Scintillating live music and burlesque!

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Happy New Year!

Coming Up Next…

nye hv

New Year’s Eve at the Hotel Vancouver

We’re back at the Hotel Vancouver for another multi-room party extravaganza! For our set, the Pacific Ballroom will be transformed into a deep, dark Weimar nightclub where forbidden fantasy performances emerge from every corner. We’re happy to welcome MR. DIVA as our special guest for the evening.

mr diva 1

Jamaal Von Parker AKA Mr. Diva has been a performer from the moment he opened his mouth and had his own original thoughts. He has been fine tuning his craft and dazzling audiences around the world. Jamaal has performed on renowned shows such as Cirque Du Soleil’s One drop Masquerave, Real House Wives of Vancouver, Waking up with the Wagners Las Vegas, as well as being featured on National Geographic and winning Season 2 of Zany or Zoink’d on YTV. Captivation and a stunning visual is what Jamaal is all about, using his body as a canvas and always putting on a spectacle.

mr diva 2

Also bringing you some moody Berlin glamour:

VORACIOUS V

RUTHE ORDARE

NICKY NINEDOORS

ARIEL HELVETICA

AUGUST WILED

and

THE LOCKSMITHS

Tickets for this unforgettable event are still available! Won’t you ring in 2015 with us? Reserve your spot here.

More Photos!

Until tomorrow night, fall under the spell of these gorgeous photos from David Tresham.

Dashing Through The NO

grumpy

Season’s Greetings!

In the spirit of the grumpiest of kitties, we’ve welcomed December with a mix of sassy cynicism and child-like anticipation. Want to know what we’re wishing for this holiday season? Take a peek into our most ridiculous wants and whims.

Ariel Helvetica

This long-legged lady wants to be whisked away to Europe to wait out the winter. Bye bye muggle job!

ariel

Nicky Ninedoors

Nicky would like to lounge around in a pearl-filled bathtub, please. Oh, and to be dressed in the finest lingerie for the remainder of the season.

nicky

Ava Lure

Also wishing to get away, Ava will take one ticket to Japan, please, and a front row seat at the Murasaki Babydoll show!

ava

Miss Kiss

Miss Kiss would like to trade in her bat wings for… DRAGON wings- and then fly to either Disneyland or Disneyworld.

miss kiss

Think you can handle our showgirl wish lists? Good -we’ll be patiently awaiting your gifts this year!

Fox Cabaret Launch Party

Last month we took our new home, the Fox Cabaret, by storm. With beautiful new digs, and even a signature cocktail, we celebrated change and new beginnings! Check out these beautiful photos from David Tresham.

In-story photos from Ninedoors Photography, lindsaysdiet.com, and Jess Desaulniers-Lea.

Fall Fox Fun!

Coming Up Next…

pl fox launch

Pandora & The Locksmiths at the FOX CABARET

After the whirlwind that was Halloween at the Hotel Vancouver, we’re happy to rest in our new home, the Fox Cabaret. That’s right folks, our monthly show is back with a vengeance and ready to take on Mount Pleasant! Join us November 14th for performances by a wide range of Pandora superstars- from founding members to our newest acquisitions. Don’t forget to grab a cocktail from some of the cutest bartenders in town!

Witness on stage:

VORACIOUS V

NICKY NINEDOORS

LAURA JUNE

CAROLE BRUNETTE

AMBER ROSE

Our fantastic host:

MISS KISS

And live music by:

THE LOCKSMITHS

For all the details you’ll ever need, keep an eye on the Facebook event page. We can’t wait to see all your lovely faces again!

Checking In!

It’s been a busy fall for the ladies of Pandora, and that’s not about to stop. So what do we have coming up this fall? Carole Brunette is happy to be new faculty at the Vancouver Burlesque Centre. She’ll be substitute teaching in the next little while and also coming up with her very own class! At The Rio, Voracious V will be featured in Burlesque Long Form November 22nd and Ariel Helvetica will be pirouetting across the stage in Nightmare Before The Nutcracker December 5th and 12th. Miss Fitt will be travelling North America, embracing the calm and the crazy with stops in Saskatchewan and Las Vegas. Skin Game at The Emerald, Ava Lure’s new co-production with Vanity Feral, will be back November 26. The stage-free evening of burlesque and card games features Ruthe Ordare as a guest this month to boot! So many opportunities to catch these ladies in action!

