Lily Verlaine | The Swedish Housewife Presents

Tag Archive: Lily Verlaine

Mezzo Lunatico in Seattle on 02/19/11

Filed Under: Cabaret, Mezzo Lunatico, The Little Fishing Village by The SHW — 1 Comment

January 25, 2011

Dear Earthlings,

I hope this transmission finds you well. Since my landing on your Blue Planet January 15th at Mezzo Lunatico, The Moon Maiden Stardust , Earth Probe DD Sputnik and I have been exploring your Green Village by the water, we find you quite humorous and are puzzled by your obsession with Love and the rituals that come with it. We do not understand the connection of grooming toe nails and going out. What is the connection with St. Valentine and your emotion Love? The information we have gathered about this day tells us about killing wolves in Rome and the killing of Italian men with guns in Chicago on this day. Are Italian men wolves? We will further investigate this topic on February 19th with the next specimens we have collected from the time capsule we found in our crater on on home Moon.

The Moon Maven

February 19 Mezzo Lunatico !

Lily Verlaine - The Living Breathing Work of Art

Poppy Daze - Returning to your village after eight months on the continent of Europe. She’s no flounder ! But the Founder of The Original Aerial Girl Gang! The Aerialistas !

Cherdonna and Lou - An alien force landed in Capitol Hill’s Oddfellows Building last winter, when every Friday for seven weeks, a sparkly yet mysterious duo known as The Cherdonna & Lou Show performed an unclassifiable act—a series of skits involving lip syncing, tap syncing, piano syncing, modern dance and celebrity impressions. It was a cabaret as if performed by extraterrestrials new to the planet. Brangien Davis – Seattle Magazine

Mark Pickerel - ” Sing[s] with the gloomy conviction of a man holding a bottle in one hand and pistol in the other.” — Mojo

Music Director Michael Musburger

and a few Teatro Zinzanni Surprises!

The Mood Maiden Stardust and Earth Probe DD Sputnik with Seattleites from your Green Village

captured by Christopher Nelson

Tags: Cherdonna and Lou, Christopher Nelson, Lily Verlaine, Mezzo Lunatico, Michael Musburger, Poppy Daze, Teatro ZinZanni

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A day of pre production for “The Gypsy Rose Lee Centennial Celebration”

Filed Under: Burlesque, Burlesque in Print, Gypsy Rose Lee Cenntennial, Joan Arline by The SHW — 5 Comments

December 5, 2010

Joan back in her heyday!

What a great day of production and I did it all in my flannel pajamas!
Today I spent about three hours with Michael Musburger discussing the January 8th “Gypsy Rose Lee Centennial Celebration” at The Triple Door.
Michael is pulling a band together for this show as Burlesque is always better with Live Music! Michael and I went through my Burly Music Library, much of which has been given to me by Scott Ewalt. We want to keep the music between the 30′s and 50′s, grated that is 20 years of music but our focus is on what was popular at the time and what was in Burlesque Halls.
The show we are creating will be played out as our own edition of “Master Piece Theater” with Miss Astrid as the Host and Joan Arline, Catherine D’Lish, Lily Verlaine, Inga Ingenue and I will be performing examples of Gypsy’s signature styles, and a few non performative things as well are in the works , a reading by Sarah Rudioff from the soon to be released “American Rose” by Karen Abbott and a Tableaux Vivant by Nick Garrison. Scott Ewalt sent me some MP3′s of Gypsy Rose Lee performing live and they sure are inspiring! Deciding what I want to do is very difficult.

Today I also spent some time on the phone with Joan Arline, discussing show’s with Joan is stepping through a worm whole to the past (Joan will be 78 on December 3rd) while classy and poised she certainly is the definition of a broad, and I feel as though I’m in 1949 discussing this production with her (this is the second time for her to come to Seattle for one of my shows and she has been in several of the shows I’ve produced for The Burlesque Hall of Fame in Las Vegas).

