Whedonesque Burlesque Casting Call; New Orleans Burlesque Fest accepting applications.

•04/01/2012 • Leave a Comment

Jessica Obrist, known throughout the burlesque community as Jo Jo Stiletto, is a performer and respected producer as well as something of a historian on the emergence of fan culture in modern burlesque. Recently Jo Jo’s musings on fan obsession and the glorious re-appropriation of one’s secret idols was published in the second issue of Nerd Nite magazine- check it out HERE for an overview and field guide to the “nerdlesque” shows that have been popping up coast to coast.

Jo Jo’s extremely successful Joss Whedon inspired show, Whedonesque Burlesque, received a glowing review from BSP’s Madeline Rider last summer. The two sold out events were such a blast for all involved that Whedonesque will be re-staged for two weekends this summer- and there is currently an open call for performers now through April 20.

If you would like to be included, here’s a little snippet from the call- to apply and read more details, please visit Jo Jo’s site and fill out the official submission form:

CALL TO ARTISTS
Whedonesque Burlesque: Burlesque Inspired by the Works of Joss Whedon.

Seeking cast and crew for the second annual production of Whedonesque Burlesque, a production of Jo Jo Stiletto at the Theatre Off Jackson. Looking for seasoned burlesque pros, fresh-meat performers and artists from all disciplines. Also seeking stage kittens, crew members and volunteers

This is a celebration of extreme fandom. This is a show in which the bar is set high and we will all strive to be our absolute best. Yet, at the end of the day, my personal goal is to not create the best show that ever was…but to have the most fun. We aim to misbehave.

Sister Piston as Jayne from Firefly (Photo by Geoff Carter)

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And while you’re scratching that itch to apply, don’t forget that the fourth annual New Orleans Burlesque Festival is also currently accepting applications OVER HERE.

Last year Paul O’Connell wrote about his New Orleans Burlesque Festival experience and interviewed 2011 Queen Ginger Valentine, which you can check out over HERE. The festival, founded in 2009, highlights the best in classic and traditional burlesque.

Ginger Valentine, Queen of Burlesque 2011. The 2012 New Orleans Burlesque Festival takes places September 13 – 15.

Posted in Written by Jessica
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Killer Metal & Hot Babes.

•03/28/2012 • Leave a Comment

In the premier issue of A&P, the Stranger’s new print and online quarterly dedicated solely to Art & Performance, a pint-sized Burlesque Box returns and tips a hat to Sinner Saint’s new run, as well as to this charming young lady:

Madisun Avenue by Photographer Fiona Pepe (www.FIONAPEPE.COM)

Madisun Avenue and partner David Stern have been quietly (or not so quietly, depending how you look at it) running the monthly Metalesque! series as well as one-of-a kind shows under the banner Reckless Revue. This Saturday March 31, Metalesque! features Madisun Avenue herself, as well as Boom Boom L’Roux, Mitzy Sixx, Olatsa Assin, and Laela Lovechild. Then on April 1, Reckless Revue brings Portland’s Wanderlust Circus to the Columbia City Theater.

Read about Metalesque! and the upcoming tribute to the Tom Waits classic Frank’s Wild Years in the Burlesque Box  HERE, and check out the related show listings at the Columbia City Theater HERE.

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In other news, POC Photo will soon be heading to Sin City for VLV15: the 15th annual Viva Las Vegas Rockabilly Weekender. Inga Ingénue, the Reigning VLV Queen 2011, will give a farewell performance and our very own Sydni Deveraux will compete for the title this year. More coverage to follow when POC returns…and best of luck to Sydni, as well as all the performers heading to Vegas.

VLV15!

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And last but not least, it’s just been announced that the lovely ladies of Heavenly Spies are launching a brand new show called MAJESTY on April 6 at Can Can. The seven dancers will pack the tiny but venerable stage- including choreographer/performer Agent Rhinestone, who took a brief time out for her new baby during the last production. More to come on this show in the weeks to follow; for now the show’s press info declares:

The seven Spies set the Can Can stage on fire with their high energy, athletic choreography set to lively indie pop music fit for the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air! MAJESTY joins all genres of dance and couples strong female archetypes with colorful utopian imagery. Get ready to see cupid wings, tit slings and mermaids on swings, pole dancing and square dancing, and the best booty-pop’n royal highnies in the Northwest! Opening night is April 6th at Can Can Kitchen & Cabaret and will continue every Friday night in May and June at 10:30pm.

For more information and tickets, please visit Can Can at the sidebar, right.

The Heavenly Spies in MAJESTY (Photo credit pending)

Posted in Written by Jessica
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Boom Boom L’Roux’s Late Night Revue.

•03/22/2012 • Leave a Comment

New combinations of performers, venues, out of towners, and producers have been popping up often these days. One out of the ordinary event recently caught my eye: Boom Boom L’Roux’s Late Night Revue. The Triple Door has been know to host a one-off burlesque show from time to time, with an eye towards rotating casts with a racier, late-night feel (most notably, Nightcap with Lily Verlaine). This spring, the Triple Door will work with Boom Boom L’Roux on three late night showcases which are off to a strong start with this Saturday’s lineup. The venerable Vincent Drambuie hosts a cast of seasoned performers and rising stars like Kitty Baby, Kylie Koyote, Fosse Jack, Nickolai Pirak, and the legendary Tamara the Trapeze Lady.

As for the producer herself, Boom Boom has been performing in Seattle for a couple of years and is also a part of Dr. Rocket’s, the collective which produces Dr. Rocket’s Vaudeville Spectacular as well as Fresh Meat, a new performer showcase. She sees the upcoming Triple Door series as a sampling of diverse performers from the worlds of burlesque and cabaret.

