Babes in Space has come and gone again. For those who don't know (how could you not?) Babes in Space is my yearly Star Trek vs Star Wars burlesque show. For the last two years we've run double shows, which I've discovered is actually much easier and more fulfilling than running a single show!
El Toro, Kinky Biskit, and Charlie Quinn as Ewoks
This year the theme was 3-DD and I like to think we entertained in ALL dimensions! With singing, dancing, ewoks, cupcakes, aerialists, and some high profile audience members (like Playboy illustrator Doug Sneyd!) it was a packed show both nights!
Daytona Bitch as Princess Leia
This show has always been plagued with controversy, duplicates, and last minute 'Augh' factors...and this year was no different. The biggest hurdle this year was trying to figure out whether the show would have its customary booth at FanExpo, Toronto's largest nerd convention. Despite registration back in January, I didn't actually know if I had a table until a few weeks before the show. Luckily, I was able to share a space with The Comic Book Lounge, since despite my early registration I apparently did NOT have a position.
Coco Framboise as Uhura
The convention went well, despite the fact that the late notice meant I had no actualy merchandise beyond some prints and pasties to sell at the table. We sell a lot of tickets at the convention, but unfortunately that doesn't go towards covering the high table cost! It goes straight to production costs and performer pay.
That being said, the success of the show always makes the hurdles of putting it on worth it.
Nasty Canasta as Darth Vader
I had the privilege of booking Nasty Canasta,
one of NYC's biggest (and most hilarious) performers. Nasty had been
incredibly welcoming in my July trip to NYC (despite being under the
weather and very busy) and I was happy to have her and her Darth Vader booty on my stage.
Here's a few shots from the show, and a video with clips and reviews from the first night!
Ladies and gentlemen, and those resolutely refusing to be classified as neither (scoundrels and strumpets!) Toronto's Strip Search competition is back!
Though they skipped a year, they've returned strong, and if you're a new performer you're really going to want to get in on this chance to ROCKET to stardom like Trixi Jones, the previous Strip Search winner! Past Strip Search competitiors include Obskyura, Dew Lily and Miss dd Starr! All have gone on to become well known names in our community and beyond! Follow in their glittery footsteps. I compel you.
I've included the event information and application below, kindly stolen from our community staple, the Canadian Wolfman!
The Toronto Burlesque Festival Presents: STRIP SEARCH Sunday April 1st at The Revival Nightclub
783 College Street, Doors at 7pm, Show at 8pm.
**** Performer Application
(IMPORTANT NOTE: in order to participate in Strip Search Toronto, you
must have only been performing in Burlesque since no earlier than June
1, 2010. Contest open to Ontario residents only.)
Name:
Stage name:
Email:
Phone Number to be best reached at:
BACKGROUND INFO
Have you ever performed a live burlesque act?
If so, when and at what show was your first performance?
Have you performed in any subsequent shows? Give brief details.
Why do you want to take part in Strip Search?
How long have you been going to burlesque shows as an audience member?
Give details of your general performance and/or dance background, if any (i.e. theatre experience, dance classes, etc.):
YOUR ACT
Musical Selection (if applicable):
a) Name of song you are using:
b) Artist:
c) Length of act:
* Please provide a description of your act. Include information on your
costume, mood of the routine, any gimmicks or props, the plot/storyline
of your act or anything else you think is important to share. If you
are altering your number from a video you have attached, please let us
know of the planned changes. We will be using this information to help
craft the show so that your act has maximum impact, in the event that
you are selected to compete.
*Please provide the URL to a video of your act, IF you have one (we understand that many new performers may not have this )
*Are there other people involved in your routine? This includes people
in walk-on roles. Please list both stage and real names here, if any:
*What are your technical requirements for this number, in terms of
clean-up and set-up? Be especially specific and thorough about what you
require for stage set-up.
Please e-mail applications to Canadian Wolfman at wolfspill@yahoo.com and be SURE to attach a photo of yourself.
ALL APPLICATIONS MUST BE RECEIVED BEFORE MARCH 5, AND ALL APPLICANTS WILL BE NOTIFIED BY MARCH 12.
My monthly show Reveal Me at the Rivoli is all about supporting and integrating new performers into our community. I believe in giving my Virgin Vixens a solid start, and Strip Search is definitely a step in the right direction!
I'll be there at the show April 1st to cheer on all of the newcomers, and I hope you will too!
The beautiful Red Herring created quite a buzz with her “Fairy Dust”
themed scene. Set to Justin Timberlake’s Sexyback, she performed her
routine wearing delicate blue fairy wings that sparkled under the stage
lights. Starting off with a gorgeous blue corset, matching fringe
g-string accentuated with white bows, and opera gloves, she flittered
like a butterfly across the stage as she slowly and sensually peeled
layer after layer. The wings only came off at the end to be used for the
final reveal. The whole scene came together beautifully when she blew
fairy dust into the audience as she was leaving the stage. This lady
knows how to think on her feet and improv seems to be a natural
extension for her – she seemed comfortable and confident with her
instant routine.
I'm always a fan of the Toronto International Film Festival and the celebrity chaos it brings to the city. People tend to flock. Unfortunately the TTC feels the burden, and going anywhere downtown is a mess. Regardless, the chance encounters with some sexy stars tend to make it worthwhile.
Every year I end up working a TIFF event somehow, and luckily this was my second year at the Raindance gala! Take a look below at the interview I did while there!
One of my friends saw Ryan Gosling last year, hanging out at Cherry Cola's (where I used to gogo dance!) and another ran into Robert Pattinson.
I'm happy for the networking oppourtunities and the amusing artists I tend to meet.
Can't wait until TIFF 2012!
