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Stepping Out

Coming Up Next…

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Pandora & The Locksmiths Present: “Awakenings” featuring Black Dog String Quartet and Peekaboo Pointe

On the cusp of spring and summer, celebrate the many facets of femininity as they emerge into the beckoning day and smoulder through the intoxicating evening. Fierce and beautiful burlesque unfolds to the lush interpretations of a 10 piece orchestra playing classical, jazz, and modern day music. Our first independent, full-length production, “Awakenings” is a coming of age for the group and we’d love for you to celebrate with us at the Rio Theatre this Saturday, June 20! Tickets are available here and at the theatre with doors opening at 8PM.

On stage:

Ruthe Ordare
Ariel Helvetica
Miss Kiss
August Wiled
Nicky Ninedoors
Ava Lure
Voracious V
Miss Fitt
Carole Brunette
Ginger Avenue
and
PEEKABOO POINTE (NYC)

FemmeC for the evening:

LOLA FROST

Music from:

THE LOCKSMITHS

With special guests:

BLACK DOG STRING QUARTET

We’re so excited about the amazing artists we’re collaborating with for this production. Want to learn a little more about them? Read on!

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Lola Frost

Guiding you through the evening will be Vancouver burlesque luminary, Lola Frost. As Vancouver’s Rock’N’Roll Flapper, Lola Frost is best known for combining her anachronistic styles of vintage and modern – a true 1920’s starlet with a kiss of Ramones grit. Her pieces are a sensorial experience to behold; an elegant blend of dance, theatre, and fervent striptease.

Performer, teacher and mentor, Lola is co-director of the Vancouver Burlesque Centre and integral member of Sweet Soul Burlesque. She has been internationally recognized at Tease-o-Ramma and the Vancouver International Burlesque Festival, where she was awarded “Sexy, Sultry, Sizzlin’ Striptease” (2009) and “Most Dazzling Dancer” (2013). She has, with great honor, competed at the Burlesque Hall of Fame in the categories of Best Debut (2010), Best Duo (2012 & 2013), Best Troupe (2010), and in 2013 won 2nd runner up in the category of reigning Queen of Burlesque – Miss Exotic World.

A published and noted writer she has been featured on the 21st Century Burlesque Magazine site and in the Berlesker: Handcrafted Literary Journal along with keeping her own blog with a steadily growing following.

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Black Dog String Quartet

Black Dog String Quartet will be joining The Locksmiths to create a 10 piece orchestra and a truly unique sound. Formed in 2007, the Black Dog String Quartet is comprised of some of Vancouver’s finest young musicians. The group has appeared on the recordings of artists such as 54-40, Marianas Trench, Bleeding Through, and many others. Individual members have performed live on stage with some of the world’s top acts, including Kanye West, Sting, Michael Buble, Mariah Carey, The Trans-Siberian Orchestra, and Video Games Live.

The quartet’s excellent playing and reputation have landed them in studios with producers like Warne Livesey (Midnight Oil, The Matthew Good Band), Dave Genn (54-40, Hedley), and Devin Townsend (Strapping Young Lad). Recent performance highlights include appearances with Tambura Rasa, Vancouver Peace Choir, and Karen Flamenco Dance Company.They’ve been a featured ensemble at the Sonic Boom Festival of New Music and at Classical Revolution Vancouver, and all four members play regularly with multiple regional symphony orchestras.

Their solid classical background, high skill level, and collective open-mindedness set the Black Dog String Quartet apart as one of Vancouver’s most unique and versatile ensembles.

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Peekaboo Pointe

All the way from New York City, Peekaboo Pointe will be headlining this Saturday’s production! Peekaboo Pointe, known as the “Fastest Tassel-Twirler from East to West,” has graced the stage of nearly every burlesque show in New York City, and continues on her mission of “Seducing the World, one stage at a time.”

Peekaboo started out as a classically trained modern dancer studying under Bill T. Jones, Mark Morris Dance Group, and a host of other notable choreographers. With an early background in ballet and tap, she eventually ventured off on a rare and unusual tour of Cuba studying Afro-Cuban Dance with the group Cutumba. Since then, Peekaboo has applied her extensive knowledge of dance to the nightlife of New York City and turned it into striptease gold. She embodies classic burlesque glamour, but can’t resist throwing a little seductive shock into each of her performances. As if that’s not enough, Peekaboo’s talented tassels spin not only on stage but also on a higher level. Adoring audiences are left breathless as she performs her rare and impressive shows of skill on the pole!

Peekaboo and her twirling tassels have wowed crowds all over the world! Most recently touring with the highly acclaimed show “Cabaret New Burlesque” for 2 tours all over France. She has performed in St. Petersburg, Russia, headlined the Austrailian Burlesque Festival 2012 and another coast-coast tour of Australia with the Burlesque Ball 2010. She was a featured performer at the 2010 Edinburgh Fringe Festival with the award winning show “Vive La Cabaret”. She did a 6 week tour of the UK and Ireland and Sweden. She performed in Venice Italy for MTV, and almost every city in Spain with Los Straightjackets and the Pontani Sisters. Not to mention a US tour headlining the Dos Equis Midnight Revue, and several US tours with Burlesque-a-Pades. She has even made it all the way to Russia to perform! When at home in NYC she was a cast member of the long running shows “This is Burlesque” (2007-2009) and “Guilty Pleasures” (2006-2007) and has performed at over 100 different venues in New York City including Duane Park, Slipper Room, Highline Ballroom, and The Box, just to name a few.

