Chat Noir Club Miami: Part Nightclub, Part Burlesque Show

Where else in Miami can you indulge your inner fetishist among an array of drag shows, comedy, spoken word, bellydancing, live music and contortionists on a Monday evening? Part nightclub, part burlesque show, The Chat Noir (French for black cat), is a 3-month-old extravaganza with the motto ''Two parts circus, one part burlesque, a pinch of class and a dash of trash'' and celebrity hosts like Dita Von Teese and Lady Bunny.

The intoxicating spectacle begins at the front door, as agile stilt walkers, accordion players and the signature Chat Noir cat actually make waiting in line fun. There's a first time for everything on the beach, right? Inside, the mixed crowd includes locals, drag queens, professionals and even some tourists. ''This is the kind of place where you can be yourself,'' explained Tony Ferro of promotions group, the Pennyback Boyz.

The gothic and romantic ambience of Dream Nightclub, located in the thick of Washington Avenue nightlife, serves as the perfect backdrop for the myriad mischievous characters. Complimentary martinis and hors d'oeuvres until midnight are just the icing on the cake -- devil's food cake, that is.

Worried that a night at a cabaret might interfere with your work schedule the following day? Fear not: this party starts early and ends at a reasonable hour. Doors open at 10 p.m. and the show runs until 1 a.m., followed by an open format session into the early morning hours with DJ Shannon.

To get on the guest list, call 786-326-9477 and receive complimentary admission. For those without such foresight, it'll be $20 at the door. And if you have aspirations of joining this hot nightlife circus, auditions for fresh talent are held at 7:30 p.m. every Sunday. Ask for Chris and show him what you've got.

Dream is at 1532 Washington Ave., Miami Beach; 305-674-4444.

Burlesque Revival Takes Off in Washington

Gird your loins, boys and girls. Burlesque is back, and it's officially made a home again in Washington.

In the past five months, three burlesque shows have established residency at three D.C. venues -- from M Street and Shaw in Northwest to the H Street corridor in Northeast. Each show has a different style: One is straight out of vaudeville and sideshow traditions, one seeks to summon the classy cabaret atmosphere of the 1930s and '40s, and the other fits in with the District's gay performance-art world. The unifying theme: the art of the tease.

It's not stripping per se (even though it kind of is). It's strip teasing. It's artfully surrendering certain parts of one's assemblage while performing dance or comedy or some combination of the two, usually with a yukster emcee, sometimes with other singular acts (lounge lizards, sword swallowers, drag kings). And people -- even in this era of explicitness -- are coming to see the wit, the glamour and the flesh, all bejeweled and bowed up as a reclamation of femininity, a harking back to old times, the seductive broadcast of a political statement.

Washington got its first taste of burlesque's new era in 2002, when Baltimore's Trixie Little and the Evil Hate Monkey performed in the vaudevillian Lobster Boy Revue, which played at the 9:30 club, Chief Ike's Mambo Room in Adams Morgan and the Birchmere. Now the city is seeing a blossoming of semi-professional burlesque acts inspired by that first wave of Trixie, the Hate Monkey and the World Famous Pontani Sisters from New York.

The fan base is swelling, but the audience in this century is different from the last, says D.C. writer Kelly DiNardo, who blogs about burlesque and wrote "Gilded Lili: Lili St. Cyr and the Striptease Mystique" (Back Stage Books, 2007), about the famous performer who toured through burlesque-friendly clubs on H Street during the '40s and '50s.

"Whereas then your audience was primarily made up of men, now you have a 50-50 audience," DiNardo says. "I think there is this desire to put the tease back into sex, to put the imagination back into sex, to take ownership of your body, of your sexuality. And I think women who perform in the neo-burlesque movement have taken that voice back to it."

The voice is louder and prouder, and it comes from real women (sometimes with stretch marks, sometimes with wrinkles) who have real day jobs (corporate trainer, barista, teacher's aide). Together, they exude a retro innocence guarded by precisely placed pasties but project something a little more complicated than bare skin.

Three nights, three venues, three very different burlesque shows. Read on to learn more.

The Reclamation of Womanhood at the Dutch Oven Burlesque

Stuffed in a 49-square-foot closet are four bouncing bosoms, a Boston terrier named Harry the Horrible and enough fringe and glitter to clothe a chorus line from Bethesda to Berlin. This is the cramped green room at the Palace of Wonders, the weirdo vaudevillian bar on H Street NE, a half-hour before showtime. The women are talking about the whys and hows of this burlesque revival.

"At the workplace, the more feminine you are, the more credibility you lose," says Shortstaxx, a.k.a. Kris Roth, 42, of Takoma Park. "This is a parody. It's really drag. It's almost playing a woman."

"It's reclaiming it," says Sable Sin Cyr, a.k.a. Katie Gray, 26, who also performs with the Gilded Lily Burlesque in Baltimore.

"It's exaggerated," says L'il Dutch, 34, a Falls Church resident who likes to keep her on- and off-stage identities separate. "Think Sophia Loren. Think fembot. Think Marilyn Monroe."

"I think Divine," cackles Staxx as she pulls a bulgy jockstrap over a baseball-patterned G-string, the eventual centerpiece of her Americana performance during the monthly Dutch Oven burlesque show. (This must be mentioned: Staxx's first public performance was to music from the opera "Carmen." She choreographed a routine in which she twirled her tassels while dying. She continued twirling even as she lay on the ground, expired.)

The scene in Washington is still emerging; most dancers have been at it for only a year and a half or so. Sable and Staxx attended Trixie Little's burlesque boot camp, and L'il Dutch started the Palace of Wonders show in March after being inspired by the Pontani Sisters at the Birchmere's semiannual burlesque shows.

Now there are enough area dancers to supply a monthly show with a rotating cast. And so backstage, some last-minute preparations:

Spritz some hair spray on the wigs.

Jiggle a bit to check the security of the pasties.

Kiss toward the mirror and then head out onto the teeny stage, surrounded by a barful of people and vaudevillian knickknacks lining the walls. L'il Dutch teases with the hokeypokey and performs with Harry the Horrible. Sable, in a Bettie Page wig, lays out a beach towel and bumps a beach ball into the audience. Priscilla Jerez, the Palace of Wonders' general manager, who performs as Prissy Pistol, storms around the stage to "Livin' in America." Shortstaxx spits into a baseball glove and fields imaginary balls. All of this is done to music and emceed by the curly-mustached Gary Gutter (who happens to be L'il Dutch's husband). Articles of clothing are expertly removed and discarded, leading to the big reveal (or big tease, depending on how you look at it).

