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| Girls,
Girls, Girls |
| In the mood for
something blue? The Second Annual New York Burlesque Festival is shakin'
this weekend. |
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| BY RAVEN SNOOK |
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| Drag king Murray
Hill with the World Famous Pontani Sisters. |
The three-day celebration of burlesque's second heyday features a
cornucopia of sexy singers, bands, dancers, specialty acts and striptease
performers. The festival is broken into four titillating shows at
a quartet of venues. "Our venues are about ten times bigger than
they were last year," says Angie Pontani, a member of veteran
burlesque trio The World Famous Pontani Sisters, one of the
event's organizers. "That means more performers, more rhinestones,
more tail feathers and more pasties!"
• For more info, see thenewyorkburlesquefestival.com. |
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The
Premiere Party
Friday, May 14 2004
Pussycat Lounge
Two floors of voluptuous fun await you: Downstairs, a bevy of scantily
clad go-go dancers and burlesque beauties show off their considerable
assets on the runway behind the bar, while upstairs risqué
musical acts take over the cabaret stage. Key performances include
New York's guitar-strumming and trapeze-swinging duo The Wau Wau
Sisters, who will play some of their raunchy ditties; The Wet
Spots from Vancouver, who sing songs as suggestive as their name;
Diamondback Annie, a Los Angeles-based, drag king Elvis impersonator
who reveals what The King was really shaking behind his pelvis; and
zaftig chanteuse Phat Man Dee from Pittsburgh—a cross
between Divine and Julie Wilson—who croons standards with a lurid
twist. If you spy a full-grown, mustachioed man dressed up as a rabbit,
don't think you've gone the way of Jimmy Stewart. That's just performance
artist Scotty the Blue Bunny presiding over the shindig. "It's
a very party environment," says Pontani. "We have about
20 performers scheduled that night, but the entire burlesque community
will be there. Last year, it even led to a couple of impromptu numbers."
• 96 Greenwich St. near Rector St.;
212-285-6100; Doors open at 8 p.m.; $10; pussycatlounge.com
America's Favorite Burlesque Game Show: This
or That!
Saturday, May 15, 2004
Coney Island
The funniest game show that's not shown on television because…
well, because you can't show this kind of stuff on the tube. Loaded
with off-color humor, semi-naked bodies, and sex toys, This or
That! is the brainchild of Fred Kahl, a magician and sword-swallower
who MCs the show as The Great Fredini along with his coquettish
co-host, the stunning Julie Atlas Muz. Originally created as
part of Coney Island's Burlesque at the Beach summer series, a number
of festival participants will guest star for this spring edition including
Bambi, Bunny Luv and Lady Ace. If you want to
be a contestant, all you have to do is show up and leave your inhibitions
at home. Vie for cash, prizes or the chance to be spanked by answering
a variety of X-rated questions and shedding some clothes. Eventually
you will be forced to pick between two doors and, well, we're not
going to spoil all the fun.
• Sideshows by the Seashore, Coney Island;
3 p.m.; $15; www.thisorthat.tv
The Saturday Spectacular
Saturday, May 15, 2004
Avalon
The climax of the festival, Saturday night's extravaganza showcases
the all-stars of the neo-burlesque circuit. Hosted by drag king Murray
Hill, the self-declared "hardest working middle-aged man
in show business," the evening features over 40 acts bound to
cover the stage in sequins, sweat, and sex. The Fisherman Burlesque
Orchestra, a seven-piece band, will back lovely ladies with names
like Amber Ray, Jo Boobs, Trixie Little, Oh
De Twirlette, Bella Beretta, The Glamazons, Immodestry
Blaize, Miss Saturn and Delirium Tremens.
But don't call these gals strippers. A stripper just gets naked. These
women elevate the process to an intricate and often hysterical art
form. And just like old-school burlesque, the bill mixes it up with
other kinds of talent including vocalists (Torchy Taboo from
Atlanta), sideshow acts (the Bronx's own Angelo Silver doing
rope tricks), dance troupes (The Pontani Family Reunion Dancers),
and bits that defy description (the irrepressible Tigger.) If you
decide to take some of the glamour home with you, check out the burlesque
boutique where you can purchase pasties, corsets and other naughty
items.
• 660 Sixth Ave. at 20th St.; 212-807-7780;
Doors open at 7 p.m.; $25 in advance, $30 at the door
Burlesque Brunch & The Golden Pastie
Awards
Sunday, May 16, 2004
The Cutting Room
See your cheesecake and eat it too at this new addition to the festival:
a burlesque awards show. Log on to the festival's official
website to vote for your favorite performer or troupe in such
tongue-in-cheek categories as "most likely to eventually go into
politics," "biggest tease," "best turbo tassel
twirling skills," and, of course, "best boobs." The
totals will be tallied on Sunday morning and the lucky winners will
receive—you guessed it—a pair of golden pasties. Miss
Astrid, the eye-patch wearing German diva who MCs New York's celebrated
Va Va Voom Room burlesque show will serve as hostess and award giver.
In between the thank-you speeches—or whatever these gals decide
to do to express their gratitude—catch performances by the likes
of Skin Tight Outta Sight, Panty Raid, Miss Mitzy
Cream and Rosewood, as well as a burlesque fashion show
featuring creations by Delicious Corsets, Mode Merr and
Helles Belles. And you thought Sunday was for church.
• 19 W. 24th St. between Broadway and
Sixth Ave.; 212-691-1900; Doors open at 1 p.m.; $20; thecuttingroomnyc.com
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Homegrown
Heroines
The city's biggest burlesque stars are always available to entertain.
Bonnie Dunn: A veteran cabaret and burlesque performer, Dunn's
hilariously dirty song parodies are only topped by her stunning fan
dances. See her on Saturday nights at her long-running burlesque show,
Le Scandal. (The Cutting Room, 19 W. 24th St. between Broadway and
Sixth Ave.; 212-691-1900; Show at 10:30 p.m.; $15; lescandal.com)
Little Brooklyn:
This curvy lady gives new meaning to the term sugar rush with
her candy-coated routines. You may never look at a Tootsie Roll the
same way again. Catch her every Thursday at Starshine Burlesque. (RiFiFi,
332 E. 11th St. near First Ave.; 212-677-6309; Doors open at 10 p.m.;
$5 plus a one-drink minimum; starshineburlesque.com)
Miss Dirty
Martini: As full of fun as she is full-figured, Dirty (as
her fans call her) elicits laughs with her gloriously campy routines.
When she arrives on stage covered in balloons, you know it's just
a matter of time before everything ends up popping out.
The Wau Wau Sisters:
Burlesque goes legit as this country singing, costume stripping
duo makes its off-Broadway debut with a seven-week run at Ars Nova.
(Ars Nova, 511 W. 54th St., between Tenth and Eleventh Aves.; 212-489-9800;
May 12-June 26 Wed.-Sat. at 10 p.m.(some Wednesdays they don't perform.);
$20; arsnovanyc.com)
The World Famous
*BOB*: Her tremendous measurements 47 ½ F - 34 -45 are only
exceeded by her overwhelming talents. You've never seen a martini
shaken and stirred quite like this.
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| Published
May 10, 2004 |
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