BHoF 2009 Poster

Best Debut: Melody Mangler (Vancouver, B.C., )

Best Group: Nanda (Portland, OR and Port Townsend, WA)

Best Variety: Gigi & Pop (Brooklyn, NY)

Best Boylesque: Hot Toddy (Chicago, IL)

Reigning Queen of Burlesque 2009 (formerly Miss Exotic World): Kalani KoKonuts (Las Vegas, NV)

Reigning Queen First Runner Up: Roxy Dlite (Windsor, ON, Canada)

Reigning Queen Second Runner Up: Perle Noire (New Orleans, LA)

Burlesque Hall of Fame Legends Award: Satan’s Angel

Most Innovative: Arabella Trapeze (Brooklyn, NY) (Harvest Moon & Mr. Fantastic)

Most Classic: Knicker Kittens Burlesque Revue (Stockholm, Sweden)

Most Comical; Little Brooklyn (Brooklyn, NY)

Most Dazzling: Kalani KoKonuts (Las Vegas, NV)

Note: A few changes this year, including dropping the use of the “Miss Exotic World” title to now “Reigning Queen of Burlesque”, as well as the addition of a Burlesque Hall of Fame Legends Award. Results via World Famous *BOB*.

I’ve been waaaaay behind on my burlesque news reading, and of course, blogging here, but I just had to share these recent articles– if you hadn’t read them yet. I’m especially happy not only because the articles are fairly well-written and approach burlesque as a legitimate topic, but for me it’s still pretty rare (and therefore a breath of fresh air) to read pieces that don’t go for the sensationalistic and ever-so-wrong “burlesque is back!” angle…

1) LAT: Burlesque era remains alive in hall of fame
- A wonderful overview on the history and current state of the Burlesque Hall of Fame (formerly known as the Exotic World Museum). And it’s got a couple of the most adorable photos!

2) North by Northwestern: Michelle L’amour shows that burlesque is more than just a strip tease
- An inspiring article on Michelle L’amour’s fairly new burlesque dance studio.

Michelle L’amour walks gracefully into the studio and begins directing warm-ups for her ‘Beginning/Intermediate Burlesque’ class. The former Miss Exotic World (2005) is Dita-esque in appearance, petite and pale with short, black hair and dark red lips, and she wears an ornate feather clip in her hair, shaped in an apropos heart. She swings her hips to the sultry beat, leading the girls in the “sexy walk” warm-up, and talks all the while, making splits and turns look effortless. The atmosphere in the studio is fun, playful and very comfortable, despite the blatant sex appeal.

3) BroadwayWorld.com: Burlesque Theatre Open[ed] 3/13 At The Denver Civic Theater

For the first time since the 1930′s a theatre is being built specifically to house burlesque, headed up by Reyna Von Vett of last fall’s acclaimed Leadville or Bust– a playful romp through 1880′s burlesque (Reyna played Tanya for 2 years in the Las Vegas company of Mamma Mia!) and Michelle Baldwin, a.k.a. Vivienne VaVoom, the Mother of Neo-Burlesque in Denver and creator of one of the first neo-burlesque troupes in the U.S., Burlesque As It Was. Converting the space recently known as the Black Box Cabaret in the Denver Civic Theatre ( 721 Santa Fe Dr. , Denver ), Von Vett and Baldwin aim to bring burlesque back while playing homage to the great tradition of burlesque that began in the late 1800′s and all but disappeared in the 1960′s.

While it seems ‘crazy’ to start up a theatre in this economy, Von Vett and Baldwin point to the Great Depression and how burlesque was the one form of live entertainment that survived and thrived, even moving into the Times Square theatre district of New York when ‘legitimate’ theatres closed their shows.

… In other (non-)news, I’ve recently been in touch with a couple of local media reps who expressed interest in interviewing me for their own “burlesque is back” news pieces. There was even talk of doing a video segment of a demo Burlesque Boot Camp class. Alas, I think the ball’s been dropped somewhere, as I no longer hear back from them. We’ll see…

1. Jaunted.com and The Press Association report that former Spice Girl Mel B. will be heading her own burlesque show in Vegas in March.

From The Press Association, Mel B says:

“It’s a burlesque, singing, dancing show. I’m scared actually now, come to think of it. A whole show by myself. But it will be fun.”

According to the official press release, starting in March, “PEEPSHOW is a modern burlesque show created specifically for the dynamic, glamorous audience that exists only in the adult playground of Las Vegas. A highly stylized, full-throttle production show that combines sexy striptease and celebrity with high-level production values and a dash of passion, PEEPSHOW is a collaboration between Tony award-winning director/choreographer Jerry Mitchell and Las Vegas entertainment pacesetter BASE Entertainment.”

