This week will cover Halloween weekend, so there will plenty of events to help you celebrate the burlesque way!
Upcoming is the big
Kaleidoscope Cabaret and associated events. It all kicks off with a an educational symposium on Thursday from noon to 5 p.m. at UC Berkeley in room 370 of Dwinelle Hall. Yes, it's an educational symposium! Some of the panels and discussions will cover issues such as race, power, profit, minstrelsy, and gender in performance. It should be a fascinating afternoon, especially for those burlesque fans who think about issues of cultural appropriation and what burlesque performances really mean in terms of cultural, political, and sociological perspectives.
Then there will be an opportunity on Friday evening to mix and mingle with all of the Kaleidoscope participants at the
Center for Sex and Culture in San Francisco. Socialize with the performers, crew members, academics from the educational symposium, and others! It'll be just $5!
It all culminates in the Kaleidoscope Cabaret on Saturday evening at the
Brava Theater in San Francisco. See such notable performers such as
Orchid Mei,
Narcissister,
Sydni Deveraux and more!
Still looking for ideas for your Halloween costume? Drop into the
DIY Emporium and Fashion Show on Thursday at
Sweets Ballroom in Oakland, get some ideas and perhaps items, and watch some burlesque and comedy, too! The show part of the event will be hosted by
Ruby Vixen of
Debauchery and Kingfish of the
Hubba Hubba Revue!
Dottie Lux of
Red Hots Burlesque,
Casey Castille, and others will be amongst the vendors, and there will be performances by Vera Deville,
Eve Devlin of
Original Sin Burlesque,
Chi Chis DelFuego, and more!
Kitten on the Keys returns to the
Red Hots Burlesque on Friday evening, then the Halloween-themed shows kickoff with the big
DNA Lounge/
Meat/
Death Guild/
Hubba Hubba Revue All Hallow's Eve show. It looks like the burlesque will be taking place in the lounge on the upper level behind the stage for this one, while the rest of the music, dancing, and other festivities will be taking place downstairs.
On Saturday, the Hubba Hubba Revue hops across the bay to the
Uptown Nightclub to celebrate Halloween over there. They'll have burlesque acts, a band, and
The Black Widows Gothic Strip Revue will make an appearance! Plus, those Hubbas won't be through celebrating! Oh no. On Monday, they'll be celebrating the third anniversary of their weekly Monday night shows at the Uptown. The show will feature out-of-town performers
Baby Le'Strange from Portland and
Lola Martinet from Chicago!
Also on Saturday, the
ChatRoulette Show gets into the Halloween season mood with their own event at the
Make-Out Room in San Francisco. It's a mixture of live variety show and users of
chatroulette.com. The guests for this episode include
Delilah and Twinkletoes McGee, who will be performing at several shows this week. Look for him in the show listings below!
Then there's the shows that will be taking place on Halloween. The action kicks off at noon at
SOMArts with
Barbary Coast Amusements' "Monster Mashup!" It's a variety show featuring the
Twilight Vixen Revue plus other performers. This will be
Cupcake's debut with the Vixens, so bring your cameras to capture this historic event!
Then at night,
Lucha VaVOOM rolls into The Fillmore in San Francisco for their Halloween MASKerade show. If you've never seen Lucha VaVOOM, it's a mixture of Mexican wrestling, burlesque performers, and comedy. It's always a crazy good time, and it is the only show happening on Halloween night! So put on your costumes, pack your candy in those hidden pockets, head over to the Fillmore, and party with Lucha VaVOOM!
Happy Halloween, everyone! :-)
- Thursday, October 28: Kaleidoscope and UC Berkeley's Center for Race and Gender present Race Reveal: Racialized Tropes, Queer Performance, Political Possibilities at 370 Dwinelle Hall, U.C. Berkeley in Berkeley (map). An educational symposium covering a variety of topics covering race, gender, queer performance, and more. Featured participants will include Prof. Jayna Brown, Cecilio Cooper, Isabelle Lumpkin, Xandra Ibarra, Prof. Laura Perez, and Prof. Amy Sueyoshi. For detailed description, please visit crg.berkeley.edu/content/race-reveal. Noon to 5 p.m. No cover.
- Also Thursday: D.I.Y. Emporium and Fashion Show at Sweets Ballroom in Oakland, 1933 Broadway Avenue (map). Trunk Show! Fashion Show! Burlesque! Comedy! Two days before Halloween and this event hosts an emporium of local designers, costumers, accessory crafters and more will be available to help you put the finishing touches on your Halloween costume! Benefit for local art collective Rock Paper Scissors. Hosted by the fabulous Ms. Ruby Vixen of Debauchery & Hubba Hubba's own KingFish! Performers will include Barely Legal Productions Rocky Horror Picture Show, Vera Deville, Eve Devlin, Chi Chis Del Fuego, Ooh La La, Ruby Vixen, and MJ Paul's GoGo Girlies! Emporium open from 7pm to 9, fashion show from 9 to 10, and the cabaret show starts at 10. $5.
- Friday, October 29: Red Hots Burlesque at El Rio in San Francisco, 3158 Mission Street (map). This week's show sees the return of Kitten on the Keys to the El Rio stage! With performances also by Dottie Lux, Ava Lanche, Trauma Flintstone, and all the way from Los Angeles, Fever Blister! Show at 7:30pm. $5-10, sliding scale. 21+.
