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Tuesday Tease: Improvisational Burlesque!

stage-questionWhen you go to a burlesque show, you never quite know what you are going to get. There are a few guarantees (rhinestones, pasties, music and horrific puns) but beyond that the night is a glitteringly bedazzled mystery for the audience to experience.

For the three shows that we’re featuring this week, it will be a mystery for the performers as well! Burlesque is usually a meticulously choreographed and rehearsed activity, but these brave performers have thrown caution to the wind and will come to the stage armed with nothing but guts and talent to bring you improvised acts to excite and amaze. Think of it as a slightly sexier, live version of the TV show Who’s Line is it Anyway?

Norfolk, Virginia313734-250

Friday, January 30 and Saturday, February 1 | Focus Fox Burlesque presents Whose Pastie Is It Anyway?

Ever hear a song and think to yourself I would really love to see a burlesque routine done to this? Here’s your chance! Focus Fox Burlesque is putting the teasing in your hands. The foxes are coming to the stage with absolutely no preparation. You, the audience, have the opportunity to pick the music and the dancers will have no clue until they walk onstage!

The two night program will be hosted by Rob Floyd and feature Eevee Bravura, Ellie Quinn, Lacey LaBare, Lily Liqueur and Siren Sivette.
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Tuesday Tease: New Years’ Resolutions!

vintage-new-years-eve-312013 is coming to a close and 2014 is rapidly approaching. It’s time to start making your New Years’ Resolutions. And, if you’re going to make a resolution, you should make one that you are definitely going to keep. Odds are you aren’t going to finish writing that novel or learn to play the theremin. You may manage to be more organized, but where’s the fun in that?

If you want to make a resolution that you know you are not only going to keep but have fun keeping, resolve to go see more burlesque! To help you out, here are some wonderful shows that are coming up in the very near future.
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Artist Ticket Picks: Mighty Boosh, Maurice Sendak and 80’s Cinema Go Burlesque, Bitter Poetry and more!

The_Mighty_Boosh_Wallpaper_by_JWoods07Welcome to this week’s Artist Ticket Picks! The Artist Ticket program gives our customers a way to donate to causes that we care about.

If you’re an event producer, you can allow your ticket buyers to purchase limited-edition tickets printed with original artwork in your event settings. The ticket buyer will pay a small, additional charge of $0.25 and receive a limited edition, collectible ticket imprinted with original artwork. The current charity of our choosing will receive 100% of the additional charge. Physical tickets must be enabled on the event.

If you’re a ticket buyer, you can check to see if the limited edition ticket is available to you at the beginning of the ticket checkout process or by visiting the Artist Ticket page. You receive a small piece of collectible art and support a valuable cause just by checking the box in the Artist Ticket widget when you’re purchasing your tickets!

See a full list of events carrying the tickets on the Artist Ticket page, as well as find out more about the beneficiary for the current run of Artist Tickets.

So, without further ado, here are this week’s Artist Ticket picks:

Saturday, January 4 I Come With us on a Journey Through Time and Space: A Mighty Boosh Burlesque TributeSeattle, Washington

The Mighty Boosh is a British comedy troupe featuring comedians Julian Barratt and Noel Fielding. Developed from three stage shows and a six-episode radio series, it has since spawned a total of 20 television episodes for BBC Three and two live tours of the UK, as well as two live shows in the United States.

In May 2004, after the success of a Boosh pilot, Steve Coogan’s company, Baby Cow Productions, produced the first television series of The Mighty Boosh for BBC Three, before it moved to BBC Two in November that same year. Though each episode invariably starts and ends in Dixon Bainbridge’s dilapidated zoo, the “Zooniverse”, the characters of Vince and Howard often depart for other locations, such as the Arctic tundra and limbo.

A second series, shown in July 2005, saw Howard and Vince sharing Naboo’s flat in Dalston with previously minor characters Naboo and his familiar, Bollo, a gorilla living at the “Zooniverse”. This series had an even looser setting as the four characters leave the confines of the flat in every episode, travelling in their van to a variety of surrealistic environments, including Naboo’s home planet “Xooberon”.

Series three started in November 2007, still set in Dalston, but this time the foursome are selling ‘Bits & Bobs’ in their shop, the Nabootique. Their adventures and outings in this series focused more on the involvement of new characters (e.g. Sammy the Crab, or Lester Corncrake etc.) rather than just the two of them.