Here's the thing: Whether they're rapt or befuddled, everyone in the audience is paying attention. Even the drunk ones. Twenty people watch the closed-circuit video of the stage from the bar's second floor. Fifty more are squished together below, whooping or gaping. Smiles creep onto boyfriends' faces as they realize what they've been dragged to by their girlfriends.

More shows: The Palace of Wonders features burlesque every week, regularly hosting Gilded Lily from Baltimore and the Hellcat Girls from Philadelphia. The quarterly Evil Come Evil Go-Go Show returns Aug. 9 at 10 p.m. and Oct. 31 (for a Halloween spectacular). Priscilla Jerez's Wild West-themed show, Bang Bang Burlesque, debuts in October.
Source: Washington Post.com

Melbourne Burlesque Trio Risque Revival

By Hamish Heard
MOST people think of burlesque as little more than a classy striptease and to a certain degree they're probably right.

But for a growing number of young Melburnians, the erotic style of entertainment has become a road to self-discovery and empowerment.

It may seem odd in an era when women occupy some of the highest positions in the land that so many young Australian women are turning to the movement from which strip clubs evolved.

Maree Shefford, whose burlesque school Shimmy and Shake operates out of Carlton's Dance House, said her classes were stocked with young professionals.

"Almost all of them have either completed degrees or are studying at university, so we've had barristers, scientists, speech pathologists you name it," Ms Shefford said.

The typical modern recreational burlesque dancer has a demanding job and is aged in her 20s or 30s.

"It's interesting that they need something more than just a successful career they need to explore their femininity and sexuality," Ms Shefford said. "They're trying to find an erotic side to themselves and experiment with their bodies in a safe environment."

So what is burlesque?

It's a comedic form of dance entertainment that started in the mid-1800s and reached the height of its popularity in the 1940s.

"Most commonly with burlesque it's about the tease and seduction but without the performers taking off all their clothes," Ms Shefford said.

The modern-day strip club, like Bar 20, is pretty much the result of burlesque's evolution but it's taken the tease to the next level.

By the 1960s burlesque had all but disappeared a victim of the cultural revolution that legitimised pornography and made the clothed tease less confronting to audiences.

However, it recently found its way back into pop culture thanks to the retro-erotic styling of performers like Christina Aguilera and Pink.

"A lot of young women are getting around in grungy clothes," Ms Shefford said.

"But some girls want to step back in time and be sexy and glamorous in that classic sense.

"But the big word is fun it's a lot of fun."

Ms Shefford teaches students techniques including the shimmy, shake, and the bump 'n' grind with the help of props like feather boas, satin gloves, sky-high heels and garters.
Photo by Tony Gough

Putting the 'Tease' in Striptease

"Keep bouncing, make those breasts work," Miss Kitka says.

It's 10am on a Saturday morning and I'm trying to get my nipple tassles to twirl. My burlesque teacher, Miss Kitka, or Rebecca Gale as her birth certificate reads, says it all comes from the legs.

With feet firmly planted on the ground I carry on bouncing. Looking down I see the two little red tassles, or pasties, starting to swing.

"Don't look down," Miss Kitka says.

Head facing forward, I build up speed. My tassles become airborne. They spin like propellers on an aircraft. A light breeze wafts across my face. My class mates cheer.

All six students, including myself, are new to the world of burlesque - a fancy form of striptease that has its origins in nineteenth century music hall and vaudeville.

But it was in the depression-era in New York that burlesque really flourished.

In the thirties, burlesque was the poor man's follies, offering a cheaper alternative to the more expensive broadway shows.

One club in particular, Minskys, nourished burlesque and the careers of such later headliners as Ann Corio, Sherry Britton and the woman who was to become burlesque's biggest sensation - Gypsy Rose Lee.

"Burlesque was not just about stripping," says Miss Kitka, a Canberra-based teacher and performer who is in Sydney to give this introductory workshop.

"It involved mockery, political satire and humour," she says, halting the tassle twirling to pop in a video of Sally Rand - the famous fan dancer and star of the 1933 Chicago World's Fair.

Today, Dita von Teese, the raven haired, lipstick-clad glamour girl who once shared her make-up and her life with rock star Marilyn Manson, is the latest in line of great performers stretching back over centuries.

Von Teese, who is well known for her 1940s pin-up look, says her personal brand of burlesque owes much to the showgirls of the Folies Bergere, the Moulin Rouge and the era of the cancan.

In her own words she "puts the tease back into striptease" and is widely considered the main instigator of the burlesque revival over the last decade and is credited with bringing it to mainstream attention.

In Australia, burlesque has been a bit slower in donning its stilettos and emerging from the underground.

"There was not much happening in burlesque when I came back to Australia four years ago after performing in London," says Kass Warner, aka Kaspia Violetta, who directs and produces a Sydney-based burlesque company called Sugartime.

"These days burlesque classes and shows can be found in most of the bigger Australian cities," she says.

Kaspia recently launched Scarlet Debut, a night featuring new talent in Sydney.

"With these nights we do workshop weekends where the girls come with their acts and we give them feedback on their routines - culminating in a show on stage in front of an audience."

Kaspia says burlesque gives women and men - she recently produced an all male show called Scarlet Beaus - a chance to express themselves in whatever way they wish.

"It's not like you have to go to the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) and become a trained actor and wait until you get chosen for the Shakespeare play.

"With burlesque you can just go out there and do it."

Kaspia says there is a divide between professional performers and "bedroom burlesquers" - those who learn burlesque for fun, as a creative outlet and to boost self esteem.

Miss Kitka, who is studying psychology at the Australian National University, says the main emphasis of her course is on building up confidence.

"I have all sizes and ages in my class - ranging from 18 to 70 years," she says.

"It's truly amazing to see the way the ladies and men develop."

She says one of the best things about neo-burlesque, unlike classic burlesque, is that it celebrates all body types and mainly adopts the aesthetics of the 1940s and 50s when womanly curves were embraced.

Jenny Coyne, whose stage name is Scarlet Fever, has been a student of Miss Kitka's for three years whilst studying for a doctorate in clinical psychology.

Coyne is a plus-size performer and has a rare muscle condition called McArdle's disease.

"Where else but burlesque would I be embraced and celebrated?" she says.

Coyne says the change in her self-esteem from when she started lessons to becoming a performer and teacher has been phenomenal.

And she says participating in Miss Kitka's shows have not only helped her.

"I have had many women approach me to tell me how much they have appreciated seeing women of larger sizes, and older ages performing.

