~Peek-a-BOO!
A Halloween Extravaganza!!!
Friday October 24th & Saturday October 25th
@ Madrigal 1625 Oak KC, MO 64108
Doors @ 8pm, Show @ 10pm - arrive early to get a good seat!
Only $10!!!
~Teasing Under the Mistletoe
Thursday December 11th
@ Crosstown Station 1522 McGee KC, MO 64108
Only $10!!!
Under the Mistletoe
Come on out to get another 'round of good old fashion Holiday fun with The Luscious Ladies of BDU! This Holiday Season, BDU will warm you with more surprises and tease than ever before! So, come join The Luscious Ladies Under the Mistletoe for more than just a holiday smooch!
Wedesday December 17th @ 7:30pm
Thursday December 18th @ 7:30pm
Friday December 19th @ 7:30pm & @ 10:00pm
Saturday December 20th @ 7:30pm & @ 10:00pm
City Stage Theatre @ Union Station
30 West Pershing Rd
KC, MO 64108
tickets: $20
groups: $17
Union Station Members: $17
Students: $17
get your tickets now at www.unionstation.org
Exclusive! B.D.U. @ Artopia! B.D.U. on Release TV!!! Check it out!
Alacartoona
Bach
Justin Temberlake
Christina Aguilera
Louise Hoffsten
The Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs
Lords of Acid
Ida McBeth
The Velvet Underground
Muse
George Michael
Snoop Dogg
Prince
Led Zepplin
They Might Be Giants
Stevie Wonder
The Beastie Boys
willIam
Muddy Waters
Louis Armstrong
Ella Fitzgerald
Queen
Brian Hyland
Max Roach
Marilyn Monroe
The Archies
Solomon Burke
Siouxsie and the Banshees
Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels
Santana
Books
The reviews...
Get Your Strippers Here!
"Burlesque is hard to pull off. Typically, you have to fill three and one-half minutes of song time with an interesting tease.
B.D.U. pulls it off with an unevenness, primarily brought about by the fact that these girls have day jobs.
I can't keep all the girls straight, so I'll just talk about the acts that caught my attention.
The hostess of the evening set a nice tone, keeping the audience entertained and filling the time as the girls prepped for each strip. Kudos to the Madame.
Sound was a real problem, especially during the opening introductions. Spoken words were hard to hear, and the eye candy was overwhelming.
The first couple of numbers were marred by a quiet crowd. Burlesque requires hoots, hollers, and cheers. Any time a woman takes off her clothes, appreciation should be loud and proud.
The laundry number was easily the best dancing of the evening. That girl had attitude and sass that overwhelmed the rest of the cast.
The Shakespeare monologue was the most creative striptease of the evening.
Conceptually, the flag twirling was a great idea.
The bondage strip was probably my favorite, mostly because the patter was clever and continuous.
What I liked best about the show was the energy and enthusiasm of the performers. It takes a certain amount of guts to do what they are doing, and boobies always get extra points in my book, even if they are covered in pasties.
Comfort zones were definitely apparent in some of the performances, but all the women should take pride in the fact that they stepped up.
The beauty of burlesque is not in the removal of clothing, but in the imaginativeness with which the clothing is removed. The imaginations were definitely in full play!"
~Rabid Reviewer, KC Stage
Ms. BDU 2008!
"You like dancing? How 'bout singing? Shakespeare? Muddy Waters? Well in this year's Burlesque Downtown Underground show at the Fringe Festival you get all that and boobies too!
Following up on last year's smash hit "Naughty Knickers" BDU's Marisa MacKay serves up another piping hot dish of luscious loveliness in the beauty pageant themed "Ms. BDU 2008!"
The "talent" portion of the program includes the aforementioned singing & dancing, a Shakespeare recitation that TURNS INTO a Muddy Waters song (this one ALONE is worth the price of admission, folks!) and a bit of dirty laundry - wink, wink. Then follows the swimsuit competition, and the coronation "ceremony" - which resembles less a crowning and more a "crowning," if you get my drift.
