09/18/2022
The present-time image of burlesque is that showgirls come and get naked, and there is some mild awareness of the costuming element dubbed “pasties”. The public is generally content with this existing representation. I mentioned this to Shane, the front man for the band I arranged to play that night, “A Lack of Champions”. He was attentive and I seized the occasion to speak freely while the theater was empty. I recounted that as a newcomer to burlesque, we would tease the audience and sometimes snub the audience completely. Featuring acts with no sexual content whatsoever. I did not fully spell it out, but wanted him to know that he was the burlesque show. Because of this lost role. This previous component of improvisational theater is what brought me to the box office of “the Voodoo”. Equally this untamed, genuine skill is what is so fascinating about my co-producer, and captain of our troupe, Poptart Ram-Paige. The first show we worked together, my DJ forgot his music and I just DJ’d the entire show myself. Paige peacefully polishes her acts. She makes minor adjustments to long, technical choreography as if it were her first nature. She is a natural; we are natives to the art. Consequently we love burlesque, however it’s defined.