As seen on the cover: Anna Fur Laxis by Emily Byrom

U.K. burlesque performer Anna Fur Laxis, First Runner-Up for Reigning Queen of Burlesque 2011, talks ridiculousness, BHoF legends, knife-throwing, fans with actual anaphylaxis and ninja training.

Interview: Divertida Devotchka

Your breathtaking act “The Prestige” won you the title of First Runner-Up for Reigning Queen of Burlesque in June 2011 at the Burlesque Hall of Fame weekend. I’ve read that it took you at least 18 months of work to properly execute the act and I’d love to know a little more about the details of your extensive preparation, especially the quick change aspect. Had you ever done quick change prior to that act?

Thank you for the breathtaking bit! I’m so glad you liked it. Back in 2006 when I saw the titular film I completely loved it, I found it gloriously evoked what must have been incredible excitement at the performances of the magicians of that period; it’s one of my favourite films. Michael Caine’s description of the three-act concept of a magician’s performance, with ‘The Prestige’ being the climax, particularly lodged in my head. I always said to myself that if I were to seriously apply for BHoF it would have to be with something amazing, I would want to perform something that no one had ever seen before, really to show myself what I could achieve as much as anyone else. A trip to LA’s Magic Castle in 2009 incepted the routine and I jokingly threw out “The Prestige” as a working title to my husband, after he’d stopped laughing at the pompous ridiculousness of it he said he loved it and his enthusiasm for the idea sealed the deal. I knew I had a killer concept but it turned out that I had no idea of the scale of the work that would be required. I had to imagine, develop and build everything myself, with only the help of my wonderful husband.

Prior to this act I’d had zero experience with magic, illusion or quick-change. I can read for England though so I picked up everything I could find on it. I started looking into the mechanics of the quick-change type act but it became clear that they weren’t suitable for the effects I was looking for. When I realized the act was more of a vanish-and-appear the pieces started to fall into place, although the effects are visually similar it’s an important distinction as it creates very different costuming challenges.

I love making costumes but it’s fair to say that this one was my biggest challenge to date and the length of time spent on the routine’s development speaks of the numerous costume pieces that didn’t quite work as required and so had to be re-made, modified and/or abandoned.

Anna Fur Laxis by Neil Kendall

Two legends you are particularly inspired by are Holiday O’Hara and Dusty Summers. Would you please share about your admiration for them and in what ways each of them have helped mold you into the performer you are today?

Hands down, THE most incredible thing about attending the Burlesque Hall of Fame weekend is meeting the legends of the industry. These amazing men and women are full of inspiration, advice and brilliance and it’s incredibly motivating to spend time in their presence. Hearing Holiday O’Hara speak at the 2008 Legends Panel really did have a profound effect on me.  During that weekend’s show, Holiday had performed a striptease for which she had entered the stage with the necessary aid of her mobility walker; the act also featured her utilizing it for comic effect. Speaking of this at the panel, she recalled her mentor’s words, “if you can’t fix it, feature it”.  Those words were a revelation to me, and they have informed me both as a performer and in my personal life since.

With Dusty Summers, I’d read her book and been so inspired by her story. I loved that Dusty incorporated magic into her numbers, and when I saw her perform live with doves for the first time, I was blown away. Those doves seriously appear from NOWHERE! When I started to create ‘The Prestige’, I knew I wanted to impress Dusty Summers. Winning the trophy was amazing, but nervously approaching Dusty the next day to ask what she’d thought, and to hear her say that she’d loved the number and had stood up to cheer really made my day!

Anna Fur Laxis by Don Spiro

Let’s talk pre-burlesque background. How/when did you get started? Do you have any formal dance/theater training, etc?

I don’t have any formal dance background (other than a performance as a munchkin in a small production of “The Wizard of Oz” aged 3) – the other dance training I have undertaken as an adult, and since starting to perform Burlesque as a career. I love learning new things and I grab learning opportunities wherever I can.

Other than dance classes, the ‘training’ I’ve found most beneficial from my previous life and careers has been from unexpected areas – Anatomy & Physiology & body positioning studies from my Radiography training has helped with modeling, my Beauty Therapy has helped with stage make up & presentation, and my time as a Legal Secretary has been invaluable in writing my contracts and the huge amount of administration that being a Performer brings.

Initially, I started to perform Burlesque as an extension of the pin-up modeling I’d been doing. I had no clue that I would fall so in love with performing and creating acts and that I would be doing it full time within six months of my first performance!

Anna Fur Laxis by "Jazz" Hands

Aside from burlesque, you’re also an established model. Care to share some career highlights thus far? Any exciting modeling projects in the works?