It's all good fun and the ladies are beautiful and talented. It's a no-brainer: GO TO THIS SHOW! But remember, good reader, Burlesque is an interactive experience. HOOT 'n HOLLER a bit! Loosen your collar and have some fun. The more noise YOU make, the more fun the ladies have, and that leads to .... well, who's to say?
For a little sneak peak of what BDU serves up, go to:
www.myspace.com/burlesquedownunderground
Ms. BDU 2008!
Burlesque Downtown Underground
Directed by Marisa MacKay
Just Off Broadway Theater
3051 Central
Tuesday 7/22 @ 8:30pm
Thursday 7/24 @ 10:00pm
Friday 7/25 @ 8:00pm
Saturday 7/26 (2 shows!) one @ 6:30pm & another @ 11:30pm" ~Bombastico, KC Stage
Burlesque show ‘Ms. B.D.U. 2008’ is tame, unpolished fun
By ROBERT TRUSSELL
The Kansas City Star
Your humble theater critic caught the first of several burlesque shows at this year’s KC Fringe Festival on opening night and the results were more or less what you might expect — comical, cynical, satirical, sexy and not very polished.
The show is “Ms. B.D.U. 2008,” a production of Burlesque Downtown Underground, whose “Naughty Knickers” was a hit at last year’s festival. As the title suggests, this year’s edition is a send-up of beauty pageants.
The ensemble members come in a variety of shapes and sizes but each performs with a devil-may-care sense of showmanship that goes a long way toward compensating for aesthetic inadequacies.
The raw performing space at the Just Off Broadway Theatre (black walls, no frills) and the teeny-tiny production budget (no sets, minimal props) make the show seem a bit tawdrier than it deserves. At moments you feel like you’re watching a bizarre private show in a warehouse at a secret location. Except nothing about this show is very bizarre. And the brand of sexuality it pedals is pretty tame.
Our host is Madame (Marisa MacKay, who also happens to be B.D.U.’s artistic director). The highlight of the show comes early, which each of the girls performs her “talent” in the imaginary pageant.
Foxy Roxy (Jamie Blumm) sings, predictably enough, “Roxy” from “Chicago” as she stips. Ginger Snap (Maggie Osgood) doesn’t sing but she disrobes while hanging laundry on a clothes line.
Sweet Louise (Caroline Baughman) delivers the cleverest and most entertaining routine of the evening. She begins the number in drag while quoting a speech by Viola in Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night.” Viola, of course, has to disguise herself as a man in order to get close to the man she loves.
After a certain point “Mannish Boy” by Muddy Waters begins blasting from the speakers and that’s when Baughman gets down to some serious stripping. You simply can’t go wrong with Muddy Waters, whose performances, even in his grandfatherly years, were always charged with sexually energy.
Miss Kitty (Katie Gilchrist) performs “Popular” from “Wicked,” suggesting that if you really want to be popular you should be willing to take your clothes off.
Sally Crawford as Crimson Sugar performs incompetence with endearing results as she launches into a routine with red flags on poles to Dixieland music.
Puss’N’Boots (Kat Kimmitz) performs a bondage routine with Blumm obligingly allowing herself to be tied to a chair. The music is Louis Armstrong singing “Black and Blue.” Cherry Pop (Bobbi Foundree) plays clarinet to Queen’s “Fat Bottomed Girls” in what may be the weirdest routine in the show.
Eventually all the ladies take the stage and do a group dance number to “Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini.”
What does it all mean? Nothing, really. There’s only one message: These women have fun performing burlesque routines for a young audience with post-modern sensibilities. Maybe that’s good enough.
Additional performances of “Ms. B.D.U. 2008” will be at 10 p.m. Thursday, 8 p.m. Friday and 6:30 and 11:30 p.m. Saturday at the Just Off Broadway Theater, 3051 Broadway. Admission is $10.
To reach Robert Trussell, call 816-234-4765 or send e-mail to rtrussell@kcstar.com.
Good Clean Family Fun ... NOT!
