Tuesday Tease: When the boys come out to play…

November 20, 2012
By James Ulness

In its tireless march toward world domination burlesque has evolved far beyond it’s original incarnations. It’s Lamarckian transformations have allowed it to branch out into many and varying forms, creating a lush and vibrant (and sparkly) family tree.

The branch of the burlesque family tree we are focusing on today is boylesque! No longer is the world of glitter and feathers the strict domain of women. More and more men are stepping out on stage to show audiences what they’ve got. The art has even gotten a recent write up in the New York Times!

Often the boys are preforming along side of the girls so it can be a challenge to find a show where you can just watch the boys dance. But, luckily for you, I have gone and done that heavy lifting and here are the fruits of those labours. The best boylesque shows (and burlesque shows featuring male performers) from every corner of the county!

Los Angeles, California

Monday, November 26 | Monday Night Tease! presents MEATFEST 3 Come join Monday Night tease in celebrating the men of burlesque with their third annual production of Meatfest! This all male show will feature performances by Bobbie Burlesque Harry Merkin, Mr Snapper, Tito Bonito, Lee T Killer, Doctor Lust and “the reason it’s always wet in Portland” 2012 Reigning King of Burlesque, Russell Bruner!

Seattle, Washington

Friday, December 14 through Monday, December 24 | Homo For The Holidays! This December Homo for the Holidays will be bringing you two shows a night on the 14th, 15th, 21st, 22nd and 23rd at 7:00pm and 10:00pm. Along with a Christmas Eve show on the 24th at 10:00pm! “Homo For The Holidays! is a seasonal spectacle guaranteed to make even the most stubborn Yuletide gay! An unforgettable all-star cast of burlesque, cabaret, dance, drag, and musical local luminaries come together in a display of glittering grandeur.”
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Arts >

BPT at SXSW: Fair Trade Comedy at Esther’s Follies

March 12, 2012
By Jimmy Berg

Get ready Austin, Brown Paper Tickets is coming to SXSW 2012 and we got some great events planned.

One that we’re especially excited about is a comedy showcase organized by our very own Comedy Doer Julie Seabaugh. Julie has long been active in the stand-up comedy scene, first as a journalist and then working in PR, booking and production, and in February she launched The Spit Take, a comedy review site that hopes to serve as an honest, unbiased, taste-making entity that helps comedy criticism be taken seriously.

The “Fair Trade Comedy” showcase will take place this Wednesday, March 14, at Esther’s Follies. Officially presented by Brown Paper Tickets and the Spit Take, the showcase will feature stand-up from headliners Todd Barry and Brendon Walsh, two comedians that have been taking the comedy scene by storm. You may know Todd Barry from his appearances on Bored To Death, Flight of the Conchords, Lucky Louie and Chapelle’s Show. Brendon Walsh calls Austin his hometown and was the winner of the “Funniest Person in Austin” award in 2004. He’s appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live as well as Comedy Central’s Premium Blend. He’ll also be featured in his own half hour comedy special on Comedy Central this spring. The show will also feature Nick Flanagan, Kristine Levine, DC Pierson and will be hosted by Nick Turner.

Here’s a little preview of what you can expect:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3ABntRq3nE]

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=RS2IUmQ5KfI]

Be sure to stop by our table in the foyer of Esther’s Follies and say hi. This is going to be THE comedy event of SXSW, so don’t miss it. We’ll see you there.

Comedy >

Happy Birthday Lenny Bruce!

October 12, 2011
By Jimmy Berg

Tomorrow is legendary comedian/social critic Lenny Bruce‘s birthday. Had Bruce not died in 1966 of “acute morphine poisoning caused by accidental overdose” in his home in the Hollywood Hills, he would be celebrating his 86th birthday. Despite his success, Bruce led a tortured life and he used comedy as an outlet for his frustrations with, not only his personal life, but with American culture in general.

