According to historical reports, when the Orpheum Theater opened for New Orleans fans on Feb. 7, 1921, the focus was on vaudeville.
“Jewel and fur clad women and dapper gentlemen filled the Orpheum Theater, New Orleans’ newest and most fashionable theater where ‘good taste reigned everywhere,’” one report said. “This auspicious evening’s main attraction was The Singer Midgets, who were to enter Hollywood immortality nine years later as the Munchkins of ‘The Wizard of Oz.’
“A bit of incongruous perhaps with the ‘dressed-to-the-nines’ crowd, but this was the heyday of vaudeville and the Singer Midgets was a class act – and so was the Orpheum.”
Just under 85 years later, this is music to the ears of producer Trixie Minx and the Orpheum’s Kristin Shannon, who, over coffee inside the nearby Roosevelt Hotel, are giddy with excitement over the historic theater playing elegant host to “Cupid’s Cabaret,” a mix of variety acts that celebrates Valentine’s Day, Feb. 14. While Minx has made her mark as a burlesque performer and producer — she literally performed on both the East Coast and West Coast when not in New Orleans over the course of 2015 — she is emphatic about extolling her vaudeville influences.
And while she is quick to note the vaudeville influences in her monthly, decade-old “Fleur de Tease” show at One Eyed Jacks, she wants people to think of “Cupid’s Cabaret” as a nod to those more purely vaudeville instincts.
“We want this event to be more than a show but an experience of what it was like to be in the Orpheum back then,” Minx said. “An interactive vaudeville presentation on a Vegas-size level … with a modern take.”
I’ll have more on that take soon, but first I thought it would be fun to present a little “Throwback Thursday” of historic photos, courtesy of the Orpheum staff, to remember a time when it was the likes of the Singer Sisters and Al Jolson who ruled the stage and not the silver screen that came to dominate as the theater entered the middle of the 20th century.
Madame Rosebud has been going through a David Bowie phase for, oh, maybe about a quarter-century now.
Or phases.
As a child, the New York burlesque performer went from being terrified of his presence when Mom showed a BBC documentary, to being obsessed with him through adolescence and very painful teen years.
“He looked so beautiful and terrifying,” said Rosebud. “There was something about the power of his physicality. It was his sort of reptilian physicality and the fact it was equal parts masculine and feminine, and it was threateningly seductive. There was nothing cute about (Ziggy Stardust). It was intentionally threatening and I had never seen that before. I fell in love with all of those ideas mixed together.
“He was taking all those things I wanted to see, but didn’t know I wanted to see them, and it put them all together.”
Growing up in Sedona, Ariz., she could count the number of friends on one finger, and she went through as many iterations of Bowie that she could think to cope with a persistence sense of alienation. She remembers spending an entire school year in a three-piece suit to honor the Thin White Duke phase of his career.
“I was in a constant state of performance art,” Rosebud said.
She still is, really, and has become one of the more cutting-edge performers in the typically edgy New York scene. And when Bella Blue asked her to perform at her “Touché” show Jan. 28 at the Joy Theater, she asked for Madame Rosebud to resurrect her act inspired by the Bowie song “Wild Is the Wind.” The death of the rock star and pop-culture shape-shifter on Jan. 10 only underscored the need for a little Ziggy Stardust magic. Not that either Madame Rosebud or Bella Blue believes that Bowie’s THAT gone from us.
“I don’t think that he died,” said Rosebud. “I think that he ascended.”
Madame Rosebud, a few days after the ascension, gathered with other performers at The Slipper Room on the Lower East Side, “and it sort of became an impromptu celebration. DJs played Bowie music, and I did two of my Bowie pieces. We all needed to collectively work out this lump in our throat together.
“For me, it’s not gone. I’ve talked to my mom about it several times.”
It’s performers like Madame Rosebud that enjoy mutual admiration with Bella Blue, who loves tapping into that New York sensibility of variety and cabaret performance that often walks crazy fine lines between drag and burlesque. Rosebud will bring husband Bastard Keith — the self-styled inventor of “Burletiquette” — for the show, which includes fellow New Yorker Gal Friday, Chicago boylesque performer Ray Gunn, and “RuPaul’s Drag Race” contestant BenDeLaCreme as emcee. (Bella Blue and Nona Narcisse will be among the New Orleans performers.)
The fact that Bowie left this mortal coil after Bella Blue signed up Madame Rosebud isn’t lost on either performer.
