On Wigs

Dear Constant Reader,

I don’t have great hair. I love the color and the way it curls, but it’s very fine and rather thin and doesn’t grow very long before it starts looking straggly. I rarely seem to have time to go to the salon to keep it nicely trimmed and besides, my favorite stylist, Diamond DeVille, works in a different state. This is why I generally have my hair pulled back in a simple twist. When Scratch suggested I try wigs, I was resistant. It was like admitting I had terrible hair.

I had worn a wig before, at BettySioux Taylor’s first Salute to Bettie Page. Everyone wore Bettie wigs, so I was okay with that. Several people commented how different (and good I looked), but I was still sure wigs were not for me.

My first real wig wearing was because I was doing a tribute to a Legend who had a black pageboy in her heyday and my red head just would not do. Fortunately for this wig novice, I had the expertise of Sydney Lauren Robinson to help out. She took me wig shopping, styled the wig, put it on me the first time, and made me helpful videos demonstrating how to wear it.

Having seen me do the same act with the wig and without, Betty Blaize commented that I moved differently when I was wearing the wig. It did help get me into character to be wearing the wig and I became a little more of a convert. But not completely.

I ended up getting a couple of wigs to wear as The Diva in The Wrathskellar, which was okay, because she wasn’t me. Like in the above tribute, I was playing a character.

Somehow I realized I wasn’t sacrificing my personal integrity or anything if I wore a wig on stage. In fact, I began to embrace wigs. I could change my look for each act. I didn’t have to spend the time curling and pinning my hair. I didn’t have to worry if I was having a bad hair day. All good reasons for going with a wig.

A couple things I’ve learned about wearing wigs.

  • Use the right pin for the job
  • Net wig caps are easier to pin into than the stocking-type ones
  • A folding wig stand is a life saver
  • Get a good wig brush

    • And here are some backstage selfies (and one on-stage shot) of my different looks:

    My standard wig — taken backstage at The Teaseday Club last night

    Another standard, usually worn for French Champagne, although The Diva borrowed it for this picture

    The Diva again

    Yet another look for The Diva, worn with a smashing black coat & tall boots

    The Faerie Queene

    These days I am completely sold on wigs, although I still can be found with my real hair on many an occasion. How about you, Dear Reader? Are you a fan of wigs?

    M2These writings and other creative projects are supported by my Patrons. Thank you so much! To become a Patron, go to my Patreon page.

    Published in: on 3 May 2017 at 3:33 pm  Leave a Comment  
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    Teasing Tonight

    Dear Constant Reader,

    I’ll be performing tonight at The Teaseday Club! I was in the first show and every now and then I’ll make an appearance. I just realized that last month was the 4th anniversary. I suppose I should have performed then…

    My co-stars tonight include Cookie Queen and singer Carla Carletti, comedienne Nonye Brown-West, and all the way from Chicago, burlesquer Mister Twister Maximus Sinsation. With those folks in the cast, I know it’s going to be a terrific show.

    I’ll be bringing you two classic acts tonight. If you want to see something new from me, come to The Big Time on May 19 and 20 at The Thalia. There may be some teasers here in the days to come or maybe just for my Patrons.

    M2These writings and other creative projects are supported by my Patrons. Thank you so much! To become a Patron, go to my Patreon page.

    Published in: on 2 May 2017 at 12:31 pm  Leave a Comment  
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    Being Patronized

    Dear Constant Reader,

    Today I did something very hard for me. I created a Patreon page. I had to set myself a specific deadline or I never would have hit that “Launch” button.

    I don’t like asking for things. It’s very hard for me to ask for help and it’s even harder to ask for money. This involves doing both. I know plenty of burlesque performers are using Patreon, but it was my friend Marrus‘s example that finally gave me the courage to do this.

    I’m asking you, my Constant Readers and Loyal Fans, to part with your hard-earned dollars, so that I may keep doing what I do and do it even better. That’s extremely difficult for me to ask. For a long time I’ve been involved with groups and events that do things on a volunteer basis — you share your skills, your time, your knowledge because you love doing it. I still feel that way. However, I think what I create has value and I hope some of you do to.

    I’m not going to put up some sort of pay wall here and only allow patrons to see my writing. That goes against some personal beliefs. Instead, I hope that with support I can bring you more missives that are more in-depth and maybe even have more pictures. Think of being my patron like supporting NPR or PBS — everyone still gets access, but my patrons get some special extras that no one else does.

    I’ve also realized that I can’t do what I want to all by myself. I need to get other people involved to bring you the best content I can. And asking for help is a challenge for me. But I shall rise to the occasion and find some collaborators so I can bring you photos and videos and other wonderful stuff.

    Thank you so much for your continued support.