Laura is a makeup artist bent on showing ladies and gentlemen that they too can be glamorous, beautiful and stunning creatures. Her blog contains tip and How-to articles, reviews and interviews, and more!
GLAMOUR: the quality of fascinating, alluring, or attracting, especially by a combination of charm and good looks!
Think you don't have those qualities?!? Think again! Applied Glamour is here to insist otherwise!
Take a look at her blog, read some hilarious remarks I've made regarding boob contouring, and learn!
Babes in Space: The Wrath of Thong
was a sold-out spectacular spanning two nights at Revival Nightclub.
Toronto has never seen this level of sci-fi naked burlesque mayhem, and never will
again UNTIL 2012 when we return!
Thank you to my performers, sponsors, and
audience for making this Star Trek vs Star Wars geek-out fantastic! Take a look at a video compilation,
featuring performance clips, backstage peeks, and more!
For the zombie concept, we wanted to stray away from the typical horror-film zombie, and didn't want to go to hard in the direction of pin-up zombies either. Historically, zombies come from voodoo traditions in the deep south, so we decided instead to go for more of a voodoo priestess zombie, a bayou ghoul, etc.
Winning this contest would be an amazing victory for Toni and Mark, as this photo would appear on the front page of The Zed Word for a full year! I, of course, would be taking part in that victory as well!
What are you waiting for? Go vote for me! I'm #8, and hoping to pull in some more votes before the contest closes on September 22nd. I promise I'll chew on your bodyparts first when the apocalypse comes!
More photos from this set will be made available upon my triumph!
Last year was my first ever attempt at producing a burlesque show. It was an opportunity for me to learn the ropes of pulling together a group of solo performers and constructing a night of stellar entertainment. It was also equal doses of insanity and doom.
I promoted tirelessly and we did a huge push during the weekend of the geeky sci-fi slash anime slash horror slash comic slash gaming slash GAH convention Fan Expo, which is a smaller version of San Diego Comic Con (and the biggest of its kind we currently have in Canada).
The show last year was a Star Trek versus Star Wars burlesque battle, Babes in Space: The Force, The Federation, The Fornication, sold out the Rivoli. I had to turn people away at the door! Despite my headliner cancelling an hour before curtain time (who does that?!) and a host of other insanity-causing issues leading up to the show (co-producing six shows, the convention itself, random variables that come about from trying to heard cats performers) the event itself was a resounding success!
Here's the trailer below, and stay tuned for performer features over the next few days!
Tickets are available online at: http://babesinspace2.eventbrite.com and I highly suggest you purchase them in advance if you plan on coming. There's an online discount (only $20! $25 at the door) and you're guaranteed a seat!
Me and some lovely ladies will be at Fan Expo again over the coming weekend, August 25-28th promoting the event. Come find us in Artists Alley229 and pick up some tickets, pasties, and a boozey cupcake or two!
Like many burlesque dancers, I keep an eye on 21st Century Burlesque for news and articles surrounding our bedazzled world of booty and booby shaking. They bring several of the burlesque worlds' best writers to the fore, and handle the yearly Burlesque Top 50 (a feat, if any, that's sure to induce Boob Coma*).
She's sexy, sassy, and knows her shit, so when she put out a call looking for photos for one of her upcoming articles, I jumped at the chance and clobbered her DM box with pictures of myself scantily clad in a comic book store. That article has now gone live: Doing Your Research - Part 2
Check out 21st Century Burlesque and take a gander at what they have to offer. I barely scratch the surface here at chez blog. Over there you can dive into a world of rhinestones.
~ Red Herring
* Boob Coma - as coined by someone much more experienced in the burlesque world than I, is when you've seen so much burlesque, and so much boob, that boobs thereby lose their meaning, and despite the quality and excitement of the acts you end up slack jawed and possibly drooling from mammary overload.
** Keep an eye out for a special post on Craig Cochrane, an excellent photographer whom I adore more than possibly healthy.
"The first thing I want to say is that I love the mix of sexy and cute that her outfit is.. The heart on her tail is especially cute and I have to admit that I giggled when I saw it the first time… Her dancing is really amazing and I love the little touches of whimsy and fun she was placed into her art… The feathers are an especially fun touch that I think would have gone over really well at the show I am sure…I also think the horns are really nice, and her corset just makes the whole ensemble fit together just so wonderfully…"
Pin-Up Talk showcases Models, Photographers, Artists, Designers and many other professional people in the Industry. They have a collection of videos and interviews with a variety of amazing performers, and I'm flattered to be featured there!
Look what they wrote about me!
"There’s something about this fiery redhead from Canada that burns through to the core of your mind desiring more of her tease. Playful, suggestive, animated, sexy, sensual and turbulently exciting, the Red Herring encases a sweet innocence paired with a deviant little twinkle. A combination of traits that would start a blazing fire within your soul almost instantaneously."
I was happy to stage-kitten in a recent production at Revival called Ridiculesque, starring some amazing and hilarious performers from all over the city.
Regardless, the show was fun, and running around picking up panties dressed as Harley Quinn was pretty epic.
One problem though:
"They told organizers that an audience member phoned in a complaint during the first half of the show."
Who would go to a BURLESQUE show and complain? Really? That's like going to a BBQ and being offended when there's meat. Apparently a commenter on the article feels the same!
"...I'd love to know exactly which bluestockinged idiot paid to see a BURLESQUE show that was billed as being particularly wild and outrageous (I mean, it featured Russell Oliver, for god's sake), signed a waiver at the start, acknowledging that the show could be offensive, then phoned in a complaint after being offended."
All should blow over, but it certainly added an element of ridiculesness to the night!