"Let me just get this out of the way: HelOOOOOOOOOO Nurse! This burlesque show did more than strip: it teased and laughed and was sexy and funny and sweet. From the start of ballet that turned into techno to the 'backwards strip' (with someone in the audience yelling in good fun "Put it on!") If you're looking for good fun (maybe not CLEAN, but good fun), be sure to catch this at the Fringe!" ~TheatreDiva, KC Stage
Total Sexy Hotness
"These seven gorgeous women are local dancers, singers, and actors. They're all purportedly virgins to burlesque, but they go at it like pros. They had a blast performing this show and the audience had a blast watching it. Each dance was done with playful enthusiasm, with a very sexy hostess introducing each performer. The best numbers slyly lampooned the striptease. The show delivers everything it promises with no complaints. Should be a hit of the festival. Sight lines are poor in the Delaware studio. Best to arrive early and get a seat up front. You won't regret it." ~FringeBinger, KC Stage
Get Your Knickers in a Bunch
"Burlesque Downtown Underground is a company of beautiful women of all shapes and sizes (thank God) and walks of life who have never done this before. In a way, it shows, but that's part of the fun. These women are smart and funny and don't take this stripping stuff seriously. They are obviously having a good time, which just makes the whole thing even sexier. And their stripping, by the way, is really good. Special not must go to "Sweet Louise" and her hilarious turn onstage. Go see Naughty Knickers and you'll see a very fun and very sexy show." ~FringeTickler, KC Stage
We All Have Our College Degrees: That's Why We're Not At Strip Clubs
"When the diva of dance stepped on stage and uttered these famous lines, I was hooked. This show entertained me in two different ways. One, watching the artistry of these women perform their daring acts for the wolf-whistles and cheers of the audience is what many artists strive for, and two ... I'm a guy.
There is something to be said about sensual women performing acts that inspire even the most heartened critics to "rise" to the occasion. These women know their craft. As performers, they entertained, but as women, they inspired. So far, this has been one of my favorite shows I've seen this fringe (and not just for the cheesecake). I recommend making time to see them." ~WatchNSee, KC Stage
H-O-T!!!!
"After seeing One Night Stand on Friday night, I knew I had to see another burlesque show so that I could compare, and holy beJesus NK stomped the competition.
The venue was absolutely horrendous, the place fit around 60 people and unless you were in the first two rows you didn't see anything but the upper part of some torsoes.
But what I could see was pretty hot and damn entertaining.
"Lola" started out and had a beautiful voice along with the face and body to complete quite a nice package. Her performance was an excellent warm-up for the audience.
Marisa Mackay, the leader of the group and the MC, had quite a sensational performance with actual dance moves and sequence that displayed actual talent for the form instead of just a strip tease...true entertainment.
"Puss N Boots", a highlight for the crowd, mainly performed a sequence that made me think of cheesy 80s movies. I was half-expecting her to have leggings, spandex and a sweatband. But, she was hot and the crowd loved the hell out of her.
If it wasn't for the bad venue and a creepy, mid-50s pervert that wouldn't stop trying to yell out "funny" one-liners to upstage the MC, then it would have been the best show I saw over the weekend.
But, since I gave One Night Stand a 4, NK has to receive a 5. If you saw it, you were lucky!" ~BigTime, KC Stage
Heroes
Dita Von Tease
Dirty Martini
Baby Girl Boutique www.babygirlboutique.com
Nippies by Bristols 6 www.bristols6.com
Tiffany Cooper www.tifologydesign.com and coroflot.com/tifology
Interactive and Graphic Designer
Aaron Lindberg www.aaronlindberg.com
Kansas City Photographer: portraits, advertising and editorial
The Kansas City Fringe Festival www.kcfringe.org
Yes, the ones who are responsible for the birth of B.D.U.!
B.D.U's mission is to advance the worldwide burlesque revival by creating fun, classy, scintillating, artful, high performance tease, which is neo-burlesque entertainment aimed to tickle Kansas City audiences and beyond.
Burlesque Downtown Underground is lovingly, lavishing in their second season contributions to Kansas City's burlesque scene. This company is compiled of sexy, professional actors, dancers and singers. Along with their break-through performance of "Naughty Knickers" in Kansas City's 2007 Fringe Festival, presented their second
show December of '07, "Baby, Its Cold Outside!" and just finished their third self-produced show, "Ms. BDU 2008! Which took first at the box office in Kansas City's 2008 Fringe Festival!
