Monday, June 30, 2008

All The News That's Fit To Strip

The Miss Exotic World underboob scandal still has 'em talking. As Canada's Kitten Kaboodle, left, notes, "Who books a burlesque weekend at a hotel that's not allowed to show underboobs?"

In other news ...

Vancouver's Melody Mangler likes "the freedom and the do-it-yourself nature of burlesque. You can create a spectacle. It’s fun and people really react to it.”

Time Square's seedier side returns, if only temporarily for a Kirsten Dunst/Ryan Gosling movie shoot.

Seattle has one of the "biggest and baddest" burlesque scenes.

Spiegelworld returns to New York.

Can you handle eight hours of burlesque?

Friday, June 27, 2008

The Candy Gram: Penny Starr Jr.

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 New York's Penny Starr Jr.

What is your hometown?
Philadelphia

How long have you been interested in burlesque/performing?
Only since 2003. I've always been a fan of musicals, and with burlesque in my blood, it took a long time before I blossomed into the ham I am now.

How many pairs of pasties do you own?
Over a dozen, but I'm trying to cut down.

What are your three favorite songs to perform to?
Seven Faces by John Barry
Life's Incredible Again by M. Giachino
I Wanna Marry A Lighthouse Keeper from A Clockwork Orange

What three items could you not live without as a performer?
Clear acrylic heels (goes with everything!), body glitter and pre-show cocktail

Who had the biggest influence on your career?
Ruby Keeler, Anne Margaret, Penny Starr, Sr (my grandmother), Kitten de Ville and Princess Farhana.

Who is your favorite burly queen?
Penny Sr. of course!

What is your favorite item of clothing?
Oooh, tough one: Right now, my favorite piece of clothing is a wooly-bully black turtleneck I bought in Toronto. It's soft and washable and my new best friend. My favorite costume is my James Bond number, with over 2,500 rhinestones.

What's the last movie you saw?
I was watching Golddiggers of 1933 just last night.

What's on your must-see-TV list?
Battlestar Galatica, Dr. Who, 30 Rock, The Simpsons

What book is on your nightstand?
Voluptuos Panic by Mel Gordon, The Exquisite Corpse by Alfred Chester, French Fashion Illustrations of the 1920s

If you could go anywhere for vacation, where would you go?
Egypt. When I was a little girl, I wanted to be an Egyptologist; I even tried to teach myself hieroglyphics with flash cards. It didn't go well--the alphabet is 30 pages!

If you could have any superpower, which one would you want? Why?
To convince investors to give me money! Because when I have money I book shows, make movies -- I love employing people who are talented. Nothing gives me more joy than hiring the right person for the job, sharing their talent with the world, and knowing that an audience was entertained.

Satisfy your appetite for more Candy Grams: Gemma Parker, Darla DeVine, Sparkly Devil, Vivienne VaVoom, Lux LaCroix, Charlotte La Belle Araignee, Bunny Love, Amber Topaz, Amelie Soleil, Red Hot Annie, HoneyLu, Kimberlee Rose, Vicky Butterfly, Dominique Immora, Yasmine Vine, Cherry Bomb, Millie Dollar, Joanie Gyoza, Bonbon Vivant, Lola Martinet, Frankie Boudoir, Vixen Violette, Ravenna Black, Veronica Lashe, Amber Ray, Beatrix von Bourbon, Angie Pontani, Tanya Cheex, Bloody Belle, Clams Casino, Trixie Little, Michelle L'Amour, 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, June 26, 2008

A Burlesque Obituary?

Last weekend, Broadway Bares set a new record when the charity strip show raised over $874,000 for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. In reporting this tidbit, Variety led with "Burlesque isn't dead yet." Yet? I didn't even know burlyq was sick. Did I miss something?

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Video of the Week

As you may have heard, Cyd Charisse passed away last week. So for this week's Video of the Week, we bring you a clip of Charisse doing a burlesque-y, Loie Fuller type number in Party Girl.

