The Rendezvous Jewelbox Theater, 2322 2nd Avenue, Seattle

Reach back- way back- into Seattle entertainment history and you’ll find that many roads lead to The Rendezvous. The multipurpose space, which featured a screening room, restaurant, and basement speakeasy, was opened by B.F. Shearer in 1927 in the midst of Prohibition. The screening room was of particular importance at that time, as Seattle’s “Film Row” was based in a stretch of roughly two to four blocks along First and Second Avenue (between Bell and Wall streets). The area was something of a deal-making hub: Hollywood films were screened and regional distribution and bookings were negotiated through branch offices of studios like MGM and Paramount Pictures right in the neighborhood. Remarkably, the tiny Art Deco theater known as the Jewelbox would outlast not only the glory days of Film Row, but many of the surrounding neighborhood landmarks.

The Rendezvous went through many owners and incarnations (including porn theater and dive bar where sketchy characters and ironic hipsters rubbed elbows for a time in the late 90s) before finding new life as a bad juju-free, beautifully renovated lounge and showroom. In 2002 new owners Jerry Everard, Jane Kaplan, Tia Matthies, and Steve Freeborn reopened the struggling location hoping to preserve history and revive the unique multi-use venue where artists of all types could once again take up residence. (Between them, the four had ties to the launches of other legendary Seattle venues such as the OK Hotel, the Crocodile Cafe, and Capitol Hill’s Moe).

The boutique theater inside The Rendezvous is one of the best known (and sometimes under-appreciated) weapons that Seattle has in its flourishing performance community. The miniature stage provides a proper setup and cozy seating where fledgling performers and producers can hone their skills and learn how to put on a professional show. More burlesque performers and troupes have started at the Jewelbox than anywhere else in the city. As some may recall, the theater was once home to Academy of Burlesque recitals before they simply grew too large to be contained there.

Shanghai Pearl at Shake Your Bon Bon 12/12/08 (POC Photo)

Last summer Jane Kaplan, who has overseen booking of the Jewelbox since the early days, shared some memories of the tiny venue’s hefty impact on Seattle burlesque:

Jessica: Could you share a little historical background on the Jewelbox…?

Jane Kaplan: [with historical content by Gregory Baxley] During the 1920s Belltown became the center of the film industry in the Pacific Northwest, as all of the major studios had distribution centers called ‘film exchanges’ along Second Avenue. The area was known as “Film Row”, featuring home offices for MGM, United Artists, Universal, Columbia, RKO, Paramount and Warner Brothers. The 60-seat Jewelbox Theater was constructed as an industry screening room in 1927. This was the dawn of classic cinema, as talkie films quickly made silent cinema obsolete. Local distributors and visiting directors and actors used the Jewelbox for executive private screenings, and customers wishing to build their own theaters could visit the Box to see a scale model. Jimmy Stewart screened movies in the cozy Jewelbox, alongside many other stars and starlets of the day. During Prohibition, the cave-like basement lounge, now dubbed the Grotto, was home to a free-flowing speakeasy, while burlesque stars graced the small stage upstairs. The high profile nature of the venue remained intact through mid-century, but as the Golden era of Hollywood began to fade, so did the neighborhood.

By the late 1960s, then co-owner Bill Rausch turned the basement into a card room, and renowned comedian and gambler Jimmy Durante showed up frequently. The city wasn’t pleased and eventually shut down the business for a number of years. By the late-1970s Film Row had died, and many of the staple structures were either torn down or abandoned. The Jewelbox Theater is the one remaining screening room in the neighborhood.

Ten years later the Rendezvous revitalized itself with a dive bar mentality, catering to both film and music crowds. Complete with smoke-stained ceilings and walls covered in grime, it reflected the decaying nature of the neighborhood. In 1990 the Jewelbox Theater functioned as the only legal place in the state of Washington where you could both drink and watch a movie on the big screen. Then as the grunge era took over the country, and Seattle was once again thrust into the spotlight, many young music acts took solace between its red walls. It was a diversified rock venue, complete with bar, stage, loft and grotto. The venue has since been featured in an array of films and documentaries, hailed as a defining site for the Seattle-led music industry takeover that lasted throughout the decade.

In 2002 the new owners moved in, working to keep the neighborhood heritage alive. Belltown was again an upscale kaleidoscope, a microcosm of the culture of the nation in a single neighborhood. In restoring the place [Steve Freeborn, Tia Matthies, Jane Kaplan and Jerry Everard] worked to retain the Rendezvous’ red-velvet flavor in every room, including the theater, lounges and private Grotto. While stripping the outer layer of the building’s interior walls, near-mint, vintage wallcoverings were discovered. Restored to its original 1927 condition the Jewelbox Theater holds up to 65 guests and has in place a professional
standard PA system, stage lighting controls, and a performance stage ideal for plays and cabaret shows.

Jessica: Who did the earliest burlesque shows there?

Jane: The very first burlesque-type performers in the Jewelbox were the Rollvulvas. They were great and were truly the first before the resurgence…the forerunners to the resurgence. See this article to learn more about them: http://www.seattlepi.com/ae/article/Rollvulvas-Belles-Bloom-is-odd-but-curiously-1086245.php

Then came Burning Hearts. Cleo [Petra] really helped build the community by bringing in multiple artists from lots of different backgrounds…unlike the Rollvulvas, who were a set group of women that always performed together.

Jessica: How have things evolved over time in terms of the room’s relationship with burlesque, drag, and other types of performance?

Jane: So many fabulous performers have come through our doors. We’ve grown with the entire community as it has discovered itself. We’ve had films and television about burlesque filmed there. We’ve had the stars of the current Seattle burlesque scene start on our stage: Indigo Blue, the Atomic Bombshells, Polly Wood, Shanghai Pearl, and more. We’ve been the hotbed of the resurgence and a place where people come to hone their craft and grow. And this relationship continues. Some of the artists that have appeared on our stage outgrow us…which is very exciting. And some still like to call our stage home and use it, because of its intimate nature, to experiment with new ideas or productions.

Shanghai Pearl’s dressing room autograph (POC Photo)

Jessica: The room has certainly been a hospitable place and ideal stage for new performers to hone their skills and learn technical “how to’s” on staging events. In fact, I often prefer seeing shows there to larger, not-so-ideally-suited venues in town. Can talk a little about the role the Jewelbox plays?

Jane: There are so few places in Seattle that provide what the Jewelbox provides. We really try to work with all kinds of performers to help them reach their goals as individual artists. This is why the room is so versatile from being able to show films to music performances, fringe theatre productions to cabaret and comedy. We try to have it all available at a very reasonable rate so that the money never gets in the way of the artists ability to create, imagine and experiment. This, we feel, is very important…providing a fully functioning theatre, music venue, film screening room, you name it; creating a comfortable and low-risk, artist friendly space so the performers can concentrate on their
craft.

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Here is a gallery of some of POC’s favorite photos taken at the Jewelbox over the years:

Shanghai Pearl at Orchestra L’Pow 5/3/08

BenDeLaCreme at Shanghai’s birthday show 9/10/08

Hanging out at the Jewelbox (Mercury Troy, Lady Tatas, Daniela Dee & Jesse Belle-Jones)

Waxie Moon at Smell The Glove 1/23/09

Wiggy Stardust at Stripped Screw Burlesque 7/3/10

Black Cherry at Tempting Tarts Burlesque 7/24/10

Jezebel Vandersnatch at Tempting Tarts Burlesque 12/30/10

Violet Tendencies & Trojan Original at Disney After Dark 6/18/11

Paris Original & Lord Richard Longfellow at Disney After Dark 6/18/11

Sailor St Claire at Tempting Tarts Burlesque 3/7/12

Kylie Koyote at Tempting Tarts Burlesque 3/7/12

Roxy Ruby at Tempting Tarts Burlesque 4/20/12

The Luminous Pariah at Paul Phillion’s Birthday Bash 10/27/12

Ernie Von Schmaltz giving Birthday Boy Paul Philion a lap dance, with Belle Cozette-10/27/12

Cherry Manhattan and Sinner Saint Burlesque in Long Kiss Goodnight, through March 14 (Photo by Danny Boulet of WittyPixel Photography)

Sinner Saint Burlesque’s brand new run Long Kiss Goodnight has effectively scrapped the notion that less is more. The focus of the show is a lofty one by today’s standards- taking burlesque acts commonly delivered in a punchy 3-6 minutes, and stretching them out to roughly 10-12. Though headliners in burlesque’s heyday often clocked 20 minutes of stage time, a full-scale tease isn’t usually done in most variety formats (although Waxie Moon mounted his 17 minute endurance strip “Boléro” last summer, and I’d wager Indigo Blue and Lily Verlaine are ladies not ruled by timepieces).

Longer length acts sound like an intriguing idea for a new direction, but… would it work? Noc Noc’s mishmash of walk-ins and bachelorette parties aren’t known for forgiving attention spans, and though the room is always dotted with aficionados they’re usually outnumbered by folks equating burlesque with partial nudity and not much more. At times Sinner Saint’s artful narratives and plot forwarding devices have strained against the rowdy Thursday night crowd; this time however, they watched both eagerly and attentively (with maybe just a pinch of confusion). Most triumphantly of all, the ladies of Sinner Saint delivered a well-balanced and clever show.

Long Kiss Goodnight is essentially four performers in four lengthier acts, ending with Sinner Saint’s hallmark group finale. Cherry Manhattan’s effervescent hosting buoys the narrative along (incidentally, she wrote it as well) as she plays the role of a tipsy aristocrat with pleasantly loose morals hosting a party. The soiree’s era is of indeterminate origin, but vintage styling, some light accents, and booze are free-flowing. Cherry sheds more and more clothing as the “party” continues; as her inhibitions disappear she guides us through the four acts.

The extra time suited the ladies well, particularly Polly Wood, who was able to luxuriously develop her Elizabeth Taylor act into several different Liz’s with aplomb. Jesse Belle-Jones performed a multidimensional act based on Greek mythology that wouldn’t have carried the same weight had it been crammed in a shorter time frame. Entering with a stag’s head mask and spindly “legs”, she slips in and out of the roles of huntress, prey, and the goddess Artemis, jarring the audience but without a trace of heavy-handedness. (Her movements were inspired in part from a clip of Canadian-born Marie Chouinard she’d seen on YouTube a year ago, she told me later). Doña Dei Cuori’s faux-prim affectations were whisked away with a suggestive Prince soundtrack, and Evilyn Sin Claire used her commanding physicality and searing eye contact to turn up the heat whenever she appeared.

Though narratives can be difficult to execute in a form as “mindfully spontaneous” as burlesque, this one puts the emphasis on the acts by leaving a looseness to the show- the performances encouraged by the skillful narration, but not bound by it. As for the longer stage time, there was very little filler to draw out the acts, and that made those long Noc Noc intermissions a little easier to bear. However, intermission was just long enough for me to eavesdrop on some girltalk….”Wow, they have real bodies…” and “Every one of them is so confident, I don’t even know how they do it. Wish I could be like that…”

Sinner Saint Burlesque’s Long Kiss Goodnight runs every Thursday night at Noc Noc until March 14.

Last week’s Late Night Revue at Can Can (Wednesday, February 6) was a much-talked about event featuring some top-notch talent. The show’s namesake and producer Boom Boom L’Roux has done an exemplary job of creating an exciting new late night variety show and building a reputable name for the series. Each event features a rotating cast of performers, musicians, and surprise guests from all over; last week’s show was no exception. Vancouver’s Lydia DeCarllo (who studied at the Vancouver Circus School) appeared along with belly dancer Bella Jovan, Randi Rascal, musician Gus Clark, MC Miss Adra Boo, and Boom Boom herself.

Here are a few shots by POC- heroically delivered despite the notoriously hard to shoot Can Can stage (it’s extremely fun to see an intimate show there, but not so very easy on photographers).

The next edition of Boom Boom L’Roux’s Late Night Revue will be Wednesday March 6 at Can Can.

