2011-04-27 The Southern Exposure Tour

On April 27th, Atlanta was invaded by some of the top New York burlesque performers on a birthday tour!  That's right, Run Around Sue was having a birthday and wanted to spend in in Bunny Love's home town of New Orleans and the tour was designed to help them get to and from.  So Run Around Sue contacted Syrens of the South since she and I had performed together a few years ago back at The Slipper Room in New York, and asked if we could hook them up with a date.  Thanks to The Shelter having Wednesday, April 27th open we were able to make it happen.

The day came and with tornado warnings and torrential down pours happening all over the South, we all braved the storm to come out!  Thus proving that neither rain, nor sleet, nor snow or dead of night will keep these girl's clothes on!  

Katherine Lashe (me) MC'd the show and we kicked off the event with one of our special guests, Miss Bunny Love!  Bunny Love did a sexy tribute about her love of chocolate to 'At Last' by Etta James.  Her classic strip tease took a comedic turn as she shoved her face into her box of chocolates.  Not every day you get to see a girl shove her face in her own box.  Next came The Make it Happen Girl, Run Around Sue!  She did a very elegant fan dance strip tease that was beautiful.  She had larger breast plates attached above her pasties, it was a brilliant idea and work wonderfully on stage as part of her strip tease.  Then was Ruby le Chatte  in her professional debut with her Blues for Angel routine she did at Southern Fried Burlesque Fest.  It was slinky and sultry!  Following her was Miss Pearl E. White doing a very classic leg show to "Don't You
Feel My Leg" which had the crowd begging for more.  Closing out the first set was Lola le Soliel debuting a brand new number!  It was done to 'Fish Camp Woman' by Unknown Hinson and she came out in a waitress out fit and had the best facial expressions to go a long with her hard working waitress diner striptease.  It was both sexy and funny and everyone was willing to kiss her grits as we took a brief intermission.

Our second set began with Brandy Noir doing her Vegas inspired one woman rat pack to Frank Sinatra's, 'I've got you under my skin'.  Next came everyone's favorite solo act, Rosie Palms, doing a high energy school girl number to 'Sexy and Seventeen' which made the crowd want to study a little harder.  Then Miss Pearl E White came back out on stage to do her Rocky Tribute to knock the audience out one more time.   We closed the show with our special guests.  First was Run Around Sue doing her Cheetah Routine which was a super sexy zipper striptease.  She had zippers undoing all sorts of part of her costume before it came off making the audience hold their breathe waiting for the reveal.  She also used a giant balloon as her cat toy which included some very interesting acrobatics as well.  The finale was Bunny Love doing a number full of hope as she started on the stage covered in newspapers as a very sad looking homeless woman.  As the music of Elvis' 'Amazing Grace' swelled so did everyone's hearts as she was transformed into an angel and took a stunningly beautiful glitter shower on stage.  

The whole evening was a lot of fun and other then the weather it was an amazing night.  Very grateful that the ladies tapped us to perform with them as it's always so much fun to see what the rest of the country is doing in burlesque. You can see Mr. Wombat's photos HERE.

2011-04-02 Syrens of the South invade Columbus, GA

On April 2, 2011, Syrens of the South Productions invaded Columbus, GA, to add their bawdy burlesque to an evening of musical magic!  The ladies were invited down after the lead singer of The Debutante Massacre saw them perform with The Dresden Dolls back in November.

First and foremost, Charles (the lead singer) totally spoiled us by making us a home made dinner before the show.  Chicken spaghetti with salad and garlic bread.  So we were getting ready at his house, having an amazing meal and watching some Archer on his TV, it was a great way to start off the evening, lol.

We got to SOHO Bar and Grill and there was a poker tournament going on.  After talking my gamblers back down from jumping in to play, we had a tour of the space.  It was a nice stage, a huge bar and some video games and pool tables to keep everyone amused in between sets.  The staff was amazingly nice and friendly and the service was great.

Opening the show was an acoustic set done by Katie Martin that was both fun and haunting at the same time.   Following that was a super energetic and awesome set done by our hosts, The Debutante Massacre!  Great stage presence and an awesome sound.  Following that was The Hellblinki Sextet, whom we love.  We performed with them in 2008 at Eccentrik Fest which is produced by The Clockwork Cabaret and they're always awesome to work with.  Eastern European punk rock circus music....yup that pretty much sums them up, lol.

Closing out the show was Syrens of the South.   After an evening of listening to great music and having drinks with the crowd it was time for us to go up on stage.  MCing the event was Katherine Lashe (me) and I had my hands full with a rowdy crowd of fun loving drunks.  There's nothing quite like performing near an army base to get the girls in a tizzy as well.  I did end up talking a Drill Sargent into doing pick-up for us which is not something we get to do every day.