Modeling and Burlesque work well together and I love both. I love working with creative, retro companies such as Vivien of Holloway and Arcanum Accessories or with incredible Artists like Gary Crozier and Saarai Salmi & Marco Melander.  I’m really looking forward to some of the shoots I have lined up, for example with creative wig specialist Archania by D’Licious, and I also have a new project in the pipeline with Gary Crozier.  As for highlights? I’m a sucker for being on magazine covers. Five years ago I was a nerdy Yorkshire Housewife – being on magazine covers makes me feel like I‘ve broken the laws of Physics.

Your fans recently voted you number 5 in 21^st Century Burlesque’s Burlesque Top 50 for 2011 (a drastic jump from the number 19 spot in 2010). In your opinion, what contributed to the increase in notoriety? Were you surprised to be in the top 5?

I was absolutely thrilled to be voted into the top 50, and to be number 5 was wonderful. I’d obviously been hoping I’d be somewhere in the top 50, but as names were announced and the numbers get smaller you do start to wonder if you’ll be in there.

I think I owe my position at number 5 to the people who saw my BHoF act – either online or on stage in Las Vegas and Leeds. It’s very rewarding to know that people enjoy what I do enough to put me alongside such esteemed Performers, Teachers and Ambassadors of this industry.

You’re also known for knife/axe-throwing, and you won a medal from the International Knife Throwers Hall of Fame recently. We’d love to hear more about that!

Haha!! Yes, I was pretty excited about that medal! Since I met Hollywood Knife Thrower Jack Dagger in Los Angeles in 2008, I’ve come to know some really great members of the International Knife Thrower’s Hall of Fame. It’s a wonderful community and, in many ways similar to the burlesque scene. It’s an international group of enthusiasts, skilled in a discipline they love, loudly spreading the word to anyone who’ll listen. I’d love to go to more events and throwing contests but I’m rarely available, so to get recognition from them was wonderful, and again, very much an honour.

Anna Fur Laxis by "Jazz" Hands

I giggled at a recent Facebook post in which you stated, “I know I’ve been going in this direction for quite some time, but in 2012 I’ve decided to become an actual ninja.” You’ve got some pretty serious training ahead of you this year, no?

Totes. Although in many ways I’m almost there already; I’ve studied the martial art Aikido, I can pretty much quote the whole of Enter the Dragon, I own some REALLY tight black pants and my knife-throwing instructor has offered to teach me how to throw bo shuriken. The way I see it, my main challenge in this quest is to figure out how to be a lot less clumsy in the dark.

In December you had to delay the second act of show because an audience member was actually experiencing anaphylaxis, reportedly right after you left the stage. I’m certainly not making light of anyone’s ailment, but my goodness how incredible is that?! (What happened, anyway?)

I was performing in a run of nightly dinner shows in the Grand Casino in Helsinki, an awesome gig with beautiful performers LouLou D’Vil and Lada Redstar. One night, I noticed that the interval was lasting a lot longer than usual and asked around to find out what was happening. I was told that the show had been halted while medical help was sought for a diner who had eaten something, suffered an allergic reaction and was experiencing anaphylaxis! BOOM! You can’t buy that headline! Thankfully, we later learned that he made a full recovery; you never know what could happen next time though!

What’s next for Anna Fur Laxis?

Sewing! I’m planning two new numbers for this year so I’m currently riding a wave of costuming inspiration. I’m also working with my husband again on the design for a new prop I’ll need for one of them. Ninja Training obviously, I’ll be starting that in earnest. Then there are rehearsals for some overseas shenanigans in the pipeline, can’t give too much away about them yet but if you currently reside in, oh, let’s say… Canada? Australia? Spain? Yorkshire? Then there’s a chance you could bump into me somewhere. Drinking tea? Counting cards? Leaving no trace?

Anna x

Burlesque: There Are Big Hearts Behind Those Busts.

Story Femme Vivre LaRouge

It struck a poignant cord with me this year at the Burlesque Hall of Fame Legends Q&A how many of our legends have followed humanistic pursuits, not only in the performing arts, but in the social spectrum as well.  I realize that it might be easy for the uninitiated to think of these sensual entertainers as divas or mere attention-seekers, but they are, in fact, intelligent, empathetic, strong, and passionate women who have chosen to share their love of life with others.  Judith Stein and Shannon Doah, legends of burlesque, have displayed themselves with grace and glamour for international audiences.  But their beauty goes much further than skin-deep.  These ladies have followed up their lusty and illustrious careers as showgirls with work that serves others.  Judith Stein brings humor to housebound patients and Shannon Doah aids animals in abusive homes.  We are lucky to have living legends such as these to look up to.

Judith Stein, a resident of Nelson, British Columbia, has been inducted into The Burlesque Hall of Fame as Canada’s only Legend of Burlesque.  She is active in the Canadian burlesque community as a performer and mentor, and teaches workshops on the art of striptease “for your inner tramp” (theartofburlesque.com)  Ms. Stein’s performance career began in 1974 when she took up topless go-go dancing to help pay for college.  From there she had the chance to learn the art, firsthand, from some of the greatest peelers in the business, and became an internationally acclaimed sensation herself.  I was lucky enough to meet Ms. Stein this year at the BHoF Reunion and she was absolutely delightful, “the last Legend standing” at all the after parties!

