Burlesque Seattle Press

Picks of the glitter February 26, 2013.

•02/27/2013 • Leave a Comment

Jett Adore performing at the New Orleans Burlesque Festival (POC Photo)

~ Interview by Paul O’Connell (POC Photo), with additional text by Jessica Price

What’s a little ambiguity in the XX/XY sex chromosome department between friends? 2013 is shaping up to be the year of the MAN. Truthfully, the momentum for male burlesque has been building for years and years (just ask Scott Ewalt the next time he lectures at BurlyCon) but with the rise in popularity of showcases like the New York Boylesque Festival, now in its second year, male performers reinventing burlesque in daring and innovative ways seems more possible- and visible- than ever before.

This week’s picks of the glitter are just a few ways to celebrate the beautiful and bawdy boys of burlesque/boylesque:

Thursday night (February 28) at Central Cinema, Wes Hurley’s latest film Waxie Moon in Fallen Jewel kicks off a monthly screening series hosted by none other than RuPaul’s Drag Race-r Jinkx Monsoon and Waxie Moon in the flesh. Get tickets HERE, and if you miss it, BenDeLaCreme hosts the next screening on March 28.

For your “early warning” file, next month (March 27 to be exact), KINGS: A Boylesque Extravaganza takes place at the Triple Door. This show is incredibly exciting for obvious reasons (um…Evil Hate Monkey, Russell Bruner, Waxie Moon, Stage Door Johnnies, and Mat Fraser all on one stage???), but the show will also be filmed for a new movie produced by Seattle filmmaker Deirdre Allen Timmons- yes, Deirdre of the now-famous burlesque documentary, A Wink and a Smile. Get tickets HERE.

The Stage Door Johnnies at BHoF (POC Photo)

But lest we get too carried away with the future, let’s talk about the present. Our top pick for this week is Boys! Bois! Boyz! Starring Jett Adore at West Hall on Friday, March 1. For those that haven’t yet seen Jett perform, many burlesque aficionados are already familiar with his oh-so-dreamy name: Jett has been honored with multiple Burlesque Hall of Fame wins including 2010’s “Most Innovative” and “World’s Best Burlesque Group” (with Stage Door Johnnies), and is current titleholder of “Best Duo” with Frenchie Kiss. Many other talented specimens of masculine perfection appear in this week’s show- Trojan Original, Daddy Z Deviant, Waxie Moon, and Paris Original, just to name a few. The show will be hosted by Ernie Von Schmaltz for two shows at 7:30 and 10pm. Check out the whole package (yeah, that’s what we said) and book tickets HERE.

Friday, March 1 at West Hall

We talked to one of the show’s producers and performers, Fosse Jack, about putting together this boylesque showcase:

BSP: Can you tell us a little about how the Boys! Bois! Boyz! series was developed?

Fosse Jack: Actually the idea was suggested by Miss Indigo Blue! She wanted to do a boylesque show starring Jett Adore, and invited Sir Eddie Van Glam, myself and EmpeROAR Fabulous to produce it in tandem with the Academy of Burlesque. With both Eddie and I on board, she suggested we build off the previous Boys! Bois! Boyz! shows and build something awesome. Working with Miss Indigo Blue and EmpeROAR on a producer level has been an amazing experience.

The concept for Boys! Bois! Boyz! was born during a Burlesque 202 class in which Sir Eddie, myself, Man Johnson, Piston Chambers, Rip Curl and Summer Lovin worked together under the tutelage of Waxie Moon. Piston had been the driving force behind getting us all together, with the idea of having a “boylesque takeover” of the class. During the show Sir Eddie expressed interest in doing a boylesque show, and asked me if I was interested in producing. I came up with the name, inspired by Lady Gaga’s song “Boys, Boys, Boys”, and by the varied aspects and representations of masculinity in burlesque (hence the three different spellings).

We produced the first just over a year ago, as a Double Feature Burlesque Show with the Pin-Up Angels, and then again in May as an opportunity to perform the Waxie Moon & Ensemble “Cum Together” act. Our first show, hosted by Daddy Z Deviant, was built around a ‘celebration of boydom’ and featured various types of boylesque, including drag king performance and clowning. Our second show, hosted by Flirty Sanchez was a more story-driven idea and had a boy band theme. Boys! Bois! Boyz! Starring Jett Adore goes back to the ‘celebration of boydom’ and will feature a wide variety of boylesque talent.

BSP: What are some of your goals in producing shows like these?

Fosse Jack: For me, I want boylesque in Seattle to get a little more publicity. We have a LOT of amazing talent and very few shows or groups dedicated to it. Throughout the past few years I’ve seen boylesque troupes try to form but the appeal of each was limited to a particular demographic. Only Mod Carousel has been able to maintain its shape and force.

That being said, I believe that there is a need to introduce more people to boylesque, and vice versa, Seattle’s boylesque performers to a wider portion of the burlesque audience. Much of the desire for this type of show has been expressed by fellow burlesque performers; but if marketed correctly, and in providing a wide variety of boylesquers, we can make ourselves noticed and hopefully build steam for a wider and more enthusiastic boylesque audience in the Emerald City and surrounding area. Ultimately I would like to see Boys! Bois! Boyz! lead to Seattle’s own mini-boylesque festival. New York has the market on that right now, but to my knowledge the West Coast is behind. Whether this could come to fruition or not is hard to say, but a boy can dream.

BSP: Can you explain a little about your introduction to burlesque?

