Retrace the Rogue Burlesque trail:

2011

April 13 – Talk Nerdy 2 Me

March 23 – TEMPLE

Praise squirrel! A monstrous congratulations to Vadalna on the phenomenal opening of their new monthly celebration, TEMPLE! The house was packed, the Buddha was glowing, and the booze was flowing. Gorgeous, slinky, creepy, dark, and beautiful belly dance by Sarah Jezebel Wood, Aepril Schaile, and Vadalna! Lolli Hoops wowed the crowd with her double-hooping skills! Dixie Douya’s dark twin came out to play for the evening. And the whole place was crawling (or stilting?) with members of the Boston Circus Guild. SO MUCH FUN! Don’t miss Isobel Valo next month!

March 9 – Nerd Show Preview (with TV Crew!)

This was a CRAZY ASS night! People were literally turned away at the door as Middlesex Lounge was busting at the seams with a phenomenal crowd who was there to cheer on some newbies, show their mugs on TV, and get a mini dose of nerd burlesque. Rogue was contacted by a “major cable television network” (as soon as we can tell you, we will!!) who wanted to showcase some fun, nerdy, and cheap things to do in Boston. Known for our geeky aesthetic and nerdy shows, we had to deliver! Special thanks to “Broke Ass Stuart” who filled in as a guest judge for our Lucky 13 Competition!

March 9 – Lucky 13 Amateur Burlesque Competition

Shirley Tempting had the most difficult spot of going first but did it with poise, grace…and personality! Brandy Wine had Liz Fang singing along (which never happens!). And her stage presence was bulletproof! The Immoral Daoist shook his plume with aplomb! Huzzah for being the only male performer! The Tiniest Cupcake was simply smoking hot…and a crowd favorite! Nikita Slutskaya proved why she is a boyfriend-stealer! Keep your eye on your man when she’s around! Miss Kitty Kocktail rocked her fuzzy robe and made all of us want to get wet! And our winner, Dewie Decimator, had an appealing (ha!) and truly original concept with her Banana Phone! Congratulations Dewie! What’s more, these amateurs performed to a SOLD OUT crowd with TV cameras. NO AMATEURS HERE!

Photo by rubicat

February 17, 18, 24, 25 – Winter SEXtacular

An amazing 4-night run at Club Cafe, where we were treated like queens! This show marked the debut of Boston’s only boylesque troupe, SIRLESQUE! Ricky Lime, Dale Stones, and Dexter Dix shook their coconuts to a PACKED crowd! Chanteuse Miss Denva Edelle wowed the crowd with her acapella skills. And Michael Gaucher showed why Fresh Fruit is known as “Boston’s premier Equal Opportunity Offender drag cabaret troupe.” The Rogues also brought some of their favorite numbers about sin, seduction, photo shoots gone wrong, and….ASSLES! Yes, assles! Don’t know what those are? Guess you’ll have to come to an upcoming show to find out!

February 9 – seX-ray

One of a dozen snowstorms in early 2011 caused us to postpone our celebration of the 115th anniversary of the x-Ray. But it was well worth the wait. Polly Surely bared her…teeth; Dixie Douya sassed her way through security, Sassy tried her hand at artistic endeavors, and Jenny Jewels brought down the house with her ROBOT BURLESQUE! (It was so good, she’s going to do it again in April for our nerd show). Rogue also had three, count ‘em, THREE awesome guests: Isobel Valo, Madge of Honor, and Mr. Goodnight, who were all just sublime.

January 6 & 7 – Bohemian Bacchanalia

Jenny Jewels and Lilly Bordeaux joined the rest of the Boston Circus Guild for a two-night, sold out extravaganza of sexy striptease, amazing aerialists, beautiful belly dance, crazy contortion, and of course the magical melodies of Emperor Norton’s Stationary Marching Band. See what you missed (or relive the dream) in this kick-ass video. And just wait til you see what BCG dreams up next!!

2010

December 21 – The Buttcraker

Rogue rang out 2010 with a bang…at The Buttcracker! This phenomenal show was the brainchild of the illustrious duo of Johnny Blazes and Madge of Honor…and what a show it was! The SOLD OUT Buttcracker had an all-star line up of the best fat bottoms and flat backsides including members of The Bitches of Destiny, Traniwreck, the Tranny Roadshow, The Femme Show, Boston Sass Attack, Rogue Burlesque, Hypothesis alumni, and of course DJ GOLDEN TOUCH! Rogue’s Dixie Douya paid an homage to pear-shaped  (and er, not so pear-shaped) gals and guys everywhere!

