Artist Spotlight: Introduction

Dear Constant Reader,

I know a number of people who are creative and skilled artists and I have been the beneficiary of not only their talents, but also their kindness and generosity. I’d like share their work with you and what it meant to me.

You all know the story of Pubert the Bat, but one of the important parts of his story is that he turned up when I was having a rough time. His presence* continues to cheer me and bring me luck.

Last year was one of the worst in my life and these artisans helped bring a little joy into it. I appreciate their artistry, but the gifts mean so much more to me. In a dark time they brought some light into my life, knowing that someone was thinking of me. You know the saying “Food is love”? In this case it was “crafting is caring”.

I’m having trouble finding the right words, so I’ll stop now and let the individual artworks speak.

M2These writings and other creative projects are supported by my 19 Patrons. Thank you so much! To become a Patron, go to my Patreon page. Or you can just tip me if you liked this.

*Although his cage needs a little repair work. Bartholomew tried to climb it. Worry not — Pubert is fine. With the exception of a couple of tassels that Bart couldn’t resist and were reduced to shreds, it’s nothing a little wood glue can’t fix.

Published in: on 18 December 2023 at 5:03 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Friday Tip

Dear Constant Reader,

Happy Friday! I hope you have your tickets to BRRRlesque tonight because we are sold out!

Here’s your tip:

Most Western music is in 4/4 time, which lends itself to moves in fours. To shake things up, try three moves that are the same and one that’s different. 

For example, instead of four alternating hip bumps (right, left, right, left), try right, left, right, front. Extra credit if the last move is more dynamic or explosive, like three little chest shimmies followed by a chest pop.

M2These writings and other creative projects are supported by my 19 Patrons. Thank you so much! To become a Patron, go to my Patreon page. Or you can just tip me if you liked this.

Published in: on 15 December 2023 at 1:50 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Book Review: Giblet and Belle

Dear Constant Reader,

After the previous rather mediocre review, I wanted to share some books I can actually endorse. They’re not about burlesque, but some of my other favorite things: mysteries and cats.

There are three books by Robert Lay, so far:
Giblet and Belle: The Case of the Missing Ring, 2021
Giblet and Belle: The Case of the One Still Too Many, 2022
Giblet and Belle: The Case of the Vendetta, 2023

In this world it’s the cats who are solving the mysteries. I know that sounds twee, but it’s not. The cats are the main characters, foiling criminals and gently (and not so gently) nudging humans in the right direction. Unbeknownst to People, for thousands of years there have been cats who are Protectors, looking out for humans and keeping order.

When our story first begins, tiny kitten Belle has only recently been adopted from a shelter by The People and is getting used to the new home in Torrington, Connecticut that she shares with dignified tabby Giblet (her best friend), old Joel Grey the Russian Blue, and the formidable Maine Coon Mittens. After a burglary, Belle learns that Mittens is a Protector, from a long line of heroic French cats. Mittens sees something promising in Belle and begins training her as a Protector.

In the second book, Belle is officially an apprentice Protector. The People and all their pets go to West Virginia for the summer so the Man-Person, a history professor, can do research for his book on moonshine production. Here we learn Joel Grey’s backstory and how he ended up with The People. The cats (along with canine and human allies) find themselves trying to bring a murderer to justice and save a family legacy. We also learn quite a bit about distilling whiskey, a major plot point. I do like novels with some educational content!

The third book, with Belle as a full-fledged Protector with her own protégé, delves deeper into the complexities and history of the cat world. We also meet several new cats: the kittens Holly Bear and Hamilton, and Holmes, a consulting cat detective, of course. The stakes are even higher in this story with a series of murders and a diabolical criminal mastermind bent on chaos and destruction.

The stories have excitement, peril, and even tragedy, but also sweetness and humor. I found them well-paced and hard to put down. The illustrations by Natalia Junqueira are charming.  If you like cozy mysteries, these books fit the bill. They’re an excellent read while traveling.

Like me, the author is big fan of Breaking Cat News and a frequent contributor to the comments section. There are a few in-jokes and Easter eggs in the books for those who are familiar with the comic strip. (And if you’re not familiar, do give it a read.)

I will admit that The Case of the Missing Ring made me cry several times. Bartholomew had only recently joined our household and it was a bit much reading about a huge wise cat teaching a young black cat how to protect the forever-family.

Chef HamiltonOne of the lovely bonuses in the latter two books are recipes from Hamilton A. Cat, a chef cat. I’ve tried them both and they are delicious. Full disclosure, I was one of the advisors on the second recipe.

