The Vancouver International Burlesque Festival returns this weekend for its tenth year celebrating a decade of pasties, pearls and sequins.
The Westender caught up with coveted Vancouver burlesque performer, and now producer, April O’Peel over breakfast in the East Van café housed in the same building as the Screaming Chicken Theatrical Society. It was upstairs in that very studio that April O’Peel was born, new to burlesque but with a solid background in dance and theatre.
Reflecting on her own eight years in the community, O’Peel derives a sense of nostalgia, of achievement and pride. Burlesque in Vancouver has come a long way in a short time; built on a foundation of comedy, dance, theatre and sexuality in body positive and safe spaces.
“The scene has grown exponentially,” she says. “It’s come leaps and bounds.”
In the early years, she and other local favourites Melody Mangler and Lola Frost performed on small stages throughout the city over the span of a few weeks. These days the festival is a three day extravaganza at the Vogue Theatre featuring world class talent.
“We’ve got both the King & Queen of burlesque appearing this year,” O’Peel says with fervour referring to Midnite Martini, the innovative performer from Colorado known for her aerials and acrobatics as well as Mr. Gorgeous, the reigning king of boylesque from New York.
Legendary performer Toni Elling takes the stage Saturday evening, marking an incredible 45 year career in burlesque, something O’Peel says doesn’t go unnoticed in today’s community.
“It’s amazing to watch these women who challenged the pre-conceived notions of beauty and burlesque in their time. The frame of reference now is completely different; what was shocking then is now considered quite tame today.”
“Having women like Toni here is a nice way for us to honour performers like her who paved the way for us. Because of their work, we now have a place to express some progressive and subversive concepts in a theatrical package.”
O’Peel stresses that if you’re going to see any burlesque show this year, make it the festival’s line-up, a well-curated variety of diverse styles, guaranteed to have something for everyone.
“It’s like burlesque Christmas!”
• The Vancouver International Burlesque Festival runs April 30-May 3 at the Vogue Theatre. Tickets at VanBurlesqueFest.com
