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

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

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

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!

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

Waxie Moon in “Bolero” Photo ©Tim Summers

~ Written by/interview by Paul O’Connell (POC Photo)

Burlesque Hall of Fame weekend is now less than a week away. Performers from around the world will converge on the Orleans Hotel and Casino in Vegas for four days and nights of nonstop burlesque sexiness, enthralling competition, and pool parties galore.

The highlight is the 23rd Annual Tournament of Tease which crowns winners in a variety of categories – one particularly near and dear to our hearts is “Best of Boylesque”, in which two of the four competitors for the title “King of Boylesque” are from Seattle. This year’s competitors include Paris Original (Seattle), Ray Gunn (Chicago), Mr. Gorgeous (NYC) and of course, the incomparable Waxie Moon (Seattle).

This week Burlesque Seattle Press has been talking with the Seattle performers competing at this year’s BHoF. We’ve already highlighted Paris Original and today we focus on Waxie, the “international gender-blending queer lady boylesque performance-art stripping sensation!”

Waxie has certainly been as busy as any artist or performer can be this past year. Last June he gave an amazing performance at On The Boards with his 17 minute endurance strip, “Boléro”. (Please do this again Waxie). He choreographed “Miracle!” (a re-envisioning of “The Miracle Worker” created and directed by Dan Savage) which had a run at The Intiman Theatre last summer. There was the DVD release of the 2009 documentary “Waxie Moon” and the theatrical release of “Waxie Moon in Fallen Jewel” (both films were directed by Wes Hurley). Central Cinema’s monthly interactive screenings of “Waxie Moon In Fallen Jewel” have been hugely successful as well. Waxie also performed in Lily Verlaine and Jasper McCann’s Land of the Sweets: The Burlesque Nutcracker and Through the Looking Glass: The Burlesque Alice in Wonderland.

Waxie as The Cheshire Cat in Through the Looking Glass (POC Photo)

Waxie in Land of the Sweets (POC Photo)

He also found time to appear in last year’s Seattle Erotic Arts Festival, Kings: A Boylesque Extravaganza, Boys, Bois, Boyz and most recently the 2nd Annual New York Boylesque Festival. He appears regularly at the Pink Door and performs as one-third of Dance Belt. All this and he continues to teach at Miss Indigo Blue’s Academy of Burlesque. With a year like Waxie’s, inclusion in the “Best Boylesque” category is the luscious cherry on top of a huge, glittery, rhinestoned sundae.

Aside from the long list of Waxie’s accomplishments (we could go on and on), it’s easy to see why he was invited to compete. Waxie’s courageous approach and fiercely unique artistry are hugely influential to anyone that sees him. We wish Waxie and all the performers best of luck at this year’s competition.

And now for our interview… I asked Waxie about this year’s inclusion at BHoF:

POC: What influenced your decision to choose the act you submitted to BHoF?

Waxie Moon: I created the “Purple Man-Eater” act with the idea of submitting it to BHoF this year. I felt the purple gown and gi-normous tulle boa (created by the brilliant Mark Mitchell) was impressive and glamorous enough for the Vegas stage and competition. I think the boa is practically Catherine D’Lish scale. It’s HUGE. I also selected the song for the second part of the act (Muddy Waters’ “Mannish Boy”) because it felt appropriately representative of the idea of “boylesque”.

POC: Please share your thoughts about performing in the “Best of Boylesque” category. What’s it like competing with a fellow Seattleite?

Waxie: I am beyond thrilled to have been accepted for the competition. I think this is the 5th year I have applied for “Best Boylesque”. For that reason, I can honestly say I’m excited for the opportunity just to compete. I am also excited about my boylesque brothers. I think the crowd and judges will go mad for Paris’s extraordinary dancing. Ray is sultry and an exceptional mover, and Mr. Gorgeous is A.DOR.A.BLE. It’s an inspiring, exciting, and yummy group of men to get to share the stage with.

Waxie Moon (POC)

POC: Do you have any goals you would like to reach in burlesque or any other performing art?

Waxie: I am intent on sharing this extraordinary art form as widely as possible through performance and teaching. Combining sex and humor is an incredibly powerful tool for personal transformation. I would love for more people to experience it, as performers and/or audience members. I am also passionate about queer visibility; Waxie celebrates gay Pride EVERY DAY. Honestly, my goals are too many to mention, but they include everything from feature films to a Waxie jewelry line called “The Essence of Luxury”.

Waxie performing at this year’s Moisture Festival (Photo by John Cornicello)

(Photo by John Cornicello)

POC: You got involved in burlesque originally because you were struggling (artistically speaking) as a dancer and wanted to shake things up, and you decided to take a 101 class at The Academy of Burlesque. What does this mean to you now, since burlesque has been such an unexpected and wildly successful outlet for your art?

