Podcast appearances and mentions of shelly watson

"You don't want a gig, you want a career. And what does that mean to you?" poses Shelly Watson, triple threat in multiple threes, in Arkansas via New York via Southern California. This cabaret singer / burlesaque superstar knows everything from jazz to opera, and has showcased her multitudes of talent for nearly 20 years from dive bars to legendary theaters. She recently completed more than 150 digital shows during the pandemic, and sat down with Viktor after her hip surgery to discuss her drive, her versatility, and determination to continue conquer audiences' hearts. She goes in on entitlement, passion, fear, money, getting the booking, complexity of song choice, and laughing through it all while wearing superhero boots. [recorded on February 22, 2022]  … www.shellywatson.com ... @theshelleywatson on IG — WEBurlesque Podcast Nework is the creation of Viktor Devonne. Episode 154 call hook by GiGi Holliday. Podcast artwork by Logan Laveau, WEBurlesque the Podcast cover art photography by Atticus Stevenson. Theme song, “On a 45” by This Way to the Egress, used with permission. Incidental music via pixabay.com under fair use. Visit weburlesquepodcast.com for notes on this and every episode. Follow @weburlesque and @viktordevonne on just about every platform, and support the podcast via patreon.com/weburlesque or via Venmo @Viktor-Devonne. Don't got the cash? Please follow, subscribe, and give 5 stars on every platform you can get your hands on. It really does help. All original material is owned by Viktor Devonne and White Elephant Burlesque Corporation; all other materials property of their respective copyright. No infringement, while likely, is intended.

Northwest BachFest presents a cabaret burlesque live streaming event with The Singing Siren, Shelly Watson. Verne Windham talks to Shelly Watson about her life in performance and this turn in her career. A Northwest BachFest Burlesque will stream on Facebook Live and the BachFest YouTube Channel on Saturday, January 16, 2021, at 7:30pm Pacific Standard Time. Visit for tickets and more information.

Northwest BachFest presents a cabaret burlesque live streaming event with The Singing Siren, Shelly Watson. Verne Windham talks to Shelly Watson about her life in performance and this turn in her career. A Northwest BachFest Burlesque will stream on Facebook Live and the BachFest YouTube Channel on Saturday, January 16, 2021, at 7:30pm Pacific Standard Time. Visit for tickets and more information.

We had a blast talking with nightlife/NYC legend, Shelly " The Singing Siren" Watson. Listen in to Shelly telling us about th etime she hid bags of poop and puke around an resort in the Dominican Republic. Or the time she has someone clean her but out with a hose on the side of the rode. We covered it all and Shelly was so funny and inviting. Check her out at www.shellywatson.com or on Instagram @shellywatsonsings. Enjoy

Photographer and burlesque babe Striker Posie knows how to handle a room behind the camera in on stage. We talk photoshoots and burlesque theory. ... recorded: August 28, 2019 ... topics: soft open, taking pictures while you're stripping, just take the money, getting what you're paying for, the same $20, hiring people you already know, the lens closest to the human eye, photography nerds: stuff for you, rest in peace I guess, shooting shows, nails, playing with mischief, gimme face, I don't believe myself, effervescent, classic and nerdlesque, Westchester, Rocky Horror gateway, bookings, website review, act development, elevated cute badass, taglines, scenes from Striker's menagerie, costumes ... shoutouts: Biblioteque Burlesque, Clitoris B. Toklas, Jezebel Express, Darlinda Just Darlinda, Regal Mortis, Shelly Watson, .... keep in touch: https://www.facebook.com/striker.posie.studio  • IG: @striker.posie • http://strikerposie.com ... give love to the pod at patreon.com/weburlesque and see capsule reviews of previous episodes at http://www.weburlesquepodcast.com ... intro/outro music: "On A 45" This Way to the Egress (http://www.thiswaytotheegress.com) ... used with permission ... download it at: https://www.amazon.com/This-Delicious-Cabaret-Explicit-Egress/dp/B005D1GROO ... interlude music: "Jazz Aprictot" (Joey Pecoraro) "Like Lee "(The Mini Vandals)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ .. see us live: http://www.weburlesque.com/upcoming-shows ... follow us: @weburlesque @viktordevonne on instagram and twitter & talk to us: https://www.facebook.com/groups/157673948280099

Mina Minou is in town to work on her docu series that discusses religion and burlesque performance art. She is presently living in Montreal visiting NYC, and is full of surprises as an active artist, aspirational minister, and refugee advocate as a queer Iranian-American woman. ... shoutouts: Lillian Bustle, Mademoiselle Oui Oui Encore, Jo Boobs, Shelly Watson, Holly Ween, Fem Appeal, Lefty Lucy, Anja Keister, Vigor Mortis, Switch n' Play ... topics: Québécois, around the world with Mina Minou, travel and time, learning how to drive on a tractor, car crashes, "home is cat and my bong is," mini-series, queer Montreal burlesque, a lot of pies, a lot of nickels, the French for "funzies," alliterations and kittens, Follies Fromage, rules for burlesque, nerdlesque, "I'm on some dumb shit," feeling wanted, identifying as Persian, Iran, vaguely Christian, Sevdaliza, bullying towards Middle Easterners, the most Iranian of the Iranians/Ruler of the Universe, Canada and human rights, Greece, social justice ministry, intersectionality, Mr. Rogers, respectability politics, being angry and pushing back, punching Nazis, good intent, growing edges and bright lights, privilege, a-ha moments, creative process, folklore, horror movies, earning preciousness ... recorded: July 29, 2018 ... special thank you to Doll Body for housing our discussion space this episode! ... note: "I'm Persian, like the cat, meow" is a gag from Moz Jobrani, which Mina references around the thirty minute mark. Mina alludes to the concept of "living in/on the hyphen" which is an expression credited to Ilan Stavans; check out this article at https://www.oxfordamerican.org/magazine/item/352-living-on-the-hyphen ... and yeah, Viktor probably said "Entomology" when he meant "Etymology" ... Support us on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/weburlesque and get bonus material ... keep in touch w/ WEBurlesque @weburlesque @viktordevonne on instagram and twitter; Mina can be found at @ghost_grrl on instagram ... you can see White Elephant Burlesque every Wednesday at Rockbar NYC - see http://www.weburlesque.nyc for more & Now on Second Tuesdays: #WEBoylesque at Bizarre Bushwick (next up: August 14, 2018!) - see http://www.weburlesque.com/weboylesque/ for cast details ... intro/outro music: "On A 45" This Way to the Egress (http://www.thiswaytotheegress.com) ... used with permission ... download it at: https://www.amazon.com/This-Delicious-Cabaret-Explicit-Egress/dp/B005D1GROO ... interlude music: "Hep Cat Jive" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ ...

