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NEW LAS VECAS
CDPPESPDN0ENT
showgirls in oz
HDW THEY 0D IT
0DWN UN0EP
BURLY-Q TROUPES
THE 0PAhA EHIN0
THE SCENES
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Dn 0s burIesque, rock stars and motherhood
SCN UP FDF FFEE
www.burlesquemag.com
Plus follow us wIth ...
editors letter
burlesque bulleti n
Clamour 8unny gIveaway. 20 years of the
8urlesque Hall of Fame. '8ehInd the 8urlyQ'
hIts screens. 'WhIte |Ink' album out now.
troupe de force
What happens behInd the scenes of some of
the world's most loved burlesque troupes:
OPI NI ON
CatherIne 0'LIsh wonders what
burlesque has In store for the future.
the queen of the quake
KItten 0e 7Ille on 90s burlesque, rock stars,
tourIng around the world and motherhood.
i t s vegas, baby!
FoxI 0lIte ups the ante for thIs year's
8urlesque Hall of Fame Pageant.
fashi on
KItty van Horne and Fuby FIot
rock It out, pInup gIrl style.
out and about
A postcard from taly. Queens of 8urlesque.
The 8urlesque 8all. Hot Lunch.
manhattan mi nx
8urlesque gIrls on lm. 8y New York
correspondent, Cherry 8elle.
the london revue
Cabaret hIts the burlesque cIrcuIt, as
reported by London correspondent, LIlac Hell.
spotli ght
The UK's Anna Fur LaxIs pays trIbute to
8ettIe Page In thIs hIlarIous vIdeo clIp.
t's been far too long
sInce we last rubbed
shoulders and delIghted
In one another's company.
Welcome back! You may
notIce we've undergone a
fabulous redesIgn wIth a
brand new magazInestyle
format. We hope you love
It as much as we do!
've been thInkIng
about bIrthday
celebratIons lately. Not only Is the 8urlesque
Hall of Fame celebratIng 20 grand years, but
your beloved 8urlesque |agazIne has just
turned one. t's been a 12month whIrlwInd of
nonstop deadlInes, fabulous burly shows and
very, very late nIghts. |eanwhIle, 'd lIke to
take the opportunIty to thank you, our reader,
for supportIng us and enjoyIng our work. |ay
the next year be lled wIth much furIous tassle
twIrlIng, joy and InnovatIon.
Yours truly,
-R$QQH
(aka |Iss |IdnIght DrchId).
PU8LSHEF NIck Foss, Sproog |edIa
E0TDF JoAnne HuI
0ESCNEFS Fachel 8lack, ElIsa Cuth, Jess Page,
7eronIque Houlet, PatrIcIa stIphan
LDN0DN CDFFESPDN0ENT LIlac Hell
NEW YDFK CDFFESPDN0ENT Cherry 8elle
CD7EF KItten 0e 7Ille by Josh Coseld
E0TDFAL NQUFES jo@burlesquemag.com
A07EFTSNC NQUFES advertIsIng@sproog.com
3 CONTENTS
TUES0AY |DN0AY THUFS0AY WE0NES0AY
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0tc n Pcrs, showyrls n Shcnyhc,
burlesque ct the 8ox cnd c love]est
n London. Here's the best n burly
]rom cll over the world ths month.
