Phone Message Transcript: Apr. 12, 1997
[appearing on Anne's fan phone line]

"Hi, Anne Rice here. It is very early morning on Saturday the 12th of April, and my message is going to be very brief tonight, and mainly of interest to New Orleans readers.

I just want to tell you the very happy news that we have purchased The Happy Hour Theater on Magazine Street on the corner of St. Andrew. After long negotiations and many cheerful and pleasant visits to the theater and the merchants in the neighborhood, finally closed the deal with Stewart Title, our favorite Title Company and with a very charming family who owned the theater for something like 85 years. It was really a happy happy day. My mother went to the Happy Hour. My grandmother went to the Happy Hour. I know my father and all of his brothers and sisters went there and all of their grandparents and all of their parents went to Happy Hour and probably their grandparents, too, because it was in existence as a motion picture theater from about 1904 on. And it has a fabulous history and a great meaning for a lot of people. We've been especially cheered by the terrific welcome that we have gotten from the merchants on Magazine Street between St. Andrew and Josephine and the wonderful cooperative spirit of the organizations in that area that are working to improve the neighborhood.

We've joined two organizations already and are actively involved and are seeking to become actively involved in all organizations that are working for the lower Garden District and the Magazine Street merchant associations. We think what's happening with Magazine Steet, that block, is really quite miraculous, wonderful antique stores, art galleries, all kinds of new things are springing up. The street is really coming back, and now that we have The Happy Hour, we are so proud to be part of that. We want to meet with all the neighbors and all the groups and sit down and discuss our plans with all of you. Of course, we have hopes and dreams of using the theater as something of The Vampire Lestat Restaurant. It's very hard to describe because we see the restaurant in very elaborate terms--with black statues and lots of dolls, maybe even a carousel, things like that. A place where people can eat with their children and have a good time and see a lot of curious sights, and maybe a lot of Happy Hour Theater memorabilia. But anyway, we haven't gotten there yet. First we have to go over there and cut some grass, and just shake hands with our tenants, and just jump up and down and be happy. But, I just wanted to say yes that we have bought it and we are looking forward to it. Who knows, we may even wind up having the Memnoch Ball in it this year. I don't know, and I don't know if the neighbors would want that, and we are not going to do anything that the neighbors don't want. We love these people. On each visit, people have come in off the streets and told us how glad they were that we were interested, and how glad they were that we were going to buy The Happy Hour, and we have never been treated so cordially before. It's just absolutely marvelous. We are going to love it over there. We are going to love working for that corner. We are going to love working for that neighborhood, and we are going to love working for the building, and we are going to love working for The Cafe Lestat in whatever form it turns out to be.

I want to cut it off now and say that you can leave me a one minute message on this line. I want to thank you all for all of your calls. I can't answer all the questions that have come in. Many of them have come in before, but let me just say, that they are going to list my other line in New Orleans called the Anne Rice Information Line which just answers questions about the pub dates of books and the Coven Party and fan club and the tours. There is an Anne Rice Very Own Tour company that does exist and has its own listing. I wish I could think of more things right now. It is very late at night and my mind is sort of over-excited with the purchase of the Theater.

Let me just tell you that I love you and I love your movie suggestions, and I love your book suggestions, and I agree with you about many things that you say, and I read your observations with great care, and I appreciate it when you read me poems. I like those poems that you read to me, and they are good. Keep them coming, and my love of course to Gary in Knoxville, and to Andy in Montreal, and to Michael in Long Beach, and to Shirley in New York, and many of you who call from around the country and call me regularly to check in. God bless you all tonight and God keep you. God bless you. Thank you very much."