Photographer and burlesque babe Striker Posie knows how to handle a room behind the camera in on stage. We talk photoshoots and burlesque theory. ... recorded: August 28, 2019 ... topics: soft open, taking pictures while you're stripping, just take the money, getting what you're paying for, the same $20, hiring people you already know, the lens closest to the human eye, photography nerds: stuff for you, rest in peace I guess, shooting shows, nails, playing with mischief, gimme face, I don't believe myself, effervescent, classic and nerdlesque, Westchester, Rocky Horror gateway, bookings, website review, act development, elevated cute badass, taglines, scenes from Striker's menagerie, costumes ... shoutouts: Biblioteque Burlesque, Clitoris B. Toklas, Jezebel Express, Darlinda Just Darlinda, Regal Mortis, Shelly Watson, .... keep in touch: https://www.facebook.com/striker.posie.studio  • IG: @striker.posie • http://strikerposie.com ... give love to the pod at patreon.com/weburlesque and see capsule reviews of previous episodes at http://www.weburlesquepodcast.com ... intro/outro music: "On A 45" This Way to the Egress (http://www.thiswaytotheegress.com) ... used with permission ... download it at: https://www.amazon.com/This-Delicious-Cabaret-Explicit-Egress/dp/B005D1GROO ... interlude music: "Jazz Aprictot" (Joey Pecoraro) "Like Lee "(The Mini Vandals)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ .. see us live: http://www.weburlesque.com/upcoming-shows ... follow us: @weburlesque @viktordevonne on instagram and twitter & talk to us: https://www.facebook.com/groups/157673948280099

Viva Vidalia is a GLAM Award multiple nominee and producer/hostess of several shows all over New York City and Miss Trixie Delight is photographer and performer. Viktor Devonne sits with both of these Long Islanders one afternoon to chat about their individual experiences, and their comeup in their fields. ... shoutouts: Sasha Velour, Jo Boobs, Jezebel Express, MF Akynos, Nasty Canasta, Gigi BonBon, Jean Harlot, Rain Supreme, Shelly Watson, Petra Fried, Miss Cherry Delight, Bob the Drag Queen, Tigger, Florence D'Lee, Lilith LeFae, Catrina Lovelace, Lola Michele-Kiki, Lucky Charming, Ginger Twist, David Byrd, Atticus Stevenson, Ellen Stagg, Ben Trivett, Allegra Spread, Boo Bess, Cheeky Lane, Harvest Moon, Holly Ween, Coco Taylor ... topics: an industry of flingers, parking lot, Amber Love, Miss Runner-Up, costume design, Drag Race impact, Dita and Sharon and Chad, America's Next Top Burlesque, culuture of misogny and feminist burlesque, fadeouts, stage fright, performing for no one, out of drag, the real you, identity, demanding more, sustainability, photography, watching from the audience, acts and numbers, young queens, showmanship, ... recorded: October 20, 2018 ... music: "On a 45" This Way to the Egress (thiswaytotheegress.com); Used with permission - download it on Amazon today: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07DY68WX2/ + "Jazz Brunch" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com); Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License; http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ ... shop our merch: http://weburlesque.com/shop ... support us on patreon: https://patreon.com/weburlesque ... see us live: http://www.weburlesque.com/upcoming-shows ... follow us: @weburlesque @viktordevonne on instagram and twitter; @vivavidalia mstrixiedelight on IG ... talk to us: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1576739482800994

Kita St. Cyr is one of the hardest working women in New York City burlesque, sideshow, and nightlife, Kita St. Cyr produces multiple shows. Known as The Caramel Cutie with the Apple Booty, Kita hosts Undercover at Gemini & Scorpio, and recently (after this conversation) took over Dr. Sketchy's NYC. ... topics: gogo to glitterbox, sense of movement, growing up in salsa clubs, retro pinup model, Kita Panda, swing revival, a gothy Jessica Rabbit, this is my martini glass, Rhinestone Follies, porn karaoke, just wanting to watch, backstage camp counselor, Carmen Miranda oversimplification, racial ambiguity, exotica, queerness on stage, male gaze, gritty for the sake of gritty, neo vs classic, emotional narrative, stumbling into fire, wanting to do everything, fire eating, fire fans, choreographing fire, levi wand, Starfire, fire tassels, studying with Satan's Angel, passion, hosting, talking about sex, the vortex, Lip Service, natural gabber ... shoutouts: Dr. Lucky, Doe Deere, Perle Noire, Gigi LaFemme, Nasty Canasta, Beelzebabe, Hazel Honeysuckle, Albert Cadabra, Bastard Keith, Nelson Lugo, Patrick Wall, Nati Amos, Sage Sovereign, Sweet Pea, Satan's Angel, Bambi Galore, Bettie Blackheart, Lady Monster, Bunny Galore, Fancy Feast, Shelly Watson ... recorded: October 20, 2018 ... notes: learn about Satan's Angel's documentary at http://www.satansangelmovie.com ... music: "On a 45" This Way to the Egress (thiswaytotheegress.com); Used with permission - download it on Amazon today: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07DY68WX2/ ... "Semi-Funk" "Just Nasty" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com); Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License; http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ ... shop our merch: http://weburlesque.com/shop ... support us on patreon: https://patreon.com/weburlesque ... see us live: http://www.weburlesque.com/upcoming-shows ... follow us: @weburlesque @viktordevonne on instagram and twitter; @kitastcyr on instagram ... talk to us: https://www.facebook.com/groups/157673948280099

Aurora North is one of the Brides of the Burlesque, along with Faux Pas le Fae, and co-producer of Eat Me, the circus/burlesque-infused variety show in Brooklyn. The native Torontoian Aurora has a background (and present) in modern dance, which led her to Kinetic Architecture, a dance troupe in NYC led by Faux Pas le Fae (check out episode #8) which has continued multi-dimensional theatrical works over the years. Aurora can also be seen regularly as a solo artist, and has shimmied and grand jeté'd at Rockbar NYC with White Elephant Burlesque, The Box, The Slipper Room, Stonewall Inn, and beyond. ... note: forgive some dog interruption/participation, please. Those occasional thumps are on his belly. Clark suggests you think of them as ASMR. ... recorded: 4-14-2019 ... topics: a dog named Clark, NYU: Tisch, dance life expectancy, start as a kid, recitals, choreography and improvisation, instruction, auditions, undergrad and life after, theatre, singing, phrases, trying again, dance-theatre, checkmate, starting burlesque, lesbian vampires, faith and beliefs, disco kink, runs at The Box, the shock slot, editing, clown cakesitting, American Mary, the presentation and the posture, heterosexual couples portrayed in the media, falling in love mid-transition, power couple, unexpected nurturer, shy nature, going out alone, performance art burlesque, camp, Queer Coney, producing, the scene, the next phase ... shoutouts: Shelly Watson, Gemini & Scorpio, Jo Boobs, Jonny Porkpie, Velocity Chyladd, Darlinda Just Darlinda, House of Yes, Maggie McMuffin, Nasty Canasta, Coney Island, Sage Sovereign, Pink Velvet Witch, Qualms Galore, C'etait BonTemps ... intro/outro music: "On A 45" This Way to the Egress (http://www.thiswaytotheegress.com) ... used with permission ... download it at: https://www.amazon.com/This-Delicious-Cabaret-Explicit-Egress/dp/B005D1GROO ... interlude music: "Eternity" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) & "Le Baguette" by Alexander Nakarada (https://www.serpentsoundstudios.com/) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ ... Support us on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/weburlesque .. see us live: http://www.weburlesque.com/upcoming-shows ... follow us: @weburlesque @viktordevonne on instagram and twitter; Aurora North is @aurora__north and see Eat Me updates at https://facebook.com/fauxaurora & @eatmevarietyshow | Lesbo Variety Show is May 8th & Queer Coney is June 15th ... talk to us: https://www.facebook.com/groups/157673948280099