“Since I moved to Seattle a little over three years ago I really found a community here, and in 2010 I graduated from the Kindergarten of Burlesque where I got to meet and be instructed by performers like Kitty Baby, Tamara the Trapeze Lady, and Vincent Drambuie,” Boom Boom says. This newfound family, coupled with her innate desire and previous work experience in event planning, paved the way to producing.

Prior to moving to the Northwest, Boom Boom was also inspired by the many shows she witnessed at New York City’s famous Slipper Room. “In my years of going to the Slipper I saw performers like Scotty the Blue Bunny, Dirty Martini, Miss Saturn and her hooping strip tease…I’ve seem Trixie and Monkey… some of the best in burlesque now were real side shows at the time,” Boom Boom continues.

Let’s hope a little of that NYC sparkle carries over to what Boom Boom L’Roux brings to her first Late Night Revue.

Details and tickets can be found HERE.

The three part series kicks off Saturday, March 24 at The Triple Door.

Posted in Written by Jessica
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Photo of the week.

•03/14/2012 • 1 Comment

The photos are rolling in from Stripped Screw’s sold out run of Disney After Dark last week. My favorite shot (oddly for me, a non-naked one) is here:

Iva Handfull's exquisite costumes worn in Disney After Dark were made by J.Von Stratton Designs (Photo by POC)

But the most remarkable photo of the weekend was- without a doubt- the amazing, levitating hindquarters of Tigger!, which can be seen in part of POC’s photo set, OVER HERE, second row down. You too will be hypnotized.

For more information on Tigger! visit www.tiggertiger.com

Posted in Written by Jessica
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Back Bar Beauties: Smokin’ Hot and calling for auditions.

•03/09/2012 • 2 Comments

Back Bar Beauties - (c)2011 Debra Spencer Photography

– by Paul O’Connell (Contributing Writer and Photographer, Seattle)

Back Bar Beauties, a Seattle troupe that’s been performing in Seattle for the past year and a half, will premiere their show Smokin’ Hot Burlesque at The Crocodile’s Back Bar on March 15 with special guests Kylie Koyote of Stripped Screw Burlesque and Fuchsia FoXXX.

I talked with founding member Laela Lovechild about how she got involved in burlesque and the origins of Back Bar Beauties. Two summers ago (while getting a tattoo), Laela happened to see a flyer for an Academy of Burlesque 101 class and thought it would be fun to take. “To be honest I really had no idea what to expect, so the attractive part of it was the adventure, not knowing what the hell I was getting myself into! I remember most of my thoughts during Burlesque 101 being: ‘Am I really going to do this? Holy shit, I invited all my friends and their boyfriends. Am I making a total ass of myself?’ After going through all these emotions of panic, I just said fuck it, have fun! Once I got on stage, all those negative thoughts disappeared.”

Despite her trepidation about performing burlesque, Laela has been involved in dance and gymnastics since the age of 5 and was no stranger to performing itself. “I absolutely love performing, and the thing I love most about burlesque is that I have the freedom to be silly and sexy at the same time.”

Just as Laela happened to see the 101 flyer by chance, one night she found herself randomly discussing burlesque with the management of a local bar. “I happened to be there one night and we started talking about burlesque. I told him I just started doing burlesque and he asked if I was interested in putting a show together…of course I said yes!” That was a year and a half ago.

“Though I had little experience, I did some research, found some amazing ladies, and somehow managed to make it happen. The lovely Shanghai Pearl took me under her wing and gave me a lot of great advice. I think the best thing she taught me was to relax, no matter what everything will always be okay. Best advice ever- because things happen all the time that you don’t expect, and you just roll with the punches and problem solve,” Laela explained.

“The original Back Bar Beauties were myself, Donatella MeLies (who was in 101 with me), my friend Tawdry Audrey, and Sparkle Lee (our gorgeous kitten). It would be the four of us plus special guests like Sass E Delure and Shanghai Pearl. Then we met Tin Pan Sally (our personal singing Disney princess) and soon after, Madisun Avenue and Olatsa Assin. What I love about our troupe is that we all have outside talents that we bring into burlesque. Our shows have something for everyone and we put on an eclectic and fun, entertaining show.”

Back Bar Beauties don’t have a regular host, instead preferring to rotate to keep the shows “different & exciting.” Flirty Sanchez (aka Aunt Trudy) and Miss Anita Goodman have been a few of their rotating hosts. Two troupe members- Tin Pan Sally and Donatella MeLies- recently moved to LA and will perform as Back Bar Beauties there (as well as performing independently). They will continue to appear with Seattle’s troupe on a quarterly basis. As a result, Back Bar Beauties will hold auditions for guest performers and possible troupe members on March 11 at Theater Puget Sound (4pm-6pm, Room B). Further details can be found here:

www.facebook.com/events/283994058336124/

A question I always like to ask burlesquers is: who are some performers, past or present, that you admire? “There are a lot of performers I look up to and respect,” says Laela. “Though she is our Queen, she has still been my burlesque mom since day one, Indigo Blue. I just really love her style. She is hilarious and has amazing comedic timing. She is the type of performer you could watch for hours. She taught me a great deal on how important facial expressions are when you’re performing. I also really love the Schlep Sisters. One because they are hot Jewish girls…two…there are two of them! They always have super cute choreographed routines, and I like how they interact with their audiences. Some of my other favorites are Waxie Moon, the ‘Luminous Pariah, and of course Gypsy Rose Lee.”

“I really love and appreciate the art of burlesque. I am so grateful to be a part of this welcoming community.”

Info on the upcoming show at The Crocodile can be found here:

www.facebook.com/events/112988638828021/

Posted in Written by Paul O'Connell
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