“With, Bella it’s perfect,” Rosebud said. “I get to come down here and celebrate with her. She’s from the same weird place. You just kind of know other aliens when you see them.”
The Theatre at St. Claude, the new theater launched by brothers Jim and Ryan Fitzmorris, announced a diverse lineup of shows for its spring and summer season for 2016 in a party held at the venue on St. Claude Avenue.
“It is one that lives up to its mission statement of presenting plays that revel in the whisper of conspiracy, delight in a collective gasp, and enjoy a taste for the curious oddity,” the theater said in a press release. “We hope you agree that this collection of new works, challenging plays and alternative programming proves we are New Orleans’ premiere venue for the wild, weird, and wondrous.”
In addition to the regular schedule, the theater also will host other shows such as Southern Rep’s 6×6, 3×3, and Pat Bourgeois’ “Debauchery.”
Below is the complete schedule with descriptions provided by the theater:
“Be A New Orleanian: A Swearing in Ceremony (Presented By Dirty Coast)” by Jim Fitzmorris (Thursday through Saturday, from Feb. 12 through Feb. 28 with a bonus show on Monday, Feb 29.)
Irish Voices including Samuel Beckett’s “Not I” (Thursday through Saturday, from March 10 through March 19.)
Tennessee Williams Fest
Jazz Fest
Strange For Hire Presents “Sideshow and Tell” (Friday through Sunday, from May 13 through May 15.)
“Would Jesus Thank God It’s Friday” by Paul Oswell (Friday through Sunday, from May 27 through May 29.)
“Barker’s Edge of Town” by Bradley Warshauer and “The New Wave” by Stephanie Garrison Warshauer (Thursday through Saturday, from June 10 through June 19.)
“The Killing of a Lesbian Bookie” by Jim Fitzmorris (Thursday through Saturday, from June 23 through July 9.)
Halloween in July (Thursday through Saturday, from July 14 through July 16.)
“Niagara Falls” by Justin Maxwell (Thursday through Saturday, from July 21 through Aug. 6.)
“On the Verge” by Eric Overmyer (Thursday through Saturday, from Aug 11 through Aug 27.)
“Be A New Orleanian: A Swearing in Ceremony (Presented By Dirty Coast)” by Jim Fitzmorris: Just in time to help with those post-Mardi Gras blues, the hit monologue returns for a month-long run.
“Be A New Orleanian” is a wild, comic ride through what it takes to call yourself a citizen of the Crescent City. History, heartbreak, and celebration are all part of an evening from a performer/writer The Times-Picayune calls “electric.”
Thursday through Saturday, from Feb. 12 through Feb. 28 with a bonus show on Monday Feb 29.
Opening night to feature a book signing party of “Be A New Orleanian” from Dirty Coast.
Irish Voices including Samuel Beckett’s “Not I”: It wouldn’t be St. Patrick’s Day without a few tales of melancholy, blarney and ebullience. Works of Samuel Beckett and W. B. Yeats are included in this evening of monologues featuring Kathleen McManus, Margeaux Fanning, and Blaise Lanigan.
Thursday through Saturday, from March 10 through March 19.
Tennessee Williams Fest: We will soon be announcing a series of theatrical events, ranging from the serious to the uproarious to the outright risqué, all in celebration of arguably America’s greatest playwright.
March/April: Check for dates.
Jazz Fest: “Chapter:SOUL “presents two weekends worth of after-hours musical programming guaranteed to blow the roof off and knock you through the back wall.
April/May: Check for dates.
Strange For Hire Presents “Sideshow and Tell”: Coney Island veterans Donny Vomit and Frankie Sin introduce New Orleans to their own unique version of the strange and wondrous with a full evening of acts, stories, and sexy turns.
Friday through Sunday, from May 13th through May 15th.
“Would Jesus Thank God It’s Friday” by Paul Oswell: A freelance journalist and sometime comedian, Paul Oswell brings his latest theatrical offering to The Theatre at St. Claude.
Born in the UK, Oswell has lived in New Orleans since 2010 and currently hosts two weekly comedy shows: Local Uproar and Night Church. He has written and performed several one-man shows which were featured in the New Orleans Fringe Festival, including “An Englishman in New Orleans”, “A Britsummer Night’s Dream”, “This Rhyme It’s Personal” and “Narrowing My Horizons”.
Friday through Sunday, from May 27 through May 29.
