Upcoming show: Asexy Tease

Tonight's show is a special one.  I used to think I was alone in being a grey-asexual burlesque performer, but now I know so many that I can do a showcase in celebration of Asexual Awareness Week. I'll definite write more about this afterwards, but if you can, please come and show your support!

Upcoming shows: Tuesday Tease and Texas Queerlesque Festival

Back from vacation and ready to roll!  Tony Fo-Hawk performs tonight at Tuesday Tease, bringing a little table-top RPG action to the board game-themed show.

Then on Friday, I am performing in the third annual Texas Queerlesque Festival! 

Click here for tickets.  There are many options if you want to join the other festivities.  I'll be helping with workshop setup on Saturday and will be taking classes throughout the weekend.

Upcoming shows: Tuesday Tease and Whedonism VII

Tomorrow night, I'm performing in a special Tuesday Tease.  It's our nerdiest showdown ever: Star Wars vs. Star Trek.  This is your chance to catch my Poe Dameron act if you weren't able to make it to Viva Dallas Burlesque.

Then on Friday, I'm performing out of state for the very first time!  You heard right.  I'm heading over to Washington DC to join the Evil League of Ecdysiasts for their 7th Whedonism show.  I'll be debuting a brand new act, along with performing the Black Widow number I talked about in my last post.  If you're in DC or Virginia, this is your chance to see me in person!  Click here for tickets.

There's a lot of prep for the show (along with lots of work to get done in lab) so I haven't updated as frequently as I wanted.  However, I'll be back with new blog posts when I get home.

#NotYourAsianSidekick or Fantasy

As a nerdlesquer, I have a lot of strong opinions about geeky media.  I get particularly fired up about representation—or more accurately, misrepresentation.  Friends have witnessed my rants on social media, but sometimes that's not enough.  Sometimes I have to dance it out.

Three years ago, Avengers actors Chris Evans and Jeremy Renner called Black Widow a "slut" and "whore".  Although they apologized, it was, to me, a tipping point in the mistreatment of this kickass comic book character.  She's often left out of merchandise, and despite having a very interesting backstory, producers refuse to give her a solo movie.  Even in the Avengers universe, she's not free from misogyny (as much as I love Loki, the rape threat was not necessary).

Tuesday Tease: Spy Who Teased Me
Photo by Danny Fox-Trot

All these things gave me an idea for a Black Widow routine.  At the time, I was busy with other acts so I filed it away.  When I finally had the opportunity to work on it, I found another layer to the narrative: the live-action Ghost in the Shell, starring Scarlett Johansson, was playing in theatres. 

My anger at the whitewashing of a Japanese character could be a post in itself, but there's already a lot of exiting commentary.  I took this somewhat personally because my name came from the Ghost in the Shell anime.  Motoko Kusanagi was the hero I needed when I first tried to reinvent myself as Hana Li.  Casting Johansson as The Major, even if The Major's apparently-white body is artificial, sends the message that Asian women are not complete individuals— that our stories aren't worth telling.

Burlesque has given me another way to tell stories, and now I could get my revenge.  Not only could I strip away how the names Black Widow has been called along with her tough exterior, I could strip away her identity as a white woman.  After all, Marvel Ultimate's featured an Asian Black Widow named Monica Chang.  Even if few audience members would make the connection, I'm still depicting an idea of hidden identities.  The last word I take off before shedding the red wig is "unseen".  That's what I refuse to be.

Glitterbomb: Guardians of
the Glitter Galaxy
Photo by Saraphimart

I took the same approach with Mantis.  Although her innocence was endearing, I raged at how the omniscient Celestial Madonna had been reduced to a slave and the butt of jokes.  She reminded me of everything I hated about being called "cute": all those undertones of being helpless, harmless, and docile.  As Hana Li, I've been able to combat the infantilization I've encountered in looking young and perhaps being a little naïve due to my upbringing.  I would do the same to Mantis and restore her to her sexy kickass self.  I would dare audiences to call my version of Mantis "ugly" (another part of the movie I could critique).

