Friday, September 28, 2007

The Candy Gram: Michelle L'Amour


In our ongoing Q&A series --"The Candy Gram"-- we ask the same quirky questions of burlesque's various performers. If you want to be added to the mix, drop us a line at kellydinardo AT gmail DOT com. Today, say hello to the ass that goes pow -- Michelle L'Amour.

What is your hometown?
A suburb of Chicago - Orland Park

How long have you been interested in burlesque/performing?
I've been interested in performing since I was 15. I didn't stumble upon burlesque until after college.

How many pairs of pasties do you own?
Off the top of my head, maybe 10.

What are your three favorite songs to perform to?
I LOVE the A Great Effect from The Graduate, Cool Stuff and Lament.

What three items could you not live without as a performer?
Glitter, double sided tape, and feathers (boas, fans etc)

Who had the biggest influence on your career?
Mr. Franky Vivid

Who is your favorite burly queen?
Oh my, there are so many good ones. I really love Sally Rand and Lili St. Cyr

What is your favorite item of clothing?
An assless girdle/garter belt. It's such a nice surprise when I turn around.

What's the last movie you saw?
My Girl Friday

What's on your must-see-TV list?
Kathy Griffin - Life on the D-List, Entourage

What book is on your nightstand?
Twilight by Katherine Mosby

If you could go anywhere for vacation, where would you go?
Vacation?? I'm not sure what you mean.

If you could have any superpower, which one would you want? Why?
Tele-porting - airports are for pussies :-)

Satisfy your appetite for more Candy Grams: Margaret Cho, Miss Dirty Martini,Princess Farhana, Miss Delirium Tremens, Paris Green, Jo Boobs, Jack Midnight, Heidi Von Haught, Diamond Minx, The Titillation Twins, Scratch, Creamy Stevens and Gina Louise.

Thursday, September 27, 2007

Baring Natalie

The Web's been abuzz about Natalie Portman stripping down for the short film Hotel Chevalier, which you can download for free from iTunes.



It's not the first time she's stripped on film. She twirled around a pole in Closer.

Wednesday, September 26, 2007

Video of the Week

Well, the Detroit Tigers didn't make the playoffs, but as Drew Sharp wrote there's plenty of celebrating left to do. So in this week's video burlesque stars like Lili St. Cyr, Tempest Storm and Sally Rand put their hands up for Detroit.

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Let's Make A Date


We've rounded the corner into fall so it's time to kick off the 2008 calendar season. OK, maybe it's a little early, but it's really never too early to celebrate Dr. Sketchy's well-drawn ladies. Dr. Sketchy's 2008 Pinup Calendar features drawings of Michelle L'Amour, Indigo Blue and other burlesque queens by the multi-talented Molly Crabapple, founder of Dr. Sketchy's Anti-Art School. The painter/model/fire-eating burlesque dancer's calendar is only $15 so shimmy on over there and give 2008 a bumpin' start.

Monday, September 24, 2007

Dita for PETA

As promised this morning, here's the new PETA ad featuring Dita Von Teese.

All The News That's Fit To Strip


Dita Von Teese takes it off for PETA. The burlesque star unveils a sexy new ad today that promotes the spaying and neutering of pets and adoption of shelter animals. We'll post the ad, which features Dita as a sexy school teacher, this afternoon when it's released.

Shameless self-promotion alert: The New York Post gossiped about Gilded Lili this weekend.

With New York's Forty Deuce in jeopardy, Concierge dishes on where else you can still see the tassels swinging in the Big Apple.

Hillary Duff strips for Vaseline. Get a sneak peak here.

The Pussycat Dolls are going Posh with Victoria Beckham joining the troupe for a guest stint.

Maxim wonders if this is the worst striptease ever.

Friday, September 21, 2007

The Candy Gram: Margaret Cho


In our ongoing Q&A series --"The Candy Gram"-- we ask the same quirky questions of burlesque's various performers. If you want to be added to the mix, drop us a line at kellydinardo AT gmail DOT com. Today, say hello to Margaret Cho, whose burlesque show The Sensuous Woman opens at the Zipper Factory on Wednesday.

What is your hometown?
San Francisco, CA but now I live in Glendale, CA

How long have you been interested in burlesque/performing?
A couple of years. I saw the Velvet Hammer and I was hooked!

How many pairs of pasties do you own?
Not so many, just about 20 pairs or so. I have some really fancy ones from Twirly Girl that were custom made just for me!