Aurora North is one of the Brides of the Burlesque, along with Faux Pas le Fae, and co-producer of Eat Me, the circus/burlesque-infused variety show in Brooklyn. Catch them every-other-month at Bizarre Bushwick. The native Torontoian Aurora has a background (and present) in modern dance, which led her to Kinetic Architecture, a dance troupe in NYC led by Faux Pas le Fae (check out episode #8) which has continued multi-dimensional theatrical works over the years. Aurora can also be seen regularly as a solo artist, and has shimmied and grand jeté'd at Rockbar NYC with White Elephant Burlesque, The Box, The Slipper Room, Stonewall Inn, and beyond. ... note: forgive some dog interruption/participation, please. Those occasional thumps are on his belly. Clark suggests you think of them as ASMR. ... recorded: 4-14-2019 ... topics: a dog named Clark, NYU: Tisch, dance life expectancy, start as a kid, recitals, choreography and improvisation, instruction, auditions, undergrad and life after, theatre, singing, phrases, trying again, dance-theatre, checkmate, starting burlesque, lesbian vampires, faith and beliefs, disco kink, runs at The Box, the shock slot, editing, clown cakesitting, American Mary, the presentation and the posture, heterosexual couples portrayed in the media, falling in love mid-transition, power couple, unexpected nurturer, shy nature, going out alone, performance art burlesque, camp, Queer Coney, producing, the scene, the next phase ... shoutouts: Shelly Watson, Gemini & Scorpio, Jo Boobs, Jonny Porkpie, Velocity Chyladd, Darlinda Just Darlinda, House of Yes, Maggie McMuffin, Nasty Canasta, Coney Island, Sage Sovereign, Pink Velvet Witch, Qualms Galore, C'etait BonTemps ... intro/outro music: "On A 45" This Way to the Egress (http://www.thiswaytotheegress.com) ... used with permission ... download it at: https://www.amazon.com/This-Delicious-Cabaret-Explicit-Egress/dp/B005D1GROO ... interlude music: "Eternity" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) & "Le Baguette" by Alexander Nakarada (https://www.serpentsoundstudios.com/) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ ... Support us on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/weburlesque .. see us live: http://www.weburlesque.com/upcoming-shows ... follow us: @weburlesque @viktordevonne on instagram and twitter; Aurora North is @aurora__north and see Eat Me updates at https://facebook.com/fauxaurora & @eatmevarietyshow | Lesbo Variety Show is May 8th & Queer Coney is June 15th ... talk to us: https://www.facebook.com/groups/157673948280099

Kita St. Cyr is one of the hardest working women in New York City burlesque, sideshow, and nightlife, Kita St. Cyr produces multiple shows. Known as The Caramel Cutie with the Apple Booty, Kita hosts Undercover at Gemini & Scorpio, and recently (after this conversation) took over Dr. Sketchy's NYC. ... topics: gogo to glitterbox, sense of movement, growing up in salsa clubs, retro pinup model, Kita Panda, swing revival, a gothy Jessica Rabbit, this is my martini glass, Rhinestone Follies, porn karaoke, just wanting to watch, backstage camp counselor, Carmen Miranda oversimplification, racial ambiguity, exotica, queerness on stage, male gaze, gritty for the sake of gritty, neo vs classic, emotional narrative, stumbling into fire, wanting to do everything, fire eating, fire fans, choreographing fire, levi wand, Starfire, fire tassels, studying with Satan's Angel, passion, hosting, talking about sex, the vortex, Lip Service, natural gabber ... shoutouts: Dr. Lucky, Doe Deere, Perle Noire, Gigi LaFemme, Nasty Canasta, Beelzebabe, Hazel Honeysuckle, Albert Cadabra, Bastard Keith, Nelson Lugo, Patrick Wall, Nati Amos, Sage Sovereign, Sweet Pea, Satan's Angel, Bambi Galore, Bettie Blackheart, Lady Monster, Bunny Galore, Fancy Feast, Shelly Watson ... recorded: October 20, 2018 ... notes: learn about Satan's Angel's documentary at http://www.satansangelmovie.com ... music: "On a 45" This Way to the Egress (thiswaytotheegress.com); Used with permission - download it on Amazon today: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07DY68WX2/ ... "Semi-Funk" "Just Nasty" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com); Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License; http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ ... shop our merch: http://weburlesque.com/shop ... support us on patreon: https://patreon.com/weburlesque ... see us live: http://www.weburlesque.com/upcoming-shows ... follow us: @weburlesque @viktordevonne on instagram and twitter; @kitastcyr on instagram ... talk to us: https://www.facebook.com/groups/157673948280099

Viva Vidalia is a GLAM Award multiple nominee and producer/hostess of several shows all over New York City and Miss Trixie Delight is photographer and performer. Viktor Devonne sits with both of these Long Islanders one afternoon to chat about their individual experiences, and their comeup in their fields. ... shoutouts: Sasha Velour, Jo Boobs, Jezebel Express, MF Akynos, Nasty Canasta, Gigi BonBon, Jean Harlot, Rain Supreme, Shelly Watson, Petra Fried, Miss Cherry Delight, Bob the Drag Queen, Tigger, Florence D'Lee, Lilith LeFae, Catrina Lovelace, Lola Michele-Kiki, Lucky Charming, Ginger Twist, David Byrd, Atticus Stevenson, Ellen Stagg, Ben Trivett, Allegra Spread, Boo Bess, Cheeky Lane, Harvest Moon, Holly Ween, Coco Taylor ... topics: an industry of flingers, parking lot, Amber Love, Miss Runner-Up, costume design, Drag Race impact, Dita and Sharon and Chad, America's Next Top Burlesque, culuture of misogny and feminist burlesque, fadeouts, stage fright, performing for no one, out of drag, the real you, identity, demanding more, sustainability, photography, watching from the audience, acts and numbers, young queens, showmanship, ... recorded: October 20, 2018 ... music: "On a 45" This Way to the Egress (thiswaytotheegress.com); Used with permission - download it on Amazon today: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07DY68WX2/ + "Jazz Brunch" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com); Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License; http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ ... shop our merch: http://weburlesque.com/shop ... support us on patreon: https://patreon.com/weburlesque ... see us live: http://www.weburlesque.com/upcoming-shows ... follow us: @weburlesque @viktordevonne on instagram and twitter; @vivavidalia mstrixiedelight on IG ... talk to us: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1576739482800994