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8urlesque
classes wIth
Ava Carter
Los Angeles, USA
Co Co wIth TasIa
Sydney, AUS
0r Sketchy's
Sydney, AUS
8urlesque classes
wIth Ava Carter
Los Angeles, USA
Co Co wIth TasIa
Sydney, AUS
0r Sketchy's
Sydney, AUS
8urlesque classes
wIth Ava Carter
Los Angeles, USA
Co Co wIth TasIa
Sydney, AUS
Co Co
wIth TasIa
Sydney, AUS
8urlesque classes
wIth Ava Carter
Los Angeles, USA
8urlesque
and 8lues
London, UK
Uncommon
8urlesque
LA, USA
::
8eatles
8urlesque
New York,
USA
Fevealed
8urlesque
New York, USA
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Naked CIrls
FeadIng
Seattle, USA
|arquIs de Cray's
CIrcus of Earthly
0elIghts, London, UK
ShImmy
lIcIous
ChIcago, USA
7Iva Lucha
7avoom
8altImore, USA
ShImmylIcIous
ChIcago, USA
7ancouver nter
natIonal 8urlesque
FestIval, 7ancouver,
CAN (69th)
8oogIe 8op
0ames work
shop, Sydney, AUS
Tea and Tassels
London, UK
HeresynHeelz
8IrmIngham, UK
Tease classes
wIth SarIna del
Fuego
Sydney, AUS
8lack
Cherry Club
Sydney, AUS
J48 8urlesque
Sydney, AUS
vy PaIge's
Wonderland
London, UK
0Im Sum
8urlesque
New York, USA
Curlesque
StrIpjoInt
Sydney, AUS
7Iva Lucha
7avoom
Seattle, USA
PInup drawIng
classes
Sydney, AUS
ShtIck
wIth Us
ChIcago, USA
7Iva Lucha 7avoom
San FrancIsco, USA
|other's 0ay
8urlesque
New York, USA
Cabaret |ystIque
Sydney, AUS
The 7elvet
FollIes 8rIsbane, AUS
Naked CIrls
FeadIng
New York, USA
8urlesque 8ar
|elbourne, AUS
The Tassel
Club
London, UK
A 7elvet
AffaIr
Sydney, AUS
The Tassel Club
London, UK
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feature of the global burlesque
scene. have a fantasy that
the freshlyformed multItudes
wIll naturally create a frIendly
oneupmanshIp and what we
call "burlesque" wIll dramatI
cally evolve and become not
only more relevant but more
excItIng and entertaInIng than
It has ever been. t also seems
possIble that wIthout evolu
tIon, the audIences that we
are so grateful for wIll gradual
ly fade away. How many tImes
can they see the same show:
So, as a performer what are you goIng to put
on the stage that Is dIfferent and more excItIng
than what you've already seen or done: What
are you goIng to contrIbute that wIll keep the
audIences comIng back:
The burlesque Industry certaInly has changed
sInce started strIppIng, and has come a long,
long way from when burlesque began! How It
changes from here remaIns to be seen. Fegard
less, you'll have some fun storIes to tell your
grandchIldren.
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19 soapbox
Ktten 0e \lle s one o] the most
souyhtc]ter strptecsers on the
plcnet. 8ut how dd she yo ]rom cn
80s punk to nternctoncl superstcr
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20 cover story
urIesque In 14 seemed
IIke punk rock...It was a
smaII group of IIke-mInded
gIrIs who were sayIng 'fuck
you' to the cookIe cutter
modeIs and the sex Industry.
he bouncy, platinum blonde curls,
the sparkling megawatt smile,
the playful eyes and electrifying
stage presence - the similarities
between former Miss Exotic World
Kitten de Ville and the original
blonde bombshell Marilyn Monroe
are undeniable.
But Kitten de Ville (commonly known as
The Embodiment of Burlesque) is in a class
of her own. After all, Ms Monroe never ipped
300-pound men while Mexican wrestling or
starred in a bootyshakin JLo lm clip, let alone
juggle motherhood with a successful career
as an international burlesque superstar.
Kitten has recently wrapped up the Queens
of Tease tour in Finland, but before she had
time to catch her breath once she returned
to US soil, she went on to shake her rump
on stages across San Francisco, New Orleans
and Las Vegas. This month, she headlined the
Windy City Burlesque Festival in Chicago.
One of the original Velvet Hammer girls who
rst rocked the LA burlesque scene in the 90s,
Kitten has reached some impressive heights
during her career. She won Miss Exotic World
and Queen of the Quake in 2002 and has worked
with legendary pinup photographer Bunny
Yeager, performed for numerous celebrities and
featured in a plethora of publications, lms and
video clips. Later this year, she hopes to launch
her own line of burlesque-inspired products such
as clothing, costumes and even homewares.
Prior to Kittens career as a striptease
artist, she was a punk, go-go dancer and
model for Versace and Gaultier, who
spotted her dancing in a club in 1992 and
asked her to star in one of his shows.
To me, burlesque in 1994 seemed like
punk rock. It was a natural transition, Kitten
explained. It was a small group of like-minded
girls who were saying fuck you to the cookie
cutter models and the sex industry, run by men
telling us what we should look and act like.
We had a different idea of sex and glamour,
body size and music, and we were not afraid
to put ourselves on stage and say, Look at
this, we are putting some danger back into
being a girl, some tease and surprise.
While Kitten enjoys the glamorous whirlwind
lifestyle of a burlesque superstar, she admits she
always looks forward to returning to California
to her supportive husband and three daughters,
November West, Chelsea Dagger and Ivy Rose.
