It has been a busy week in burlesque.Here are some of the stories that caught our eye.
Sukki Singapora: the Queen’s new tea buddy is one of burlesque’s rising stars.
- It took a week but the New York Times finally realised that Dixie Evans has died. In other news, JFK is looking forward to his trip to Dallas. Read our tribute to the burlesque legend here.
- While Robin Thicke, Calvin Harris and Justin Timberlake prefer naked women in their videos, older British singers have shown a mite more sophistication. Sophia St Villier appeared in Franz Ferdinand’s latest video and now recent immigré Immodesty Blaize has popped up in Blue’s Break My Heart.
- Is “burlesque dancer” and The Box employee Sophie Moss dating Harry Styles? Or Prince Harry? Or yet another Harry? Toms and Dicks, stand by your phones.
- August has been non-stop for the globe-trotting Sukki Singapora. This week, she became the face of a new English fashion brand while campaigning for performers’ rights north of the border: “One performer per night is being sexually assaulted in Edinburgh, yet nothing is done. Dancers are being sexually molested. We also see biting, which is disgusting and abhorrent.” In September, she’ll be going to Buckingham Palace to make history as the first burlesque artist to be invited for tea there. Ms Singapura, we salute you.
- By day, Victoria Sadler used to be a banker at Merrill Lynch earning £150,000 per year; by night she walked on stage as burlesquer Victoria L’Etoile. When her company found out, they used it to force her out of her job. Sadler has had the last laugh, though, as she has now written a book about it.
- Screen and stage star Nathan Lane is getting rave reviews on Broadway as a gay burlesque performer in The Nance. This week comes news that the play is being filmed for PBS – let’s hope it crosses the pond in one form or another.
- Cabaret has been inspired by a number of different cultural icons, for example the David Lynch-influenced Double R Club. Last night, Texan After Dark Revue took its cues from the Brighton-based murder-balladeer Nick Cave. Whose next? Slipknot? Roald Dahl?
- Bandwagon news: casting spots are now open for the latest American effort to commercialise burlesque. On the lookout for “tasteful” dancers is Texas’ Trucks & Tatas, an event that will “combine a female review (sic) show with Beer, Wine and Spirit gardens, plus only (San Diego)’s most desired gourmet food trucks.” Mmm…gourmet food trucks.
- …And finally, it took 9 months but a curious video emerged this Tuesday of Sam Horowitz, a boy entering manhood in the formal Jewish manner: in front of friends and family, he performed a high-energy choreographed routine amidst a troupe of showgirls. Sorry, did we say curious? We meant UTTERLY BATSHIT BONKERS.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-ByhUDUllM#at=123 Image: My Boudoir
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