The excitement is growing, make sure you don’t miss out! Let us know you’ll be catching the show by clicking “attending” on Facebook. See us step out on our own this Saturday!

Vancouver International Burlesque Festival

“Awakenings” was last seen in 2014 at the VIBF. With added material, a larger cast, and our wonderful guests, the upcoming production of the show displays the overall progression of the piece. In May of this year, we debuted another production, “Visions of Lore” at the 10th annual Vancouver International Burlesque Festival. Reimaging myths and legends, we brought our brand of dark magic to the stage. Take a look at these amazing photos by Fubarfoto, Cameron Brown, and WeDo Photo!


Soul, Funk, Fringe Fest and more!

Up next, we’re taking you to….

Funky Town

Pandora and The Locksmiths are taking you on a 60’s and 70’s FLASH-back (pun intended!) on tuesday August 13th as we dive into a cool pool of retro-sexy goodness we like to call FUNKY TOWN!

With performances in the 60’s and 70’s groove by:

CAROLE BRUNETTE
RUTHE ORDARE
BURGUNDY BRIXX
and
NICKY NINEDOORS

plus DOUBLE TROUBLE stage management and siren skills by
MISS KISS
and
AUGUST WILED!

With classic funk and soul to spice up your hot August night by our 5 piece band, THE LOCKSMITHS!
And hosted by the the rip roaring vocal talents of
DOUG THOMS!

The show starts at 9 pm with the band while our balloon babe gets all her prize filled balloons popped! We highly recommend arriving early so you may enjoy the amazing cocktails and tapas at Guilt & Co.

Admission is a suggested $10 donation*

Join us for an evening of delightfully indulgent entertainment!

*Here at the Risque Cabaret, all donations go directly to funding the performers you see on the stage! Thank you so much for your continued support in making Tuesday night the hottest night in town!

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Super Awesome Reminder: We’re in The Vancouver Fringe Festival!

Fringe Fest Dates

This is the show you’ve been hearing about and your chance to see it fully staged at the beautiful historic theatre at The Cultch is just around the corner!
Join us on a racy romp through the golden age of burlesque and experience Minsky’s famous Burlesque Follies as remembered by the one and only Gypsy Rose Lee!

Starring BURGUNDY BRIXX as burlesque legend GYPSY ROSE LEE!
The PURRRFESSOR as comedian RAGS RAGLAND!

And in tribute performances to these other legendary burlesque queens:

NICKY NINEDOORS as extreme edyciast MARGIE HART!
APRIL O’PEEL as the tassel twirling CARRIE FINNEL!l
AUGUST WILED as the ever-elegant SHERRY BRITTON!
and MISS FITT as the feisty fireball GEORGIA SOTHERN!

Plus
SOCRATEASE
And RUTHE ORDARE, VORACIOUS V, and AVA LURE as The Famous Minsky Rosebuds!

And live music and fun with our HOT jazz band, THE LOCKSMITHS!
Sean Bayntun on Keys
John Bews on Bass
Alison Gorman on Trumpet
Dominic Conway on Sax
and Liam MacDonald on Drums

A production of Livestage Performance in association with Kitty Nights Burlesque and Pandora and the Locksmiths as part of the Vancouver Fringe Festival. Inspired by “Gypsy Rose Lee and the Minsky Follies” as produced by Albert Garzon and Ixion Burlesque

Here is the full schedule of when you can find us!

Sept 6 @ 8:55pm

Sept 7 @ 10pm

Sept 8 @ 1:45pm

Sept 11 @ 9:45pm

Sept 13 @ 5pm

Weekend Fringe Festival show tickets are just $12 each, and weekday shows are only $10!

More info on the Fringe Festival here:
http://www.vancouverfringe.com/

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So awesome. Reminder, if you want to follow us on twitter we’re @livejazzburlesk
on instagram we were allowed more characters in our name (yay!) so we’re @pandoraandthelocksmiths
Tweet at us and let us know what you think of our shows! We love interacting with our guests all over the place!

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Hmmmm…. I wonder if we have any other news.
Well, it is a month and a half until our third anniversary! That’s pretty spectacular. We have a lineup featuring almost every single one of our members, a show full of duets, plus two gorgeous group numbers, a new solo from one of our founding members (she is very excited about it, so you should be too!)
AND
We have a burlesque debut. (!!!!)

I’m getting choked up just typing this sh*t, I’m so excited.

You’ve seen her in the incredibly talented fusion bellydance group, Luciterra.

*deep breath*

LAURA!