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Tune In

Tune in to America's Got Talent tonight and watch as Cassie Truskowski, the fire-eating, burlesque chanteuse, fetish entertainer, suspension artist and aerialist, competes before celebrity judges. Of the experience, Truskowski said:

"It was surreal -- it's a whole new experience having cameras on you at all times. Being in front of celebrity judges was really exciting. It was intense, you could feel the energy. These people wanted it for me as badly as I did. Plus, being around that many talented people was amazing."

It's not the first time burlesque shimmed onto the AGT stage. Michelle L'Amour put a saucy spin on Knight Rider and the burlesque troupe the Glamazons were finalists.

Monday, June 23, 2008

All The News That's Fit To Strip

Lucha VaVoom continues to spice things up in L.A. Ursulina, left, one of the group's performers likes for the burlesque performers to have unique talents that amaze the crowds as much as the high-flying stunts of the wrestlers. “I find it’s just like punk rock,” she explained to Downtown LA Scene. “When punk rock started, people had something to say. Then everybody was like, ‘Hey, I don’t have to learn guitar that much. I’ll play punk music.’ And I think that’s the lazy person’s way to being onstage.”


In other news ...

Forget sexy, Immodesty Blaize is bringing the "bonkbuster" back.

George Michael is such a Teese in his new video, Feeling Good.

Patti Lupone, the Tony-winning actress known for her role in Gypsy, is penning her memoirs.

Gilded Lili gets reviewed.

Barack Obama's former headquarters to become nude dance club.

Last week, we served up some Italian with Current TV's exploration of burlesque in Rome. Well, the folks over there really love burlesque -- even disemboweled.

An advertisement featuring a striptease causes an uproar in the UK.

If you're in New York, help save Coney Island tomorrow.

Say hello Burlesque Babes, a blog which features a different burly queen each day.

Friday, June 20, 2008

The Candy Gram: Gemma Parker

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 painter Gemma Parker who has begun performing in a double act called The Chantilly Belles.

What is your hometown?
Manchester UK

How long have you been interested in burlesque/performing?
As long as I can remember! I was into burlesque before I even knew what it was and that it had a name. My favorite films when growing up were the black-and-white ones with glamorous ladies in them. Fred and Ginger made a real impact on me when I was small, and I naturally went on to adore Marilyn Monroe and other Hollywood icons. I also love dancers like Gene Kelly, who in my opinion was a real hottie.

How many pairs of pasties do you own?
Interestingly none! The Chantilly Belles perform non strip routines based on iconic music and dance routines. We like to tell a story through our detailed costumes and characters, I think we’re very tongue-in-cheek and silly, that’s why I enjoy performing.

What are your three favourite songs to perform to?
Our favorite tunes include anything by Julie Andrews, the goddess of high camp, and old classics from Hollywood musicals. We’re currently working on a new routine to The Big Bopper’s Chantilly Lace; we hope to make it our signature song.

What three items could you not live without as a performer?
As an artist I couldn’t work without my ever so glamorous overalls, as painting is a messy business. But I also find it important to have music to work to; it really helps me concentrate, so my radio is a necessary item at my studio. Other than that a painter needs her paints. I feel lost without having something to draw with close to hand!

As a performer, I’d say comfy non slip shoes. Every time we go out to do a gig I have visions of slipping on my behind, it freaks me out! However, how many burlesque acts do you see trotting on stage in their sensible Clarks shoes? Dance tights are a gift from heaven! They make your legs look so smooth and tanned and they help stop you feeling too vulnerable in close proximity to an audience. Lastly, not that I’d say she was an ‘item’ but my dance partner Rene la Rouge is very important! There’d be no Chantilly Belles without her too!

Who had the biggest influence on your career?
Art wise, definitely Gil Elvgrin the greatest of the pin up artists. I loved his work from the moment I saw it. He was a superb draftsman and artist and his work is recognized worldwide. I didn’t start painting until I left Uni but I knew I wanted to create work that interested me and I had a passion for. Learning about Elvgrin and his career gave me a so much inspiration to stick to what I loved!