“Barker’s Edge of Town” by Bradley Warshauer and “The New Wave” by Stephanie Garrison Warshauer: Bradley and Steph Warshauer will take audiences to the shadowy tip of nowhere with a double feature of original plays set in worlds unlike our own but strangely familiar.
Thursday through Saturday, from June 10 through June 19.
“The Killing of A Lesbian Bookie” by Jim Fitzmorris: On the eve of her nightclub’s opening, burlesque dancer Triple Lexxx receives a visit from a stranger who is more than he first appears. His arrival jeopardizes her relationship, her career, and…maybe her life. Jim Fitzmorris’ “The Killing of a Lesbian Bookie” takes place in a world where romance and commitment are nothing more than the flip side of violence and vengeance.
Starring Lin Gathright, Justin Welborn and Kimberly Kaye.
Thursday through Saturday, from June 23 through July 9.
Halloween in July: Why should Christmas have all the fun? Pandora Gastelum and Jim Fitzmorris will ask the interactive question, “Is There A Good Movie Buried Inside Halloween III?”
And if that doesn’t pique your interest, then just join us for the “Halloween in July” party on July 16.
Thursday through Saturday, from July 14 through July 16.
“Niagara Falls” by Justin Maxwell: One of New Orleans’ leading playwrights, Justin Maxwell (“An Outopia For Pigeons”) takes us down a waterfall of language with his world premiere “Niagara Falls”. Though set in upstate New York, this tale of ghosts, political corruption, and deep longing will undoubtably resonate with New Orleans viewers.
As an added bonus, the three week run will include readings of Maxwell’s shorter works and a panel discussion on the state of playwriting in New Orleans.
Thursday through Saturday, from July 21 through Aug. 6.
“On the Verge” by Eric Overmyer: Our spring/summer season ends with one of the most popular language plays of all time. Eric Overmyer’s delightful delirium of words is about three female Victorian explorers who make their way into the mysterious Terra Incognito. Overcoming great obstacles, they leap forward through space and time into a world full of yearning and possibilities.
Co-produced with Rebecca Frank’s In Good Company, “On The Verge: The Geography of Yearning” will be directed by Frank.
Thursday through Saturday, from Aug. 11 through Aug. 27.
Ever since Lori Tipton and Andy Overslaugh took over the management of the Voodoo Lounge, the Rampart Street bar has turned into the host for one crazy dance party after another, blurring lines of sexuality, gender and genres. But sometimes the party can outgrow the venue, which is why “High Maintenance: A Celebration of Humanity” will find a larger home in the form of One Eyed Jacks on Sunday (Feb. 7).
The inspiration for this particular party came from Bobby Carrasquillo, who worked with Tipton at the now-defunct Lucky Pierre’s and approached her with the idea for a huge party where they could showcase friends and performers. Really, she said, the whole night, which will be hosted by Beverly Chillz and comedian Corey Mack, is a group effort.
“We also have a few other friends who have been instrumental in helping to create and contribute to the overall concept, which is a party that is all-inclusive, with performances that flow into the music as opposed to breaking up the dance party with separate, announced acts,” Tipton explained. “One Eyed Jacks has always been my favorite performance space in the French Quarter, and Ryan and Marcy (Hesseling) are nearly extended family to us, since Flanagan’s (which Overslaugh and Tipton previously managed) was around the corner from Fifi Mahoney’s for over a decade.
“We are creating a sensory experience, from the art displayed, to the music and the performances,” she said.
Beats will be provided by several DJs, including Carrasquillo (aka DJ Survibe) as well as DJ Rusty Lazer and Bennett Hendricks, with drag, burlesque, aerial and erotic performances woven into the party. Performers include Charlotte Treuse, Indica Torture, Athena, Nicole Lynn Foxx, Ilaynnah Eve DeLorean, Neon Burgundy, Wednesday Bonet Iman and Eureeka Starfish, and Dara Quick and Markus Davis.
Tipton also said the evening will feature representatives from BreakOUT!, whose mission is to support LGBTQ youth in New Orleans.
“Most importantly, we want all people to feel welcome and to have fun. This is a celebration of humanity. We are just very lucky that the humanity in New Orleans tends to be more debaucherous than other places.”
“I don’t really know what to say!” she said. “This came as a complete surprise to me. I’ve never made the list before!”