Judith Stein now works with Interior Health of British Colombia as a Home Support Worker.  She provides services to those who wish to remain in their own homes, but need a helping hand with cooking, meds, bathing and hygiene, etc.  Furthermore, when these patients are getting ready to pass, Ms. Stein keeps them clean, comfortable, and in good company.  She states that, in these palliative health care cases, “Of course, mine die laughing.”  Some of the men she has cared for even knew her from her original days as a performer, one telling her, “I can die a happy man now.”  Judith says that the great reward in this type of work, the same as with burlesque, is “The smile on people’s faces.”  The importance of her work is obvious, and her patients are grateful; as one woman put it, “You walked with me to the end of the road.”

When asked, “What have been some of the more challenging and rewarding aspects
of your careers?” Ms. Stein replied that, after quitting burlesque, she moved to a small town and was open about what she had done in her previous career.  “Some of the challenging things were being taken seriously as an intelligent, caring human being; being taken seriously by men, and dispelling the myth that I was probably a hooker, and dumb.  I remember when I moved here, there were radical feminists, and they challenged me about my choice of career.”  A long-time feminist herself, and member of C.O.Y.O.T.E. (Call Off Your Old Tired Ethics), she attempted to explain to such challengers that, “I earned my own living, I did what was right for me.”  She says, “I had to educate a few people.”  Judith states that what was rewarding about her career in burlesque was the ability to entertain, lots of money, travel, independence, and being her own boss.  In her current line of work, it is rewarding to do something that is needed, to provide a valuable service.

I asked Ms. Stein, “What has remained constant between your careers, and what has changed?” to which she replied, “What has remained constant is my love of people, and to provide the service with the utmost of charm, grace, and intelligence.”  As to what has changed, “When I was a dancer, I thought the world would never end.  I hadn’t given much thought to aging.  When you’re young and beautiful and in demand, you don’t think about the days when you’re going to go through menopause, health issues, and that you’re not going to have all that money again.”

When asked, “What are some of your accomplishments that you are most proud of?” Judith replied that it has always been the ability to entertain people, “to present myself as an intelligent thinking and aware woman, and well-educated.”  She shared a chilling story with me about dancing at a frat party, after which a group of young men rushed the stage, shouting “Rape her!” and pulling at what was left of her costume.  She said, “I got away, by sheer luck” and she took them to court over it.  Although the case was not a total success, the judge was impressed that she was not after any monetary compensation, but that she was charging these disrespectful hooligans because it “was the right thing to do.”  When asked by the judge what she would like to see happen to them, she stated that she would like for these boys to be sentenced one year of compulsory women’s studies.  And that is just what happened- a great accomplishment, indeed, and hopefully a turning point in those wayward young men’s lives.

I also requested that Judith Stein honor us with a favorite memory from her career in burlesque.  She told me a charming story about an old cowboy who came up to her after a performance in Odessa, TX, and said in the customary drawl, “Ma’am, you’re one fine filly of a lady and I’d be right honored to buy you a drink.”  Later, while performing her cowgirl act in assless chaps, he played the spoons on her bum; it turned out that he had also played the spoons at none other than the Grand Ol’ Opry!  Judith shared the following with me as well: “Two years ago I performed at the Vancouver burlesque festival, and it had been about 22…23 years since I’d been on stage.  The music started, I walked onstage, and the whole place stood up.  I was incredibly honored.  It was thrilling to be back onstage, to entertain again, to put myself out there and spread the love.  The young people who are involved in burlesque have been so gracious, and have honored us more than we could ever have imagined.”

For anyone interested in doing the type of work that Ms. Stein now does, she shared, “In every town there’s a senior citizens place, nursing homes, assisted living, and neighbors who live down the street and might need a hand with groceries, shoveling their walk, or just someone to drop in for a cup of tea and a visit.”

“There are no great deeds, only small deeds done with great love.” Mother Theresa

Shannon Doah (also known as Patricia Oppelt) was born in London, England, and now resides in San Diego, California.  She is once again active in the burlesque scene, performing, teaching workshops, and selling some truly lovely merchandise at vintageshowgirl.com.  Shannon Doah began performing in 1967, in San Francisco, after which she moved to Hollywood, and subsequently traveled a great deal to perform, into the 1980s.  Elegant, gracious, and sympathetic to the needs of others, she reminds me of a modern-day Audrey Hepburn.

What influenced your decision to focus your energies on assisting with the Animal Safehouse Program, and implementing the subsequent Canine Coach Kids and Silent Companion programs, after your illustrious entertainment career?