It is very grounding to say the least. I
will be away on tour for a month or so being
Kitten de Ville, til I am sick of the make
up and champagne and I come home to
my family, the gardens and the house - all
needing to be taken care of - and I am happy
to put on old blue jeans and dig right in. You
cannot take being a diva too seriously when
you are raising daughters. And I love it. It is
a perfect balance for my life, she said.
Kittens youngest daughter Ivy Rose adores
her mothers showgirl lifestyle and is completely
unfazed by spending three months in France
hanging out with Dirty Martini or catching a
movie with photographer David LaChapelle.
In fact, Ivy is an aspiring Broadway performer
who recently scored the lead in her childrens
theatre show (Kitten turned down the Queens P
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22 cover story
of 8urlesque Show In New
York In order to attend her
performance). However
KItten, who home schools
vy Fose, Is always quIck to
remInd her of the Importance
of learnIng maths, "so she
can be her own accountant
when her rst mIllIon rolls In".
t mIght come as a surprIse
that prIor to startIng her burlesque
career, KItten had no formal
dance background or traInIng. She
belIeves It Is more Important for a
performer to possess a certaIn star qualIty,
than to have spent hours at the barre or
doIng 'jazzhands' durIng her chIldhood.
"The rock stars are usually the ones wIthout
all the technIcal traInIng. That Is for the studIo
musIcIans," KItten saId. "Df course, am not
knockIng takIng dance classes, but sometImes
feel that people do not trust theIr own
InstIncts. They are told that they have to do
It a certaIn way and they are afraId to break
the rules, so you end up wIth cookIe cutter
dancers, whIch Is great for a chorus lIne,
but does not make for a good headlIner."
A good headlIner, KItten explaIned,
can tease and captIvate an audIence
wIth condence and sex appeal,
lIke 1950s strIpteaser LIlly ChrIstIne,
whom she consIders a role model. After
all, sex never goes out of style.
"The way she held her body, the rawness, the
sexIness, that maneatIng qualIty that she had
mIxed wIth her smIle. She always seemed to be
rockIng It out, just lettIng herself go," KItten
saId. "She seemed pure and real. IdentIfy wIth
that. Also, Lux nterIor and ggy Pop (of The
Cramsps), because of the way they acted on
stage. AgaIn, raw and real and wIth passIon."
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24 cover story
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28 feature story
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knew wanted It to be dark, sexy and,
lIke FannIe AnnIe, wanted to go bIg.
Each performer has theIr own method of
developIng an act. Some start wIth a song,
others thInk of costumIng or a theme.
nd that keepIng a lIttle sketch book helps.
Whenever get InspIred by somethIng,
draw a lIttle pIcture. must have at least
20 decent Ideas In there already.
love to sketch my Ideas for props and
costumes, whIch comes In handy when need
somethIng constructed or sewn. desIgn all
my costumes, but never sew them. wIsh
could. even own a sewIng machIne, but
all 've ever stItched were a couple aprons
and hemmed my anc 0'Arcy's pants.
lIve In a small, blue collar, CanadIan
cIty, known more for Its bars
and casIno than Its seamstresses
and propmakers. 'm also a
perfectIonIst and place great
Importance on my shows, so
dIdn't want to trust a hobbyIst or
a general contractor for thIs job.
knew exactly what wanted In a
costume: the look, the materIal
and how It comes off, of course!
The prop was a dIfferent story. t
needed It to be bIg, but lIghtweIght.
t needed to be assembled quIckly,
but easy to pack. t needed to be
constructed wIth buIltIn lIghtIng and vIsual
effects, but It couldn't be a re hazard.
Argh! Why couldn't just nd a sugar
daddy: Dne who wanted to spoIl a showgIrl
out of the goodness of hIs beautIful, rIch
heart and expected nothIng In return:
0addy, If you're out there, contact me!
n the end, turned to a trusted desIgner
and seamstress In Toronto, whom 've
worked wIth In the past. 8ut looked as far
away as AustralIa for a propmaker before
settlIng on one a lIttle closer to home.
And now, after months of mIshaps and
creatIve dIfferences, the act Is nearly complete.
unveIled It recently In Toronto and receIved
posItIve feedback. The
next two months wIll be
spent netunIng the act.
Costumes can always use
more sparkle and routInes
can always use more practIce.