The show will also feature Kelly Monaco (of “Dancing With the Stars” and “General Hospital” fame), as well as 20 more dancers and an all-female band.

Link

2. Las Vegas Weekly and LAT blog report that porn star Tera Patrick has plans of her own to open a burlesque show in Vegas.

Looks like details are still on the hush, but the confident Tera Patrick says:

“I’m moving away from porn and shopping for a new home for the burlesque show we have created. I’m even working with two professional dancers who star with Bette Midler nightly at The Colosseum in Caesars Palace! It’s an extension of what I did when I danced at Ivan Kane’s 40 Deuce club at Mandalay Bay. We’ve done a sexy surprise sneak peek to hint at what I’m bringing to Vegas, and everybody is amazed by it. We know there are other topless cabaret shows in Vegas, and we’re not knocking them. We’re so different. We can’t be accused of being copy-cats, but there will surely be people copying us when they see us.”

Will be interesting, for sure.

3. The Journal News reports that the lawsuit over some “lost” photos from Marilyn Monroe’s final photo session with Bert Stern (“The Last Sitting”) was finally settled.

The litigation started when celebrity photographer Bert Stern, 78, who shot Marilyn Monroe nearly nude in a famous session just weeks before her death in 1962, found out that two northern Westchester photographers, Don Penny and Michael Weiss, were in possession of nine of the photographs and wouldn’t turn them over. He sued them to regain possession, and they countersued. The out-of-court deal announced this week ends the litigation and sets up a deal for all of them to earn profits from the lost photos of the Hollywood icon.

…
The old photos were found on the street in the 1970s not far from Stern’s former studio. The man who discovered them, Robert Bryan, a colleague of Penny and Weiss, kept them in a shoebox for 35 years. Bryan is also a party to the settlement.
…
The pictures were taken at the Bel-Air Hotel in July 1962, six weeks before Monroe’s death of a drug overdose. Two of the photos were marked by Monroe herself as her preferences for publication.

4. OK, in real burlesque news…

Worldwide entertainer and burlesque emcee (and the most adorable pianist EVAR), Kitten on the Keys, is finally putting on her very own one-woman show!

The production, “Does This Piano Make My Ass Look Big?”, is set to premiere in late March at Mama Calizo’s Voice Factory in San Francisco. More details to come soon.

In the meantime, there is a benefit show to raise funds for the production, on February 15th in SF. Living Legend Satan’s Angel is slated to perform, as well as a venerable who’s who of the SF scene.

From the listing:

Save the Date!
Valentine’s Weekend! Set your heart on FIRE!

2/15/09 Legendary Burlesque Queen
SATAN’s Angel LIVE in San Francisco!

Mama Calizo’s Voice Factory
Epi Center for Queer and Activist Performance
11th and Mission

Early Show 6:30-9:30

EVENT
Fundraiser for Artist in Residence avante musical: Does This Piano
Make My Ass Look Big?
by Suzanne Ramsey aka Kitten on the Keys late March 2009 Back Alley
Sally Cabaret theater

Starring:
Satans Angel
Scenic Sisters Sid Scenic herself!
Vinsantos
Lady Monster
Diamond Daggers
Honey Lawless
Dottie Lux
Lady Satan
Very Frightening Mr Tinkler
Kitten on the Keys
and MANY more TBA!

Promised Silent Auctions Items and Donations/Grants:
Holiday O’Hara
Sisters Of Perpetual Indulgence
Tushell Bad Attitude Boutique
Tracy from the Devilettes Soaps and Lip Glosses
Augusta from It’s a Chick

Lily Cat Melinda Stage Goddess and MUCH MORE!
Lily le Rouge

PLEASE note Satan’s Angel will be selling 8 X 10′s and memorabila at
this event!

Go Kitten!

Online voting opened on January 1st for this year’s Viva Las Vegas Burlesque Competition.

This year they’ve begun to require YouTube videos, so we can get a sense of these gorgeous gals in action. Make sure to vote for your favorite! Only the top six will bump n’ grind it out on the VLV stage.

It has been a whirlwind weekend! So much so that after two after party nights/mornings in a row, we couldn’t even make it to any of the Sunday day events before driving home. (On the plus side, we got to visit an old friend of Jake’s, check out the new house, and I got to take a fat afternoon nap.)