"It makes the audience feel - if she can do it, why cant I?"

This might be one of the reasons that Australia is now embracing the nipple tassle with gusto.

But for me, I will stick to bedroom burlesque for now - at least until I graduate from Miss Kitka's intermediate course.

Burlesque: Seattle's Best Kept Secret?

People say a lot of things about Seattle: It's rainy; it's progressive; it's metronatural. But words like sexy and edgy don't usually make the list.

Well, at least they didn't make my list - until now. Recently, I was surprised to learn that Seattle has one of the biggest and baddest (that's a compliment) burlesque scenes in the country. You could even say it's been a pioneer in burlesque's recent resurgence. Here are just a few of its offerings, considering there are too many to list:

• Burlesque Behind The Pink Door - Burlesque shows every Saturday at 10 p.m. at this Italian restaurant in Pike Place Market.
  
• Miss Indigo Blue's Academy of Burlesque: Learn the art of burlesque and perform at a recital at the end of the course.
• Seattle's Moisture Festival - An annual festival in the spring that features variety theater, vaudeville and burlesque performances.
• Burning Hearts Burlesque - A collective of producers putting on shows around the city throughout the year.
• Land of the Sweets: The Burlesque Nutcraker - A recent, yearly Christmas tradition at the Triple Door with 17+ and 21+ shows.
• Cabaret/Burlesque/Variety event listings from Seattle Weekly.
  

Burlesque isn't for everybody (and it's not for all ages either - be sure to check listings). But like it or not, its resurgence is a reminder that Seattle isn't just about nature and technology - it's also got a colorful and subversive cultural side that's worth a mention, especially to my visitors from New York who think they've seen it all.
By Shiwani Srivastava

American Burlesque Club Directory

A list of select burlesque troupes and venues across the United States.

Please feel free to add to this list by leaving a comment below, I will then amend the list.

Atlanta
Big City Burlesque - Atlanta's original all-retro burlesque and vaudeville troupe.
Blast-Off Burlesque - A collective of performers who explore a variety of themes.
Dames Aflame- A traveling troupe available for solo and group acts.
Syrens of the South - Southern hospitality with a wink and a nudge!

Austin
The Jigglewatts Burlesque - The Zeigfield Follies meets Studio 54 with a dash of Barnum and Bailey
Carousel Cabaret - circus-tent style naughtiness with bawdy humor and dancing
Big Star Burlesque - An Austin-based plus-size burlesque troupe.
Kitty Kitty Bang Bang - A western-themed troupe that's performed around the country.
Red Light Burlesque - Austin's original burlesque troupe performing to live local music.

Boston
Black Cat Burlesque - A spooky, macabre troupe performing in Boston and Salem.
Boston Baby Dolls - New England troupe that performs and offers classes.
Taste O' Burlesque - An "open mic" night for new and experienced performers.

Chicago
Belmont Burlesque Revue - Late-night comedy and burlesque with a new show each month.
Chicago Burlesque and Vaudeville - A collective exploring the variety show elements of burlesque.
Dante's Voodoo Cabaret - A night of music and burlesque featuring local performers.
The Girlie-Q Variety Hour - A neo-burlesque mix of music, comedy and performance art.
The Lavender Cabaret - An award-winning burlesque production company.

Denver
Burlesque As It Was - One of America's oldest neo-burlesque troupes.
Lannie's Clocktower Cabaret - Home to a weekly revue featuring burlesque and vaudeville acts.

Las Vegas
Babes in Sin - An off-the-strip troupe with a bit of vintage gothic flair.
Flamingo Cabaret - Features classically trained dancers, and music from Broadway to rock and roll.
Ivan Kane's Forty Deuce - A high-end, retro-style nightclub featuring burlesque at Mandalay Bay.
Pussycat Dolls Lounge - Hollywood's famous troupe brings its act to Caesar's Palace.
The Tangerine VIP Lounge - This 1920s-style cabaret features late-night shows daily.

Los Angeles
Ivan Kane's Forty Deuce - A high-end, retro-style nightclub featuring Hollywood burlesque.
Lucha VaVOOM - A burlesque and cabaret act mixed in with some circus fun.
The Pussycat Dolls Lounge - Home of the famous burlesque act that launched the national pop sensation.
The Secret Burlesque - Providing a new, glamorous twist on the classic burlesque show.
Velvet Hammer - One of L.A.'s oldest troupes featuring celebrities of burlesque.

Minneapolis
Dr. Farrago's Burlesque Theatre - A burlesque variety show featuring comedy, magic and more.
Le Cirque Rouge - A classic burlesque and cabaret troupe routed in variety theater.
Lili's Burlesque Revue - One of the Twin Cities' premier vintage cabaret and burlesque troupes.

Nashville
Lady & the Tramps - A collective of performers also known as Nashville Burlesque.
Panty Raid Burlesque - A world-touring troupe created in the spirit of the sideshow.

New Orleans
Bustout Burlesque - 1950s-style burlesque recreating the aura of Bourbon Street.
Fleur de Tease - A variety burlesque review located in the French Quarter.
Reverend Spooky Le Strange & Her Billion Dollar Baby Dolls - A rotating cast of seasoned local and out-of-town burlesque dancers.
Storyville Starlettes - New Orleans' longest running burlesque troupe with recurring shows.

New York
The Box - A new high-end dinner theater in a legendary vaudeville and burlesque neighborhood.
Le Scandal Cabaret - Features a blend of neo-burlesque, vaudeville and circus.
This is Burlesque at Corio - A comedy and burlesque show featuring the winner of Miss Exotic World 2008.
The Slipper Room - A popular burlesque club and cocktail lounge on the Lower East Side.
Starshine Burlesque - Shows everyday Thursday in the back room of the famous Lucky Chengs.

Philadelphia
Hellcat Girls Burlesque - A neo-burlesque troupe tackling themes from horror to Vegas camp.
The Peek-A-Boo Revue - Named Miss Exotic World 2008 Best Troupe.

San Francisco
Bombshell Betty's Burlesqueteers - An open-enrollment burlesque troupe featuring students from Betty's classes.
The Hubba Hubba Revue - A fast-paced comedy and burlesque variety act with monthly shows.
San Francisco's Famous Burlesque Revue - Features a number of burlesque stars and a live orchestra.
The Twilight Vixen Revue - A troupe that often teams up with San Francisco 'boylesque' acts.
The Va Va Voom Room - A national show with classic acts from around the country.