What are your three favorite songs to perform to?
I like opera a lot so my favorite is Wagner's Tristan and Isolde. I also like The Hives. Another favorite is Me so Horny!

What three items could you not live without as a performer?
Double -tick tape, support bras and prosthetics!

Who had the biggest influence on your career?
Richard Pryor

Who is your favorite burly queen?
Dita von Tease. I also love Dirty Martini and the incredible Sir Ryan Heffington, who are both in my show The Sensuous Woman.

What is your favorite item of clothing?
I love the minidress! I have several. They are all my favorite!

What’s the last movie you saw?
Little Dieter Needs to Fly

What’s on your must-see-TV list?
I am obsessed with a new show on VH-1 called The Pick Up Artist. It is like nerd porn.

What book is on your nightstand?
Nina Hartley's Guide to Total Sex.

If you could go anywhere for vacation, where would you go?
I'd love to go to Egypt and dance!

If you could have any superpower, which one would you want? Why?
I am simple. I want to fly.

Satisfy your appetite for more Candy Grams: Miss Dirty Martini,Princess Farhana, Miss Delirium Tremens, Paris Green, Jo Boobs, Jack Midnight, Heidi Von Haught, Diamond Minx, The Titillation Twins, Scratch, Creamy Stevens and Gina Louise.

Photo of Margaret Cho by Austin Young.

Thursday, September 20, 2007

Burly Queens Rule Reality TV


First Michelle L'Amour got sassy with the Hoff on America's Got Talent. Then the Glamazons made it to the top ten on the same show. Now, Sarah Hartshorne, who performs as Vita Lightly with the Boston Babydolls, takes on Tyra in America's Next Top Model. Watch out Kelly Clarkson. You might just get bumped by the old bump 'n' grind.

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Video of the Week

This video blends Satin Chic by Goldfrapp with clips of Dita Von Teese, Sally Rand and other burlesque performances as well as clips of Marlene Dietrich films.

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

Gilded Lili Book Trailer Contest


Last week, The Candy Pitch announced a book trailer contest for Gilded Lili, my upcoming biography on Lili St. Cyr. There are so many options when it comes to book trailers. And while there are plenty of images of Lili available online, a lot of the information out there on Lili is inaccurate, I thought it might be helfpul to get a taste of Gilded Lili. You can download the entire press release, which includes a brief background on Lili and quotes about the book from Dita Von Teese, Lily Burana, Rachel Shteir and Marjorie Rosen, here.

Monday, September 17, 2007

All The News That's Fit To Strip


Dita Von Teese, the new face of Cointreau liquor, talks with the San Francisco Chronicle about how she chose her stage name, breaking the beauty rules and how she learned about burlesque. On the difference between burlesque now and when Gypsy Rose Lee lit up the marquee, Dita says: "It's more risque now than it was then. ... It's not the nudity that's a big deal, it's the striptease ... the idea that I'm taking my clothes off, that's arresting. This is what I want to do."

Other tidbits include her views on sex: "I'm not shy about talking about sex, or putting a powerfully sexual image out there. One of the messages I want to get through to young women is the importance of insisting on safe sex. It should be fun and playful, but they should carry a condom and insist on using it."

In other news ...

A New York community board votes against giving Forty Deuce a liquor license.

Mo Pitkin's packs up the pasties.

On Wednesday Satan's Angel twirls her tassels on Maury

GalleyCat shows off some book trailers. Are you working on yours?

Friday, September 14, 2007

The Candy Gram: Miss Dirty Martini


In our ongoing Q&A series --"The Candy Gram"-- we ask the same quirky questions of burlesque's various performers. If you want to be added to the mix, drop us a line at kellydinardo AT gmail DOT com. Today, say hello to Miss Dirty Martini, a "feminist Superhero" who is performing in Margaret Cho's The Sensuous Woman

What is your hometown?
Woodstown, NJ

How long have you been interested in burlesque/performing?
I have been a dancer since I was 6 years old. I started getting serious about my ballet training when I was about 10 to 13 and shortly after, due to the shape of my body (amply curvy as you can see), I was shuffled to modern dance. My ballet teachers said that I would be more accepted in that form. I loved all dance, so this didn't pose much of a problem. I went to college for dance and graduated from Purchase College NY with a BFA in performance. While I was there, I fostered a love for choreography and history and also womens issues.