Glitterbomb gave me the opportunity to make this idea reality with their Guardians of the Galaxy show.  The production also made me realize I could get more specific with my nerdlesque themes, as the audience enjoyed what was presented to them whether they were familiar with the film/comics or not.  A bonus for me was getting kudos for referencing Mantis' comic book costume with my bra and panel skirt (from Risk by Raven).  Original Mantis had her own issues in terms of Orientalism, but I felt like I was able to write my own narrative for her.  You get another chance to see my Mantis act next Tuesday at Tease:

You can also catch me this week as part of Viva Dallas Burlesque's weekend of Star Wars show. I'll be debuting a new act inspired by the newer movies on Saturday night.  There's still a few tickets available at the door, but I recommend arriving early to either of the shows.  May the 4th be with you!

Upcoming shows: Glitterbomb and Tuesday Tease

Happy International Women's Day!  How about you celebrate with me by coming out to Glitterbomb tonight?

If you can't make it that show, there's also Tuesday Tease.  I've finally put together the ultimate nerdy show, and I'm debuting a new number for it!

Our Pineapple Princess Gone Too Soon

As you might have noticed, I got into a funk with my writing.  A couple weeks ago, I was ready to return with a post, ironically, about timing, and then I got the news.  2017 was already filled with tragedy for both me personally and the queerlesque community, and it had to deliver one last blow on the final day.  The beautiful, sparkling Pineapple of Burlesque, Jette Blaque, had died that morning.

Jette was a frequent performer on the Dallas and Denton queerlesque stages.  Her mentor was my teacher for when I got started at the Academy of Queerlesque, and we first crossed paths at during my second solo performance.  We'd see more of each other as the Sue Ellen's stage became a home for us, and I became familiar her shining presence.  She was full of laughter and joy backstage, and on-stage she could deliver so much attitude.

Panty Raid: Bare Necessities - our 2nd show together
Photo by Kevin Huckabee

We also had the pleasure of working for each other.  I loved having Jette for Tuesday Tease—she was a consummate professional yet a total goofball.  During one of the POC Teases, she became instant friends with the queens I had booked, as they went ga-ga over handsome men and quoted Empire.  It was a riot!  She had also booked me for her POC show at Glitterbomb, and I was so honored to be a part of that experience. 

The last time I saw her was when we were performing for our friend Mina Panamour's surprise birthday party.  Jette was not only going to do a cake sit, but she also planned to stick googly eyes on her butt and twerk during intermission.  Since I was going from Hana to Tony, I had to miss that, but the cake sit was epic!

Dirty 30: Mina's birthday show
Contagious Fantasies Photography

In addition to being a lot of fun, Jette was so kind and generous.  She had organized a surprise Christmas gift basket for the Glitterbomb producers and our dear friends, Lillith Grey and Milo Cox.  It was a great idea, and all of us queerlesquers worked hard to find the perfect items to contribute.  Since I had a Shutterfly account, I made a calendar, and Jette's excitement upon receiving it seemed as though she were the intended recipient.  She and I had also made plans for her to come to my place to give me and The Companion haircuts for a great price.  Previously she had talked about trying to provide cuts for queer clientele who may have faced discrimination or not gotten the cut they had wanted.  Having dealt with microaggressions relating to my hair, I thought the idea was wonderful.

Pineapples were her favorite thing.
Artwork by Jo Moulton

Jette didn't let her health slow her down, and even though she had her struggles, she always had a smile when I saw her.  I didn't know her as well as some other performers, but she still invited me to her and Nate Jones' wedding, which was so sweet and beautiful, and I was planning to get to know her better when she made her house call.  She has taught me to not let misfortunes bring me down, to take more selfies, and to be more like the regal pineapple she was.  Jette Blaque, we miss you so much, but your sparkle will remain with us forever.

(The title of this post was partly inspired by a poem by her maternal grandmother Daisy Kincheloe, "Gone Too Soon".)

Upcoming shows: Glitterbomb and Tuesday Tease

I'm getting ready to kick off a very busy month (plus a week).  I'm working on a new post too.  It's a very personal one, another Body Acceptance entry, so instead of rushing, I'm giving it some more time.  In the meantime, catch me at these two very exciting shows.

Show news

Bad news first: unfortunately Nerds in Technicolor has been cancelled.  There are tentative plans to reschedule for the fall.  In the meantime, Fort Worth will have to wait before it gets to see Hana Li.