Treuse moved to New Orleans from Portland in 2012, three years after competing in the inaugural New Orleans Burlesque Festival, where she was named first runner-up in 2013 and 2014. She regularly performs with Bella Blue (Foxglove Revue) Trixie Minx, Gogo McGregor (“Vixens and Vinyl”) and Xena Zeit-Geist (The Society of Sin, including the upcoming “Sinner Sisters Damnation Cabaret”). She also works as a costume designer and has designed outfits for New Orleans’ own Perle Noire.
“Before I relocated here I would come a couple times a year to do the festival and to headline Bustout Burlesque at the House of Blues,” she said. “Moving to New Orleans was the best decision of my life! I’m so grateful for the support of my peers, who have turned into a family, and this magical city that has helped foster my art form.”
The rest of the poll results should be released soon, and further New Orleans connections will be posted if/when they arise.
Boylesque performer Russell Bruner, who lived in New Orleans briefly and performed at Lucky Pierre’s as well as the Snake Oil Festival, was voted No. 36. (He’s also performed at the New Orleans Burlesque Festival. Watch his performance below.)
Another performer, Dallas’ Missy Lisa, checked in at No. 32; she also performed at the 7th annual New Orleans Burlesque Festival. (Watch her performance below.)
Here are some of the cool highlights from the 30th annual Krewe du Vieux parade Saturday (Jan. 23), which I previewed for the New Orleans Advocate. Send any cool photos to dlsnola@gmail.com.
The Mystic Krewe of Satyricon’s 14th Bal Masque was even more artistic than usual as it rolled out its “Bal des Beaux Arts” on Friday (Jan. 22) at the Sigur Civic Center in Chalmette.
Tableaux celebrated art through the ages while royalty, special guests and others were recognized. Richard Read kicked off the evening, filling in for President Wedon Brown, who was away for a family event. Varla Jean Merman and Amanda Zirkenbach served as emcees. (This capped off a busy week for Zirkenbach, who also performed at the fourth anniversary of “You Don’t Know the Half of It” on Sunday at Le Petit.)
Last year’s royals, Becky Allen and Marshall Harris, assumed their place near the front of the stage for the proceedings, with NOCCA musical theater student Kiersten-Italia Moore singing the national anthem. New Orleans costume designer Carl Mack presented as the 2016 queen, alongside the king, Darric Cavalier.
Longtime New Orleans entertainer Chris Owens was recognized for her career. Burlesque star Trixie Minx performed a costumed parody of the Confederate moments controversy.
The tableaux:
Pablo Picasso, “Women of Algiers”
Leonardo da Vinci, “Mona Lisa”
Jeff Koons, “Balloon Dog”
“A Portrait of Bobby Jindal”
Jacques-Louis David, “Napoleon Crossing the Alps”
“Elvis on Velvet”
“Learn to Paint with Bob Ross”
Salvador Dali, “The Persistence of Memory”
Andy Warhol, “Marilyn Monroe”
“An Homage to George Dureau”
Georgia O’Keeffe, “Summer Days”
Georgia O’Keeffe, “Canna (Bloom)”
Future gay Mardi Gras balls include the Krewe of Amon-Ra (Jan. 30, “All That Glittesr Isn’t Gold”), Armeinius (Feb. 6, “Beauty and the Beast”) and the Lords of Leather (Feb. 7, “There’s No Cure Like Travel”).
Here is a sneak peak from Friday’s (Jan. 22) Mystic Krewe of Satyricon’s 14th Bal Masque: “Bal des Beaux Arts,” held at the Sigur Civic Center in Chalmette. I’ll have a full review of the evening complete with tableaux descriptions.
Short version: Once again, a fun time was had by all.
UPDATED WITH INFO BELOW:
Tableaux celebrated art through the ages while royalty, special guests and others were recognized. Richard Read kicked off the evening, filling in for President Wedon Brown, who was away for a family event. Varla Jean Merman and Amanda Zirkenbach served as emcees. (This capped off a busy week for Zirkenbach, who also performed at the fourth anniversary of “You Don’t Know the Half of It” on Sunday at Le Petit.)
Last year’s royals, Becky Allen and Marshall Harris, assumed their place near the front of the stage for the proceedings, with NOCCA musical theater student Kiersten-Italia Moore singing the national anthem. New Orleans costume designer Carl Mack presented as the 2016 queen, alongside the king, Darric Cavalier.
Longtime New Orleans entertainer Chris Owens was recognized for her career. Burlesque star Trixie Minx performed a costumed parody of the Confederate moments controversy.