'm delIberately wIthholdIng any specIc
detaIls about thIs number. want It to be a
bIg surprIse. 8ut wIll say, It sure as hell aIn't
cute! LookIng at our legends on stage, they're
sexy women. They bump, they grInd, and they
dance the cooch, dammIt! used that as fuel
for thIs number. When dance burlesque In
strIp clubs, my shows are always more rIsque
and well, more raunchy. thInk It's because
'm not playIng It safe. 'm performIng for a
crowd of men and It always turns out better.
So thIs year, 'm throwIng In the 'cute' towel.
Now, what In the heck wIll come up
wIth next year:
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30 feature story
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,02*(1 The scene Is varIed. There Is the older
set, of whIch am a part, whIch
maInly produces hIghend theatre and
cabaret events. TheIr style Is Irreverent,
quIrky and grew out of performance art In the
1990s. haven't really seen much of thIs kInd
of work anywhere else In the world, except
New York whIch Is very excItIng. was begIn
nIng to thInk we were alone down here. The
younger set are much more tradItIonal and less
polItIcal and controversIal, so are really much
more In keepIng wIth the burlesque revIval
around the globe, lIke fabulous costumes and
short strIp routInes.
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June wIll consIst of sIx shows In |elbourne and
Sydney. The events wIll be very unIque and
cover many dIfferent performance styles such
as classIc and neo burlesque, cabaret, cIrcus,
vaudevIlle and more! We are aImIng for dI
versIty, so our audIence has an opportunIty to
come to dIfferent shows of theIr lIkIng.
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'2/25(6About eIght years ago, was havIng a
conversatIon wIth another frIend about the re
surgence of burlesque In the USA and our love of
the art form. ThIs pIqued our Interest and soon
+L%DOO%XUOHVTXH was born. We were the very
rst burlesque troupe In
AustralIa and are proud of that. Now as a
soloIst, 'm expandIng my burlesque repertoIre
and can do what love - burlesque!
,02*(1 started doIng burlesque In Sydney
strIp clubs and was treated lIke a complete
weIrdo. WhIle everyone else was doIng the
runnIng man to Janet Jackson In leg
warmers and stIlettos, was IttIng about
wIth feather fans, dIamante dresses and set
haIr. The punters just dIdn't get It. thInk It
just blew theIr braIns. Suddenly, was gettIng
booked alongsIde drag queens In queer nIght
clubs and at bIg underground partIes. 8efore
knew It, folks were goIng batty over my style
and quIrky acts and became known as Queen
of The Underground. t was great to nd a
crowd that understood.
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,02*(1 Now, AustralIa has an actual scene
It used to be just me and It was really lonely.
The thIng Is, we never had the rst wave of
burlesque here. We had chorus lIne danc
ers and so on, but strIptease here was always
lInked to the maa and only legally Introduced
In the 60s. Even then, It was stIll a form of
0on't be mstcken, there's more to ths ncton thcn 8cz Luhrmcnn lms
cnd kcnycroos. lndeed, the loccl burly scene s lled wth everythny
]rom qurky per]ormcnces to old]cshoned clcssc ccts. Here, lmoyen
Kelly cnd 0olores 0cqur revecl how they do t 0own 0nder.
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nude modelling. There is one dancer I must
mention named Elizabeth Burton who is now
63. She is the lady who brought burlesque to
Australia in the 1960s, but once again, she was
the exception rather than the rule and no-one
would employ her as her style became old-
fashioned. Her act is farting her fanny along to
the music! So rude, yet so brilliant.
How would you like to see the local industry
develop in the years to come?
DOLORES I would like it to be recognised as a
professional industry and not just viewed as
pretty girls taking their clothes off. We are
more than that. If you ask any professional
burlesque performer, they will tell you that
what we do is an art form, as it encompasses a
lot of time and effort to develop an act, idea,
costume, etc. We are very passionate about
what we do.
Who are some of your favourite local
performers and why?
IMOGEN My favourite burlesque performer in
Australia is Glita Supernova, who has been
around for as long as I have and is one of my
best mates. Shes cheeky, glamorous,
irreverent and completely unique. Other than
that, my favourites are Kellie Vella, Tiger
Lil and Neridah Waters who are in
Tarnished with me, our burlesque
circus. They are highly skilled cir-
cus and sideshow performers and
I love what they do. I really think
that burlesque performers should
have some skills under their belt
before they step onstage. Anyone can
strip, not just anyone can dazzle. Others
include The Town Bikes, Amelia and Gypsy
Wood and Christa Hughes.