Good news: you can catch me behind the scenes tonight as I bring you a queer love-themed Tuesday Tease!  We're exploring love in all its form, and we have a little game too.  So come be my Valentine at this show!

As a special treat today, check out some photos from my shoot with Madison Hurley Photography.  I'll be uploading more on my Facebook so be sure to follow my page.  Make-up by Violet D'Vine, hair by Rosa Lee Bloom.

Upcoming shows: Tuesday Tease and Nerds in Technicolor

I've been helping with the 2017 Texas Queerlesque Festival, and Tony Fo-Hawk wanted to get involved.  Tonight he'll be performing in the Tuesday Tease fundraiser.  All proceeds will be going to festival so please come and out support this show!

I've mentioned Nerds in Technicolor before, but tickets are live now.  Click here to purchase them and check out all the beautiful POC geeks taking over Fort Worth in February!

The Producer's Perspective

Max Bialystock: "The two cardinal rules of producing. One: Never put your own money in the show."
Leo Bloom: "And two?"
Max Bialystock: "Never put your own money in the show!"
- The Producers

Before I get started, I want to give mad props to my fellow performers who marched this weekend and stood up for rights of ALL women.  I wasn't able to attend the one in Dallas, but I'm fighting in my own ways, one of them being participating in the Legislate This! fundraiser.  As a reminder, it's this Friday and you can get tickets here.  Check out this teaser video of all the performers you'll see.

Now onto our regularly scheduled programming. As I've said before, I never wanted to be a producer.  I knew how much of it was like herding cats, and I've always been more of a loner than a leader.  The idea of curating a show to fit a theme of my choice did appeal to me, but I also knew my tastes differed from what was easily marketable.

Everything changed when I joined the Tuesday Tease Team.  I saw an opportunity to elevate the visibility of both queer and POC performers, especially those with out-of-the-box visions like my own.  It would also let me be more active in the queerlesque community .

Being roommates with college theatre producers helped prepare me of the job at hand.  Lillith Grey and Vivienne Vermuth were great mentors and co-producers to help me get started, and Friskey Business and Tasseled Squirrel offered invaluable support as stage managers.  It's so important to have a crew that you can rely on.

Tuesday Tease: Dawn of the Nerd cast and crew
Photo by Brandy Lynne Photography

Last September was the first show I produced solo, and it was a big one for me.  We had two out-of-town guests, Amber Ray and Rosa Lee Bloom, who were absolutely spectacular.  The theme of classic burlesque and drag allowed me to go back to my roots of learning classic while simultaneously teaching me more about drag.  I had some very new performers in the cast, who did extremely well.  I hoped they took something away from sharing space with veteran performers.

Although my burlesque aspirations are still centered on opportunities to tell a story with my body, I've developed a love of producing.  It's nice to hang back and appreciate the work (because when you're performing, you're focused on delivering for the audience).  We do have to keep both the audience and the cast in mind when developing so I can't have all of my wacky ideas come into fruition, but I've learned how to make it work—like turning an idea for a cultural showcase to a night dedicated to songs in languages other than English.

Tuesday Tease: Tease Around the World cast and crew
Photo by KWN Design

There's been some difficult moments, and I know I could be more assertive and proactive.  Those are opportunities for education and growth though.  Being a producer carries a lot of responsibilities beyond just getting an audience and making your show goes off without a hitch.  You have power away from the stage, and when you are part of a group like the Tuesday Tease Team, you have to remember that you are representing the values of an organization.  It's easier said than done.  Nevertheless, I've come away from all of this a better person in burlesque/drag, in my professional life, and in general.

I've also learned how to stage manage.  In our case, it's not too different from stage kittening; we just are in charge of organizing the set-up and herding the cats.  You can get me in that role at tonight's Tease show.

Upcoming shows: Tuesday Tease and Legislate This!

Tonight is the return of PokGAYmon!  This time, we don't have an election to ruin things.  I may have also persuaded Tony Fo-Hawk to make a guest appearance.  Hope to see you at Sue's!

I also have the pleasure of participating in Legislate This! A Planned Parenthood Fundraiser.  My fellow performers and I have been upset about the recent attacks against women's rights by the current state and new national legislatures.  Having donated before, I'm excited to find another way to raise money to Planned Parenthood.  Click here for tickets.