Mina Minou is in town to work on her docu series that discusses religion and burlesque performance art. She is presently living in Montreal visiting NYC, and is full of surprises as an active artist, aspirational minister, and refugee advocate as a queer Iranian-American woman. ... shoutouts: Lillian Bustle, Mademoiselle Oui Oui Encore, Jo Boobs, Shelly Watson, Holly Ween, Fem Appeal, Lefty Lucy, Anja Keister, Vigor Mortis, Switch n' Play ... topics: Québécois, around the world with Mina Minou, travel and time, learning how to drive on a tractor, car crashes, "home is cat and my bong is," mini-series, queer Montreal burlesque, a lot of pies, a lot of nickels, the French for "funzies," alliterations and kittens, Follies Fromage, rules for burlesque, nerdlesque, "I'm on some dumb shit," feeling wanted, identifying as Persian, Iran, vaguely Christian, Sevdaliza, bullying towards Middle Easterners, the most Iranian of the Iranians/Ruler of the Universe, Canada and human rights, Greece, social justice ministry, intersectionality, Mr. Rogers, respectability politics, being angry and pushing back, punching Nazis, good intent, growing edges and bright lights, privilege, a-ha moments, creative process, folklore, horror movies, earning preciousness ... recorded: July 29, 2018 ... special thank you to Doll Body for housing our discussion space this episode! ... note: "I'm Persian, like the cat, meow" is a gag from Moz Jobrani, which Mina references around the thirty minute mark. Mina alludes to the concept of "living in/on the hyphen" which is an expression credited to Ilan Stavans; check out this article at https://www.oxfordamerican.org/magazine/item/352-living-on-the-hyphen ... and yeah, Viktor probably said "Entomology" when he meant "Etymology" ... Support us on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/weburlesque and get bonus material ... keep in touch w/ WEBurlesque @weburlesque @viktordevonne on instagram and twitter; Mina can be found at @ghost_grrl on instagram ... you can see White Elephant Burlesque every Wednesday at Rockbar NYC - see http://www.weburlesque.nyc for more & Now on Second Tuesdays: #WEBoylesque at Bizarre Bushwick (next up: August 14, 2018!) - see http://www.weburlesque.com/weboylesque/ for cast details ... intro/outro music: "On A 45" This Way to the Egress (http://www.thiswaytotheegress.com) ... used with permission ... download it at: https://www.amazon.com/This-Delicious-Cabaret-Explicit-Egress/dp/B005D1GROO ... interlude music: "Hep Cat Jive" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ ...

Sometimes flowers, gardens and nature speaks to us. Sometimes we employ them to speak on our behalf. What do our gardens and flowers say to the world? This week on Cultivating Place, we're joined by two people who cultivate hope and opportunity through flowers indirectly and directly in their lives. We speak with Vanessa Diffenbaugh, author of the New York Times Best Selling novel “The Language of Flowers,” and Shelly Watson, founder and director of Bloomin’ Hope, a vocational floral skills program for women at the Jesus Center in Chico. Diffenbaugh is the featured speaker at an upcoming fundraiser for the Jesus Center in Chico on May 14.

Featuring: Michael Formika Jones, Shelly Watson & Martin Scott! presenting further provocative social political mojo and much merry mischief making! Welcome to Fallen Woman! Tune in every Thursday @ the stroke of midnight to www.radiofreebrooklyn.com #radiofreebrooklyn #fallenwomanradio Archive episodes at: www.FallenWoman.com

Featuring: Michael Formika Jones, Shelly Watson & Skot Video! presenting a provocative panel with thoughts & ideas on: - Steel Vagina - Betty White Mojo - Ageism - Fetish of Choice - Abortion Thoughts - HIV Today - Nasty Woman Welcome to Fallen Woman! Tune in every Thursday @ the stroke of midnight to www.radiofreebrooklyn.com #radiofreebrooklyn #fallenwomanradio Archive episodes at: www.FallenWoman.com

Get into it as Legs Malone, Dick Jones & Shelly Watson share their lion hearts & bodacious thoughts on: - Mind Body Connection - Burlesquer to Dog Walker - New Creative Experiences - Nature of Attachment - Big Easy over Big Apple - The Importance of cat vids & gifs - Travel Fever & Soul Food! Welcome to FALLEN WOMAN! Tune in every Thursday at the stroke of midnight to: www.radiofreebrooklyn.com Archive episodes available at: www.fallenwoman.com #radiofreebrooklyn #fallenwomanradio

Get into it as Legs Malone, Shelly Watson & Dick Jones share their lion hearts & bodacious thoughts on: - The Republican National Convention - Compassion & Empathy - Self Care Saves the Planet - and the BEST Sex Toys EVER! Welcome to FALLEN WOMAN! Tune in every Thursday at the stroke of midnight to: www.radiofreebrooklyn.com Archive episodes available at: www.fallenwoman.com #radiofreebrooklyn

Magical musings & mad mischief making from the maverick minds of Matthew Holtzclaw, Faceboy & Shelly Watson include: - Naked & Afraid of Mice at the Magic Castle - Women & Sometimes Men - Oh the Humanity - Dawgs - Pink Hummer Limo Shits - His First Acid Trip - Ass Wednesday's - a ridiculous round of a game called Disturbed Friends - and myself singing Manhattan Blues with Dave Sussman on guitar! WELCOME to FALLEN WOMAN 15 #fallenwomanradio #radiofreebrooklyn

