Dear Constant Reader,
I’m in sunny Florida right now, but I wouldn’t forget your tip!
Go outside.
Turn off the screens and enjoy some fresh air.
Review: The G-String Murders
Dear Constant Reader,
Time for another book review. I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to read this particular book.
The G-String Murders by Gypsy Rose Lee (1941).
Although she’s better known for her memoir, this was Gypsy’s first literary offering. From the beginning there was controversy about whether she penned it herself or it was the work of a ghostwriter. I’m going to ignore all that and just review the story.
The tale is set backstage at a fictional burlesque show as told by one Gypsy Rose Lee, a fictional character, of course. The show is populated by squabbling strippers, ambitious chorus dancers, mysterious stagehands, and a variety of comics. Right off things get exciting when the show is raided and someone tries to strangle Gypsy as she flees the cops. Soon after, a haughty “Russian” “princess” joins the show and tensions grow even greater. Things finally come to a head at a party to dedicate the new toilet in the principal dancers’ dressing room. The new fixture is unveiled as well as the body of the much-disliked Prima Donna, strangled with a g-string. And she won’t be the last victim.
There are so many motives swirling around — missing stock certificates, cheating lovers, gangsters, blackmail — that anyone could be the murderer.
As mysteries go (and I read a *lot* of mysteries), it’s not fabulous. As a look backstage at a burlesque show, it’s amazing. The details are wonderful: the language, the daily routine, off-stage antics, beauty tips, &c. In general, it’s a fun read.
I was awfully disappointed in the ending where Gypsy’s boyfriend, Biff, sweeps in, saves her, and solves the crimes. She’s rightfully annoyed at him for using her as bait and then claiming all the credit. Then he proposes to her. And instead of showing the spunk she’s demonstrated for the entire book, she just melts into a puddle of romantic goo. That may have been wish fulfillment on the part of the actual Gypsy, but it’s out of character for the fictional Gypsy. I was kind of hoping she’d kick him in the shins.
The edition I have ends with an afterword by Rachel Shteir and selections from “Letters to My Editor”, a publicity pamphlet for The G-String Murders, containing letters between Gypsy and her editor, Lee Wright, about the progress of the novel.
Now I’m going to look for a copy of Mother Finds a Body, the sequel, which was no where near as popular. Also, I think I’ll rewatch Lady of Burlesque and see what kind of amazing liberties Hollywood took with the story.
Recent Busyness
Dear Constant Reader,
We’ve had a couple of shows in the last couple of days. If all had gone according to plan it would have been 3 shows in 4 days. A quick recap:
Saturday we performed for folks at a retirement community. Yes, they contacted us. The management requested the Boston version of our acts, which we did. But we knew the audience wouldn’t have been shocked. Some of them admitted to seeing burlesque at the Old Howard. At least one had seen Sally Rand. Lily, our stage kitten, was amazing. You would be so lucky to have her work your show.
Last night was “Burlesque through the Back Door” at the back room of The Burren. It’s right next door to our usual haunt at the Davis Square Theatre. We had a lot of fun and the audience seemed to as well. There were several photographers there, so I’ll share when the pictures come in. Two B.A.B.E. students, Elyse and Olivia, made their debuts as back-up dancers!
Just as we were starting to pack up, Scratch got an apologetic call from The Davis Square Theatre about The Teaseday Club. Seems they had double-booked the space. So, the Teaseday Club is postponed 1 week. Do not go to The Teaseday Club tonight! Come next Tuesday, the 8th. I’ll be at my usual perch in the box office.
Friday Tip!
Dear Constant Reader,
Happy Friday! Here’s your tip:
Read a book!
Any book. It doesn’t have to be about burlesque. Read a paper book. Read an e-book. Just read. It’s good for you.
And if you are interested in a burlesque book, there are plenty out there and many can be found in The Boston Babydolls’ Library.
Review: Gallows Hill
Dear Constant Reader,
I have a new book for you! It has absolutely nothing to do with burlesque other than the author and I have played on a couple of the same bills. You may know him as Rory Raven, mentalist and author of several books on unusual aspects of Rhode Island history (like Haunted Providence: Strange Tales from the Smallest State and Wicked Conduct: The Minister, the Mill Girl and the Murder that Captivated Old Rhode Island). This is his debut novel under his nom de plume for fiction.
Gallows Hill by Rory O’Brien (2014).
I am passionately fond of detective novels, so I was planning to read this at some point. Then a copy turned up at Stately Babydoll Manor, courtesy of the author, so I dove in.
On his first day back on the job Salem police detective Andrew Lennox did not expect to find a hanged man on Gallows Hill, on which the accused witches supposedly met their fate*. Add to this a very cold case and he’s got his hands full. Not to mention that his personal life is kind of a mess right now. As he and his partner, Sargent Michelle Ouellette, discover closely guarded secrets, the reasons behind the murders begin to emerge. And murderers aren’t the only ones keeping secrets. Obviously I don’t want to get much deeper into the plot.