Who is your favorite burly queen?
This is a very difficult question because all performers are so different and have different strengths. I really enjoy Beatrix Von Bourbon. She made a real impression on me when I first saw her perform. I like her strong characters and her overall style. She’s a very clever performer and I think extremely intuitive about the way she works. I also saw Dirty Martini perform and she was so elegant and poised, she had everyone in the audience craning forward holding their breath. No one but her can take a glove off with such sexual tension! That’s why I love burlesque, it’s so varied and fun and that is one of the things I try to capture in my art work.

What is your favorite item of clothing?
I love clothes! And I find it hard to choose just one item, I’m always finding new things and trying out new looks. I love the nautical look and I’m looking out for the perfect pair of sailor pants. Again this makes me think of Gene Kelly. I love it when he danced with Jerry the mouse in Anchors Aweigh, what a star and what a great pair of pants!

What's the last movie you saw?
Last night I went to see Rec, a Spanish horror film. I’m such a light weight when it comes to gore or slasher flicks but for some reason I love a good zombie movie. Rec was a zombie film recorded in real time. I screamed at one point, it was great!

What's on your must-see-TV list?
Again, I really enjoy getting scared, so I always watch Most Haunted, I especially like the live programs. Ok, so it’s mostly people wandering in the dark saying, ‘Did you hear that?’ but sometimes things happen that can’t be explained and I like the fact that Yvette Fielding a former children’s TV presenter has such a foul vocabulary! I also love America’s Next Top Model. In the last series the contestants met Dita Von Teese to learn about movement and performance. She made them all look like ungraceful elephants!

What book is on your nightstand?
I just finished reading, In the Company of the Courtesan, by Sarah Dunant. It was a fabulous read set in the Renaissance period. It covers the flight of a high class courtesan and her faithful servant, a dwarf, as they escape the sacking of Rome for the opulence and debauchery of Venice. It highlights the power of female beauty and the alarming effect it can have on some people.

If you could go anywhere for vacation, where would you go?
After reading that book it would be Venice! I’ve always been interested in history and it’s the most historic city, and very romantic too. I recently fulfilled another dream of mine by visiting New York. It was everything you think it will be and everything you don’t. Words can’t describe. While there I was lucky enough to go to Starshine Burlesque. I met Creamy Stevens one of the organizers and resident performers. She was lovely and really happy to chat about burlesque. One of the biggest differences I noticed about burlesque nights in Britain and ones over there is that the audience really make an effort in the UK. It’s a habit to dress up and go glam or vintage or rockabilly. But in New York no one bothers. Me and my boyfriend turned up suited and booted and stood out like sore thumbs from the rest of the crowd in their jeans and t shirts. It seems a lot lower key over there, but that added to its underground feel and made it more exciting. While there we also saw Jo Boobs perform. She was very sexy and slick I feel so lucky to have seen her!

If you could have any superpower, which one would you want?
I have been learning to belly dance for the last few years, and I’m still just getting there. If I could have a super power it would be to shake it like a pro and amaze audiences with my shimmying pneumatic ass!

Satisfy your appetite for more Candy Grams: Darla DeVine, Sparkly Devil, Vivienne VaVoom, Lux LaCroix, Charlotte La Belle Araignee, Bunny Love, Amber Topaz, Amelie Soleil, Red Hot Annie, HoneyLu, Kimberlee Rose, Vicky Butterfly, Dominique Immora, Yasmine Vine, Cherry Bomb, Millie Dollar, Joanie Gyoza, Bonbon Vivant, Lola Martinet, Frankie Boudoir, Vixen Violette, Ravenna Black, Veronica Lashe, Amber Ray, Beatrix von Bourbon, Angie Pontani, Tanya Cheex, Bloody Belle, Clams Casino, Trixie Little, Michelle L'Amour, 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, June 19, 2008

Gli Amori Del Mondo Burlesque

We'll bring you more Miss Exotic World video as it's posted. Today, we're serving up a little Italian dish, because clearly the world loves burlesque -- gli amori del mondo burlesque.

Current TV spices things up with a piece on burlesque in Rome. The program follows two women who anxiously decide to participate in a burlesque workshop led by Amber Topaz. She helps these women open-up, sets the stage and teaches them how to create an identity for themselves as performers, starting with a costume and coining a stage name. The beginning is in Italian, but the majority is English. Enjoy

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Video from Miss Exotic World 2008

Inga Ingenue at Miss Exotic World 2008.