Fosse Jack: I was introduced to burlesque by Polly Wood. Polly and I went to college together and toured in the same dramatic troupe. We were close and stayed in touch after college. I knew she was getting into burlesque and talked a couple of friends of mine into going to a show with me. I had no idea what to expect, let alone have any clue that the art form would call to me as it did. Anyway, it was a Columbia City Cabaret hosted and produced by Tamara the Trapeze Lady that gave me my first introduction to burlesque. My friends (both young women) talked about how fun it would be to perform an act, largely joking, but the same thoughts played in my head in a more serious fashion.

I came up with my name – Fosse Jack, combining the last name of my favorite choreographer (Bob Fosse) and an uncommon pet form of James (my birth name). I also liked the inadvertent double entendre: Fosse is derived from the Latin for ‘bone’ and well, Jack should be self-explanatory. About the same time Polly changed her [stage] name and without thinking we had created duo Jack & Wood, a name that still makes me giggle like a ten year old boy.

Waxie Moon was the first boylesque performance I ever experienced, and I remember being both a little shocked and more than a little intrigued the first time I saw him as The Rat King in Land of the Sweets. Polly had introduced me to Waxie and mentioned that I had an interest into getting into burlesque. Waxie told me about the first Boylesque 101, at the time an informal event. I was not able to join that class but the thought remained in my mind. A few months later I saw Through The Looking Glass where I was reintroduced not only to Waxie but also to EmpeROAR Fabulous. It was EmpeROAR Fabulous who gave me my debut performance at his Fresh Air show, which raised money for a charity in his mother’s name… About a month after that Polly Wood and I launched our very first Jack & Wood Show, and produced it on a monthly basis for about a year until other projects took over. We are just now returning to this project and have re-launched Jack & Wood at The Can Can.

I’ve been performing on and off for the past several years, working for smaller shows at The Jewelbox, Can Can, and Re-Bar and performing more recently in large productions at Theatre Off Jackson and The Triple Door. I have also been (though inconsistently) reviewing burlesque shows, largely as an exercise in objectivity and self-education but also in an attempt to bring a self-awareness to the Seattle burlesque community in relation to other ‘mainstream’ art forms. As burlesque becomes more and more in the public eye the demand for consistency and high standards increases and we should all be aware of this.

BSP: Any other parting thoughts on burlesque/boylesque in general…?

Fosse Jack: I have not always liked the term ‘boylesque’, in fact I refer to myself as a ‘burlesque’ performer in most cases. I don’t believe there is a great deal of difference between these two facets of the art form, with one exception. It’s hard for boys (whether male by birth, identity or persona) to perform ‘classic burlesque’ as the rules of the classic are not easily applied to non-breasted glamourites, or to the place ‘men’ hold in the social psyche that convention enforces on our community as a whole. Even Waxie Moon and other gender-blenders who perform, at times, in a classic style (and do so beautifully) are not received the same way as a female artist would be. It’s just a fact of the social eye.

But as Boy/i-Burlesquers are becoming more numerous, and are integrating themselves, their styles and their talents with the greater burlesque community, I think they will in time gain more of the spotlight. This has been done in Chicago with Jett Adore and the Stage Door Johnnies, in New York with their no-holds-barred performers like Tigger!, and to some extent with acts like Chippendales, and can be done with the amazing variety of local talent.

Our part in the art of the tease is still being formed, our contributions only just being recognized. There is steam building here, and I want to help that steam get things moving. In another couple of years, I would like to see the ‘boylesque’ aspect of BHOF be on equal or near-equal footing with the classic aspect, and the title of Reigning King of Burlesque or (as I prefer) ‘Prince of Tease’ to be something solid to work toward, not just a glorified honorary mention.

In the meantime it is important for us to continue to read the audiences, push boundaries in such a way that we awaken an appreciation for what we do. Shock value can be effective but not in the long term. The waters are warming up, slowly, we just need to apply a little extra heat now and then.

******
Visit Fosse Jack at www.fossejack.blogspot.com.

International man of mystery: Fosse Jack in Burlesco DiVino (POC Photo)

Inga Ingenue and Fosse Jack (POC Photo)

Posted in Written by Paul O'Connell
Tags: A Wink And A Smile, Boys! Bois! Boyz!, Central Cinema, Fosse Jack, Jett Adore, Jinkx Monsoon, Waxie Moon, Wes Hurley

The Beautiful People: TFU4 continues at Re-bar February 22-23

•02/18/2013 • Leave a Comment

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)

Posted in Written by Jessica
Tags: Heidi Von Haught, Paris Original, Randi Rascal, Rubenesque Burlesque, THAT’S F*CKED UP!, Trojan Original

Boom Boom L’Roux’s Late Night Revue in photos (2-6-13).

•02/11/2013 • Leave a Comment

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)

Belly dancer Bella Jovan (POC Photo)

Bella Jovan (POC Photo)

Bella Jovan with her captivating Isis wings (POC Photo)

Bella Jovan (POC Photo)

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

Lydia DeCarllo (POC Photo)

Musician Gus Clark (POC Photo)

Gus Clark (POC Photo)

Boom Boom L’Roux (POC Photo)

Randi Rascal (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)

Posted in Written by Jessica
Tags: Adraboo Green, Bella Jovan, Boom Boom L’Roux, Boom Boom L’Roux’s Late Night Revue, Gus Clark, Lydia DeCarllo, Randi Rascal

Raging sluts and drunken aristocrats.

•02/05/2013 • 1 Comment

Long Kiss Goodnight opens January 24 (Photo by Danny Boulet of WittyPixel Photography)

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.

Posted in Written by Jessica
Tags: Cherry Manhattan, Doña Dei Cuori, Evilyn Sin Claire, Jesse Belle-Jones, Long Kiss Goodnight, Polly Wood, Sinner Saint

A closer look at Seattle’s unsung hero: the Jewelbox.

•01/27/2013 • 1 Comment

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.

********

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