Joan as any performer in Burlesque is always angling for more acts per show and longer sets per act while trolling you for what other productions you may have down the bend. I find it charming that Joan at 77 still has that performer drive and ambition to be on the stage in the bright lights and shaking me down about who I could connect her to, I enjoy that part of the hustle though I would not want to have that conversation everyday. There is a lot to lean from these ladies, the pitch and the push !

The generation gap of technology is always an interesting one to leap across when working with these old gals. I really do find it much easier when the show has live music as most of these ladies still have their music charts and that is the way they are used to working (well that doing 20 minute sets, but I’m not sure the modern day audience has the attention span for that), I still laugh when I think about La Savon asking me if we could accommodate a reel to reel tape at the BHOF Reunion in 2007, that is when I asked if she had grandchildren… Anyway I can’t wait to lay my eyes on copies of Joan’s original charts, they were too big for her to copy at home so she had to take to Office Max to have them reduced. They arrive in the mail this week so Michael can get going on her part of the show.

This is a photo of Joan backstage from a production of “Gypsy” that she performed in last year in Palm Springs, she will be bringing this costume along for a little fun we are brewing up with Lily Verlaine ; )

Tags: American Rose, Burlesque, Burlesque in print, Catherine D'Lish, Gene Laverne Photogaphy, Gypsy Rose Lee, Inga Ingénue, Joan Arline, Karen Abbott, La Savona, Lily Verlaine, Michael Musburger, Nick Garrison, Sarah Rudinoff, Scott Ewalt, The Burlesque Hall of Fame

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Gypsy Rose Lee’s 100th Birthday Celebration in Seattle, WA on 01/08/11

Filed Under: Burlesque, Burlesque in Film, Burlesque in Print, Fundraisers, Gypsy Rose Lee Cenntennial by The SHW — 2 Comments

November 27, 2010

Gypsy Rose Lee’s 100th Birthday!

A multi media event of Song, Dance, Film and Literature just like the lady herself!

The Seattle Burlesque community and it’s supporters will honor Gypsy Rose Lee and the many artistic contributions she made to society with an evening of celebration and fundraising for an organization that keeps the tradition of Burlesque past and present alive, The Burlesque Hall of Fame- located in Las Vegas, NV.

Hosted by Miss Astrid, performances by two time Miss Exotic World title winner Catherine D’Lish, Legend of Burlesque Joan Arline, Lily Verlaine, Nick Garrison, Miss Inga Ingenue and a reading from “America Rose” by Sarah Rudinoff.

In honor of her 100th birthday, The Swedish Housewife and the Burlesque Hall of Fame invites you to join us in toasting the unique life and legacy of America’s most celebrated Burlesque Icon, Gypsy Rose Lee Born Rose Louise Hovick in Seattle, Washington on January 8, 1911, Ms Lee was an entertainer, author and playwright of significant renown—even before her 1957 memoir, Gypsy, made her the American stage (and screen’s) most beloved stripteaser.

30 years after her death, Gypsy remains a beloved Broadway favorite. In fact, the musical’s 2008 production earned numerous awards, including coveted Tony and Drama Desk Awards for Patti LuPone (Mama Rose), Laura Benanti (Gypsy) and Boyd Gaines (Herbie). However, not every star’s story gets told—much less becomes fodder for a best-selling, beloved memoir, Broadway musical or Hollywood film. And, while there is, was and always will be only ONE Gypsy Rose, there are countless entertainers who graced the stages of America’s “burly houses”—women who led similarly wild, colorful and dramatic lives; the stories and memorabilia from which are in grave danger of being lost to the ages.

In partnership with Random House, publishers of American Rose: The Life and Times of Gypsy Rose Lee, the forthcoming biography by best-selling author Karen Abbott (Sin in the Second City), The Burlesque Hall of Fame is proud to announce a series of very special fundraising events, celebrating burlesque’s brightest, most successful “crossover” star. It is our hope that, in paying tribute to the life and times of this beloved icon, fans will be moved to support the Hall of Fame’s mission to collect, preserve and promote the unique history and heritage of American Burlesque.

