Two-night burlesque event showcases performers, celebrates Duke City
Burlesque event showcases a variety of performers, celebrates Albuquerque
Vivian MirAnn helped create ABurlyQ! Burlesque and Sideshow Spectacular not only to showcase performers but to expose Albuquerque to the world.
“I feel like we create a really strong show because of the fact that people have to earn that spot,” MirAnn said. “It’s just a vehicle for us to expose these people from around the world to the fact that Albuquerque is more than a punch line in a funny cartoon. … To me, it’s very important that Albuquerque is represented almost along the lines of a person with this festival.”
MirAnn’s name derives from Vivian Vance, Carmen Miranda and Anne Bancroft, whom she admires for their dedication to their craft.
“Vivian Vance is a big inspiration to me, and that’s where I got my first name from,” MirAnn said. “She was instrumental in doing a lot of theater work in Albuquerque, and I absolutely adore this city and the state, so to see somebody who had essentially created the Albuquerque Little Theater and really worked throughout her career to promote Albuquerque as the place that she was in love with, it resonated a lot with me.”
The festival, in its sixth year, features burlesque, boylesque, belly dancers, vaudeville acts and more. It features performances of “The Wild Ones” on Aug. 18 and “The Glitter Gang” on Aug. 19, as well as classes on the art of burlesque, a meet-and-greet party on Aug. 17 as well as a Sunday brunch and field trip to local attractions on Aug. 20.
Burlesque legend Perle Noire headlines “The Wild Ones,” and ABurlyQ! 2016’s Most Classic Award winner, Gigi O’Lovely, headlines “The Glitter Gang” show.
“Gigi O’Lovely, she won most classic last year, and people just raved about how humble she was, how much time she spent hanging out with people,” MirAnn said. “She was really approachable and had great classes. She spent a lot of time meeting and greeting with the audience.”