You can buy the books at Amazon, B&N, &c. or directly from Giblet & Belle Press. If you visit Giblet & Belle, you can meet the real-life cats that inspired the characters and read half a dozen short “case files”.

I am eagerly awaiting the next book, which goes in a different direction and stars some of the characters introduced in The Case of the Vendetta.

M2These writings and other creative projects are supported by my 19 Patrons. Thank you so much! To become a Patron, go to my Patreon page. Or you can just tip me if you liked this.

Published in: on 14 December 2023 at 2:50 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Book Review: Burlesque Dancer 101

Dear Constant Reader,

This book has been hanging about on my “to be reviewed shelf” for a while.

Burlesque Dancer 101: A Professional Burlesque Dancer’s Quick Guide on How to Learn, Grow, Perform, and Succeed at the Art of Burlesque Dancing From A to Z by HowExpert with Emilie Declaron, n.d. 

Well, that seems like a lot to promise in one slim paperback (about 100 pages). From looking at other HowExpert offerings the titles are similar, offering guides on how to “Learn, Grow, and Succeed” at something “From A to Z”, so I won’t blame the author for that. 

In the introduction it states that the book will give you “all the tools necessary to launch and develop your burlesque career” whether you’ve just started out in the art or even never been to a burlesque show. That’s a tall order.

The book’s six chapters contain an introduction to the world of burlesque (a little history, some notable performers, some burlesque styles, a few “traditional” routines, &c.), routine creation, costuming, hair and makeup, performing, and developing your career. 

Not surprisingly, the book is very superficial. The information and advice isn’t bad per se*, but trying to cover every topic one would need to become a professional burlesque performer means this book is just skimming the surface. It’s more bullet points than in-depth tutorials. That’s not awful if you want to use this as a jumping-off point, but it shouldn’t be the only source.

There are no illustrations in the book, which it really could have used. Trying to figure out poses or make pasties or style victory rolls without drawings or photographs, especially for completely novices, is very difficult, if not impossible. I understand that image rights are a whole issue and increase the cost of a book, but line drawings would have made some sections a lot clearer.

The author is from the UK, so some of the vocabulary and spelling isn’t US standard. I’m fine with that, but I’m not okay with errors. Gypsy Rose Lee’s name is spelled correctly in place and spelled “Gipsy” (the UK spelling) in others. Now that might just be an autocorrect error, but there are also typos, misplaced words, and punctuation issues that indicate a lack of editing. That’s probably not the author’s fault so much as that of the publisher (which also claims authorship).

The part that really aggravated me was in last section on next steps after you’ve become a performer, which suggests producing shows, selling burlesque costumes, running “hen dos” (girls’ nights out), doing corporate gigs, and “start teaching other future burlesque dancers and create your own school”. While these are aspirations, they’re not things I would recommend to brand-new performers with only a little experience. Personally, I get very frustrated with the suggestion that anyone who performs burlesque is qualified to teach. But that is a rant for another time.

Although the table of contents lists recommended resources, it’s just a list of other HowExpert books. There’s a small section of burlesque related websites at the end, mostly for places to buy costumes. The industrious reader could pick out names of performers mentioned throughout the book and look them up, since there are many mentions of performers for examples of acts or personal style.

It’s not a terrible guide, but by trying to be too much, it becomes very little.  The Burlesque Handbook is still my recommendation.

M2These writings and other creative projects are supported by my 19 Patrons. Thank you so much! To become a Patron, go to my Patreon page. Or you can just tip me if you liked this.

*But recommending hot glue for Swarovski crystals is terrible advice. Don’t do it.

Published in: on 12 December 2023 at 3:34 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Friday Tip

Dear Constant Reader,

Happy Friday! Things are a bit chaotic at The Manor right now. I’ll tell you more when things are a bit calmer (not to worry — it’s good). Here’s your tip:

Embrace change.

Whether that’s changing the lineup of a show mid-show, reworking the choreography of an established act, or otherwise turning things on their head, it’s usually more rewarding to say “Yes, and…” than  “No, but…”

M2These writings and other creative projects are supported by my 19 Patrons. Thank you so much! To become a Patron, go to my Patreon page. Or you can just tip me if you liked this.

Published in: on 8 December 2023 at 4:58 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Carnal Carnival 10/21 and 10/27

Dear Constant Reader,

The original plan was a big theatre show with a plot, like Vamps After Midnite, for two weeks. However, after reasons too tedious to discuss (finding a venue, negotiating, waiting, signing a contract, having requirements added for being an “adult” show i.e. more money), Scratch decided it would be more fun and less stress (and fewer arbitrary expenses) to do a scaled down version as a revue.