It’s less of a whodunit and more of a “how-do-we-prove-they-dunit”, as the perpetrators become apparent, but the evidence does not. Unlike a lot of crime fiction I’ve read, the reasons for and details of the murders are actually believable. The two murders being investigated have nice parallels despite being completely unrelated cases.
I enjoyed the rich details of the setting. The author knows Salem very well and is clearly delighted in the mix of several centuries of history and tourist kitsch. You’ll learn quite a bit about the local history, but the facts are important to the story and never too pedantic.
I’m looking forward to further adventures of Detective Lennox and his Quebecois-cursing, cufflink-wearing partner. There are plenty of hooks for further character development, so it seems likely that we will see them again.
For more of Rory O’Brien’s work, you can read the serial Summerland. It’s not finished yet, but there are about 20 chapters to enjoy. [EDIT: That site is now dead, but the book was completed and published.]
*It was most likely elsewhere, but you’ll discover that when you read the book.
Latest News
Dear Constant Reader,
I bet you’re wondering what’s going on in the wonderful world of your humble correspondent. Or not, but I’m going to tell you anyway.
On Saturday afternoon, the Boston Babydolls have a private show down in Rhode Island. Depending on how tired I am after that, I might attend a gender-swapped staged reading of The Taming of the Shrew.
Monday night, March 31st, is Burlesque Through the Backdoor at The Burren in Davis Square. Door are at 7:30PM and tickets are $15 for general admission and $25 for reserved front row seats. We’ll be presenting a number of our favorite acts, with striptease, singing, tapdance and more. And you’ll see the debut of our backup dancers, Elyse and Olivia!
The very next day, April 1st (no fooling!) is The Teaseday Club! You’ll see burlesque from the hard-working Ginny Nightshade, Victoria Van Layer from The Beat City Beauties, and Cookie Queen Brigitte Bisoux. Also bellydance from Zia, comedy from Mike Lemme, and I’m sure Scratch will do something impossible again. Tickets have gone up to $15, but you can still buy them in advance (which makes things much easier on the box office gal) and support your favorite performer. [EDIT: Whoops! Ginny Nightshade will be performing in May. Stella Diamond will be appearing in April.]
Yes, that’s 3 shows in 4 days.
And B.A.B.E. continues to be busy! We have a brand-new website! It’s a work in progress, but what isn’t…
In April BABEfit is on Mondays at 6:00PM. Your lovely instructors will be Mandy, Brigitte Bisoux or Devora Darling, depending on which week it is. Registration is only $12 in advance and $15 at the door.
Introduction to Burlesque with Mandy follows at 7:00PM. The Early Bird Pricing is still in effect until next Monday — all 4 classes are only $85! Sign up now and save.
I’m sorry to say that “Putting It All Together” with Brigitte Bisoux is completely sold out. The lucky few who signed up are going to have an amazing time!
There’s a rumor that the next Beyond Basic Burlesque series is going to be on chair dance. I’ll keep you posted…
And that’s the news!
Friday Tip!
Dear Constant Reader,
I’m sorry for the lack of dispatches this week. I’ve been awfully busy doing what feels like a whole lot of nothing and it’s left me kind of uninspired. Help inspire me! What do you want to see on this blog?
But despite everything, I would not forget your Friday Tip!
Take time to relax and recharge.
Go for a walk, read a book, take a bath, dance for fun, watch a movie. Get away from work (even if you love it) for a little while.
That’s advice I plan to take tonight.
Friday Tip!
Dear Constant Reader,
Happy Friday! Here’s your tip:
Be subtle with your scent.
Perfume and other forms of fragrance are lovely, but use a light touch. You don’t want to be That Person who has everyone gagging and gasping in her wake. You know who I’m talking about…
If your perfume (parfum, cologne, eau de toilette, &c.) is in an atomizer, spritz the air just in front of you and walk though the spray, preferably naked. If it’s in a bottle, use your finger to lightly dab a touch on your pulse points: wrists, throat, back of knees. That’s really all you need.
You want a ghost of your scent to cling, not an aromatic bludgeon to assault.
I’m all for signature scents (and I wish I could decide on one!). You can always use several products from the same line for a gentle layering effect, like perfume, lotion, and soap. Sometimes you can even find sachets or scented drawer liners.
Don’t wear fragrance of any kind in enclosed places (plane, bus, &c.) or places that are going to get warm (dance rehearsal, yoga class, &c.) It’s just polite not to overwhelm your compatriots.
Fit & Flair Progress (sort of)
Dear Constant Reader,
I bet you’ve been wondering what happened to my Fit & Flair dress! When last we left our heroine, she just had to tack down the neck facing and hem the skirt. Well, and then I had to take in the darts in the back even more because the bodice was bagging on me.
The hemming was a bit of a pain. Well, the hemming itself was perfectly fine, if tedious. It was making sure the full circle skirt was even all ’round. My Little Friend has a hem marker, but I’ll be damned if I can figure it out. I ended up using an unglamourous measuring tape, but it did come out nice and even.