And part two ...

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Miss Exotic World 2008: Opening Ceremony

Couldn't make it to Miss Exotic World this year? Over the next few days, The Candy Pitch will post video from the weekend's festivities. Have one you want to share? Send it to kellydinardo AT gmail DOT com.

Monday, June 16, 2008

All The News That's Fit To Strip

Will Dita Von Teese shimmy into a new roll? She tells The National Ledger:

"I'd like to be on the producing end of burlesque, where I can make my own shows and bring other exciting characters to the stage and create the same kind of thing that I did for myself for other performers ... I have a knack for looking at someone and seeing what's beautiful for them. I don't want a bunch of clones of me. I feel like there can be so many kinds of facets to burlesque that people really haven't tapped into."

In other news ...

Tim Russert, who passed away Friday, once attempted to sneak into Buffalo's Palace Burlesque Theater in the mid Sixties with some friends. The boys were age and whether Father Sturm, the Prefect of Discipline at Canisius, knew they were there. "None of us could think of an answer to that one," Russert wrote in Big Russ & Me, "and we skulked away in defeat."

Want a side of pancakes with your burlesque?

Check out more photos from MEW

Friday, June 13, 2008

The Candy Gram: Darla DeVine

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 Darla DeVine.

What is your hometown?
Vancouver, BC Canada

How long have you been interested in burlesque/performing?
5 years

How many pairs of pasties do you own?
I own at least 20 pairs, I usually make a new pair for each new costume/act. I also make them and sell them on my website.

What are your three favorite songs to perform to?
Too Darn Hot - Ella Fitzgerald
I Put A Spell On You - Screaming Jay Hawkins
Candy Girl - Frankie Vallie

What three items could you not live without as a performer?
Hot shoes, corsets, and feathers, preferably covered in rhinestones or sequins and glitter.

Who had the biggest influence on your career?
An image of Bettie Page is what truly helped me discover the thriving pin up and burlesque world in the first place. Dita's decadence in not only her costumes but her props is an inspiration AND aspiration of mine, and all the women past and present who made me realize my curves are A VERY GOOD THING!

Who is your favorite burly queen?
I don't think I just have one, but I definitely have a few that particularly tickle my fancy such as Lili St. Cyr, Sally Rand and Dirty Martini. I find that I am just as inspired by old movie stars like Betty Grable, Marylin Monroe, Lucille Ball and Rita Hayworth as I am by old/new burlesque Queens. I'm really flabbergasted by glamour, big costumes, big props, and big personality!

What is your favorite item of clothing?
Somehow this questions leads me to think of what goes UNDER the clothing -- stockings and corsets!

What's the last movie you saw?
The Dolly Sisters with June Haver and Betty Grable. I somehow end up watching that movie at least once a month!

What's on your must-see-TV list?
I don't have cable, I just search through YouTube or interesting blogs for neat tidbits.

What book is on your nightstand?
The Cabaret by Lisa Appignanesi

If you could go anywhere for vacation, where would you go?
Somewhere tropical like Jamaica, the Mediterranean or back to Europe (not so tropical). I've toured there a couple times but would love to go explore when I have no real schedule to stick to.

If you could have any superpower, which one would you want? Why?
To instantly manifest the large, extravagant props of my dreams and transport them anywhere with ease. Or, to to transport myself back in time long enough to learn the tricks of the costumers back in the day. I'm just not learning what I want to know in modern fashion school.