Steven Trumon Gray and Laura Careless Robyne: Hi, I’m Robyne,Wesley: and I’m Wesley,Robyne: and this is, Obstructed View.Wesley: Today we will be discussing Company XIV’s production of Nutcracker Rouge. It is a loose adaptation of Tchaikovsky’s classical ballet, The Nutcracker.Robyne: We will link to a plot synopsis of The Nutcracker in our show notes.Wesley: So let’s begin with design.With set and costume design we have Zane Pihlstrom. With lighting design we have Jeanette Oi-Suko Yew. And with makeup design we have Sarah Cimino.Robyne: As with Cinderella the design elements of this show were beautiful. The production reused the set from Cinderella. So the false proscenium that is set at an angle halfway upstage was used as a curtain system for the show. There was a traveling carousel piece, that has a mounted pole dancers pole on top of it, that is used in the production. As well as various dressing table backstage, that are seen through the curtain at certain points of the production, and various onstage lighting elements including a chandelier. Wesley: There is very little variation in set construction from Cinderella to this production, which is to be expected. The main set pieces remain the same. I found though to be a bit underused in comparison to Cinderella where it felt like an essential player in the performance.Robyne: AgreedWesley: One of the things that you will notice in this production, as compared to Cinderella, or my previous experience with Nutcracker Rouge, is that there was a lot more illusion happening in terms of use of curtain blocking scenic shifts, and blocking your access to backstage action. Maybe it’s just a difference from where we were seated, but I found there to be a lot more reveals happening of the special effects, rather than the effects just walking onto stage. Robyne: It felt like the curtain separated us from the world they were creating, as opposed to Cinderella, where the world was outside of this proscenium that they had created on stage. There was a lot less of an interaction with it, with the dancers, in that ethereal sense. To be fair, this piece was much more frantic and fast paced so it was a lot less of a lounge feel for that.Wesley: The points at which aspects of lighting and set were allowed to take center stage were great. Certain aspects have been enlarged for this production, given the Minetta Lane Theatre allows for that, but it was so fast paced. Whereas in Cinderella I could find certain aspects of it and really let them sit with me for a moment. I could become just as enthralled with the way the light touches a chandelier as I could with a person’s body. Here, if I wanted those moments of stillness, those moments of quiet, I had to scrape for them. Robyne: Right.Wesley: They were there! They were there in design. But we weren’t given much access to them as audience members.Robyne: The costume design was the only aspect of this production that I enjoyed more than I did in Cinderella. It was absolutely exquisite and completely in my mind justifies the lack of additions to the set because that is not where their energy and financial resources went clearly. The costumes were gorgeous. The dresses, the various candy pieces were all beautiful.Wesley: I totally agree. I think this was better than the previous Nutcracker Rouge I saw. Better than Cinderella. The costumes were divine. They found that edge between baroque operatic, and drag, and they ran across it and it was beautiful. The narrator, her various looks, I don’t know how she got into dress after dress after dress but she did and it looked like it was done with such ease.Robyne: The only benefit I give them to the speed of the production and the franticness is how impressive Mrs. Drosselmayer’s costume changes were. Because at a number of times her stripping down in the burlesque style to bareness and coming back fully dressed in a completely new gown was astounding. Wesley: And the masks. The mask work I think they were pieces of artwork. They were absolute, unqualified, pieces of art.Robyne: And while I don’t necessarily agree with moment, which we will discuss later, of being in the woods with the wolf, the creation of the wolf masks with glowing eyes was really cool. It was just a really cool moment of theatre magic. Laura Careless (on floor) and cast members of Nutcracker Rouge Wesley: I just would have really liked more time to really ogle. That’s all.5:00Robyne: Agreed. One of the things we’re going to talk about a lot is the amount of time we as the audience were given to indulge. Something I absolutely loved about Cinderella was how much it felt like I was drinking champagne throughout the production. It was leisurely, it was gorgeous, it bubbled, it gave you this warm sense and you were allowed to lose yourself in this production. A fault I found in Nutcracker Rouge, was how frantic and frenetic all of the energy on stage was. The story telling was completely different in this piece than it was in Cinderella. Wesley: The lighting played such an important part of Cinderella.Robyne: -YesWesley: In Cinderella so much of the magic they were creating wasn’t through smoke and mirrors as much as it was the tangibility of the light of where you see it. It wasn’t so much about hiding the thing, it’s about what it’s showing what it’s revealing and the way it dances off the people. Here, nothing was able to sit long enough for the lighting to have the effect it deserves. Robyne: Agreed, the art of lighting design is re-sculpting the space on stage and I loved how in Cinderella how they created stillness and small spaces and confinement through lighting alone and that was completely lost in this production. Wesley: I don’t think it’s that we know what we’re looking for now. It’s not just this element of surprise we got from Cinderella, (where) we had random bursts of neon, and oh light would come from a weird angle and hit a chandelier. When I saw the light hit a chandelier in this performance I had a very similar experience. It wasn’t just that it’s new, it’s that this world should be new and still invite these things to create a new texture. I wasn’t brought into this world to really experience them. In Cinderella, in the previous Nutcracker Rouge I saw, there was always enough room on the stage for both myself and the light to take up space. There just wasn’t any of that in this. Robyne: Except, I would argue, the one moment where the performers were all backlit. I can’t remember what number it was exactly. Wesley: There is one moment when the lighting design is very much allowed to take a tangible force in the design elements. And that was a great moment, because it was done with subtlety. Robyne: Really the piece was just so frantic that Austin never gave the designers enough time to be recognized. When the carousel was brought out in this number it was very impressive, but it was not the breathtaking moment it was in Cinderella, because it happens so fast and so soon. It felt a lot more stunty this time. And without that space to breath, without that light touch, it was overwhelming. Wesley: And not only that, let’s look at when they brought that in. Because that was prologue right?Robyne: I believe so-Wesley: Yeah, so they had the two marionettes, which is a part of Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker, but they were done before we were introduced to anything in this world. These were parts of a prologue, and this cold open, it does more to baffle than intrigue I think. And that’s a consistent aspect to this production. Is its adaptation was was more convoluted than it was delicate. Robyne: The real issue I found with this production was that Austin Mccormick’s concept really got in the way of his storytelling. Rather than approaching The Nutcracker through a narrative, they approached The Nutcracker through a vaudeville/cabaret by means of burlesque/baroque ballet.Wesley: Which, to be fair, a lot of the original Nutcracker does commit to. But the issue here is also that he didn’t adapt it in a way that showed a unification of thought. His adaptation of The Nutcracker I found to be very convoluted. Robyne: There was a moment where I turned to Wesley and said “I really need to refamiliarize myself with The Nutcracker because clearly I don’t remember the story.” There was shoehorned into The Nutcracker a version of The Little Red Riding Hood.Wesley: And not only that but we begin with this cold open with two