After over two years being a regular cast member of Lost Spirits Distillery & Show at Area15 in Las Vegas, we are closing our doors for the last time on April 29, 2024. As far as steady burlesque jobs go, it was one of the best, and incredibly rare. We were able to perform our own original acts, with our own choreography, costumes and song choices, which is incredibly rare in any show of this caliber. More often than not, shows in this town hire professional dancers with no burlesque experience and a choreographer gives them an act to learn, which is fine, but you aren't seeing someone share their own personal art. What I have always loved about burlesque, beyond the glitz and glamour, is the creativity, heart and soul that we pour out onstage over 2-5 minutes.
Anyone who has done burlesque will also appreciate how rare and special it is to have a dedicated backstage area where I could LEAVE MY COSTUMES all the time. I didn't have to schlep bags to work every day, or change in a greasy kitchen where embarrassed dishwashers tried not to look or catch a cold in a draughty stairwell. Oh, the GLAMOUR! Trust me, I've done it all and love it all, but this place was special, and I'm so grateful I got a taste of what life must have been like for our legends like Tempest Storm and Lily St Cyr back in their heyday.
I've been doing burlesque since 2003, and after 20 years in the business, it was thrilling to get to clock in at such a beautiful space, and work with some of the nicest people in show business. Hats off (and bra too!) to all our dedicated crew. Occasionally we get stage kittens in burlesque, but having regular stage hands who learned how to artfully catch my costume pieces as I tossed them off, making sure they never touched the ground was a luxury, and I never took it for granted. Some of our costumes are heavy, sharp or fragile, and at the speeds we'd toss them, I know a claw-set crystal or two can do damage, but no one ever complained, and nothing was ever lost. Special shout out to Ginger Watson for finding one of my tiny 'ting-a-ling' panels that somehow ended up in the trash after slipping out of the stage hand's grip as I was escorted back to my dressing room in the early days. Find yourself a glittery coworker who will stick her hand in a trash bin to save your hand-made costume, she's more rare than a diamond.
I'll treasure the time we had together, so many amazing memories. I can't wait to see what everyone gets up to next! On to the next adventure. You have until April 29th to come see the show, so come see us. Trust me, it's worth it.