The evening’s MC, Adra Boo

Randi Rascal (POC Photo)

Randi Rascal (POC Photo)

Randi Rascal (POC Photo)

Belly dancer Bella Jovan (POC Photo)

Bella Jovan (POC Photo)

Bella Jovan (POC Photo)

Bella Jovan (POC Photo)

Lydia DeCarllo in a tribute to Rita Alexander, the Champagne Girl (POC Photo)

Lydia DeCarllo (POC Photo)

Lydia DeCarllo (POC Photo)

Musician Gus Clark (POC Photo)

Gus Clark (POC Photo)

Boom Boom L’Roux (POC Photo)

Boom Boom L’Roux (POC Photo)

Boom Boom L’Roux (POC Photo)

Boom Boom L’Roux (POC Photo)

Randi Rascal (POC Photo)

Randi Rascal (POC Photo)

Lydia DeCarllo (POC Photo)

Lydia DeCarllo (POC Photo)

Lydia DeCarllo (POC Photo

Lydia DeCarllo (POC Photo

Adra Boo (POC Photo)

Lydia DeCarllo, in part of a costume that once belonged to Satan’s Angel (POC Photo)

No one would have guessed a bizarre little show with an expletive for a name would become an annual staple for artists nudging burlesque a little farther from plucky bra strap popping into full-fledged performance art. The That’s F*cked Up! series, now in its fourth incarnation, has done exactly that. Every year the theme has widened, the call for proposals often bringing in acts dealing with serious subject matter such as domestic violence and rape. Which isn’t to say there’s not a good dose of the lighthearted and dirty in there as well, you just have to clench your teeth through a few uncomfortable moments before that kind of release.

“There were a few really interesting trends we found that have influenced the show this year,” producer Heidi Von Haught explained. “For one, the performance style that Flirty Sanchez refers to as ‘sadlesque’ seems to be taking off in a big way. I think That’s F*cked Up! and ReProduction [a benefit for NARAL Pro-Choice Washington that sold out last spring], produced by Randi Rascal, Wiggy Stardust, and myself, had some significant impact on that. In giving people a space to perform burlesque that is more serious and evokes sadness, pain, discomfort and loss, I think performers have felt their options expand and are really excited about that.”

Both Heidi and co-producer Randi Rascal perform in TFU4 as well as carefully curating the acts beforehand, even importing guests from other cities whose acts specifically fit the focus. San Francisco’s phenomenal Rubenesque Burlesque made an appearance in opening weekend’s shows; their performance to Marilyn Manson’s “The Beautiful People” was one of the strongest of the evening, squarely addressing body image and shame with a wicked sense of humor. Burlesque’s male performers have been pushing the art form forward by leaps and bounds the last few years. In TFU4 brothers Paris and Trojan Original are characteristically brave as well as beautiful and Man Johnson and Sir Richard Longfellow bust through surprising stereotypes. The Luminous Pariah also guest stars in the show’s second weekend at Re-Bar, February 22-23 at 7:30pm. (Tickets available at www.brownpapertickets.com)

Celebrate 10 years of high kicks and hairspray with The Heavenly Spies (Photo by Calima Portraits)

My absolute favorite burlesque-dance-girlie-gang hybrid, The Heavenly Spies, have reached a milestone anniversary and are celebrating in a characteristically grand style. Their larger-than-life ten year anniversary show Diamonds takes place at the Triple Door this month and in keeping with their fantastical influences (the showgirls of the Crazy Horse meets Barbie meets the Rockettes) they’ve added a 10 piece big band and oodles of new girls to elevate the show’s high-kicking finale. Choreographer and founder Fae Phalen Pink, who performs as Agent Rhinestone, is a firm believer that sometimes more is more- at least when it comes to dazzling costumes and thrilling, hyperkinetic dance moves. Although they’re quite at home in the shadowy, intimate bosom of Can Can each Saturday for The Midnight Show, just think what the Spies can do with all that luxurious expanse of stage at The Triple Door.

Without further ado, we bring you a quick and dirty Q&A with the imaginative, fearless, and remarkably bend-y heart of The Heavenly Spies, Fae Phalen Pink.

Burlesque Seattle Press: Congrats on 10 years of Heavenly Spies! To celebrate, I thought we’d do a fun retrospective on the Spies in the form of a few questions, perhaps touching on some lesser known Spies trivia. For starters, how did the troupe form and who are the longest running members?

Fae Phalen Pink (aka Agent Rhinestone): We formed in 2003 when Sassy Delure and I were at Sonya’s having a drink for her birthday. We were daydreaming about putting together a cabaret show when the owner overheard us talking and told us he would build us a stage in the back of Sonya’s. Our first show was called Ultra and the Satin Dolls. We met Ultra for the first time when Wade Madsen introduced us and recommended him as a host for our new show. He auditioned for us at the old Velocity building and it was an instant love connection. I am the only original member!

BSP: Where was your first show?

Fae: Sonya’s on 1st Avenue.

BSP: Where is the most bizarre place you’ve ever performed (both individually, and as the Spies)?

Fae: Individually… A steak house in Cle Elum…. With the group I would have to say a 75th wedding anniversary. It was a very sweet event… just not our typical rowdy Friday night audience.

BSP: Can you recall any names for the troupe that almost made the cut, and didn’t?

Fae: The Heavenly Spies was the name of our first show at Can Can and it just kind of stuck.

BSP: What’s the most surreal or treasured moment you’ve ever shared as a troupe?

Fae: Definitely performing with Amy Sedaris at a Microsoft event in front of 35,000 people.

BSP: What’s the worst costume disaster you can recall in Spies history?

Fae: There are 2! The first was when a spy that shall remain nameless put her thong on backward during a quick change and had to do an entire number that way. The second would be during Viva Oz Vegas when both of my pasties fell off during a staged fist fight/dance with Ultra. A completely topless Dorothy… yikes.

BSP: Aside from the core dancers, who or what would you say is the “most valuable player” behind the scenes?

Fae: In the years past The Heavenly Spies were always run by myself and a partner in crime like Sassy Delure, James Blonde and Honey Sexpot…. Now with each of them living in a different state the person I rely on the most is my husband Chris Snell. Even looking back he has been a key part of our success as a group. In addition to him I rely heavily on Violet Hour/Summer who I have danced with for years… we met ages ago dancing for Greg Thompson and I am so lucky to have her as a positive person in rehearsal and on stage.

BSP: If the Spies could perform with or share a dream bill with anyone, living or dead, who would it be?

Fae: I think we would each give you a different answer but I would have to say Toni Basil. My Dad gave me a VHS tape of her music videos when I was about 7 and I have been obsessed with her ever since.

BSP: What are some influences you channel in creating Spies shows?

Fae: [The] Crazy Horse, Toni Basil, Vegas show girls, Barbies, the Rockettes, Jane Fonda, booty bounce and a hybrid of old 60s glam and current pop culture.

BSP: The Spies are known for their skilled choreography, high energy shows, and fast-paced costume changes (not to mention great beauty!). How many costume changes are there in a typical Spies show?

Fae: About 20 quick changes!

BSP: Heavenly Spies are also known for impeccable taste in music, resulting in a potent pairing of music and choreography in all your shows. What’s your criterion for choosing music, and what are some of your musical ‘spirit animals’?

Fae: I’d say we try to have a perfect combo of high energy rabbit and slithering sexy snake spirit animal energy in all of our shows.

BSP: Ten years is a long life span for any troupe, and the Spies seem to be at the top of their game. What’s the biggest lesson or secret to success you’ve learned in these 10 years?

Fae: We continue to evolve as a group and we have fun in rehearsals and on stage.

BSP: What should we expect from the anniversary shows, and…what have you got planned for the next ten years?

Fae: The anniversary show is a little more classic and uses a 10 piece big band. We are doing a ton of new numbers as well as highlighting a few of our favorites from the past. We have also added a bevy of new girls to the closing number of the show which is new for us. I am very excited to see all those girls high kicking on stage together!

I’m not sure what the future holds. I would like to keep doing what we do. I love performing at Can Can and the family we have created there…

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See The Heavenly Spies in Diamonds at The Triple Door, March 14-16, or catch The Midnight Show at Can Can most Saturday nights. For teaser videos, pix, and more Spies information click HERE. Diamonds features Bang Bang Big Band with vocalist Caela Bailey and a special performance by the Luminous Pariah.

A better tagline just isn’t possible.

Girl talk! (Photo by Chris Pink)

I’m at a complete loss for a clever caption here… (Pin-up artby Gil Elvgren)

Showcase Showdown: A Burlesque Game Show to Benefit PAWS @ Re-Bar March 14-16 7:30 pm

Our top pick of the (g)litter this week is a special one. We love pussycats of all types, dogs too…and just about anything else worth petting, come to think of it. Showcase Showdown mixes burlesque glitz with game shows to help animals in need at PAWS.

Producers Sailor St. Claire and Ace Carter (of Aces & Anchors Productions aka the duo behind Tuesday Tease at LUCID Lounge) have put together a “Price Is Right” style benefit that includes interpretations of some classic games from the long-running television show with a fixation on grocery items. Will the yodeling mountain climber from Cliff Hangers make an appearance? You’ll just have to show up and see.

The show features performances by Miss Kitty Baby, Tamara the Trapeze Lady, Sailor St. Claire, Man Johnson, Violet DeVille, Penelope Rose, Al and Will Lykya, Czech Mate, Mitzy Sixx, Candy Apples, and Minni Bobbins. Miss Huney Bush and Bunny Von Bunsmore will assist host Ace Carter, who bravely steps into the smooth-talking, unflappable role of Bob Barker.

Incidentally, Bob Barker’s work in animal welfare didn’t end with his trademark show-closing reminder to “help control the pet population – have your pets spayed or neutered”. At 89 years old he continues to support many animal welfare causes, as recently as 2009 donating $1 million to Drury University to establish the Dorothy Jo Barker Professorship in Animal Rights. Interestingly, according to a Wikipedia entry on the game show:

Furs have not been offered as prizes since Barker’s tenure as host. Several Barker-imposed prohibitions have been lifted since his departure, such as offering products made of leather or leather seats in vehicles and showing simulated meat props on barbecues and in ovens.

Well that’s too bad.

However, the burlesque Showcase Showdown has some great pet-friendly/showgirl friendly raffle prizes on offer, including goodies from The Burlesque Boutique, gift certificates to All Seasons Pet Care, handmade wallets from King of Spades Clothing, gift certificates to I Heart Dogs shop on Phinney Ridge, rhinestoned bow ties from Haute Under the Collar, gift certificates to Nick’s Off Market, pasties designed by Seraphina Fiero, gift certificates to the Highway 99 Blues Club, and a grand prize gift basket from Atomic Cosmetics/Xerion Skin Science.

We think Bob Barker himself would approve- after all, in a little quasi showgirl trivia- don’t forget that Barker also hosted the Miss Universe pageant from 1967-1987. He’s always been a very busy guy.

Tickets to Showcase Showdown are $15 in advance via BrownPaperTickets, $20 at the door. Bring an item from the PAWS Wishlist and receive a FREE raffle ticket- click HERE to see the list.

Special guests joining the proceedings via slideshow will be:

Chesty La Rue’s dog Duggan

Penelope Rose’s cat Miss Kitty (“Not to be confused with our headliner, Miss Kitty Baby” says producer Sailor St Claire)

BSP author Jessica P’s senior cat Olive (née Juliet), adopted from PAWS Cat City.

Three nights! Play for PAWS

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NARAL’s 22nd Annual Chocolate for Choice @ Safeco’s First Base Terrace Club March 13 7pm-9pm

Miss Indigo Blue and Inga Ingénue are among the esteemed celebrity judges at this finger-licking good tasting event and auction benefitting NARAL Pro-Choice Washington. Nightlife entrepreneur Linda Derschang and Cienna Madrid and Lindy West of The Stranger share in the judging, as well as Trudi Inslee (First Lady of Washington State) and many other politically active and concerned citizens that also happen to love chocolate. The burlesque community has been one of the most steadfast supporters of organizations like NARAL, as Sasha Summer Cousineau explained:

“Seattle’s burlesque community has shown a long and enduring commitment to the issues of reproductive health, rights, and justice, and in particular has been very supportive of NARAL Pro-Choice Washington. Chocolate for Choice is one example (Lily Verlaine and Waxie Moon have been previous judges). But there’s much more. Paula [The Swedish Housewife] was a reader at our Liberty Ball auction in October. Wiggy Stardust, Randi Rascal, and Heidi Von Haught have produced reProduction [a benefit for NARAL Pro-choice] twice. And Evilyn Sin Claire and Sinner Saint Burlesque have captained ‘Run for Your Rights’ teams 3 times… So it seems that burlesque and choice make very natural bed fellows.”