The tableaux:
Pablo Picasso, “Women of Algiers”
Leonardo da Vinci, “Mona Lisa”
Jeff Koons, “Balloon Dog”
“A Portrait of Bobby Jindal”
Jacques-Louis David, “Napoleon Crossing the Alps”
“Elvis on Velvet”
“Learn to Paint with Bob Ross”
Salvador Dali, “The Persistence of Memory”
Andy Warhol, “Marilyn Monroe”
“An Homage to George Dureau”
Georgia O’Keeffe, “Summer Days”
Georgia O’Keeffe, “Canna (Bloom)”
Future gay Mardi Gras balls include the Krewe of Amon-Ra (Jan. 30, “All That Glittesr Isn’t Gold”), Armeinius (Feb. 6, “Beauty and the Beast”) and the Lords of Leather (Feb. 7, “There’s No Cure Like Travel”).
Carnival season kicks into high gear this weekend with two events that, in their own respective ways, have come to symbolize the more creative spirits of New Orleans and LGBT culture. Carl Mack, the street performer turned costume designer, will return for a second reign as queen of the Mystic Krewe of Satyricon at its 2016 Bal Masq and its theme, “Le Bal des Beaux Arts,” on Friday (Jan. 22) at its tradition home of the Frederick J. Sigur Civic Center in Chalmette. For three decades, Mack has been the go-to costumer for the gay Carnival krewes’ balls, often creating tableau that are works of art — and theatrical grandeur.
Speaking of three decades: Big Freedia, the bounce artist and reality TV star “(Queen of Bounce”), has been tabbed to reign as royalty for Krewe du Vieux’s 30th annual parade — unsurprisingly titled “XXX” — when it rolls Saturday (Jan. 23) from Faubourg Marigny through the French Quarter and into the CBD for its after-party at the Civic Theatre.
The choice of Big Freedia seemed a natural fit for Krewe du Vieux, as both pretty much told me in my preview for the New Orleans Advocate. As Big Freedia told me:
I’m very excited that I was chosen to be their celebrity grand marshal and I’m ready to hype up the city and the Mardi Gras season, and I’m very happy to be in this alternative parade and sit on their throne. I speak and represent a lot of people in the LGBT community. … It’s important to appreciate people from all walks of life.”
Considering their respective senses of style and ties to the LGBT community, it should come as no surprise that the two would cross paths, as they did when Mack created the costume for Big Freedia’s appearance at the 2014 Voodoo Fest. (That it had such a royal appearance should shock no one, either; check out the photos!) His ball costumes are even more elaborate.
(So elaborate that he was tabbed to make costumes for a Turbotax ad; see below.)
“My main focus when it comes to costumes for the (gay Carnival) balls is production,” Mack said Wednesday, the day before he and his staff loaded up the costumes to bring to the Civic Center. “I don’t let anything go out that’s just a costume for strolling around. We always have some king of comedy to it, whether it’s with dancers, or a circus act, or something.
“There’s always production associated with it.”
He quickly referenced last year’s Bal Masq, with it’s theme, “Satyricon Makes Scents: Bal des Parfums.” At one point, a tableau gave a nod to Clinique’s “Happy,” which set up the opportunity to create brilliantly orange tableau as well as a chance to capitalize on the popularity of Pharrell Williams’ hit tune. (Check out my story from the ball, and the amazing photos from that event. I also covered the 2014 ball.)
This year’s ball presents the opportunity to honor some of the great paintings and painters of all time, but, with Carl Mack at work (yes, he works even though he’s the queen) and Varla Jean Merman as emcee, the possibilities are endless. And so we’ll get “Elvis on Velvet.”
“Varla Jean set up as Elvis on Velvet will be very cheesy,” Mack said. “And behind her she’ll have two backup dancers of Velveeta cheese. So yes, for me, there’s always going to be production value, and comedy — especially for Satyricon. On Saturday, the people want that humor, they want to laugh, and of course, you’re working on a large stage.”
Big Freedia has been working on increasingly larger stages after years of being a cult figure in New Orleans’ bounce rap scene. (Music journalist Alison Fensterstock, my former Gambit Weekly and NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune colleague, has been credited by many including The New York Times for championing Big Freedia’s work. Check out some of that coverage here, here and here.) Her musical career explosion over the past six years included greater exposure in the form of her Fuse network show “Queen of Bounce.”
“It has been an amazing, amazing ride,” said Big Freedia, taking a break from her work on location in New Orleans in writer-director Angela Shelton’s upcoming film, “Heart, Baby.” (Read more here.) “Life has changed in so many ways and I’ve been through so many rollercoasters. Being at the forefront of bounce music and traveling around the world and make people aware of New Orleans music. There’s been so much change in so many ways and all for the better.”