December 10 – Holiday Handjobs

God we just love Holiday Handjobs! We get to shop, drink, sell pasties, and perform – it doesn’t get much better than that! With at least 8 pairs of pasties sold, we know some of your will have some extra-special holiday nights this year! The on-the-spot tassel-twirling lesson by Lilly and Keaton seemed to particularly rouse some of the shoppers from their holiday comas. Special thanks to Aliza Shapiro for once again letting Rogue be a part of such an awesome event! Sign us up again for next year!

December 8 – Topsy Turvy

What a night to remember! Rogue celebrated a full year of shows at Middlesex (that’s right 12 months, baby!) with the most ridiculous show ever. Performing each others’ numbers pushed us out of our comfort zones and into some wild situations! Keaton smearing chocolate all over herself? Lilly doing comedy? JJ as a dominatrix? Dixie doing alligator moves? Sassy as an emcee? AND Liz Fang DOING BURLESQUE? It was Topsy Turvy for sure! Congrats to Femme Brulee and Chris Coleman for perfect scores in our contest. In the midst of all this crazy, Kitty brought back Super Pussy, and BRAND-NEW FULL-TIME ROGUE, Polly Surely showed why she won our L-13 contest! What a way to end the year!

Illustration by Jack Foster (www.recklesseyeballs.com)

December 2 & 3 – Quest for the Golden Pasties

EPIC! This show was friggin’ EPIC! Nerds got their revenge, lawyers were smothered, and vegetarians came out on top. There was something for everyone –  aliens, space robots, Indiana Jones, Magic the Gathering, Michael Jackson, a 4-part finale, and a duel to the death. TO THE DEATH, I SAY! With a 13-person cast, the Rogues covered every inch of the space. Many, many thanks to an AMAZING cast and crew, the staff at Oberon, and two fabulous audiences! Congrats to the winners of the real Golden Pasties!

Oh….and the best news of all…we get to do it all over again in the spring! Stay tuned!!

November 10 – For the Troops!

This show was special to us. We were thrilled to have the chance to celebrate and entertain the troops in honor of Veterans Day. Hoorah! Kitty prepared for her lover’s homecoming, Sassy shook her moneymaker, and JJ swam to shore. Lilly and Dan sang a fabulous duet, but Dixie didn’t ask or tell. Keaton showed why flying the friendly skies with the Rogues can be way more fun! And Lilly performed a touching tribute for all those troop members who don’t make it home. Guests Marty Levin and Jenny Zigrino’s comedic stylings had the crowd in stitches, while guest emcee Barry Tattle kept things smooth.

October 13 – Lucky 13 Amateur Burlesque Competition

WOW! What a great night for amateur burlesque! Congratulations to our winner, Polly Surely, who may single-handedly bring back instamatic film! Our other contestants, Miss Jesse Lee, Nola au Lait, and the Head Librarian also kicked some serious burlesque ass! Liz Fang was crazier than ever…even for her!…in a unicorn outfit and drinking wine from audience members’ glasses. Special thanks to special guest judge Johnny Blazes (who had to get up at a ridiculous hour the next day) and to our BOYlesque performer, JahRaj the Man Schwa, who put the “man” in Man Schwa.

October 8 & 9 – StrowlerCon

Steampunk fans united at StrowlerCon where Rogue showcased some late-night naughtiness. Friday night’s darker theme had us bringing out the latex, whips, and a bondage-inspired acrobalance number from occasional Rogues Ben & Julia. Liz Fang turned some tech difficulties into a ridiculous song and she had more fun than should be allowed with “mutton chops.” Saturday we returned to our classic roots for  a traditional vaudeville show, hosted by 2-time Houdini Award-winning magician Jeffrey Jene. However, it was Beaker who stole the show!

September 16 & 17 – Best in Show!

Rogue pulled out all the stops, showcasing their favorite numbers, for two amazing (and loud!) crowds! The staff of Club Cafe were wonderful and Rogue even had a real dressing room! Hurrah! Liz Fang emceed the hell out of Thursday night, and Johnny Blazes tried to compete with the Rogues on Friday, by showing off hir own 1st place pasties! We can’t wait to come back to Club Cafe!

September 8 – Origins: The Stripteasin’ Genesis of Rogue Burlesque

Rogue paid homage to their inspirations. For Dixie it was Mae West and Tina Turner; for Keaton, Charlie Chaplin and Carol Burnett; for Kitty, the always sexy Bettie Page; for Lilly, Jessica Rabbit and film noir; for JJ, the Cherry Poppin Daddies, and for Isobel Valo, rocker Billy Idol! Special guest comedian Barry Tattle shared his love with the ladies.