- Also Friday: Kaleidoscope Cabaret Pre-Party at the Center for Sex and Culture in San Francisco, 519 Mission Street (map). Have a drink and celebrate the fourth annual Kaleidoscope Cabaret! Meet and mingle the evening before the show with hot queer performers, the Kaleidoscope crew, and the smarty pants scholars from the educational symposium at Kaleidoscope’s Pre-Party. Come dressed to impress or just come as you are…fabulous! 7pm to 11pm. $5.
- Also Friday: DNA Lounge, Death Guild, Meat & Hubba Hubba Revue present All Hallow's Eve at the DNA Lounge in San Francisco, 375 11th Street. It's the DNA Lounge's Halloween extravaganza! The completely redecorated main room features music from the undisputed kings (and queen) of dark and spooky: the DJs of Meat vs. Death Guild. Tremble mortals, for the Costume Contest returns with $1000 in cash prizes. The costume contest starts at midnight. In the Lounge, the forbidden science experiments of Dr. Kingfish have torn a rift in space and time, creating a portal to The Haunted Cabaret Parlor. Featuring the spirits of Sister Kate, Twinkletoes McGee, Honey Lawless, Miss Balla Fire, Honey Lawless, Room for Cream, and Dr. Kingfish & The Go-Go Ghouls! 9pm to after hours. $13, 18+.
- Saturday, October 30: Kaleidoscope Cabaret at the Brava Theater in San Francisco, 2781 24th Street (map). Kaleidoscope Cabaret is the first of its kind in neo-burlesque, where performers of color take center stage and reveal more than their bedazzled satin gloves. Join us for an evening of riveting drag, burlesque, song and aerial art at the historic Brava Theater! Scheduled to appear: NARCISSISTER (NYC), Orchid Mei (Denver), Veronica Blair (NYC), Aleksa Manila (SEA), Sydni Deveraux (SEA) and local performances from the legendary Grant Avenue Follies, Thisway/Thatway; Sandra O’Noshi-Di’n’t, BJ Browne, Landa Lakes, Simone de la Getto, and La Chica Boom. Doors at 7pm, show at 8. $25, tickets available in advance at www.brownpapertickets.com/event/128184.
- Also Saturday: The Uptown and Hubba Hubba Revue present Halloween Bash! at the Uptown Nightclub in Oakland, 1928 Telegraph Avenue (map). The Uptown & Hubba Hubba Revue invite you to the sexiest night of Halloween chills & thrills this side of Transylvania! We've got more gorgeous ghosts, wanton witches and vampy vampiresses than a whole street of haunted houses! With burlesque performances by Alotta Boutté, Fever Blister, Honey Lawless, Sparkly Devil, Miss Balla Fire, Madam Chartreuse, and Rosalyn LaRoux! See bone-chilling acts of terror with Displayed Labors Sideshow! Special appearance by The Black Widows Gothic Strip Revue! With musical guest Lost Dog Found! Costume contest with cash prizes! Doors at 9pm, show at 10. $10, 21+.
- Also Saturday: The ChatRoulette Halloween Show at The Make-Out Room in San Francisco, 3225 22nd Street (map). Picture a variety show meets a drinking game meets Candid Camera meets… ChatRoulette.com. Professional performers take turns entertaining rather surprised users of ChatRoulette.com (and you). Projected onto a large screen, they become part of the show. If you wear a costume, you're eligible for door prizes and can appear on the show! Starring Kid Akimbo (singer), Delilah (burlesque), Twinkle Toes McGee (performance art), Wegent and Page (comedy), and Will Guy (comedic cartoonist). With The UkuLady as guest emcee. 7:30pm to 9:30pm. $12 in advance at chatrouletteshow.eventbee.com or $15 at the door. 21+.
- Sunday, October 31: Barbary Coast Amusements presents "Monster Mashup!" at SOMArts in San Francisco, 934 Brannan Street (map). Sunday At SOMArts features a sampling of San Francisco's seriously eccentric entertainers! Hosted by Sara Moore, see this Halloween showcase featuring Fou Fou HA!, the Twilight Vixen Revue, Bride of Frankenstein Cindy Goldfield, Matthew Martin's "All Singing! All Dancing! All Dead!", Mike Finn, and Texas "Chainsaw" Holly. Champagne and live music start flowing at noon. $15 at the door, $12 in advance at brownpapertickets.com.
- Also Sunday: Lucha VaVOOM Halloween MASKerade at The Fillmore in San Francisco, 1805 Geary Boulevard (map). Lucha VaVOOM will roll its big fun bus of Mexican masked maniacs, saucy stripteasers & clever comics in to make sure that everyone gets to go all out for their Halloween Night. Come down in costume! Join host Blaine Capatch for a wild and crazy show featuring wrestlers Li'l Chicken, the Crazy Chickens, the Chupacabras, Cassandro, Magno, Li'l Chupacabra, Chocolate Caliente, and Joey Ryan! With burlesque stars Karis, Moana Santana, Ursulina, Lucy Fur, and Lux LaCroix! 8pm. $32.50, advance tickets available at livenation.com.
- Monday, November 1: Uptown Hubba Hubba at the Uptown Club in Oakland, 1928 Telegraph Avenue (map). Help celebrate the Hubba Hubba Revue's three-year anniversary at the Uptown Nightclub! Featuring Baby LeStrange from Portland, Lola Martinet from Chicago, Nicki Sparxx, sASSy Hotbuns, Miss Lida Fire, Bunny von Tail, Twinkletoes McGee, and Zip the What-Is-It?! Doors at 9pm, show at 10:15. $5, 21+ .
As always, for more information, please check the calendar above. Also, you may want to check back during the week to see if there are any late additions on the blog. And if you have a burlesque show or information about a show that you would like to add to the calendar, please email me at sfbr AT gmx DOT com.