All chocolate is graciously donated by over 40 local chocolatiers; cakes and other goodies will be available via auction or purchase. For tickets and more information, click HERE.

March 13!

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Some familiar faces turn up in Disney After Dark. (Images by POC)

Stripped Screw in Disney After Dark @ Columbia City Theater March 15-16, March 22-23 @ 9pm

In other big show news this week, if you haven’t yet seen those renegade burlesquers over at Stripped Screw pay tribute to Disney in a way that might just desecrate your favorite storybook characters forever, you haven’t lived. Stripped Screw and friends revisit their most irreverent show over at the Columbia City Theater March 15-16 and again March 22-23. Get tickets HERE- this show is an absolute blast.

A trio of villainesses: Randi Rascal as Ursula, Bella Bijoux as Maleficent, and Lady Drew Blood as the Evil Queen (POC Photo)

Iva Handfull (POC Photo)

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Heavenly Spies in Diamonds @ The Triple Door, March 14-16

Finally, I’ve already gushed about Heavenly Spies anniversary gala Diamonds once in a recent post…because they’re so very worth it. Scroll down, or you can click HERE to read all about it.

Celebrate 10 years of high kicks and hairspray with The Heavenly Spies (Photo by Calima Portraits)

To know Tanya Harris is to love her, no matter how you’ve made her acquaintance. She enchants as Ruby Mimosa (“The Island Flower”) of The Atomic Bombshells, shares shimmy secrets as an instructor at the Academy of Burlesque (“Bump & Grind” is her specialty), throws down tournament-level dance craze technicality as one third of Dance Belt, and in case you’ve been living under a rock for the past year or so, you might also know her as owner of The Burlesque Boutique. The sweetheart of an online store has many “touchy-feely” tendrils: there’s the pop-up shop at Pretty Parlor, the dazzling garden of delights found annually at BurlyCon vending, and the sparkly sundries ripe for the plucking at Seattle’s most stylish burlesque shows. The Burlesque Boutique is out in the community constantly. All that and Tanya still finds time to eyeball new merchandise offerings and talk to burlesque artisans and fans about what they’re making, and what they want.

Tanya comes by her passion for the worlds of burlesque, dance, and retail merchandising naturally. A little backstory: Tanya was born in Kaneohe, O’ahu where she studied ballet for 13 years. She whirled her way through both competitive gymnastics and varsity diving, eventually studying French and fashion merchandising at the University of Hawai’i. All these seemingly disparate interests paid off in spades when she discovered her great love: burlesque. (Though diving hasn’t yet been incorporated into her routines, there’s always tomorrow).

While interning and working for Betsey Johnson on O’ahu, a position opened up at Betsey’s Seattle location and Tanya packed her bags and headed to the mainland. She immediately immersed herself in the thriving swing dance and rockabilly circuit, where she soon made the acquaintance of Miss Kitty Baby and Jamie Von Stratton. Meanwhile, the crew from Betsey’s popular retail shop sometimes held meetings at burlesque shows and it was at such a meeting (at now defunct venue The Heavens, to be exact) that Tanya got her first glimpse of burlesque. It was an Orchestra L’Pow! event produced by The Swedish Housewife. In February 2007, Tanya saw Dita Von Teese with The Atomic Bombshells and knew that burlesque was something she wanted to do. An art form which so perfectly crystallized modern, sexy femininity with jazz and ballet training seemed too good to be true.

Ruby Mimosa (Photo by Jiji Lee)

Tanya also recognized Honey D. Luxe (aka Jamie Von Stratton, whom she’d met via mutual friends from Betsey). “Oh my god! I know that girl!” she recalls thinking, incredulously. Jamie put our future starlet in touch with Miss Indigo Blue; Tanya signed up for an eight week “Bump & Grind” course (which later, she’d end up teaching); and the rest is history. A few lessons in Indigo recognized Tanya’s natural talent and suggested an audition for Kitten LaRue, who was looking for a new Bombshell. It was a perfect fit. By August she debuted as newest Bombshell Ruby Mimosa at the Triple Door, just six months after seeing the troupe with Dita on the same stage.

Ruby Mimosa, The Island Flower (Photo by Deborah Spencer)

Through burlesque Tanya got to know not only innovative dancers, but the many brilliant designers and unique artisans among the burlesque community. She quickly recognized the need for a shop where people creating showgirl wares could present them. She dreamed of a way to combine all the aspects of burlesque that she loved- the wigs, the rhinestoned bits, the costumes and pasties, the socializing and camaraderie- all in one boutique. The Burlesque Boutique began as an online store around a year ago, at the same time appearing as a pop-up shop at shows and locations such as Dr. Jen’s Atomic Cosmetics. Kitten LaRue, Lily Verlaine, and Jasper McCann have also been early supporters of The Burlesque Boutique, entrusting Tanya with merchandising at many of their shows including the incredible spread of wigs, ornaments, Atomic Cosmetics, Danial Hellman underwear, Haute Under the Collar ties, Barones Lovey De Luxe jewels and more at Land of the Sweets 2012. Though she would love to eventually grow into a retail space where the community can shop or gather, Tanya recognizes that the uniquely social aspect of live burlesque shows is something an online presence can’t replicate. Currently The Burlesque Boutique has a pop-up shop in Capitol Hill’s Pretty Parlor, owned by local purveyor of all things lovely Anna Lange (aka Anna Banana). “Anna’s brilliant, she’s just such a great designer of things, and she’s so positive. She’s so supportive and it’s so nice to be there,” Tanya says of showing her sparkly bits among Pretty Parlor’s rich mix of vintage and indie designers.

Pretty Parlor will host a special Burlesque Boutique Trunk Show on Saturday March 30 from 3-7pm. The event will celebrate the ultimate tease- the arrival of spring in Seattle- with a fun shopping event including a little socializing and an array of spring confections for dressing up from head to toe. Everything from spring dresses to wigs, feathers, flowers, rhinestoned panties, pasties and more will be on offer, as well as gorgeous pieces from The Burlesque Boutique’s new lines Trashy Diva, Stop Staring, and Unique Vintage. Pastie cupcakes, mixed nuts, and some sparkling beverages will give you the strength to shop. Or watch fashion designer and aerialist Jamie Von Stratton (also a featured designer at Pretty Parlor) accessorizing the shop itself as she hangs from silks on Pretty Parlor’s pink chandelier. “It’s so awesome!” laughs Tanya. “The chandelier is gorgeous…There’s just so much light and color in there…”

To view The Burlesque Boutique Trunk Show’s Facebook event, click HERE.

Need a little something for your hair? Perhaps something small & sexy to wear beneath it? Visit the Burlesque Boutique Trunk Show at Pretty Parlor March 30.

Australia’s Captain Kidd

With less than a week until KINGS: A Boylesque Extravaganza hits Seattle’s expansive Triple Door, the first thing we need to divulge is that as of this writing, the only remaining tickets are Standing Room Only. The second bona fide fact is the distinguished male peelers prepared to tease you into submission will remind you why your knickers got in such a twist about burlesque in the first place. The all-male revue features multiple Burlesque Hall of Famers and contemporary boylesque legends from around the world all gathered under one roof for one gigantic show.

The announcement of KINGS seemed to pop up out of nowhere, reaching nearly sold out capacity in lightning speed. But it wasn’t really out of nowhere, of course- the showcase was carefully planned by the industrious and ever-artful minds of filmmaker Deirdre Timmons (A Wink and A Smile), and Paula the Swedish Housewife- aka, The Swedish Housewife Presents- or most recently, the performer paulanow.

Paula took a few moments on the fly this week to talk with us about KINGS. (We also recently chatted with one of the show’s stars, Jett Adore, and will post that interview in the coming days).

BSP: HI Paula! It’s been a while since we’ve seen a show from The Swedish Housewife Presents, although you were involved with and hosted reProduction (the NARAL benefit) last summer, a cause that’s important to you I know. We’ve missed you! Where have you been??

Paula: What I want to say is, I’ve been hiding in my bear cave playing Goldie Locks and eating blueberries and salmon…but truthfully I’ve taken a much needed break from production, performance and burlesque. Last August I started working on a one-woman show that I intend to perform this Fall as paulanow, my new performance identity as no one but my family can pronounce our last name.

The Swedish Housewife Presents and The Swedish Housewife have been allocated as “a gun for hire” and not self-producing any longer…possibly interested in hosting (so if anyone out there wants to hire her, contact away!).

BSP: What moved you to do a show focused solely on boylesque this time around?

Paula: I am doing this project to support Deirdre Timmons’ next film KINGS (as you see the show and the film have the same name). KINGS is a fictional comedic madcap road-trip about six boylesque performers competing to become the next King of Burlesque. Though Deirdre has directed and produced two feature-length documentaries and has been kicking around getting dirty in the burlesque scene for many years now, this will be her debut fictional narrative film. Read: This is not a documentary!

BSP: You’ve been both discerning & fortunate in your career as a producer and performer to work with people who are a cut above, the best in their genres. How did you go about selecting the cast for this show? (They come from all over but are all title holders…?)

Paula: I am fortunate to have discerning taste Heck, over the years I’ve just pursued the performers who wow and inspire me, and was fortunate that they said “Yes!”.

The talent in this show is crazy, all the men are fantastic. Mat Frazer and Waxie Moon are not title holders, Mat has never competed for a title, while Miss(ter) Moon has. In my eyes Waxie is a winner, a King, and an exceptional boylesque dancer who elevates the art form every time he sets foot on a stage. Deirdre is really responsible for the casting for this particular show; some of the talent are doing some initial screen testing for the film. But you are correct, The Swedish Housewife has always had very high standards when producing burlesque, she was very dedicated to elevating the art form, an important thing to do when presenting women on stage removing their clothing.

BSP: What do you think makes boylesque so exciting at this particular point in time? It’s definitely gaining visibility the last year or two, although it’s not a new genre by any means…

Paula: Many of the men come to burlesque with a bag full of tricks — training in theater, dance or circus arts – tricks that take years to hone.

Oh dear … am I really going to go there? Yes, I am. Men are not dealing with the sheer quantity of bland competition. The burlesque scene is simply drowning in female performers – and many are just not that talented or bringing anything new to the stage.

BSP: Proceeds from this show will go in part to help with the making of Deirdre’s new film. How long have you known each other, and how would you say you function & mesh together artistically on this project?

Paula: Deirdre is shooting the show for media that can be used for her trailer and for an Indiegogo campaign to help raise funds for this film, which is in its baby steps of development.

The proceeds of this production do not begin to cover the costs of the show. Flying in, feeding and housing international talent from Australia, NY, London, Chicago and LA, let alone bringing in videographers, photographers, and renting camera equipment, can get astronomically expensive. The Indiegogo campaign will help raise development funds for KINGS. These funds are needed to pay for such film pre-production costs as script development, budgeting, scheduling, storyboarding, financing and legal fees, fundraising costs, music rights, and creating a teaser video. Pre-production – the first part of making a film – can be and usually is — the most complicated part of pulling a project together, something people often don’t realize.

I see this show as more of a big decadent gift to the Seattle burlesque community from Golden Echo films. This is not what one would call a sustainable show model, which is why The Swedish Housewife Presents is not presenting anymore (again, gladly a gun for hire )

High standards come at a high price.

I met Deirdre when she was making A Wink and A Smile. I offered to produce a fundraiser for her and also offered up the band I was in at the time, Orchestra Le POW!, to play the show. Loren Dutton and Dain Hudson wrote some fantastic original music for the film, which really helped Deirdre’s film project as sync rights to use music in films is astronomical (case in point, she had to drop two little-known songs from the film at the Nth Hour because the music rights would have cost $20,000 per song!). A Wink and A Smile has had great exposure on Netflix, cable, in theaters and now in Australia, but it has only made money for distributors (common for indie filmmakers, just like modern-day burlesque performers!).