Naked Snake Revealed

Sigint: "Snake, what's up? Why are you naked? I know there's a 'NAKED' option under 'UNIFORM' that lets you take off the upper part of your uniform. But without a shirt on, your camouflage sucks, and your stamina goes down faster. You don't get any advantages whatsoever."
Naked Snake: "Sure there are."
Sigint: "Like what?"
Naked Snake: "It feels good."
- Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater

Back in August, I finally got to perform an act that has been brewing in my head since 2013.  Yes, it existed before "Black Glasses", which I chose to focus on because I wanted my solo debut to be more representative of me.  I even blogged about working on it.

When I became familiar with nerdlesque, Metal Gear Solid popped into my mind.  I had seen my brother and one of my friends in college play through Snake Eater, and the theme song was on Karaoke Revolution (a game I did play a lot).  It was sultry and dramatic, which just screamed "burlesque" to me.  The game was full of femme fatales, but I thought it would be more interesting and entertaining to portray the uber-masculine protagonist, Solid Snake.  Or since I'd be referencing Snake Eater, which was a prequel, his predecessor Naked Snake—yes, that is his codename.

AnimeFest 2015
Photo by Julio M. Photography

Since I approached the costume from a cosplay, rather than a striptease, perspective, I wound up getting real BDUs with the exact same camo that Naked Snake used.  They were not easy to work with, and I have to thank my friends Ramon and Radha, as well as The Companion, for helping with the construction.  I had more costume pieces and gags in the initial concept, but they just distracted from the performance.  Plus the most recent Metal Gear Solid heroine's lack of clothing gave me inspiration—and motivation to give Snake the same treatment.  I did keep the cardboard box though.

The act kept getting put on the backburner, but I never stopped thinking about how I could make it better because the opportunity would come one day.  And it did—with Tuesday Tease.  We decided upon a Super Smash Brothers video game theme.  Vivienne Vermuth helped me co-produce so that I could perform as well.  One thing you have to know, however, is that The Companion is a competitive Smash Brothers player so I did have to put a lot of work into the rest of the show.  It made me glad that I had most of my Snake act ready to go.  The Companion took time off to go to the show and invited his friends.  I was happy to get the support since Snake is not the most popular of characters.  I loved the reactions I got when I came out with the box and then revealed myself from underneath.

Tuesday Tease: Super Smash Tease
Photo by KWN Design

This act was made for a geeky audience, but I still wanted to reference classic burlesque in my choreography.  I'm constantly finding this balance in many of my acts.  It's tricky, and doing this a couple months later at Oni-con made me realize that I need to be flexible with my numbers.  In any case, I am really grateful for the opportunity to make Naked Snake a reality and show it off to two different audiences in two cities.  Hopefully those weren't the last missions for Naked Snake.

I've got a completely different mission this week: help produce the last Tuesday Tease of the year.  It's also our farewell show for Alissa, who has managed the bar and been our liaison with the higher ups.  So come join us for this special evening!

Upcoming Tuesday Tease appearances

Not too long ago, I reached my anniversary with the Tuesday Tease Team.  I've learned a lot working behind the scenes and gained more responsibilities.  The experience has introduced me to many wonderful people who inspire me to come up with new acts (and get Tony Fo-Hawk to do the same).  I never thought I would be where I am at, but I'm thankful for it.

The Tease Team
Photo by KWN Design

Basically you'll be able to see me at every Tuesday Tease in the coming weeks.  I may not be performing, but I want you to support all the shows we do because it is a group effort.  However, here's my schedule if you wanna say "hi".

12/20/16 - Drag Me to the Future - performing

Drag Me to the Future line-up

12/27/16 - 2016 Best of Tease - co-producing with Tasseled Squirrel

1/3/17 - Tease of Color - Tony Fo-Hawk performing

1/10/17 - PokGAYmon (Redux) - producing

Remember, Tuesday Tease starts at 10 PM.  The venue is Sue Ellen's on 3014 Throckmorton St., Dallas, TX.  There's no cover for 21+, $5 for 18-20, but bring some dollars to tip the performers.  Hope to see you around!

Upcoming shows: Tuesday Tease and Nerds in Technicolor

I was planning on making an actual blog post today, but I became preoccupied with the next show I'm producing, Tuesday Tease: Dungeons and Drag.  I got a little over enthusiastic and wanted tell a story with the line-up.  (This is what happens when you give me control over a show.)  You can see the final result tomorrow, and we've added a special guest, Roxxy Reckless.