After graduation, I came to NY and danced for the Stanley Love performance Group and got a job touring with a theater company called Pink Inc. in their lip synching girl group trio, The Fortunettes. We were essentially female female impersonators getting paid to tour the world. I was, at that time, spending most of my nights at now legendary drag clubs including the Pyramid, BoyBar, parties produced by Johnny Dynell and Chi Chi Valenti and attending Wigstock every year.

I had a video rental store down the street from my East Village tenement apartment called Kim's Video that had a section called Sexploitation where I came across Something Weird Video's compilation of old burlesque reels. I noticed that all of the women on film had varying body shapes and some had my proportions. I saw it as a platform to showcase my body -which was unacceptable in the dance world -through a new medium: 1950's striptease. I started researching fan dance through my video rentals in about 1995 and started performing regularly in NY nightclubs in 1997. My routines grew and I learned about burlesque the way the ladies in the '50s did, by doing shows - a lot of shows. The difference in performing outside of the art world and the theater world was astounding. I performed at least once a week, I was always paid something for my work, and the more I performed the more I learned about structured improvisation and the more shows I was able to book. I never thought it would become the phenomenon that it is today. I was just having a blast in the nightclubs giving a big "fuck you" to the stuffy dance world and laughing like a lunatic with the ladies and a couple of fabulous gents in the burlesque dressing room aka bar toilet and having a ball

How many pairs of pasties do you own?
I haven't really counted. I have a lot because I make them myself. I must have over 30 pairs. Generally, anything in my apartment has potential to become a pastie - forks, pretzels, fake flowers, electronics ... it's pretty endless.

What are your three favorite songs to perform to?
Black and Tan Fantasy by Duke Ellington
God Bless the USA by Dolly Parton (It makes me both physically ill and wildly excited when I hear it)
Living on a Prayer by Bon Jovi

What three items could you not live without as a performer?
It's funny, but since I'm writing this from Europe - I'm finishing up a 3 month run in Nantes, France - I've been dealing with this daily. When I came back to NY for a day here's what I walked one mile in Marilyn drag to buy: Emergen-C and Eyelash Glue. Also my rolling samsonite hardcase has been a lifesaver

Who had the biggest influence on your career?
Many people have had a hand in making what you see when I perform. I have a lot of amazing people in my life and they inspire me and instigate my art. My college pal and first apartment mate in NYC, Matt Mohr, has had a big influence on my life showing me the world of drag in NYC and later came into my world of burlesque as Serge LeGainswack and choreographer for drag and burlesque troupes.

My performance family in New York have constant influence in my life. They are my life! Namely Julie Atlas Muz, Murray Hill, Velocity Chylld, World Famous *Bob*, The Dazzle Dancers, Bambi and Bunny Love, Scotty the Blue Bunny, Tigger, Duelling Bankheads, Daniel Nardiccio, Starshine and Pinchbottom Burlesque continue to inspire me to make ridiculous numbers! The list fortunately goes on and on.

Who is your favorite burly queen?
I really have so many favorites. From the old days - Jennie Lee and Dixie Evans for keeping burlesque alive and founding and bringing young people to Exotic World burlesque Museum and Hall of Fame in Las Vegas Currently our Miss Exotic World is Immodesty Blaize from London and she really is marvellous.

Go look at the list of performers who perform and volunteer every year at Exotic World. As the world of burlesque continues to grow, it's harder to accomodate all of the wonderful new performers, but I'm so lucky to be able to see these people perform regularly all over America and the world.

What is your favorite item of clothing?
My gold lame swimsuit from the 1950s and whatever I buy next!

What's the last movie you saw?
Spinal Tap, again, and John Waters' Dirty Shame

What's on your must-see-TV list?
Not much, but I do love The Simpsons and South Park.

What book is on your nightstand?
Usually an autobiography of some incredible woman, but for summer it's Wicked and I'm having a great time reading it. By the nightstand - you know - the nightstand I have The Best of Meat Erotica. It's pretty corny though!

If you could go anywhere for vacation, where would you go?
I don't take vacations, I travel, but I'm currently performing in Nantes, France and I'm taking some time off in Paris this week. I guess I want to see Hawaii, though I still would like to perform while I'm there.

If you could have any superpower, which one would you want? Why?
You know, I've thought about this quite alot. Sometimes, I'd like to be an X-Man woman and be able to blow people up, but generally I'm pretty docile. Really if I could have a super power, it would be to erraticate women's self deprecation. After all, I am a feminist Superhero.