Partners:

Random House, Inc. is the U.S. division of Random House, the world’s largest trade-book publisher, and is owned by Bertelsmann AG, one of the world’s foremost media companies. The reach of Random House is global, with Random House publishing companies in nineteen countries: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Germany, India, Ireland, Japan, Korea, Mexico, New Zealand, South Africa, Spain, the United Kingdom, Uruguay, U.S., and Venezuela. Through Random House International, the books published by the imprints of Random House, Inc. are sold in virtually every country in the world.

About the Burlesque Hall of Fame

The Burlesque Hall of Fame is a 501 (C)(3) non-profit organization. Our mission is to establish a permanent, first-rate tourist attraction and research/exhibition space for our unique collection, in hopes of inspiring, educating and entertaining the public and fostering an appreciation for the unique history and heritage of American Burlesque; including but not limited to the art, artifacts and personal histories of the art’s biggest names and brightest stars.

READ THE SEATTLE TIMES PREVIEW HERE

Tags: American Rose, Catherine D'Lish, Gypsy Rose Lee, Inga Ingénue, Karen Abbott, Lily Verlaine, Miss Astrid, Nick Garrison, Sarah Rudinoff, The Burlesque Hall of Fame

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Burlesque on the Silver Screen and Printing Press

Filed Under: Burlesque in Film, Burlesque in Print by The SHW — Leave a comment

September 14, 2010

I find it very exciting that Burlesque is bouncing off the stage and onto the silver screen as well as hitting the printing press!

Historically this is not new news, as Gypsy Rose Lee’s book “The G String Murders” was adapted to the screen in “Lady of Burlesque” starring Barbara Stanwyck and was nominated for an Oscar back in 1944. But currently there are several documentaries being made about the History of Burlesque as a well as the modern continuation of the art form.

What I am enjoying about all these films and books is that each one has a voice unique to the performer or the region where they come from. Burlesque is more diverse today than it has ever been and the beauty of that is there is something for every one to enjoy.

There is no right way it should be done. That is an opinion (and believe me I have opinions, but that is another blog…) Art is Art, it is beyond opinion. You can take it or leave it, what matters is that you find the Art that appeals to you and that you support it!

But I digress; all these documentaries that are coming out collectively create a wonderful overview of the International Burlesque Explosion! I hope for more documentaries on the historical aspect of Burlesque, as so many of the Ladies and Gentlemen who have been a part of the legacy of Burlesque are still alive and we have a golden opportunity to hear their stories before they move on to the great stage in the sky.

Not all the films coming out are documentaries, some Feature Films feature the Stars of our community, like … Dirty Martini, Julie Atlas Muz, Immodesty Blaize, Waxie Moon, Scotty The Blue Bunny, Miss Indigo Blue, Lily Verlaine and so on… while others have Film Industry Stars Burlesquing us… ; )

What you should see:

Documentaries:

“Behind The Burly Q” Written and Directed by Leslie Zemeckis

“ a Wink and a Smile” Written and Directed by Deirdre Timmons

“Dirty Martini and the New Burlesque” Directed by Gary Beeber

“Burlesque Undressed” Directed by Alison Grist

“Waxie Moon” Directed by Wes Hurley

“Pretty Things” Director Liz Goldwyn

“Velvet Hammer Burlesque” Directed by Augusta

“Broad Daylight” Directed by John Michael McCarthy and Victoria Renard

Feature Films:

“Tournée” aka “On Tour” Directed by
Mathieu Amalric

“Burlesque” Directed by Steven Antin
We are all waiting to see what this is all about….

“Short Bus” by John Cameron Mitchell

The Printing Press:

“The United States of Americana” by Kurt B Reighley

“The Burlesque Handbook” by Jo Weldon aka Jo Boobs

“Burlesque and the New Bump-n-Grind” by Michelle Baldwin

There are more films and books to add to this list but this is my jab at it tonight. Go rent some movies and buy some books!