Satisfy your appetite for more Candy Grams: Sparkly Devil, Vivienne VaVoom, Lux LaCroix, Charlotte La Belle Araignee, Bunny Love, Amber Topaz, Amelie Soleil, Red Hot Annie, HoneyLu, Kimberlee Rose, Vicky Butterfly, Dominique Immora, Yasmine Vine, Cherry Bomb, Millie Dollar, Joanie Gyoza, Bonbon Vivant, Lola Martinet, Frankie Boudoir, Vixen Violette, Ravenna Black, Veronica Lashe, Amber Ray, Beatrix von Bourbon, Angie Pontani, Tanya Cheex, Bloody Belle, Clams Casino, Trixie Little, Michelle L'Amour, 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, June 12, 2008

All The MEW News That's Fit To Strip

My apologies for the radio silence, The Candy Pitch got a little banged up this week - and not in the good way. So without further delays, we bring you the list of winners from the 2008 Miss Exotic World Pageant:

Best Debut: Perle Noir

Best Duo: Jewel of Denial and Kat Bardot

Best Boylesque: Sin Jyn

Best Troupe: Peak-A-Boo Revue

Miss Exotic World, 2nd Runner Up: Trixie Little

Miss Exotic World, 1st Runner Up: Lux LaCroix

And, drum roll please ...
Miss Exotic World 2008 is Angie Pontani.

In other Miss Exotic World News ...

* During the 50th Annual Reunion Showcase, L.A. Times blogger Richard Abowitz chatted with Tura Satana and Immodesty Blaize. When asked if there was still enough interest to make a career out of striptease, Blaize responded, "It is a fantastic time. It is even more full of diamonds and feathers than it was before."

* Las Vegas Weekly covers all of the uncoverings of the weekend including the "underboob" controversy, the pool party and all the sequin-filled fun.

* Jo Boobs serves up the MEW weekend tapas-style with a taste of the classic costumes, a sample of the pool party and a little dish on the controversy: "Guests at the Palms kept reacting to the BHOF revelers like we had three heads, and I kept wondering what the hell is up when people are finding the sight of showgirls, circus folks, and sideshow peeps to be somehow unexpected in a Las Vegas casino."

* I know. It's really the photos you want. So here, here and here. Have more, send 'em to kellydinardo AT gmail DOT com

Monday, June 9, 2008

All The News That's Fit To Strip

Tune in tomorrow for a full report on the Miss Exotic World pageant. Today, we dish up some savory non-MEW news.

Peer Gallery in New York has been bumping along with the exhibit American Stripper by Charise Isis. The exhibit shows off 24 black-and-white photos of exotic dancers taken over twelve years at clubs in upstate New York where Isis herself worked as a dancer. The photos aim to dispel "the general opinion of strippers as dysfunctional, marginalized and exploited ... The women depicted in Charise Isis's photographs are revealed as powerful and confident, using the stage as a platform for expression." Can't make it to the gallery before the exhibit closes on June 14? A monograph of the work is slated to be published soon.

In other news ...

Lindsay Lohan flashed her Spanx at the MTV Movie Awards. The actress, whose role in I Know Who Killed Me included a twirl around a stripper pole, "unwittingly mimicked her icon, Marilyn Monroe, yet again while trying to keep her dress down where it belongs."

"An assembly line of strippers" benefits breast cancer.

Where's the beef in Toronto's Boylesque?

Britney Spears has a quickie in the Pussycat Dolls latest video.

Friday, June 6, 2008

The Candy Gram: Sparkly Devil

In our ongoing Q&A series --"The Candy Gram"-- we ask the same quirky questions of burlesque's various performers. For the next two weeks, until the 2008 Miss Exotic World pageant, we'll be featuring special editions of The Candy Gram with the burly queens competing in the festivities. If you want to be added to the mix, drop us a line at kellydinardo AT gmail DOT com. Today, say hello to Sparkly Devil.

What is your hometown?
Deeeeeeeeeetroit, Michigan!

How long have you been interested in burlesque/performing?
I've been performing burlesque for eight years now (holy crap!) but I've been "performing" in some sense of the word since I was a toddler. I studied acting in college and was in several comedy improv troupes before I started my striptease career in Detroit in 2000.

How many pairs of pasties do you own?
Christ, I have no idea. Far too many. I also have the one sock problem, but with pasties -- I have far too many pairs of unmatched pasties floating around the house. What do you do with one pastie? My most recent show, I glued one to my hat.