Opening the show was the Double D's of Dixie, D'lilah D'lite, she did a classic boa act with a rockabilly edge.  The audience loved her and I think someone actually threw their dog tags on stage when she was done.  Following that was The Southern Shot that Make You Hot, Brandy Noir in her One Woman Rat Pack tribute to Frank Sinatra in a very classic Vegas styled number.  Next came the smile so bright you don't know if it's day or night, Sunny Midnight, doing her geek turned sexpot routine to Reverend Horton Heat's 'Love Whip'.  Closing out the show was our very own knockout, Miss Pearl E. White, with her Rocky tribute that was a one two punch of fantastic to end the night.

It was a lot of fun and we're really looking forward to getting to come back to Columbus.

2011-03-26 Mon Cherie Present's Va-Va-Voom: "We're All Mad Here!"

On March 26th The Shelter was invaded by Mad Hatters, Cheshire Cats, Catapillers, White Rabbits,  and a bevy of blonde beauties who all seemed to be named Alice.  It was time for Mon Cherie Presents Va-Va-Voom with a special Alice in Wonderland edition titled "We're All Mad Here!"

MCing both sets was the Mouth of the South, Miss Mason.  With an adorable tiny top hat and an assortment of tea cups in different sizes all holding her precious Southern Comfort, she made the audience laugh, get rowdy and beg for the performers as she instructed!  Opening the show was the ever mysterious Chameleon Queen in a full furry regulation bunny suit making sure everyone was on time for their very important date with the hotness that was her.  Following the Chameleon Queen was Torchy Taboo as Alice who took everyone on a tour of her rhinestone rabbit hole!  She was a sassy blonde bombshell and showed everyone why she's the Godfather of Atlanta Burlesque.  New Orleans Jon came out as Mr. Three and sang "Roses are Red my love" with his normal smarmy twist.  Jacqueline Trade did a very acrobatic routine as the Cheshire Cat which included many of the amazing props she built for the show including a swing suspended from the ceiling.  Closing out the first act was Talloolah Love performing her "Too Darn Hot" routine before she took it to Viva Las Vegas Easter Weekend to represent the South.

The second act opened with Catatonic Raucous as the Caterpillar.  She was body painted blue from head to toe and looked amazingly ethereal with her strip tease and blue Isis wings. New Orleans Jon had another song to sing as Mr. Three. Then came Katherine Lashe (me) as the Mad Hatter with a break away straight jacket. Next was Scarlett with her burlesque debut to Ace of Spades, a brilliant music choice and a great first time out.  Closing out the second act was Stormy Knight as The Queen of Hearts with an amazing costume, a regal stage presence and a sword for anyone that didn't agree.

It was an amazing night with DJ Jennocide spinning and keeping everyone out on the dance floor.  It was a spinning room of fluffy tails, top hats, cat ears and blonde hair dancing the night away.  Mon Cherie sure does know how to put on a hell of a party and her vision had a repeat performance the next night for a private event which also went over smashingly.

2011-05-05 RIP Arthur Laurents

FILE - In this Dec. 28, 1964 file photo, composer Richard Rodgers, 

at the piano, his new collaborator, lyricist Stephen Sondheim, 

right, and playwright Arthur Laurents are shown as they begin work

on the new musical "Do I Hear a Waltz?" in New York, The musical 

is being adapted from Laurents' book "Summertime." Arthur 

Laurents, the director, playwright and screenwriter who wrote such 

enduring stage musicals as "West Side Story" and "Gypsy," as well

as the movie classics "Rope" and "The Way We Were," has died. 

He was 93. (From www.kansascity.com)

On May 5, 2011, Arthur Laurent passed away in New York City.  For those that are unaware Mr. Laurent was the author of 'Westside Story' in 1957 and the most iconic of burlesque musicals, 'Gypsy' in 1959, which was loosely based on the life of Gypsy Rose Lee.  

Ethel Merman was the first to be cast as Rose (Gypsy's over bearing mother), which is considered to be the high point of Ms. Merman's career.  In later years Gypsy would have four successful revivals on Broadway.  The first was in 1974 with Angela Lansbury as Rose, in 1989 with Tyne Daly, in 2003 with Burnadette Peters (directed by Sam Mendes, the only revival not directed by Laurents), and most recently in 2008 with Patti LuPone.

He was also an accomplished stage director, wrote many radio plays including The Thin Man which was about a husband and wife detective team by the name of Nick and Nora, which later became one of my favorite movies.  He also wrote military training videos during World War II.  His biggest film success was as the screenwriter for "The Way We Were" starring Robert Redford and Barbara Striesand.

'Gypsy' has also graced the movie screen many times with many playing the coveted roll of Rose. In 1962 which had Rosalind Russel as Rose and Natalie Wood as Louise/Gypsy Rose Lee.  In 1993 Bette Midler took the lead in the made for TV version of 'Gypsy'.  It is rumored that Laurents was in talks with Barbara Streisand for a new version of the movie for the big screen with her as Rose.  

You can read more about Arthur Laurents amazing life and career at his IMDB PAGE as well as THIS ARTICLE from kansascity.com.