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Local Boylesque Revue Wins ‘Large’ At Vegas Burlesque Pageant

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(photo: MC Newman)

If you’re already gearing up for the Mermaid Parade, you might feel the rush of sweat and glamour pouring back into town from one of the biggest glitter gatherings of the year: The Burlesque Hall of Fame Weekender in Las Vegas. Bringing home more than a yearning to eat a vegetable this year is the local performing group Boys’ Night, who won the pageant’s award for Best Large Group. I caught up with the boys via email while they were still dazed (and likely oxygen-starved—the secondhand smoke at the Orleans Casino is notorious) from the win and the weekend. More →

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Slipper Room Owner Faces Criticism After Dropping N Bomb On Stage

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Credit: Liz Clayman for New York Magazine.

Lower East Side vaudeville venue the Slipper Room is at the center of a controversy over offensive speech which began Wednesday, July 5, when host and owner James Habacker, while performing as his character Mel Frye, used a racial slur onstage as well as referred to mentally disabled people with language often considered offensive.

According to a Facebook post (quoted in a recent addition to the Slipper Room’s Wikipedia page) by someone who attended the show in question, Habacker made a joke using the term “retarded,” which he justified by arguing he was changing the word’s context to be more positive, and then, adding further fuel to the fire, claimed it was akin to black Americans’ reclamation of the “N-word,” which he used several times to the discomfort of the sole black audience member.

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Disney Burlesque, a Show in a Bathtub, and More Primo Performance

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THURSDAY

(flyer via The Slipper Room)

(flyer via The Slipper Room)

Burlesque Tribute to the Ladies of Disney
Thursday, February 3 at The Slipper Room, 7 pm doors, 8 pm show: $10 

Hotsy Totsy Burlesque is back again. Known for their titillating tributes to all things pop culture, Hotsy Totsy has created scantily-clad evenings dedicated to Game of Thrones, Star Wars, Stephen King, The Muppets, and more. This month, they’ve stepped away from the fur and sci-fi in lieu of something more delicate and nostalgic. Yes, they’ve whipped up a tribute all your favorite princesses: the ladies of Disney. However demure these princesses may be, this show doesn’t exactly seem to follow suit. The concept hinges upon Cherry Pitz and Handsome Brad as the Fairy Godmother and Prince Charming respectively, who seem to be enjoying their very own Happily Ever After. Only, paradise can be boring for a mere duo. As per the show’s description, “Looking to spice things up, the two love birds have decided to throw a ball, looking for the hottest princess in the land to join them in a threesome!” More →

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Performance Picks: Chatbots Gone Rogue, Snowed-in Radio Plays, Psychedelic Burlesque

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THURSDAY

(flyer via Bordello / Facebook)

(flyer via Bordello / Facebook)

Bordello: Psychedelic
Thursday, January 26 at Bizarre Bushwick, 10 pm: $10 suggested donation 

Sinister and sultry variety show Bordello, hosted by Madame Vivien V, features a slew of out-there performers who will brighten up your night with acts of drag, dance, performance art, fire, and more. On the lineup this time is B-boy and boylesque dancer Eckszooberante and drag performer Chris of Hur, along with performer Amber Von Toxn and Heather, who appears to proudly carry the title of “The Worst.” This iteration of the show, which has been billed as “punk rock meets burlesque meets performance art,” has a psychedelic bent to it, so who knows what sensorial adventures your eyes will be asked to behold. Let the aptly-named DJ Penny Lane spin you into color-crazed oblivion, fix your eyes to the stage, and trip out.

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Harry Potter and Ferris Bueller Come Alive For These Adults-Only Tributes

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Whether you’re a child of the ’80s or the aughts, your film heroes will come to life at these tributes to Ferris Bueller and Harry Potter. Get ready to don your wizard hat, mullet, or both.

PotterConPotterCon
Aug. 1, 2 until 8 pm at The Bell House: $8 at the door
Sorry, little muggles, this event is 21+. While there will be the requisite costumes of black robes and wands, there will also be drinks of the knock-you-off-your-broom variety (think Firewhiskey and Butterbeer). Beyond witches and wizards, expect to see magical creatures, squibs and muggles competing to win the costume contest (you may have a chance unless the lovely Fleur shows up). You can also see if you’re as smart as Hermione during trivia. Or take your turn in the sorting ceremony and try on the dusty hat. Overall, this is the perfect time to let out your inner Potterhead and practice your shoddy British accent with no shame. In keeping with Harry’s defeat of You-Know-Who through love and friendship, part of the PotterCon proceeds will go to the Harry Potter Alliance.

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Castles, Vassals and Tassles: Game of Thrones Gets a Burlesque Twist

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GameofTassels

Photo: Courtesy of Hotsy Totsy Burlesque and Joe “The Shark” Naftali

The fifth season of Game of Thrones doesn’t premiere until April 12, but if you’re missing its byzantine intrigue, bloodshed and sexiness you can quell your thirst for Westeros (and Essos) with a new show from Hotsy Totsy Burlesque. “Game of Tassels” comes to the Slipper Room this Thursday.

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Come And Play With Hotsy-Totsy Burlesque As They Honor Stephen King

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(Photo courtesy of Woodrocket)

From “The Shining” by Lee Roy Myers (Woodrocket via Death and Taxes)

True story: Stephen King taught me the P-word. So it makes sense that Hotsy Totsy Burlesque – the troupe that tarted up The Big Lebowski – is paying homage to the Master of Modern Horror.

The set-up for the tribute, happening Feb. 12 at The Slipper Room, goes something like this:

Handsome Brad is thrilled to have won “The Stephen King Scariest Story Ever Written Contest.” The prize is a writer’s residency at the isolated (and haunted) Overlook Hotel during the off-season, where Brad will be finishing his book and chewing on aspirin. Knowing that all work and no play makes Brad a dull boy, he has decided to throw a burlesque blow out party and he has invited Cherry Pitz and the gals from the Home For Wayward Girls and Fallen Women to pop up during the off season for a show.

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Harry Shearer, aka Mr. Burns, Is Bringing Richard Nixon to Hell Square

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Harry Shearer, who made his name on Saturday Night Live and as a writer and star of This Is Spinal Tap, plays the ultimate villain — Mr. Burns — on The Simpsons (he’s also the voice of Ned Flanders, among others). But tomorrow at the Slipper Room in the heart of Hell Square, he’ll discuss a still greater villain, President Richard Nixon, whom he plays on a series that you can now watch online.
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