Krewe of Cypress goes Mayan
PLAQUEMINE — The Carl F. Grant Civic Center took on a Mayan landscape Saturday as the Krewe of Cypress celebrated “Apocalypto Cypress,” its 33rd Mardi Gras ball.
Presiding were King Cypress XXXIII G. Bert Allain and his queen and daughter, Morgan Elizabeth Allain, also the daughter of Patrice Pandy Allain.
King Allain emerged from a Mayan pyramid wearing a moss green silk tunic, a jeweled bertha collar and cummerbund, gold jeweled shoes and a lime green lamé train centered with gold velvet. Finishing his look were a bronze back piece decorated with the krewe’s crest, a spear and a crown of gold and crystals designed for him by Dynasty Collections Mobile.
The queen was presented as the Mayan Calendar. She wore a moss green silk gown, a jeweled gold velvet bertha collar and a jeweled cummerbund. Her train and back piece matched the king’s. Atop her head was a crown of gold with crystals and peridot stones designed for her by Dynasty Collections Mobile.
Escorting the royalty were Edward Barker Landry, son of Jeanné Burns and Chad Landry, and Claudia Renee Allain, daughter of Christopher Allain and Ashley Allain, and granddaughter of Bert and Patrice Allain.
Barker was dressed in a gold velvet tunic with moss green silk pants, and Ashley was attired in a gold velvet sheath dress. Completing their costumes were jeweled bertha collars of moss green silk.
Ball Captain Dr. Angela Samson, representing a High Priestess summoned by the king, introduced the evening’s visitors from around the globe. She wore a gown of embellished blue lace over blue satin, and a headband of silver sequins and stones.
First to arrive were the Vikings. Portraying Leif Erikson and the lovely Freja as they entered on a Viking ship were Bailey Alise Burleigh, daughter of Steven and Jaymee Burleigh, and Matthew Marionneaux, son of Happy and Angie Marionneaux.
As Freja, Burleigh wore a pink lamé gown, a black lamé cape with appliqués and a headpiece that resembled a Viking hat. Her escort was dressed in a pink lamé jacket trimmed in black fur, a cummerbund and pants of black lamé, a Viking hat and silver boots.
From the ancient civilization of Egypt, Ramses and Nefertiti arrived on a Sphinx. They were represented by Brandon Lestage, son of Pam Mechana and Chris Lestage, and Jena Fontenot Grant, daughter of Carl Prentiss and Lisa Grant, and granddaughter of Peggy Grant.
Lestage was attired in a gold accordion-pleated lamé Egyptian-style garment with an apron of purple satin and a matching skull helmet, and he carried a gold spear. Grant wore a gown of gold accordion-pleated lamé with a skirt of purple satin, and a gold headpiece adorned with an asp’s head.
From China were Confucius and Ming Li, portrayed by Dr. Lee Berthelot and Kristen Kathryn Grace, daughter of James Ellis “Tiger” Grace Jr., and granddaughter of Dr. James and Diane Grace. They entered on a rickshaw.
Berthelot was attired in a red satin kimono accented with gold appliqués, a V-style drape of black satin, a black belt with gold accents and a black satin headpiece trimmed in gold.
Grace wore a similarly designed red satin kimono with sleeve cuffs covered in black satin. Her hair was adorned with decorative hairpins.
Introduced as Deiokes and Sura from Persia were Robert Grant and daughter Elizabeth Michelle Grant, also the daughter of Melisa O’Neal Jackson.
Arriving on a flying carpet, Robert Grant wore a hyacinth-colored tunic, shrimp-colored satin pants, a satin belt with gold trim, and a turban-style headpiece.
His daughter was dressed in a gown in colors that matched her escort’s costume. It was topped by a pillbox-style headpiece with a gold lace drape.
The children of the krewe were presented as stars to the music of “It’s a Small World.” They were Katie Blanchard, Anna Catherine Bradford, Lillie Bradford, Kennan Ann Carville, Trip Carville, Randi Davis, Ryleigh Davis, Aidan Camille Dooley, Connor Dooley, Sarah-Ryan Elliott, Alex Fitzgerald, Lillian Fitzgerald, Taggert Fitzgerald, Anna Medlin, Catherine-Elise Murthy, Margaret-Logan Murthy, Gabrielle Noel, Mercedes Grace Ohlmeyer, Kennedy Passantino and Olivia Sanchez.
Following the promenade, members and guests danced to the music of Louisiana.