marionettes and Clara just walks in from the house which was lovely, it was a lovely moment because we had the Tchaikovsky ballet music happening behind it. She is handed the nutcracker doll that we all know and then she gets lost in the woods. And...10:00Robyne: And that number on its own is beautiful. I personally loved the use of Vivaldi’s Winter underscoring the march of the animals. The confusion in the woods. This almost 1950’s Disney Snow White version of a girl in the woods lost and seeing eyes everywhere through this use of wolf masks. I absolutely loved all of that it just did not sit in this productionbecause it was not a part of The Nutcracker. Wesley: It might have just been tainted for me as an audience member because I was sitting there searching for The Nutcracker. I just thought that the use of Vivaldi’s Winter was obvious. I had seen this previously in a different space that was much too small for this ensemble piece, so it was nice to see these performers get enough room, but I was just too confused as to why what was happening in front of me was happening to actually appreciate it on an aesthetic level. Of course the masks, and the wigs, and the headdresses were all fantastic, but I was just too baffled as to why is Clara was running through the woods with a nutcracker doll and why is Mdm. Drossellmayer watching her do this?Robyne: Yeah Wesley: And then she goes to the world of sweets. Which is when we finally get to The Nutcracker we all know. The story of her basically going from Alice in Wonderland style one vignette to one vignette to one vignette, until she wakes up. Robyne: The issue here was that became the sole focus of the production. This production lacked any Rat King that I saw and the nutcracker hero, the Nutcracker Cavalier, doesn’t show up until the very last dance number. Wesley: Were they to not have used Tchaikovsky’s score, include the word "Nutcracker" in its title, or not show that doll at the very beginning, nobody would have probably known that it was The Nutcracker. Robyne: If this production would have been taken out of the framework of “The Nutcracker,” it would have been great. But because I went in with the understanding that I will be seeing Austin McCormick’s version of The Nutcracker, and I did not see what I consider to be the story of The Nutcracker, it lost me.Wesley: It was a bit of what I was saying about our previous review of Dracula, there has to be something about this that you like. Something about this story that engages you. Now something we didn’t get from this Nutcracker Rouge that I had gotten from the previous Nutcracker Rouge, was throughout the performance Marie Claire was getting more and more enticed by this world of sweets until by the end she had taken off all her of clothes and is ready to be with the Nutcracker Cavalier in their final pas de deux. The problem here is she remains mostly clothed throughout the piece with probably only once or twice taking off a garment of clothing and she doesn’t really give us a sense of her willingness, or unwillingness, or her joy in being in this world because we don’t see her. Because we’re so focused on the incredible performances happening on the stage. Robyne: In previous conversations you have explained the Nutcracker Rouge you saw last year as Marie Claire’s coming of age as shown through the art of burlesque. The unwrapping of her stuffy values and the joy she finds in her sexuality and sensuality and beauty. Whereas this felt so much more like Gulliver’s Travels, discussing how strange the natives of this land were but very much so that idea of foreignness and alienation. Shelly Watson and Laura Careless Wesley: I don’t think that she ever really enjoys the place that she’s visiting. Or when she does it’s despite herself. There’s not a sense of a gradual progression that I got from the previous Nutcracker Rouge which was also aided by the fact that the presence of the Cavalier was more tangible, in this previous iteration I saw. Or at least in my mind it was. Whereas in this production we kind of got a half hearted mention towards it in the first act and then at very end he comes in and dances with her. And I was thinking to myself “Who are you?” “What are you doing” “How did we reach this point?” and “What do you mean to her?” and then she wakes up with the nutcracker doll. Now this is a very obvious statement, a very great allegory for sexual awakening that could be put through this vaudeville of burlesque in the sweets but it was done so manically and its foundation wasn’t strong enough to really give it a sense of sustainability. Robyne: It just felt more like a Shelly Watson cabaret with burlesque background dancers that was flavored with Nutcracker. Rather than a fully formed world and a single idea of a production.15:00Wesley: The thing about Cinderella was that it had all of the look and aesthetic of frivolity but it was founded on something so beautiful that it had that sort of substantiality to it. Robyne: And this feels like a giant step backwards. This feels like everything I promised Cinderella wasn’t. That this is. It does have that “fun as aesthetic,” as you like to say. And the key moment for me that completely turned me off from this production, I will parallel with the godmother coming to Cinderella, where you see this beautiful transformation and you see her feeling whole. You see her feeling beautiful. She is dressed and she has this power. Whereas in this production, while it was partnered with my favorite moment of this production, which was Marcy Richardson on a hoop singing Chandelier in French with the mirrorpulled upstage and framed so that light is reflecting off of it and it gives the world a very otherworldly beauty. Marie Claire is undressing behind it in what feels like shame, and comes out in this skimpier version of what she was wearing that was gold, and it feels like the opposite of what champagne is supposed to do. And the approach that Mdm. Drosselmayer has in it just comes off as very rapey. It just feels like an older family friend offering alcohol to the young just starting to come into her own pubescent daughter of a friend in a very smarmy very uncomfortable feel. It just lacks that heart that Cinderella had. That lacked that fun exploration.Wesley: I totally agree. I think she was very much not in control. And her undressing was very much something that wasn’t the goal, it felt like it was a side effect to the things that were happening. Robyne: It didn’t feel like you could see her fingerprints on the world as she went through it. As you can in something like Alice in Wonderland. You can see the world reflecting her presence, just as it reflects in her. This was much more sort of a feeling of contamination. Wesley: As you were saying earlier, a lot of performers seem to look at her with some disdain in the performance. I know that might have been a part of the schtick, but she wasn’t really welcomed by anyone into the world of the sweets besides Mdm. drosselmeyer. Everyone else kind of looked down on her. Shunned her. Or she was just supposed to look at in awe. Rather than actually let her play around with them. And all of this just goes back to pacing. We weren’t able to sit in this world at all. It was a whirlwind.Robyne: The production only had one intermission. Which seems silly to say, but something about the structure of Cinderella worked very well. It breathed. There were entr’actes. There was room to play, and have fun, and indulge. And this just felt frantic. This felt like a poorly managed drag show in its pacing. Wesley: And that goes right to the execution of a lot of the dance. I’m going to say that if I had seen this performed with a different company I wouldn’t be giving benefit of the doubt, cause a lot of the performances were not synchronized in the places they were supposed to be synchronized and a lot of it felt very haphazard in delivery.Robyne: We were spoiled for expectation because of Cinderella. The refinement and the restraint that Austin McCormick showed. This production just felt so rushed and unpreparedWesley: And what makes it all the odder for me is that I have seen this done before. I’ve seen this production before. I’ve seen it in a different space, and it worked beautifully. I keep on thinking of reasons something might have been lost in translation between the two spaces. But at the end of the day, this was not of the same quality that I’ve come