DOLORES There are a few Australian burlesque
performers that I think are pretty special. To
be fair, I havent seen every burlesque dancer
in the country so this list is based on per-
formers I have worked with or seen perform.
The performers I do admire are Tasia, Lola
the Vamp, Boylesque Boywonder, Sarah Lea
Cheesecake and LAmour.
I would like the scene to be recognised
as a professional industry and not just
pretty girls taking their clothes off.
Dolores Daiquiri
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36 PERLE NOIRE
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]ust cnother dcy ct the becuty sclon ]or Ktty vcn Horne cnd Ruby Rot.
Photography 3,;,(52%(5762)%22*,(%23'$0(6 HaIr and makeup%22*,(%23'$0(6
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FASHION 39
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EmanueIe Urso and hIs
orchestra had us dancIng
aII the way backstage.
I wanted to cram them
aII Into my suItcase so
they couId pIay In my
IIvIng room forever.
AdvIce: Never Ieave your
camera unattended
around mIschIef makers.
WaItIng In the wIngs for our
show to begIn, wIth Tara
hI SIoux, EvIta hanseId,
ScarIett hartInI, AIan azzI-
nI 0eevoIse, Lada Pedstar,
and ArmItage Shanks.
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IncredIbIe HuIa oy,
steaIIng the FrIday
nIght show. He just
bIew our mInds.
42 postcard
LIvIng Iarge on the
VIP oat In the
CarnevaIe parade
wIth the mascot
urIamacco! I'd
never seen such a
parade before wIth
hundreds of peopIe
In crazy costumes,
hurIIng confettI and
sprayIng sIIIy strIng.
ShIverIng backstage In the
coIdest green room on earth
at the Saturday nIght show. I
had a huge art crush on CIan-
marIa's quIff. Who wouIdn't!
SInce my gIant
phone dIdn't
make It through
customs In tIme,
one of our stage-
hands saved the
day by sourcIng
thIs daInty
repIacement.
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t's hard to ImagIne a better lIneup. JulIe Atlas
|uz. |Ichelle L'Amour. ndIgo 8lue. 0Irty |ar
tInI. CatherIne 0'LIsh. mmodesty 8laIze. An
gIe PontanI. Perle NoIre. EIght wonders of the
burlesque world and each past |Iss ExotIc World
award wInners, servIng up theIr dIstInctIve
brand of tease for a soldout crowd.
0espIte the early hour 7:J0! the mood
at Le PoIsson Fouge was spIrIted as show tIme
approached. |embers of New
York's burlesque elIte worked the
room, paIrIng cocktaIls wIth tater
tots and dIscussIng the prIce of
sequIns In the Carment 0IstrIct.
The Schlep SIsters handed out
postcards for theIr next show,
|adame Fosebud debuted a fIerce mohawk and
|C |urray HIll took paIns to assure the lesbIans
In attendance that thIs was "a safe place to
objectIfy women".
The nIght kIcked off wIth a shot of pure
energy In the form of 8urlesque Queen of New
Drleans, Perle NoIre. A frenzIed whIr of gold
and aIlIng strands of pearls wrIggled across the
stage. HIps cIrcled and doubled back and shook
In ways that deed bIology. And then came the
backbends: slow, controlled, graceful arches
that allowed the audIence to catch Its breath.
Next up was JulIe Atlas |uz, fresh off the
plane from the recent 8urlesque 8all tour In
AustralIa. Now, ImagIne that Lady Caga has
wrItten a song about the solar system. n her
InevItably epIc, offthechaIn
vIdeo clIp, the part of the sun
should be played by |s. |uz.
She certaInly has the costume
to suIt the part: her "WaIt
Ing For The Sun" act Involved
a gIant spherIcal headpIece
that radIated orange solar waves In all dIrec
tIons. Add the sunshaped knee pads, strands of
golden tInsel and a badass 70s rocker attItude
and you have an act that sets the heart aflame.
ThIs was my fIrst tIme seeIng J.A.|. She's
bonkers. want more.
ThIs acId trIp was followed by the seductIve
queens of burlesque
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ly sedate |Ichelle L'Amour from ChIcago, whose
bare Ivory body glIded, swanlIke, through the
moves of a fan dance. Her blonde pIncurls and
whIte ostrIchfeathered fans evoked an old Holly
wood feel, an homage to sIlentlmstarturned
burlesquedancer Sally Fand, who performed a
sImIlar act at ChIcago's World's FaIr In 19JJ.
f fun were a renewable energy source, the
megawatt smIle of AngIe PontanI could power a
small town In the event of Inclement weather.