I had been volunteering at a local humane society for nearly ten years when I was asked to join the front desk staff. I was still performing, but I was traveling less and beginning to think I should transition into a new career.  I thought working for the shelter would be a place I could wrap my heart around. Within a year I became the program director for Humane Education volunteers and the Animal Safehouse.

When Janet Winikoff spearheaded the Animal Safehouse, it was a new concept and only a handful of these programs existed nationally; today there are hundreds. The program is life-saving and provides shelter for the pets of domestic violence victims who wish to leave their abuser and enter a battered women’s shelter. I won’t go into detail about my personal history, but I empathized with the women who needed this resource, and supported the new program. When Janet moved, she encouraged me to continue her work. I conducted presentations to professionals and the public on the link between violence to humans and cruelty to animals. I was thrilled to see animal welfare and domestic violence workers collaborate. I attended the domestic violence community’s workshops. I learned that a woman is abused by her partner every 9 seconds so the chances are high the family pet is also at risk. In fact, 75% percent of family violence victims who have animals report that their pets have been harmed or threatened. This added worry has kept victims from leaving their abuser and entering a domestic violence shelter. I also learned that animals could be protected in restraining orders, as property.

The need for kindness programs to help break the cycle of violence to humans and animals inspired me to create the Canine Coach Kids program. Through my experience, and from information from workshops, I learned that the children who most needed interaction with animals were those who had been displaced and exposed to violence and could readily relate to animals that were homeless and abused. I set up animal shelter tours for the kids from DV and transitional housing shelters. During one visit, a boy didn’t want to participate and was sullen and withdrawn. As we entered the rabbit area, I gave the kids some greens to feed the rabbits. The young boy’s face lit up with a big smile as he gave the rabbits their treats.  According the DV shelter’s manager, it was a break-through for the youngster. I started my new program with trust and help from the community, support from my peers, child therapists, and plenty of eager homeless dogs at our shelter.

In the Canine Coach Kids program, side by side with their dogs from our adoption program, children experience goal setting, the power of the Human-Animal Bond, compassion, and a sense of responsibility. The homeless dogs’ adoptability increases, and many are adopted before the sessions end- and the kids are delighted get to train another dog!

My inspiration for creating the Silent Companion project blossomed when I served as Chair of the Domestic Violence Council Shelter and Support Services Committee. I worked on collecting data for the National Domestic Violence Silent Witness Project (awareness campaign using silhouettes of domestic violence fatalities).  There were no animal silhouettes. Animals are often the overlooked and forgotten victims of domestic violence. In 2003, I created the animal figures to serve as a powerful educational tool to remember animal victims of family violence and to bring awareness of the correlation between human violence and animal fatalities. Each figure represents a companion animal killed by a perpetrator of domestic violence and animal abuse, and is a life size silhouette. Each figure wears a collar and tag with the name of the pet (when available), a description of the pet, other family members, how the animal was killed, and the outcome or conviction of the perpetrator. The animal silhouettes are displayed at international conferences, candlelight vigils, and other family violence awareness events. I’m pleased that others have shared my vision and additional silhouettes have been created.

What have been some of the more challenging and rewarding aspects of your career after burlesque?

Getting up at the same hour I had been going to sleep was a huge challenge!

When I was performing, I wasn’t open about my occupation. I often received a negative reaction to this profession. Although I didn’t disclose my former life, I was insecure that when I spoke to the professional community they wouldn’t take me seriously. I decided to call upon my stage experience to help me prepare for the public speaking. If I could strip off my cloths in front of a crowd, why not speak? I created a “show” with rehearsals, a script, and slides (no power point then!)  Eventually, it became second nature to speak, and really quite enjoyable.

What has remained constant between your careers, and what has changed?

Well, I’ve never been mainstream, and I’m a progressive thinker. I think I’ve proved this by my choice to become a strip tease artist and in my willingness to create, develop, and implement programs where they don’t exist. I believe in humanitarianism and the rights of all animals. Creativity in my life has remained constant. It’s part of everything to me and has given my life meaning. The way I approach work comes from my ability to see possibilities and draw from my creative nature. What has changed is that I’ve learned I am a great collaborator.

Please honor us with a favorite memory from your career in burlesque.

There are so many fond and funny memories. Being a lover of tropical weather, I took the opportunity to perform in a huge outdoor Tiki Hut on the island of Tahiti. I was the Feature and I followed two Asian acrobats. There was no stage and the audience sat in circular fashion around the floor. Since it was all outside, if the weather was bad, I got several nights off with pay and flew over to the beautiful island, Moorea. This was 1970 and only two hotels existed on the pristine island!

I also read on your website that you are related to Jane Greer!  Being a fan of film noir (for anyone interested, Jane Greer’s most famous role was the femme fatale, Kathie, in 1947’s Out of the Past, which is a visual dictionary of film noir’s classic conventions), I was very interested to learn this, and I can absolutely see the resemblance- you both have such a graceful and sophisticated loveliness. Would you care to share anything about this intriguing family connection?

