Whedonesque Burlesque shows who's Joss
So far, this has been a summer of reduced expectations. The weather sucks, the economy remains zombie-like, and the cinemas are awash in three-dimensional dreck. It’s about time that something rose to meet our hopes and aspirations – and Whedoneseque Burlesque, a burlesque show based on the works of the king nerd that brought us Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Firefly and Dollhouse, may well be the thing we need to lift our souls and put the feeling back into our extremities. If burlesque routines based on characters played by Alyson Hannigan and Adam Baldwin aren’t enough to kickstart the economy, part the clouds and send Michael Bay back to hell, who knows what is?
Here’s the thing, though: If you’re just hearing about this now, chances are that you’re not going, no matter how badly you’d like to see Firefly’s Jayne Cobb (portrayed above, and in the show, by the lovely Sister Piston) showing off her guns. Tickets to both nights of Whedonesque – Friday, July 15 and Saturday, July 16 at Theater Off Jackson – sold out within 48 hours. The best that I can do is an interview with Jessica Obrist of Jo Jo Stiletto Productions, the captain of this here boat and the woman who once convinced me to do a burlesque routine based on The Big Lebowski. Trust her, as I once did.
Tell me, what is a Joss Whedon?
A man who once said, "I'd rather make a show a hundred people need to see than a show that a thousand people want to see." Also, like me, he’s a ginger.
And what is Whedonesque Burlesque?
A celebration of the works of Joss Whedon, with an extra wink and a smile.
What are we going to see? Will Buffy's Scoobies be in evidence? Will the dolls be un-housed?
What fun is a show if you read all the spoilers beforehand? I’ll say this: Buffy and Firefly fans will be extremely happy, and fans of Dollhouse and Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog will also get a thrill. We’ve brought in some obvious characters and some not-so-obvious. And to quote an anonymous friend, you will not see “Shepherd’s bush.”
Are all the performers in Whedonesque true nerds? If I quiz them, will they know how Dark Willow got that way and why Shepherd Book seems to know so much about the inner workings of the Alliance?
There’s no Kinsey scale to describe one’s true Joss nerdiness. If you are in this show, you are a true nerd. The first group rehearsal involved lists on giant Post-It notes. How nerdy is that? Also, several performers are reading fanfic as “research.”
But we’re not all experts. In fact, I barely know a lick about Buffy and Angel. When Buffy first aired, I was too busy dressing up like Dana Scully and making X-Files dioramas. I was known as "that Scully Girl" on campus. I’ve wrangled in a few Buffy consultants to compensate.
Why do this? Why get your Whedon in my burlesque and your burlesque in my Whedon?
This isn’t cosplay pageantry, and it isn’t merely your favorite characters stripping. It's much, much more. I swear by my pretty floral bonnet you’ll understand once you’ve seen the show.
Here’s some background. Not long ago I was inspired to create a Dr. Horrible act after seeing the recent Balagan Theater production of the show (three times, mind you). I did some research and stumbled upon a Whedonesque Burlesque show in Madison, WI. The name alone made things tingle in my brain. Those nice folk were kind enough to give me their blessing to use the same name for a Seattle production. I’ve found the various Joss communities to be very supportive of each other -- quite similar to the burlesque community.
Have you heard from the Joss? Does he approve?
I did hear from a girl who knows a guy who knows a guy who may or may not be working with Joss on a project. Said person asked for permission to tell Joss, and the simple response was hell yes! I suspect that if he did know about this production, he’d find it amusing. He seems quite supportive of all flavors of fan art.
Will Whedonesque Burlesque make me want to watch Angel again? Because, truthfully, I don't see that happening.
Sadly, Angel is riding in the back seat for this one. I’m sure there is burlesque inspiration to be found in Angel … not sure where. I’m sure we’ll tap into it, someday.
Is this a one-time deal, or is it the dawning of an age of nerd-based Seattle burlesque?
I’m of the belief that you see how the audience responds before you plan the next production, but I sincerely hope there will be another Whedon-based show or something equally awesome. In the meantime, check out Verses at Sinner Saint, Portland’s Geeklesque by Critical Hit Productions, the Atomic Bombshells’ Lost in Space, which will be mounted again in October and Tempting Tarts Burlesque’s upcoming fundraiser for GeekGirlCon.