Seattle
Atomic Bombshells - Originally from New Orleans, this troupe performs regularly in Seattle.
Glitzkrieg Burlesque Bombshells - A troupe ready to "fight their 'sparkly war' on your home front."
Sinner Saint Burlesque Revue - A weekly show regularly featuring special guests.
Tempest Burlesque - A collective of neo-burlesque and neo-vaudeville performers.
The Von Foxies - Features local stars. Named Miss Exotic World 2007 Best Troupe.

Texas
Velvet Kittens of Le Cabaret Burlesque - Teasing Dallas & Fort Worth for the past few years.

Washington, D.C.
Burlesque University - Kitty Victorian teaches students how to bump, grind and twirl.
The Golden Triangle Cabaret - The city's first cabaret and burlesque entertainment showcase.

Burlesque: a celebration of the body

Photograph: Candee Photography

Burlesque is dominated by big celebrity names, with Dita Von Teese reigning as the queen of the American scene, and Immodesty Blaize flying the flag for the British contingent.

It's hard for new acts to break into the market, which is where Claire Hearne, aka Lulu Spanx of Lulu Spanx Inc. comes in. She is hosting The Big Burlesque Bout!, where 11 aspiring performers will compete for the chance to win a place on her agency's books and a slot at the Cherry Pop Peep Show.

'We had one lady that was really out there,' says Hearne of the contenders. 'We just didn't know how to mark her. She was from France and she was absolutely crackers. She was singing the whole way through, her zip got caught on her dress and she got one of the judges to undo it for her. It was just bizarre.'

Hearne knows exactly what makes a truly great burlesque artist. 'Burlesque is for everyone, all shapes and sizes and all ages,' she insists. 'As long as you can get up there and be confident in your own skin, then the people who are watching you are going to enjoy it as well. [The reason why] most of the other girls didn't get through was just due to lack of confidence rather than anything else.'

Performers' confidence would undoubtedly be boosted by chances to showcase their talents but, to an extent, they are trapped in a vicious circle.

'Without a recognised club name, it is difficult for new performers to get a foot in the door,' Hearne admits. 'Nights like mine usually won't book them because we like to guarantee a certain quality for the people watching the show – so an opportunity such as this is really good for them.'

The prospects for new performers are steadily improving as audience numbers grow, dispelling a few misconceptions in the process.

'When people first come, they're very dubious about what it's going to be like,' Hearne says. 'It's very hard to explain to someone that there are going to be girls taking their clothes off, but that it's not seedy.

'The girls have a great time, and we mix it up with a compère who plays the ukulele, and we have lots of old Victorian-style freak-show acts, lying on beds of nails and stuff like that. Quite often, people arrive still thinking of lap-dancing clubs and, when they see how much fun it is, they're nicely surprised.'

Battling it out: Eleven wannabe burlesque artists compete for the chance to win a slot at the Cherry Pop Peep Show.
by PHILIP HOLYMAN
Photograph: Candee Photography

Hot Burlesque Performance Videos

Lola Bel Aire performs her latest routine, Regrets


Nina Arsenault performed a burlesque rendition of Madonna's Erotica


Ms Pason's School Girl Performance


Lily La Rue Fan Dance

Bush Show Proud of R-rated Fun

The Palace Theater has a reputation for showing visitors to Alaska the “true experience” of Fairbanks’ history and culture, but the local venue is reaching beyond the Golden Heart of its tourist show and right out into the Bush.

The Bush Show, which opens tonight at 10 p.m. and will run every Friday and Saturday night throughout the summer season, is a show for the locals, director Ben Coffroth said, and one he described with adjectives such as risque, R-rated, and outrageously humorous.

“It is definitely full of adult humor. It’s kind of an adult twist on classic fairy tales, with some sexualized humor,” Coffroth said of the show.

Promising there is no nudity, Coffroth and Palace Theater producer Melinda Mattson said the show is more fun than scandal.

“There is an eighth-grade innocence to it, but there is a lot of sexual humor. It is all about the humor of sexual relationships,” Mattson said.

Featuring a number of local talents, the show was birthed largely due to the “remarkable people that came together,” Mattson said. The cast includes Caitlin Wilkey, who Mattson called “a quadruple threat” in terms of stage talent thanks to her singing, acting, dancing and natural comedic talent; Brandon Michael, also “a wonderful singer and actor;” Mattson, who has been on the Fairbanks acting scene for a few years; and others.

A similar show, also featuring the parodied attributes of burlesque entertainment, ran for a number of years at The Palace Theatre, in the days when the venue was still a bar. The show became stale, Mattson recalled, and those involved went their own ways. A new approach, new talent and an alcohol-free environment made theater gurus believe this was the time for a revival.

“It was kind of serendipitous the way it all came together. This just seemed like the right time, and these are the right people,” Mattson said.

An important element of that serendipity is the choreography work from Carey Seward, who was involved in a shorter-running burlesque show last year.

Coffroth caught Mattson’s eye over time, having worked in the local arts scene for a number of years. A Fairbanks native currently studying theater and performing arts at the University of Fairbanks, Coffroth has directed a number of shows that Mattson felt revealed his talent. While he hasn’t worked much with musical numbers before, Mattson was sure he was the right guy for the Bush Show.

“His discernment and creativity, and he’s so kind, I just thought, ‘This is the guy,’” she said.

Unlike The Golden Heart Revue that offers a comedic look at “characters” from Fairbanks’ past, The Bush Show tells a more impromptu story that includes some inside jokes that will hold more meaning for locals, Coffroth said. While audiences not familiar with Fairbanks will not be totally lost — there is still plenty of broad-based humor — Fairbanksans will surely get more bang for their buck, he said. The Bush Show has a lot of music, a lot of fun, and, while there is a script, it acts as more of a “loose guideline,” Coffroth said.

“The actors definitely have some room to adjust, depending on the moment and the crowd. It should be a lot of fun,” he said. “They can just take it and roll with it.”

Tickets for the hour-long show are $15, and the show will run at 10 p.m. every Friday and Saturday night. “There will still be plenty of time to go out after the show, and it will definitely get you in the mood to be rowdy,” Coffroth said.
Photo by Eric Engman

This is Burlesque Celebrates 100th Performance

Corio's dazzling weekly revue "This is Burlesque" celebrated its 100th performance on Friday, June 13! The milestone 100th performance was celebrated all weekend long with debut new numbers and complimentary P.I.N.K. Pastie Cocktails at intermission.

With a nod to the speak-easy era, downtown "King of Comedy" Murray Hill, neo-burlesque star Angie Pontani, The World Famous Pontani Sisters and others deliver a stage show like no other in an intimate lounge atmosphere – creating a total New York nightlife experience. Performances began October 11, 2007 and the show has been drawing capacity crowds ever since.