Satisfy your appetite for more Candy Grams: Princess Farhana, Miss Delirium Tremens, Paris Green, Jo Boobs, Jack Midnight, Heidi Von Haught, Diamond Minx, The Titillation Twins, Scratch, Creamy Stevens and Gina Louise.

Thursday, September 13, 2007

Prop Me Up

Carmen Elektra's Fashion Week performance for underwear company 2xist got me thinking about burlesque props. It's clear from the Candy Gram interviews that pasties, g-strings, rhinestones and glitter are essential. But what about some of the other props? What are your favorites? The most unique? Hardest to travel with? Here are a few of my favorites.

Carmen Elektra inspires hoop dreams.



Lili St. Cyr performed in a giant champagne glass. Now Dita Von Teese, who often cites Lili as inspiration, says cheers to the routine. For those of you with bubble-licious dreams of your own, Jo Boobs did a great piece on where to get a life-size champagne glass.



Both Lili and Dita also like to bathe on stage. Lili said she stored bath tubs around the country. How does Dita get her tubs?



Immodesty Blaize uses a giant rocking horse.



And fans are, well, fantastic.

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

Video of the Week

Have you started on your video yet? Here's a little inspiration from the Atomic Bombshells.

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

Gilded Lili Book Trailer Contest


Have you heard the buzz about book trailers? Well, considering Lili St. Cyr's, ahem, visual appeal putting one together for Gilded Lili is a no-brainer. So, drum roll please, today The Candy Pitch announces the Gilded Lili Book Trailer Contest. Forget legalese, I'm a writer so here are the rules in reporter-speak.

Who: Lili-philes, contest mavens, aspiring directors, anyone handy with a camera or computer software.

What: Create a trailer for Gilded Lili: Lili St. Cyr and the Striptease Mystique.

Where: Post your video on YouTube with the tags Gilded Lili, Kelly DiNardo and then e-mail me the link at kellydinardo AT gmail DOT com

When: Now through October 9th -- one week before Gilded Lili shimmies onto store shelves.

Why: The best video will win a signed copy of Gilded Lili and other goodies to make bath time lots of fun.

How: Record a Lili-esque act, create a montage, use puppets. Let Lili, past Videos of the Week or other book trailers inspire you, but be sure to follow YouTube's Terms of Use.

Monday, September 10, 2007

All The News That's Fit To Strip


Ali Larter chats with Playboy about the whipped cream bikini she donned in Varsity Blues and researching strippers. In the October issue the Heroes star explains her role as Niki was intended to be a stripper and says: “I did some research. I went online. What struck me most was the blankness in most of their eyes. That was what I wanted to show. I thought it was sad, but my boyfriend thought it was thrilling. He’d call while I was researching and say, ‘Hey, what are you doing?’ ‘I’m online, watching some girls stripping.’ He was like, ‘On my way!’ In a recent episode I play a pole dancer. I took private lessons for a week, a couple of hours a day. I have a newfound respect for those women. It’s harder than you imagine, but I made it look good.”

In other news ...

Margaret Cho's Sensuous Woman shimmies into New York's Zipper Factory. Catch up with one of the show's performers, Princess Farhana, in last week's Candy Gram. And stay tuned for upcoming Candy Grams with other Sensuous Woman stars, Dirty Martini and Margaret Cho.

Britney Spears VMA performance lacked the strip-tacular factor of past shows.

Are you ready for some football?

New York's Playpen closes.

The Philadelphia Inquirer gets a spanking from Feministing for an awful story about stripping.

New York's Forty Deuce hits a bump in the bump 'n' grind road.

Lola the Vamp leads the burlesque revival Down Under.

Jo Boobs interviews Satan's Angel.

Monique Honeybush chats about how she started in burlesque, performing at Bonnaroo and her hot dog routine.

Congratulations to Angie Pontani, Jo Boobs, Tigger and the rest of the winners of the Golden Pasties Awards.

Friday, September 7, 2007

The Candy Gram: Princess Farhana


In our ongoing Q&A series --"The Candy Gram"-- we ask the same quirky questions of burlesque's various performers. If you want to be added to the mix, drop us a line at kellydinardo AT gmail DOT com. Today, say hello to Princess Farhana, who is currently performing in Margaret Cho's show The Sensuous Woman.

Where is your hometown?
Hollywood, CA

How long have you been interested in burlesque/performing?
I've been performing burlesque for twelve tears, belly dance for seventeen

How many pairs of pasties do you own?
I have about a hundred costumes, close to thirty rhinestone tiaras, god knows how many wigs, headresses, hats ... As for pasties, I know the number I’ve lost onstage, but not how many I own!

