Frankie Tease Blog

After three years of producing burlesque shows in various venues and bar rooms here in Portland Oregon, I still have never seen a cohesive unbiased list of venues that encourage and house burlesque. Here is to you, the 'burlesque show goer'. Save time and save my  handy dandy where to see shows list , and pick which is best based upon your party needs. Bachellorette party, date, birthday party, whatever, here is a list to help you sort out the expanding Portland options for burlesque shows. Photos will be added to this article of each venue later, so check back.I have included venues that have hosted shows over a year, or new clubs that have just opened with burlesque on their menu. I have placed the venues producing the most shows with the  largest capacity at the top of the list, and those with the longest history  are also up top. Sorry if any pertinent venues were omitted from this list. That's easy to fix just email me a note via  http://missfrankietease.com  an

While there is no  one  expert about Burlesque,  Jo Weldon aka 'Jo Boobs'  has been a massive contributor as the head mistress of the  New York School of Burlesque  which reigns as the world's most acknowledged, prolific, and prestigious school of this genre since 2003. Jo states on the school's website that  "Classes include movement, history, costuming, makeup, choreography, fitness, theatrical skill building, circus training, and confidence building"  [ http://www.schoolofburlesque.com/ ]. Jo has been an intrinsic member of the Miss Exotic World pageant (annually in Las Vegas), as well as running the New York school. This forerunner has an amazing online handbook and a full in-print burlesque handbook available. You can purchase your print copy online via  Harper Collins  directly, or visit her site for the online edition on the  School of Burlesque website . The book's release date was over a year ago, June of 2010, but this is a book that

There is a new confidence in the world of the burlesque revival. The annual Burlesque Hall of Fame which  took place June 2-5th in Las Vegas, and the Miss Exotic World which took place the same weekend in Las Vegas show no signs of slowing down. There are at least four movies that involve burlesque as a topic in post-production or theaters right now, and we can all agree this genre isn't going anywhere. But more than this, the first major-hitting burlesque 'agency' has just expanded from production and booking to instruction.  The worlds' first Burlesque Entertainment agency,  The Bijou Group  was formed in 2010 and is growing strong. The agency carries the most highly recognized artists in burlesque entertainment today with the likes of: Catherine D'Lish ( Miss Exotic World '94 and '92 coach to Dita Von Teese ), Dirty Martini (Tournee', Tease-O-Rama, Vogue Curvy) and Roxy D'Lite ( Miss Exotic World 2010 ) to name a few. This power-pac

I was wondering what every day beauty tip I could write about for the upcoming July fourth holiday weekend, and then I remembered the old argument I have about oils versus talcs. Little did I know with a small amount of research that it would turn up kind of an important fashion decision. Let me explain. When i lived in Pasadena and worked at a horse ranch in the La Canada hills, it was my first time encountering mountain scorching heat. Being around the horse riders I began using talc powder to keep the moister inside of riding boots to a minimum during major heat waves. We are pretty fortunate to be blessed with moderate weather here in the Pacific Northwest, but a few months out of the year it can get pretty hot. If 2011's July fourth is a scorcher, here is a few beauty tips I recommend for anti-chafing. Sometimes people think only the heavy-set has to deal with chafing, but that's not necessarily true. The combination of perspiration and rubbing skin can happen in

Shanghai Pearl by POC Photo One of the most impressive performers I have ever seen once came on stage in a gorilla suit, and high heels (as seen on America's Got Talent ). By the time she took that suit off she was in a bikini eating a banana. Who could I be talking about? None other than jet- setting, world class international burlesque instructor, performer, and costume-maker extraordinaire: The Shanghai Pearl . Below is the interview I conducted by chat, long-distance, with this amazing individual, June 27, 2011. FT: Where are you originally from? SP: I was born in Taipei, Taiwan. FT: What year did you come to U.S., was it first Seattle? SP: I came to this country with my mom when I was three, and grew up in Arizona. I've lived in Seattle for almost nine years now. FT: What year did you begin performing burlesque , and what or who was your inspiration? SP: I graduated from Miss Indigo Blue's academy of Burlesque in 2006. Before that I was a p

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