Tags: Burlesque, Deirdre Timmons, Dirty Martini, Gypsy Rose Lee, Immodesty Blaize, Jo Boobs, Julie Atlas Muz, Lily Verlaine, Scotty The Blue Bunny, Waxie Moon

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House of Thee UnHoly Returns and a Special $10 Offer!

Filed Under: The Gilded Stage 2010 by The SHW — 3 Comments

September 9, 2010

House of Thee UnHoly Returns!!!

And how auspicious to be opening on The Autumnal Equinox with a Spectacular Full Moon in Aries! To celebrate I am releasing a limited amount of $10 tickets (reg$25) for the September 23 performance at The Triple Door. Please use the code “Rock and Roll” over the phone 206-838-4333 or while visiting the Triple Door box office in person, to receive this linted time offer. Sorry not valid on tickets previously purchased.

House of Thee UnHoly includes 13 Dancers,3 Singers and 5 Musicians who take you on a 90 minute epic psychedelic 70′s trip down memory lane of nonstop Sex! Drugs! And Rock & Roll!! That will leave you dazed, confused and ecstatic! This collaborative production draws from a kaleidoscopic disciplinary range of virtuoso actors, singers, musicians, and talented modern, ballet and burlesque dancers. The incredibly accomplished cast of 21 vanguard contributors each bring unique magic to this landmark Rock-lesque extravaganza where Righteous Rock meets Busby Berkeley and Benny Hill . Now in it’s 4th year!!!

Dancers- Waxie Moon, Lily Verlaine, Miss Indigo Blue, Miss Inga Ingenue, Lou Henry Hoover, Heidi Von Haught, Polly Wood, Leroi The Girl Boi- NYC, Gerard Delacroix, Douglas Ridings, Paris Original, Lydia McLane our “Living Loving Maid” and The Swedish Housewife

Sirens on Thee Rocks - Sarah Rudinoff, Nick Garrison, Jen Ayers

Thee Mighty Arms of Thor- Darren Loucas Lead – Guitar & Harmonica, Andy Stoller – Bass, Charlie Lorme – Drums, Ryan Burns – Keyboards, Paul Fisher – Rhythm Guitar

“Broadway Level Burlesque” – The Seattle Weekly

Five shows performed over three days – September 23, 8PM 17+ / September 24 & 25 , 7:30 17+ & 10PM 21+

The Triple Door

216 Union Street

Seattle WA, 98101

Tags: Burlesque, Inga Ingénue, Lily Verlaine, Lou Henry Hoover, Miss Indigo Blue, The Little Fishing Village, Waxie Moon

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Photo of The Week

Filed Under: Photo of The Week by The SHW — 1 Comment

July 17, 2010

Driving Topless through the streets of The Little Fishing Village

A Summer Night finally arrives to Seattle! Bastille Day July 14, 2010 catching a ride home in Chris Ford’s 1966 Polara with Lou Henry Hoover and Deirdre Timmons from The Triple Door after seeing the smoldering Lily Verlaine’s Francophilic production Nightcap : L’Edition Francaise . The show and the car ride were très magnifique!

I am wearing a Black Ribbon around my neck as I must confess I am a bit of a Royalist and supporter of the now long deceased Marie Antoinette. She was a bit of a scape goat and perhaps one day I will share my thought on this subject in great detail. But for now I’ll just say that misogyny has a long and bloody History!