What are your three favorite songs to perform to?
For classic burlesque it’s Lament by the Sonny Lester Orchestra, Nightmare by Artie Shaw, and Chivas Regal/Gypsy’s Theme also by Sonny Lester.

What three items could you not live without as a performer?
False eyelashes, high heels and a sparkly G-string

Who had the biggest influence on your career?
Too many to mention...

Who is your favorite burly queen?
I love them all ... past present and future

What is your favorite item of clothing?
My ruby slippers

What’s the last movie you saw?
The Wizard of Oz -- for the 55th time

What’s on your must-see-TV list?
Rock of Love, Dog The Bounty Hunter, Chris Angel, Mindfreak and anything on The Weather Channel.

What book is on your nightstand?
The Art of Seduction by Robert Green

If you could go anywhere for vacation, where would you go?
Somewhere in the Bermuda Triangle

If you could have any superpower, which one would you want? Why?
Does anti-gravity count? ... cause it might help preserve my collagen while I twirl my pasties!!!!

Satisfy your appetite for more Candy Grams: Miss Delirium Tremens, Paris Green, Jo Boobs, Jack Midnight, Heidi Von Haught, Diamond Minx, The Titillation Twins, Scratch, Creamy Stevens and Gina Louise.

Thursday, September 6, 2007

Wikierrors


In an age of Wikimania, I thought it might be a good idea to correct the many errors in Lili St. Cyr's entry. Alas, a Wikiguardian disagreed as "Wikipedia isn't about truth, its about verifiability from reliable sources." Until my biography on Lili is actually out in stores, I am apparently not a reliable source. We debated the matter some, but I concede. Thankfully, I don't have to on The Candy Pitch. So, a few corrections to Lili's life:

* According to her birth certificate Marie Frances Van Schaack was born June 3, 1917. Her social security application, which is where the current information comes from, says she was born Willis Marie Van Schaack on June 3, 1918. Lili liked to tell people her name was Willis; it sounded more intriguing. The name was likely a reference to her uncle, William Peseau. But she was actually born Marie Frances. The name was probably a family name; her mother was Idella Marian and both of her grandfathers were named Francis. As for the inconsistency in birth dates, well, her father Edward Van Schaack left to serve in World War I before a 1918 birth date was possible.

* Lili was the oldest of five. Her four half-siblings were Jack Cornett, Bettalee Cornett, Idella Blackadder and Rosemary Blackadder. The two Blackadder girls became performers in their own right. Idella went by Barbara Moffett during her brief movie career before she married toy maker Louis Marx. Rosemary performed in burlesque as Dardy Orlando until she married burlesque impressario Harold Minsky.

I'll pop more corrections up on The Candy Pitch over the next few weeks, but what other errors have you found in Wikipedia's burlesque entries? E-mail 'em to me at kellydinardo AT gmail DOT com or leave them in the comments.

Wednesday, September 5, 2007

Video of the Week

In honor of Fashion Week, The Candy Pitch brings you this montage of fashionista and burlesque queen Dita Von Teese.

Tuesday, September 4, 2007

All The News That's Fit To Strip

Miss Exotic World 2007, Immodesty Blaize, chats with The Guardian. Among the highlights are her thoughts on burlesque: "It is certainly misinterpreted. Burlesque is erotic, ironic cabaret. People often forget its theatrical nature in favour of the titillation."

In other news ...

Reviews and pix from the New York Burlesque Festival are trickling in.

Jo Boobs' burlesque salon is like "a book-of-the-month club with nudity."

Kitty Victorian purrs about how she got into burlesque and her new workshops.

Australia's burlesque revival tips a hat to the novelty of it all, Dita Von Teese, "burlesque's sexy, but non-threatening nature, the love of vintage and retro clothing; even the influence of pin-up star Bettie Page or raunchy American web sensations the Suicide Girls"

Maggie Gyllenhaal poses for Agent Provocateur and her "Lessons in Lingerie" ads launch Friday.

Dances of Vice, a new monthly 1920-30s dance and cabaret night held in the spirit of the early 20th century days, takes place on the third Saturday of each month upstairs at The Pussycat Lounge in New York, NY. The September 15th event will feature photos by Don Spiro. He'll show "a few pieces from a photo series inspired by drugs of a bygone era when absinthe was legal and dens were filled with smoke from pipes of opium."

Bustout Burlesque is holding auditions the first week of October.