Combining humour, feather boas, sex, theatre and lots of glitter, the first Ottawa Burlesque Festival is getting ready to hit the stage this weekend in the national capital.
The three-day festival, which runs Friday to Sunday, promises to celebrate art, creativity, sensuality, sexual freedom and diversity in the performing arts.
“The underlying goal behind the festival is not only to put Ottawa on the international burlesque map…but also to show the city the legitimacy of burlesque as a means of sexual and gender expression,” says festival translator, francophone representative and graphic designer Jolie Stripes.
Stripes, like the other performers, prefers to be identified by her stage name.
Ottawa is the third major Canadian city to hold a burlesque festival. Vancouver’s festival began in 2006, while Montreal’s launched in 2009.
Currently, there are seven burlesque troupes located in Ottawa alone, including Capital Tease, Rockalily Burlesque and the Browncoats Burlesque.
However, Stripes says there are still many people who do not know about the burlesque scene in the city and are unaware that it’s a live entertainment option.
Stripes believes that if at least one person learns about burlesque, goes to the festival and decides to attend a show later on in the month, then the festival will reach its goal.
“Burlesque can be anything and it’s never what you expect,” Stripes says. “If you want to try something new…dress up, be titillated, have a good laugh, or just be plain entertained…(and) go to one of your local burlesque shows.”
OBF co-founder and director of marketing, Helvetica Bold, says she hopes the festival educates more people in Ottawa about burlesque as an art form.
“It is not just stripping, which for some reason is still a misconception we face regularly,” she says. “Diversity is sexy. People of all shapes, sizes, colours, genders, ages and abilities deserve to be represented in the spotlight and to feel welcome in art spaces.”
Bold explains that burlesque is a safe space for people of all backgrounds to express themselves.
“It’s very powerful to see someone you identify with on stage. That doesn’t always happen with theatre or dance or live music, where aesthetics are less varied.”
Meena Jatrois, project manager and burlesque performer, will be opening the show on Friday night with one of her signature cabaret numbers.
Jatrois says the OBF wants to challenge society’s gender norms and beauty standards.
“Bodies are sexy,” says Jatrois. “No matter the packaging…Our performers are all bringing their A game and these three shows will not soon be forgotten.”
Friday night’s show, The Dark Side of the Merkin, will take place at the Gladstone Theatre in Little Italy. It will be hosted in both French and English and doors open at 10 p.m. Sydni Deveraux, who was crowned the 2013 princess of burlesque at the Burlesque Hall of Fame in Las Vegas, will be headlining. Prices for a single ticket are $22.
The Saturday night gala will be at the Bronson Centre Theatre, just south of the corner of Bronson and Laurier avenues. Doors open at 6 p.m. and ticket prices for general admission are $30. Renowned guest *BOB* from New York City and Scarlett James, founder of the Montreal Burlesque Festival, will be performing.
The Sunday show, Sinners’ Brunch, will be held at Café Nostalgica located on the University of Ottawa campus. It will be presented at noon. Ticket prices for general admission are $10.
“You’re going to laugh, or be aroused, or both – maybe at the same time,” says Bold.
“Expect to find a bit of glitter on your clothes when you come home, too,” Stripes added.