Season 5 of “Queen of Bounce” is coming up, as is a new album, ensuring that the rollercoaster will continue on the upswing. But so will Big Freedia’s continued push for recognition and appreciation of the LGBT community — especially transgender issues, which leaped to the forefront in 2015 in everything from President Barack Obama using the term and in shows like Hulu’s Emmy-winning “Transparent.”
“It’s been amzing to have that platform and then have all those wonderful things happen in 2015, and seeing the transition is an amazing feel, you know,” she said. “People, not just in as much as being more accepting, but people are supporting others and what they do,” she said. “It helps to keep on opening that door wider and wider for the LGBT community. You just see it all over. It’s now like, you see a gay guy on every TV station. You see them incorporated into more videos.”
It will be an incredibly hectic next couple of weeks for Big Freedia, starting Friday (Jan. 22) at Republic New Orleans, and then Krewe du Vieus on Saturday, and then Jan. 28 at Harrah’s Casino Masquerade. On Feb. 5, she will emcee the BLT Ball at Southport Hall and make a brief appearance at the Zulu Ball. She will then perform Feb. 8 (Lundi Gras) at Siberia, and then at Gator Bait on the West Bank. And of course you can check her out on Fat Tuesday at “Mardi Gras Under the Bridge,” and then the Red Velvet that night on the West Bank.
Oh, and if you were wondering about any connection between Carl Mack and Krewe du Vieux, the answer is yes.
“I’m making donkey dongs and everything for Krewe du Vieux,” the other queen said. “You know, because of the Democrats. It’s an election year. What can I say?”
(NOTE: A complete list of upcoming circus-related events can be found at the bottom of the post.)
For LadyBEAST, the goal is pretty simple.
“I want to hit the big top with circus” in New Orleans, she says. LadyBEAST, an escape artist, aerialist and fire performer, is with fellow performer and producer Liza Rose, talking over coffee at the Who Dat Café in Faubourg Marigny. “And I don’t mean Barnum and Bailey circus or Cirque du Soleil.” She pauses and then says with a little laugh, “I want to be a big weirdo for the rest of my life and create a platform that will sustain us.”
For the circus artists, trying to create a sustained scene can be a fun but daunting challenge. At first blush, New Orleans would seem like a logical mecca for variety performers, drawn to the port city’s bohemian and creative spirit. There have been moments in the past where the circus arts has drawn attention, especially in the late 1990s, but it’s never made a consistent mark.
The beginning of 2016 offers some tantalizing glimmers of hope, building on the success experienced in 2015. LadyBEAST has confirmed a regular monthly circus show at One Eyed Jacks that will feature many of the performers with whom she’s collaborated over her six years in New Orleans. And there’s no better way to kick that off than with the return of Cirque Copine, her collaboration with Liza Rose, and “In Wonderland” on Jan. 29 — which will hold down one of those monthly dates four times out of the year to give the all-female troupe a quarterly presence inside One Eyed Jacks.
And then, in the spirit of Mardi Gras, LadyBEAST returns with her other, Carnival-themed circus and sideshow project that has been re-branded as “Vaude D’Gras,” to run Feb. 5-8 (ending on Lundi Gras) at the old Happyland Theater in Bywater. (The first two productions were called “Cirque du Gras.”) Other events include two fun affairs on Thursday (Jan. 21) — “Cirque di Pasta,” a gathering at Arabella Casa di Pasta on St. Claude Avenue featuring most of the “Vaude D’Gras” cast; and “Circus Darling,” the debut show produced by Darling Darla James at the Hi-Ho Lounge and described as a “sexy circus cabaret bizarre.”
Add to that Liza Rose’s monthly “Fly Movement Salon” inside Café Istanbul, several training spots around town like La Motion — and the desire for a permanent performance venue — and the seeds are there to bring the big top closer to the foreground of New Orleans’ variety scene. It’s a scene that’s created increasingly attended audiences for everything from burlesque and drag to cabaret and comedy.
“We are a movement of people who want to make regular work that utilizes our skills as circus artists, but one that is an all-encompassing theater experience,” says LadyBEAST.
Liza Rose has no delusions of grandeur about the potential of growing such a scene. She says she’s at a point where doing it for the fun is just as important as doing it for a paycheck.
