Focusing on the Fabulous!

Firstly I’d like to say a Big CONGRATULATIONS to Kelly Ann Doll for getting first runner up in Miss Burlesque Australia, love you kitten, can’t wait to see some footage of your show!!

Now, in the last few months I’ve made a big effort to get out in the world and be open to new experiences and try new things and work really damn hard on the label. There have been a few triumphs and there have been quite a few failures. It seems that being a good person and expecting others to be the same, doesn’t necessarily work out and that my natural state of “creative hermit” does have allot of merits. But I’m not giving up on you old world and today we focus on the fabulous!

My turn as burlesque debutant, Tipsy Bubble and getting my boobs out onstage!

I’d wanted to do it for years, but I’d not performed for so long and I’d accepted my back stage role as “designer” that crossing the divide was terribly difficult to contemplate. But folks there is a bridge between the worlds of “crew” and “talent” and baby I crossed it! I also got to give a big “f#ck you” to my ex-husband who so kindly pointed out that those burlesque girls are “allot slimmer than you”. Hmph!

I’d like to say thank you to the lovely Samantha Diamond for all her encouragement and coaching and my new name, and to Black Cherry for having me! If your in Sydney, go to Black Cherry, so much fun and soo much bang for your buck!

So what can I say? First things first, its all preparation, rehearsals and forking out the cash. Getting all feathered and sparkly doesn’t come cheap! From false eyelashes to getting grip put on my stilettos I have to say appreciate more and more all the work performers go to to create their acts.

I’d also like to highly recommend Jo Weldon’s work, “The Burlesque Handbook” its brilliant, the woman is fantastic, everyone get down on your knees before her!

Of course I made my own costume, and of course I put all my orders and everyone else’s requests before my own and soo it all got done at the last minute. I love a deadline!  This is me, at the awesome Petty Cash Cafe finishing my pasties, on the day!!

Then it was on to the show, and to stage fright and too many nervous ladies in one very small space! I think one of the best things about working in this sort of environment is the people you meet, and there were some lovely gals, I dint get to see their performances because I was on near the very end, but everyone was so encouraging and sweet that it was a total honour to be a part of it all.

The things I learnt:

#1 Take your watch off you silly goose, a glove pull that reveals a very masculine watch is just rather odd!

#2 Bring something to put on back stage over or instead of your costume, because...

#3 You can’t sit down in a dress covered in balloons and feathers.

#4 Getting stage fright and breaking out in a sweat in a dress covered in feathers is really uncomfortable and leads to a paranoia that your going to get onstage with feathers stuck to your armpits. And other places. 

Finally I’d like to mention the real performers of the night Mark Winmill and Lillian Starr, if you get the chance to see them, do it! Mark came up to me back stage and said lovely things about my performance and all I could think was “Oh my god, the gorgeous man is speaking to me!” ... “Oh my god, I think he’s saying something nice” ... “Oh my god Simone stop gawking and say something back!!” Oh and Lillian’s “Cherry Pie” routine is an absolute show stopper!

So, I did it! All the way down to pasties and a g-string! Loardy! Since I don’t have a photo of the final reveal, you’ll have to make do with this one, the morning after, no make up and no editing, but you do get to see my fabulous pasties!!