to expect from Company XIV and the work of Austin McCormick.Robyne: My fear is that because of the new space, and because of the new space’s location it feels as Austin’s aiming the productions more towards a very specific type of audience. Which is fine, but it feels as if he is going down the channel that Bravo did when Bravo stopped showing Cirque du Soleil and stopped showing opera and went full reality television and campy and trashy in my opinion. Which is just to say how gorgeous Cinderella was, and this piece fell short. But that’s not to say that the choreography was in any way shape or form bad. It was all beautiful still. Lea Helle, Marcy Richardson (on hoop) and Laura Careless 20:00Wesley: Absolutely, so many of the acts were drop dead gorgeous. So many of the performers, beautiful incredibly talented people. The choreography, especially in, I believe they were Candied Violets, I remember they took my breath away. The ensemble work, especially with the candied violets, which was just a baroque ensemble piece with masks was so beautiful and so lovingly created and it took my breath away much more than any antic or any stunt work did.Robyne: There were times as an audience member you could feel the entire audience turn in anger towards a single person who had started to applaud because we were not done sitting in awe of what we had just seen. And that is so intensely powerful. And to be a part of that. And to witness such artistry is incredible. To feel that an artist deserves silence to indulge in what they are doing, as opposed to stand and applaud, is an achievement in itself.Wesley: And it’s very rare, especially for a New York audience that’s paying top dollar and they want to make very verbal what they’ve paid for. And when you’re able to actually just indulge, those rare moments in this production where we’re actually able to indulge rather than just stuff our faces, was fantastic. But rather than a jewelry box, rather than a little chocolate box full of nice sweets, this felt gluttonous. This felt nauseating by the end. Too many flavors. Too many notes. And all at the expense of what could have been a very simple, and very beautiful heart. Robyne: Absolutely, and before we go on any more we have to introduce the cast: Hilly Bodin as the ballerina doll, as cherry, and as part of the corps de ballet, Lea Helle as cherry and corps de ballet, Jacob Karr as the marionette doll, cake, and corps, Nicholas Katen and Ross Katen as the turkish delights, candy cane, and corps, Malik Shebazz Kitchen and Mark Osmundson, both corps members, Devon Rainey as chocolate, candy cane and corps, Marcy Richardson as the poll doll, and champagne, Nichole von Arks as Cherry and corps, Stephen Trumon Grey as the Nutcracker Cavalier, Laura Careless as Marie Claire, and Shelly Watson as Mdm. Drosselmeyer. All incredible.Wesley: Undoubtedly some of the best performers in the city.Robyne: I threw away a comment earlier that it felt like a Shelly Watson cabaret. I would love to see a Shelly Watson cabaret.Wesley: Yeah, that wasn’t derogatory in any way. That is totally fine most of the time.Robyne: She feels like a missing sister between Molly Pope, and Bridgette Everett.Wesley: Absolutely, her talents, her vocal prowess, matched so beautifully with her ability to go one on one with the audience members. Which was something that I thought was very much missing from Cinderella, was that sort of audience interaction which she really made very important in this piece and I could have used more of it honestly. Robyne: Absolutely.Wesley: Also, her costumes, her quick changes, her commenting on what was happening, were rare moments of self awareness as to what was going on in the performance, that were very much needed by us as audience members.Robyne: I just didn’t understand who she was in this world other than the narrator, until after we left, and I read the playbill and saw that she was replacing the magician. Wesley: Right, and in the previous production of Nutcracker Rouge I saw the Drosselmeyers were actually a couple. There were two of them performing as Madame and Monsieur Drosselmeyer. In this production it was very clear that she was the only Drosselmeyer of importance, and that too, seeped too into the manipulativeness of Marie Claire. Robyne: Agreed.Wesley: Though once again, that was not her. For what she had to work with, this is one of the highlights of the evening. Robyne: Her voice is exquisite.Wesley: Yeah.Robyne: Her persona was incredible, was fun, sexy, ridiculous. She was somebody I wanted to run back stage and get a drink with. Wesley: Absolutely.25:00Robyne: Stephen Trumon Grey, is a phenomenal dancer. I am actually upset that I only saw him perform in the final number. When he was the prince in Cinderella he was a joy to watch on stage. Every moment.Wesley: While he is a great dancer, in this performance I was left utterly cold by him.Robyne: Agreed, that final number between Laura Careless and Stephen Trumon Gray, between Marie Claire and the Nutcracker, felt like- felt as if it did not belong in this cabaret world. It felt like a piece that was from an earlier rendition of this production that had a lot more heart and it, while being impressive, lacked beauty because it was so frantic and rough. Wesley: So in this previous production of Nutcracker Rouge I saw this whole piece kind of ramped up to that. You know. It wasn’t just the cherry on top, it was the whole piece was arching towards her finally getting with the prince. Here, we already had the whole sundae and we have an empty bowl in front of us and they just plop this cherry in the middle. And it really didn’t- it didn’t fill us any more. And that was compared to the- frantic, yes- but warmth of the rest of the piece. It was out of this world, and I got no sense of personality from either of them.Robyne: She was suddenly there with a stranger on stage. It wasn’t clear that he was the Nutcracker at all unless you know the story of The Nutcracker. It wasn’t the culmination of this coming of age experience for her, it kind of felt like being college in your first semester and hooking up with the first person who shows interest in you after a three year relationship in high school. It just felt empty. Wesley: And, while he is a very attractive man, there was the sense that that was all there was to this. Whereas the prince in Cinderella has a personality. You get the sense that there is chemistry between them. I only got the sense of physical want rather than real sensual chemistry between these two performers. Which isn’t the fault of these two performers, it’s the structure of the piece. Steven Trumon Gray and Laura Careless Robyne: Right.Wesley: Now Marie Claire, as performed by Laura Careless, this is a stereotype character. A damsel. An ingenue. And it is a very fun character to play with but only in so far as she is able to develop. When you have this wandering swooning girl from beginning until she appears seminude at the end, it’s more baffling than anything.Robyne: Yeah and the-Wesley: And it just becomes redundant. You know, there are only times you can see her not alternate before we finally get tired of her. Robyne: I found that a lot of the short comings of Marie Claire came in how she was treated by the rest of the world. It wasn’t that her naiveté and interest and fascination in this world was welcomed and they showed her how they exist how their culture works. It was so much more looked on as she was a silly little girl. That there was a lot of as you said disdain in the sweets towards her. So it was perplexing as to why she was suddenly undressing in champagne and mostly nude in the final number. It, again, lent itself towards a cold, very uncomfortable, forced alcohol, sex with a stranger situation. Wesley: And the thing is a lot of what make great fantasy so effective is how much it makes its audience think to themselves “what I would give to go there.” And how easy is it to make us want to go to a land of sweets. A land of champagne, and cookies, full of beautiful people doing beautiful things. But when they are just mean to her sometimes, or rude, or prudish to her, it doesn’t become enticing anymore.Robyne: And we weren’t ever given a moment of longing after she had those interactions. The next one just started and we weren’t allowed to see her mourn the ending of the encounter and desire for more. We as the audience were never given that, we were simply given the next thing. Wesley: And she never really seemed in charge of where we were going. In The Nutcracker you really get the sense that each person comes out and does their thing for her, much like a court. Here, we’re not sure if she is walking through part of this Garden of Versailles where she’s meeting all these things like Dante’s Inferno, like you were saying, or if we’re maintaining this ball/court structure. Brett Umlauf (on left wearing black boots) and Laura Careless (on right) with cast members of Nutcracker Rouge. 