“I want to enjoy the process,” says Rose. “If you don’t enjoy the process you have to quit. Ed Sullivan is not calling. It’s not a thing. You have to actually enjoy the work that you do.
“We want to get to the point where work is fun.”
Based on the description of these upcoming shows, it would be difficult to imagine any of this being anything but fun. With Cirque Copine’s “In Wonderland” — which premiered in 2015 — the pair hopes to create a turn-of-the-century atmosphere, with versatile entertainer GoGo McGregor serving as a kind-of hostess and Penelope Little performs as a clown. LadyBEAST and Liza Rose each will perform, as will Sarah Stardust. The whole production will be performed to a live soundtrack created by the local band Opus Zeo.
The co-producers try to keep details to a minimum, hoping for a surprise factor, but do say there will be local artists out front selling trinkets.
To underscore what they describe as the old Belle Epoque era from Paris, the pair are encouraging guests for the Jan. 29 show to come dressed for the period, hoping for an absinthe fairy here, and a Mucha girl there.
These monthly and quarterly shows in the heart of the French Quarter, especially inside One Eyed Jacks — home of the monthly Fleur de Tease burlesque show — represent a kind of planting of the flag for circus artists. Being able to work in a space where much of the technical aspects — hell, even having someone handle selling the booze — takes a huge load off the shoulders of organizers too often burdened by the “Y” part of a “DIY” existence.
“Every other space,” LadyBEAST says, “I’ve had to direct it from nada.”
The two separate shows will be followed by a late-night dance party with a DJ.
LadyBEAST’s regular monthly show,“LadyBEAST’s Cabaret,” will have a more mid-20th century feel, with a steady rotation of local and some touring circus artists. Live music will be provided by the G-String Orchestra and other musicians, and vendors again will be selling their wares at the front.
“We’ll be inspired by the old ‘big top,’” she said. “For me this is about being able to have more opportunity to be a producer and the best boss I can be to those people.”
The four-night “Vaude D’Gras” show will have more of a mix of circus and sideshow performances inside the old Happy Land Theater. So while LadyBEAST, GoGo McGregor and Sarah Stardust will be on hand, so will Guglielmo, the opera-singing clown; his wife, the knife-throwing Madame Daggers; Clay Mazing, the whip-cracking clown; and music by the Vaude D’Gras Band with “maestro” Sarah Jacques (of both G-String Orchestra and Opus Zeo.
In keeping with the previous productions, there will be a distinct narrative feel for the show, this time featuring a meta-fictional “show within a show” scenario in which inner turmoil among the cast members will lead to shenanigans.
“Now I really feel that this is our part in Mardi Gras, our way to give to Mardi Gras, which is important if you a performer or artist in this town,” said LadyBEAST, who estimated last year’s attendance was as high as 700 over the four performances. “As for this year, it’s my longest-standing production, and it’s the thing I started in my head five years ago, and I want to keep having it evolve and having it become a bigger production.
“I see growth. I see evolution.”
INFLUX OF TALENT
That’s due in part to recruiting such game performers as Guglielmo, who moved to New Orleans in early 2012 after several visits from New York City, where he’d gained experience singing opera and emceeing circus and sideshow productions. When LadyBEAST offered him a slot in the inaugural “Cirque du Gras” in 2014, he jumped at the chance. (He and his wife, Madame Daggers, perform together and separately.)
“Anytime I’m asked to doing something ‘out of the box’ that I like, without question will give it a shot,” he said.“Risks are what I live for, and its been quite a ride! What I love about what we do is take a bunch of circus, vaudeville and sideshow and turn it into more of a theatrical experience.”
The growth of New Orleans’ circus scene overall has included a modest migration of talent in recent years, with performers sometimes put off by the larger scenes in which they’ve worked and intrigued by New Orleans’ free, creative and communal spirit. These aren’t just wandering souls, either; they come well trained. Sarah Stardust, who moved to New Orleans from New York City in January 2015, spent several years studying ballet and modern dance in Texas before switching to aerial performance and studying that and acrobatic dance at the New England Center for Circus Arts in Brattleboro, Vt., beginning in 2007.
She spent about two years in New York performing and teaching before deciding to move to New Orleans, partly because she’d tired of the “sexy cabaret style” and “joke acts” that were prevalent in New York but also because she enjoyed visiting her brother in New Orleans and decided to move “on a whim.” She currently teaches at Ashtanga Yoga Room and aerials at LA Motion along with Liza Rose.
