ATLRetro

2009 Burlesque Hall of Fame, Photo by Ed Barnes

by Melanie Crew
Managing Editor/Contributing Writer

Eva, “Torchy Taboo” Warren, a.k.a. the “Godfather of Atlanta Burlesque” and Atlanta’s Neo-Burlesque Revival, is back again with a va-va-voom vengeance! What began with a Bettie Page Lookalike Contest at DragonCon in the mid-1990s has come full circle, and has earned this hot mama a coveted Lifetime Achievement Award, or “Sassie Lassy” at the 2014 Burlesque Hall of Fame Weekender in Las Vegas in June 2014! With this award in tow, Eva is ready to set the stage aflame again during Nayeli Belly Dance Troupe’s presentation of A GROWN AND SEXY AFFAIR: SOME LIKE IT HOT! burlesque a-go-go shindig at TheGoat Farm Arts Center, this Saturday, August 30! [March 2011; see ATLRetro’s Kool Kat feature on Torchy Taboo, here]

ATLRetro caught up with Eva for a short interview about her Phoenix-like revival, her newly acquired Sassie Lassy and her admiration for Atlanta’s burlesque community and family.

ATLRetro: Can you tell us about the award and what it means to you?

Eva: The Burlesque Hall of Fame Weekdender is the Olympics of Burlesque. I was the first-runner up in 2005 and this award, the Sassie Lassy is an award given to veterans and icons of the international burlesque scene. The award is given out for different things, but I received it as a lifetime achievement award. I got it for pioneering the burlesque revival in the mid-90s and the award means the motherfucking world to me! I was actually dumbfounded! Having been a stripper for 30 years and performing burlesque for 19, it redeemed my dream that stripping can be an art form. It was such an honor to be on that stage. It’s a thrill every time!

June 2014 Sassie Lassy being presented by Elvez

What is your take on the current Neo-Burlesque scene in Atlanta? How do you feel to be back home?

As I have recently re-entered the scene, after taking a personal hiatus, I am so honored, humbled and inspired to be a part of it again. I’ve been drawn and sucked back in wholeheartedly! They have “lit a fire under my rear” so to speak, and as I have returned to Atlanta, my heart was overwhelmed with love after receiving the award and I wanted to bring that back to my girls here.

Who would you say is your burlesque heroine?

Miami 2008 – photo by Art Basil

I’ll say that my heroine is Ursula Undress. [September 2013; see ATLRetro’s Kool Kat feature on Ursula, here] Not only does she run the Atlanta School of Burlesque, but she’s always taken good care of me, has gone far out of her way for me. She’s definitely been an inspiration!

Any advice for gals (or guys) who want to tease it up in the land of burlesque?

My advice is that it’s an art form. You owe your audience to be entertaining. You owe your muse to be original. Sex, humor, shock and awe! That’s what it’s about. You have to dig deep and pull it out. That’s the secret! You’ve got to bring your heart and soul to the stage. Be playful and enjoy it!

What’s new for Torchy Taboo?

Big things are in the works! I will be producing again on the hot and heavy! It’ll be like the Fourth of July! It’ll be a “raising of the bar”. I just want to remind everyone that, Torchy Taboo is back!

All photographs are courtesy of Eva Warren and used with permission.

Burlesque royalty is coming to Atlanta as 2011 Miss Exotic World Indigo Blue performs at this Friday’s Southern Fried Fundraiser Spectacular at 9 p.m. at Bart Webb Studios, a bargain $10 for the all-star line-up. All proceeds support the second annual Southern Fried Burlesque Fest (SFBF), scheduled for March 8-11, 2012, and the show also features the first Miss Southern Fried Burlesque Fest Queen Miss Siren Santina from Knoxville, TN, Fonda Lingue, Ruby Redmayne, Blast-Off Burlesque‘s Sadie Hawkins, Talloolah Love, Lola LeSoleil, Katherine Lashe and Ursula Undress (Syrens of the South Productions) Founded by Lashe and Undress, the first SFBF not only showcased some of the best local and regional performers but treated Atlanta to such national stars as Dirty Martini, Jo “Boobs” Weldonand Jonny Porkpie, as well as classic greats Tiffany Carter and Gyna Rose Jewel. The 2012 festival will be headlined by burlesque legends Satan’s Angel and Shannon Doah; The Queen of the Quake, Kitten De Ville; Perle Noire, the Black Pearl; The Lady Ms. Vagina Jenkins and Siren Santina!For the lowdown on SFBF’s fabulous first year, read our preview here and a post-event review by Talloolah Love here.

Back to the lovely Miss Indigo Blue. She’s been heating up the Seattle “nouveau burlesque” scene since the early ‘90s with a style that’s not just sexy but exudes an edgy sense of humor. Known for clever, racy routines; authentic 1930s-60s costumes and ribald reformulations of pop culture icons like Holly Golightly and Wonder Woman, she has performed across the nation and in Europe. While she has just taken the top crown, she is a three time award-winner at the annual Miss Exotic World competition at the Burlesque Hall of Fame in Las Vegas – the top honor in neo-burlesque, and also holds the First Runner Up title from the Jennie Lee Tassel Twirling Contest. Her BurlyQ Cabaret, founded in 2002 in Seattle, now has satellites in New York and London. She performs solo and with the Emerald City All-Stars and the Atomic Bombshells; is president and chief twirling officer (CTO!) of TwirlyGirl.net, a maker of creative pasties; and is the founder and headmistress of the Academy of Burlesque in Seattle.

