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Tuesday Tease: Vermont Burlesque Festival

Champ.LogoMan, burlesque festivals are just popping up EVERYWHERE! This weekend marks the inaugural Vermont Burlesque Festival happening in South Burlington. I met the festival’s organizer Cory Royer in Los Angeles when we were down there in early December and he told me then that he’s got a great weekend of entertainment planned. Now, I can see what he meant. He’s got a bunch of fun in store for the Northeast. We’re talking three days and two nights of burlesque, comedy and variety acts: shows, classes, a film festival and BOWLING! How can you go wrong?

While the lion’s share of performers hail from Vermont, there will also be some national performers showing up; namely the lovely Lili Von Schtupp from LA, Cha Cha Velour from Vegas, the Boston Babydolls, Chicago’s boylesque sensation and member of the Stage Door Johnnies: Ray Gunn and Montreal’s Scarlett James.

While chatting on the phone with Cory today, he told me: “I am excited to be working with so many talented local, national and international people who are helping to create Vermont’s first burlesque festival.”

Judging by the schedule, I can see why he’s excited. Things kick off this Friday with the opening ceremonies and Friday night’s showcase at 5 Market Street. Immediately after the showcase will be the “Burlesque Bounce” dance party featuring DJ Irie. Saturday will bring a burlesque brunch, classes, another showcase and the Burlesque Bowling Competition at Shelburne’s Champlain Lanes. Festival attendees will have the whole bowling alley to themselves and are encouraged to dress their team in a theme and compete for the best theme, best costumes, most team shimmies, most outrageous performance in sport, worst dressed team and more. Somehow a bunch of burlesque beauties in a bowling alley sounds like trouble to me.

Sunday is reserved for recovery from the previous two days of pandemonium and a burlesque film festival. A perfect way to wind down and nurse your hangover!

It’s so exciting that burlesque festivals are no longer in major metropolitan areas but in smaller cities like South Burlington. When you see an artistic movement like burlesque spread to far reaches of the country (and world) it goes to show that it isn’t going anywhere. And aren’t we lucky to be ticketing so many of these great festivals?

If you’re in the Vermont area, I can’t recommend the Vermont Burlesque Festival enough. I think it’s safe to say that the Northeast is about to get a little heat wave this winter. Get your tickets here!

Love burlesque festivals? Check out some other great ones that we’re ticketing:
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Tuesday Tease: The 11th Annual New York Burlesque Festival

NYBF_2013_400pxIt’s time, once again, for the biggest burlesque event to hit the Big Apple: the 11th Annual New York Burlesque Festival. The whole thing kicks off this Thursday, September 26 and organizers Angie Pontani and Jen Gapay (of Thirsty Girl Productions) always put on an unforgettable show. This festival is not only the longest running annual burlesque festival, but it has become one of the festivals that other producers look to for inspiration.

Every sub-genre of burlesque is represented: boylesque, neo-burlesque, nerdlesque, etc. Just one gander at this year’s lineup is enough to make your head (or tassels) spin. There are performers from nearly every corner of the planet: the UK, Sweden, Italy, Australia, even Russia! Basically, if you want to witness what is going on with burlesque in 2013, look no further. It’s all represented at this world-class festival.

We interviewed Jen last year in honor of their 10th anniversary and I encourage you all to check out that interview, especially if you are event producers yourself. Jen has an impressive track record of festival organization including The Capitol Hill Block Party in Seattle, the Siren Music Festival at Coney Island, The Glamour Ball on Fire Island, The New York Boylesque Festival which is now in its 2nd year and The Coney Island Talent Show, now in its fourth year. She was also the Associate Producer of the documentary, Last Summer at Coney Island, which aired on PBS in May 2011.
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Tuesday Tease: House of Yes

228401-250This week on the Tuesday Tease, we divert a little from pure burlesque in order to feature a show at Brooklyn’s House of Yes that features burlesque mixed with circus arts. Our East Coast Representative Victor Chovil gives us a glimpse into their recent interpretation of “Peter Pan.”

House of Yes is an art space in East Williamsburg, Brooklyn that “supports performance, events and creative endeavors by providing the space and materials needed to make things happen.” House of Yes is also the home base of Sky Box, an aerial acrobatics group that holds workshops and classes every week. They’ve been a long time supporter of the burlesque and circus communities and we’re honored to feature them this week.

So, without further ado, I give you Victor and his review of “Peter Pan.” 

Producer-Director Anya Sapozhnikova has been selling out shows at Brooklyn’s House of Yes for years. I was lucky enough to attend the opening night of her latest project, an ambitious and fun interpretation of Peter Pan. Its a mix of trapeze, burlesque, puppetry and side-show; full of great music and a little poi. Think ballerinas spinning from ropes while the “lost boys” of Never Ever Land dance to Massive Attack on the stage below them.
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