Tags: Deirdre Timmons, Lily Verlaine, Lou Henry Hoover, Out and about with The SHW, Photo of the Week, The Little Fishing Village

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House of Thee UnHoly #4 in Seattle, WA on 09/23/10

Filed Under: Burlesque, House of Thee UnHoly, The Gilded Stage 2010 by The SHW — Leave a comment

April 6, 2010

A 90 minute epic psychedelic 70′s trip down memory lane of nonstop sex, drugs and rock & roll, this collaborative production draws from a kaleidoscopic disciplinary range of virtuoso actors, singers, musicians, and talented modern, ballet and burlesque dancers. The incredibly accomplished cast of 22 vanguard contributors each bring unique magic to this landmark Rock-lesque extravaganza. Now in it’s 4th year!!
“Broadway Level Burlesque”- The Seattle Weekly
8:00PM on Thursday +17
7:30PM +17 and 10PM 21+ on Friday and Saturday

Tags: Lily Verlaine, Lou Henry Hoover, Miss Indigo Blue, The Triple Door, Waxie Moon

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My Mid Century Modern Celebration Cabaret in Seattle, WA on 04/17/10

Filed Under: Burlesque, Cabaret, Cherdonna and Lou, Julie Atlas Muz, Lily Verlaine, Lou Henry Hoover, Miss Astrid, Miss Indigo Blue, Scotty The Blue Bunny, The Gilded Stage 2010, Waxie Moon by The SHW — Leave a comment

March 8, 2010

“My Mid Century Modern Celebration Cabaret”

Come join in the fun as the Madcap International Bohemian Jet Set gather at The Triple Door to toast a half century of an epic life that has been lived to the hilt! A run amuck wild cabaret filled with Acrobats, Aerialists, Avant Guard muckety mucks, Burlesquers, “Dance Troupes”, Glamour Girls, Jugglers, and Wacky Performance Artists ( inhale here), that will be talked about in AA, NA,SA and ALONON meetings for years to come!

Starring !!!

Julie Atlas Muz – NYC- “Muz takes the aesthetic of burlesque and applies it to high art to create a dark fantasy of innocence and corruption. The movement is alternately playful and sexual, and the sex is alternately pure and prurient.” -Culturebot.org

Fancy Chance “Miss Alternative Universe 2009″- London

Scotty The Blue Bunny – The World at Large

Miss Astrid- Switzerland- “the true weimar fraulein” – Mel Gordon, author of Voluptuous Panic , “Enough attitude to sink the Bismark”- San Jose Mercury News

NANDA- Portland- “The Nanda boys do things I always wanted the Karamozovs to do, but couldn’t hire the talent… …Go, Nanda! Banzai!” -Howard Patterson,The Flying Karamozov Brothers

Ernie Von Schmaltz

Cherdonna and Lou

Catherine D’Lish- There’s a reason for her last name……

Lily Verlaine- The Living Breathing Work of Art

Miss Indigo Blue- Seattle’s Sapphic Sweetheart

Poppy Daze of The Aerialistas

Queen Shmooquan- ” She is Genius” – Stone Gossard

Waxie Moon

Stella Rose- Le Pick up Artiste

DOOR at 6:00PM

SHOW at 8:00PM

Tags: Burlesque, Cabaret, Cherdonna and Lou, Julie Atlas Muz, Lily Verlaine, Lou Henry Hoover, Miss Astrid, Miss Indigo Blue, Scotty The Blue Bunny, The Gilded Stage 2010, Waxie Moon

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Come out and see “Everything But the Kitchen Sink (or not) Cabaret” Next Week!!!

Filed Under: "Still Falling Down Memory Lane" 2008, Burlesque, Cabaret by The SHW — Leave a comment

June 19, 2008

I am so excited for this show next week, and I sure hope you can make it as we stumble down memory lane at The Triple Door next week.

This was an interesting show to book as I cast a big net by sending out e-mails to most of the performers I have worked with over the last 21 years. There have been several incarnations of the show you will see next week, many of the acts I pursued were not available for this date as they are out touring around the planet, or had planned a much needed vacation, or had family emergencies and had to cancel, but I am most satisfied with how it all came together.

