwing thousands upon thousands of beads to all the guests, for the enjoyment and entertainment of the Royal Court. When the revelry ends, the King and Queen lead the entire assembly of Courtiers and guests to the Grand Salon, where the Royal Feast has been prepared for all. Professional photographers record memories for our guests and our members. Courtiers are happy to pose with guests, if asked. Dancing begins almost immediately and lasts until 1:00 a.m. The Royal Courtiers and the Captain return to the Court Den to remove their costumes and resume their formal attire for the balance of the evening.
1995 - 1,001 Nuites Arabiennes
1996 - Le Carnival Russe sur le Château d'hiver
1997 - Vieux Carré Mardi Gras
1998 - La Reine des Cœurs
1999 - Les Indiens du Sud
2000 - Au Sud de la Frontière
2001 - Les Plantations au Claire de Lune
2002 - Les Folies Acadiennes
2003 - Les Dieux du Monde Ancien
2004 - Le Royaume du Soleil
2005 - Louisiana Festivals
2006 - Mystical Masquerade
2007 - Old Man River
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