    M2

    Published in: on 1 May 2017 at 3:38 pm  Comments (4)  
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    Friday Tip

    Dear Constant Reader,

    Happy Friday! I’ve been working on a new costume piece for The Big Time and that reminded me of this tip:

    Canned food makes great pattern weights.

    I like to use short cans, like tuna (I always get the kind with the mermaid!), pineapple, or water chestnuts.

    M2Like this tip? There are lots more in Miss Mina Murray’s Little Book of Better Burlesque.

    Published in: on 28 April 2017 at 2:34 pm  Leave a Comment  
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    Big Props: The Bench

    Dear Constant Reader,

    Burlesque Legends refer to something you could sit or lie on as a prop. This was inspired by a prop used by a Legend in the 1960s, who always referred to it as “The Prop”. We generally refer to this piece as “the bench”.

    The main part is a nice solid wooden coffee table with legs that attach with bolts. Scratch cut the back of the table flat so we could attach a back piece to it. We glued some foam to the top of the table so it would be a little more comfortable to lie on and I sewed a drape for it. The drape is made of satin with a drawstring just under the table top to secure it. It has a skirt that hangs down to cover the legs, but leaves the back of the table open, so we could attached the back piece.

    The back piece was cut out of plywood. The original was tiled, but I couldn’t find any vinyl tiles I liked and I wasn’t going to use glass or ceramic tiles because of the weight. I tried spray painting it gold, but it still looked plywoody. Scratch suggest I make a cloth cover, kind of like a cozy. At this point we diverged greatly from the original, but needed to do something in a fairly short time.

    I made the cover from a cream colored fabric, covered in dimensional roses. Then I created a clever (if I do say so myself) system of Velcro to attach a cluster of ostrich feathers to the top of the back piece. The back piece is held onto the back of the bench with spring clips.

    Eventually Scratch cut the back piece in half (the long way) and attached a piano hinge, so it’s much easy to store and carry. The bench, with legs removed, fits in a big cloth bag, which is basically an envelope I sewed from an old blanket. All the soft goods (bench drape, back cover, and feathers) live in a plastic box with some spring clips. Everything together easily fits in the trunk of a standard car.

    I made two other drapes for the bench and we use it a lot on stage, though rarely with the back piece on it these days. It’s great for being visible while you do floorwork moves. Scratch also drilled a couple of holes in the back of the bench so we could bolt a flame effect in place for one of Betty’s numbers.

    Photo by Cassandra Mia at The Great Burlesque Expo of 2011

    Pros: Looks great, really sturdy, easy to put together and take apart, very versatile

    Cons: We did have to irreparably damage a really nice coffee table.

    M2

    Published in: on 25 April 2017 at 11:46 am  Leave a Comment  
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    Friday Tip

    Dear Constant Reader,

    Happy Friday! Here’s another tip on the theme of big props:

    When you are using a big prop, use it.

    A big prop should be integrated into your act like any other aspect. I always think it’s such a shame when a performer has this lovely prop and they spend just a little time with/on/in it, but basically ignore it for most of the act. The prop is just as important as your costume, music, choreography, &c. I love acts where the performer uses the prop throughout the act in creative ways.

    You can see if I take my own advice in The Big Time on May 19 and 20.

    M2Like this tip? There are lots more in Miss Mina Murray’s Little Book of Better Burlesque.

    Published in: on 21 April 2017 at 2:31 pm  Leave a Comment  
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    Big Props: Spider Web

    Dear Constant Reader,

    Today’s big prop is Betty’s spider web. It was originally made for Out For Blood 2006, our second Halloween show.

    The web backdrop is two huge pieces of black velvet seamed together. The web itself is silver sequin trim. When we first made the web we were under a time crunch (aren’t we always) and it was just safety pinned in place. Later it was stitched down. The whole thing attached to a frame with Velcro along the sides and elastic cord looped through eyelets in the corners.

    The original frame was made by a blacksmith friend of ours and it was *huge*. The backdrop is about 10′ x 10′, so the frame was bigger than that and it had big feet so it wouldn’t tip over. They were easy to trip over, though. The whole thing sat at the back of the stage until it was time to bring it forward for the act, which I think was the show closer. The frame came apart into pieces, but it was still bulky when broken down and I think it had to go together just so. I remember strips of tape on the pieces to mark what connected to which.

    The velvet backdrop had slits cut in it so the spiders could come out and grope Betty. I remember reinforcing them part way through that show.

    The spiders themselves are made of sequin trim and fabric, stuffed and mounted on the backs of black gloves. Betty did the work and very nicely.

    In summer of 2011 we presented Madame Burlesque: An Evening of Tributes featuring acts inspired by the great Legends. Betty, of course, revived the spider act in honor of Zorita. This was going to be a touring show (our first!) so the frame had to be replaced with something that could travel and be set up and broken down quickly.

