Jo Weldon's New York School of Burlesque

As a cat lover, I seek out my fellow feline fanatics to interview for my blog. Since my blog is about the burlesque I experience, they are often people with whom I've become friends over time, some for decades, some much more recently. Enjoy this Feline Fridays interview with Icky Muffin! While his rhinestoned leopard print socks and heels caught my eye on the lobby carpet at the Orleans Hotel,  it turns out he's as dazzling in the air as on the ground -- and that year he took home one of the most coveted awards in the world of burlesque, Best Boylesque, with his incredible bratty cat routine. While some folks worry that the BHoF competition is getting too orthodox, he proved that you can play with a roll of toilet paper onstage and still take home the trophy. See this complete performance at  https://vimeo.com/304483006 Jo: Where are you located, and where do you perform the most? Icky: I currently live in Austin Texas, but most of my performances ar...

My friend Colleen Scott  recently published her book Costumes of Burlesque and you need it!  It’s a gorgeous book! shows many costumes from the history of burlesque in vivid detail and gives context for the ways they were used. Since I’m involved in burlesque I’m very aware that burlesque costumes happen in layers, and this book does a magnificent job of showing all the details of those layers.  The stages of striptease are documented in fabulous step by step images that help readers visual the costumes in performance.  It’s such a fun technique! It also shows burlesque costumes as they really are, not just the gowns — though the gowns are there, in glamorous full color.  The chapters on neo burlesque illuminate the current scene with several  of its best known stars.  It’s an invaluable tool for studying burlesque, costume, theater, gender in performance, and the ways underground cultures affect mainstream fashion and vice versa.  And che...

Thursday, August 15, 2019 - 9:30pm New York's Newest Strip Cheese! https://www.coneyisland.com/event/folliesfromage2019 Hungry? Restless? Craving savory repletion? You need more culture in your life! Come see burlesque at its dairy best, starring the freshest cream of the crop of our scene. You will never see a grater show. Students of Coney Island's Master Class in Burlesque will perform 11 original debut routines! We've been keeping burlesque cheesy for over a decade now! This show is notorious for encouraging performers to create innovative and absurd acts on the fly. Featuring: Charlotta Burrata Darlina Extraordinaire Juno Stardust Lovey Boheme Miss Anne Mary Miss Ruby Pavlova Rocky Sourpop Tabby Twitch Tempest Whip Velvet DeLorean Zozo Smacks Hosted by Headmistress Jo Boobs Weldon Special guest stars: Miss Coney Island 2017 Tiger Bay Miss Coney Island 2019 Pearls Daily 18 to enter. 21+ with proper I.D. to drink. ...

There are a few people I've known in burlesque over many ups and downs, through all its changes, as we've watched changes both welcome and unwelcome in the art form we fell in love with over two decades ago. Desire D'Amour is one of them. I've been wanting to interview her for a long time, not only because she's one of the smartest, funniest, most passionate people I know, but because I often find her contribution to burlesque is under-represented. She's not one to promote herself on social media, though she can be found there; she just quietly, thoroughly, consistently, gets shit done. I'm excited for you to get to know her better! Jo Weldon: When and how did you get into burlesque? Desire D'Amour: I was a club stripper for several years. I had recently quit and started working in an office job, but I missed some things about stripping – picking music, creating the right costume, interacting with the crowd and, of course, being on the ...

Above: Archival photos of Camille Above: Photo by Marie Baronnet “ Burlesque legend Camille 2000 ( Camille Sands ) passed away today after a lengthy battle with cancer. “The Girl for Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow” was awarded ou r 2019 Living Legend Award for her contribution to burlesque. Her work, like her signature "Marquis de Sade" act, consistently pushed against and expanded the boundaries of the art. More than that, she was an active supporter of today's neo-burlesque performers, with a vocal online presence and a steady stream of performances at festivals and local events. She will be deeply missed.” --From The Burlesque Hall of Fame, July 28, 2019 Somewhere on my old phone I have photos from a few years ago of Camille in the bathroom at the Orleans Hotel shoving redhots down the back of my pants. If I find them, I'll add them, but for now I'm sure you can enhance this memory gloriously in your imagination. My birthda...

Lots of bangin' burlesque from Boo Bess, Cheeky Lane, Fem Appeal, Gal Friday, Jonny Porkpie, Twatley Crue, Veronica Viper, gogo and stage kittening by Quantum Physique, student troupe The Titillations, and special reading by Slutist Kristen Korvette from her upcoming book CatCall!  Plus I'll be hosting and telling sordid stories of my years as a stripper and groupie in the 1980s. Not your usual night of burlesque -- this is a one-time-only event! Details and Tickets

Above: Gypsy Rose Lee's memoir. Do you hate writing your bio? Everybody does! But I've done it many many times, for myself as well as for others, and there are ways to make it easier. Your bio serves several functions. In an application, it helps to convince producers you're interesting or qualified. In show promotion, it gives press interview topics and it makes potential audience members curious to see you. During production, it gives the emcee something to say about you before you perform. Thinking about these functions helps you understand what to put into your bio. It's not a resume or CV; it's a snapshot of you, an entertaining teaser about your style. It's ideal if it's fun to read, but professional and realistic. The goal is to get people interested. Quick summary 1-10: 1) Write it in the third person. 2) Since this is a general bio, write it about you rather than about your character or persona, unless you have a specific reason to wr...