StrIppIng from a leopardprInt corset to pastIes
and poundIng on a trIbal drum, she looked lIke
she was havIng the tIme of her lIfe. She even
took |C |urray HIll's rIffs on her home state of
New Jersey In her strIde, puttIng on a JoIsey ac
cent and gIvIng back as good as she got.
AngIe then passed the baton to 0Irty |artInI,
whose arrIval In a shtaIl gown was met wIth
a sudden surge In decIbels from the prImed
crowd. love me some 0Irty, but have trouble
puttIng my nger on why she's such a fox. s It
the sense that she's In complete control: The
delIberatIon of her moves: The fact that despIte
beIng a megastar she stands In the wIngs In her
pastIes, glass of wIne In hand, cheerIng for the
other performers: All thIs and more, suspect.
And her rapport wIth |urray he cracked wIse
about her beIng a lush; she slapped hIs face
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wIth her tassels was adorable.
LA Import CatherIne 0'LIsh took the host
partIcIpatIon factor further, placIng the plucky
|C downstage and tossIng her 50sstyle brocade
lIngerIe onto hIs face. |urray's schoolboy grIn
saId It all. For the nal ourIsh she guIded hIs
tremblIng hands toward her sheer black robe,
steppIng Into It wIth a smIrk as he turned away
to suffer what looked lIke a heart attack In rela
tIve prIvacy.
The nal spot was reserved for InternatIonal
guest, mmodesty 8laIze. had seen a few
vIdeos of the 8rItIsh bombshell In actIon, but
nothIng compares to the lIve experIence. A tall
goddess In a luxurIous whIte feathered coat
sauntered Into our mIdst. The haIr was 8rIgItte
8ardot but even sexIer: honeyblonde, teased
at the crown, fallIng In perfect waves around a
face that spoke of secret mIschIef. Wow.
can't wrap my head around the practIcalI
tIes. How does she maIntaIn that felIne non
chalance whIle encumbered by a ock's worth
of ostrIch feathers: How can the sImple act of
loungIng on a chaIse be so damn beguIlIng: Eve
rythIng she does radIates glamour and sensualIty,
wIth a hInt of InaccessIbIlIty that wIll drIve you
mad wIth longIng. Now understand the allure of
mmodesty 8laIze.
47 OUT AND ABOUT
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WHERE Various cities in Australia
WHEN February, March
HIGHLIGHTS Julie Atlas Muz
stufng herself into an enor-
mous magical balloon. Chrys
Columbine tossing aside items of
clothing as she played the piano.
Roxi DLite wrapping her long
limbs around a lira in the shape
of a giant diamond ring. Ophe-
lia Bitzs interesting cunnilingus
kiwi fruit competition. Sarah
Lea Cheesecake all tied up in a
fetish fantasy. Peekaboo Pointes
raunchy pussy routine.
The burlesque ball
Lola the Vamp
Ophelia Bitz
Sarah Lea Cheescake
Julie Atlas Muz
Julie Atlas Muz
Chrys Columbine
Roxi Dlite
Peekaboo Pointe
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50 OUT AND ABOUT
HOT LUNCH
ln a vertable jeast jor the senses,
a tyress, a drty mlkmad, a lovely
acrobat and a dark-eyed chanteuse
unted n ths slck roducton jrom
Tenderlons last month.
Sydneysiders were served up a tasty meal of
burly-q last month at Hot Lunch, headlined by
Tasia and featuring Lillian Starr, Katherine Lam-
bent and blues and soul band, Erin Black and
the Pageturners.
The marvellously talented Tasia rst burst
onto the burlesque scene several years as one
third of Belladonnas de Lux, one of Australias
most well-loved burlesque troupes. Since the
girls parted ways, she has been steadily build-
ing a successful solo burly career and is now a
rm favourite on the local circuit at shows such
as 34B, A Velvet Affair and Black Cherry. Last
year, Tasia toured around Australia with the
Gangsters Ball and will feature in the Austral-
ian Burlesque Festival later this year. However,
Hot Lunch was her rst-time as a headliner, an
experience which she thoroughly enjoyed.
Hot Lunch was a blast! It was such a
pleasure to work in a gorgeous venue with an
amazing cast and crew, and I must thank Russall
and Craig from Tenderloins for giving me such a
wonderful opportunity, Tasia said.