The film noir actress, Jane Greer, is my cousin from my mom’s side of the family. She was classy and beautiful. I think it runs in the family, and a reason I keep my strip tease shows a class act.

Are there any resources you would like to share with our readers who might be interested in volunteer work or implementing one of the programs that you have conceived and carried out?

Readers may contact me though my website: www.vintageshowgirl.com

Readers can contact their local animal shelters or domestic violence shelters and inquire about volunteer work or programs to help break the cycle of violence. Please report animal abuse to your local animal shelter authorities.

First Strike Humane Society of the United States: http://www.animalsheltering.org/programs_and_services/first_strike/

Directory for Safe Havens for Animals: http://www.humanesociety.org/issues/abuse_neglect/tips/safe_havens_directory.html

Guide to Safe Havens for Pets: Guidelines for Programs Sheltering Pets for Women Who Are Battered by Frank R. Ascione, Ph.D.: http://www.vachss.com/guest_dispatches/safe_havens.html

National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-SAFE (1-888-799-7233)

Child Abuse Hotline: 1-800-344-6000

Sexual Abuse Hotline: 1-888-272-1767

Elder Abuse Hotline: 1-800-510-2020

Chicago’s Stage Door Johnnies, winners of Best Group at this year’s Burlesque Hall of Fame, took time out of their crazy schedules to dish with us. Group members Bazuka Joe, Ray Gunn, and Jett Adore and  talk masculinity, Hot Toddy, codpiece malfunctions, Twizzlers, world domination, and drunk dials.

Interview: Divertida Devotchka

Please tell us about your performance experience prior to burlesque.

BJ: I performed some theater in high school and started focusing a little more on dance in college. When I moved to Chicago I did some back up dancing in Chicago for a bunch of performers and that’s actually how I met Ray and Jett!

JA: I have been a professional actor and dancer since childhood, performing mostly on stage, but also in film, television, commercials, and print. I have a fine arts degree in acting and in musical theatre, and a minor in dance.

RG: I was a professional modern dancer for 12 years. I was the artistic director of a professional dance company in Chicago for 3 years then started my own dance company which I have been running for the past four years.

Care to briefly explain the development process of each of your boylesque personas?

BJ: I got my name by accident actually.  When I was learning my very first solo (at the tutelage of Hot Toddy) I forgot I was chewing gum. We joked that my name should be Bazooka Joe and it stuck! (I changed the spelling later to give a nod to my Asian half … and for copyright issues!).  Now, the name is really more of an extension of my actual personality, only much more exaggerated.  Bazuka Joe is comical, sweet, unconditionally optimistic, almost naive.

JA: First, I imagine, I pretend, that nostalgia actually exists for male burlesque just as it does for the ladies. I dream, what if, when burlesque was at its original height of popularity, male burlesque had been as prominent and mainstream as the women who have made history? How would those men have translated the genre? I aim to create a character who, just as so many of the divas of burlesque, has a playful sense of humor, without sacrificing legitimate sex appeal. I aim to explore masculinity, and to draw on icons and images which promote it, exploit it, twist it, exaggerate it, expand it, I never intend to bend gender, but I ask always as a man, what can be provocative in the contrasts between delicacy and muscularity, softness and brawn. I am fascinated by exploring the contradictions in our romanticized male icons; his tenderness, charm his glamorous elegance, all despite his brute strength.

RG: The name Ray Gunn is a nod to science fiction and blacksploitation films and my love for the genres.

Bazuka Joe. Photo: Matt Chaboud

Can you please tell us about the creation of the Stage Door Johnnies as we know them? What exactly is the involvement of Hot Toddy (2009 King of Boylesque)?

BJ: As Hot Toddy was getting more into the burlesque scene, he kept asking a few guys back regularly as back-up dancers. Little by little we kept showing up together.  One day he asked us to meet, and at the time, we kind of knew he was going to ask us if we were interested in getting more involved. Much to our surprise, only the three of us showed up and he already had our first gig booked, a photo shoot set, and we each needed a solo and persona in two weeks! (Surprise!)  Since then, Toddy has focused more on improv theater and we’ve taken up the reigns.  Every now and then we get him to come and perform with us onstage though! It’s fantastic!

What in your opinion are the pros and cons of performing in a predominately female industry?

BJ: Wow! Loaded question! The biggest con is probably having to explain what it is we actually do.  Even to audiences who are privy to female burlesque it’s really hard to convey until they actually see us perform.  Usually they think we’re Chippendales knock-offs or drag queens!  Also, it’s hard to find male legends who we can learn from and model ourselves after. BUT, there are plenty of amazing female performers who we learn from, idolize, and really work hard to pay homage to but in a masculine, theatrical way.  We’re really grateful that the burlesque community is so welcoming and supportive.