Photographie

Oh yes, we have more photos from the 4th anniversary show for you! Prepare for the return of our monthly celebration of titillation by feasting your eyes on these lovely images from Reckless Photography.

Ladies in Red

Coming Up Next…

halloween banner

Halloween at The Hotel Vancouver

We’re thrilled to be working with Arrival Agency on one of their infamous Halloween Extravaganzas! This one-night spectacular fits mainstays of Vancouver’s entertainment scene into compartments of costume party coolness. To give you a taste, in one room you’ll witness comedians from The Sunday Service performing a seance of the hotel’s ghost, The Lady In Red. In another, Ice Cream Social will be spinning ’50s and ’60s vinyl – top entertainment and party times wait at every twist and turn!  Find the full lineup here. In the grand ballroom, Pandora & The Locksmiths will take the stage to present a three-set show for the centuries – Time Machine themed! We’ll be visiting Old Hollywood, the Swingin’ ’60s, and diving deep into the dark machine itself.

This show will feature performances by:

RUTHE ORDARE

NICKY NINEDOORS

MISS KISS

MISS FITT

CAROLE BRUNETTE

AUGUST WILED

AVA LURE

Live music by:

THE LOCKSMITHS

With special guests:

travis

TRAVIS BERNHARDT

The Man of Mystery returns to confound and delight you with dark illusions! In 2008, Travis became a full time professional magician, fulfilling his master plans—retroactively decided upon—of never becoming qualified for anything else. Lately his award winning one man shows have played to sold out houses at theatre festivals across Canada, and you can also find him performing at private engagements, at street festivals around the world, and keeping the tiny, sputtering vaudeville flame alive at cabaret and variety shows around Vancouver. We’re so happy to be sharing the stage with Travis once again!

AND

hot pants

THE HOT PANTS

The Hot Pants are Vancouver’s retro dance group specializing in 1960’s Go-Go, grooviness and far out vintage tunes. Their shows feature authentic 60’s style dance moves, mind-blowing hula hoop artists, amazing vintage vinyl tracks, authentic mod style make-up and hair, and lots of fringe and vinyl Go-Go boots! They’ll be dancing up a storm in our Swingin’ ’60s set!

Before the show, we will be playing the balloon game of course! Each pop of the balloon yields an amazing prize from one of our SPONSORS:

Lace Embrace

Scout Boutique

East Vanity Parlour

Honey Gifts

Biercraft

Chop Shop

Vancouver Burlesque Centre

Ninedoors Photography

GothFox Design

Dirt Simple Soap

Commercial Drive Licorice Parlour

Belle of the Brawl Nails

We’re pleased to announce that this event is SOLD OUT but there may be opportunities to snap up tickets here and there. Keep an eye on the Facebook event page for your chance!

Four-Year Anniversary

Last month we celebrated four years as a collective and  said goodbye to Guilt & Co. Even though transitions can be sad, the evening was vibrating with positivity and excitement. Here are some photos from Reckless Photography from the night!

4 Years of Scintillating Burlesque!

Coming Up Next…

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 PANDORA & THE LOCKSMITHS 4-YEAR EXTRAVAGANZA with OUR NEW MEMBER…

THIS SHOW IS GOING TO BE CRAZY, YOU GUYS!

Another year has come and gone and Pandora & The Locksmiths is about to turn FOUR! Join us in Gastown for another dazzling evening of the live music and scintillating burlesque we’ve become known for.

This month’s show will feature almost every member of Pandora & The Locksmiths in one capacity or another. Be it belting out a tune, hitting the stage with a burlesque number, hosting, acting as stage mistress, or doing absolutely everything (!) this group is ready to take your breath away!

They are:

VORACIOUS V
RUTHE ORDARE
NICKY NINEDOORS
MISS KISS
MISS FITT
CAROLE BRUNETTE
AVA LURE
AMBER ROSE
AUGUST WILED

Live music, as ever, by:

THE LOCKSMITHS

Doors at 8pm, show at 9pm, with a suggested donation of $10 and all money going toward the artists. We thank you for four years of keeping Gastown absolutely sizzling on a Tuesday!