Indigo Blue looks vivaciously vintage. Photo credit: Paule Saviano.

ATLRetro caught up with Indigo Blue recently, and she teased us with a few juicy details about her journey south, which also includes teaching gigs on Sat. Nov. 12 at the Artifice Club’s Mechanical Masquerade: A Paranormal Fantasy and at SpinArela, as well as her career, thoughts on her secret to success and what it’s like to be reigning queen of burlesque!

Without giving away any big secrets, what can you share about your plans for the Southern Fried Burlesque Fest fundraiser this Friday night?

I’m really excited to perform at the fundraiser! I’ll be bringing the sash & tiara for all to see!

I understand you’re also teaching a workshop on “Steampunk Burlesque: Being in Character” at the Mechanical Masquerade? Are you a big follower of steampunk, and what distinguishes steampunk burlesque from traditional burlesque?

I love the anachronism, whimsy, and creativity of Steampunk. It’s a style, a philosophy, and a culture; burlesque is a performance art form and a culture. The workshop is intended to integrate the two and enable those who like to play with an alter-ego to develop ways of creating  more dramatic and effective characters using burlesque techniques.

Finally you’ll be teaching “The Art of the Tease” at SpinArela. Can you tease us with a sneak preview of what students will learn in that class?

I love the Art of the Tease! My favorite parts are hearing from the students what they most crave to learn, and watching them understand how to implement the tools of the tease. We will play with gloves & boas!

Jeepers, Creepers, Where'd she get those Indigo Blue peepers?! Photo credit: Karl Giant.

You’re headmistress of the Academy of Burlesque in Seattle. Why is it important to you to teach burlesque versus just being a performer, and what do you enjoy most about teaching?

I feel called to be a teacher. I love sharing what I know, and I love the process of watching students evolve and grow through the study and practice of burlesque. My personal mission is to exemplify embodied femininity, and to support people’s personal transformation through burlesque.

Many burlesque performers can only dream of winning the title of Queen/Miss Exotic World at the Burlesque Hall of Fame. What did you do to earn the title; what’s the secret to your success, in your opinion; and what did it mean to you personally to win?

The secret? Hard work! I have been dancing since I was 5, stripping since I was 21, and competing in the Miss Exotic World pageant for 10 years. It doesn’t take that long for everyone… But it did for me!

Winning was a wonderful acknowledgement of my professional career this far in burlesque. It has given me the opportunity to represent the Burlesque Hall of Fame, an organization I deeply believe in and am committed to.

Can you share a little bit about what’s so special about the Burlesque Hall of Fame (BHOF) as an event with folks (performers and mere spectators) who may never have attended? 

The BHOF Weekend is an incredible opportunity to develop meaningful connections with performers of all generations, as well as The Place to see the pinnacle of international burlesque performance. The Friday Night show featuring vintage vixens is an inspiring and powerful glimpse into our shared artistic history.

Indigo Blue performs at the 2011 Burlesque Hall of Fame. Photo credit: Diane Nagel.

When did you first start performing burlesque and what inspired you to this vintage art form?

I began creating comic erotic skits “burlettas” in 1994 for Tamara the Trapeze Lady‘s Fallen Women Follies. After attending Tease-o-Rama in 2001 in New Orleans, and then Exotic World in Helendale shortly afterwards, I knew I had found my people.

How did you come to choose the name Indigo Blue, and how does your “blue” persona inspire your acts and costuming?

When I was a peep-show stripper in the ‘90s, my name was Indigo!  Blue has always been my favorite color, since I was a child.

Seattle's glamorous Indigo Blue. Photo credit: Don Spiro.

What’s the burlesque scene like in Seattle, and do you have any recommendations for travelers on how to tap into what’s going on there?

Seattle’s burlesque scene is second only to New York in size, and has produced some of the most stellar, high-production value shows in the world. The active Seattle Burlesque Google calendar lists most shows, and the Seattle Burlesque Press blog has regular previews and reviews.

What other burlesque performers (legendary or contemporary) have inspired you the most personally and why?

As far as the vintage ladies, I am inspired by the coy elegance of Toni Elling, the bawdy curtain-humping of Marinka and the fierce intensity of Wild Cherry. My contemporary inspirations continue to be Dirty Martini, Julie Atlas Muz, Miss Astrid and Tigger. I am also constantly impressed by the stellar Seattle scene, including in particular Inga Ingenue, Waxie Moon, The Shanghai Pearl, Lily Verlaine and Ernie Von Schmaltz.

Will you be returning to Atlanta for Southern Fried Burlesque Fest 2012?

I’ll be there in 2013!!!!