Oh, The Glamourous Life!

Dear Constant Reader,

Happy Friday! First, a reminder that The Boston BeauTease will be at Far from the Tree Craft Hard Cider in Salem on Sunday for two shows. It’s a fairly intimate space, so get your tickets in advance.

Here’s your tip!

Rehearse with a friend.

There are so many benefits! You’ll be splitting the cost of renting the space. You’ll keep each other accountable. You can give each other feedback. You can bounce ideas around. It’s just more fun.

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

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

Dear Constant Reader,

Happy Friday! As I write this it’s snowing here in Boston. I’m so ready for spring and for working in my garden. And that brings me to today’s tip!

Take a piece of fresh fruit to gigs and rehearsals.

It’s a sweet and healthy snack that can help stave off those unfortunate decisions you make when you’re hungry. Apples and bananas travel well and are very filling. I also like grapes because they’re easy to pop in your mouth without mussing your glitter lips.

And speaking of apples and bananas (what a segue!), The Boston BeauTease will be presenting both in Salem. On Sunday, April 15 we’ll be at Far from the Tree Craft Hard Cider (that would be the apple connection). And then on Saturday, May 19th well be at Deacon Giles Speakeasy Lab with The Boston BeauTease Go Bananaz!. Blame Brigitte — she came up with the theme! If you’ve been reading here for a while, you know I loathe bananas, so come see how I cope with a banana-filled extravaganza!

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

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

Dear Constant Reader,

Happy Friday! I’m in New Orleans for Bella Blue’s burlesque retreat, but I wouldn’t forget your tip!

Before flying, take everything out of your purse.

And by “purse” I mean purse, backpack, briefcase, laptop bag, or whatever you carry every day and are taking on the plane as your “personal item”. Sometimes we forget what’s in there. I carry a small lady-like pocket knife which will never fly.

Dump everything out of your bag and remove anything you won’t be able to take on the plane and everything you won’t be needing on your trip. This way you won’t get stuck at security with that bottle of hot sauce you always keep in your bag.

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

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

Dear Constant Reader,

Happy Friday! Here’s your tip!

If you have thin or slippery hair, use alligator clips on your hair ornaments.

The tiny teeth will grip your hair and keep your lovely adornments in place. Head bands give me a headache and combs slide right out of my hair. These clips have saved me many a time by keeping even large items secure on my head.

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

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

Dear Constant Reader,

Happy Friday! Here’s your tip!

Ditch the dry cleaning bags.

I know they seem like a great way to store your costumes, but they are only there to keep your garments clean until you get home. The bags don’t breathe, trap moisture, and can discolor fabric. A better option is to use natural-fiber cloth bags.

While you’re at it, get rid of the wire hangers they use too. Joan Crawford was right — they’re no good for your clothes.

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

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

Dear Constant Reader,

There’s a nor’easter howling outside, but I’m snug in The Manor with a cup of tea and big white purring cat. If you’ve got to go out, be careful!

Here’s your tip!

Inclement weather can really mess with show day. Plan ahead!

Stay safe and dry!

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

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

Dear Constant Reader,

Happy Friday! Today’s tip is for teachers, but before we get to it, a related question:

If I were to teach at BurlyCon, what would you want to learn from me?

Here’s your tip!
Before teaching a new class for the first time, try it out on a test audience.

A small group of friends works well, especially if you have mix of people –some who know something about your topic and some who know nothing about it. You can get valuable feedback from both groups to improve and polish your class.

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

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

Dear Constant Reader,

Happy Friday! Here’s your tip:

Creating the order of acts for a show is an art and a science.

When creating a show’s running order, there are artistic decisions and practical ones.

On the artistic side: Creating a show that flows smoothly and is interesting. Spacing out acts of a similar mood or tempo. Also, spacing out variety acts. Placing particularly strong/exciting/crowd-pleasing acts to start and end the show. If there’s a story line, making sure the acts tell the story clearly.

On the practical side: Making sure everyone doing multiple numbers has time to change costumes. Keeping acts with a lot of set up and/or clean up separated. Trying to accommodate performer’s preferences about the order of their acts (e.g. the one with the complicated costume goes first). If there’s a story line, making sure the acts tell the story clearly.

Scratch tends to use spreadsheets, like the one above, for a clear picture of the show.

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

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

Dear Constant Reader,

Happy Friday! Sometimes we perform in spaces that aren’t exactly theatres and the dressing room is nowhere near the stage. Today’s tip is a simple way to make sure you don’t miss your cue.

A baby monitor lets you hear what’s happening on stage.

Some theatres have an intercom system so the performers can hear the stage while they’re in the dressing rooms. This is our low-budget version. We stick the transmitter somewhere unobtrusive near the stage and set up the receiver in our dressing room/green room/backstage area. We even have two receivers, just in case we’re spit up.

It was really useful at our show at Deacon Giles last week (where I took the blurry photo). Our backstage (the distillery) is separated from the stage (in the tasting room) by a soundproof glass door. We could see Scratch introducing us, but not hear a word he said! The monitor was a show saver.

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

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