I don’t know how long I’ve known Deirdre. I just always say ten years as a default, whether it is true or not. So I’ve known Deirdre ten years. This project is all hers, I’m just taking care of the logistics of producing the live show … and telling Deirdre, “No,” a lot.

p.s. The audience will be shot during the show so everyone should dress up and smile BIG for the camera. Enjoy the show!

*****

Scoop up the last remaining tickets to KINGS: A Boylesque Extravaganza by clicking HERE.

The Stage Door Johnnies at BHoF (POC Photo)

Ah, Jett Adore.  The name rolls gorgeously off the tongue, sending one into a reverie of fleeting moments shared recently in Seattle… there was the brief but flirty warm-up at the debut of Waxie Moon in Fallen Jewel at Central Cinema, a set of blush-inducing seductions at Boys! Bois! Boyz! at West Hall, and the absolutely stunning dalliances (both solo and with handsome counterparts The Stage Door Johnnies) at KINGS: A Boylesque Extravaganza last week at The Triple Door.  We’ve fallen in love with Jett Adore.  And we’re not the only ones.

Jett has traveled extensively, headlining all over the world in over 50 cities, touring most recently throughout Australia, New Zealand, and Canada. As some may recall, he was awarded the Burlesque Hall of Fame’s “Most Innovative 2011” as well as sharing the title “World’s Best Duo 2012” with Ms. Frenchie Kiss. Jett is also one of The Stage Door Johnnies, Chicago’s premier male burlesque trio, who scooped up the Burlesque Hall of Fame’s “World’s Best Burlesque Group 2011”. The troupe were awarded “Artists of the Year, 2010” by The Burlesque Innovation Guild and are ranked among the World’s “Top 10 Performers” by 21ST Century Burlesque. All this, and they manage to star in their own weekly show in Chicago. The Stage Door Johnnies are magnificent together; individually, they’re unique and just as sublime.

Paul and Jessica of Burlesque Seattle Press recently took a moment to get to know the delightful man referred to as “The No-Pantser Romancer”- Jett Adore:

BSP: Hi Jett! Where are you writing from now?  (You’ve been traveling quite a bit from your home base of Chicago we know, including a few recent stops in Seattle.  You also toured Australia last year…)

Jett Adore: I am back in my palace in Chicago, Illinois. Yes, we Stage Door Johnnies have been very busy. In the last several months, we have had our show in NY also starring Liza Minnelli and Alan Cumming, and we toured our show late last year in Australia for a little over a month with the Schlepp Sisters, Minnie Tonka and Darlinda Just Darlinda, and host Nadine Dubois. Since then, I journeyed on my own to headline in New Zealand for a few weeks for the 20th anniversary World Busker’s Festival in February, then a few big shows in Detroit and Chicago, and finally on to my Mini-West Coast Tour which brought me to your divine city.

BSP: Can you tell a little (for those that don’t know you just yet) about how you discovered burlesque, and a little about your trajectory as a performer?

Jett: I was born on the Isle of Romantica, where I was reared by my royal family with the virtues of love and sensual expression. Since childhood, and on my magical journeys since leaving my homeland, I have continually been offered the great fortune of working in the worlds of professional theatre and dance. Along these journeys, I had been involved in several annual events incorporating choreographed, polished, highly stylized dance into an elaborate exotic male theatrical experience. I have also been dear friends with burlesque icon Hot Toddy since we were both but wee sproutlings, and it is he who had the vision to bring together the three Stage Door Johnnies: Bazuka Joe, Ray Gunn, and myself. The ladies within the world of today’s exciting burlesque revival have since been largely responsible for our opportunities to shine our bright naughty bits all across the world. Without their continual welcoming embrace, we would have gone nowhere.

BSP: How would you describe your personal style and/or individual take on male burlesque?

Jett: First, I imagine, I pretend…that nostalgia actually exists for male burlesque just as it does for the legendary ladies. I dream, what if, when burlesque was at it’s original height of popularity, male performers had been just as prominent and mainstream as women who have made history? How would those men have translated the genre? I aim to allow indulgence in a fantastical male character who, just as so many of the divas of burlesque history, has a playful sense of humor without sacrificing legitimate sex appeal. I aim to explore masculinity, and to draw on icons and images which promote it, exploit it, twist it, exaggerate it, expand it. I never intend to bend gender, but I ask, always as a man, what can be provocative in the contrasts between delicacy and muscularity, softness and brawn? Is there a bit of fancy in football? The iconic romantic male image, in and of itself, may indeed be considered in many ways inherently feminine, what with all his writing of love letters and giving gifts of thoughtful bouquets and trinkets, his tenderness, charm, and immaculate, glamorous elegance, despite his brute strength. The rest of Jett Adore is mystery and secrets and plenty of gemstones, and to try to sort through it all would spoil the magic.

Jett Adore (Photo by Roxi D’Lite)

BSP: In recent years, men in burlesque (many of whom have been performing since neo-burlesque’s initial resurgence) have been more widely recognized, put ground-breaking work out there, and been a strong creative influence on the art form as a whole.  Do you feel like in your travels, people outside of the performance community are starting to wake up to the fact that men can embrace this form of performance too?

Jett: We Stage Door Johnnies have been immensely fortunate that our aesthetic has always been well received in the burlesque community and beyond. We have never had to struggle to be embraced as men in this art form, but have never taken that fortune for granted. It has since the beginning been our mission to embody a male counterpart to classic female burlesque in a way that does not mock, but rather glorifies the art of the striptease.

The vast majority of audiences I encounter, though, are largely virgins to burlesque of any kind, and come, I think, expecting less than the life-changing adventure they eventually experience. This is, of course, one of the most exciting things about burlesque. There is both great opportunity and great responsibility to bring the most polished, most innovative, most moving representation possible of this theatre we call burlesque, as it is often the first impression the audience will have to this genre.

I believe burlesque at its very core is universally rousing regardless of a performer’s gender or an audience member’s sexual preference. Though the crowd may roar at the glimpse of an exposed bottom or rhinestoned nipple, what they are applauding in that moment is an innovation, a surprise, a brilliant bit of artistry. From the elderly who attach to the nostalgia, to the stylish gay men who can’t get enough of the glitzy divas and elaborate costumes, to married couples, to bachelorette parties and fratboys, the beautiful melting pot of the burlesque audience all join together to embrace and rejoice in the fun and freeing art of striptease, whether or not the performer’s gender matches that of their usual sexual desire. What I have found fascinating is the positive and enthusiast feedback I and the other Johnnies have received from heterosexual men. They come for the ladies, but, to their astonishment (indeed, it is often all they can do not to groan and squirm as soon as a male performer is announced), they somehow find a cleverness and theatricality to our acts, which allows them to watch and enjoy and be roused, even inspired and empowered, by a guy getting naked. That’s breaking down boundaries. I love that.

Jett, in a little taste of his ode to beautiful plumage.

BSP: Did you ever imagine that being involved in this art form would hold such opportunities for you, and what have been the most cherished moments for you so far?

Jett: Before I was awakened to the rather obvious fact that theatre is much more exciting when people are getting naked, I never dreamed anything close to the life I am living. I am continually touched and overwhelmingly inspired by my beloved friends who are in this business. There are cherished moments at every turn, and heartbreak at every farewell. Attending the annual Burlesque Hall of Fame shows and awards ceremonies these last several years has certainly concentrated many of those kinds of moments. It is hard to top the gratitude felt at the recognition extended by some of the best of one’s peers. Better even is having the opportunity to acknowledge those peers for their own magical inspiration.

BSP: Finally- how would you characterize Chicago burlesque in a short sentence or two?

Jett: Chicago has some of the best of neo and classic burlesque and it is being produced in more and more spectacular venues. I am so fortunate to be part of the scene here; we’re all upping the bar for each other.

Jett reclining with a special friend.

Visit the spectacularly talented, spectacularly handsome Stage Door Johnnies HERE.

Jesse Belle-Jones, as photographed by Greg Holloway

Seattle burlesquer Jesse Belle-Jones is fast approaching the need for a few more dashes/hyphens/slashes in her name and list of titles.  Most know her as “The Modern Sexual Intellectual” of Sinner Saint Burlesque, where she’s been a member since 2009.  She’s also been a producer and regular reader with Naked Girls Reading since the local chapter first dropped its literary skivvies here in early 2010. In January, Jesse added member of the Board of Directors at the Foundation for Sex Positive Culture to her credentials. The nonprofit is responsible for educational and cultural events celebrating sexuality- the most famous of course being the annual Seattle Erotic Art Festival, where Jesse also happens to be Co-Director of Performance Art.  Burlesque, as an art form steeped in sexuality, has proven to be just the delectable tip of the iceberg for Jesse.  Through it, she’s plugged into wider worlds of artistic and intellectual stimulation that have kept her creativity piqued in every pursuit.

As fate would have it, several of Jesse’s favorite sexy worlds will collide this weekend with the relaunch of Naked Girls Reading at the newly opened Pacific Northwest Library for Sex Positive Culture.  “Part of the return is about connecting with the community,” Jesse told me by phone a few weeks ago.  “With local authors, artists, galleries, libraries….we sat down and asked ourselves ‘what do we want this event to do in our city?’” Taking a step back from the obvious novelty of girls reading books …naked… the producers considered what relevance the revamped series might have (the local chapter has been on hiatus since November 2011’s successful sci-fi encore).  The library, which is open to the public and part of the annex of the Center for Sex Positive Culture, seemed like the perfect location for the relaunch.

As individual franchises of Naked Girls Reading spread to a family of 19 cities and counting (the Chicago flagship was founded by Michelle L’amour and Franky Vivid in 2009), each chapter naturally developed their own unique sensibilities: some have emerged as boudoir-style salons;  others, more focused on niche genres.  In the hands of the cerebral  but ever-playful  Jesse Belle-Jones and her co-producers, the new Naked Girls Reading will undoubtedly find plenty of ways to get involved in the community, encouraging diversity and sexual  intellectualism wherever they  might hang their collective hats.  Particularly since hats may be the only apparel the readers are wearing…

NGR’s Seattle relaunch is Sunday, April 14.  Click HERE for tickets.

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And in case you’re beside yourself with desire for news of Sinner Saint Burlesque:  their current run Sincerely is under way now at Noc Noc.  Each week you’ll find a member of Sinner Saint’s sister troupe The Beatitudes sharing the stage.  During the month of May, The Beatitudes will in fact be keeping the stage warm for Sinner Saint as they head to Alaska for a few weeks of teaching and performances.  (The Luminous Pariah, Jesse’s former co-star in SHINE: The Burlesque Musical will join the girls as host for a few Alaska dates, hot on the heels of his upcoming performance at the second New York Boylesque Festival).

In other news- looking for interesting work that doesn’t necessarily involve taking your clothes off, but is crucial to Sinner Saint’s heart and soul?  They’re currently hiring- interested parties should take a peek at a recent posting over HERE.

Lola Frost of the Vancouver Burlesque Centre guests this weekend at For Love & Money

This week’s quick & dirty burlesque show picks stretch all the way from Columbia City to the Big Apple:

First up, Violet Tendencies brings the third event under the banner Valkyrie Productions to the Columbia City Theater Friday and Saturday, April 19-20. For Love & Money will flirt with a little multimedia action for the first time as the performers bring acts that “sell” versus acts that fall more into subversive territory.

“The ideal is when they are one and the same, however for many artists the marketability of what we are passionate about often has to take a backseat to what we are paid for, ” Violet explained. “My goal with this show is twofold – first, to offer a place for artists to push boundaries and create while showing off their skills with a well rehearsed crowd-pleaser… and then of course to offer our audience a unique glimpse into each performer as an artist…”

The contrast of high glamor showmanship with more animal impulses might reveal a duality in some performers we’ve come to know in a more “marketable” light. Lola Frost & Cherry On Top of the Vancouver Burlesque Centre will guest star. For tickets, click HERE or check out the Facebook event HERE.

Want a little peek behind the curtain?