There were certainly some low/disappointing moments about the weekend, most of which occurred on Thursday/opening party night. I think that first night left a bad taste in a lot of mouths, so that by Friday morning, a few complaints had already made their way to the MEW group list. Most of the complaints were justified, I thought, as they were mostly directed at the venue and its representatives’ behavior towards MEW attendees. We were definitely soured that first day, having spent about three hours waiting– the first half just milling about looking for information on what was going on, and the second half standing in a mostly unmoving line– before we decided to throw in the towel and head back to our hotel.

As the weekend progressed, however, things smoothed over. And I have to commend the people behind the scenes for handling all the curve balls (and the performers for handling the last-minute underboob ban) with creativity and coolness.

My impressions of the weekend are generally summarized in the following two emails I posted to the group:

Truth be told, I did have a wonderful time this weekend. I loved watching the performances I did get to see (though I’m terribly bummed that I missed out on Satan’s Angel and many others due to time, sight and energy level constraints). But most of all, I had a wonderful time because of the company– I got to hang out again with some of my favorite people in the world, and meet and chat with many other friendly folks. The company was free to me, and most of what I did get to see of the event were free and open to the public as well. I should have just shelled out the $45 day-of-pageant ticket and saved the remaining $100+ to buy drinks for my friends (at The Orleans or Gold Coast– definitely NOT the Palms).

So my point? MEW is about the people, the community. Although this was my first time attending, I’ve always felt and heard and read about how dedicated burlesque performers, friends and fans band together every year to make one hell of a weekend. And I did see this dedication in the faces of the volunteers running around– especially Mig, who was the epitome of “grace under pressure”. And I saw the love in the faces of those of us attending– determined to have a good time despite being treated like second-class citizens (cattle?) by the hotel.

I understand the desire to promote to and perhaps generate greater interest in the museum and burlesque from the mainstream, but please, not at the expense of alienating the core community. Burlesque has always been sort of a fringe community and it was obvious that The Palms– a high-priced, trendy hotel– did not give a damn about us or hosting this event.

Will I come back next year? Quite possibly, if only to be able to reconnect with friends once again. I’ll be waiting to see what changes are made before I decide on whether to actually buy a ticket to the event. I hope that as the days calm a bit and the organizers commence preparations for next year, the lessons learned from this past weekend are taken into consideration and implemented in the beginning stages of planning to minimize the series of snafus that ended in a lot of disappointment from a lot of people.

Despite my previous ranting post, I do want to (re)highlight that I had a wonderful time connecting with great people! Jake and I loved being able to spend quality time with Bombshell Betty, Randy Johnson, Bombshell Betty’s Burlesqueteers (I so *heart* you!), Lady Borgia (who was just the best driving buddy), and especially my honey bunny Flame Cynders– who took good care of us, hooking us up with cabana action, and graciously providing her suite for Friday and Saturday night after parties. I loved having a little producers chat at one of the after parties. I loved seeing some of the legends perform and chatting with more– and being knocked off my ass by all the charisma they still exude. And don’t get me started on exciting new pals! Laveena Lotus, Cardinal Cyn, Jezebel Express, etc… me oh my!

I know you guys were thrown a lot of curve balls, and you did well handling them. Hell, all kinds of snafus happen to large-scale events, whether run by volunteers or professional planners. And things did seem to smooth out as the weekend progressed. I do think that as the barrage of complaints die down and we are able to step back and reflect more objectively, there will be many take-aways about how to minimize/handle the wrath of Murphy’s law for future events. I am definitely going to take some time to compile a list of constructive ideas for the suggestion box, and am putting myself up now as a volunteer for any event planning help.

Now, after having taking a couple of days recuperating and planning for my own local happenings, I will state with confidence that I am very happy to have made the trip to Vegas. And that I’m looking forward to reconnecting with my faraway friends and the new people I’ve met in the future. I’m still compiling my list of suggestions, some of which I am going to try to incorporate into my own shows, and will be sending them to the ‘box soon.

I do so love the burlesque community. I can’t remember exactly who it was that first told me, but it rings true every time: “In burlesque, everything works out well in the end.”

I am so very happy to have witnessed such a wonderfully varied show! Big kudos to all the hardworking and seriously entertaining competitors– especially despite the delays, crazy bursts of wind and last-minute limitations on what could and could not be shown of the female breast by the gaming commission. And of course, a hearty congratulations to the winners of Miss Exotic World Pageant 2008!