"This is Burlesque" is an uproarious and racy evening, with bodacious beauties and sultry singers taking center stage. Set to swingin' music, the show features performances by legendary host and renowned comedian Murray Hill, the Italian Stallionette and reigning Miss Cyclone Angie Pontani, the tapping tornado Helen Pontani, the delinquent darling of burlesque and the fastest tassel twirler from east to west Peekaboo Pointe, The World Famous Pontani Sisters and the divine songstress Melody Sweets, with frequent guest appearances by fabulous downtown favorites. With the laughs flying as fast as the tassels – it's never the same show twice!

Corio offers an upscale, intimate setting that is also comfortable and fun – where guests aren't hassled with velvet ropes or pretentious policies. This venue delivers something vital and new: a total nightlife experience where audiences can revel in the atmosphere and be dazzled by the show.

This is Burlesque is written by Murray Hill & Angie Pontani. Choreography by Angie Pontani.
by BWW News Desk

Burlesque and Bourbon

It's time for the second annual Bourbon & Burlesque, a swinging soirée with proceeds benefiting the Contemporary Arts Center.

Enjoy complimentary specialty cocktails created with premium bourbons; an aerial striptease by world-renowned burlesque artist Angela Eve; a spectacular burlesque review; live music with the Kaya Martinez and Meghan Swartz Jazz Duo; bourbon-inspired cuisine; a House of Lounge lingerie fashion show; raffle featuring prizes by Cigar Factory, Mignon Faget, Glamour Therapy, House of Lounge, Feet First, Royal Sonesta, Gogo Jewelry, Iris Restaurant and more; and additional swinging surprises.

Tickets: Advance tickets - $50 general admission, $25 for CAC members. At the door - $60 general admission, $40 for CAC members. Special: Receive 2 free VIP tickets by becoming a CAC member at the Collectors Club level (or above). Joining or upgrading a CAC membership is the only way to receive VIP tickets.

To purchase tickets: visit the CAC (900 Camp St.); visit www.cacno.org; or call the CAC Box Office at 528-3800. To take advantage of the VIP membership promotion, call the Membership Department at 504-528-3805.

-----

Bourbon & Burlesque
The Contemporary Arts Center
900 Camp Street, New Orleans, La.
Saturday June 21, 2008, 8 p.m.

50th Annual Striptease Reunion Showcase

This weekend the Palms Ghost Bar played host to the annual Exotic World Weekend, which is connected to the Burlesque Hall of Fame. I dropped by the Ghost Bar for the 50th Annual Striptease Reunion Showcase.

I chatted briefly with Tura Satana (right, with "reigning queen of burlesque" Immodesty Blaize). To the men with well-shined shoes and the many Bettie Page-styled women present, Satana is an icon for her role as Varla in Russ Meyer's "Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!."

Blaize's "reigning queen" title would be up for grabs the following night. I asked Blaize what life was like for a professional burlesque dancer in 2008; Is there still enough interest to make a career out of performances that offer striptease? According to Blaize, "It is a fantastic time. It is even more full of diamonds and feathers than it was before. This is my full-time job and has been for the last decade. I am totally busy and have my first novel coming out. They say write about what you know, so there will be some showgirl secrets in there."

Satana, on the other hand, seemed surprised by the continuing interest in her film work, especially honors for movies like "Faster, Pussycat!." "No, I did not think it would even go past a year," she says of that legendary film. "All of the sudden it just keeps going and going and picks up new fans every year. I think it is because we show a woman can be sexy and tough as hell too."

Satana pointed out that, aside from film roles, she has a long history as a burlesque dancer in Vegas. "I used to dance here all the time at the Silver Slipper. And then I danced at the Dunes as a headliner."

By Richard Abowitz, photo by Sarah Gerke

X Burlesque Spice up the Freemont Experience

The show touted as the Strip’s Sexiest, X Burlesque, will remain at Flamingo Las Vegas through July 2009, it was announced this week. The sexy production is housed in the intimate 180-seat Flamingo Second City Theatre.

The 90-minute production will have hearts racing as audiences get up close and personal with the six beautiful and talented female dancers. X Burlesque combines imaginative choreography with outrageous props such as bungees, beds and bathtubs to excite the crowd and leave them wanting more.

From slow, sensual ballet-inspired routines to heart-pounding acrobatic numbers, the variety of styles allow each dancer to showcase her own individual personality and talents. Music by some of the hottest artists in rock, pop and hip-hop set the tone for sexy scene after scene leaving audiences on the edge of their seats.

X Burlesque recently celebrated their first anniversary at Flamingo and the creators of the sexy production revamped the show making it better than ever.

In the opening act the dancers strut on stage wearing costumes covered in rhinestones, which they quickly strip off to reveal their assets. The X girls dance their hearts out to “Smokin Hot” from the Broadway hit Chicago, “God Bless Our Troops,” “Nasty Naughty Boy,” Christina Aguilera’s “Candy Man,” Marilyn Manson’s “Tainted Love,” and many other heart pounding songs. The fun doesn’t stop there; comics James Bean and Nancy Ryan entertain audiences with their adult humor.

X Burlesque performs in the Flamingo Second City Theatre. Show times are as follows: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday at 10 p.m. with additional shows Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday at midnight. Tickets are $44.95 General Admission and $55.95 VIP (plus tax and fees) and can be purchased at the Flamingo Box Office or by phone at 702-733-3333 or 800-221-7299. Guests must be 18 or older with valid ID.

the Bohemian Carnival return to DNA

Clowns, burlesque, contortionists, and a mood that makes you wonder what it would have been like if there were a Burning Man sensibility in '30s Germany; think Cabaret on the playa.

The semi-regular Bohemian event is about a year and a half old, and while it's less fiery now than in previous incarnations (pesky Fire Department regulations, no doubt), it's still a blast. Fou Fou Hah! (above), maybe San Francisco's favorite New Burlesque troupe, was really sharply choreographed.

The Vau de Vire Society and Gooferman were the organizing forces behind this night. Gooferman were totally on top of their game. They've really been making it happen lately, with appearances in the past several months at everything from the Super Bowl to Lightning in a Bottle last weekend in Southern California.

More fantastic photos of the event here

White Mischief: A Vaudeville Night with Bite

When the burlesque revival began in the mid-1990s, it just took one woman and an over-sized martini glass to bring nipple tassels to the forefront of mainstream consciousness. The world was soon awash with burlesque classes and tournaments - to the point where I recently found myself having to learn the subtle art of seduction at a Lambrini-infused hen party which involved lots of basques and feather boas. More Bet Gilroy than Bettie Page, though.