April 19-20 @ Columbia City Theater

Jesse Belle-Jones (POC Photo)

Randi Rascal (Photo by Takako)

Cherry On Top of Vancouver Burlesque Centre (Photo by Dave Humphreys)

The Luminous Pariah (Photo by POC)

Paris Original (Photo by Ji Ji Lee)

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Speaking of Paris Original and The Luminous Pariah, they’ll soon represent Seattle’s thriving boylesque scene at the 2^nd Annual New York Boylesque Festival. Fortuitously (but not surprising at all, given their stupendous talent) Waxie Moon and Trojan Original have also been accepted to the fest. It’s an incredible honor that the unique talents of these performers will not only be recognized- but will be recognized together. We couldn’t be more proud, and the four couldn’t be more delighted to make the journey together and support one another on their Big Apple adventure.

Give our hometown boylesquers a proper send-off Sunday April 21 at The Rendezvous as they prepare to embark on their journey to the world’s only boylesque festival. The event will showcase the acts to be performed in New York- now’s your chance to say you saw them before they were famous.

Bite the Big Apple is a performance showcase and fundraiser featuring a raffle and live auction. Proceeds will help to offset the performers’ travel costs. Help our Seattle boys turn it OUT in NYC!

Featuring Waxie Moon, The Luminous Pariah, Paris Original, Trojan Original (Hosted by Leeni). April 21 @ 7:30pm, The Rendezvous. Get tickets HERE.

Sunday, April 21 @ The Rendezvous

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Finally, next Wednesday April 24 at West Hall there will be a special screening of the film A Wink and A Smile hosted by Miss Indigo Blue, filmmaker Deirdre Timmons, and special guests. Catch a glimpse of early Academy of Burlesque history among friends and familiar faces at West Hall. Doors open at 6:30, the film will begin at 7. $10 suggested donation.

April 24 @ West Hall

Madison Moone, Production Manager of Big Time! Burlesque (Photo by Matt Adamik)

Portland’s Big Time! Burlesque and musical paramour Orchestre L’Pow share a grandiose vision of glamour in their productions. “Think Henry Mancini meets The Cramps,” says Production Manager Madison Moone.

Moone, who has been producing in Portland since 2008, cut her burlesque teeth with one-woman show Madison Moone’s Burlesque Revue. Her shows were routinely backed by a live trio, solidifying her belief that the chemistry between band and burlesque is a vital part of exciting an audience, not to mention turning up the heat in a performance. Through these events she met bassist and future Orchestre L’Pow production partner and Musical Director Sean Hudson. Today, the team also includes The Infamous Nina Nightshade, who stepped in as Talent Coordinator when the much-loved Charlotte Treuse took up residence in New Orleans last fall. Creative direction is a collaborative effort each season, but with the help of sponsors such as Portland’s leading sex positive boutique She Bop and the addition this year of corporate sponsor Drambuie Liquor, Big Time! Burlesque is becoming a whole lot bigger. “This has enabled us to bring national and international headliners to our stage,” Madison explained. “This was one of the goals we set at the very first Big Time Burlesque round table discussion and we are so thrilled to be making that a reality”.

This Saturday May 4, NYC burlesque maven Jo Weldon will star in the second show of their 2013 season, La Femme Céleste. In addition to Jo’s long list of burlesque benchmarks (author of The Burlesque Handbook, headmistress of the New York School of Burlesque, co-founder of BurlyCon, Pink Light Burlesque, and the list goes on…), she is also a performance icon and a champion of honoring the histories of the many unruly women that came before the current wave of burlesquers. Much like Madison Moone and Orchestre L’Pow, Jo is a master of onstage sizzle.

La Femme Céleste (‘the heavenly woman’) will channel iconic goddesses from around the world. From Isis to Aphrodite, Cleopatra to Freya, performers pay homage to these often enigmatic figureheads of fertility, creativity, birth and death. Also sharing the stage will be Seattle’s very own Boom Boom L’Roux as well as the L’Pow! Company Dancers: Madison Moone, Itty Bitty Bang Bang, and The Infamous Nina Nightshade. Internationally renowned burlesque emcee Vincent Drambuie will host, and all dance routines will be performed to the “post-punk big band” sounds of Orchestre L’Pow!

Big Time! Burlesque Company Dancers (Photo by Casey Campbell)

Jo Weldon will also be teaching while in Portland- read about her May 4 afternoon class “The Living Glove” and pre-register through She Bop HERE (although the class itself will be at the Bossanova Ballroom).

Madison took some time to explain the unique symbiosis of band and burlesque (as well as how they connected with Jo “Boobs” Weldon):

Burlesque Seattle Press: Are Orchestre L’Pow & Big Time! Burlesque always paired?

Madison Moone: Yes, Orchestre L’Pow and Big Time! Burlesque are always paired. It’s true that the band does exist and work as its own entity. L’Pow was originally founded several years ago by our drummer Dain Hudson (Sean’s brother). They primarily worked in Seattle with a rotating cast of dancers. The band took a short hiatus for a redevelopment period and Dain handed the band over to Sean. Sean wanted to resurrect the project under a different guise; however he was living here in Portland. That’s around the time that we met on my project. He pitched the new model to myself and Charlotte Treuse, our Talent Coordinator before her move to New Orleans this past fall. What he pitched to us was the vision of a glamorous, full production, over the top stage show backed by a bad ass live band. Hence the name Big Time! Burlesque.

Orchestre L’Pow (Photo by Casey Campbell)

Charlotte Treuse, Big Time! Burlesque’s Talent Coordinator before her move to New Orleans this past fall (Photo by Casey Campbell)

BSP: Portland seems to have a good understanding of the power of live music matched with burlesque. It’s very potent! Why do you think that is?

Madison: I can’t speak for how others are using live music in their productions but I can tell what is potent about it for us. All three of us on the production team have a very strong connection with live music performance. Nina Nightshade has training in several styles of dance, most notably belly dance. Sean and I are both formally trained musicians in classical composition, jazz improvisation and rock ‘n’ roll.

In order to play live music or dance to live music you must develop the ability to connect with each other on stage. When jazz musicians improvise, they have a road map, so to speak, that they are working from, but to really make the music come alive they have to be listening to each other and looking at each other, paying attention to the moment…connecting…as if they were having a conversation with a friend. They feed off of one another. One player will finish the other player’s thought. The same connection must be present between the dancer and the musician. For example, if the drummer is really paying attention to what the dancer is doing he has the ability to give an extra accent to a bump or the guitar player can play a really dirty slide when she grinds. Using live musicians give us the freedom to turn the volume up on these “oh so special” accents.

Sean custom arranges all of the music for every single show. We are not just simply doing what the recording is doing. We can bring the finer details more forward; the dancer can make special requests regarding her needs for the vision of the act. Dancing to canned music, while it’s nice for precise tempo etc. can come across as robotic or too precise. In my opinion, because we as dancers have to listen to where the band is going, it forces us to be more present with the audience. They will always be directly affected by the connection between players and dancers on stage. It’s as if the audience lives vicariously through the band. They always go wild when a spontaneous interaction or flirt happens between dancer and band member; again it’s the connection in the moment that gets them, not the perfectly executed choreography.

BSP: Can you tell me a little about how you came to curate this “Goddess” themed show, its cast, and how Jo came to be involved?

Madison: As for the cast, we spent our first season working through a group of dancers that we were interested in working with. In our second season we decided to form a company. Our three principals include myself (Madison Moone), The Infamous Nina Nightshade (Bergamot Burlesque) and Itty Bitty Bang Bang (Rose City Shimmy). Our stage kittens include Hyacinth Lee and Lady Loaded Guns, both of whom have been with us for over two seasons. And last but certainly not least, Vincent Drambuie is our emcee. Vincent has been on board since the very first show and really acts as the glue. His sense of comedic timing is classic yet fresh. He reminds me of a cross between Jackie Gleason and Conan O’Brien.

Vincent Drambuie, Lady Loaded Guns, Hyacinth Lee (Photo by Casey Campbell)

As for the “Goddess” theme, I had the idea several years ago. I was just wrapping up my stint producing the solo show and just coming on board to produce Big Time! Burlesque. I may have even pitched it at the first table meeting, I can’t remember. But at any rate, the moment wasn’t right for it; other ideas were really taking off so I filed it away, with the hope that we could revisit it again. When we got the Drambuie sponsorship this fall, we knew we wanted to take the opportunity to develop new shows and bring in headliners. As I was looking at what the company already had existing in the rep, it seemed like the perfect time to develop it. Nina Nightshade had created an exquisite tribute to Cleopatra for a previous show and Itty Bitty Bang Bang has a luscious Jungle Goddess number involving a giant tiger. I was in the process of developing a Golden Goddess act and a tribute to Shakti the Hindu Goddess. The show was already in process, we really only needed to develop a few more pieces.

Itty Bitty Bang Bang (Photo by Casey Campbell)

The Infamous Nina Nightshade (Photo by Casey Campbell)

As for Jo Weldon’s involvement, we have been in dialog with her since last summer about coming to do a show. Of course, since Jo is in such high demand and our show schedule is relatively strict, we were having a difficult time nailing down a date for her to come out. When it came time to book the headliner for La Femme Céleste, we hadn’t talked to Jo in a while. Nina suggested we try Jo again and sure enough she had that date open. At the beginning of the year we had talked about how wonderful it would be to get her for this show, she’s the ultimate goddess! We just weren’t sure if the timing would work out. We are all bursting at the seams about her coming out; she really is perfect for this show!

Jo Weldon will appear with Big Time! Burlesque in Portland May 4 (Photo by Allen Lee)

Orchestre L’Pow! & Drambuie Present
Big Time! Burlesque
La Femme Céleste
starring Jo Weldon

May, 4th 2013
Bossanova Ballroom,
722 East Burnside Street, Portland, OR
Doors 7:00pm / Show 8:00pm / 21+

Tickets on sale now:
www.bossanovaballroom.com/event/orchestra-lpow-2

******

Speaking of Orchestre L’Pow, there always seems to be less than six degrees of separation when it comes to Portland and Seattle: Paula the Swedish Housewife was in an early incarnation of the band, which led to their prominent feature in the 2008 documentary A Wink and a Smile, in which Loren Dutton and Dain Hudson wrote some original music for the film.

In case you haven’t heard, A Wink and a Smile director Deirdre Timmons is starting those big wheels of pre-production turning for her next film: KINGS. The movie will be a fictitious romp following a group of male performers vying for the title “King of Boylesque”. Recently Portland’s Russell Bruner appeared at what functioned as something of a kickoff show for the film in KINGS: A Boylesque Extravaganza at the Triple Door. You can catch footage of Russell from that show alongside boylesque titans Waxie Moon, Captain Kidd, Evil Hate Monkey, and the Stage Door Johnnies in the teaser video over HERE.

You’ve heard the saying it takes a village…well it takes a village, a dedicated burlesque community, and a whole bunch of ‘cheddar’ to make a film. Deirdre needs our help to get this movie’s engines started- please get on board early and make a donation that will help to immortalize this über-exciting time in boylesque history. Support KINGS HERE.

Australia’s Captain Kidd appeared in KINGS at the Triple Door.

This weekend!

The clouds have lifted, the sun is shining, and there’s burlesque royalty sashaying through the springtime hamlets of Seattle and Olympia. Portland’s Russell Bruner (Reigning King of Burlesque 2012) and Chicago’s Michelle L’amour (Miss Exotic World 2005) will appear at West Hall on Thursday, May 9 and then continue the royal procession on over to Olympia’s historic Capitol Theater on Friday, May 10.

Seattle’s Ultimate Grand Supreme will feature Kitten LaRue (Producer and Head Bombshell of burlesque supertroupe The Atomic Bombshells), Lou Henry Hoover, hostess extraordinaire BenDeLaCreme, plus more surprises. Inga Ingénue (Miss Viva Las Vegas 2011) will perform the act that served as her step down number from her coveted Vegas title.