ALSO ON STAGE THIS EVENING, FOR THE FIRST TIME WITH PANDORA & THE LOCKSMITHS:

ARIEL HELVETICA

Ariel-Gloss Boudoir

Credit: Glass Boudoir Photography

Ariel Helvetica has been stamping her unique font all over the Vancouver Burlesque scene since her 2010 debut. A born and raised dancer, Ariel spent 5 years abroad, wowing audiences in France as a professional Can-Can/Showgirl, and then  criss-crossing the globe and criss-crossing her long legs as a professional high-kicker on cruise ships, visiting 45 countries along the way.

 Growing up and training to be a “serious” dancer, Ms. Helvetica’s natural talent and drive took her far into the realm of traditional dance and ballet. But her love of performing, musicals, show tunes and, above all else, dancing to the beat of her own drum, hinted she would eventually leave those constricting toe shoes behind for bigger – and higher –  kicks. Sure enough, Ariel’s raw sense of creativity and passion soon pulled her towards the hot red lights of burlesque, where she finally gave in to temptation, biting the apple and beginning her training at Burgundy Brixx’s School of Tease. You can also find this kinky kicker working her magic at Blue Morris’s Rock and Roll Burlesque, Tarantino Burlesque and the Vancouver International Burlesque Festival.  Ariel is a  teacher at the Vancouver Burlesque Centre.

We cant wait to welcome her to the P&L family this evening!

WE ACTUALLY HAVE ANOTHER SURPRISE FOR YOU… ONE MORE NEW MEMBER!

She made her burlesque debut one year ago on our anniversary stage, and although she is not performing tonight, we’d like to welcome:

LAURA JUNE

laurawindmillarms

 Laura June is a dance performer and variety act with Pandora and the Locksmiths, as well as a founding member and co-director of Luciterra Dance Company. She has been studying dance for over 20 years, and has been performing across North America and around the world since 2008. A lover of nuance, the hyper-real, mystery, elegance, vintage dust, and praxis, Laura holds multiple certifications with the Royal Conservatory of Music as well as with her dance teachers Suhaila Salimpour, Jamila Salimpour, Colleena Shakti, and Rachel Brice. She is an ongoing and committed student at the Salimpour School of Dance in San Francisco, California, and at the Shakti School of Dance (classical Odissi) in Rajasthan, India. In addition to her technical artistic studies, Laura holds a degree in Humanities from Simon Fraser University, where she studied Art History. She is particularly fascinated with the intersection of art and social change, and the role of the artist in society. Currently, Laura studies, performs, and teaches dance full time, both locally and internationally. When home, Laura co-teaches 7 dance classes a week in East Vancouver. www.luciterradance.com

More Pretty Pictures

The performers are gearing up for this evening’s performance, are you ready? Take a look at last month’s show, as captured by Bob Ayers, and get totally psyched!

Resplendent Remembrances

another old group shot

Four Years of Pandora & The Locksmiths Memories!

It’s amazing to think that it’s been four whole years since the inception of Pandora & The Locksmiths! Over that time, members of the group have graced countless stages in Vancouver, represented at international festivals, welcomed esteemed guests, and grown hugely as artists. Our expanding group is undoubtedly a family of creators who support and challenge each other on a daily basis. To gear up for our anniversary show at guilt&co on September 9 we pooled our collective minds to come up with the top few memories from the past four years. Here we go!

The Infamous Rabbit Costume

So this has become a bit of a right of passage for newer members of Pandora & The Locksmiths: “YOU, NEWBIE, GET IN THE BUNNY SUIT!” As part of the finale of Miss Fitt’s Aquarius number, both Ava Lure and August Wiled have donned the white mask and danced around blindly to the sounds of The Fifth Dimension. Big ups to Voracious V for getting in the puppy suit twice.

bunny suit 2

bunny suit

Ninedoors Photo Police

“You know there are no photos allowed at our shows, right? You there, with your phone out- there are no photos. Oh and you, official photographer? You can sit down. You’re blocking the glamour. Get it? Good. Love you!”

photo boss nicky

The Proposal

Remember that time Alison proposed to Soo on stage!? We do! This is one of the MOST treasured moments as voted by the members of Pandora & The Locksmiths. A bunch of hopeless romantics, I tell ya!

proposal!