I also want to give you a sneak preview of what's going down in 2017.  One of the shows I'll be doing is Nerds in Technical, a POC nerdlesque show, on February 18.  There are a lot of out-of-town guests so there's a fundraiser to help out with funds and to ensure that there will be more like it in the future.  Check out the link below to donate!

Fo-Hawk Rising: From Beach Bum to Headliner

"I've always had a mental wish list of tricks, such as the 900, varial 720, kickflip 540, ollie 540, and slowly over the years I checked them off one by one until the 9 was the only one left.  Everything else now is purely for fun." - Tony Hawk, Hawk: Occupation: Skateboarder

I'm finally getting back to my recap of various shows and experiences.  Tony Fo-Hawk is on break to enjoy some snowboarding so this is a good time to discuss the hell of a summer he had (fall was good as well, but I'll cover that later).  I had already talked about the creation of his Airship Pirate number.  Before that, he was working on another new act for the Wet 'n' Wild Tuesday Tease.

Photo by KWN Design

The arrival of summer meant surfing for Tony.  I had planned a surfer act of my own, but this seemed more like his thing (although I reserve the right to return to the idea).  The Companion's favorite song is "Surf Wax America" by Weezer so I really wanted to use it.  However, the song is actually sarcastic, which made me take pause.  Could Tony lip synch these words when they're supposed to mock? The tune was catchy though; I couldn't get it out of my head.  Thankfully there was a solution: Jack Johnson.

Before he became known as a musician, Jack Johnson was a pro surfer—the youngest to make finals at Pipeline Masters.  His songs are a bit too mellow to do an act to on their own, but I found a song he wrote about the waves and mashed it up with "Surf Wax America".

My breasts are too sensitive and large for me to be comfortable with duct tape binding.  Therefore, I knew the illusion was going to be compromised because who surfs with their shirt on?  I thought about buying a wetsuit, but they weren't in my budget and my binder would still show through.  I decided that the audience could suspend their disbelief, especially if I went even sillier with the "nudity" down below.

See what I mean?
Photo by KWN Design

"Going Surfing" provided a much needed lightness since I had been working on two ambitious numbers for the SteamTease.  In August, Tony and I teamed up to do our "Jesus of Suburbia" act for a Broadway-themed Tuesday Tease.  I'll never get tired performing because it's so cathartic.  That same week, Tony continued with the musical-inspired acts and did Hamilton for Mustache Envy.

Not throwing away his shot
Photo by Cher Musico

Since seeing them at my bust-out, I've admired Mustache Envy.  I've performed in their Panty Raid shows a couple of times, but I didn't think Tony would be in a Mustache show.  Nevertheless, I submitted his two most ambitious—and uncharacteristic—acts: the Airship Pirate and Hamilton.  I was so honored to find that not only was Tony hired on to do Hamilton, but was named a headliner alongside the amazing Patrick Mikyles!

Because it was my most PG of acts, I took the opportunity to invite my co-workers along to experience a drag show.  Some of them may have been in for a culture shock, but I think—I hope—they had a good time.  I sure did.  It's always great to see fans of the musical rap along.  There were these two girls who knew every lyric, and they approached me with excitement afterwards, telling me that they were blasting the soundtrack earlier in the day. 

One of the reasons I love doing nerdlesque so much is because I can reach those people who may have obscure interests.  Tony isn't really a nerd (unless you count his action sports obsession), but I'm glad he can reach out to people too.  I’ll cover some of his more recent shows, but I’m really proud of how far he has come in less than a year.

As I said, he's currently on a break, but you can catch me in a brand-new nerdy act tomorrow at Tuesday Tease!

The Show Must Rage On

I will not have my life narrowed down. I will not bow down to somebody else's whim or to someone else's ignorance. - bell hooks

I have a lot of nightmare burlesque scenarios, being the anxious person that I am.  However, none of my worrying could prepare me to last Tuesday night.  I had joked that the second worst thing about the end of election season was that I could no longer enjoy my current favorite podcast, Politically Reactive—the worst being that we'd have to deal with the reality of Donald Trump being elected President.

