Through the Looking Glass

Our sister production, Land Of The Sweets, is having Open Auditions!

News Editor — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 18:49:30 +0000

Lily Verlaine in her iconic Countess of Coffee role.

Producers Lily Verlaine & Jasper McCann are seeking dancers and comics of any gender for principal roles in the December 2011 run of Land of the Sweets: The Burlesque Nutcracker at the Triple Door. Performers in other disciplines (acrobatics, aerial, etc.) will gladly be considered on a case-by-case basis.

DANCERS:

Dance experience is necessary, classical training is preferred. Pointe, jazz and tap experience are major bonuses. Please arrive at audition warm and ready to dance. Dancers will learn segments of choreography. If you would like to showcase additional talent, time will be allotted to you at the end of the audition. There is a changing area/bathroom area available to you if you arrive in street clothes, but please bring clothing that you can MOVE in! Also, character shoes, pointe or tap shoes if you have them and dance sneakers if you are sensitive to hard floors. The floors are a bit slick, so please be aware that rubber soles on your character shoes will be very helpful.

As this is a burlesque show, be advised that roles may include striptease.

While some burlesque experience is preferred, it is not mandatory and the audition will not require stripping.

COMICS:

Please come prepared with a one-minute monologue and be prepared for a cold reading and short segment of movement in character shoes or high heels. Comic roles are character-trpe and will involve some physical/pratfall comedy.

These are paid positions. Tentative show schedule is:

December 1^st, 8^th-10^th, 13^th-18^th, and 20^th-24^th

Rehearsals will begin in mid-October, primarily on Sundays.

You will need daytime availability for 2 full-cast dress/tech rehearsals.

Auditions will be held in the multi-purpose room of the Hiawatha Artists’ Lofts building:

843 Hiawatha Place So. Seattle, WA 98144

Dancers Auditions: 12:00 noon-2:30pm August 27^th and 6:00-8:30pm August 29^th.

Comics Auditions: 2:30-4:00pm August 27th and 8:30-9:30pm August 29th

Dancers and comics, please RSVP (please send resume/bio and photo) for either audition date: sweets.audition.2011@gmail.com

Performers in other disciplines, please send a resume, photo and links to video to:sweets.audition.2011@gmail.com

Saturday Night Selling Out!

News Editor — Sat, 16 Apr 2011 22:42:07 +0000

Darlings, we hope you are planning! We just looked at the sales for Saturday, April 30th at 7pm and found very little availability, so if you are absolutely determined to come to the show that night, please reserve your seat now as we would hate to miss you!

-Lily & Jasper

A Toast to Tea: The New Mad Tea Party

News Editor — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 16:00:32 +0000

Trojan waits for tea as March Hare

When Lily & Jasper originally conceived the Mad Tea Party (see “A Story of 5374 Miles“), the Mad Hatter, the March Hare and the Door Mouse were originally going to be a wise-cracking peanut gallery, akin to the antics of Jim Henson’s balcony banterers, Statler & Waldorf. Timing and technical issues intervened, and they realized that the Hatter should have a dance instead. With a pool of tears shed and many handkerchiefs used, the March Hare and Door Mouse were shelved.

Now, after 2 years, the March Hare and the Door Mouse have found a place at the Mad Hatter’s table. Lily & Jasper are proud to welcome Trojan Original and Paris Original to the ensemble, and ecstatically announce that Miss Indigo Blue is our new Mad Hatter!

The crafting of the new Mad Tea Party has been an organic, free-form affair, with Paris, Trojan, and Indigo adding lots of creative flourishes. Dance, physical comedy and “conversation” all clash in this new explosion of insanity. Hang on to your hats!

The Burlesque Alice In Wonderland: A Show of 5374 Miles

News Editor — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 21:43:26 +0000

In the summer of 2008, Lily Verlaine and Jasper McCann gassed up the automobile. They filled a picnic basket with refined sandwiches, tropical fruits and sparkling water, brought a soundtrack that included Charlie Parker, T-Rex, and The Modern Lovers, and set off across the U.S. for a month-long trip.

