There are a lot of great contemporary burlesque performers, but there
are a few among that group that will be studied by future generations if
burlesque manages to survive. It's difficult to predict the future, of
course, but winners of the Miss Exotic World, Queen of Burlesque title
at Burlesque Hall of Fame Weekend will likely be in that group. So too
will performers who create epic signature acts that evoke their name
with a single word or turn of phrase, such as "Cigar." If you win other
titles, like World Champion of Exotic Dance, well, you're a first-ballot
Hall of Famer. You're Roxi D'Lite.
When I think of all the aspects of what makes a burlesque performer, the list includes stage presence, impressive costuming, purposeful movement, a sense of storytelling, connection to the audience, and some undefinable X factor, the "know it when you see it" test. If burlesque were an Olympic event, Roxi would score 10's across the board, even from the notoriously difficult Russian judge.
This past September, I got to witness Roxi's new bathtub act in which her husband Dante dutifully pours bottle after bottle of champagne over her. It's the signature act of Roxi's new Whoopee Club show, which is currently playing Detroit on the regular. It's a spectacle of decadence that is absolutely unforgettable, the sort of thing I'd imagine would be spoken of in whispers over barstools if it existed in the 1940's or 1950's. " Hey, Mikey! That show has a girl what gets champagne poured all over her in a bathtub!" You gotta see it!"
She may still be best known for riding a giant, smoking cigar prop to win Miss Exotic World 2010. Not much to add, other than that is cool as hell. She played the lead role of "Bourbon Sue" in the powerfully fun feature film "Burlesque Assassins" and has been immortalized in comic book form in the pages of "The Goon," if you want to bring multimedia into it.
I've gotten to know Roxi a bit over the last couple of years, and like the other Canadian subjects of these little essays, she's wonderfully open and generous. Ten years after taking the top honor in her field, she continues to perform at the highest level on the burlesque stage. Her generosity extends to anyone fortunate enough to witness her blazing across their field of vision.
When I think of all the aspects of what makes a burlesque performer, the list includes stage presence, impressive costuming, purposeful movement, a sense of storytelling, connection to the audience, and some undefinable X factor, the "know it when you see it" test. If burlesque were an Olympic event, Roxi would score 10's across the board, even from the notoriously difficult Russian judge.
This past September, I got to witness Roxi's new bathtub act in which her husband Dante dutifully pours bottle after bottle of champagne over her. It's the signature act of Roxi's new Whoopee Club show, which is currently playing Detroit on the regular. It's a spectacle of decadence that is absolutely unforgettable, the sort of thing I'd imagine would be spoken of in whispers over barstools if it existed in the 1940's or 1950's. " Hey, Mikey! That show has a girl what gets champagne poured all over her in a bathtub!" You gotta see it!"
She may still be best known for riding a giant, smoking cigar prop to win Miss Exotic World 2010. Not much to add, other than that is cool as hell. She played the lead role of "Bourbon Sue" in the powerfully fun feature film "Burlesque Assassins" and has been immortalized in comic book form in the pages of "The Goon," if you want to bring multimedia into it.
I've gotten to know Roxi a bit over the last couple of years, and like the other Canadian subjects of these little essays, she's wonderfully open and generous. Ten years after taking the top honor in her field, she continues to perform at the highest level on the burlesque stage. Her generosity extends to anyone fortunate enough to witness her blazing across their field of vision.
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