This week on the Tuesday Tease, I’m going to focus on burlesque shows in the U.S. and Canada that offer more to their audiences than just twirling tassels and risque reveals. This week we pay tribute to the varieté show; a show that incorporates some laughs, some magic, some circus, some sideshow, some live music and even some mind reading! We also give a shout-out to two New York burlesque institutions that are celebrating anniversaries this weekend: RAWR! Burlesque is celebrating its first year and The Schlep Sisters are celebrating a decade of burlesque sisterhood.

What a week for burlesque fans!

Wednesday, March 5 I Voix-de-Ville – Montreal, Quebec   Wednesday nights at The Wiggle Room is where you want to catch Montreal’s freshest variety show. Packed with gems from the worlds of burlesque, comedy, magic, dance, circus, music and more, the Voix-de-Ville Variety Show offers a dizzying array of entertainment. Hosted by sassy southern belle Kitty Vanderbuilt, don’t miss this weekly fixture on the Main. Come in, sit down, enjoy the cocktail of the week and vote for which performer wins the $100 cash prize. This week, The Wiggle Room welcomes to the stage:  Tranna Wintour, Vincent Pimparé (mindreader), Lulu les Belles Mirettes (burlesque), Daniel Caim (comedy) and Black Mamba (burlesque). The special guest host this week is comedian Chris Sandiford!

Friday, March 7 I SPEAKEASY FRIDAY’s Burlesque & Comedy Revival @ Harvey’s Joke Joint – Brooklyn, New York   If you are reading this you are in need for a break-out session. This monthly series is just the ticket and your access to that red pill experience. This show will tickle places you try & ignore, it will push your boundaries, it will galvanize your very spirits. Most importantly, you will like it. Possibly even beg for it! Come step out of the safe prison of conformity for an eve of intrigue and intimacy through the arts of burlesque & stand-up. The two have been spending time alone and want company….yours.

Saturday, March 8 I Kitty Nights presents: Electric Kittyland “Carnival Knowledge” – Vancouver, B.C.   Ladies & gentlemen! FanClub and Canada’s most popular burlesque show, Kitty Nights, are pleased to present, the greatest show on earth: Electric Kittyland “Carnival Knowledge.” Saturdays in March treat your senses to the glory of a four-piece band, six burlesque performers and two circus performers. Magic moments will be woven throughout the acts to tantalize your sixth sense.

Saturday, March 8 I BAD ASS B!TCHES – San Francisco, California   In honor of International Women’s Day, Bindlestiff Studio proudly presents a one night extravaganza featuring comedy, live music, burlesque and dancing, this Saturday. A showcase of the Bay Area’s top female performers of color, hosted by sketch comedy group Granny Cart Gangstas. On the bill: stand-up comedy from LilyBeth Helson, dynamic indie soul and R&B duo Dirty Boots, apocalyptic storytelling rock by golda + the guns, and radical neo-burlesque performance by LA CHICA BOOM! DJs Slum B and Calalo of Isa Collective will be spinning sexy-ass baby-makin’ music so you can dance the night away!

Sunday, March 9 I Arch Angel Studios Presents: The Pretty Things Peepshow @ House Of Bricks – Des Moines, Iowa   The Pretty Things Peepshow is a girly roadshow featuring the finest talent in sideshow, cabaret and burlesque. The current cast includes two-time world record holding sword swallower: Brianna Belladonna, “The Impresario of Undress” Go-Go Amy, world famous pin-up model, “The Ballerina of the Blades” Frankie Sin and “The Dapper Dan of Danger” Mr. Donny V. See all 22 of The Pretty Things’ big acts in this amazing one-of-a-kind show including juggling, whip cracking, human blockhead, ladder of swords, straight jacket escape, sword swallowing, classic burlesque, Chinese execution blade box, belly dance, comedy, magic and more!

Happy Birthday To RAWR Burlesque and The Schlep Sisters!

Also, I wanted to mention a couple anniversaries coming up for two of New York’s most exciting and wonderfully cheeky burly acts: RAWR Burlesque and The Schlep Sisters! If you’re in the New York area, catch one of these shows and celebrate the success and longevity of two of the Big Apple’s greatest shows. They both truly represent a brand of burlesque that only the Big Apple could produce.

Friday, March 7 I RAWR! First Year Anniversary Party! – New York, New York   RAWR Burlesque is turning ONE YEAR OLD! Cosplay queen STELLA CHUU and multi-award winning performance artist DANGRRR DOLL invite you to join them for RAWR Burlesque’s First Anniversary Celebration! Joining Stella and Dangrrr for their birthday will be a few of their favorite people; stars so big, they’re blinding: NASTY CANASTA, JAMES AND THE GIANT PASTY, DARLINDA JUST DARLINDA, PACO FISH, TRIXIE LITTLE, ALBERT CADABRA, FEM APPEAL, PEEKABOO POINTE, and your master of ceremonies, Reigning Miss Burlesque Queen of the Universe, DOC WASABASSCO!

Saturday, March 8 I The Schlep Sisters: Where it All Began ~ Celebrating 10 Years of Burlesque Sisterhood! – Brooklyn, New York   New York’s favorite burlesque duo, THE SCHLEP SISTERS, are celebrating 10 Years of burlesque sisterhood! Yes, THE SCHLEP SISTERS: MINNIE TONKA and DARLINDA JUST DARLINDA will bring on the Big Apple’s sexiest slap-‘schtick’ in an exclusive and intimate evening marking a decade of dazzling audiences around the world with their class act comedy and strip tease. Ten years after their debut at the incomparable House of Collection, the Sisters’ return to their roots in THE SCHLEP SISTERS: WHERE IT ALL BEGAN! The world of burlesque wouldn’t be the same without the significant contributions of The Schlep Sisters, who celebrate their heritage with a wink and a nod, by producing fun and cheeky shows such as the annual Menorah Horah, Kosher ChiXXX, and The Burning Bush VS. The Second Coming.