Here’s a cute picture of her on the right (from my wedding after party, actually!) with one of her Luciterra sisters and one of our Pandora sisters, Delilah Dare! Delilah will be our stage manager in the show. I can’t wait to watch her face watching Laura! Oh, sister love. ❤
This is so damn exciting. I love our extended collective family!
I might add that you can find Luciterra performing at Guilt & Co on the last Tuesday of every month. They also teach classes- many of our members have been in their workshops getting our shimmy on. Check out their website if you want to learn more!

Delilah and Laura

Photo by Amanda Flagg

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Okay, I think that’s it for announcements. I can breathe now. My heartbeat can return to a slightly less elevated rate! 

Except now it’s time for gorgeous photos taken at our most recent Guilt & Co production, by Jess Desaulniers-Lea.
Heart races. Swoon.

 


Get Yer Mischief!

Hitting the stage at 9 pm on February 12th at Guilt & Co…

Femme & Fatale featuring The Lady Josephine!

See you there!

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It’s been a bit of a whirlwind! Winter is a really busy season for burlesque, what with religious holidays and all, and on top of it I just got back from performing in the 1st Annual Minneapolis Burlesque Festival with Sean! WHEEEE! We performed “Nude” in their beautiful Ritz Theatre (Ummm… Vancouver? You need a theatre like that) and just came back so overwhelmingly inspired. It was our first out of town festival, and getting to meet so many international talent machines was just incredible. I could gush for days.
Dirty.
Sandwiching the MBF, getting applications in for both the Vancouver International Burlesque Festival and the Burlesque Hall of Fame Weekend in Vegas, doing photo shoots and video shoots, plus now buckling down and creating the first duet between Burgundy Brixx and myself (excited!) for April O’Peel’s Burlesque Duos on Valentine’s at The Rio (Miss Fitt is also in that show!)…. it’s a little busy. I’m also going to be fan dancing in my good friend Mackenzie Gray’s Crazy 8’s film “Under The Bridge of Fear”, and I’m really excited about that. Burgundy Brixx is a part of that, too, plus many people connected to our glorious burlesque community here in Vancouver.

Did I mention that it’s also my birthday coming up? Yeah, let’s talk more about MEMEME! It’s my birthday on Sunday, Feb 17th, and I’ll be celebrating in the way that pleases me most- by shaking my stuff for tips at Kitty Nights! I’m one of those people who haaaaates to plan a party and would rather be working than plan a party… by dancing at Kitty Nights, I get to do both! I can’t think of a better way to celebrate, to be honest, than sweating all over a wad of caaaaashhh. Right? I’m going to be wearing Pants. Yes, you heard me. PANTS. And you can bet they will be your FAVOURITE PANTS EVER. They’re the only pair of pants that I actually own and wear. So clearly they are magical.

Enough of this yapping. You came here for photos.
This week we’re featuring Lotus Eater Films, who came out to our show in January. 
Enjoy!
xox
Nicky Ninedoors

 


Look At This!

Are you ready for some heart stopping femininity?

Femme and Fatale with Pandora and The Locksmiths, featuring special guest Lady Josephine!

Feb 12th, Guilt & Co at 1 Alexander Street in Gastown. Doors 7 pm, Show 9 pm.
Suggested donation $10, which directly funds all the heartbreaking cats and kittens you see on stage!

At our upcoming monthly show (monthly show #29! Holy crap!) we are presenting  a saucy mix of femininity. We have gloriously soft and gorgeous contrasted with fiercely film noir, as well as deliciously complex combinations of those ideas. Much like a fine bottle of scotch. Okay, okay. Wine for all your wine ladies (and gents). I’ll keep the scotch to myself, thanks. Okay,  fine, I’ll share it with Jody.
I could tell you all the reasons why you should come see the show, or you could just come, because you know why already. I wrote a testimonial on how awesome our show is, but frankly my craft desk is a mess and I can’t find it. Oh well.

Ramble ramble ramble…. heeeey, how about some pictures?
This blog entry, we’re featuring the work of Voodoo Bill (swoon). We were lucky to have two photographers at our Dream a Little Dream show (with Amber Ray!) in January, so next blog entry, you get an entirely different flavour! We’ve got your bases covered, Vancouver.
Alright, it’s time to indulge. (favourite word ever. I should just start saying “It’s Nicky O’Clock”!)
Enjoy!


Of Merkins and Magic

Winter Magic featuring Travis Bernhardt is almost upon us!

Come to Guilt & Co on Tuesday, December 11th to witness our winter spectacular! Doors open at 7, show begins with our balloon girl and the band at 9. Admission is by donation- suggested at $10. And hey, I’ll be selling two pretty hair pieces at the show (if they last!) and you can deduct your admission donation from the cost of the hairpiece! It’s my thank you for being supportive of us artists. We recommend getting there early as seating is first come, first serve.

Hmm, what else…

How about a photo blog? Last blog entry we featured the first act of November’s Un Cafe de Paris show with beautiful photos from Voodoo Bill Kustom Kulture Photography. We’re very happy to share the rest of the photos from that show. I’m very happy I get to drool over shots of Amber Ray, Lady Josephine, Burgundy Brixx, and Miss Fitt. Good morning to me! There’s a couple photos of me in there, too.

Enjoy!