30:00Robyne: It did not feel as though we were one of the lucky children that stumbled into Narnia and found Aslan, and were shown all the wonders of this land. It felt like we had met the White Witch and she was shoving Turkish delights down our throat. Wesley: Right-right.Robyne: And Turkish delights are delicious, but sometimes you need to breathe. Again, Brett Umlauf and Marcy Richardson did not disappoint. Wesley: They killed it.Robyne: They were incredible and their pieces, their pieces themselves, did not necessarily fit into the world that was created. It felt that a venue was necessary for those two powerhouses to demonstrate, and so it was, and it was incredible and it didn’t make sense. Wesley: And furthermore, one of the things that made the performances by Brett Umlauf and Marcy Richardson so impressive and so enthralling in Cinderella, is the structure of one-upmanship. The reason that they’re getting more extravagant, more crazy is that they are trying to better the other. And it’s not just how great the performances are, which they are, it’s that we have this enticing characterization pulling us towards it. That actually did so much. Which we didn’t realize maybe, but that did so much to help the level of enjoyment in these experiences.Robyne: The idea that there is a woman on a pole on top of a piece of a deconstructed carousel pole-dancing and singing opera is incredible. The fact that she has done that to upstage her sister to win the prince- is- just ups the ante that much more, and allows the performers to really indulge in their characters, and give us an amazing performance. Because then you have all of that characterization.Wesley: Now to be fair that’s not so much the fault of Austin McCormick here as much as it is just the structure of The Nutcracker. Which is flawed there by any stretch of the imagination. Robyne: Absolutely.Wesley: The Nutcracker- it’s basic use is to teach people how to watch ballet. I think Nutcracker Rouge is a way to teach people how to watch burlesque. These things can go right back and forth with each other. But, there should have been some sensuality, there should have been some framework in Marie Claire that allowed us to go even further into this world, and further into the experience of watching her, rather than just pure stunt and aesthetic creation. Which they’re great at. Robyne: Absolutely. Going off that it’s much easier to play a character with wants and desires than it is to play Chocolate, or Cherry. Those then- those pieces then lent themselves much better to a choreographer being able to have a lot of fun on stage. Which he did, at the expense of the narrative.Devon Rainey’s Chocolate performance as a flamenco pasodoble piece with a lot of hard shoe work (which I personally love hard shoe work.) It had personality, it was a lot of fun, it was sexualized without being seductive, which was a lot of what I found in this piece. The “Turkish Delight” piece was fun. The “Cherry” piece was fun. I for the life of me have no idea where the “Cake” number came from. It rang false in this world for me. It was fun but it wasn’t as tasty as the rest of the piece was. “Candy Canes” were fun, there was a lot of fun. There was a lot of beautiful performances. There was a lot of great dance. It just didn’t all fit together. Wesley: I just felt so disconnected from so much of the performances and the joy I saw on stage felt synthetic. Robyne: Yeah.Wesley: Because it wasn’t grounded in a statement. It was grounded in fun. It was grounded in synthetic entertainment. And, as I told you before, I’ve never seen any piece whose sole goal was fun, that achieved that goal, because there has to be something more that we’re grasping at. And while the mask, the big bull mask in “Chocolate” was fantastic. And the exuberance of “Cake” was great fun. But there was no substance to so much of it. And so many of the music choices just lacked any structure. Going from one “Sugar-Plum Fairy Suite” to the next “Sugar-Plum Fairy Suite,” with no- Davon Rainey and Laura Careless Robyne: To a techno version of the “Sugar-Plum Fairy-”35:00Wesley: Yeah! It was all of these different confusing choices that never really meshed. One of the things that happened in the previous Nutcracker Rouge, as well as Cinderella, is you saw aesthetics of many worlds come together into a cohesive whole. I never questioned why someone might be singing a contemporary pop song in an operatic fashion. I never questioned why this person was dressed in Louis XIV garment, and that person in flapper garment, but here, every once in a while I thought to myself, “wait, why are they doing that?” “Why do they look like that?” “That doesn’t-what is this doing here?” Instead of feeling sutured into this world, it felt thrown on. Robyne: It did not feel as though we were able to sample all of these delights. It felt like we were shoving candy into our mouths after Halloween. It just felt like endless gluttony, and we felt stuffed at the end, and bloated, and disgusting.Wesley: It wasn’t flavor, it was saturation. Robyne: A lot of this harshness comes from our expectations being so high.Wesley: I would have to say I have never been more disappointed. Simply because of where I knew this could be. I haven’t just seen Company XIV better, I’ve seen Nutcracker Rouge be better, and that’s all. I look forward- I am so looking forward to seeing Snow White. Robyne: Oh absolutely.Wesley: I- There is no doubt in my mind that a lot of these issues have to do with “this is their blockbuster. People are going to be coming to see this. A lot of them this is their first burlesque work. A lot of people are coming in not sure what to expect, not wanting The Nutcracker, but maybe not wanting Cirque du Soleil.Robyne: But part of it I think might be the fear that people returning want something new from the Nutcracker Rouge, when, if anything, if there is something to be learned from The Nutcracker itself, it is that people will come every year to see the same exact production because of what it means to them. And I would see Cinderella next year. And I would see Cinderella every year, because it’s astounding. Wesley: Absolutely, I agree, I think this might have been their game of one upsmanship with themselves. And I think they might have gone a little bit self conscious here trying to up the ante in their new space,Robyne: - and trying to appease the audience base that they have built in this neighborhood. Wesley: Rather than attempting to really get to the core of what they have been about in previous productions.Robyne: So I guess Wesley, the question is, is Nutcracker Rouge worth the $75-$100 ticket?Wesley: I believe if you are looking to just see something zany, something of high quality in terms of construction with a nice bow on it, this could still be worth the cost of that admission. But- but, if you are looking for the best of Company XIV, and the best work in New York City, it’s best to pass and just wait for Snow White. Robyne: I agree, if you are looking to see incredible performers perform some great dance, and have a lot of fun, totally worth the price of admission. If you are looking to bring your mother on her first trip to New York to see the best dance in the city, this piece is not Cinderella. The Nutcracker Rouge runs until January 17th at the Minetta Lane Theatre. Tickets can be purchased at companyxiv.com. As always you can find us at obstructed-view.com on facebook at facebook.com/obstructedviewpodcast, on twitter @obstructed_view, on soundcloud at soundcloud.com/obstructedview or email us at theobstructedviewpodcast@gmail.com .Wesley: I’m WesleyRobyne: and I’m RobyneWesley: And rememberRobyne: Curiosity is gluttony - To see is to devour.*Photography by Mark Shelby Perry.

Legs Malone interviews Shelly Watson. opera singer, burlesque host and generally awesome woman. For more info on Shelly, please visit www.shellywatson.com