August at Guilt&Co

Earlier this month, we welcomed Voodoo Pixie and Arnt Arntzen to the guilt&co stage! August’s heat was no match for these performers- their dazzling ways sent chills through the audience. Check out these lovely photos from Bob Ayers!

I’ll be on the beach…

Coming up next…

pan cover august 14

Pandora & The Locksmiths at Guilt&Co with Voodoo Pixie and Arnt Arntzen

We’re back at guilt&co for our final show of the summer! Shake the sand out of your hair and roll on down to Gastown for a sizzling night of scintillating burlesque entertainment on August 12.

This month’s show features special guests VOODOO PIXIE and ARNT ARNTZEN. As a member of the Cabaret du Passe collective, and co-producer of the annual AbraCadaver Cabaret, Voodoo will be bringing her signature blend of ethereal mischief to the stage. She will be accompanied by Vancouver’s Tin Pan Troubadour, Arnt Arntzen, armed with his trusty banjo. 

This show will also feature burlesque by:

MISS FITT
AUGUST WILED
AVA LURE

Vocals by:

NICKY NINEDOORS

Musical magic by:

THE LOCKSMITHS

All hosted by:

MAMA KAY

Doors at 8PM, show at 9PM with a suggested donation of $10. All proceeds go directly to the performers.

Mid-Summer Check-in

Here in Vancouver, summer is in full swing and the members of Pandora & The Locksmiths are living it up! Not only is our monthly show at guilt&co is running like clockwork, we’re making fun secret plans for the year to come. Outside of collective activities, our members are stoking that creative fire in a variety of ways. Festival maven, Ruthe Ordare will be hitting the stage at the inaugural Oregon Burlesque Festival this weekend. After winning “Best Solo” in Texas, we know Miss Ordare is going to kick some serious butt in Portland. Miss Kiss will be appearing in the Pride Burlesque Revue at the Lux Lounge on July 31, followed by an all-out burlesquified musical performance in Concrete Vertigo’s Vixens In Wonderland next month. Continuing the theatrical trend, Ava Lure is busy writing and directing her very first play! Seaside Stories of Terrible Things will be running in this year’s Vancouver Fringe Festival. Miss Fitt and Liam MacDonald will be adding a little middle eastern flare to their summer. Both will be performing in Nuba’s Bedouin Cabaret on August 7th. Everyone else? Meet them at the beach!

July

Our July show was a hot one! We were very pleased to have special guest Raven Virginia come all the way from Calgary. We tried to kidnap her and make her stay on the West Coast, but the best we could do was capture her in photos. Thank you David Tresham for documenting the evening!

Night Heat

Coming up Next…

 

pandora july

 

Pandora & The Locksmiths at Guilt&Co with RAVEN VIRGINIA

Coming all the way from Calgary, Alberta, this month’s special guest is none other than RAVEN VIRGINIA. Raven is a member of the Garter Girls and has graced stages across North America, including the Burlesque Hall of Fame and our very own Vancouver International Burlesque Festival. Join us in sizzling Gastown on July 8th for a show that shouldn’t be missed!

The ladies of Pandora will be serving you two numbers each this evening.

On stage you will see:

RUTHE ORDARE

AUGUST WILED

AVA LURE

With vocals from our stage mistress:

MISS KISS

Our fabulous host:

MAMA KAY

And live music in an array of styles from:

THE LOCKSMITHS

Doors are at 8:00pm with the show starting at 9:00pm. Suggested $10 donation at the door, with all proceeds going to the artists.

Bring your hand fans and wear something flowy- this is sure to be a hot one!

June at Guilt&Co

Our June show kicked off the summer in style! Relive the glamour with sultry photos from Bob Ayers.