He had good reason to be frustrated, his performances often ended with him being taken away in handcuffs by police officers who deemed his comedic style obscene and offensive. Social criticism and obscenities are commonplace amongst today’s stand-up comedians, but this is due to the pioneering work of Lenny Bruce and the multiple injustices that he was forced to endure. It’s clear when one looks at comedians before Bruce and after. Just compare Bob Hope or Bob Newhart to say Richard Pryor or George Carlin. The difference is night and day and neither Pryor or Carlin would have achieved the level of success that they did, without Lenny Bruce blazing the trail for them. He pushed the boundaries of what was acceptable and challenged his audiences to think about the world around them and essentially changed the face of stand-up for the latter half of the twentieth century. Today, tons of comedians use risqué language, outlandish behavior and controversial subject matter to drive their material. They don’t have to rely on what’s “safe” or predictable, they can push the boundaries and every one of those comedians owes something to Lenny Bruce.
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Comedy >

Meet Bryan Bruner of Sorta Secret Comedy!

September 27, 2011
By Jimmy Berg

I grew up in the Las Vegas punk scene, and I don’t like being told what to do. My name is Bryan Bruner, and I am, among other things, a stand-up comedian. For the past year I have been producing shows with room-mates and friends everywhere we could, as long as they were nowhere near 1) a comedy club or 2) any type of bar.

Do it yourself.

When I was 17 years old I fell in love with punk rock. I bought a guitar and before I knew it, I was in a band called The Kickball Champs. We were sh**, but we had a PA, a rehearsal space and a gas generator, and that will get you booked anywhere in the Nevada desert. We were lost when it came to harmony, melody and rhythm, but we knew how to put on a show. Our gigs in drainage ditches and abandoned mine shafts drew 300-400 ragged punk-rock kids every weekend, and we had the energy and confidence to make it seem like something akin to a concert. We knew what the kids wanted. We were tapped in.
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Comedy >

Milwaukee – The Milwaukee Comedy Festival Starts Tomorrow!

August 3, 2011
By Jimmy Berg

Now in its sixth year, The Milwaukee Comedy Festival, which starts tomorrow, promises a wide variety of comedic styles; from stand up to sketch comedy to improv to video sketches. It’s Wisconsin’s largest comedy event and offers nine different shows over four days. Comedians from all over the country send in submissions, meaning organizers literally have to watch hundreds of videos, selectively picking only the cream of the comedic crop.
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Comedy >

San Francisco: Will Franken’s Birthday Bash this Thursday!

June 29, 2011
By Jimmy Berg

Comedian Will Franken has been called San Francisco’s “Best Comedian” by the SF Weekly and the “Best Alternative to Psychedelic Drugs” by the San Francisco Bay Guardian. Franken’s comedic style is rooted in the British sketch comedy tradition and he will portray a wide variety of bizarre characters and situations in a single show. In a single routine he can mix high-brow references to John Milton with scathing social commentary and low-brow scatological humor. In short, one never knows what to expect from Franken and he’s been quoted as saying, “Madonna reinvents herself every year. I reinvent myself every two minutes.”

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkkiT6ejHsY]
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Comedy >

An Interview with Corey Cohen of Corey Cohen Comedy Productions

February 23, 2011
By Jimmy Berg

Philadelphia’s independent comedy producer Corey Cohen has been putting together some incredible bills at Connie’s Ric Rac in South Philly and we caught up with him to chat a little about life as an independent comedy producer.

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Comedy >

Newer Entries »

Tuesday Tease: When the boys come out to play…

BPT at SXSW: Fair Trade Comedy at Esther’s Follies

Happy Birthday Lenny Bruce!

Meet Bryan Bruner of Sorta Secret Comedy!

Milwaukee – The Milwaukee Comedy Festival Starts Tomorrow!

San Francisco: Will Franken’s Birthday Bash this Thursday!

An Interview with Corey Cohen of Corey Cohen Comedy Productions

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