JA: We have been embraced by the women of burlesque with immense love and respect. We love being part of something innovative and relatively untouched from the male perspective. The word “boylesque” has worked against us, though, as it means so many different things to different people and confuses the idea of our aim in burlesque, which is to create a male counterpart to the historic art form, with the same standards for refinement, polish, and style as the top women in the business.

RG: Pro: All the inappropriate comments a boy could ever want! Con: Always having to remember to put the toilet seat down.

Ray Gunn. Photo: Kriss Abigail

Have any noteworthy show mishaps, costume malfunctions or the like that you’d care to tell about?

BJ: Ha ha ha!! Yeah, ironically, a burlesque performer’s costume malfunction is usually when something DOESN’T come off. But there are still times when something comes off that you don’t want to.  In our case, we wear codpieces that cover crotches – lots of times they’re decorated and used as the punch lines for acts. Well, I was in Indy with Lola Van Ella’s Show-Me Burlesque tour performing my chef routine “Dixie Biscuits”. The punch line is a very glittery codpiece that reads “Kiss The Cook”. Well, as you can probably guess, the glue wore off and I didn’t know until my final reveal. FORTUNATELY, I turn away from the audience right before I show them the end and noticed it in time to hold it up with my hand, so the audience didn’t see anything they weren’t supposed to.  The stage crew on the other hand….  (whoops!)

JA: I slipped and completely fell onstage once, and took the opportunity to do some impromptu floor work. I think all of us have had a codpiece malfunction at one point or other along our journey to continue improving on their designs and construction. Thankfully there is always a hat, cape, or feather fan to save the day.

RG: Nothing really shocking, although I Have had clothes not come off when they were supposed to.  During my act “Trust Me” the corset got stuck and I spent a good portion of that section trying to wiggle my way out of it!

How has winning best group at this year’s Burlesque Hall of Fame weekend changed things for the group?

BJ: So far, life has gone on as usual.  We have been getting a few more offers than normal and some really great opportunities to jump into line-ups with other burlesque icons and title-holders.  I do think however, it’s helping to mainstream the concept and idea of our style of male burlesque.  We’re finding more and more people who ‘get it’ and know what to expect.

RG: We are busier with travel but we still get referred to as the ‘Backdoor Johnnies’ from time to time.

Jett Adore. Photo: Kenneth Morris

Please share a few of your favorite burlesque memories so far.

BJ: Another loaded question!  I could go on and on!  I’d first have to mention the number of hilarious drunk dials I’ve gotten (and given) by performers all over.  Minnie Tonka got that train running and now on any random weekend evening we get largely unintelligible calls from god knows who!  I usually save them and play them back the next time I see that person.

JA: Performing the last two years at BHOF has certainly been a highlight. Also, one of my most noted honors was when Midnite Martini threw her bra onstage during my performance at the Best of Midwest Burlesque Festival.

RG: Experiencing, first hand, World Famous Bob’s “Bobs Away”.  If you don’t know what that is, just have your birthday celebration the next time she’s around!  Your life will never be the same!

I’d like to know 3 little known facts about each of you.

BJ: Hmmm…. tough one. 1. I get really nervous in front of cameras. 2. I have ZERO sense of style for blinging up costumes. 3. I have a huge crush on Julie Atlas Muz!

JA: 1. I am the parental guardian for a bear named Franklin (He’s often mistaken for an Akita). 2. I never sleep, but I dream about sleeping. 3. I bathe in buttermilk every Tuesday at dusk.

RG: 1. I love Twizzlers… the original kind, not those crappy Pull-n-Peels. And not those other random flavors – not the cherry, not the peach, not the raspberry, and *definitely* not the watermelon. The original strawberry Twizzlers. 2. I have my own professional dance company. 3. I’m a huge comic book nerd.

What’s next for the Stage Door Johnnies?

JA: We are continuing to stay beyond busy traveling and performing all over the US and in Canada and have been negotiating several offers to perform overseas as well. Our big “next” is our huge monthly show here in Chicago at the legendary Park West Theater starting in October.

RG: World domination. ‘Nuff said.

Your favorite Pin Curl contributors, Divertida Divotchka and Femme Vivre LaRouge, joined forces with local emcee Violet O’ Hara to accept the Legends Challenge put forth by Burlesque Hall of Fame, and decided to sponsor Dallas’ own Tammi True.  The group’s diligent fundraising efforts put them in the top three and guests of the Legends Brunch, which they gladly recapped for us.

Burlesque Hall of Fame Legends Challenge

By: Femme Vivre LaRouge

This year the Burlesque Hall of Fame issued a challenge to the burlesque community to put our pasties to work for a good cause.  The first-ever Legends Challenge was a great success, raising over $13,000 to help pay the way for the living legends of burlesque to attend the 2011 Burlesque Hall of Fame Reunion in Las Vegas.  Since its beginning in 1957, the annual reunion has grown into the wondrous and star-studded affair that it is today.  It is a great treasure to have the chance to mingle with the beautiful, passionate, and talented women who have passed their trade on to us.  Over twenty legends were in attendance, most of them sponsored by troupes and performers around the country.

