In past performances I’ve been cast as drag/gender switching Tango dancer in a delicious threesome number (this year we have a flamenco solo by dancers who will bring you to your knees). Photo by Hans Wendland
I live in the Boston area, where we have a wonderful tradition of putting up a show called “The Slutcracker” every year. I’ve been lucky enough to be with the production since the beginning, six years running, and it’s quite an amazing show. If you’ve seen it you know this already; if you haven’t and you’re anywhere near the Boston area during the month of December you should check it out!
Back before there was a Slutcracker, Vanessa White aka “Sugar Dish (the founder of Babes in Boinkland), called together all of the underground burlesque, drag, and dance performers she knew with this crazy idea to create a scene by scene burlesque retelling of The Nutcracker. Many of us hopped on board having no idea that what we were throwing ourselves into would become one of the staples of queer, kinky, sex-positive, adult-fun holiday performances in this city.
One of my favorite past roles was “the Wet Spot Fairy” for the “Flowers” number. Photo by Hans Wendland
We perform at the old vaudeville hall turned movie house, the Somerville Theater each year and sell out most of our 16-20 performances in that 900 seat proscenium! I can tell you that as a performer it is one of the things I look forward to the most every year, and as an audience member the energy in the house is palpable and extraordinary.
What I love about this show most is the mirror between the story on stage and the reality of cast life. The story is a coming out/coming of age/learning to embrace the self and the sexual journey tale. Our reticent and nervous protagonist is embraced by a sex positive community who shows her just how varied and wonderful the world of sex can be; they invite her to figure out what works for her… Similarly the cast of performers over the years has become a real family. We are all different in our talents, focuses, and desires as artists, but the love and support onstage, backstage, and in our lives together beyond the show is palpable and real. The Slutcracker is much more than a show to those who work to make it happen every year, it is an opportunity to be amongst smart, funny, beautiful, sexy, political, strong, important artists who believe in discovery and who have worked with each other (on stage and off) to bring that very evolution into our lives as well as our acts. The one comment I hear most from audience members who are seeing the show for the first time is, “it looks like you are all having a blast onstage”. We most definitely are.
And my favorite role to date is playing “Aunt Drosselmeyer”, the freak who starts it all rolling… Photo by Sarah Patterson
This year I am lucky enough to return to lead role “Aunt Drosselmeyer” in cast B. There are a few shows I’m switching out with my counterpart performer, so check out my performance calendar before getting your tickets, or look at the list below to make sure you get there on one of my performance nights:
- Friday 12/6
- Saturday 12/7
- Sunday 12/8
- Saturday 12/14
- Monday 12/16
- Thursday 12/19
- Friday 12/20
- Sunday 12/22 (8pm show only)
- Monday 12/31 (NYE!)
If you haven’t gotten your tickets yet, I suggest DOING SO NOW! We are already selling out some nights. I hope to find your shiny faces in the audience, and let me know when you’re coming so I can say hi afterwards.
To Breath and Being
~ Karin
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~Thank you.