    Scratch came up with a clever contraption made of PVC pipe and some hardware that works sort of like an umbrella. There are two center pieces that bolt together. Each one has two arms that fold out and extend to each side, making a top and a bottom. The backdrop has a pocket in each corner and the arms just slide in. Voila. It breaks down into two sections that go into a carrying bag that fits easily into a car. The whole thing is attached to a wooden base that also provides a step for the spider manipulator for when she has to reach the top of Betty’s head (remember: Betty is six feet tall sans heels and none of the other BeauTease top 5’5″).

    Pros: very impressive, lightweight, sets up quickly, easy to transport and store.

    Cons: needs a certain amount of ceiling clearance.

    You’ll get to see the spider web in action at The Big Time on May 19 and 20 at The Thalia.

    M2

    Published in: on 20 April 2017 at 3:25 pm  Leave a Comment  
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    Big Props: Absinthe Bottle

    Dear Constant Reader,

    One of the earliest big props built was The Giant Absinthe Bottle. It was supposed to be like those dancing cigarette boxes from long ago, with only the dancer’s legs showing. It needed to be light enough for the dancer to hold it up and dance, sturdy enough to last through rehearsals and shows, and break down for travel & storage.

    Scratch designed it, but the construction may have been a group effort. It was made from corrugated cardboard — specifically a refrigerator box. The bottle was cut in two pieces that bolted together at the middle. The body of the bottle was spray painted green and the top black to look like a cap. Across the back was bolted a piece of PVC pipe to make a handle, so the dancer had something to hold to move the bottle. It also curved the cardboard, making the whole thing more bottle-like. The best part, in my opinion, was a label that attached with Velcro to cover the seam where the two pieces joined.

    We used it in a couple of shows, but have almost no pictures. This is the best one I could find, from a run-through of French Kiss in 2010, by Katherine Mae Judd. You can just see the bottle at the side of the stage behind the cast streaming off after the curtain call rehearsal.
    absinthe bottle

    Pros: easy to make, needs no special tools to build or assemble, cheap, light to use, relatively easy to store & transport, amusing.

    Cons: not very durable.

    Eventually we trashed it. The cardboard had gotten damp at some point and had started to delaminate. I’m pretty sure we saved the label and the hardware. We’ve talked about recreating it, perhaps out of a light plastic. It would be fun to have Betty do her Goth Dance of Woe-due-to-lack-of-absinthe again.

    M2

    Published in: on 19 April 2017 at 1:54 pm  Leave a Comment  
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    Friday Tip

    Dear Constant Reader,

    Happy Friday! Today’s tip continues on the theme of big props:

    The big prop is not the star of the act. You are!

    Don’t let your big prop overshadow you! It’s there to support you, not replace you. It’s one of the many elements that go into your act: costume, storyline, choreography, music, &c. Let it be just one part of a stunning ensemble.

    M2Like this tip? There are lots more in Miss Mina Murray’s Little Book of Better Burlesque.

    Published in: on 14 April 2017 at 3:25 pm  Leave a Comment  
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    Big Props: Paintbrushes

    Dear Constant Reader,

    For the next installment in the Big Props series, the paintbrushes. A few years ago we designed a touring show called The Fine Art of Burlesque. The structure of the show was such that it could be presented by any three dancers plus Scratch plus a local special guest, so we only needed one car and one hotel room.

    Betty created a jewelbox number in which could be done by any three dancers. Some of us learned just one part (that would be me), others learned two, so any combination of us could do it. And to make sure that the audience really got the Fine Art theme right off, we were all dancing with staves that looked like great big paintbrushes.

    Photo by Rich Jarvis at the Coolidge Corner Theatre

    The brushes are made from PVC pipe, a popular material with us, because it’s sturdy, light, and doesn’t need specialty tools to cut. The “bristles” were made from black feather trim. The “handle” was capped on the end, painted, and decorated with silver foil tape. I think they came out pretty nicely.

    Scratch built a wooden box in which to carry them and also the picture frame backdrop (more on that in another missive). The box was perfectly designed to go on the roof of the car, but it took almost all of us to heft it up there and get it secured. That was always an amusing end to loading out.

    Pros: Looks good. Exactly what we wanted. Easy to handle. Inexpensive to make. Pretty easy to transport. I think they’re about 5 feet and change long, so if we’re not transporting an entire show’s worth of people and gear, they can go inside the car.

    Con: The only one I can think of is that they’re not very versatile. We’ve only ever used them for that one number. There’s not a lot of call for over-sized paintbrushes. It was the dance that turned out to be more versatile. We’ve since done it with something like five different designs of staves and it’s one of our go-to group numbers.

    Published in: on 13 April 2017 at 2:41 pm  Leave a Comment  
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