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PEOPLE & ARTS Tuesday 7 January 2020
Countdown to Mardi Gras: This year, 7 weeks of festivities

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The among celebrities riding
Christmas season is officially with the Krewe of Orpheus.
drawing to a close, but it's Also leading the 30 floats
just the start of the season and 1,200 krewe mem-
leading up to New Orleans' bers will be the costars of
biggest street party: Mardi "It's Always Sunny in Phila-
Gras. delphia," Charlie Day and
Some walking parades Elizabeth Ellis, and country
and streetcar-riding groups musician and "Dancing
touch off Carnival revelry, with the Stars" finalist Lau-
which climaxes on Fat Tues- ren Alaina.
day — Feb. 25 of this year. Nearly all parade partici-
On Monday the Krewe of pants toss plastic beads
Joan of Arc walks through and other trinkets to the
the French Quarter, where crowd, and a record 173
the streets are too nar- tons (157 metric tons) of
row for floats to pass. And them have been recycled
two groups — the Phunny for this season by the non-
Phorty Phellows and the profit Arc of Greater New
Funky Uptown Krewe — ride Orleans, which helps peo-
streetcars along St. Charles ple with intellectual and
Avenue. The Societé des developmental disabilities.
Champs Elysée, which usu- The discovery in Janu-
ally celebrates on a differ- In this Jan. 6, 2015, file photo, members of the Phunny Phorty Phellows, participate in their night of ary 2018 that 46 tons (42
ent streetcar line, must walk revelry aboard a streetcar in New Orleans. metric tons) of beads had
to its party because the Associated Press clogged storm drains along
partial collapse of the Hard five blocks of a 4.5-mile
Rock Hotel has closed that say, 'Hey, go with the flow.'" Wednesday, dozens of Thicke, did so for the city's (7-kilometer) parade route
line. Carnival season always parades will take place in first "superkrewe." This year's helped steer more than
The city hasn't said whether begins Jan. 6, celebrated New Orleans and about parade will have 33 "super- triple that weight in beads,
any major parade routes by many as Epiphany, the 150 more statewide, plus floats" and more than 1,600 hats, stuffed toys, toy spears
must change this year be- day the three wise men ar- the Cajun-country courirs riders. and other gew-gaws into
cause of the hotel collapse rived to see the baby Je- de Mardi Gras — chases "I rode on the King's Float the group's recycling bins
on the edge of the city's sus. Mardi Gras moves with after chickens and other in- with my father when I was in 2019, said spokeswoman
French Quarter. The krewes Ash Wednesday and Eas- gredients for a communal a boy and it was one of Ann Christian.
of Endymion, which will roll ter. Carnival comes from gumbo. the best experiences I ever "It's opened people's eyes,"
Feb. 22, and Zulu, on Mardi the Latin words meaning Some parade krewes have had with him," Robin Thicke she said.
Gras, might have to slightly "farewell to the flesh," and enormous floats and celeb- said in a statement posted ArcGNO has sold recycled
alter their routes, said Ar- Fat Tuesday was originally rity riders. Singer-songwriter on the Krewe of Bacchus beads for decades, but al-
thur Hardy, who is putting the day when all remain- Robin Thicke will reign in Facebook page. ways to individuals who vis-
out his 44th annual guide ing meat and fat had to be New Orleans on Feb. 23 as On Feb. 24, Bryan Crans- ited its Mardi Gras Recycle
to the season's parades. If eaten before Ash Wednes- Bacchus, god of wine and ton, best known for play- Center, where scores of
it happens, he said, it won't day ushered in Lenten fasts. mirth, 32 years after his fa- ing Walter White on AMC's Arc participants work full- or
be a big deal: "People will Between now and Ash ther, TV personality Alan "Breaking Bad," will be part-time, Christian said.q

Avant-garde posters unveiled as Tokyo Olympics near

By STEPHEN WADE at every Olympics and wheelchair rugby.
TOKYO (AP) — The offi- Paralympics, and many Many of the images are
cial posters are out for this previous posters have be- far from traditional, show-
year's Tokyo Olympics and come collector's items. The casing bright colors and
Paralympics. requirement to create post- curious forms. In many of
The 20 posters have been ers is set out in the so-called the avant-garde images
created by 19 artists in "host city contract" in which it is difficult to discern the
fields ranging from paint- the International Olympic exact tie to the Olympics
ing, graphic design and Committee establishes the or Paralympics. Very few
photography. Calligraphy rules for the preparation even feature a prominent
and Japanese manga are and management of the display of the Tokyo Olym-
also represented. Manga is games. pic or Paralympic logos.
the Japanese art of com- The Summer Olympics That also goes for the five
ics and cartooning, which open at Tokyo's new Na- Olympic rings, which are
is very famous in the host tional Stadium on July 24 seldom featured.
country. and are followed by the Some of the titles are also
The posters were first put on Paralympics on Aug. 25. eye-catching: "Space A man stands in front of a poster created by artist Tomoko Ko-
noike, one of 20 posters officially selected for the Tokyo Olym-
display on Monday at the Of the 20 posters, 12 are Kicker" by painter Shinro pics and Paralympics, at the Museum of Contemporary Art To-
Museum of Contemporary based on OIympic themes Ohtake; "The Sky Above kyo Monday, Jan. 6, 2020.
Art Tokyo. They will remain and eight were inspired by the Great Wave off the Associated Press
on display at the museum the Paralympics. Several coast of Kanagawa" by
in east Tokyo through Feb. feature wheelchairs, in- manga artist Hirohiko Araki; Rainbow" by photographer Shinki; and "flow line" by
16. cluding a graphic vision of "Open" by calligrapher Koji Mika Ninagawa; "Offense graphic designer Daijiro
The posters are a tradition the violence in the sport of Kakinuma; "Higher than the No. 7" by artist Tomoyuki Ohaha.q