What are your three favorite songs to perform to?
Like many performers I go through phases with songs and routines -- my current favorite is a classic fan dance that I perform to Dr. Dre's Let Me Ride. Another perennial favorite is the theme song to Police Squad. For the third, I'd have to say the song I'm performing at Miss Exotic World -- but don't want to spoil the surprise.

What three items could you not live without as a performer?
Glitter, of course! It flows in my veins.
Nude fishnets
Liquid latex

Who had the biggest influence on your career?
I draw my influences from many different arenas, from pinup glamor to dance technique to slapstick comedy. I always like to say my two biggest influences are Sally Rand and Daffy Duck. My choreographer from Detroit, Christopher Leadbitter of Causing a Scene Productions, made a tremendous impact on my growth as a performer about midway through my career, really inspiring me and helping me to take it to the next level in terms of dance technique. And currently I draw huge amounts of love, inspiration and general mayhem from the group I perform with in San
Francisco, the Hubba Hubba Revue.

Who is your favorite burly queen?
Oh, now, I can't pick just one! I have many performers from the contemporary burlesque scene whom I absolutely adore, but I don't want to start naming names lest I forget one! Let's just say I'll be sharing the stage with many of them in Vegas! I also have to say, the extremely close bond I've formed with living legend Toni Elling is extremely close to my heart. And I just love Satan's Angel to death, as well as Holiday O'Hara and Lottie the Body.

What is your favorite item of clothing?
Does glitter count as a clothing item? Again, I don't think I can pick just one! I do have a pair of sky-high 7-inch metal heeled Luichiny platforms that I think I should be buried in.

What's the last movie you saw?
In the theaters? I don't even remember. Last night I watched Raiders of the Lost Ark while sewing burlesque bling onto my costume.

What's on your must-see-TV list?
I don't watch much TV -- I love the Daily Show and South Park, and will happily confess that Dancing with the Stars is a big guilty pleasure of mine!

What book is on your nightstand?
I'm a writer, so I'm constantly reading, but I have a short attention span so I'm often reading two or three books at the same time. Right now it's Lamb by Christopher Moore (one of my current favorite authors) and I've been re-reading American Tabloid by James Ellroy (another favorite!)

If you could go anywhere for vacation, where would you go?
I'd love to do a month-long tour of Europe. And I've never been to Australia or South America and have always wanted to go.

If you could have any superpower, which one would you want? Why?
Um, the ability to snap my fingers and instantly be made up for a show! As I like to say, when you're a showgirl, sometimes putting on makeup isn't fun, it's work! I'd love to be able to blink like Jeannie and shazam! All glittered up, hair done, and ready to go. And, you know, the ability to invoke world peace and end poverty and hunger, and all!

Satisfy your appetite for more Candy Grams: Vivienne VaVoom, Lux LaCroix, Charlotte La Belle Araignee, Bunny Love, Amber Topaz, Amelie Soleil, Red Hot Annie, HoneyLu, Kimberlee Rose, Vicky Butterfly, Dominique Immora, Yasmine Vine, Cherry Bomb, Millie Dollar, Joanie Gyoza, Bonbon Vivant, Lola Martinet, Frankie Boudoir, Vixen Violette, Ravenna Black, Veronica Lashe, Amber Ray, Beatrix von Bourbon, Angie Pontani, Tanya Cheex, Bloody Belle, Clams Casino, Trixie Little, Michelle L'Amour, 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, June 5, 2008

The Candy Gram: Vivienne VaVoom

In our ongoing Q&A series --"The Candy Gram"-- we ask the same quirky questions of burlesque's various performers. For the next two weeks, until the 2008 Miss Exotic World pageant, we'll be featuring special editions of The Candy Gram with the burly queens competing in the festivities. If you want to be added to the mix, drop us a line at kellydinardo AT gmail DOT com. Today, say hello to Vivienne VaVoom.

What is your hometown?
Denver

How long have you been interested in burlesque/performing?
Ten years this summer!

How many pairs of pasties do you own?
Countless - I have a large Tupperware full of them.

What are your three favorite songs to perform to?
David Rose's Banned in Boston (My MEW song!), Petula Clark's version of Whatever Lola Wants in French, and Lucienne Boyer's Parlez-moi D'amour (for my fan dance).