We were delighted to sponsor Dallas’ very own Tammi True, former dancer at Jack Ruby’s Carousel Club.  The DFW/Austin burlesque community really came together with the goal of sending Miss True to the event, and we were able to make more than we even dreamed.  Numerous local performers and dedicated fans contributed to this worthy cause, with a generosity that was truly touching.  With the support of Hot Rods and Heels and events hosted by Viva Dallas Burlesque, The Jigglewatts Burlesque Revue, Violet O’Hara of the Ruby Revue, four raffle baskets, an auction, a Burly-Q Bake Sale, and one event dedicated solely to the fundraiser we were able to raise over $2,000!

In fact, the Texas team did so well that we made it to the top three highest grossing benefactors of the Challenge!  Boy howdy, were we gals happy to have our team listed alongside the noteworthy names of Michelle L’Amour and Cora Vette & Burly Cute!  The greatest reward, aside from the honor of lending a hand to these venerable women, was a special luncheon for the Legends and patrons, which Divertida Devotchka, Violet O’Hara, and I had the privilege of attending just before the Legends Q & A.

Highlights from the BHOF Legends Q & A

By: Divertida Devotchka

What memorabilia or sentimental objects did you keep from your burlesque career?

Holiday O’Hara, the Lady Who Loves to Love You, started performing in 1968, retired in 1983 and came out of retirement in 2007. “I kept some costumes and all of my jewelry and all of my boas. What still fit was my jewelry, my boas and my duster.” Holiday also kept pictures of other burlesque performers who inspired her, particularly Gina Bon Bon.

Joan Arline, the Sexquire Girl, performed from 1953 to 1958. Joan still has her burlesque trunk and her costume from when she was 22, which still fits. She last wore the costume one week prior to the Q & A!

Share a favorite backstage memory.

Shannon Doah started performing in 1967. She shared a memory of performing at a club with a very small dressing room with a clothing rack at the back of the room. One night while everyone was getting ready for a show, they looked down and noticed a pair of men’s shoes. They kept looking and discovered a man lying under the rack hiding under the clothes!

Ellion Ness, began performing at the age of 15. During her second week performing in the chorus line at Minsky’s, she was sent on a wild goose chase to find “the key to open the curtain.” She frantically looked everywhere for this mysterious (nonexistent) key thinking that she would ruin the show if the curtain wouldn’t open, and after much searching Minsky told her not to worry and to go get ready for the show.

What do you want your legacy to be?

Camille 2000, the Cosmic Queen of Burlesque, began performing in 1968. She wants her legacy to be her tribute to Marquis de Sade.

Judith Stein began performing in 1974, and said she was “last legend standing” at the after-parties at BHOF weekend (and trust us, she was!)

Toni Elling began performing in 1960 and retired in 1974. Toni wants to be remembered as “a good entertainer. I consider myself that, not a stripper.”

Dusty Summers by RJ Johnson of LightReclaimed.com

Dusty Summers, Las Vegas’ Only Nude Magician, began performing in 1965. She posed a question to the rest of her peers on the panel- what was your career after burlesque?

Gina Bon Bon’s performance career lasted from 1962 until 1991. She’s now an artist and brought with her an incredible painting she did of Camille 2000. She is currently working on a collection about burlesque stars.

Joan Arline had 2 children and a successful dance school specializing in Russian ballet and ballroom dancing, and she also became a commodities trader. At age 60, she began performing in the Golden Girl Follies.

Kitten Natividad started performing in 1969. She was also known for her appearance in Russ Meyer films and Kitten had a long relationship with Meyer. Kitten now works in real estate.

Judith Stein learned to surf, started skiing again, started her own business, and now works with the dying “so at least they can die laughing.”

Camille 2000 owns Cosmic Hog Pen, which specializes in “motorcycle leather and switchblades” among other things.

Holiday O’Hara was a professional dominatrix from 1983 until 2005 and is now a hypnotherapist. “I applied the ‘you’re mine’ aspect of working a room to just one person and now I do the same with hypnotherapy.”

Shannon Doah volunteered at an animal shelter for 10 years and said she felt insecure about getting a “normal” job. She now works with a program for victims of domestic violence, particularly helping get the animals out of abusive environments. “With many abused women, the abusers also abuse the animals and they threaten to harm the animal to keep the woman from leaving.”

Tips from the Living Legends of Burlesque:

Tammi True (known as Miss Excitement, she began performing “by accident” in 1959 and retired in 1968): “I never had an ‘act.’ You don’t have to have a ‘character.’ Be true to yourself and just be you.”