As far-fetched as the idea seemed to me and many others, the possibility lingered in the backs of our minds.  That was how my cast, my crew, and I came to Sue Ellen's for the PokGAYmon show.  We wanted to provide a temporary escape, as well as an opportunity for celebration.  We teased the idea of drinking our sorrows away in case Hillary Clinton lost.  The atmosphere was somber upon arrival, and the Tease Team quickly formed a game plan for various scenarios.

In the end, we could not have the show.  Too many people in the crowd were on edge from the news.  This impacted all of us, as members of the queer community.  There were a lot of tears, a lot of questions, a lot of rage.  Although I knew canceling the show was the only option, I was upset at not being able to provide people hope and solace.  I had already gone home by the time Hillary officially conceded, and I could hardly sleep with the gears that were turning in my head.  Anger has always been a source of motivation.

It was hard to focus on my upcoming performances at Steampunk November and the next Tuesday Tease.  I went to a protest (not my first) to show that I am more than just angry social media posts and to show those of my friends who are too scared by the hate that has been riled up.  It required a lot of physical and mental strength, especially since we had eggs, barbecue sauce, and wine thrown at us (not me but I heard the aftermath).  As a result, I haven't been as on top of things as I should be.  It's been hard to just go on, but sometimes that is the best way to take a stand.

On the train ride to the protest, I realized that the act Tony Fo-Hawk had booked would not be suitable for the current mood.  Immediately, Tony came up with a new number, inspired by American Idiot.  It encompasses all the rage at the bigotry that we have let slide through the years and is now in the open, the problems of the electoral college system, the attempts at politicians for trying to control the bodies and lives of marginalized individuals, and the idea that I, a queer Asian burlesque dancer, ought to shut my mouth and look pretty.

Tomorrow (or technically today), you can join Tony in expressing your anger at Tuesday Tease.  I will still be doing the same act I had planned, which I think is pretty relevant to.  It was inspired by a personal battle against misogynistic views about feminine beauty.  I still need to write about when I debuted it at Glitterbomb, and I'm excited for Tease to experience it to.  People might think that I'm out of fucks to give, but I have all the fucks to give.  Because I will not let my friends' struggles be ignored and I will not be silenced.

Upcoming shows: Tuesday Tease and Steampunk November

If you're looking for a election night party, whether to get away or to have a safe space to follow the news, Tuesday Tease has the event for you.  We're doing a Pokemon-themed, but the TVs will be airing the results and there are plans to celebrate (or drink our sorrows).

I'm super excited to be producing this show.  All the performers have inspired me to put together a "professor" cosplay since they're all Pokemon, trainers, and team leaders while Kylee, our host, is calling herself a "gym leader".  If my plan doesn't work, I'll have my Flannery cosplay to fall back on.

 All-con 2016
Flareon: The Companion
photography: Neither Noir

As for performing, I will be joining Broads and Panties at Steampunk November in Venus.  We will be hitting the stage Saturday, November 5 at 10:30 PM.  Expect a mix of classic and nerdlesque.

Upcoming shows: Glitterbomb and Tuesday Tease

As you can guess, I've been busy as a bee.  Tomorrow (or I guess technically tonight), I am debuting a very special and personal number about hair and my contentious relationship with it.  So please come out to Glitterbomb.  It won't be all tears though as Tony Fo-Hawk is bringing back his fun tribute to our Snowboard Slopestyle gold medalist with fabulous hair, Sage Kotsenburg. It'll be an unforgettable night so please come out to Mable Peabody's!

For Tuesday Tease, I will be stage managing/kittening for the next show on September 27.  Then I'm producing the October 11 show.  The flyers haven't been released yet, but mark those dates down!

I promise I'll get back to blogging.  The next post is about the Texas Queerlesque Festival, and there's a lot.  In fact, I don't think I can fit all the pictures in so here's one of them.

TXQF16: Sequins and Sass cast and crew
Photo by The Naked Lens

 

Upcoming shows: Tuesday Tease and Rockers for Knockers

I meant to work on more blog posts, but just as I was done with Super Smash Tease, I had another show to produce.  That's what I get with the "promotion" (not that we actually have a hierarchy in Tuesday Tease, just responsibilities).  In any case, you'll be seeing more shows produced by yours truly, and I won't be in them with the exception of special occasions.  That doesn't mean you shouldn't come because we always have stellar performers, and this week, we've got some pretty special guests.  Hope to see you at Sue's!