What three items could you not live without as a performer?
False eyelashes, good shoes, lots and lots of glitter and rhinestones.

Who had the biggest influence on your career?
Miss Dirty Martini. She embodies that old burlesque bump-n-grind aesthetic, which I love. When I'm teaching burlesque she's my favorite example of someone who knows every song she performs to inside and out. Her body emphasizes every drum beat, and grinds to every horn wail, her clothes come off precisely in time with the music. I grin like a maniac every time I see her perform, I just love watching her so much and I learn something new every time I see her.

Who is your favorite burly queen?
Gypsy Rose Lee - her self-transformation from vaudeville tramp to a burlesque queen featured on the pages of Vogue, is very inspiring. And I love that she had a sewing machine with her at all times (I think it was mounted in the trunk of her car).

What is your favorite item of clothing?
Burlesque: the cincher from my red corset. I made it myself, and while it's not perfect, it's pretty darned good!
Other: My satin rust colored floor length dress. It makes me feel like a movie star when I wear it!

What's the last movie you saw?
Ms. Pettigrew Lives for a Day Lovely costumes - I want to be Amy Adams' character and I REALLY want a Ms. Pettigrew.

What's on your must-see-TV list?
I'm hoping Pushing Daisies comes back in the fall. I really miss it!

What book is on your nightstand?
Gilded Lili: Lili St. Cyr and the Striptease Mystique and The Happy Stripper: Pleasures and Politics of the New Burlesque.

If you could go anywhere for vacation, where would you go?
I love Tulum, Mexico, but really any remote place with a good beach, warm ocean and clothing optional. While I love dressing up it's nice to not have to glamour up and just go totally au naturale for a few days.

If you could have any superpower, which one would you want? Why?
Magic lasso, bullet deflecting wrist cuffs, an invisible plane ... I'm completely obsessed with Wonder Woman.

Satisfy your appetite for more Candy Grams: Lux LaCroix, Charlotte La Belle Araignee, Bunny Love, Amber Topaz, Amelie Soleil, Red Hot Annie, HoneyLu, Kimberlee Rose, Vicky Butterfly, Dominique Immora, Yasmine Vine, Cherry Bomb, Millie Dollar, Joanie Gyoza, Bonbon Vivant, Lola Martinet, Frankie Boudoir, Vixen Violette, Ravenna Black, Veronica Lashe, Amber Ray, Beatrix von Bourbon, Angie Pontani, Tanya Cheex, Bloody Belle, Clams Casino, Trixie Little, Michelle L'Amour, 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.

Wednesday, June 4, 2008

Video of the Week

We'll return to our special edition series of The Miss Exotic World Candy Gram interviews tomorrow. Today, enjoy this video from Trixie Little and The Evil Hate Monkey's performance at last year's pageant.

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Happy Birthday Lili

We're going to take a short break from our special edition series of The Miss Exotic World Candy Gram interviews to wish a happy birthday to Lili St. Cyr, who was born Marie Frances Van Schaack. To celebrate what would have been her 91st birthday, here's a short excerpt from Gilded Lili on her birth:

On June 3, 1917, Marie Frances Van Schaack was born at Abbott Hospital in Minneapolis. Instead of Marie’s mother, her grandmother Alice took the newborn home from the hospital and raised her. Years later, her family told Marie that Alice took her home because her mother Idella was too sick to care for her and her father Edward simply disappeared. But in fact Edward hadn’t disappeared, he’d been drafted. ... The United States entered World War I toward the end of the struggle and Edward spent less than a year in the army, serving most of his hitch at Camp Lewis in Washington State.

By the time Edward arrived at Camp Lewis, Idella was involved with another man, Louis “Jack” Cornett. While it is uncertain whether the two ever wed--and descendants of Cornett’s doubt it--they did have two children. But Idella’s relationship with their father did not last. By 1924 she had married Ian (John) Alfred Blackadder, a Scottish immigrant, and was pregnant with their first child. A year later, a month before she turned 30, Idella gave birth to her fifth and last child.

