ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — Burlesque performers Rebel Vitale and Madison Jane have a stripped-down explanation of what to expect at Land of the Sky Burlesque Festival in Asheville this weekend.
Land of Sky Burlesque Festival will have three performances:
- The first, “Geektastic,” begins at 8 p.m. Friday, July 12, at The Grey Eagle, 185 Clingman Ave.
- The second, “Just a Peak,” starts at 8 p.m. Saturday, July 13, at Wortham Center for the Performing Arts, 18 Biltmore Ave.
- The third, “Burlesque Brunch,” begins at 11 a.m. Sunday, July 14, at The Grey Eagle, 185 Clingman Ave.
Their definition of burlesque is not quite as straightforward.
Festival co-producers Vitale and Jane will be performing over the weekend in an event that will feature burlesque performers from all over the country.
“I always say it’s kind of like naked storytelling. Or stripping for the not-so-serious,” Vitale said. “There’s lots of ways you can describe it.”
Burlesque, the two said, is a combination of theater, a strip show and self-expression. The Land of the Sky Burlesque Festival is an opportunity for burlesque performers of the highest caliber to titillate and entertain through their winking dance routines.
“I like to see burlesque as where theater geeks go to retire,” Jane joked. “I feel like burlesque can be defined as the person who’s performing it. You know? I don’t feel it has a specific definition because there’s so much that can be considered the art of burlesque.”
“Our shows are kind of a variety where they can be more theatrical in the sense that sometimes each performance shares a collective story,” Vitale said. “Whereas a lot of the burlesque that we produce here in town is individuals sharing their stories.”
At the Land of the Sky Burlesque Festival, which is in its third iteration under Vitale’s leadership, those collective stories are in the names.
The uniting theme of “Geektastic” is cosplay. Audience members are invited to come decked out in nerd finery to see burlesque performances celebrating sexy geek stuff.
According to Vitale, the Friday night show is a great example of the difference between club stripping and burlesque.
“I feel like, obviously, club strippers can be as artsy as they want. They may not be as geeky,” Vitale laughed. “They may not be as outwardly nerdy.”
The Sunday show will be more classical burlesque, which is Jane’s specialty.
“My performance style would be considered more classic, neo-classic burlesque. When you think of our legends in, like, classic burlesque, when you think of the big fancy costumes and gloves, high-femme, high-glam, bump and grindy burlesque,” Jane said. “I won most classic at the Burlesque Hall of Fame, which is like our Super Bowl.”
“The Oscars of Burlesque,” Vitale added.
Vitale, on the other hand, was a theater kid and a classically trained dancer. She combines those interests into an act full of characters and dances.
“A lot of my performances tend to be dance heavy. My tagline is ‘the storyteller of burlesque,’” Vitale said. “Heavy on the acting, lots of playing characters, high energy. I have a Dwight Schrute act, I have a Napoleon Dynamite act. But then I also just like to be fierce and fun.”
The Saturday show at the Wortham Center, “Just a Peak,” will be the biggest show and theater heavy. “Just a Peak” will feature two major headliners in the burlesque world.
“Ginger Valentine, who is voted the most influential burlesque performer in the world twice,” Vitale said.
“They’re my mentor,” Jane smiled.
“Then we’ve got Foxy Tann, who is a wonderful performer from Minnesota who’s doing the MCing that evening,” Vitale added.
“Also lined with accolades and awards,” Jane said. “One of the more well-known names in burlesque.”
For the burlesque-curious who may one day have aspirations of the Hall of Fame, Vitale and Jane also run an introductory class for newbies every winter called the Freshman Fringe. The six-week course culminates in a student showcase at The Odd in West Asheville.
“It’s really wonderful seeing people grow into themselves as performers,” Jane said.
That growth, to Vitale, is the power of burlesque.
“When I went to my first burlesque show and I saw people of all shapes, sizes, ethnicities, ages, and they were, like, killing it, I’m sitting there being like ‘everyone’s so hot’ and I feel so alive right now,” Vitale said. “I was like, ‘Wait, this is where I’m meant to be.’”
Vitale hopes the audience will experience something similar.
“You will go through every rollercoaster of emotion watching a burlesque show. Some acts may drive you to tears, some will drive you to laughs, some will make you hot and spicy,” she said. “The feeling that you have when you leave is one that you won’t forget and one that you might not be able to experience in any other venues other than burlesque.”
More information about the Land of the Sky Burlesque Festival and tickets for the event can be found on their website, www.landoftheskyburlesque.com.
