Southern Breeze 2007 Summer Issue - (Page 57) bryan story by DEBORAH BURST photography by C. ROSS life of NEW ORLEANS NATIVE BRYAN BATT JETS FROM MANHATTAN TO MAGAZINE STREET, WITH AN EYE ON HOLLYWOOD. W ith the looks of a runway model and the humor of Robin Williams, Tulane grad and Broadway veteran Bryan Batt bounces from the Big Apple to the Big Easy with a gleaming eye on Tinsel Town. He casts a stage full of characters from sold out cabarets to a new television series this summer. Between shows, together with partner Tom Cianfichi, they manage their Magazine Street fine accessories boutique, Hazelnut. “I’ve been told that I have a wonderful set of eyeballs,” says Bryan, referring to his flair for decorating, a redeeming asset for the boutique opened in October 2003 when Bryan experienced a short lull in his career. “I have this saying: when a window opens up, jump out!” A virtual skyscraper of opportunities has Bryan hopping. Actor, dancer, singer, Bryan has been called “one of the most brilliantly funny comedians on Broadway.” This big-hearted jetsetter rubs elbows with Liza Minnelli and Joan Rivers feverishly performing on and off Broadway and in Katrina fundraisers, and bringing down the Gershwin Theater with his emotionally charged Do You Know What it Means to Miss New Orleans. “It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. I do what I can to help,” Bryan says in quiet reflection, then a stream of one-liners. “Put a hammer in my hand, and not’s going to be PRETTY. You don’t want ME doing construction.” Living a sheltered life in the shadows of the New Orleans elite, he escaped Camelot in search of … no not the Holy Grail, but the real world. He discovered acting at the age of 10 on a dusty stage at a NORD (New Orleans Recreational Department) playground. “I had the Bryan’s boutique, Hazelnut, has a little something for everyone as it captures the essence of the smart Madison Avenue appeal with a New Orleans flair. Summer 2007 57
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