While her young mother started a new family and her father served in the military, Marie remained with Alice and her new husband Ben, believing they were her parents and Idella was her older sister. And for much of her childhood, she went by the name Marie Klarquist.

Much later, her family finally explained to Marie that Idella was really her mother, not her sister, and that Alice was her grandmother, not her mother. Marie rarely talked about the admission or its impact on her. As late as 1982 she wrote in her Canadian memoir Ma Vie de Stripteaseuse, “Even today, I don’t understand perfectly how much this revelation affected me. I did my best not to let it affect me.”

Lili's not the only one celebrating a birthday today. According to The Writer's Almanac, "it's the birthday of Josephine Baker, a dancer and singer who became one of the most popular music-hall entertainers in France. Time magazine wrote: 'Mlle. Baker wore feathers on her rump, bananas dangling from her belt, nothing else. Parisians were raving overnight.' Baker said: 'I wasn't really naked. ... I simply didn't have any clothes on.'"

Monday, June 2, 2008

The Candy Gram: Lux LaCroix

In our ongoing Q&A series --"The Candy Gram"-- we ask the same quirky questions of burlesque's various performers. For the next two weeks, until the 2008 Miss Exotic World pageant, we'll be featuring special editions of The Candy Gram with the burly queens competing in the festivities. If you want to be added to the mix, drop us a line at kellydinardo AT gmail DOT com. Today, say hello to Lux LaCroix

What is your hometown?
I was born in Harlem, raised in Brooklyn NYC but I currently find myself being held hostage in Los Angeles.

How long have you been interested in burlesque/performing?
I have been a burlesque performer for almost four years. I have been a dancer since I was two.

How many pairs of pasties do you own?
Actually not that many, I think about six. Although I can only seem to find one pair when I am trying to get ready for a show, and it's never the pair I'm looking for.

What are your three favorite songs to perform to?
This could change at any moment, but for now it's Gold Digger by Kanye West, List of Demands by Saul Williams and Drum Mode by Grey.

What three items could you not live without as a performer?
Inspiration, a suitcase and a fabulous wig.

Who had the biggest influence on your career?
Spike Lee and Gordon Parks are by biggest influences in my career as a documentary filmmaker and an artist. Debbie Allen, Bill T. Jones, Rosie Perez and Sammy Davis Jr. get all the credit for my dance and choreography ventures.

Who is your favorite burly queen?
I have two favorites - Julie Atlas Muz and Diamondback Annie. Their numbers walk the fine line of burlesque and performance art. Both of them are breathtaking and inspirational.

What is your favorite item of clothing?
This too can change at any moment - right now it's my new Heatherette dress. It's really fluffy with lots of petticoats!

What's the last movie you saw?
I just watched Vince Gallo's The Brown Bunny for the thousandth time.

What's on your must-see-TV list?
As much as I hate to admit it I am slightly addicted to Gossip Girl and of course Project Runway.

What book is on your nightstand?
Black Rage by William H. Grier & Price M. Cobbs.

If you could go anywhere for vacation, where would you go?
I don't really vacation. All my travels are somehow tied to work. I think I would get really nervous languishing on an island for a week because that would mean things were not getting accomplished. I'm sure there is something wrong and unhealthy about that but it works for me.

If you could have any superpower, which one would you want? Why?
I would have the power to clone myself therefore one of me could be in post production with my film, another could be photographing bands on the road, the other could be working on choreography gigs and the last one would be dancing. But, the sad thing is none of them would have time to return any phone calls.

Satisfy your appetite for more Candy Grams: Charlotte La Belle Araignee, Bunny Love, Amber Topaz, Amelie Soleil, Red Hot Annie, HoneyLu, Kimberlee Rose, Vicky Butterfly, Dominique Immora, Yasmine Vine, Cherry Bomb, Millie Dollar, Joanie Gyoza, Bonbon Vivant, Lola Martinet, Frankie Boudoir, Vixen Violette, Ravenna Black, Veronica Lashe, Amber Ray, Beatrix von Bourbon, Angie Pontani, Tanya Cheex, Bloody Belle, Clams Casino, Trixie Little, Michelle L'Amour, 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.