Kitten recently explained how she came to know Russell and Michelle: “I originally met Russell because he auditioned for Freedom Fantasia the first year we were casting the show! We of course LOVED him, but he had a schedule conflict with the show dates. As for Michelle, she and I first met when we were both asked to perform at the Legends Ball at Burlesque Hall of Fame in 2008. I did my “Feline Fantasia” act (a tribute to Lily Christine) and I was absolutely blown away by her Sally Rand tribute fan dance….one of the most gorgeous acts in burlesque. I’m excited that Michelle will be bringing two acts that Seattle has never seen before!”

Michelle L’amour is a modern day trailblazer- she’s been performing since 2002 and has captivated audiences on five continents with her singularly glamorous style, not to mention her fabulous appearances on multiple television shows (most recently, “In the Bedroom” on the Oprah Winfrey Network). Classic pin-up photographer and Bettie Page protégée Bunny Yeager featured Michelle in her recent book- a top honor for any burlesque performer. Rising burlesque starlets from miles around are instructed in technique for all skill levels at Michelle’s popular Studio L’amour in Chicago… the city which is home to the flagship chapter of Naked Girls Reading….which as it happens, was founded by Michelle and Franky Vivid. Ms. L’amour is quite an in-demand showgirl, so catch her here in the Northwest while you can.

Kitten LaRue Presents:
ULTIMATE GRAND SUPREME!
A Night of Burlesque Royalty
Thursday, May 9th
7pm and 10pm
West Hall Theater
The Oddfellows Building, 2nd Floor
915 E Pine Street, Capitol Hill
Get tickets HERE…$26 in advance, $30 day of show
VIP TABLES AVAILABLE!

***

The Olympia show on May 10 will feature another round of performers, including Miss Indigo Blue (Queen of Burlesque/Miss Exotic World 2011) and several of the Seattle performers on their way to perform at the Burlesque Hall of Fame next month…including our very own Sydni Deveraux, who will be competing for Reigning Queen 2013.

Here’s the skinny:

Miss Indigo Blue and Gotta Jones Productions present an extraordinary night of royally raunchy burlesque: The Reign of Fame! ONE NIGHT ONLY at the historic Capitol Theater in downtown Olympia. Doors 8 p.m., show 9 p.m. 18+, 21+ bar with ID!

Starring 2005 Reigning Queen of Burlesque, Michelle L’amour (CHI) and 2012 King of Burlesque Russell Bruner (PDX)!

Hosted by The Illustrious Ms. Hattie Hotpants!
Featuring special guests:

Seattle’s Sapphic Sweetheart MISS INDIGO BLUE!
(Miss Exotic World 2011)

“Poetry in Motion” PARIS ORIGINAL
(Mr. Exotic World Contestant THIS JUNE!)

The gender-blending queer lady boylesque performance art solo stripping sensation WAXIE MOON!
(Mr. Exotic World Contestant THIS JUNE!)

Read more about the show by visiting our friends at Olympia’s Own TUSH! Burlesque HERE, and get advance tickets over HERE.

Through the Looking Glass: the Burlesque Alice in Wonderland will enchant at the Triple Door May 15-18 (All photos by Scott Butner)

This week’s Pick of the Glitter is a classic tale cleverly re-imagined and skillfully modernized by Lily Verlaine & Jasper McCann: Through the Looking Glass: the Burlesque Alice In Wonderland visits Seattle’s Triple Door May 15-18. Now in its fifth season, there are still a few surprises and new twists down the rabbit hole- watch for a new ‘face card’ making an appearance at The Looking Glass nightclub, as well as Paris Original cast as the Knave of Hearts. “The ‘Butterfly’ duet between Lily and Trojan Original has changed a bit…a metamorphosis, as it were,” hinted Jasper. “There are different thematic elements to look for.”

Framing the story in a nightclub setting allowed the producers to realize the “adult” Alice as well as certain aspects of the story’s more unsavory characters, who weren’t quite so charming as memory may serve. “We were trying to give a different musical context to the characters so the audience could forget about the ‘Alice’ they’ve been forced to get to know, and meet these new ideas of the characters with an open mind,” Jasper explained in our 2011 interview on the evolution of the show. “Sure, The Queen of Hearts still loves beheading people, but that’s dark stuff. The original book, retitled, should be ‘Through The Looking Glass and all the jerks Alice met there’. The Mad Hatter and the March Hare are NOT jovial, happy-go-lucky sing-song characters in the book. They’re horrible. And so are many of the other characters… they’re pompous, rude, indifferent, contrary, and aggressive. So take that, and boil it down, make it glamorous and shiny, and you’ve got yourself a show.”

Through the Looking Glass: the Burlesque Alice In Wonderland mixes jazz with exotic music and dance styles as Alice discovers what wonders lie beyond the velvet rope at Wonderland’s exclusive nightclub, The Looking Glass. Get tickets and more information HERE, and what follows are five very, very good reasons to spend the weekend following Alice:

Lily Verlaine (Photo by Scott Butner)

Waxie Moon (Photo by Scott Butner)

Miss Indigo Blue (Photo by Scott Butner)

Jasper McCann (Photo by Scott Butner)

Inga Ingenue (Photo by Scott Butner)

Sparkly Devil in 2011, competing for the title Reigning Queen of Burlesque in Las Vegas. (POC Photo)

Burlesque Seattle Press is greatly saddened by the news of the sudden passing of burlesque performer Sparkly Devil (San Francisco, California). Sparkly was scheduled to perform at Burlesque Hall of Fame Weekend’s Thursday night showcase “Movers, Shakers & Innovators” and was a five-time competitor for the title “Miss Exotic World, Reigning Queen of Burlesque”. She was an active member of San Francisco’s burlesque community and a founding member of the Hubba Hubba Revue.

Our thoughts and our hearts go out to Sparkly, her husband, and loved ones.

~ Paul and Jessica

Sydni Deveraux competes this week for the title Reigning Queen of Burlesque (Photo by La Photographie)

~ Written by/interview by Jessica Price

If you are familiar with Sydni Deveraux – aka Seattle’s very own “Golden Glamazon” – then you know that the woman eats, sleeps, breathes, and dreams burlesque. Her love for the art form and complete immersion in its past and present history is matched only by her sizzling moves and goddess-like stature (Sydni is 6 foot 1… in stocking feet). She produces, teaches, sings, and serves up burlesque advice and tips on her blog, Living in a Glitter Wonderland. But most of all Sydni is an extremely sensual mover that takes her sweet time, making each and every audience member feel as if they’re getting a steamy private show. When Sydni competes this week for the title “Miss Exotic World 2013, The Reigning Queen of Burlesque” at the 23rd Annual Tournament of Tease in Las Vegas, the phrase “she was born to do this” will take on a whole new meaning. We’re pretty sure it’s one of those special showgirl moments Sydni has been dreaming of since well, birth.

Last week we chatted with Waxie Moon and Paris Original (two of the four competitors in this year’s “Best of Boylesque” category); without further ado, we bring you a BSP interview with Sydni Deveraux as she prepares to shake her moneymaker in Vegas:

Jessica: Hi Sydni! In order to understand a performer and see where they are going, it’s often helpful to view their artistry and career in the context of where they’ve been. Can you tell a little about how you became interested in burlesque, and then of course how you got your start?

Sydni Deveraux: I am interested in burlesque because I like being naked, I love to move and I especially love a good piece of music to be naked and move to! I also really enjoy the costuming elements of it, though I wasn’t as enthralled with doing my own costuming until I began my apprenticeship with Catherine D’Lish.

I got my start in burlesque I guess from being a naked lady online first- I was a Suicide Girl and while I was active in that community I heard there was a burlesque show in my city! I have been a jazz singer since high school and a flutist since childhood- so I was already hooked with the music. I was super interested in seeing how the semi-naked ladies in those pin-ups I adored actually were purported to move to the music I loved….so it all really has been snowballing since teen-hood, if I really had to trace my origins! However, I didn’t just jump in- I asked to help out with the show (the now defunct Burning Hearts Burlesque) and was a kitten for quite a while before I was approached by the manager (Cleo Petra) to get on the stage as a performer. After a time with BHB, I became one of the founding members of Sinner Saint Burlesque and I was with that super troupe (at the time it was Evilyn Sin Claire, The Shanghai Pearl, Ravenna Black, Georgia Miles, Belle Cozette and Inga Ingénue) until I made the choice to go solo in what I think was 2008.

From there I performed in one offs, produced shows by myself and also with Hottie McNaughty (together we were Blood Rhinestone Productions), curated/creatively directed the 2010 Sin On Heels tour and now I am the producer of Burlesque Behind the Pink Door (since 2010- If I remember right).

So you know…I’ve been trucking along- I still feel like I have a long way to go- I’m closer to the starting line than the finish, if I have anything to do with it!

Jessica: Who have been some of your biggest influences in burlesque performance, and what specifically do you think you’ve learned from them?

Sydni: My biggest influences have been Catherine D’Lish, the Seattle community in general and of course the ladies I came up with in a troupe. For years I immersed myself though- I’ve watched several hundred hours of video, read every book and tried to bathe in the stories of all of the legends I meet. Beyond people though- music is my biggest influence. The music teaches me how to move and practice refines it.

As for what I’ve learned from Catherine- I’ve specifically learned about how my body can move, being a happy, sexy lady, the quality of movement, costuming techniques, and a billion other things that would take too long to write.

My comrades in Seattle have taught me about love and community….and how to be cheeky and clever. Seattle burlesque is a riot- like a whole bunch of smart, witty, silly beautiful queens stuck in a myriad of gorgeous bodies.

Sydni Deveraux (AKoch Photography)

Jessica: You’ve spent some time training with Catherine D’Lish. How did that come about, and what is that experience like?

Sydni: I’ve spent around 3 years training with Catherine- she is my burlesque mama and a part of my heart. Every day that we talk I am grateful for her presence in my life- she has affected me profoundly just by being herself, by challenging the beliefs I have held in my heart and mind, and inspiring me to make all of the changes to my life that I always wanted for myself. So far the experience has been magical! She travels so often that it’s been a spell since we’ve seen each other in person, but I am still learning, and I am still trying to learn all about my potential and what it contains.

My relationship with her began in 2009 (gosh I’m not good with dates) after I made a concerted effort to find a mentor. I had contacted some of the giants in the Seattle community with no luck- they were all busy with their lives and productions. I laid my plans for tutelage aside and plowed on, going to tons of shows and hoping that one day I would find a teacher- I just wanted to grow. At BurlyCon Catherine was offering private sessions and I was lucky to be gifted the last one by my mother who had seen Catherine live on stage and didn’t want me to miss an opportunity (my mom is the radest mom, it’s ridiculous, really!). I suppose the stars lined up that day- the session flew by in a snap but it was super fun! A bit later I found out that she had relocated to Vashon. Trixie and Monkey were in town and needed a ride out there to see her for tea and I drove them- and I suppose that truly that was the beginning of our working together- I began going to the island many times a week to help her in any way that she needed- costuming, shipping, errands, you know-the kind of thing you do when you’re working under someone you admire and respect deeply. Catherine is a rad lady- more awesome offstage than on, if you can even believe that- a truly magical individual. The burlesque world has been impacted deeply by her performance and her incredible costuming.

Jessica: As producer of Seattle’s longest running weekly revue “Burlesque Behind the Pink Door” (a pivotal Seattle venue, in the historic Pike Place Market) – what have you learned about running a professional show with high caliber talent?

Sydni: Ha! I suppose I’ve learned that EVERY venue has its quirks. I’ve learned that it’s just as important to have gracious performers that are amazing onstage as well as off, that you’ll always want to pay them more, that being frank and clear is always the way to go, that your stage manager is your super glue, when you make your rules you have to stick to them, never hire someone who you haven’t seen just because they come “highly recommended”, and that often it is hard to be a producer who’s active in the community when you produce a show that is a hard appraiser of talent. Sometimes when you’re a producer, you get to feel separate.

Jessica: You’ve been attending the annual Burlesque Hall of Fame events since 2006, correct? Can you explain a little of your history with BHoF?

Sydni: Yup- I’ve been attending since 2006, I performed in BHoF in 2006, and 2007(?) with troupes in the showcases and pool party, 2010 I competed in the Best Debut Category, 2011 I missed since I was getting hitched, 2012 I was an alternate to compete for Queen (which was hard because I really just wanted to perform that weekend!) and this year I am competing! This particular event is my burlesque Mecca- it’s where I fell so deeply in love with this art that I’ve been immersed in it since I started attending.