Best Debut:
Perle Noir (New Orleans, LA)

Best Duo:
Jewel of Denial and Kat Bardot (Los Angeles, CA)

Best Boylesque:
Sin Jyn (Denver, CO)

Best Troupe:
Peek-A-Boo Revue (Philadelphia, PA)

2nd Runner Up Miss Exotic World:
Trixie Little (Baltimore, MD)

1st Runner Up Miss Exotic World:
Lux La Croix (Los Angeles, CA)

2008 Miss Exotic World:
Angie Pontani (New York, NY)

[Update] According to Burlesque Daily, the special categories winners are as follows:

Most Classic:
Evie Lovell

Most Comical:
Clams Casino

Most Innovative: (Tie)
Clams Casino
Trixie Little

Most Dazzling:
Lux La Croix

***

It’s a shame that (due to reasons unknown to me), the pageant started off late so that in the end, MCs El Vez and Miss Astrid were forced to rush through the announcement of the winners. The follow-up band was setting up on stage (quite obtrusively, I thought) as the winners were hurriedly named as soon as each result card was handed in. I may be a little overdramatic in thinking this, but I thought that for all their hard work, each winner should have been given adequate time to revel in their acceptance of the sought-after trophies. Like this:

Popout
(Video from 2007 via nofimag.)

I missed out on the Sunday pool party, where I heard they made announcements of winners of additional categories such as “most humorous”, “most classic”, etc. Will find out and post the official roster soon.

Also, additional musings from the crazy-great (and sometimes wildly confusing/disappointing) weekend in the next couple of days, including a guest post and pictures by my partner in crime, Indiana Jake aka Reverend Limp Richard.

All in all, I’m glad to have witnessed another installment of burlesque history and connect with this fabulous community!

The word is out!

Official lineup for the 18th Annual Miss Exotic World Pageant:

BEST DEBUT:
Clams Casino
Evie Lovelle
Gal Friday
Fanny Tastic
Frenchie Kiss
Kitty Twist
Lola Bel Aire
Magnificent Liberte Belle
Mimi First
Perle Noir
Ruby Valentine
Tatah DuJour

BEST BOYLESQUE:
Hot Toddy
Sexy Mark Brown
Sin Jyn

BEST DUO:
Cafe Con Leche
Gravity Plays Favorites
Jewel of Denial & Kat Bardot
Syrens of the South
Tease for Two: Lily Verlaine and Miss Indigo Blue

BEST TROUPE:
The Amazing Knicker Kittens
Foxy Tann and The Wham-Bam Thank You Ma’ams
Peek-A-Boo Revue
Sinner Saint Burlesque
Twilight Vixen Revue

MISS EXOTIC WORLD:
Adonna Vichet
Amber Ray
Amber Topaz
Angie Pontani
Bambi the Mermaid
Bunny Love
Charlotte La Belle Araignee
Inga Ingenue
Little Brooklyn
Lux LaCroix
Ravenna Black
Sparkly Devil
Trixie Little
Violet Eva
Vivienne VaVoom

More MEW weekend info in the Burlesque Hall of Fame site.

There are so many good acts on the lineup– many of my favorites, and many more I’ve been dying to see live. I can already feel the fan-girl excitement coursing through my veins. Squeee! I can’t wait!

Tickets are officially ON SALE for weekend passes to Burlesque Hall of Fame/Miss Exotic World weekend (June 5-8, 2008).

June 5 – 8
Palms Casino Weekend Pass! featuring the Stars of Burlesque Reunion and 2008 Miss Exotic World Pageant

Each Weekend Pass is good for general admission access to ALL official Burlesque Hall of Fame/Exotic World Weekend events at Palms Casino Resort, Thursday, June 5-Sunday, June 8. Yes, ALL–and they *WILL* sell out, so get yours while they’re hot, because when they’re gone… they’re gone!

Included in the price of your $150 Weekend Pass is access to:
–Opening Party at Ghost Bar (Thursday)
–Ditch Friday pool party, Friday afternoon (Friday)
–Reunion Showcase with Jazz Legend Jimmy Scott (Friday)***
–Burlesque Bazaar, Friday-Sunday 6/6-6/8 (Friday)
–Miss Exotic World Pageant at Palms Pool (Saturday)
–Post-MEW concert with Tiger Army (Saturday)
–After Party in the Lounge (Special Guests TBA, Saturday)
–Hangover Dance Party at Palms Pool (Sunday)
–Closing Gala at Playboy Club (Sunday)

…Plus free access to the Burlesque Bazaar, live music and drink specials ALL WEEKEND LONG!

**There will be NO individual tickets sold for this event. It is an intimate showcase open to participating performers and weekend passholders only

Get yours now! (But wait until I’ve had a chance to buy mine first, heehee.)

—

Penny Star, Jr./It’s A Chick Productions has pooled together “Las Vegas or Bust“, a nationwide collective of benefit events for the Burlesque Hall of Fame. Visit the site for more info on the Burlesque Hall of Fame (including a short video on the old museum), a list of participating shows, and the overall progress of the fund raisers.