~ Written by Paul O’Connell (POC Photo)
This week there are some unique burlesque shows happening in the fair city of Seattle. First up in this week’s Picks of the Glitter is Accio Burlesque! A Burlesque Tribute to Harry Potter.
Accio Burlesque (designed by Scarlett O’Hairdye)
Sailor St. Claire brings us a new version of last year’s successful nerdlesque tribute to Harry Potter with a 90% new cast at the Annex Theater for three nights starting Thursday, May 22.
Here’s what Sailor had to say about some of the new performers this year:
Sailor St Claire: Many of the performers in the show this year are people I have never gotten the chance to work with before as a producer, which is really exciting for me personally. I had dreamed that Flirty Sanchez would be in the show last year as the character she’s playing this year, but that didn’t manifest. She had told me after the show that she had wanted to work with me on a project, but wasn’t an HP fan, so she didn’t feel like she had anything to submit. This year, I put a bug in her ear about it, which in turn made her start reading the series, and she’s found a really unique approach to a particularly irksome character. Flirty jokes that, if nothing else, working on Accio has made her a more literate stripper. I really can’t wait for everyone to see what she’s come up with!
It’s also been great to work with some of the newer faces in the Seattle scene. Verity Germaine comes to burlesque from Seattle theatre, so she knows her way around a stage pretty well. She’s channeling some serious carnival showgirl realness in her number for Accio and I think it’s really going to wow people. And Sin de la Rosa and Will Lykya blew me away with their smokin’ hot duet.
There are also a couple of darker, modern dance-infused pieces in the show from Jesus La Pinga and Maxie Milieu. Maxie’s act is straight up terrifying, and Jesus’s number is very powerful and sad. It brought me to tears the first time I saw him workshop it and I still feel that way even after seeing it 4 times. This is a real departure from the kind of high-energy, campy work we’re used to seeing from Jesus, and I am excited for him to show it to everyone next week! We also have a musician joining the cast this year. Allie Coy is a local singer-songwriter, and a die-hard Harry Potter fan! She’s bringing a couple of her original songs about Hogwarts to share with us before she heads off to play The Warped Tour this summer.
As of this writing, there were only a handfull of tickets left. If they’re sold out you might have to use your own wizardry to acquire some over at Accio Burlesque .
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Fertility Rite (designed by Solange Corbeau)
Up next is Fertility Rite. Rarely seen late-night, full-nudity, avant-garde burlesque by some of Seattle’s most well-known performers playing at Ballard Underground for one night only Saturday, May 24 in a midnight show. I asked the show’s producer, Solange Corbeau, a few questions about her latest endeavor:
POC: Tell me about Fertility Rite.
Solange Corbeau: …Having the show in the Ballard Underground is ideal for providing an environment that supports artists and frees them from some of the restrictions performers have to work around at other venues. Here, the acts can be expressive as well as thought provoking and leverage a wider range of subject matter and performance technique to create memorable artistic experiences. It takes burlesque back into the realm of theatre, and that gets me really excited.
POC: What would you like to see for the future of this show?
Solange: I‘d love for this to be a quarterly show. My dream is for it to showcase exceptionally talented performers from Seattle, but also be a destination spot for visiting performers who are known for their more boundary pushing neo-burlesque pieces. I would also love to open it up to other kinds of performers as well. While my heart is very much in the burlesque and theatre scene, I do welcome the addition of other kinds of theatrical and cabaret acts. All nude string quartet? Political puppetry? I’m interested!
Get tickets here.
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Bring It
And finally we have BRING IT Seattle’s Burlesque Hall of Fame Fundraiser! This show plays at West Hall Saturday, May 24. Around the country performers hold Legend Challenge events. These events raise critical funds for elderly legendary performers who may need assistance with airfare and accommodations, so that they can continue providing guidance and inspiration to the younger generations.
As Miss Indigo Blue explained, “This show will be an awesome opportunity to see almost ALL of Seattle’s competition acts *without even leaving town!* How cool is that? I’m so proud of our incredible community and all of the artists who contribute to the Burlesque Hall of Fame weekend by competing, applying, volunteering and attending! Oh,and did I mention that there will be a freakin’ CAKE WALK at this show? Dessert and Boobs and Boys! What could be better?”
Indeed what could be better? Check out this amazing line-up.
BRING IT!
Seattle’s Burlesque Hall of Fame Fundraiser
Hosted by
Seattle’s “Reigning Queen of Burlesque, Miss Exotic World 2011″ Indigo Blue!
Starring:
Lily Verlaine – A Living Breathing Work of Art
(three-time contestant and Second Runner Up. 2011 Miss Exotic World)
Ernie Von Schmaltz – The Man, The Myth, The Moustache
(winner “Best Troupe 2008″ with the Von Foxies)
Iva Handfull – The Albino Grace Jones and Queen of Kansas City
(three-time performer at BHOF, first in MISS EXOTIC WORLD category)
Paris Original – Poetry in Motion
(second appearance at BHOF in BOYLESQUE category)
Trojan Original – The Red Hot Manimal
(second appearance at BHOF, first in BOYLESQUE category)
Eddie Van Glam – The Rhinestoned Stud
(second appearance at BHOF, first in BOYLESQUE category)
Violet Tendencies – The Vicious Vixen
(first appearance at BHOF)
With special appearances by
Waxie Moon – Gender Blending Queer Lady Boylesque Performance-Art Stripping Sensation
(two-time performer at BHOF)
and Bolt Action and Scarlett O’Hairdye
Tickets can be procured here.
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So you can spend Saturday night hopping from this BHoF fundraiser on Capitol Hill to Ballard for the midnight show of Fertility Rite. Don’t forget to have a snack in between! See you there…