This was also a graduation of sorts as both our apprentices presented the solo acts they created with us.

Our first run was at Deacon Giles, our favorite spot. We planned an early show and a late, as we so often do, and they both sold out pretty quickly. Hurrah!

Salem in October can be quite a zoo and traffic is often hideous, so we planned to leave Boston quite early. Thank goodness we did, because as soon as we got to Deacon Giles and began unloading, about an hour before call, I couldn’t find my second bag. Off I drove, back to The Manor, found it tucked behind the front door, and turned around. Thankfully traffic was only bad in patches. So much for less stress…

When the first show began, we had some issues with the sound system, which mercifully were figured after the first couple of numbers, but the show began to run long. Then we learned that Salem requires everybody out by 11pm, because Deacon Giles has a tasting room, not a bar. Scratch made some changes and cuts on the fly. I’m especially grateful to the apprentices for rolling with the chaos.

Our second date was at Club Café in Boston, a new venue for us, and in the week between the shows, we made a few more changes to the line up. And Club Café had a projector, so Scratch created backdrops for each act to be projected on the back wall. I’m delighted to say that this show also sold out!

Thanks to our stage hands, Jeanie Martini (both locations), Marek (Salem), and Kitty Switch (Boston), plus the apprentices helped out when they weren’t performing.

We had a photographer on both dates, so eventually there may be photos, but for now, you’ll have to deal with my written commentary. The order of acts is that from the show at Club Café, with some notes about how things changed.

Ava Fox, Phoebe Star, Vivienne Kitt: “Kindergarten”, Unkle Ho
This is generally the first group number we teach apprentices. It’s got opportunities the performers to express their personalities through expression and solos and it’s very versatile in terms of theme and costuming. For this show they were all pitchfork-wielding devils.
During the first show at Deacon Giles, there was something wrong with the sound system (Scratch figured out and fixed it) and the music was going in and out. It’s a testament to how well the performers drilled, that they didn’t let it throw them and performed the act as well as they would have under perfect circumstances.

Devastasia: “Moon Over Soho”, The Tiger Lilies
When we decided on a Halloween circus show, it was obvious that Devastasia would bring this creepy clown to life again. The music, by the way, is a reimagining of “Mack the Knife”, which happens to be the song Devastasia used for her first burlesque act, created in the Burlesque Your Way class at B.A.B.E. (shameless plug for the course coming up in January).

Scratch: The Spike
This is a rather dangerous magic act involving a large, sharp metal spike, which I can’t watch… This only appeared in the first Salem show. It was cut from the other shows because it can run long depending on the audience member who is involved and we had to keep all the shows tight.

Mina Murray: “Rise Up Bones”, Theatre Bizarre Orchestra
This was a new act for me. While I’m pretty happy with how it turned out, it took a turn during development and ultimately never felt either carnival or Halloween. So for the Club Café show Scratch asked me to substitute…

Mina Murray: “Moon Over Bourbon Street”, Sting
A fan dance in black and white. At the last minute (that is, the night before), I had a sudden inspiration about how I could enhance it. I used the bat pastie templates that Manuge et Toi Design released to Patrons for Halloween and quickly rhinestoned them. Fortunately I had lots of black and red stones from Looking Glass Gems. But the final reveal wasn’t actually the pasties — it was a snarl that showed the fangs I wore in my Vampire’s Lair photos with La Photographie.

Vivienne Kitt: “Season of the Witch”, Lana Del Rey
This was Vivienne’s solo debut! She is an experienced flag spinner and decided to incorporate that skill into her act. As it evolved in rehearsal, she cut the striptease elements and focused on the flag spinning, putting the spotlight on her talent, which was unique in this show.

Betty Blaize: “You’re the Boss”, Brian Setzer
Betty’s been dancing with The Devil since our very first Halloween show back in 2005, and it just keeps getting better.

Ava Fox: (I don’t know what the music was)
A brand-new act from Ava, and very different from anything she, or any of us, has done before. It involved a bit of engineering, but that’s her speciality. It also involved making balloon dogs. And I think I’ll leave the rest to your imagination.

Scratch: Urban Legend
The urban legend of the title is razor blades in Halloween apples. This is another magic trick that I can’t watch. It was cut from the first show for length but appeared in the other two.

