What have you been up to?

I did a few shows! I did this:

and this

And I got a new computer.

Work and school will be keeping me from getting to intensely into anything for a little while, but I can still do one-night shows. My next one is Wednesday, and it's particularly meaningful. It's a combination farewell show and fundraiser for the incredible Heather Henderson.

Heather is super cool, and she's going out to California to do all of the ridiculously cool shit that she does so well. Frankly, I'm honored that she'd want me to do a routine for her. She has a mind-blowingly huge and awesome line-up planned for the show. Philly is going to miss her something fierce.

More info here on facebook. You should be there. Not for me, but for Heather.

In the meantime, I desperately want to do a number to this song:

Experiencing technical difficulties!

My laptop has died, long live my laptop.

Just when I'd gotten back into the swing of updating, this happens. Story of my life. There will be a new machine soon, if all goes according to plan. However, you are more than welcome to donate to the DD-Needs-A-New-Lappy Fund. Maybe I can make it a tax deductible donation...

Stay tuned to the Revival Burlesque page on Facebook for actual information and timely updates.

Maybe I'll see you April 16 and 17 at the Walking Fish Theatre?

-DD

Gratuitous Photo Post

I love getting my hands on photos from shows. This was the result of some facebook creeping (I've no shame), and it's totally worth it. There's more where this came from. Thanks, stranger on facebook!

-DD

I heart The Absinthe Drinkers

I had the distinct pleasure of performing with The Absinthe Drinkers on Thursday evening. They're usually at L'Etage, which is a venue I've mentioned before (one of my favorites). I did an old number and a new number, and danced with the band.

And for once I remembered my camera. (This photo is from Randi Warhol, though.)

It's interesting to be in a place where I actually have a catalogue of routines that I can pull from. This time last year, I probably had two acts that I would be willing to pull out and use in any old venue. I'm not sure how many I have now, but I could probably put together at least a dozen.

My next show is April 16 and 17: Normal Rockhard's All-American Pin-Up Show (title not mine). We put this show up at Rembrandt's in November, but this time we're doing it in our home theater, the Walking Fish, with a different cast.

There is a lot more in the pipeline. We have three dates at L'Etage, and we're putting up a rotation of shows that we've done before. Personally, I think you should see all of them.

-DD

PS: Shout-out to opening act The Clockwork Dolls. Give my regards to the violinist.

Who Killed DD Ramona?

I am not dead!

I'm still around. Having finally dug myself out from under a pile of technical difficulties and snow, I have every intention of keeping this blog up and running. I certainly love talking about myself enough, so I might as do it in a productive manner.

I'm waiting to hear back about a performance in March, and I have a performance coming up in April. Details will most certainly be forthcoming.

-DD

"Put ze deviled eggs next to ze phenylbarbitol und ze cocaine."

The L'Etage show last night was a success, and everyone in Revival is very satisfied. With good reason: The show was smooth, fun and very well-received. We raised more than $300 for advertising and supplies for the troupe.

Doing shows at L'Etage -- and seeing them -- is an experience that I encourage everyone to indulge in at least once. The room is like a small, alcohol-soused Moulin Rouge. There are bright red curtains, candles on every table and a dark wood bar with a fascinating variety of beer behind it. Shows there are almost audience-participation affairs, as if there was no fourth wall on the stage. Performers sit in the audience or go to the bar and drink during the show. I sat and watched every scene that I wasn't personally in with a vodka cranberry in front of me. There's very much an energy at L'Etage of "you poor audience members, you spent all that money to come in here and now you're coming along for our ride."

I for one am very comfortable with what became of the banana/gorilla/sundae strip. Rather than doing my own strip before it, I now stick to helping make the gorilla strip just a little sexier. Really, how could I ever hope to compete with a pink gorilla costume strip set to "Venus in Furs"?

And NEXT is "Burlesque Barbarians from Beyond Infinity". And after THAT I get November off to prepare for the December show, "A Burlesque Carol".

There is also talk of me taking on the den mother/leader role for another New Hope show (a la the Mutter Museum show). I just had a brilliant idea for it, actually. I don't want to jinx it, so I'll tell you more later.

-DD

Occasionally there are surprises

...and this week's surprise is that I will be able to do the L'Etage show tomorrow night. My teacher canceled lecture.

What is especially happy for me is that I won't be doing the banana strip -- there wasn't time with me taking over the role from the person who was filling in to rehearse the old one or plan a new one. I'm hoping to still be able to sexy up the following strip.

In the original show, I stripped, then interacted with the other strip. The next girl stripped out of a monkey suit and made me into a sundae.

So what I'm hoping to do is to be able to be made into a sundae, minus my previous strip. Also I'll be able to do my hair before and skip wigging it.

Yeah. So come see it. Tickets available online here.

-DD

Making Pretty: Before and After

Going from mild-mannered, ordinary Person to show-stopping, mind-blowing Burlesque Dancer, at least in appearance, isn't a difficult process. It is a drastic one, though.

Consider, if you will, this picture of what I looked like mere hours before Widow Svedka's Black Hearts Memorial (a.k.a. the Mutter Museum show, a.k.a. the New Hope show). This, with very little exception, is what I look like from day to day. On an average day I wear little or no makeup because of a combination of temperamental skin and laziness. I'm not a terribly girly girl--a surprising number of the burlesque girls aren't, either.

And here is the look I used for the Mutter Museum show last night. The flowers were a last minute decision: I was going to apply them to the top I was wearing, but putting them in my hair solved the problem of what on earth to do with the rest of my head.

I really do want to put flowers in my hair more often. It was incredibly easy to do. Step 1: Flower. Step 2: Bobby pin. Step 3: Repeat.

I'd love to spout makeup tips or hair advice but I have none. Every time I have to sit in front of a strange mirror and doll up, I am practically flying blind. What colors to use, what brands to use, what tools to use changes every time.

The show was brilliant, by the way. Everything went well, both bands were incredible. The Absinthe Drinkers never disappoint and everyone loved This Way To The Egress. Of course, the night didn't end without a discussion about October's burlesque barbarians show. NOW it's time to get excited.

-DD

COME SEE MY SHOW TONIGHT!!!

Burlesque Barbarians from Beyond Infinity!

I am more excited for the October show than anything I've done with Revival so far. Maybe it's the incredibly geeky family I grew up in, or the geeky friends I spend my time with. Either way, I'm putting all the energy I've got to give into this one.

This poster was painted by one Mr. Dave Palumbo, professional fantasy illustrator and all-around awesome guy. I think he's also playing the deceased Dr. Mutter in the Mutter Museum show (gotta come see it, then you'll get what I mean). The poster isn't actually blue...I'm not sure why it's doing that, I'll try and upload it again later. It's still gorgeous.

I'm helping our regular writer pen a couple of the sketches since it was decided I had sufficient geek chops to take on the task. My dark secret is that I've never actually played a Dungeons and Dragons campaign (and how weird is my life that not playing D&D is the dark secret?), but I'm well versed in most fantasy and gaming tropes. God knows I've painted enough Warhammer to qualify.

Told you I was a geek.