Lily Verlaine and Jasper McCann,
dressed for summer socializing in Minneapolis

In between Seattle and performances in Minneapolis, venue scouting in Chicago, and weddings in Wisconsin, there were 5374 miles of driving. To pass the time, they read aloud to each other the entirety of Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland and Through The Looking Glass And What Alice Found There. Somewhere on the road from Seattle to the Second City, enthralled by the richness of Carroll’s world and the insanity of its characters, they decided that “Alice” would be the focal point of their next “Spectacle of Ecdysiastic Pageantry”.

The concept developed throughout the rest of 2008, as they traveled with The Atomic Bombshells to Shanghai in July, returned to Chicago in October, toured Portugal with the Atomic Bombshells in November, and during production of Land Of The Sweets: The Burlesque Nutcracker in both Chicago and Seattle.

Pre-production began in late January 2009. Verlaine & McCann set to a furious round-the-clock schedule and, six weeks later, the show premiered at Seattle’s illustrious Triple Door on March 24^th. Since then, the show has grown and changed to become what it is today, but the core themes and characters were born that summer… on the road.

Become One of Our On-Stage Extras or a Costumed Theater Usher!

News Editor — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 04:48:27 +0000

Lily Verlaine and Jasper McCann, the producers of Through the Looking Glass are in search of several volunteers April 28th through April 30th.

Perhaps, you’re an avid fan and you’re looking for ways to connect with other people sharing a similar passion for the art of burlesque or you’ve only recently discovered the allure of tease and you want to expand your involvement. Volunteering at local events provides an excellent opportunity to make this fabulous world accessible. You are also providing a service to a flourishing arts community and quite possibly your friends and acquaintances. We have two volunteer opportunities in our upcoming production.

USHERS: We are currently searching for several individuals to assist Through the Looking Glass as ushers. Ushers would be responsible for distributing programs and door prize slips to our guests as well as collecting the slips at intermission. We ask our usher volunteers to commit to working at one day (two shows) and will be asked to stay until the end of the second show. The usher will be asked to costume themselves so as to thematically correlate with the production, including full face. We compensate you for your time with free admission to the show on the day of your service, a meal from the delicious Wild Ginger and drink ticket as well our sincere gratitude for helping us make this year the best yet! Apply by sending your contact information and a headshot to production@lilyverlaine.com. Include “Usher” in the subject line.

ON-STAGE EXTRAS: We are in need of several on stage extras available for all six shows April 28th through April 30th. Desired parties will have stage experience and access to theatrical wardrobe. This is an unpaid volunteer position however you will be given considerable stage time alongside internationally reknowned burlesque performers. There will be minor rehearsals between April 10-27th. We provide dinner between showsyfrom the delicious Wild Ginger and drink ticket! Apply by sending your resume and contact information, a headshot and a body shot of yourself in an outfit you believe appropriate attire for a Wonderland Nightclub circa 1950s. Include “On-Stage Extra” in the subject line.

Please feel free to email Madeline Rider with any questions. We look forward to hearing from you!

Seattle Mag Names Alice “Editor’s Pick”

News Editor — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 01:24:13 +0000

Thank you, Seattle Magazine! We promise to live up to that “over-the-top” idea.

Here’s what they had to say about us:

“Now in its third year, this over-the-top take on Lewis Carroll’s celebrated classic is a colorful trip down the proverbial rabbit hole. Produced by the mischievously talented Lily Verlaine and Jasper McCann (also known for Land of the Sweets: The Burlesque Nutcracker), this year’s show features local burlesque lovelies, such as Miss Indigo Blue, Kitten La Rue, Waxie Moon and Ben DeLaCreme.”

Seattle’s Burlesque A-List Meets Lewis Carroll’s Fantasy

admin — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 01:46:28 +0000

Jesse-Belle Jones, EmpeROAR Fabulous and Violet Tendencies as The Chandeliers, photo Chris Blakeley

The superstars of Seattle’s Burlesque A-List, including Lily Verlaine, Miss Indigo Blue, Kitten La Rue, Waxie Moon, Babette La Fave, Lucky Penny, Ben DeLaCreme, Polly Wood, and Jasper McCann take on the roles of Carroll’s famous characters. Joined by Miss Inga Ingénue and Louise Henry Hoover as Alice and the lovely dance trio Tribella, the ensemble turns Wonderland’s topsy-turvy world into an ecdysiastic tour de force filled with glamour, comedy, dance, striptease, and song.