Vaudeville was popular in America from the 1880s to the 1930s - while we Brits had music hall. Singers, comedians and bearded ladies rubbed shoulders with fire-eaters, strongmen, escapologists and trained animals (a low-brow Royal Variety Performance, if that's possible). But these nights couldn't compete with cinema, radio and TV, and were effectively killed off by the 1950s.

However, vaudeville has recently had a revival in the US, particularly on New York's Lower East Side in places such as Bowery Poetry Club and Pete's Candy Store. Acts have also started to appear all over the UK, with Voodoo Vaudeville in Brighton, the Vaudeville Cabaret Club at the last Edinburgh Fringe festival and Miss Behave's Variety Nighty at the Roundhouse in Camden.

White Mischief, a yearly London vaudeville night founded by Tobias Slater, is one of the most successful. They have their third show coming up at Scala, King's Cross, on June 7. With a mixture of comedy, extreme circus-style performances and musical acts, they offer something for those who want a bit more bite. White Mischief is a one night indoor festival combining unique live musical acts with some of the most astonishing vaudeville and circus performers around.

Past acts have included a man who electrocuted himself with 50,000 volts and a "flesh harpist" who played on strings attached to hooks embedded in human skin. This year promises more to marvel at with a Guinness world record-holding sword swallower, a snake charmer, an aerial acrobatic team and a Victorian comedy troupe.

So what attracts people to vaudeville? Does the surreal mix of acts offer a night of escapism? Is it a case of pure nostalgia? Or maybe it's more base than that. Have we just realised we're actually not as sophisticated as we thought and would love nothing more than to see a bit of old-fashioned slapstick comedy followed by someone electrocuting themselves?

So is the vaudeville format set to become the new burlesque? If so, let's hope this trend retains its original style - just imagine what a hen night could do with snake charming, or sword-swallowing for that matter ...

The Yard Dogs Traveling Vaudeville Road Show

San Francisco traveling band The Yard Dogs Road Show are a perpetual time warp of vaudeville, cabaret and burlesque with a distinctive modern edge.

This 13-piece act takes the theatrics of old-style vaudeville, inspired by classic vaudeville artists such as Sophie Tucker and Will Rogers, and combines them with a unique form of cabaret music, using anything from pots and pans to live chickens to keep the show vibrant.

“Everyone in the group has a real strong connection to American history and European history with cabaret and performance art,” said member Eddy Joe Cotton. “I think it’s important for everyone in the group to pay respect to artists or old entertainers and the way things were.”

Storyteller and self-proclaimed “King of the Hobos,” Cotton has been in the band since the beginning, when it was just a three-piece jug band a little more than nine years ago.

Since then, the band has grown to a full performance, with the Black and Blue Burlesque girls performing their signature doll-like routines to the sounds of a music box and live-fire eating displays while the music quakes and shakes with intensity.

The band tours six months out of every year. Cotton says the touring process is a little grueling, but that it’s worth it to get the music out there.

“It’s physically and emotionally challenging,” he said. “It’s like going to war. You’re under very demanding circumstances. You have to have a strong constitution and believe in what you’re doing.”

Besides, touring was part of the entire vaudeville lifestyle.

“We had a sort of constitution with traveling and performing,” Cotton said. “It’s a hard life. It’s either a part of you or it isn’t.”

Much in the tradition of classic vaudeville, the Yard Dogs Road Show are, for the most part, an all-ages show. Cotton said he believes it’s up to the parents to decide if their kids should come to the show — after all, there are a few risqué surprises that reveal themselves during the Yard Dogs performance.

“We just let the parents decide; everybody has their own boundaries,” Cotton said. “We have a very eclectic demographic, I would say. From all walks of life, all age groups.”

The Yard Dogs Road Show is performing Thursday at the Rio Theatre in Santa Cruz. This is the first time they’ve been in the area since they performed at the Monterey Music Summit in October. Afterwards they’re embarking on a lengthy tour that includes South America and Europe.

They’re not quite sure when they’ll be coming back to perform in their home state of California — but that’s just a part of the Yard Dogs experience, the feeling of uncertainty.

“Really, we’ve just been flying by the seat of our pants and surviving on what we do,” Cotton said. “That’s what makes it authentic and gives it its charm.

Top 10 Burlesque Moves

Here is Shimmy’s Top Ten List to be an Authentic 1950s Pin-Up.

1. The Tease. The tease is a very well known move that all burlesque dancers and pin-up models do even if they don't know they are doing it. It is performed by teasing the audience or the camera into believing that they are going to see something great. Of course, these models are great, but it is the subtle nuances that leave the viewer wondering what comes next…

2. The Flirt. This move is something that nearly all girls do, even if it is done subconsciously. That is what pin-up is all about...flirting! Being coy and fun, jesting with the audience and playing games is the hallmark of a pin-up. Flirting with the men (and women in some cases) is why people come to the show.

3. The “Did I Do That?” Look. This move is the facial expression that you see most often on the women’s faces when they are on stage. Apart from an ear to ear grin, the fake look of shock and the pursed lips that seem to say "Did I Do That?" is the facial expression of choice for pin-ups. It’s as if being on stage (or in front of the camera) beckons them do things that ordinarily they would never do!

4. The Unaware or Accidental Exposé. The model or dancer will show something “accidentally,” (a flash of bloomers or a thigh through a slit skirt, perhaps). This move is 100% intentional, but to be pulled off, must look as though it is a complete surprise. This move is most likely followed by #3, the "Did I Do That?" look.

5. The Knowing or Intentional Exposé. This move says, “I know I'm showing you something sexy and I like it!” These are the planned out moves that the dancer fully lives up to and owns. She might shake the upper half or shake the lower half, but surely an act that is this sexy and bold and cannot be mistaken for an accident.

6. The Quiver. The quiver is the technical term for a vigorous shaking of the bosom. It is most effective when done in time with the music and is usually done at the end of a routine to add a little flavor. It is the icing – or the cherries – on top of the cake!

7. The Shimmy. This is my personal favorite move (I'll give you three guesses why…). This move is used in more disciplines than just burlesque. It is very popular in Middle Eastern dance, which is where I found it. It is not widely know that the shimmy has more to do with the knees than with the actual hips. The shimmy can be achieved by first standing with feet slightly apart in preparation of the second part of the move. With feet slightly parted, bend your right knee, ever so slightly, and then your left knee. Do this in rapid succession and you might just surprise yourself at your ability to shimmy! Just be aware that to gain the namesake, you have to be very skilled.