Stardust, who performs with Cirque Copine and in “Vaude D’Gras,” loves the collaborative spirit in New Orleans, whether with Liza Rose and LadyBEAST or musicians such as those in Opus Zeo — with whom they collaborated in last year’s first “In Wonderland” performance.
“We sat down together and developed a storyline based on Liza’s concept,” Sarah Stardust recalled. “We found our characters and mostly our own choreography, but had each other for feedback, which is important! The best part for me though is that Opus Zeo met with each of us to talk about what we envisioned for music and what they made was such magic.
“It just made everything come to life!”
While she embraces that collaborative spirit, Stardust says, she wishes the New Orleans scene had more cohesiveness, at least in the aerial community, and perhaps more dedication. Part of that challenge is the lack of a common venue to serve as the kind of hub that scenes in New York or San Francisco enjoy.
“I would love for there to be more opportunities for everyone to work hard and train together,” she said. “I think that’s one thing that’s really holding us all back from being better!”
Clay Mazing, a whip-cracking clown most notable for his appearances in “Cirque du Gras,” has traveled around the country and (more recently) overseas with his Emergency Circus, performing for Syrian refugees. He moved to New Orleans seven years ago, and also notes a growing and increasingly vibrant scene here after watching the burlesque scene become so big. But he still feels New Orleans is in catch-up mode to scenes in the San Francisco Bay area and Portland, partly due to those cities because of the training and competition going on.
But he also notes the downside of developing a scene in the wrong direction.
“I see the potential, and hope to be able to shape the scene in a positive way,” said Clay Mazing, who will host a benefit, “Emergency Circus Strikes Back,” on Feb. 13 at Castillo Blanco Art Studios.
“I can see a surge of circus coming and I hope our scene can remain cooperative and add to the magical charm and culture of this excellent city,” he said. “I don’t want to see some homogenous scene pop up equal to the Bay Area or Portland here. I’d hope that our circus culture will remain unique, accepting and adding to the vibrancy and even the grit that makes New Orleans so exceptional and alive.”
Chatty the Mime, a popular clown who blurs the lines between circus and burlesque performances, sees a growing scene for the circus arts.
“When I started five years ago, there was only one show that was a full variety circus show,” she said.“The scene back then was mostly burlesque shows with one variety performer. Now there are probably around 8 different circus shows happening at a given time. 2015 was my busiest year performing.
“So I do have high hopes for 2016.”
She participated in holiday play recently, “A Christmas Carol” at the Bayou Playhouse, and was heartened when the director wanted circus performers to add a new dimenstion the show.
“It was great to see an audience who may not have ever experience something like that have so much fun,” she said.
VALUE AND COMMITMENT
Liza Rose, who along with balancing herself with her aerial work, also balances a professional mix of teaching aerial work to others at La Motion and to students in the Circus Arts program at the International School of Louisiana. This is life for a professional who’s worked on both the East and West coasts before settling down in New Orleans, where she’s performed with such varied settings as the New Orleans Fringe Festival and “Freaksheaux to Geaux.” She’s seen other scenes compromised by producers hiring lesser-trained performers at cheaper rates, and doesn’t want to see that happen in New Orleans.
She wants to see value and commitment placed in the New Orleans circus scene.
“Everybody keeps saying to me, ‘Liza, let me know when there’s something going on that I can be a part of,’” she said. “I need people who will come and help me make the scene.”
She has a strong collaborator in LadyBEAST, whose creativity and energy complements Liza Rose’s talents as a skilled performer and choreographer. As long as they keep moving forward, together, they’ll be satisfied.
“The main idea,” LadyBEAST said, “is evolution. I come from visual-artist background, so without change, you’re stagnant.”
EVENTS
“Cirque di Pasta” Thursday, Jan. 21
Arabella Casa di Pasta Performers: Guglielmo, LadyBEAST, Clay Mazing, Sarah Stardust, Madame Daggers and GoGo McGregor
“Vaude D’Gras” Feb. 5-8
Happyland Theater Performers: Clay Mazing, GoGo McGregor, Guglielmo, LadyBEAST, Madame Daggers, Sarah Stardust, the Vaude D’Gras Band with Maestro Sarah Jacques
“Emergency Circus Strikes Back” Feb. 13
Castillo Blanco Art Studios Performers: Clay Mazing, LadyBEAST, Guglielmo, Chatty the Mime, Xena Zeit-Geist, Penelope Little, Matthew Silver, Special Head, more
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