Springtime Shimmer

Coming Up Next…

 

pan june cover

 

PANDORA & THE LOCKSMITHS at GUILT&CO

Join us at our home base, guilt&co, in Gastown on Tuesday, June 10 for our monthly live music burlesque extravaganza! Let us know you’re coming by checking out the Facebook event here. Get shimmying and shaking on a hot spring evening with performances by:

RUTHE ORDARE

MISS FITT

DELILAH DARE

CAROLE BRUNETTE

with stage mistress

NICKY NINEDOORS

musical accompaniment by

THE LOCKSMITHS

and hostess for the evening

MAMA KAY

Doors at 8pm, show at 9pm. Suggested donation of $10 with all proceeds going to the artists.

Collective Structure

You may or may not know this, but Pandora & The Locksmiths operates as an artist collective rather than a company or troupe. What this means is that there is no assigned “leader” and all jobs -from social media, to band leading, to writing this here blog- are delegated among members. We cast performance spots based on availability and rotate sweeping duties. Sometimes we have one member lead a group number if it is a theme they are particularly passionate about, but most of the time we create as a team. It may take a lot longer, but we all feel strongly about creating with equality among artists. Miss Fitt and Nicky Ninedoors echo the sentiments of the group with their thoughts on our collective structure:

Miss Fitt

The most interesting part for me is how we seem to grow so much as individual performers through our work together. I get inspired all the time by my team. Performing along side such diverse and talented people helps me to become a stronger performer. I get ideas, I see what is exciting and effective for others and I bring my own unique talents and ideas to the table as well. I feel we each contribute to setting the bar higher for ourselves and support each other with our goals and ideas. We all benefit from each others success and grow stronger as a group as a result.

Nicky Ninedoors

What I found incredibly powerful about the process of Awakenings, was that it put us all in a really intense state of vulnerability. We had to be completely open with our feelings, consider the validity of the feelings of others, while working together towards a common goal. I feel that common goal was realized in the creation of “Hunter”, which closed the show. Performing as part of that act was powerful for me because it was created by eight people who were willing to listen to each other, who practiced saying “Yes” to each others ideas, while being humble and gracious when ideas didn’t work or needed revisiting.

It was a really hard process, but as a group we have been evolving for a while, recognizing the talents of each individual within the group, and striving to move away from the idea that any one individual is solely in charge. Each member of the collective is incredibly valuable, and it’s empowering to be surrounded by women who respect, admire, and encourage each other through the challenges they face.

Burlesque Hall of Fame Weekend

bhof 2014 team vancouverPhoto by Alex Laurente

A huge “BREAK A LEG” to all the hugely talented women jetting off to Las Vegas to compete in the Tournament of Tease! The Burlesque Hall of Fame Weekender is a huge four-day fundraiser for the one and only Burlesque Hall of Fame Museum. Team Vancouver will be lighting up multiple categories this year. For Queen of Burlesque we have April O’Peel, Melody Mangler, Burgundy Brixx, and Lola Frost, for best group we have a duo by Lola Frost & Rita Star, and up for Best Debut, our very own VORACIOUS V! Kick some butt down there, Nebula Nipples!

go vv

Vancouver International Burlesque Festival

 It was such an honour to grace the Vogue stage with “Awakenings,” a huge collaboration between our collective, Four on The Floor String Quartet, and K-Tel. Want to know what the VIBF is like first-hand? Check out Ava Lure’s Festival Diary in Pin Curl Magazine! Enjoy these amazing photos of our VIBF production from Fubarfoto and Reckless Photography.

Art Attack!

Coming up next…

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Pandora & The Locksmiths at Guilt & Co!

with special guests:

APRIL O’PEEL & NOUVEAUX TABLEAUX

Reeling from the whirlwind that was the Vancouver International Burlesque Festival, Pandora & The Locksmiths return to the Guilt & Co stage! Blending fine art with performance, we welcome special guests APRIL O’PEEL and NOUVEAUX TABLEAUX.

Featuring burlesque performances of the classically glamorous persuasion:

VORACIOUS V

RUTHE ORDARE

NICKY NINEDOORS

AUGUST WILED

APRIL O’PEEL

Sounds by:

THE LOCKSMITHS

Bringing fine art to life with Tableaux Vivants:

NOUVEAUX TABLEAUX- MOLLY MALONE and ALLEY CAT HATFIELD

Hosted by:

MAMA KAY

Door at 8:00pm, show at 9:00. $10 suggested donation, all proceeds going to the artists. Let us know you’re coming by checking out the Facebook event!

