Goin' South!

I'm finally back in NYC after two trips back-to-back to Dallas, TX and to Charlotte, NC. From now til the beginning of February 2012 when I return to Dallas for the 4th Annual Dallas Burlesque Festival (I am in the Saturday night show at the House of Blues), I will be happily here in NYC putting a few things to bed and starting up a few new things for 2012. One of the things going to bed is my monthly Beatles Burlesque show at Public Assembly in Brooklyn. Next Monday, December 12 is our last and final blow out show! Many people have asked why I am stopping the show and I'm just going to put the rumours to rest right now. It had nothing to do with the venue. It was all my decision. A good actor knows when to exit. After almost two years of a riotous good time with the band and ALL the performers who have ever graced the show, it is time to end on a high note and pursue new opportunities without spreading myself too thin.

One of the new things I am going to be focusing on in 2012 is my dream show! I've finally created enough traction to gather the talent I have been wanting to work with and I have finally found the perfect home for this show. It will launch on Chinese New Year on Wednesday, January 25. Details of the show and location will be announced soon.

Now to recap. I went home to Texas for Thanksgiving and my brother Michael took my Michael to the gun range and they did boy things like shoot guns. I didn't go this time, because I went shopping with my mom and my aunt! My bro also took us for a little tour of a little town called Decatur where we stepped in the Wise County Heritage Museum to have a gander. I saw some cool Victorian things like an authentic hearse, a box containing a set of real unidentified human skeleton, and a much of old newspaper clippings in the upstairs Lost Battalion Room - a room dedicated "to those who lost their lives and those who survived as Japan's prisoners of war in World War II."

Victorian hearse donated by one of the local families

A clipping of Ann Miller

An ol' timey pictorial depicting Japanese torturing American G.I.s

When the elderly gentleman, acting as the museum guide, told us about the room and the tribute to the G.I.s who lost their lives to the Japanese, he made me feel suddenly very self-conscious. This is Texas after all. He sees two "orientals" and one whitey (what's the whitey doing with us? Lol) and I doubt he has any idea whether my bro and I were Chinese, Japanese or Korean. Luckily my brother was also on my wavelength and he being a big chatter off-handedly informed our tour guide that our grandfather fought the Japanese during WWII as well, just to ease everyone's unspoken questions.

I really liked the "downtown" of Decatur which was probably the size of two NYC blocks. But it was really quaint and had some old murals from a few decades ago.

I'm jumpin for joy at sun down!

We also went to the Forth Worth Stockyards where I found a fantastic bobcat pelt that I'm going to turn into a stole. I also saw some fucked up racist, anti-Obama shit at one store. Like these!

The sign says, "OBAMA: Fiddlin' around while thousands of small businesses are goin' down"

"Obama: Fishin' for answers and catchin' nothing!"

Oh, Texas.... I don't even know what to say.

Fort Worth Stockyards

I also performed in another one of Vivienne Vermouth's shows in Deep Ellum this time too. This show was called "Rockband Burlesque" where attendees signed up to play Rock Band while a performer danced to it. Again my brother rounded up his colleagues who rounded up their friends and there was a huge table of his friends and acquaintances at the show. Like last time, I made him leave when I performed. Ha!

In Deep Ellum

After Texas I went straight to Charlotte, NC for the 2nd Annual Southern Exposure Festival burlesque pageant. I wrote about my first time in Charlotte and the "pageant" experience  in more depth here. Needless to say, it was interesting. Here are a bunch of photos to give you an idea!

My friend Maggie filming a documentary about burlesque in which I am one of the featured performers and I stayed at an Econo Lodge off the side of a highway. This is the first room before we asked to change rooms.

See? That's the highway to the left! Outside of Upscale Bar & Grill

Damn good curry chicken and rice at Upscale

The Bishop of Burlesque David Bishop & I

Sneaking in a mini pecan pie from Amelie's at sound/tech check at the Visulite Theater

Selia Carmichael performing

Blaze the Red Rose of Texas won Queen!

The madness backstage right before curtain call and title announcement

Last year's King of Southern Exposure, Fonda Lingue from Atlanta. I love her!