The Kansas City Nerdlesque Festival strips down your favorite fandoms
This article was sponsored by the Kansas City Nerdlesque Festival
Call it next-level cosplay: at Nerdlesque, you can see your favorite fandom characters strip on stage.
“It’s like Comic Con and a Burlesque festival had a sexy, little baby,” says Annie-Mae Allure, the founder of local variety show the Rude Review and executive producer of Kansas City’s first Nerdlesque Festival, which runs August 6-12 at the Just Off Broadway Theatre. “It’s ruining your childhood in a really sexy way.”
Take Olive Avira’s performances. She’s an award-winning aerialist with a lyra (that’s the big ring that burlesque dancers often use). At Nerdlesque’s Thursday Night Sci-Fantasy Showcase, it’s on a pole like a Harry Potter quidditch post. She’ll strip on the hoop, then catch the snitch in her panties. Can you get much more nerdy-sexy?
“A lot of people think burlesque is that old-timey thing they don’t know much about, but they do know something about Alien vs. Predator or Star Trek,” says Blipey, associate producer and house manager for the fest. The goal is to bring something sexy for everybody, no matter their tastes.
“Part of our philosophy for Nerdlesque Festival is that all bodies are sexy, regardless of size, gender, age, or whatever,” Allure says. “We want everybody to have a place, and we want our audience to be able to relate to someone in the shows.”
That inclusivity is shown throughout the lineup, with headliners Poison Ivory of New York, EmpeROAR Fabulous!!! of Seattle, and Vivienne Vermuth of Dallas — all big names in the burlesque community and each with routines that get nerdier and dirtier.
Saturday night’s competition is where performers will compete for the 2018 Master of Nerdlesque title. It’s “the best in Nerdlesque all in one place,” according to Allure, and will feature two KC performer and 6 others from across the nation .
“Kater Tot is a local, and she’s part of the reason that I really wanted to do this festival, because she does exclusively nerdlesque and all of her characters are hilarious,” Allure says. Tot’s two performances are Edward Scissorhands and Uncle Fester, characters not commonly thought of as sexy; Tot intends to change your mind.
“I think people really like seeing stuff they’re already familiar with but shown in a new way,” says Basic Boy, Nerdlesque’s associate producer and “stage kitten” for the show (he’ll pick up the discarded clothing after each performance).
While you’ll get to see your favorite characters bare it all on stage, Nerdlesque has other nerdy activities, too. On Monday, August 6, you can sketch your favorite characters in costume; on Wednesday, you can play board games with the performers; and at the shows on Thursday and Friday night, you can stick around for trivia. The week is packed with workshops and cosplay appearances, too. When Nerdlesque organizers say nerdy and sexy, they mean it.
“We want people to know that Kansas City is a place they can come perform, be safe, be accepted for who they are,” Allure says, “and have a great time.”
Nerdlesque Festival
August 6-12 at Just Off Broadway Theatre and other locations.
Want to see more burlesque? Check out Annie-Mae Allure’s Rude Revue & Burly-Q.