This burlesque tribute to the cult hit will take place at Belltown’s Rendezvous/Jewelbox Theater and is lead by the board of Shaman (aka L’Orchestre D’Incroyable) and hosts Morbid Curiositease will take you through a journey of time and space featuring: La Petite Mort, Czech Mate, Dogwood, Penelope Rose, Amy Corinne Dougherty and a few surprises. Electro Boy/Girl dance party in the Grotto to follow with a DJ battle Kevin Incroyable vs Dominick J Kreep!

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Tuesday Tease: Brown Paper Ticket’s Burlesque Buffet!

black and white thanksgiving pinup girlThe holidays are upon us! Later this week Americans will be gorging on turkey and stuffing and spending time with their families and loved ones. Not many people know that the night before Thanksgiving is actually one of the busiest nights of the year for bars and clubs because everyone has family in town and no plans for the weekend other than eating and drinking and nursing their hangovers.

Therefore, it makes sense that this would be a perfect weekend to get out and see a burlesque show and, boy howdy, have we got some good ones. We even have a few that aren’t in America. So even if you don’t celebrate “thanksgiving” in the American sense of the word, this is still a great weekend to go out, enjoy some cocktails and celebrate time with family and friends.

A little holiday burlesque could be just the ticket for a great night out with the family (assuming they’re not puritans) and we got a bursting “buffet” of burlesque action to feast on. There’s even an actual burlesque buffet happening on Saturday so you can get food and flirty fun all in one shot.

So, whether you’re in Seattle, New Orleans, D.C., Toronto or Paris, France, we got some tasty holiday treats in store for you this week! Have a great holiday everyone.

TONIGHT! Tuesday, November 26

Lipgloss Crisis Presents: The Day Before The Day Before Thanksgiving!!New Haven, Connecticut294868-250

This full-length cabaret at Lipgloss Crisis is stuffed like a Thanksgiving turkey with all kinds of entertainment!

Hosted by one of New Haven’s premier drag queens, Miss Robin Banks! Lipgloss Crisis herself will hit the stage with some singing and Viking action. Miss Kitty Katastrophe, New Haven’s cutie, will shake and shimmy some of her burlesque skills, and Uber Dami from Circus Delecti will be doing tricks and tap-dancing her way straight to your heart!

Mat Stokes will be playing 1920’s tunes with his guitar and harmonica. There will also be some surprise performers! There will also be an intermission with light refreshments and wine between acts.

Start your Thanksgiving season right with Lipgloss Crisis!

Wednesday, November 27

300591-250Kinky Parade Au Standard Porte MaillotParis, France

At the heart of the golden triangle and just a stone’s throw from the Champs-Elysees, is Le Standard and its elegantly sophisticated pleasures. Spend an evening among unforgettable, funny, sexy and glamorous burlesque artists in an interactive show that will be an extraordinarily unforgettable experience!

Le Standard’s cuisine, like the club itself, combines classic and contemporary for a menu built around seasonal ingredients. You’ll be surprised by the concoctions of Le Standard’s mixologists and their custom cocktails featuring rare alcohols, fresh juices and mixers, as well as a wide assortment of classic cocktails.

Performing this Wednesday will be: Lightning Love, Lila Chupa -Hoops, Betty Frizzy Patsy, Polly Pony Girl and Eva Valentina.
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Tuesday Tease: Seattle’s Monthly Burlesque Revue – Sanctuary

This week on the Tuesday Tease, we feature a review of Seattle-based Gossamer Wing Productions’ August installment of the monthly show “Sanctuary.” Gossamer Wing Productions was formed by burlesque performer/producer Whisper De Corvo, an up-and-coming face on the Seattle burlesque scene and “Sanctuary,” though relatively new, is already drawing some of Seattle burlesque’s top talent, so Whisper must be doing something right! We love working with inspired producers like Whisper and if you’re in Seattle we highly encourage you to check out her shows.

Our resident burlesque field correspondent James Ulness was on hand to witness the show and here’s what he had to say about it:

On Sunday, August 11, I was fortunate enough to be witness to Gossamer Wing Productions, amazing, August performance of Sanctuary at the Narwhal (in the basement of the Unicorn).