August 25 – Skewed & Screwed Revue II

Emceed by the always illustrious Johnny Blazes, the Skewed & Screwed Revue raised money for AJ &  Bri, a couple that’s hit some hard times. There was live music, poetry, circus acts, and of course, burlesque! Ms. Sassypants showed off her punk rock roots and Lilly Bordeaux kicked up some country spirit! Rogue was glad to be back at the All Asia, home of their debut performance. The Skewed & Screwed Revue will be a regular event, so if you missed it this time, be on the look out for future shows!

August 11 – Burly-Q BBQ! [Download Flyer] PDF

This was indeed the show that plumped when cooked! Vegetarian Kitty Spanks showed that shucked corn can be way sexier than meaty sausage.  She was so hot she almost burned the joint down – thankfully Sassy’s firefighting skills saved the day! JJ’s mock-tastic send off of Lebron James made us proud to be Celtics fans! Dixie lei’d several members of the audience and got naughty with some hot dogs. Guest Perky Penny’s hoop striptease resulted in a little hanky panky. Janet & Justin’s “wardrobe malfunction” had nothing on the awesome spectacle that was a pants-less Oliver Tryst wrestling with sexy sailor Pamela Passion. We hope to see them again – perhaps with more snaps! Lastly, audience member Bridget not only got lei’d, she also won the hula hooping contest. Congrats Bridget!

July 24 – Revival!

Praise squirrel! What a fun show! Sweltering hot, but fun! In hopes of sustaining their studio in JP, the lovely ladies of Vadalna Tribal Dance Co. put on an amazing fundraiser.  This beautiful studio is also home to Rogue Burlesque, so we were quick to say yes when asked to perform. JJ finally hailed her cab, Lilly sold her…chair, and Sister Dixie praised squirrel as best she knew how! Hosted by Johnny Blazes, this show had a huge roster of talented performers. We were thrilled to be a part of such a fun evening and hope that Vadalna met their fund-raising goal. Praise squirrel!

July 14 – Liberation! [Download Flyer] PDF

C’est fantastique! Liz Fang showed up in full 18th century garb – which she then proceeded to STRIP out of! Sassy’s punk rock roots were on full display while chanteuse/contortionist Lilly Bordeaux showed off her many talents. Dixie and Keaton literally liberated themselves – from handcuffs! Special guests Katie Bircher of the Vadalna Tribal Dance Co. showcased a combo of coyness and sex appeal while Femme Brulee broke free…from a paper mache egg!

July 9 – Bawdy Language

With just a week to pull the show together, we had to make some modifications. Morgan Oldham of Bella Curva filled in with a jaw-droppingly sexy lyra routine (she literally put it together in a week!). Injured Dominique Immora womanned the merch table and sold a ton of pasties – which some of our guests put on DURING THE SHOW! While we had to officially cut the boylesque routine, an audience member showed off his banana hammock so we ended up having boylesque after all. Honestly, the audience brought as much bawdiness as the Rogues on stage! And all this happened while Nathanael Bluhm of Foxy and Mystery Roar spun a sultry mix of 80s music.

July 1 – Bawdy Language

Between Chris Ewen spinning some mad mixes and  Liz Fang talking about “death by fanny” the Rogues and their guests delivered the bawdiness. There were sex toys, umbrellas, a garden hose, a big pile of money, and chocolate frosting…yummm. Fresh Fruits Michael Gaucher and Peter Gaoni’s boylesque and drag had the crowd in awe; Bella Curva’s combo of contortion and hand balancing TOGETHER was like nothing we’ve ever seen; and Dominique Immora pushed her body to the limits for her aerial sling routine. With numbers set to Prince, Poe, the Lunachicks, and more country than we knew was possible, this show had something for everything. The best part was that no sooner did we get off the stage than OBERON staff was asking us to come back…in a week! And that’s what we’re gonna do! Repeating a modified version of the show on Friday. Stay tuned for details…

June 17 – Summer Saturnalia

The Boston Circus Guild put on an amazing night of aerialists, juggling, burlesque, clowning, belly dance, and comedy. House band ENSMB brought the sexy back and no fewer than 5, count em, 5 aerialists performed on silks, rope, lyra, and sling. Emcee Johnny Blazes had as many costume changes! Keaton dazzled the audience with her comedic timing and magic skills, while Dixie showed some love (and legs) to the people in the balcony. Our personal favorite moment of the night was A Different Spin’s ballet routine – not to be missed! Can’t wait til the next Circus Guild event!