8-9. The Bump and Grind. The bump and grind has earned a bad rap in the last couple of decades because the term has been misused. The bump is not a stripper move to be used in the back rooms of clubs while giving a lap dance. The bump is simply a shift of the hip in time with the music. Music of the fifties used big drum beats and the bump was used to coincide with the drums.

The grind has really gotten a bad name, but it is just as harmless as the bump. The grind is simply a circular rotation of the hips. Sadly, in recent days it has taken on an almost perverse sexual meaning. The grind can be found in many different kinds of dancing just like the shimmy. There is a move in Belly Dancing very similar to the grind, known as the Figure Eight.

10. The Wink. Last but certainly not least is the wink! This move can be very sexy if executed correctly. It is used to tease your target audience....men! If used in a smaller venue it can be applied to one man or, in larger venues, the wink will read to every man in the audience as if you are doing a special show just for him. This is a very important move when it comes to burlesque and modeling. Making your audience feel special is a priority to be successful actor, model, or dancer. If used in conjunction with some of these other moves a burlesque dancer might just get a standing ovation!

Erica Crabtree Mossholder & Shimmy Von Braun. Photo by Ben Burrows

Coney Island Burlesque Workshop

New Burlesque Workshop with Professor Jo Boobs

Burlesque Master Class
Tuition: $350

Summer 2008
Tuesdays, July 1, 8, 15, 22, 29
6 PM to 9 PM

Coney Island USA and the New York School of Burlesque brings you a master class worthy of the name! Get in on the feathery, fringey, glittery fun! Learn how to put together a dazzling and entertaining burlesque act from Jo Weldon, the performer voted “Performer Who Most Makes You Want to Get Naked” and "Best Bump N Grinder" at the New York Burlesque Festival! You’ll start with a bang and have the opportunity to start workshopping your act with New York’s premier burlesque performers from day one.

There will be incredible guest teachers, such as NYU Professor Dr. Lukki, Bambi the Mermaid, Bunny Love, Amber Ray, World Famous *BOB*, Dirty Martini, Tigger, Julie Atlas Muz, Kate Valentine, Angie Pontani, Matt Mohr, and other spectacular performers who have made their careers out of being fabulous, glamourous, and funny.

In addition to hands-on training, students will discuss the history of burlesque and watch clips of burlesque performances. Readings will be
provided. This year's Master Class will get to perform their student showcase as part of the leendary Burlesque at the Beach series in Coney Island!

For updates about which teachers are participating, visit www.schoolofburlesque.com/cmc2008.html

JO WELDON
Master Class Producer Jo “Boobs” Weldon is the Founder and Headmistress of the New York School of Burlesque. She has been awarded the title of "Best Teacher" in Arts and Entertainment in the Village Voice, and Best Burlesque Teacher and Mentor at the New York Burlesque Festival. She has coordinated the Burlesque Master Class at Coney Island for three years. She also produces The Follies Fromage, a burlesque show in which all the numbers are based on cheese, at Coney Island every summer. She has been a featured performer in Margaret Cho's "Sensuous Woman" variety show, and served as choreographer and consultant on the "Victor/Victrola" episode of Gossip Girl. She also toured with the Sex Workers' Art Show, performing in 33 cities in 35 days, and has worked as the judging co-ordinator for the Miss Exotic World Pageant in Las Vegas.

Burlesque at the Beach is Back at Coney Island

The Great Fredini and Bambi present:
NEW SCHOOL BURLESQUE & VAUDEVILLE
10PM EVERY FRIDAY NIGHT AT SIDESHOWS BY THE SEASHORE

Fireworks after the fireworks all summer long!! Please note that in July and August this year, we will also be having Thursday "Bawdville at the Beach" Shows at 10pm!

Every Friday at 10PM during the Summer season, The Great Fredini and Bambi present our popular Burlesque on the Beach- A revival of the most glorious and notorious of the "girlie revues" in Coney Island history. The sumptuous decor, fabulou bubble machine and swell girls make burlesque one of Coney's hottest attractions! Every Friday night brings an all new show with outrageous acts. A blend of old style burlesque, sideshow freaks, strange women, new vaudeville and toe tappin' music... its fireworks after the fireworks!

Success in Risque Burlesque Business

Woodbridge actress Helen Spall is due to make an eye-poppingly spectacular home-coming this weekend when she a touch of retro-sophistication to the Riverside Theatre. But, as she told Arts Editor Andrew Clarke, Caburlesque is a long way from her am-dram days of the past.

Feathers and fireworks, basques, stockings and bowler hats - Caburlesque summons up the sights and sounds of decadent past which is neither gone nor forgotten.

The sexy, naughty but nice era of The Windmill and Cabaret is back. London is being overwhelmed by high class burlesque and Woodbridge actress Helen Spall is at the cutting edge of this dazzling form of 21st century retro entertainment. It's an art form which is both sophisticated and not afraid to tantalise, tease and show a little flesh.

Retro-cabaret star Dita Von Teese has helped bring the art-form into the spotlight while the film Mrs Henderson Presents recreated the variety world which made burlesque into mainstream entertainment.

Helen said that both factors have helped bring burlesque back into the spotlight but she is pleased that her own efforts to revive this trend pre-dated those current trend-setters.

Helen Spall, daughter of Woodbridge am-dram impressario Don Spall, started her celebration of variety four years ago during her final year at Middlesex University. This coincided with a boom in similar entertainment in the capital, so when she and her friends left university they decided to turn her part-time interest into a full-time profession.

She said that the company Caburlesque was born in her final year of university to provide her love of dance with an outlet. “In my third year of university I decided to put together a show so I could do some choreography, I love doing shows, and I quickly ended up doing one a month - that went on throughout my third year. Along the way three other guys joined in - Tom Course, my partner, Graham Cutting and Wayne Burke and we became the four who founded the company.

“After uni ended we decided to keep going and we found a venue under London Bridge called Jacks. It was a horrible little place under one of the arches and we had to build our own theatre in the place, put in lights and everything, but it was a real success. It was really well attended and we found that a lot of guys from our course wanted to join in and keep the thing going.

“We decided to do two more shows there and it really took off.”

She said that they were now so in demand they are supplying entertainment to events all over London. “We are able to provide as little or much entertainment as they want. If they want some can can girls we are happy to just send those. Other times we will send along a short hour long package or maybe just a ten minute turn or, as we are doing for Woodbridge, an entire two hour, West End style show.”