One show you can catch me in is Rockers for Knockers on October 1.  It's a charity show with a live band.  I've got another show lined up this month, but I wanted to share this one because it is for a good cause, My Hope Chest, so mark your calendars!

Becoming a Sophisticated A.I. (and Airship Pirate)

"DIGITIZE THE WORLD. (A new life awaits you)." - Cyberpunk Dada Manifesto

When Tuesday Tease decided on a retrofuturistic theme, I knew I had to get in on the action.  After all, I love cyberpunk, steampunk, dieselpunk, all the past-meets-future mash-ups.  We had originally called the show "Robo Renaissance", and I took things literally.   The Renaissance version of steampunk is called "clockpunk".  My friends do a really great interpretation of that sub-genre's aesthetic.  However, that wasn't what I was looking for.

I've always said that I was more "punk" than "steam" since I like the tech and the sci-fi more than the retro aspect of steampunk.  So I decided to Google "cyberpunk Renaissance" in hopes of finding some works that were less gears and more robotics but still had Renaissance fashion.  Miraculously, I found Deus Ex:Human Revolution.  I played a little bit of the original Deus Ex (for a college class actually) and enjoyed the themes of the game.  As I did more research on the characters, I became very inspired by the symbolism of the Renaissance fashion.  Eliza Cassan, in particular, jumped out at me.  I like wearing black, and the many layers of her identity as a celebrity and an artificial construct provided a wonderful narrative.

from Eidos Montreal Community post
by Valerie Bourdeau

Eliza's jacket was going to be the centerpiece.  I couldn't make it on my own so I wound up commissioning it from Dahl Parts Designs.  Although I thought the dress she wore underneath would be simple enough to alter from existing lingerie pieces, I hit a roadblock with the stretchy material and the zipper.  However, it's the first zipper I've installed on my own (and by hand too!) so I think I'm slowly making progress as a costumer.  The boots provided a different challenge.  They were a lucky acquisition from Missy Lisa of the Ruby Revue and the highest heels I have ever worn.  After some practice, I was able to walk confidently (or at least fake it) in them for the amount of time needed in my act.

Captain Tony Fo-Hawk

The possibilities of the theme made me unable to settle with just one act, even if it was an ambitious one.  In the beginning of my steampunk days, I befriended the vocalist of Marquis of Vaudeville, and they're one of my favorite bands.  I've always wanted to pay tribute to them before I even started burlesque.  Levi des Peu-Chapeaux has an act to the song of theirs I used to belly dance to, "Ordinary Day", so I chose another track, "Dear Isabella".  It's their tribute to Airship Isabella, a highly influential group in the Texas steampunk scene.  That made it perfect because I could pay homage to the entire community who have helped me grow as an individual and fall in love with living in Dallas.  Plus I never got to be an airship pirate (my "steam-sona" was a dancer and scientist) so this was my chance.  I gave the song to Tony Fo-Hawk because I could see him take the skies and not be limited by the rules of society.

Both acts were hits even though Eliza could still use some work.  The show, Steam-Tease, was a lot of fun to be a part of because everyone in the cast was geeky and the producer really encouraged many different interpretations of the retrofuturistic theme.  It was heavily steampunk, but as I've learned, there are a myriad of ways to interpret that sub-genre.  I also finally got to meet fellow Loki/Bucky/vampire-loving nerdlesquer Vita DeVoid in person.  I have to thank Tasseled Squirrel for believing in my two visions, Jessica Dahl for her impeccable work on the jacket, and Oliver Clothesoff for videoing my routines.  Several people complimented me on the jacket, and I want to do the act a hundred times so that I can strut around in it some more (cosplay may be a more feasible alternative).  This was a good start for Eliza; I'm excited to keep tuning her up so that I can bring her back to the stage.

In the meantime, I get to debut another video game act at one of my own shows.  With the help of Vivienne Vermuth, I'm bringing a Smash Brothers-themed Tuesday Tease to Sue Ellen's this week! A lot of extra care has been put into this show because The Companion is one of the long-time members of the competitive Smash scene in Dallas.  So please come and nerd out with us!