June 9 – Rogue You Like a Hurricane [Download Flyer] PDF

The crowd went wild for new Rogue, Kitty Spanks, whose sexy, classic style brought a little refinement to our otherwise motley crew. Jenny stopped traffic, Dixie did some disco dancing, Sassy showed how Crazy! she is, and Keaton revealed her magical abilities. Sassy and Dixie experimented with sex, drugs, and rock n’ roll with Dixie, er, coming out on top. Kitty’s cousin Bobby brought the house down with his crazy air guitar skills! True magician Reed Spool wowed the crowd with his nimble fingers and Kalidasi of the Vadalna Tribal Dance Co. enthralled the masses with her sexy shape-shifting ways. Her honey got a shout-out, too!

May 20 – Emperor Norton’s Stationary Marching Band

Dixie Douya danced with Boston Circus Guild’s house band, ENSMB to promote their new CD, Reign of Revelry, a must-buy! Dancing to live music can be so different compared to backing tracks (especially when a few key instruments are not there!).  But it was a blast and the audience got into Dixie’s tango-inspired number. TraniWreck’s Madge of Honor’s tourist number was hysterical. The crowd also really dug the music from Goli and Tall Trees.

May 12 – School’s Out Download Flyer [PDF]

New Rogue Jenny Jewels brought the house down with her rendition of Weird Science. She made the perfect man who turns out to be…Ben Reynolds! Who knew? Special guest Ms. Honeysuckle Hype from Seattle stopped by on her east coast tour. She interviewed audience members in an, er, intimate setting (one member included the owner of Middlesex – thank you Chris!!) and showed everyone how to make beef jerky. Tasty! Tracy McAskill of Bella Curva stunned the crowd with her amazing contortion hoop routine. Who knew the human body could even do that? Lilly, Sassy and Dixie hit all the school day themes – naughty nuns, evil teachers, cheating students, and playing hooky at the beach and arcade.

April 28 – Geek Week – Talk Nerdy to Me

Rogue joined the geekery of Improv Boston’s GEEK WEEK (going on until May 2nd!) with a reprise of Talk Nerdy to Me.  In addition to the awesomeness of D&D, Buffy, math, superheros, lunch ladies, and old yearbook photos, Rogue welcomed Isobel Valo – the sexiest librarian you’ve ever seen! She can come read to us anytime she wants! And Ben Reynolds paid an amazing contact juggling homage to Jareth the Goblin King (aka David Bowie in Labyrinth). Dixie brought back Miss Piggy with Kitty and Keaton as muppeteers.  And Liz bonded with birthday boy Greg (aka Larry) and the geekiest audience member of all, whom she affectionately called “Cloaky.”

April 14 – Rogue the Casbah  Download Flyer [PDF]

This 80′s-inspired show had it all! Sassy revealed her klepto tendencies while Dixie shared what she does for a day job. Keaton got tipsy at a wedding and Lilly broke Ben Reynolds’ heart (and body) in an amazing double-acro number. Dixie and Keaton battled it out Run DMC style, while Sassy and Lilly brought the house down with their hysterical tribute to Jane Fonda. Brand new emcee, Liz Fang, had the crowd Huzzahing! throughout the night (we love you Liz!). An audience member (anyone know his name? he deserves mad props) solved a Rubik’s cube in 3:30 in a heated battle. And our special guests kicked serious ass! Johnny Blazes (aka Swizzle Styxx) combined drag and hula hooping in a crowd-pleasing combo and Bitches of Destiny’s Rosie Palms and Catya von Sparkles brought new meaning to Ghostbusters (and Ghost!) in a gut-busting tribute.

April 11 – Dr. Sketchy’s Anti-Art School Burlesque Life Drawing Session

March 25 – Improv Boston: Women in Comedy Festival

We all had such a blast at this show! Lilly helped Sassy get her groove back, Keaton showcased her hula hooping skills, Dixie finally found her Charlie Card, Sassy served up something yummy, and Keaton chose her boa over a bitchy boss. Rogue was grateful to be part of such an awesome festival and we were lucky to share the stage with some amazing comediennes (The Gun Show and OBV!) who both just killed it.