Holiday O’Hara: “I’m always Holiday. I’m me. I don’t turn it off and on. Just make love to the audience. The audience makes love to you back.”

Dusty Summers: “Don’t be afraid to learn something new; try something new.”

Haji (best known for her roles in Russ Meyer films, most notably “Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!” with Tura Satana): “Fantasize. Be a flower, a snake, whatever you can think of. Be fun, be free, but don’t be vulgar.”

Tai Ping (performed from 1960 to 1970 until a car crash ended her dance career): “Use the whole stage; work it all. Everyone paid and they all deserve the same show.”

Toni Elling: “Have fun.”

Denton’s Vixens of Vaudeville did fundraisers for months to afford to send the troupe to Burlesque Hall of Fame Weekend in Las Vegas. If you’ve been living under a rock- this is where the Miss Exotic World Pageant is held annually, which is *the* title to hold in burlesque. We asked the Vixens toshare their experience.

By: Divertida Devotchka (Vixens of Vaudeville Revue)

I’m pretty sure Stacey Q’s “Two of Hearts” was blaring through the 20th floor suite at the Orleans Casino and Hotel when someone ripped back the curtains to reveal blinding beams of daylight (which, mind you, seem much harsher when you’re whiskey-drunk at 7 AM at the ‘pants off dance off’ after-after-party). Everyone cheered triumphantly as if challenging the sun to interfere with our celebration, and it was at that moment that it really hit me. “Holy crap,” I thought. “I’m in Vegas at the Burlesque Hall of Fame Weekend. My life rules.” Of course, this epiphany was rudely interrupted by hotel security informing us there were noise complaints from two floors below us. Sigh.

The party may have been cut short, but the entire weekend was brimming with similar this-is-why-I’m-glad-to-be-alive experiences. The grueling months of planning and fundraising paid off for our troupe, the Vixens of Vaudeville Revue, and to be honest, the whole journey couldn’t have been more rewarding.

The highlight of our trip was meeting the burlesque legends, listening to them reminisce, receiving their indispensable advice, and of course, seeing them shake what their mommas gave them. Although she did not perform this year, just being in the same room as Tempest Storm was something we never thought we’d be fortunate enough to experience, and Dixie Evans is such a gem. Every time she addressed the crowd it brought a huge smile to my face. We were also thrilled when Satan’s Angel won the Legend award for 2009. We had the pleasure of meeting her and she was incredibly down to earth. Seeing the legends perform and attending their Q & A session was overwhelmingly inspirational. The four of us Vixens agreed that we’d give anything to be like these extraordinarily graceful, talented women when we’re older. Vixen Crystal Pistols put it best when she said, “Guys, we should be like the Golden Girls, but we’ll do burlesque!”

Aside from the legends showcase, we also had the privilege of modeling in a pinup safari hosted by Don Spiro, Dale Rio, and Java of Java’s Bachelor Pad. We had a blast cruising through Vegas on a double-decker bus, enjoying a hearty whiskey breakfast with our new photographer friends.

And of course, the Miss Exotic World Pageant was absolutely breathtaking. Everyone was so talented that it must have been very difficult for the judges to choose the winners, but we agreed that the new Reigning Queen of Burlesque Kalani KoKonuts put on a stunning performance. We also adored Perle Noire, who we can’t wait to see again at the New Orleans Burlesque Festival in September. Some of our other favorites included performances by the Oona Tramps, Arabella Trapeze, and Foxy Tann and the Wham-Bam Thank You Ma’ams. All told, we saw over 12 hours of burlesque performances during the weekend and every act was unique. “I thought it was wonderful to see the variety of performances from classic to avant garde,” said Vixen Honey Cocoa Bordeauxx. “It just goes to show that burlesque is not just one thing, and that it has so many different elements – dance, theatre, comedy, striptease, and anything else you can think of to throw in the mix.” And don’t even get me started about the caliber of emcees who hosted the events. They were all unbelievably entertaining, but our favorites were Miss Astrid and El Vez, who had totally different personas but they had an amazing dynamic on stage together. As much as we love the ladies, we agreed that the boylesque performers really gave the gals a run for their money.

Another reason we attended the event was for networking, and even that experience exceeded our expectations. People were very welcoming and passionate about the preservation of burlesque as an art form, and they really advocate awareness of the history of burlesque, which are two main reasons the Vixens do what we do. “Everyone was so excited – excited about building a new vaudeville circuit, excited about what we’re doing, and excited about what we could make together. They really cherish the idea of preserving the old while adding the new,” said Vixen Femme Vivre LaRouge. It was refreshing to be surrounded by so many glamorous kindred spirits. We were all fascinated by how they’ve managed to construct their own fabulous little world in Vegas, a place already described by many as a playground for adults.

To say the least, the Vixens are already anxiously awaiting next year’s BHOF weekend. And if you’re a fan of all things glittery and fabulous, you should be anxious too.