Vaudezilla Comes to Naked July!

As you make your preparations to attend Naked July 2013 at the National Pastime Theater, one show you will surely want to see is the fast-paced Urban Jungle that has been created specially for the NJ festival by the amazing and talented performers that make up the Vaudezilla ensemble. Throughout the show, you'll see the performers transform themselves from disconnected city dwellers into their inner spirit animals as you follow a variety of cabaret performers on a journey through missed connections, public transportation foibles, and other familiar aspects of the urban experience. It's a sexy, fun show about the ways we interact as city folk and the challenges of being a starving artist in the big city.

Vaudezilla is one of the premier vaudeville/burlesque ensembles in the Chicago area, and some of the performers have already graced the National Pastime stage in past Naked July performances. The performers include Vaudezilla's own Mister Junior, Lilly Rascal, Zara Estelle and Raven Gemini, and the show will also feature other variety performers including Noel Williams, Samantha Lee, & Moxie.  Special guest performers will include Po’ Chop as well as producer and director Red Hot Annie.

A recent photo of some of the talented Vaudezilla performers

Sizzling and Provocative Performances
When Red Hot Annie was asked how the Vaudezilla performance concept will mesh with the spirit of the Naked July Festival, she replied “I love the idea of using my body to create art - not just through dance or burlesque, but performance art and creating a piece that really resonates with people.  Vaudezilla likes to create sexy, funny, artful burlesque pieces that really showcase a concept, and a show like Naked July really allows us to push ourselves creatively.  The performers I've selected for this show are fearless creatives who will not be afraid to really interact and connect with the audience.  We are glad to be a part of Naked July because it pushes the envelope locally - it's nice to see more provocative performance in Chicago!”

Redefining the Burlesque Concept
Many readers have already attended the popular Vaudezilla shows over the past few years and are already familiar with the amazing and diverse talents of the ensemble members, but none of that will prepare them for what the bold Vaudezilla performers have planned for Naked July. As Red Hot Annie explained, “For most burlesque shows, a performer might go down to pasties/g-string, but would seldom, if ever, go completely nude.  I feel that because several of us will be daring to show the "Full Monty", we have the power to broaden the local definition of burlesque and really make a splash!  We're also hoping to make some additional appearances at other shows during the festival, so keep your eyes peeled.  We think our unique brand of curated, precision burlesque will really knock the socks (and anything else!) off our audience!”

We will have more information about Urban Jungle and the Vaudezilla performers in the weeks ahead, but we also invite you to explore the Vaudezilla web site to learn more about the ensemble members and notable past performances. There is also a huge library of video clips on the Vaudezilla Vimeo site. Join us this summer to see Vaudezilla in a bold and daring new style that you have never seen before!