What is Tableaux Vivants, you ask?

“Not unlike today, social mores of the early 19th century objected to any public exposure of a naked human body. Based on moral, religious or decency grounds, the exposure of a naked body was regarded as inherently sexual. As a result of strict morality laws forbidding women from dancing in the nude, Tableaux Vivants became a form of erotic entertainment under the guise of of art and culture. A Tableau Vivant occurs when a group of performers create a scene without movement or speech to create a living picture. This was a popular form of entertainment before radio, film or television and at one time were a major feature at festivities for royal weddings, coronations, and royal entries to cities. Enterprising producers argued that if classical art works were permitted to show female nudity, they should be as well. Tableaux Vivants were agreed as acceptable as it became understood that it was movement that caused the female form to become sexual. This meant that recreations of classical works using nude women could and would be permitted. “

See it for yourself on Tuesday, May 13 at guilt&co!

VIBF Favourite Moments

The recent Vancouver International Burlesque Festival was a resounding success! Each act was more dazzling than the last and the audience faces were the smilin’-est in town. Our production, Awakenings, is still vivid in our hearts and minds and it was such an honour to share it with the crowd. Now it’s time to check in! Members of Pandora, what were your favourite VIBF moments? and what are you working on now?

John Bews had a roaring good time chauffeuring our guest legend, Kitten Natividad! Her comedic spirit kept him in stitches and all her jokes were totally on point. This spring, John looks forward to re-organizing his encyclopaedic record collection.

Voracious V, Queen of Tea (Bagging) was honoured to give guest host, Judith Stein, a vocabulary lesson worthy of Urban Dictionary! Judith walked away from the Thursday afternoon tech rehearsal with a whole new understanding of a seemingly innocent innuendo. Next up for Voracious, getting ready to rock Las Vegas when she competed for “Best Début” at the Burlesque Hall of Fame Weekender in June.

Nicky Ninedoors revelled in backstage antics while at the Vogue. Her favourite moment was racing up the back staircase with Miss Fitt to make their cue! Can you say, “Sabbatical”? This summer, Nicky plans to focus on creating ornate hairpieces, dance lessons, and re-discovering her song-writing voice.

August Wiled also had a wonderful time backstage. She really enjoyed all the chatter and excitement in the Pandora dressing room. Who doesn’t love spending time with friends? In the next few months, August plans on getting crafty by delving into the art of lingerie construction.

Miss Fitt was very pleased to share a dressing room with The Wet Spots on Thursday night. The conversations they had were heart-warming, groin-tingling, and totally invaluable. This summer, Miss Fitt is going to focus on belly dance classes!

Getting to perform at the Vogue for the first time was the highlight for Miss Kiss. After seeing heroes like Alice Cooper up on that stage, she was overjoyed to finally get her turn! As Pandora’s resident musical theatre nerd, Miss Kiss will be jetting off to New York City this month for a vacation!

Ruthe Ordare enjoyed warming up to our collective theme song, “Yankin’” by Lady, truly a fine jem of modern music! This summer, she is excited to work on new numbers as well as mentor up-and-coming burlesque babes at the Vancouver Burlesque Centre.

The improbable was made possible for Ava Lure on Saturday night of the festival. She was floored to see Perle Noire VOGUEING on stage as part of her multi-song routine. This summer, Ava is all theatre everything! She will be creating an adapted piece of site-specific work as a participant of the Fringe Onsite program, as well as hitting the books as a fourth-year student in Capilano University’s new Bachelor of Performing Arts cohort program.

Birds of a Feather

In April, we were so pleased to welcome spring chicken, Faye Havoc, to the guilt&co stage! Already a mega-talented seamstress (did you see our lace cage lingerie sets at the VIBF?), we are so excited to watch her growth into a performer. The other ladies of Pandora brought out their favourite animal-inspired numbers for your enjoyment. Peruse these gorgeous photos by Clint Trahan and journey back with us.