Making Burlesque More Queer and More Nerdy

I'm me.  First, last and always. - Loki, Loki: Agent of Asgard by Al Ewing

Weeknight shows have been difficult for me not just because my lab keeps early hours, but public transport likes to shut down around midnight.  Then I finally got a smart phone and Lyft.  Although I try not to make this a habit since I already need more sleep than what I get, this has opened up a few doors the past couple of months.

If it weren't for Lillith Grey, I probably wouldn't have made my bust-out when I did.  Therefore, I couldn't say no when she asked me to perform at Glitterbomb in Denton.  I'd been reluctant to go to that side of the Metroplex because it's far away and my lungs don't like the smoke.  However, Glitterbomb is a queerlesque show, and that week's theme happened to be nerdlesque.  On top of that, Lillith really went out of her way to create a safe space by adding trigger warnings to acts and having a rule against cultural appropriation.  It was so refreshing.

Helena Isis, me, and Vylette Pairadox
at Glitterbomb Denton
By Kristoph Kale

I pitched my Tuxedo Mask routine to Lillith, and she wound up adding it to the set with my "Black Glasses" act.  Little did I know that there was a guy with a Tuxedo Mask shirt right in the front row.  I actually didn't notice the shirt until Helena Isis mentioned it to me, but he was very eager to tip me and cheered the loudest.   Since my hair is short and I wanted to distinguish between the masculine Tuxedo Mask act and the more feminine "Black Glasses", I opted to wear a wig for the latter.  The Companion bought a wig for his Hange cosplay that he later decided to not use.  It was the perfect length and in a messy but cute style that fit the routine very well.

I didn't realize how famous "Black Glasses" had gotten.  It's always an honor to meet a performer and have them connect you with a routine that they enjoyed.  I have to give a huge shout-out to my friend and newcomer to the scene Vylette Pairadox for being my ride even though she also had work the next day.

Tuesday Tease
By Arctic Fox Photography
(arcticfoxphotography.com)

Then it was Dallas' queerlesque scene's to have a nerdy show.  Sue Ellen's is always a lovely place to perform at, and I had been wanting to just go to Tuesday Tease.  I wound up reprising my "Black Glasses" routine, and the crowd loved it.  I tried to loosen up the choreography so that I could interact with the audience more and take tips.  Since I did not want to wear my onesie in the middle of summer, I decided to don a cosplay for curtain call, and who better else to do than Agent Victoria Hand, the first lesbian character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (at least in my eyes—they neither confirmed nor denied it).  Like Glitterbomb, I had a lovely time celebrating fandom with my fellow LGBTQIA geeks.

Representation in assorted media has gotten better, but more can be done.  I'm happy to see the burlesque scene doing its part.  Queerlesque gave the space for me to take the leap, and I'm happy to see it get a lot of love and hope to be more involved.  In turn, it's helping me find my identity performer by bringing in parts of me that were always present—the parts that straddle the the gender binary, which have always been the position where I feel sexiest.  Now they get to be a bit more glittery.

If you want to see more nerdlesque from yours truly, check out my next show—A Plumb Askew Revue's Popcorn and Pasties: a Film Strip.  Click here for tickets.  You'll want to purchase ahead of time unless you have cash with you the day of the show.