Tuesday Tease: Hollywood Burlesque Festival

December 3, 2013
By Jimmy Berg

This Friday, the inaugural Hollywood Burlesque Festival kicks off in Los Angeles and we are especially excited for this one as it’s produced by longtime Brown Paper Tickets supporter and producer/hostess of Monday Night Tease, LA’s longest running weekly burlesque show, Lili VonSchtupp. Lili is the perfect example of what is possible if you are passionate and devoted to your art form. To host a weekly show that packs ’em in week in and week out is no small feat and burlesque producers could learn a lot from Lili. She’s definitely got the skills to pay the bills!

Lili’s taking her incredible production skills to the next level this weekend as she hosts the first ever burlesque festival in Los Angeles. She’s got four days of shows, classes, tours, movies and parties planned and I’m especially excited because I get to go down there and be a part of all the fun. If you’ve ever wanted to meet me or know more about Brown Paper Tickets, you can look for us in vending where we’ll have a table set up all weekend or come to the Three Clubs on Sunday, December 8 from 6:30pm to 8pm, where we’ll be hosting a meet and greet with anyone that’s curious about us, what we do and how we can help you out with your burlesque show, festival or classes. If you’re going to be in LA this weekend, please find me and say hi.

I got a chance to catch up with Lili and pick her brain about the LA burlesque scene, her personal burlesque history and the festival. She even offers some valuable advice to producers out there that are thinking of starting up their own festival.

So, without further ado, I give you, the one and only Lili VonSchtupp!
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Tuesday Tease: This Week in Burlesque!

July 30, 2013
By Jimmy Berg

One thing that I love about the modern burlesque scene is that it’s constantly looking for things in popular culture to parody or pay tribute to. I mean, technically, this is what the original definition of burlesque was: “a literary, dramatic or musical work intended to cause laughter by caricaturing the manner or spirit of serious works, or by ludicrous treatment of their subjects.” This week, we have some great events that do just that. We got a tribute to Saturday morning cartoons happening in Seattle, a Wizard of Oz-themed show set to the music of Pink Floyd in New York and a tribute to Joss Whedon in Baltimore.

Ironically, what we think of as “classic” burlesque, isn’t as much about parody as it is about sensuality and grace. We got tons of shows that feature burlesque of the early to mid 20th century variety as well. There are burlesque classes and festivals happening and even a 6th annversary party for Atlanta’s Syrens of the South! Also, Gotham Burlesque in New York is offering a special discount for this week’s show for our readers.

Basically, this week’s Tuesday Tease is just an opportunity for us to brag about the amazing producer that work with us and highlight some of the amazing burlesque events happening this weekend. I guarantee you’ll find something to get you off the couch and out supporting your local burlesque scene.

Looks like this is going to be one HOT August!
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Tuesday Tease Scene Report: Portland!

October 16, 2012
By Brown Paper Tickets

A couple weekends ago, I had the pleasure of hitting I-5 South for a visit to Seattle’s southern neighbour Portland, Oregon. My intention was to check out the burlesque scene, see a few shows, meet with a couple folks and enjoy the funky vibe of the Rose City. I’ve always loved Portland. It’s a beautiful city that has done a great job of keeping a down-home feel despite massive growth. The music culture’s great, the food culture is incredible and, as I found out on my trip, the burlesque scene is thriving.

I got to town on a beautiful, sunny Friday afternoon. After a wonderful feast of oysters and clams within the vintage, nautically-themed confines of Dan and Louis’ Oyster Bar and Spanish Coffees at Huber’s, my friends and I headed over the Crush Bar, a nondescript bar in the Belmont area of Southeast Portland.

I was anxious to check out their monthly burlesque revue Burlesque S’il Vous Plait which is produced and hosted by the incomparable Zora Phoenix. Zora had us all rolling in our seats with her incredible musical bits and off-color humor, reminding my friends and I of a raunchy, drag version of Vicki Lawrence. Portland burlesque fans know Zora well. She won Willamette Week‘s 2011 “Best of Portland” award and hosts two other monthly burlesque revues, the Phoenix Variety Revue and Burlescape. Zora was definitely the glue that held this show together, as she introduced performances by Brown Paper Ticket’s producer and performer Miss Kennedy, who did an amazing Frida Kahlo-inspired routine, Zora Von Pavonine, Stilletta Maraschino and, for me and my friends, the star of the show: Angelique DeVil.

Miss DeVil did a great “bee” routine which started with her in a nerdy bee outfit dancing to Blind Lemon and ended with her popping and locking to a hip-hop number. She pretty much stole the show for us with her quirky, high-energy, yet still incredibly sexy stage presence. We were sure to write down her name because this was one dancer we wanted to keep our eyes on. It was a great night and a perfect sampler of some of the great burlesque talent that is currently gracing stages in the Rose City.
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Tuesday Tease: Hollywood Burlesque Festival

Tuesday Tease: This Week in Burlesque!

Tuesday Tease Scene Report: Portland!

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