Bad Luck Burlesque 10/13

Dear Constant Reader,

Over the summer The Boston BeauTease performed at Deacon Giles Speakeasy Lab in Salem, thanks to a connection made by Brigitte. The show went so well that they asked us back. Friday the 13th seemed like a great date for a show in Salem in October. Since the last show practically sold out, we had TWO seatings of this show and they both completely sold out.

Scratch, Devastasia, Artemisia, and I went up early so we could visit the Peabody Essex Museum for It’s Alive! Classic Horror and Sci-Fi Art from the Kirk Hammett Collection. It’s highly worth it, even if it means going into Salem in the high season. The collection is excellent, with most of the important films represented, and some I didn’t know (I must see Asta Nielsen’s Hamlet). The exhibit is also very well presented with simple lighting effects used to create mood — I’ve always been fond of gobos — and projected film clips of the most iconic characters on the walls.

After that delightful interlude, it was time to head to the venue.

The Speakeasy is a small space and like so many bars, there’s no permanent stage, but the good folks there made us one out of four pallets and a sheet of plywood. Before you get all snobby at me, it was actually better than some of the soggy carpeted stages at rock clubs I’ve played. And Brigitte’s taps sounded great. We had a huge dressing room space back in the distillery proper and everyone did their best to make sure we had a great experience. And we did.

The show went something like this:

Betty Blaize, Artemisia Vulgaris: That’s Life (Frank Sinatra arrangement)
Betty decided to embody the “Bad Luck” aspect of our show and came out on a crutch with a sling and neck brace, as Artemisia sang. As she stripped, she also stripped away her injuries her her trademark goofy style.

Brigitte Bisoux: In the Mood (Glenn Miller)
Disproving the superstition that it’s bad luck to open an umbrella indoors, Brigitte tapped her heart out. Here’s a little taste from her rehearsal.

Mina Murray: Moon Over Bourbon Street (Sting)
This is a brand new act from a suggestion by Scratch. I was delighted to have permission to use a song from outside of our usual aesthetic and also to wear one of my Catherine D’Lish robes.

Artemisia Vulagaris: Creep (PMJ arrangement)
Artemisia showcased her lovely voice with this not too creepy song.

Devastasia: Ding Dong the Witch is Dead (Ella Fitzgerald)
We couldn’t come to Salem in October without presenting a witch number. Devastasia was simply adorable.

Artemisia Vulagaris: The Man I Love (Julie London)
You may have seen Devora Darling perform this sinister love story. With her permission, Artemisia created her own version of the act.

Scratch: The Spike
I can’t watch Scratch perform this trick, which involves a large metal spike, a blindfold, and his hand.

Brigitte Bisoux: Alcohol (The Kinks)
This was created for The Wrathskellar, but slightly modified as it was being performed by Brigitte and not her character, The Broad. A little more humor, a little less darkness. And she swigged from a Deacon Giles bottle, of course

Artemisia Vulgaris, Devastasia, Mina Murray: Poison (Post Modern Jukebox)
This was originally created for Cover Girls but only Devastasia is left from the original casting. Three murderesses think they are cleverly offing the competition, but are they…?

After the shows we were treated to creative (and strong!) cocktails by the bar staff. Mine was a Far Side of the Tracks, a mix of their spiced rum and Far from the Tree cider with egg white, cream and nutmeg, pictured at right. So delicious! Brigitte’s coffee rum-based cocktail had smoke in it! I also tried something with absinthe in it and the most bizarre cider I’ve ever tasted.

We’ll be back at Deacon Giles on December 16th with Brrrlesque, a winter holiday treat. If you can’t wait that long, you can catch us this Saturday at The Thalia in Panties Inferno!

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