Jessica: In light of your passion for burlesque and your own deep connection to its global community, what does competing for the title “Reigning Queen of Burlesque” mean to you on a personal level?

Sydni: This is a real tough question- I suppose it means that I am completing a goal that I set for myself in 2006 when I saw Julie Atlas Muz pop that damn magic bubble and win….I thought “I want to get there, in front of all of these people, I want to create a magic moment for someone and myself, I want to know what it’s like to put in all of the work to get there”. Competing in this category is a HUGE honor in our burlesque world-it’s a show where so many people who have never seen you live actually get to see you do your thing. And Dixie Evans was right about making a competition to get people to pay attention- it might not be right…or fair…but people do pay attention. It’s a world showcase, the only one of its kind- with terribly high standards to perform in the weekend or compete, with applicants and attendees being those who are absolutely in love with performing. I’m also stoked to compete in a category that my mentor has won, not once but TWICE, and to be competing in a competition that has had all of the titans of our field show their heart and soul on that stage. My category is totally full of women that I respect, admire and am utterly entertained by. I’m excited to be included.

Also-we all want to be on that list, you know? We all want to be a part of our growing history in any way we can. You merge with the museum by getting on that stage- and that is a magical feeling. The weekend also creates magical moments for all of us in the audience- being a sorceress of some of the magic feels surreal and wonderful.

I also want to say that competing can bring out the best in you, you want find out what metal you’re made of, it can teach you how to recover from a perceived “failure”, and you learn how to put together something you’re excited about that you think will show well. It is the chance to really get into the nitty gritty of an act. It’s not all great, but it *is* interesting to compete. It’s an interesting thing to do. These months of prep you tell yourself that you want to win (I mean, after all, why would you enter if you don’t want to win) but more than anything at the end of the day, you just want to give a magical show.

And you know- we all want to see what that title might help us do in the community. I would love to see if it could help me spread my wings a little further, have more performing opportunities, teach a few more students, write some more blogs, hit a few more festivals….and to be included in such a wildly talented list of winners would just be bananas I tell you!

Jessica: What has the training and preparation for this particular competition been like?

Sydni: I’ve done a lot of heart preparation, a lot of thinking about what I want to show to the audience, what my intention is while I’m onstage, what impression I want to make. I spend a lot of time in my shoes- and finding the right ones for that stage and costume was a feat I tell you (pardon my pun), I rehearse for a bit every day, I’m taking care of my body with all of the things I typically do (yoga, intermittent lifting, jogging, eating incredible food), and I try to maintain excitement at all times to show people what I’ve been up to since the last time I competed. I’ve had a few people look at it and I’ve made some tweaks to the choreography and to my energy during certain bits. A week ago or so I completed all of my rhinestoning (my act is new-ish) so until a month ago it didn’t have one stone on it (gotta save up those dollar bills, yo!). I’ve also tried to get it on as many stages as I can, but that can be hard since all of the stages in Seattle are quite small. More than anything though, I really just try to have as much fun as I can rehearsing. I’m there to have fun, so I better practice it at home, oui?

Jessica: Can you give us any hints about the act you’ll be performing? (If not, can you perhaps explain your act selection process a little, or how you arrived at what you wanted to convey?)

Sydni: Well, it’s new in its completion but way over a year old in its initial conception. For a long time I just didn’t know how to make the damn thing all work together in an artistic, seamless way. After I finished it- it was the ONLY act that I wanted to submit. I have others that I love performing, but I either didn’t want to edit my act (like one of my signature acts- like Granada- which is too long), or I just wasn’t stoked about them as much as I was about this one, right now. I think perhaps in the back of my mind, as soon as I heard my music, I saw it on a world stage. I want to convey fun, sexy-lady musicality- I wanted to show people my roots, which is my love of jazz. My act is a love letter to the genre for sure.

Best of luck to you, Sydni!

Rise and shine…the results of the Burlesque Hall of Fame’s 23rd Annual Tournament of Tease (Saturday, June 1, 2013 in Las Vegas) are:

BEST DEBUT
Lada Redstar (Sarajevo – Former Yugoslavia)

*Stay tuned for our interview and profile later this week- in case you haven’t heard, Lada will be appearing at Lily Verlaine’s newly relaunched Nightcap at the Triple Door Saturday June 8.

BEST GROUP
Swing Time (Portland, Oregon)

BEST DUO
Sandria Dore & Russell Bruner (Portland, Oregon)

MOST DAZZLING DANCER:
Sweetpea (Minneapolis, Minnesota)

MOST CLASSIC:
LouLou D’vil (Helsinki, Finland)

MOST COMEDIC:
Mr. Gorgeous (New York, New York)

MOST INNOVATIVE:
Laurie Hagen (London, United Kingdom)

BEST BOYLESQUE
Ray Gunn (Chicago, Illinois)

MISS EXOTIC WORLD 2013, THE REIGNING QUEEN OF BURLESQUE
LouLou D’vil (Helsinki, Finland)

FIRST RUNNER-UP:
Sydni Deveraux (Seattle, Washington)

SECOND RUNNER-UP:
Lola Frost (Vancouver, British Columbia)

Congrats to ALL who performed in this year’s tournament!

****

Here are a few shots of “Miss Exotic World 2013: Reigning Queen of Burlesque” LouLou D’vil captured at the 2011/3rd Annual New Orleans Burlesque Festival by POC:

LouLou D’vil (Helsinki, Finland), performing at the 2011/3rd Annual New Orleans Burlesque Festival (POC Photo)

POC Photo

POC Photo

Lada Redstar, BHoF’s Best Debut winner, performs June 8 at Nightcap. (Photo by Justine Maillard)

Lada Redstar sits across the table at her friend Lily Verlaine’s studio, listening intently to the dinner conversation around her while imperceptibly multi-tasking. She’s quietly focused on twisting a cherry stem into a tiny knot with her tongue, and at the next pause in conversation triumphantly produces a neat little bow. She laughs in delight at the new tricks a lady can pick up when she puts her mind to it – especially when it’s a bit of a dare.

Exquisitely beautiful and juicy in all the right places, Lada’s skintight deep teal dress wouldn’t be out of place on Madmen’s Joan Harris; her hair is a vibrant red inspired by Rita Hayworth (Lada’s #1 ladylove). All vintage pinup flourishes aside, Lada Redstar – fresh from her Burlesque Hall of Fame win in the “Best Debut” category – is a thoroughly modern woman.

Hailing from Sarajevo, Lada’s title-winning debut at BHoF was her first ever American performance, although she’s been honing her skills for years. She took home the World Burlesque Crown at the 2012 World Burlesque Games in London, and has toured Europe and Australia extensively since her humble beginning performing at a rock show in 2005 (Eyelash + “special guest” was the first and last nameless billing Lada received).

Lada in a photo by Rapael Yoshitomi

It was at a festival in Italy that her path to BHoF began. Seattle cabaret emcee and musician Armitage Shanks was performing at the same festival, and the two became friends over the course of the week. Armitage gave her a cd of his band Circus Contraption, and upon hearing the track “Insectavora”, Lada was smitten. She knew she needed to create an act specifically for the song. Armitage, keeping in touch long distance, was delighted to help secure permission from the composer and the track’s singer to use the song. The fantastical “Insectavora (The Queen of the Bugs)” – the act that would win her titles at BHoF and the World Burlesque games – was born.

Lada in a photo by Lorenzo Paxia

Fast forward to 2012: Lada and Lily Verlaine were both on tour in Australia, booked to perform a ten day run of shows together. “If it hadn’t been for Lily, I wouldn’t be here now,” Lada explained. The pair of outspoken, adventurous women became fast friends and within one hour of the deadline for submissions Lily persuaded Lada to complete her BHoF application. The run of Melbourne shows hadn’t started yet, but Lily knew from her own experiences competing at BHoF that Lada was something extraordinary. “She just presents so gorgeously,” she said. “This year, as I wasn’t submitting…I had the opportunity to be graceful and supportive. The least I could do was say ‘girl, just hit SEND!’”

After the run of Australian shows, the two stayed in touch. As luck would have it, that fateful application led to a booking for Lada in Vegas. Lily flew in from New Zealand, Lada from Australia – and the two hunkered down to prepare for Lada’s turn in the 23rd Annual Tournament of Tease. The preparation leading up to the event was the most nerve-wracking of her life, Lada confided. “Then when I was backstage, I became calm. I enjoyed it so much.” As she took the stage and waited for her music cue, she could barely contain her excitement and accidentally cried out “I’M SO HAPPY TO BE HERE!!!!!” in the dark. Then came the music, and Insectavora took home “Best Debut”.

Lada’s unbridled excitement was infectious. “It brought a tone of spontaneity and genuineness to the competition,” Lily recalls of the moment. Such an uncorked outpouring of thought is very much in keeping with the woman that Lada is offstage. She’s extremely observant, intelligent, and articulate; possessing a zeal for life that radiates wherever she is. Lada’s also passionate about the untamed women of classic striptease, particularly Blaze Starr. “I love her so much,” Lada gushes. “I just love those performers that make you feel like they’re just having sex with you on stage…she was just crazy, and I love that. I was always into that imagery…that image of a woman.”

Growing up in Europe, Lada soaked up as much vintage striptease and 40s-60s pinup material as she could, pouring over dozens of books and all the video footage she could find. She idolized Rita Hayworth, as well as her Yugoslavian grandmother, who was not only a pinup model but fought in the Eastern European resistance against the Nazis. The unique power a woman possesses to be both strong and exquisitely captivating made a mark on Lada. Through burlesque she found a way to express that image of a woman and conquer a worldwide audience. “I’ve been really blessed and really lucky that people have come to me, and asked me to perform,” she says. “I believe you just do things with passion and good vibes, and smiling…and people will like that.”

Not a bad trajectory for a performer that was once billed as a nameless guest star back in 2005. ”That was ten years ago,” Lada laughs. “I was looking like a beautiful peach.”

*****

Catch Lada Redstar this Saturday, June 8 at 11pm at the return of Lily Verlaine’s Nightcap at the Triple Door. Will she do “Insectavora”? You’ll just have to see…

Get tickets and read about Nightcap’s performers by clicking HERE. Lily Verlaine, Paris Original, Waxie Moon, Sara Sparrow, Iva Handfull, and Jasper McCann will join forces for one decadent late night rendezvous.

Lada in a photo by Atelieri O. Haapala

Forgive our recent absence from the fourth dimension (which is of course, the internet)…Burlesque Seattle Press has been looking for new offices in which to set up our laptops and cameras.

While we cram as many burlesque books, interview transcripts, skin mags, and enviable pin-up collections into as many fancy boxes as we can, we bring you this week’s top show Picks of the Glitter (in chronological order). There’s quite a lot of fun to be had this week in all points Northwest:

Debauchery (June 20, Neighbours Nightclub, Seattle)

I haven’t yet made it out to a night of Debauchery (at least not this particular variety), but the rotating lineup of this monthly fund-raising series serving the queer community always catches my eye. Thursday’s show features one of my personal heroines Miss Kitty Baby, plus Inga Ingenue (Miss Viva Las Vegas 2011). Here’s the full lineup:

BennyTinger
Di King
Candy Apples
Cherry Tart
Dahlia Ste. Cyr
EmpeROAR Fabulous!!!
Gema Lusterious
Inga Ingenue
Miss Kitty Baby
Miss Violet DeVille
Tiger Bombshell
Hosted by: Ko$ha!

http://www.eventbrite.com/event/6796184571/efbevent

*****

TUSH! Burlesque does Vegas! (June 22, Capitol Theater, Olympia)

Our best girlfriends in Olympia bring it every time. Were you too broke to head to the Burlesque Hall of Fame weekender this year? Never fear, TUSH! is bringing a little bit of Vegas right to the heart of our sweet little capital city. Sinful desires? Healing hands? Deep pockets? Sounds like a wild ride that should be guided strictly by professionals, and nobody does it better than this gang of ladies. Best of all, fresh from competing for the title Reigning Queen of Burlesque, Austin’s Coco Lectric will join the troupe, as well as Paco Fish (from San Francisco, via Baltimore). Here’s the scoop on guests and tix:

COCO LECTRIC
A classically trained dancer, actor, and vocalist, Coco Lectic graces stages all over the world. She’s a founding member of The Jigglewatts Burlesque Revue (Austin, TX), founder of the Austin Burlesque Alliance, co-producer of the Texas Burlesque Festival, creator and producer of the World Go-Go Championship, the Headmistress of The Austin Academy of Burlesque, AND she holds the #5 spot in the world in 21st Century Burlesque’s “Burlesque Top 50.” Coco’s skill, grace, style and love of performing are evident in every act. A featured performer and headliner, Coco won “Queen of Burlesque 2010” at the New Orleans Burlesque Festival, was “2010 Texas Performer of the Year” from the Hotrods and Heels festival, won the “2009 Audience Choice Award” at the Texas Burlesque Festival, and was second runner up in the 2011 Viva Las Vegas Burlesque Competition.

