Frankie Tease Blog

There are many types of glitters and there are many uses for glitter. In burlesque it can range from decorating your shoes with glitter, to using body glitter or preparing a glitter dump as a part of your act. If it is going to be flying through the air in any way, you must never use 'craft' glitter. It has sharp shards of metallic substances that can scratch or gash eyes and sensitive skin. It is not designed to be in contact with the body in any way and is used only for things such as wardrobe or props. CRAFT GLITTER Glitter for crafting can range from large flakes to fine dust. Craft glitters are poly coated dyes rather than poly coated (and sealed) cosmetic grade pigments. There are large and small chunk sizes, as well as glue with glitter already embedded in it. I found an amazing selection of craft glitters at 'Columbia Art and Crafts" [1515 East Burnside Street, Portland, OR 97214-1452(503) 232-2216]. GLITTER FOR SPRINKLING When using decor

You have committed yourself to perform, your costume is ready and you are excited to wow your audience. But wait, who is coming to this show? Unless you are hired for a private event, it is your job to inform your fan base of your upcoming performances. Nowadays promoting doesn't just involve passing out handbills, it is a sophisticated combination of posters, handbills, online invites, and calendar listings. The easiest way for you to manage updating your fans could be creating an email list, fan page, or group. Without delving into each and every medium a  little bit of basics you might apply to make everyone happy at your next show. Each place you play, you will get new fans. How will you keep them informed among all the other event choices they have?  First, make it easy for your new fans to follow you. I recommend you create a free blogsite that is easy to remember, something where your fans don't have to sign in to access (such as yahoo groups or facebook fan p

Choosing the right shoes  for your burlesque routine is like shopping for specialty fudge, you kind of have to know what you're doing. This 'how to' is about choosing the right shoes for what you're going to do on stage. Burlesque routines can vary in choreography as much as a good day of weather in Portland. What you're doing in your routine is going to determine the type of shoes you will want to wear. If you are planning to sashe across the floor gracefully, you probably won't want something too tall with a rubber sole.  Ballroom Dance Shoes  - Ballroom dance shoes are made for action. The average shoe has a suede based sole for moving on dance floors, and will run from $30 to $200 depending upon the quality of the manufacturer. A couple sources I recommend are  http://www.danceshoesonline.com  and in Portland:  The Glass Slipper  3106 NE Broadway, as well as  the Letoard  2432 NE Martin Luther Kind Blvd. 503 284-9244. Ballroom dance shoes can be fo

Frankie Tease sat down with a local Portland Oregon patron of burlesque shows in town and across the nation, to find out what the heck the patron is thinking while sitting in the audience and enjoying the show. Here is what our new friend Rob had to tell us. FT: What do you do for a living? RJ:  I am Sr. V.P. at U.S. Bank. FT: You sound like my next sponsor!  I understand you are also a photographer. RJ:  I shoot in studio and landscape.  RPJoseph.smugmug.com  is a good way to see my work. FT: How long have you been in Portland RJ:  Originally I am from Missouri, but here via Phoenix Arizona. FT: What is the first burlesque show you went to? RJ:  Phoenix, 1989. I am not gay but I ended up at a gay burlesque show. FT: What was that like? RJ:  Comedy, stripping, drag, mostly drag. I like going to strip clubs but I always go with my wife. We always feel that it's a little sad, and it's younger women. Whereas burlesque is real women, older women, not as m

This issue is dedicated to applying pasties to your bosom for performance and modeling. Don't laugh, it's not as simple as it sounds. Basically the type of adhesive you use depends upon your type of skin sensitivity, what you plan to do on stage, and what you have on hand. Read below for all the choices in adhesives before you.Spirit Gum - One thing I've noticed is that at everyone swears by the adhesive they use, I swear by spirit gum. During my performance I do fleshy acrobatics and have had to find something very solid to depend upon. Spirit Gum is made of SD Alcohol 35-A and resin, which is the 'gum' [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spirit_gum ]. This type of adhesive comes in small or large viles and looks just like a 'cement glue' container, with a brush attached to the cap. The level of quality will vary greatly. In Portland you can find this at Hollywood Costumes 635 SE Hawthorne. They also have an ample selection of mustaches which can also be ap

Lucky Deluxe by Vixxen Photography Frankie Tease sat down to chat with nationally touring burlesque dancer and stand-up comedian Susanna Lee aka Lucky Deluxe . She dishes about audiences across the nation, producing burlesque shows, performing Stand-up since 1996, and how she put burlesque in her stand-up and is bringing it to major comedy clubs. This popular act isn't only disastrously pretty and curvaceous, but smart as a whip. Here is what 'Lucky' had to say. FT: Where are you from? LD: I am originally from Kansas City, but spent years in Chicago and Portland as well, and currently live in LA.,CA. FT: How long have you been performing stand-up comedy? LD: I've been a professionally touring stand-up comic since 1996. FT: Stand-up comedy is so male driven , what or who inspired you to become a stand-up comic? LD: I've always loved stand-up comedy, since I was a kid. The organic nature of it appeals to me, the connection betwee

In our travels and costuming, we try to make everything last as long as possible. This includes the longevity of stockings. How do you get the most out of your silk thigh highs, or nylon hose? I mean it's your favorite pair and you just got a run. How will you avoid this? It's all about the temperature. When I had a waitress job way back when, one of the requirements was to wear nylon hose every day. That meant going through a lot of hose. The company recommended we put the freshly bought pair of nylons into the freezer, as a way to preserve them. I didn't understand, but obeyed. Apparently, the freezing temperature of the freezer of your handy household refridgerator is a climate that will moleculary change the stockings, stronger once they are thawed. Leave in package in freezer overnight. Take them out and let them sit at room temperature. Take them out after a couple hours and let them air dry. You wil find a tougher hose than you ever imagined, saving you a ton