You will be the first audience to see El Vez’s work in progress “A Tribute To John Sex”.
He is in the midsts of developing a full length one man show about the Boylesque 80′s Icon John Sex, Sex was the first show I produced as The Swedish Housewife in 1987, at The Vogue on 1st Avenue.

Miss Astrid and I decided that the show should be run in chronological order and I think you will see that I have a pretty distinct esthetic that I am consistently attracted to. I see many parallels in my programing over the years and hope that the performers will see who there counter parts are, and that the newer ones will see how they are a continuum of those esthetics.

I must confess that when I book a show I am very selfish and book what thrills me. Granted I have a very diverse appetite.
I really appreciate that Dina Martina is willing to come all they way back to Seattle from her summer retreat in Provincetown to be part of this one night folly. It is rare that one gets to see her in a collective show these days, as we are so used to seeing her in her one woman extravaganzas that have literally been thrilling the world. She was quite the hit in London this spring.

For a little fishing village… Seattle has so many amazing performers and I am delighted to have the opportunity to provide a whole new crop of talented Northwest acts the pleasure of being on The Triple Door stage.

Please come out to support the reasons I get out of bed in the morning, El Vez as John Sex with Miss Indigo Blue, Kathleen Hunt and Triadic Breast, Dina Martina, Armitage Shanks reads Steven Jesse Bernstein, Lily Verlaine, Ernie Von Schmaltz, The Naked Folk Singer, Waxie Moon, Queen Shmooquan, Iva Handful with Ultra and Nanda!

JUNE 25th, The Triple Door, Seattle 7:30 PM.
Tickets: $20 pre sale / $25 day of show
call 206-838-4333 to purchase or go to The Triple Door box office at 216 Union Street

Tags: Burlesque, Cabaret, El Vez, Ernie Von Schmultz, Lily Verlaine, Miss Astrid, Miss Indigo Blue, The Triple Door, Triadic Breast, Waxie Moon, “Still Falling Down Memory Lane” 2008

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This next crazy week

Filed Under: Burlesque, Show Business, The Little Fishing Village by The SHW — Leave a comment

March 26, 2006

Wow! Two and a half weeks ago I had more energy than some twenty year old male hopped up on Red Bull and testosterone, and for the last week I have been sick sick sick sick and I am sick sick sick sick of it!

I had to cancel my participation in my weekly show at The Pink Door this last Saturday and beg off of attending Teatro Zin Zani with my friend Robert, Dina Martina at The Rendezvous with Blake, Big Wheel Bingo at Re-Bar, and Genderlicous, just to name a few. I did manage to lay in my living room and watch “Battle Star Galactic” season one and first half of season two, and Camille. How I love Greta!

So, the scary part is that I am making my singing debut with Orchestra La Pow! tomorrow night and I have a head and chest cold. Yikes!!!! I need some Divine Intervention on this one. Please!

The show should be a lot of fun! The band is sounding great and needless to say Miss Indigo Blue, Babette La Fave, Lily Verlaine and Ruby Slipper, will turn it out. Kaleb will be making a cameo as will our dear friend Ben Ireland.

In the mean time between sleeping for hours and hours and hours, I made an appearance on Sex Life Live last Tuesday night, and have been working on producing Seattle’s first Burlesque Social April 4th, The Big Exotic World Fundraiser April 5th, The Exotic World Friday Night Meet and Greet May 26th, The Exotic World Pageant May 27th, booked The Pink Door through the end of May. This is a week off sick at home. Oh, I did slip out of the house for a band practice twice. I must be nuts!

Well, that is it for my public bitch session.
Hope to see you soon!

Love and Germs- The Swedish Housewife

And while It REALLY PISSES me off that I have become the garbage bin for every pill pushing marketer on the Internet in the comment area of my blog! I want kick backs on your sales or at least some fucking drugs so I feel better!

Tags: Dina Martina, Lily Verlaine, Miss Indigo Blue, The Burlesque Hall of Fame

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The Swedish Housewife Presents

Tag Archive: Lily Verlaine