She said that although she hates the phrase “naughty but nice” it is an apt description of the sort of show they perform. “Some people say: “Well, are you strippers then?” and I say absolutely not. You will never see a completely naked girl on the stage at any point. That's not what burlesque is about. It's about the point before that, the tease and the artistry. It's not about the sordid. It's about what is hidden and yet not hidden.”

She said that although the company has grown quite large since those days 60% of their core performers are those original students from Middlesex university performing arts course. “We do audition for new members for the company, because it's important to have an influx of new blood every now and then but having said that - when we first founded the company after university, a lot of our university crowd came with us and many of them are still onboard and they have grown with us. But we do always audition for new talent every time we have a new show and refresh the talent pool.”

She said that it is gratifying to be in a position where they deliver a show that immediately connects with an audience.

“The show Caburlesque is the exact name for it. It's not cabaret - it's not burlesque - it is its own combined new form of entertainment. We draw from entertainment from the part - the night club entertainments of the 1920s, 30s, 40s, even the 50s but we always put our twist on things, make it a bit more overtly sexy, put a bit of comedy in there - a real merger of different styles but with a contemporary 21st century feel to it.

“There has been a tremendous resurgence in interest in this type of entertainment - it's going back to real variety, of the type that was very popular at The Windmill. In fact the success of the film Mrs Henderson Presents has boosted interest and our last show was based very much on the type of experience that people would have seen at The Windmill. We incorporated a routine where the girls are frozen in a tableaux, then we have sexy dancers, there's a bit of comedy, Andrews Sisters-style singers and loads more. Each company member performs under a pseudonym. Mine is Miss Velvet Fortune, some others we have are Miss Sweety Whisper, Mr Wallace Sneek-a-peek, Mr Henry Copafeele and Miss Fee Fee La Minx.”

She said that traditional variety was at the heart of their act. “It gives you as artists and performers the opportunity to do so many different things. It gives you such freedom to perform. And it still works - particularly if you put all the various bits together in a clever way - which we do. We have proved that there is still a demand for this type of entertainment.”

For 25 year old Helen performing is in the blood. She said that she is so grateful that at a time when so many young actors are unemployed or spend more time waiting on tables in Covent Garden cafes than they do on stage, that she is employed full-time in the theatre.

When she is not running Caburlesque she is employed as a part-time technical manager in the West End but her real ambition is to be a choreographer. “I was always destined for the stage. If theatres didn't exist I don't know what I would do. I always knew what my career would be. Looking back on it now, I don't think I even consciously made a choice. I always knew what I would be doing. This is why I am never going to be rich.”

She said that passion was at the heart of everything she did. “It's about doing something you really enjoy. That's why I have put my own money into it. There's nothing like it in the world. You get such a thrill putting a show together.”

She said that her own performing roots stretch all the way back to Woodbridge and The Company of Four. She first ventured on stage at the age of two and has been happy to stay there ever since.

“I followed Dad around learning the tricks of the trade - both on stage and off - and as a result of the skills I learnt there, the first job I got in London was stage manager at the comedy store in Piccadilly Circus. I was recommended by my tutors because I had all this technical experience and expertise drawn from my time in Woodbridge. I loved working at the comedy store, met some great people and have had some great leads when it came to our own shows.

“But choreography is my absolute love. If I had to do only one thing for the rest of my life I would be very happy being a choreographer. Back in Woodbridge I owed my big break as a choreographer to David Caddick, who offered me the chance to choreograph Guys And Dolls but he gave me an awful decision. He said I could either choreograph the show or audition for Sarah Brown - what a choice. It was tough but in the end I chose to choreograph the show. Which is an interesting decision considering how young I was at the time. But, looking back on it now, I made the right decision.”

She said that such experience and her time at university gave her the knowledge and the confidence to set up her own company after she graduated.

Although she acknowledges that she has come a long way in four years, she says that she is impatient for Caburlesque to really hit the big time. “It feels that everything has happened incredibly slowly because I am such an ambitious person. It's in my nature to want things to happen quickly and I feel that perhaps I should be doing more. I have always had that drive. At 14, I was working as a part-time projectionist at the Riverside when all my friends were doing paper rounds. That was normal for me.

“I have always been doing stuff that's been ahead of what I should have been doing. So I think that by the same extension my company should now be world famous and it's not, so at times I find it rather frustrating. But when you do take a step back and view it objectively, I see that I am only 25. I do work full-time in the theatre, I do have my own company, it is doing well and yes I am pleased with our success … it's just we want it to happen on a bigger scale and just a bit faster.”

Her company is based in London and uses the refurbished Clapham Grand as a base for their showcase performances. “The Clapham Grand is a big theatre, a real Victorian Palace of variety which had all the old musical hall acts. It's now a nightclub, which remains pretty much the same inside except they have lost all the seats and there are now four bars. It's perfect for us because the whole point of cabaret is that you sit at tables with friends, have a drink and enjoy the show.”

She said that the nature of their shows means that they can take bits and pieces of the full show and re-package them as smaller themed entertainments at larger events.

“The last big show we did, Party in the Past, had a cast of 17 - prior to that we have another big show which can be resurrected when anybody wants it. We tend to do a big show and then work off that for the next several months. Because each number is a self-contained piece in itself, if someone phones up and wants an hour's worth of entertainment centred around a theme, we can mix and match items and put a show together for them.

“It's a case of tailoring the material we have to the way that people want it. We do a big show twice or possibly three times a year and we hire the Clapham Grand for those occasions. Other times we are designing shows and sending out shows for other events at other venues - places like The Café de Paris, the Pigalle Club, London Hippodrome - all high profile venues. Last year we had so many requests to perform at various events that it took up 80% of our time.”

She said that she is looking forward to bringing her show back to Woodbridge. She said that the title Party In The Past would deliver exactly what the title suggests.

“The premise of the show is that we take audiences through more than a century of celebratory hi-jinks. It's a real spectacle. We open with a masquerade ball from the mid-19th century, complete with pyrotechnics. Then have some wonderful ten-part harmony singing along with some vague sexiness. From there we are propelled into a 1920s speakeasy and the world of the secret underground party. Then we glide into the sophisticated '30s and that where we do our famous handclapping routine with ten girls wearing basques which always gets a rise from our audience.

“In the second half we are into the dance parties with a modern tango section, then comes the second world war section which I am particularly excited about we have a bit of The Great Escape in there and then into the 1950s, which is probably the most extrovertly sexy piece of the evening, and we end with our famous can can.”