Burlesque can be high art, but its origins are far more pop art, maybe
even lowest common denominator junk, something to keep nickels and dimes
flowing into vaudeville stages and peep shows on the edge of town. In
many ways, that dynamic exists today, with acts straddling luxe
performance and crowd-pleasing spectacle, whether intentional or not. No
performer embraces that dichotomy/disparity more completely, in my
mind, than Kitty Bang Bang, the Bedazzled Dumpster Fire.
The first time I saw Kitty perform, she popped out of a glitter-covered garbage can, then proceeded to go en pointe. That may really be all the evidence I need to supply, nothing could illustrate my thesis any better. I'll just say it remains a favorite act of mine for those intellectually-fulfilling reasons, but also because it's one of the silliest, most joyful, and surprisingly elegant acts involving a garbage can I've seen.
Kitty is a dedicated artist and also a right maniac. She plays with fire, literally, often breathing it, tooth enamel be damned. I know she gets singed fairly frequently, but she laughs it off and has some extra wine or rum to salve the wounds.
Kitty was just announced as a headliner for Treviso, Italy's Nasty Burlesque Festival in May 2020. She could also headline the Nice Burlesque Festival, though she'll rough me up for saying so, mostly because that joke is a groaner. She's one of the sharpest, funniest and most genuine people I've met since pursuing this burlesque thing, and seeing her unleash herself on a stage is nothing but thrilling, each and every time.
The first time I saw Kitty perform, she popped out of a glitter-covered garbage can, then proceeded to go en pointe. That may really be all the evidence I need to supply, nothing could illustrate my thesis any better. I'll just say it remains a favorite act of mine for those intellectually-fulfilling reasons, but also because it's one of the silliest, most joyful, and surprisingly elegant acts involving a garbage can I've seen.
Kitty is a dedicated artist and also a right maniac. She plays with fire, literally, often breathing it, tooth enamel be damned. I know she gets singed fairly frequently, but she laughs it off and has some extra wine or rum to salve the wounds.
Kitty was just announced as a headliner for Treviso, Italy's Nasty Burlesque Festival in May 2020. She could also headline the Nice Burlesque Festival, though she'll rough me up for saying so, mostly because that joke is a groaner. She's one of the sharpest, funniest and most genuine people I've met since pursuing this burlesque thing, and seeing her unleash herself on a stage is nothing but thrilling, each and every time.
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