March 10 – Middlesex: Talk Nerdy to Me Download Flyer [PDF]

Wowzer! SOLD OUT show at Middlesex. It was geek-tastic. So many nerds…so much love from the audience. Keaton showed off her superhero skills and white girl dance ability, Sassy’s sexy lunch lady and Buffy homage had the crowd hot and bothered, Lilly became an Elven Rogue and showed the crowd her cheating ways, and diva Dixie Douya almost came to blows with DJ Gucci Vuitton over some yearbook photos. Special guest Kielbasia led the crowd in a polka-rific sing-a-long and Honeysuckle Duvet paid tribute to Dr Who! Special thanks to Dan Prior for being in 3 numbers! What can we say, the boy knows his D&D. And last, but never least, Charles Reinhardt KILLED IT in what will likely be his last performance with Rogue before he goes to the dark side of Yankees-land. Oh Charles, how will we ever replace you??

Feb. 10 – Middlesex: Mardi BRAS! Download Flyer [PDF]

Not rain, sleet, snow, (or in this case) a faux blizzard can stop these Rogues. Guest emcees The Fresh Fruits and their cock-a-dos (get your mind out of the gutter…cock-a-dos are feather bustles). Anyway, where was I. Right, The Fresh Fruits kept the crowd in good spirits, crap weather be damned. Isobel Valo earned her Mardi Gras beads and guests Ginger Rita and Pamela Passion of Babes in Boinkland blew the doors off with their intriguing interpretation of Lady Gaga’s Bad Romance. This show had it all — voodoo, beads, booty calls, and contortion. Oh, and Sassy sold her Hello Kitty pasties!

Jan. 29 – Oberon: The Red Light Revue Download flyer [PDF]

This show put Rogue on the map and proved they are here to stay! Rogue was the first (and to-date only) burlesque troupe to sell out Oberon (we had to to turn people away!). DJ Chris Ewen spun some wicked tunes to get the crowd in a dancing mood. Sassy kicked some punk ass; Dixie lost her T pass and brought new meaning to puppet striptease; Lilly made no excuses for killing the bastard; Keaton chose burlesque over dreary office work and set her cross-hairs on caribou Sassy. Lilly and Ben Reynolds showed off their acro skills in a dark and steamy duet. Special guests Morgan and Dominique Immora showed off their phenomenal hand-balancing and aerialist skills, proving why they are valued members of The Boston Circus Guild. We couldn’t have pulled off this show without the help of our Rogue Crew and the staff of Oberon.

Jan. 15 – Middle East Downstairs: TraniWreck Download flyer [PDF]

Heywood’s stint at Re-Gifted proved that he needed some burlesque basic training. Dixie Douya guest performed at TraniWreck  to show him how it’s done. She followed up with a tassel-twirling lesson. But Sassy and Keaton got the best of Heywood, pantsing him on stage! The Rogue girls sold so many pasties, they just about ran out.

Jan. 13 – Middlesex: Rogue Burlesque Re-Gifted (see flyer)

Rogue started the year off with a bang with a show that beat any re-wrapped fruit cake! Guest star Heywood Wakefield started off with an impressive striptease but ended up in his skivvies on the floor. Dominique Immora amazed the crowd with her mad hula-hooping skills. Ben Reynolds accompanied Lilly Bordeaux’s crooning — and gave a very enthusiastic hug to an audience member who ‘saved’ his falling bass from destruction. For his deft skills, this audience member won ‘a major award’ — a nightlight version of The Christmas Story leg lamp. Sassy paid tribute to Patrick Swayze, Dixie did a patriotic strip tap, and Keaton previewed her number for Red Light Revue. See photos here.

2009

Dec. 18 – Dilboy VFW: Holiday Handjobs

Truth Serum’s Aliza Shapiro took a chance on our burgeoning new troupe and gave us a performance slot at this not-to-be-missed annual craft fair. Rogue also sold a ton of pasties and had a blast rubbing elbows with other great vendors. Keilbasia also performed that night and sampled a pair of our pasties in this great photo.

Dec. 9 – Middlesex: Rogue Burlesque Revealed!

This was our first public performance and over 6o people showed up! Lilly had the swine flu so Keaton filled in with this ridiculous performance of Carol of the Meows at the last minute. To our amazement, our one-time fluke gig at Middlesex quickly turned into a monthly residency. Special thanks to JB and all the staff of Middlesex for taking care of us.  See photos here.

Nov. 7 – All Asia

This was a friends and family show. We got lots of photos and video. Special thanks to Marc and Pattie at All Asia for giving us a place to strut our stuff! And to Lee, Ann, and Tanya for getting us photos and video.