Audiences feasted their eyes on Tasias open-
ing number, her Lady in the Lamp art deco shad-
ow act. She then debuted two new routines, in-
cluding an exotic 60s gold Asian fantasy inspired
by the legendary Tura Santana. Meanwhile, her
nale saw her transform into a dangerous tiger-
woman in a lifesize steel cage.
Fellow burly starlet Lillian Starr performed
her naughty dairymaid routine, sensuously
pulling at a rubber glove lled with milk with
great nesse, and audiences eyes watered as
acrobat Katherine Lambent delicately balanced
upon her lira.
I am such a fan of The Vanguard, said Tasia.
I feel that they are setting themselves up to
be Sydneys new house of burlesque, as well as
an amazing live music venue and I must say I do
feel very much at home there.
52 OUT AND ABOUT
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Ths month, New York correspondent
Cherry 8elle dscusses burlesque on the slver
screen cnd whct t mecns ]or the ndustry.
was out on a shoot recently by day am a
mIldmannered oncamera host and, whIle
waItIng for an IntervIewee to arrIve, chatted
wIth my camera man about the local burlesque
scene. gave a rundown of my favoured venues
and dropped some bIg names. At the mentIon of
one partIcular monIker, hIs glazed eyes regaIned
some clarIty and hIs face brIghtened. Turns out,
he recently shot footage of thIs star, who Is do
Ing a documentary about her lIfe on stage.
Though the coIncIdence was unexpected, hIs
revelatIon dIdn't surprIse me. 8urlesque and
lm are made for each other the hardshIps,
the sequIns, the rehearsal montages and the
project he mentIoned Is just a drop In what
feels lIke a sudden ood of burly movIes.
That very nIght headed to the Queens of
8urlesque show In New York's West 7Illage. The
|C, |urray HIll, told us to cheer extra hard for
the lm crew at the back. HIs showbIz shenanI
gans are currently beIng chronIcled for a docu
mentary. A few mInutes later, Seattle's ndIgo
8lue took her place on stage. |Iss 8lue was the
subject of last year's documentary 'A WInk And
A SmIle', whIch followed a group of students
takIng theIr rst course at her Academy of 8ur
lesque. Then came 0Irty |artInI, the eponymous
star of '0Irty |artInI and the New 8urlesque',
a onehour look at New York's neoburlesque
scene. Then there was mmodesty 8laIze, whose
lm, '8urlesque Undressed', was released In
January thIs year.
|eanwhIle, there's 8ehInd the 8urly Q', a
documentary by LeslIe ZemeckIs whIch bIlls It
self as "the denItIve hIstory of burlesque In Its
heyday", openIng In New York on AprIl 2Jrd.
Lest you thInk thIs wave of burlesque lms Is
all about lImItedrelease, IndIe docos, shootIng
recently wrapped In LA on on '8urlesque', star
rIng Cher, KrIsten 8ell, Alan CummIng, Stanley
TuccI and ChrIstIna AguIlera In her lm debut.
'8urlesque' tells the tale of a smalltown gIrl
(AguIlera) who sIngs and dances her way to star
dom at a glItzy neoburlesque club.
|y guess Is that Hollywood's ratIngsconscIous
denItIon of "neoburlesque" won't bear much
resemblance to the subversIve shows beIng
staged at New York venues lIke The 8ox or the
SlIpper Foom. All wIll be revealed when the lm
Is released In November, but was curIous to see
what people In thIs Industry thought about theIr
world beIng represented by actors.
recently attended an AlIce In Wonderland
themed 0ances of 7Ice event. spoke to co
producer and costume desIgner Samantha FeI,
about the recent rIse In burly lms
" thInk It's a phase, lIke a lot of subcultures
that come Into the lImelIght," she saId. "8ut also
thInk It's goIng to brIng more recognItIon to the
people who really are Into It, so when It sImmers
down a bIt, people wIll recognIse that It's a legItI
mate group of people that deserve recognItIon."
55
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8urlesque s decd, lony lve ccbcret! London's
8urlyq scene hcs blossomed nto somethny kndc
wonder]ul, reports London correspondent, Llcc Hell.
As the weather warms up, London's cabaret
scene Is smoulderIng. New nIghts are appearIng
all over the place, one can barely keep up! t
seems that, on the back of the burlesque boom,
people are dIversIfyIng takIng the energy, sen
sualIty and joy of burlesque and turnIng It Into
somethIng more. t's Is not about kIllIng bur
lesque, but enrIchIng the landscape and delIver
Ing more wellrounded shows.