Waxie: I have become a fuller person in every way through the exploration of the art of burlesque. I am honored to be part of an extraordinary legacy and an evolving art form. I can’t wait to connect with my legendary friends in Vegas and am honored to represent Seattle’s vibrant gender-queer burlesque scene at this international festival. Also my father is coming to support me. That means so much to me. He’s Waxie’s biggest fan.

Waxie Moon in a quiet studio moment (POC Photo)

Seattle’s Paris Original will compete next week in Las Vegas in the”Best Boylesque” category (Photo by Eli Schmidt)

~ Written by/interview by Paul O’Connell (POC Photo)

Another Burlesque Hall of Fame Weekend approaches and with that a new Reigning Queen of Burlesque will crowned, along with King of Boylesque, Best Duo, Best Group and Best Debut. The 23rd Annual Tournament of Tease takes place June 1 at the Orleans Casino and Hotel in Las Vegas, but the weekender kicks off with the star-studded Movers, Shakers & Innovators showcase on Thursday, followed by the 56th Annual Titans of Tease Reunion showcase on Friday, and finally closing out with the Icons and All-Stars showcase on Sunday.

The Pacific Northwest is well represented on all 4 nights: Russell Bruner, Sandria Dore, and Swing Time from Portland; Nicky Ninedoors, Brother Keys, Sweet Soul Burlesque, Lola Frost, Melody Mangler, Villainy Loveless, Ruthe Ordare, and Burgundy Brixx from Vancouver BC; and from our own backyard Velvet Ice, Trojan Original, Iva Handfull, and Miss Indigo Blue will represent Seattle. Paris Original and Waxie Moon will go head to head (among other great performers from around the country) for King of Boylesque, and Sydni Deveraux will compete for the coveted Reigning Queen of Burlesque title.

We asked the Seattle performers a few questions about performing and competing at this year’s BHoF weekend. First up this week, we bring you Paris Original.

A little background…Paris, a professional dancer, first arrived on the burlesque scene in 2009 in Paula the Swedish Housewife’s production House of Thee Unholy 3. Since then he has appeared in a variety of shows including Lily Verlaine and Jasper McCann’s Land of the Sweets: The Burlesque Nutcracker, Burlesco Divino, L’Edition Francaise & Through the Looking Glass: The Burlesque Alice in Wonderland. Paris also appeared in Stripped Screw Burlesque’s Disney After Dark and Clown Stripper Productions That’s F*cked UP! He is also one of the founding members of Seattle’s male burlesque troupe Mod Carousel and performs regularly at The Pink Door.

Paris Original in Through the Looking Glass: The Burlesque Alice in Wonderland (POC Photo)

POC: What’s it like to be chosen to perform in the Best Boylesque category? And what’s it like competing with a fellow Seattle-ite, Waxie Moon?

Paris Original: I feel so honored to have been chosen to compete. I was in such disbelief when I first read the confirmation letter that I had to read it several times to make sure I wasn’t mistaken. I’ve really been trying to push the competition aspect out of my head. I’ve done a few dance competitions in the past and always found that focusing on competing was distracting and ultimately detracted from my performance, so I’m just trying to focus on my performance itself.

I love that all four of us in the category this year [Mr. Gorgeous, Ray Gunn, Waxie, Paris] are such different performers who offer very different things to boylesque and I’m super excited for the opportunity to share what I do with everyone at BHoF.

As for competing against a fellow Seattleite, I’m just proud of us both for getting into the competition at all. I’m really proud of the Seattle scene in general for having such great representation at BHoF this year!

POC: What influenced your decision to choose the particular act you submitted to BHoF?

Paris Original: The act has always been a crowd pleaser. I’ve received many spontaneous standing ovations for that number and often times burlesque performers in particular get really excited about it so out of all the acts in my repertoire it seemed the best suited for BHoF.

Paris Original (Photo by Charlie Ainslie)

POC: Before your first burlesque show what were some of your impressions of burlesque?

Paris Original: When I was first exposed to burlesque I remember thinking it seemed really fun. And rowdy. I liked that there was so much room for artistic freedom and exploration of gender representations. It’s an art form that doesn’t feel as constrained as other forms of performance art, and dance in particular, can be.

POC: Do you have any goals you would like to reach in burlesque or any other performing art?

Paris Original: My current goals are to grow my success and travel opportunities. I have so many ideas that would require much bigger budgets than I currently have at my disposal. It would be so lovely to get to a point where I can make those ideas come to life and share those ideas with the world!

Paris Original in Stripped Screw Burlesque’s Disney After Dark (POC Photo)

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)

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!

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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.

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

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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.