Phoebe Star: Blood Countess (“Burning Desire”, Lana Del Rey)
Phoebe’s solo debut! Tall, willowy, and gothic, it’s no surprise that she made an excellent sanguinary aristocrat. Her costuming was both beautiful and clever with some lovely details.
(Hey, I just realized both apprentices used Lana Del Rey songs…)

Devastasia: (some circusy music)
I was not surprised in the least that Devastasia proposed a lion tamer act. She quite looked the part in sequined tailcoat, top hat, and boots. And whip, of course. That whip wasn’t just for show — she taught herself to crack it in several different way. Quite impressive! (and loud!)

Ava Fox: “Upside Down”, Paloma Faith
Ava originally created this acrobatic chair dance for Alice in Underwearland. In that show she was dressed as the Cheshire Cat, but for this one she made a leopard costume. Which dramatically just fell off her at the crucial moment. It took a lot of practice and tweaking in rehearsal, but worked perfectly on stage.

Betty Blaize: “Farewell Magyar”, The G-String Orchestra
I think Betty created this act for the very first production of The Wrathskellar, long ago. She cuts her costume off with a knife. Real knife, quite sharp, actually cutting through the fastenings for her costume pieces. Yeah. That’s commitment to an art. For this year she made a new and quite spectacular coat which is adds even more drama to the act.

Devastasia: “Science Fiction, Double Feature”
Devastasia showed off that she had lots of skills by singing this audience favorite. It only appeared in the Boston show, having been cut for length at the Salem shows.

Mina  Murray: “Baby Did a Bad Bad Thing”, Chris Issak
And I closed out the show with another old favorite, my tribute to Fall River’s most infamous daughter, Lizzie Borden. It’s usually last because it’s rather messy — to remove the blood from my hands, I take a sponge bath on stage. Although I try to mitigate the drenching with some rubber-backed rugs, the stage still ends up getting more than a little damp.

We had a lot of fun with this show, despite the chaos of rearranging the run order and cutting acts on the fly in Salem. Now we’re getting ready for our next show, BRRRlesque on Friday, December 15 at Deacon Giles. I hope you’ll join us for some holiday cheer! Last I heard there weren’t a lot of tickets left, so don’t wait.

M2These writings and other creative projects are supported by my 19 Patrons. Thank you so much! To become a Patron, go to my Patreon page. Or you can just tip me if you liked this.

Published in: on 7 December 2023 at 12:56 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Friday Tip

Dear Constant Reader,

Happy Friday! And a happy Friday it is. I got some good news that I’ll probably be sharing later on. Here’s your tip.

When creating pasties, remember that the finished product will be smaller than the flat pattern and size up accordingly.

I like making practice templates out of paper to check the sizing, especially with non-standard shapes.

M2These writings and other creative projects are supported by my 19 Patrons. Thank you so much! To become a Patron, go to my Patreon page. Or you can just tip me if you liked this.

Published in: on 1 December 2023 at 4:22 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Friday Tip

Dear Constant Reader,

Happy Friday! I’m sure everyone is besieged with Black Friday deals today. However, Christina Manuge of Manuge et Toi Design inspired this tip:

You don’t have to discount your work, just because everyone else is doing so.

And please support small and local businesses this holiday season!

M2These writings and other creative projects are supported by my 19 Patrons. Thank you so much! To become a Patron, go to my Patreon page. Or you can just tip me if you liked this.

Published in: on 24 November 2023 at 4:03 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Friday Tip

Dear Constant Reader,

Happy Friday everyone! I am back from Stripper’s Holiday and I learned so much! Full report coming eventually… but for now here’s one of my top takeaways! Not so much of a tip as an exercise:

Take a look at your lines. Where is the eye drawn? Is that where you want a gaze to rest? How do you make sure the audience looks where you want?

Get in front of a mirror and play around until you figure it out.

M2These writings and other creative projects are supported by my 19 Patrons. Thank you so much! To become a Patron, go to my Patreon page. Or you can just tip me if you liked this.

Published in: on 17 November 2023 at 3:49 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Friday Tip

Dear Constant Reader,

A very happy Friday to you! I am currently in Las Vegas at Michelle L’amour’s Stripper’s Holiday, but I wouldn’t forget your tip!

If you spill glitter, use a vacuum to clean it up.

Don’t use a broom or a mop. They’re just going to push glitter into all the cracks and you’ll never get rid of it all.

And I’m talking about if you accidentally spill your craft or cosmetic glitter. I don’t mean glitter pours — you shouldn’t be doing those on stage in the first place. They look great, but annoy the venue and your fellow performers.

M2These writings and other creative projects are supported by my 19 Patrons. Thank you so much! To become a Patron, go to my Patreon page. Or you can just tip me if you liked this.

Published in: on 10 November 2023 at 11:00 am  Leave a Comment  
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