AddIng to the buzz are nIghts named for the
excIted patter of my beatIng heart: 8oom 8oom,
QuIck QuIck, Wam 8am, 0ouble F, Yes Yes...
the lIst goes on. We're seeIng real varIety on
stage now, whIch Is magnIcent: short, sharp,
textured performances In a range of excellent
London venues that sImply dIdn't exIst a few
years ago.
8ut what's caused thIs wonderful owerIng
of London's cabaret renaIssance: Performer and
compere 0usty LImIts (of 8oom 8oom and Lush
LIfe) says he has denItely notIced the
resurgence.
"People have dIscovered that lIve entertaIn
ment Is more fun than canned musIc and
cabaret Is very much a lIve art form, but one
that's a lIttle cheaper to attend than, say, thea
tre," he says. 0usty agrees that the
recent prolIferatIon of good venues has been a
bIg factor, addIng:
"Also, cabaret Is one of the only lIve enter
taInments where drInkIng Is encouraged. ThIs
appeals to Londoners, who are all drunks."
|any shows, such as the Tassel Club, are now
bIllIng themselves as cabaret, rather than pure
ly burlesque. Dn stage we're seeIng some hot
musIcal numbers both serIous and comedIc as
well as bendy people doIng amazIng acrobatIcs,
drag queens and magIcIans.
Another veteran cabaret host, 0esmond
D'Connor, says "the prolIferatIon of burlesque...
has actually prompted performers to dIversIfy
and has also generated more dIscernIng audI
ences whIch naturally leads to hIgher standards
on the part of performers."
The rIse and rIse of cabaret also means
we're seeIng more avant garde performanceart
In shows.
"What Is excItIng Is that cabaret In London
Is embracIng a kInd of 'KleInkunst' Idea short
form, hIghly varIed performances,"
says 0usty.
0esmond and 0usty note venues The 8rIck
house, The 8ath House ("probably the most
beautIful cabaret venue In the cIty") 8ethnal
Creen WorkIng |en's Club, Soho Theatre,
LeIcester Square Theatre ("delIcIously dark and
genuInely excItIng") and Foyal 7auxhall Tavern.
8oth love the cabaret at the 0ouble F Club,
whIch 0esmond descrIbes as "twIsted cabaret
for a twIsted capItal".
Each year as UK summer approaches, there's
speculatIon as to whether It'll be a sIzzler or not.
Whatever the weather, 'm predIctIng a "UK caba
ret summer", and It's goIng to be hot, hot, hot!
LInks: 'XVW\/LPLWV, %RRP%RRP, /XVK/LIH,
'HVPRQG2&RQQRU
THE loNdon REVUE 57
NAhE Anna Fur LaxIs
LDCATIDN YorkshIre, UnIted KIngdom
IDCPAPHY Here Is one of the UK's most Ioved bur-
Iesque performers, Anna Fur LaxIs, performIng her act
'VIva ettIe', a hIIarIous trIbute to the Iegendary pInup
and burIesque star, ettIe Page. Indeed, hs Fur LaxIs
Is one surprIsIng and taIented performer. Dne mInute,
she's performIng a cIassIc AmerIcan cheesecake strIp,
the next, she's axe-throwIng whIIe bIIndfoIded. Even
former hIss ExotIc WorId 0Irty hartInI has a soft spot
for thIs burIesque starIet and says: "Anna Fur LaxIs has
the absoIute best take on the current ettIe Page ma-
nIa. In a tIme where every rockabIIIy chIck Is sportIng
the ettIe pInup Iook, Anna takes It to a new IeveI wIth
a wItty twIst and a totaIIy charmIng and accompIIshed
stage persona!" hs Fur LaxIs wIII be performIng next
as a headIIner for the WIndy CIty urIesque FestIvaI In
ChIcago. For more InformatIon, cIIck here.
ANNA FUR LAXIS
Each month, we showcase vIdeo footage of fabuIous burIesque from around the worId. If you
reckon you've got the goods, emaII your cIIps through to spotIIght@burIesquemag.com
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Books & DVDs
lmmodesty Blaize 'Tease'
5V^PUWHWLYIHJR
Dita von Teese 'Burlesque and the
Art of the Teese'.
Dita von Teese 'Live at Crazy
Horse' DvD. 7YLVYKLYUV^
lmmodesty Blaize 'Burlesque
Undressed' DvD. 7YLVYKLYUV^
Dita von Teese 'Stripteese' /LYUL^IVVR
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