PACO FISH
Paco Fish thrives on duality. He’s a dynamic performer of spoken and physical comedy, burlesque, boylesque, stilt walking, clown, mime, and a variety of other mediums. Whether playing a freshwater turtle in forbidden saltwater love, a tramp with a deal with the devil, or the whole history of modern France, Paco dismantles assumptions and defies convention with humor and passion. The founder of Baltimore’s Sticky Buns Burlesque, Paco currently holds the titles “King of Southern Exposure,” “King of Carolina Sweet Tease,” and “Most Humorous” from both the Great Burlesque Exposition and The Carolina Burlesque Festival.

$15.00 advance tickets available at Rainy Day Records, or online ($20 at box office night of show): http://www.olympiafilmsociety.org/

*****

Let’s Hear it For the Boys (June 22, Teatro ZinZanni, Seattle)

Teatro ZinZanni is thrilled to announce its first-ever, all male late night cabaret revue, Let’s Hear It For The Boys. This pre-Pride weekend, pre-funk variety show features Seattle’s best boylesque, drag, and circus talents under the legendary Teatro ZinZanni spiegeltent. Complete with a “Catwalk-Off,” a dance party intermission and post-show dancing to the beats of the one and only DJ Nark, Let’s Hear It For The Boys is the ultimate, one-night-only event to kick off PRIDE celebrations.

Let’s Hear It For The Boys features the jack-of-all-trades entertainer and host, Jasper McCann, international boylesque sensation Waxie Moon, the sexy comedic male review Buckaroos USA, former Can Can Castaway and crowd favorite Faggedy Randy, drag king performance artist Lou Henry Hoover, Diablo artist Alex Zerbe, and other local cabaret sensations.

Party-goers are encouraged to arrive as early as 10:30pm for a pre-show drink in Teatro ZinZanni’s gorgeous lobby and to nosh on light-bite dishes from the a la carte menu. Tableside food and drink service will continue throughout the event.

June 22 -11:15pm-1:30am, Doors at 10:30pm

Online Box Office: http://bit.ly/16ekrvH or dreams.zinzanni.org

*****

NERDIVERSARY: A Birthday Celebration (June 22, Gallery Above Theatre Off Jackson, Seattle)

It’s a burlesque show. It’s a dance party. It’s an uncensored peek into the strange thoughts and obsessions of
Jo Jo Stiletto and friends. Costumes encouraged. What’s a Nerdiversary? It’s a brand new holiday that allows one to freely celebrate their fan obsessions AND their birthday at the same time without shame or remorse. Jo Jo has asked some of her favorite people to bring special acts together that tickle her nerd fancies. Acts may or may not include the following: randy robots, BSG, a ruggedly handsome Fillion, ST:TNG, a different side of Gaga, Twin Peaks, Catan, Cat Memes, Canadian Sideboob (aka, Lost Girl), sexy math, obscure references to British sitcoms, and so so much more.

Tickets are in very high demand for this one…check HERE to see what’s available.

Featuring:
Iva Handfull
Al Lykya
Sailor St. Claire
Bolt Action
Scarlett O’Hairdye
Evilyn Sin Claire
Lady Drew Blood
Lexi Luthor
Jesus La Pinga
Miss Elaine Yes
Rebecca M Davis
Sophie Maltease
Lady Laycock
Trooper
Ernie Von Schmaltz
Violet Tendencies

*****

Bitch Slap! Burlesque: Cabaret Inspired by the Genius of John Waters (June 23 & 30, Star Theater, Portland)

Rocket and Vera Mysteria (the ladies who brought the David Lynch-inspired Black Lodge Burlesque to Portland and Seattle) now tackle the father of all things bizarre and unholy: John Waters. All I can say is Francine Fishpaw better be represented…and this idea is brilliant.

This show takes place over two consecutive Sundays at Portland’s Star Theater. (And just a little early warning…Black Lodge, now in its fourth year, will return in August for four shows in both cities).

For info on Bitch Slap! Burlesque: Cabaret Inspired by the Genius of John Waters, visit https://www.facebook.com/events/454754101277429/?fref=ts

Accio Burlesque hits the Annex next weekend.

~ Written by Jessica P.

As someone who never ‘got into’ the Harry Potter series (though I had plenty of my own obsessions growing up and picked up more than a few new ones in adulthood), it’s nonetheless been interesting to watch a national obsession take place from the outside looking in. When the films were released I recall walking downtown to work pre-dawn while fans wrapped in their finest cloaks and hats lined up around the block to get in line for the premiere. Their excitement was palpable. Although it wasn’t a love I could relate to, it was one I recognized.

Seraphina Fiero

Aces & Anchors Productions will reimagine J.K. Rowling’s novels and the films they inspired on June 28-29 at the Annex Theatre with Accio Burlesque. One of the show’s producers, Sailor St. Claire, took a moment to explain the context of the series in her own life, and why the novels inspired a burlesque show as well as the aforementioned national obsession:

Burlesque Seattle Press: Can you tell me why Harry Potter is ripe for burlesque-ing? How did you arrive at the show and what is your take on it?

Sailor St. Claire: One of the things that’s most appealing about the Harry Potter series is that it is about magic, and about being magical. I know that makes it seem like it would be better suited to another genre of performance that we think of as inherently more magical, something like circus arts or stage magic. But burlesque is magic. When I started working with magician Ace Carter in 2011, I came to realize that our two artforms operated on the same principles. We were both producing things and vanishing them, transforming them, crafting our acts around a series of clever, flashy reveals. He does it through sleight of hand, and I do it through costuming. There’s actually a long historical tradition of burlesque and magic sharing the same stages, but no one really does it anymore. So it was very attractive to me to create a burlesque show that was actually about magic, and JK Rowling’s Harry Potter series is one of the most accessible cultural touchstones for magic we have through which I could do that.

Paco Fish

Sailor St. Claire: I am also, of course, a fan of the Harry Potter series. I grew up with Harry Potter, and that’s exactly what we’re supposed to do with Harry and his friends: grow up with them. The series is a classic bildungsroman, a novel of becoming, that puts Harry, Ron, Hermione, Neville, Luna, Malfoy and the others through a process in which they become adults, active citizens of their world. I started reading the series a couple of years after it came out in the States when I was a sophomore in high school, not all that much older than Harry & Co. were at the start of Sorcerer’s Stone. Although it wasn’t magical, Hogwarts did bear a passing resemblance to the world I inhabited as a Catholic school student. And a lot of my fonder memories of high school involved dressing up in cloaks and our school uniforms and attending midnight showings of all of the movies. When Deathly Hallows was released, my husband and I preordered two copies on Amazon and spent 2 days at home, not talking to each other, just reading the book together. I attended both parts of the Deathly Hallows films with a couple of friends who had taught the Harry Potter novels at UW, and the minute the picture started for Deathly Hallows Part 2, we couldn’t help but cry because, in some ways, the end of the Harry Potter series marked a significant point in our own becoming. I had grown up so much with Harry Potter — and the movies let me make that journey a little longer than the books alone would have — and I could mark my life by when I read a book or saw a film, and the weight of knowing that was finally over seemed to signal the finality of a right of passage. The magic was over. Now I had to be an adult.

But with burlesque, Harry Potter doesn’t have to be over. By “poaching” this text, revisiting it, transforming it, and rewriting it through a different genre, it gets to be alive again. (See my Burlesque Seattle Press article from last summer for further thoughts on burlesque and textual poaching.) We get to go back to Hogwarts, we get to tell new stories, to live in the magic of “becoming” something again.

BSP: What appeals to you about these characters? (Knowing the way you think, there’s bound to be some complexity in there…)

Sailor St. Claire: Rowling’s characters are very real and richly detailed, and having spent so much of my life reading and watching these characters, they’re very easy to identify with. As a person who has always liked school, I love that the Harry Potter series is set in a school, and that each book is organized around the acquisition of knowledge. Hermione Granger is the character who identifies most with that process, and she’s continually rewarded for that, which I think rarely happens in real life — especially for young girls, where being smart isn’t something that’s typically valued. But these books tell us that knowledge is a magical thing, and that setting is particularly appealing to me. However, the series also understands that there are multiple ways to come to knowledge that aren’t simply defined by academic success — and that’s something we forget in real world education (although I know every educator is trying his or her hardest to work around and within that system). There’s this beautiful moment at the end of Sorcerer’s Stone where Dumbledore awards House points to Ron, Harry & Hermione for destroying the Sorcerer’s Stone and commends them on the skills they displayed to do so: Ron’s loyalty, Harry’s bravery, and Hermione’s cleverness. Their knowledges aren’t all equal, but they’re all recognized as worthwhile.

And we as readers are constantly being immersed in that same quest for knowledge as we grapple with learning the ins and outs of the new and fantastic world we’re being presented with, and that thirst for more magical knowing is deepened and enriched with each book. I just really love that process of learning and knowing that’s experienced by both the characters and the readers throughout the series.

BSP: For those of us (like me!) that never immersed themselves in the books/movies, will the show still have some material we can grasp? Or is it mostly a love letter to and for fans?

Sailor St. Claire: We have a lot of conversations about accessibility of material in nerdlesque. For me, I want all the nerdlesque acts to still be based on good striptease at their core, and I think all of these acts are. This cast is incredibly dedicated to each of the characters they are playing, so I think that even folks who are less intensely familiar with Harry Potter will be able to access who the characters are, their goals, their desires, etc. There are also a couple of “conceptual” pieces that fit into the Harry Potter universe but aren’t specifically tied to a character, and I think those types of pieces really translate to a non-fan audience. There’s also, of course, stage magic — and you definitely don’t have to know Harry Potter to access that. But the “easter eggs” for hardcore fans are still there in the details: specific stitching on a character’s corset that Scarlett O’Hairdye created for Norse Goddess, the inclusion of certain gestures crafted by the actors in the films that Al Lykya and Whisper De Corvo are preserving, and some exploration of the cast’s own fan experiences with Harry Potter, like Lady Laycock’s act, which draws from her own adventures in Pottermore. Furthermore, the show is framed as a retelling: it’s JK Rowling returning to the world she invented to do something new with it. Some of the stories pick up on where characters left off, some of them create moments that never happened but should have, some of them tell stories that we may have wanted to see but just wouldn’t be appropriate in a young adult series, and some of them are just our imagination. We’re not aiming to be slavish, but mischievous. We solemnly swear we are up to no good.

*****

Accio Burlesque features performances by Paco Fish (Baltimore, MD), Whisper De Corvo, Seraphina Fiero, Scarlett O’Hairdye, Bolt Action, Tootsie Spangles, Hattie HellKat, Lady Drew Blood, Sara Dipity, Queenie O’Hart, Maggie McMuffin, Lady Laycock, Al Lykya, The Norse Goddess, Ace Carter, and Sailor St. Claire.

June 28 & 29 (8 pm), @ Annex Theater, 1100 Pike Street, Seattle, WA

$25 General Admission, $40 VIP. Get tickets HERE.

Bolt Action

Scarlett O’Hairdye in Critical Hit Burlesque’s “Geeklesque Reruns”