Ta da!
Look, I even made a cute belt. True confession: it was supposed to have a buckle, but I forgot to add enough extra fabric, so it snaps instead. And I have a vintage brooch to add some interest like a faux buckle. And there was a plan (and material) for a pink crinoline.
But I’m not happy with the dress. In fact, I’m down right frustrated. It doesn’t fit well. The skirt is great but the bodice hangs badly off my shoulders. If you look at the picture, you can sort of see how the neckline is standing away from the mannequin’s body and you can see her camisole straps showing. It’s even worse on me.
Before you ask, no, I didn’t make a mock-up before I began. I’ve never had any problems with Folkwear patterns before. Butterick is another story…
I have no idea how to adjust the fit. It’s the sleeves that are the problem. They are cut in one piece with the bodice so there’s no armscye (or anything) to adjust. And I really don’t want to make adjustments to the center front as I did all that tricky pattern matching. I had Marion Hunt of Vixens Ahoy and Mimi Mischief, skilled seamstresses both, take a look at it and they were pretty baffled.
My only recourse may be to make a new bodice, from a different pattern, and mate it with the skirt. I suppose I could take off the bodice and add a waistband to the skirt and have it stand alone.
I’m very disappointed.
Grumpily yours,
Mardi Tease 3/4/14
Dear Constant Reader,
The Teaseday Club opened for members on March 4th. As it turns out, that was Mardi Gras (for real) so there was an extra big show. There were beads for all the guest and plenty of drinking.
Scratch hosted the show. Our stage kittens were Elyse and Vanity. After 2 months off, I was back in the box office. All photos are by Peter Gordon.
Set 1
Dagny Vanderlust, reigning Cookie Queen, performed a ballet-inspired striptease to one of her favorite songs, “Canvas Wonderland”. Despite the ballet trappings, it was still creepy. If the music sounded familiar, it’s because you’ve seen her unwrapping bondage tape from around herself to that very tune.
Matt Kona did a stand-up set (I was still in the box office at this point).
Lucie Luxe, former Cookie Queen and all-time sales champ, presented a brand-new striptease, in which she had to decide between waiting for Prince Charming and going on a life of adventure. If you know Lucie, you’ll know which one she chose. The music was, appropriately, “Royals”, a rendered by the Vitamin String Quartet.
Emily Hect brought a little Big Easy to our Mardi Gras celebrations by singing “Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans?”. I was back in the box office, but I could hear her, no problem. She’s got one powerful voice.
Brigitte Bisoux, holding the title of Cookie Queen most frequently, showed us the morning after. She lovely removed her night attire with the help of some “Black Coffee” (the song, as well as the beverage). After slowly getting dressed after her night of debauchery, she realized she just wanted a little more and undressed again to “Sugar in My Bowl”.
Set 2
Nonye Brown-West started things off with a stand-up set.
Lucie Luxe presented another new act. I was looking forward to this one because she had announced that was going to show off a big trick — I was dying to know what it was. She used “Here Comes the Sun” and I think we all could sympathize with her desire for better weather after this winter. And the big trick? One-sided tassel twirling!!
Scratch just wanted to make a drink, but his vermouth bottle and glass kept switching places. Then the bottle magically just kept multiplying. All to the tune of, of course, “It’s Martini Time”.
Vikki Likkerish, wearing little more than a string of balloons around her hips, danced to “Baby Did A Bad Bad Thing”, a favorite of mine.
Matt Kona closed things out with more comedy.
Set 3
Vikki Likkerish did a number I’d never seen before, stripping out of a stunning multi-layer costume in Mardi Gras colors to “Sweet Child O’ Mine” as done by Scott Bradlee & Postmodern Jukebox. Brigitte will be using this amazing song in her Beyond Basic Burlesque class in April (and students have to opportunity to perform to it at the June Teaseday Club)! Please forgive the brief commercial plug.
Emily Hecht sang “Mercy On Me”. That woman has such an amazing set of pipes. I think half the audience was scared and the other half fell in love.
Dagny Vanderlust presented a brand-new act. She had workshopped it for The Boston Babydolls the previous week and I was looking forward to seeing it in its finished format. No pictures of this one because she was wrapped in a black cloak and then you got to see everything and I don’t like to post pastie pix (go to the show for that).
Nonye Brown-West did her second comedy set.
Brigitte Bisoux finished off the night with a look toward Spring. And here in Boston, that means one thing — Opening Day. Brigitte was the cutest member of the Red Sox as she stripped off her uniform to, what else, “Sweet Caroline”. It was freakin’ adorable and contained a little dance in-joke for Betty Blaize.
And who won The Great Teaseday Cookie?
No surprise, Brigitte Bisoux. You’ll see her again on April 1st, along with Ginny Nightshade, Victoria Van Layer, Zia, and Mike Lemme. Get your tickets now while they’re still only $10!
Oh, The Glamourous Life! 