Introducing! Classy, professional performers to the KC Burlesque Scene - Madame and her lovely, Luscious Ladies:
Biographies
Madame ~ Artistic Directing Producer & Company Choreographer
At a young age our burlesque Madame was whisked around the world by her gypsy performer parents. At the age of ten Madame was dropped into the Paris Opera Ballet School where she lived, trained, and performed through her teens. It was there in Paris where she stumbled upon the Moulin Rouge, and the world of Burlesque and Cabaret came to life before her eyes. After leaving the Paris Opera, Madame spent a brief stint dancing in London then, wandered to the states. There, she found her birth place, (Chicago,) spent time in The Big Apple, and shortly after was married and settled as a professional dancer in Kansas City. Madame instantly knew that this enchanting city needed more spectacle, more tease, more push… And thus began the bursting break-through of Burlesque Downtown Underground and its Luscious Ladies.
Ms. Kitty
Ms. Kitty Rose joins these neophyte, nubile ladies after a short stint in Paris. While in the city of lights, she learned to play nice with other kitties…not to mention the tomcats. Hiding behind masks is just one way to catch Kitty. Wily, sleek and determined, she appears just once in a holiday moon. While prowling by night, she likes to disguise herself in many forms…just another way to extend her nine lives.
Sweet Louise
What I can tell you of Sweet Louise is this: She was born on the top of a steamer trunk one hot and vaporous night just outside of Paducah, Kentucky. Maybe that's why she likes to travel so much. It should be noted that her mama's mama Elinore Du Prix closed the last act of the Chicago vaudeville circuit in 1939. So she just about got herself born into showgirl royalty. Let it not be said though that Sweet Louise has ridden the reputation of her grand mama's fringe. She has achieved distinction on her own with performances celebrated from here to there and there to here - including New York, New Orleans and even as far as Bristol, UK and now she finds herself in Kansas City, the bosom of America. With hips that wont quit and legs that go on just about forever it's no wonder audiences love her and her bum ex husband Ronnie won't quit chasing her - so if you see him hanging around the stage door, you just tell him to Shoo! And for goodness sake don't give him any money. And by the way, if you were thinking of warming your way into Sweet Louise's heart, she has a strong preference for sunflowers and foreign accents. Oh, and her favorite color is shiny.
Respectfully submitted by Ms. Sweet Louise's personal biographer: Harlow Zug.
Ginger Snap
Ginger Snap has been dancing since she could put one foot in front of the other. Yielding from “the good life” of Nebraska, Ginger found herself in the heart of the Midwest dancing her way through college. Now, she often spends her days keeping house and loving her puppy. However, at night, this homemaking yet-to-be house wife gives Kansas City more than just a taste of what it's like to not only party, but to BE the party!
Puss-N-Boots
While she’s no stray to the stage, Puss started her dancing career as a young teen and has continually grown to please her audiences more and more. Born in the south, this minx made her way to the warm lap of the Midwest and you can find her prowling the local KC bar scene where martinis and wine flow freely.
Cherry Pop
Miss Cherry Pop escaped from a convent when she was sixteen. Discovering that she was a picker, a grinner, a lover, and especially a sinner she soon found the resurgence of the swinging sixties scene in San Francisco. She now is living her life with the mottos "make love not war" and "keep on truck’n."
Foxy Roxy
Born a penniless pauper, Foxy Roxy was determined to make an honest living shining shoes and selling cigars to Burlesque audiences. She soon found herself falling head over heals in love with the free spirit and artistic adventures that burlesque had to offer. She vowed to model her burlesque career after the immortal Mae West, always living by the phrase, “When I'm good I'm very good, but when I'm bad I'm better.”
Crimson Sugar
Miss Crimson Sugar started as an artist model and has been experimenting with putting her clothes back on with her entrance into Burlesque. A performer of many genres, creator of many productions, Miss Crimson Sugar is no stranger to the stage. When not performing or creating new, exciting dance works, she spends her time reading, visiting pubs, and attempting to re-learn the English language from the local Scouses. Now based in England, she is still adjusting to the constant cold, rainy weather that forces her to cover up, and is happy to be performing in Kansas City again where she can present many, many talents.
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