My evening started when I arrived at the Unicorn, on Seattle’s Capitol Hill. After entering, I made my way downstairs into the sideshow festooned, pinball haven that is the Narwhal. I made a brief detour to the claw machine, ordered my drink and found a seat at a beautiful, skull-painted table. After a short wait the host, Mr. Bawdy, took the stage and began two hours that were filled with every style and variety of act that you could ever hope for, from four absolutely amazing performers!
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Tuesday Tease: The Great Burlesque Exposition

picBurlesqueExpo130329BShanghaiPearl_0493w1050f-540x767This past weekend, our East Coast Ambassador A.J. Andrews and I had the honor of attending the Great Burlesque Exposition in Boston. This incredible showcase of burlesque talent was celebrating its 7th year of existence and both A.J. and I were bowled over by the amount of talent that was presented to us over the course of this past Easter weekend.

This week on the Tuesday Tease, I’ll give you a breakdown of, what proved to be, an incredible weekend featuring burlesque royalty and newcomers alike. I personally left Boston feeling inspired and excited for the future of burlesque and I have to give a big shout-out to Scratch and Miss Mina, the Exposition’s founders, for putting on an amazing festival.

So, without further ado, here’s what went down:

Friday Night:

Friday night’s kick-off show, The Rhinestone Revue featured a wide spectrum of burlesque talent: from classic burlesque to comedic burlesque routines to boylesque and I’d be hard pressed to pick a favorite act since they were all so incredible but I will talk about a few of my favorites.

The Boston Babydolls are Boston’s “home team” burlesque troupe and Mr. Scratch, their director, is the organizer of the Exposition. The act was a Vegas-style number set to the JXL Remix of Elvis’ “A Little Less Conversation.” The only lighting in the act was from flashlights that the girls were holding and they used them to great effect to create an exciting routine that had the audience on their feet screaming for more. To me the act was able to feel new and exciting, while paying homage to classic Las Vegas showmanship. Well done Babydolls!

A couple other highlights for me were two girls from BPT’s hometown of Seattle: the always graceful and stylish Shanghai Pearl (pictured) and Scandal from Bohemia, who did an act to Weird Al’s “My Bologna” that involved meat pasties and a big ‘ol sandwich. The centerpiece of Shangai’s act was an absolutely stunning peacock costume and her effortless grace impresses me every time I see her perform.

Dot Mitzvah did a great operatic routine to an Yma Sumac song. The high notes were not lyp-synced! She sang it all while taking it all off. Boylesque performer Paco Fish did a hilarious routine in a  judges wig and robe, which ended with his gavel in a most compromising position and Canadian performers St. Stella and James and the Giant Pasty, did a highly original act that was inspired and super sexy, with references to great works of art.

On the classic side of things, modern-day burlesque legend Jo Weldon did an incredible fan dance that was a tribute to Pink Light Burlesque, an organization that she founded that offers free burlesque lessons to breast cancer patients (See video below). Cherokee Rose displayed some impressive tassel twirling technique and Canadian performer Burgundy Brixx busted out a sweet boa that ended up being a robe in disguise.


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Tuesday Tease: Here Comes Festival Season!

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Winter is coming to an end and spring is springing up all over the place! The snow is beginning to melt away and be replaced by flowers, which can only mean one thing: festival season is here!

Burlesque conventions are a great way to not only network with fellow performers but also to see some great up-and-coming talent, perhaps see a living legend of burlesque and to witness the top burlesque performers that are touring the convention circuit. You can get a few tips, perhaps pick up some stage gear, and hob-nob with your burlesque idols.

This year, Brown Paper Tickets is ticketing more burlesque conventions and festivals than ever before and the first batch are going on sale already with the PA Burlesque Festival coming up this weekend, quickly followed by BPT newcomers, the Southern Fried Burlesque Fest and The Great Burlesque Exposition in Boston, where Brown Paper Tickets will have a table set up and where we’ll be teaching a class on the Sunday of the conference. If you’re planning on attending the Expo, be sure and come up and say hi!

As we get closer to summer, we’ll feature more festivals but be sure and get your travel plans in order for these incredible festivals and conventions. Just judging by this list, it’s going to be HOT this Spring!
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