Cabaret Girls of Yore

Leave it to the all-knowing Junk Thief to fill me in on two fascinating cabaret girls of yore whom I will read more about when I am not just procrastinating from editing and have some "real" free time to spare (will this day ever come?).

Alice Prin, AKA Kiki, was called the Queen of Montparnasse and said famously, "all I need is an onion, a bit of bread, and a bottle of red [wine]; and I will always find somebody to offer me that."

A Parisian dancer, singer, music hall queen, she embodied the spirit of the French music halls and even owned her own cabaret at one point, Chez Kiki. Man Ray was her partner throughout the 20s and she was his muse.

Kiki was an accomplished painter as well and at 14 years old was already modeling nude for scraps of bread. She represents the forever lost bohemian spirit of Montparnasse which pre-dated WWII.

Anita Berber was also made infamous by a work of art, a painting by Otto Dix entitled, "Portrait of a Dancer, Anita Berber." She was a German cabaret dancer, prostitute and writer during the Weimer period that SpielPalast also inhabits.

Anita was said to have been a sex slave to a woman and her teenage daughter (!?) and entranced audiences with her androgynous, erotic dancing. She died of tuberculosis at 29 and had healthy cocaine and booze habits to boot. The photos of her are stunning and a wee bit scary.

Both women left their own marks in books and paintings - but it is the images of them by men that we recognize. Somehow it makes me glad that as a poor cabaret girl, I can still afford my own recording devices to immortalize the show in my own way. Granted, it is not a photo by Man Ray or a painting by Otto Dix - but I made it. So there.

Ivo in a Blanket

So cute you will wet yourself. Ivo is courtesy of the fabulously talented and blonde, Molly Lynch.

Adamant Heaven

Adamant, Vermont is not easy to find. You have to drive down some dirt roads and follow some strange signs to find the center of town which is marked by the oldest coop in Vermont.

Years ago, Adamant was called Sodom but a priest moved to town and didn't like the idea of receiving mail in Sodom, Vermont. So he changed its name to Adamant which he said reflected the personality of the town folk. There is still a beautiful Sodom Pond to remind you of Adamant's past.

I was lucky enough to get stuck in Adamant Vermont this Sunday for their 5th Annual Blackfly Festival which I am vlogging for Stuck in Vermont this week.

The one hour drive from Burlington was green and beautiful and I fell in love with Vermont and her majestic green mountains all over again. It is so refreshing to see life breathing back into the landscape again.

The day was sunny in Burlington but nippy and overcast in Adamant. On the upside, this meant the blackflies were kept at bay. On the downside, it was hard to find any blackflies to film for the video. Worse still, the little buggers are very tiny which makes it doubtful that they will survive the YouTube compression.

The town of Adamant is fairytale-esque to be sure. Close enough to Montpelier to be accessible but far enough away to feel remote and separate.

Residents are friendly and open, most people know each other, kids run free all day long, the coop has a book of tabs instead of taking money, Ethan Allen (his impersonator at least) rides up the street on a horse and smiles abound.

Spending a day in Adamant was like traveling to an alternate universe. The best kind of La La Land where pesky bugs are celebrated with silly songs and a parade, yummy pies are decorated with candy blackflies, kids catch rides in tractors and a coop is the heart of the community.

Not only that, the president of the Adamant Co-op noticed I was chilly and loaned me a windbreaker. Her art studio is above the co-op and is another little haven. Add that to some hot cider (AKA bug juice), cookies, and sausage and I was all set.

I asked a gaggle of kids why they liked the country better than the city and one said, "How could you live anywhere where you couldn't hear the peepers?" My point exactly.

Mika and Vaurienne's Stair

Mika and I shared the third level of the Contois stairwell during our six shows of the cabaret. You might think that a Polish factory girl and a member of the underground French-Algerian resistance might not have much in common but I beg to differ.
Over the course of the past two tumultuous weeks, we shared a mirror, our make-up, munchies, our daily complaints (never enough sleep or food) and life stories. We checked each other's faces, underwear lines and stockings as they slowly became shredded remnants of their former selves.
There is an intimacy only girls changing can attain and I will miss our little cozy corner of the stairwell. I'll even miss a white-faced Mr Dingaling shushing us and the roving eyes of Contino Valentino Vespucci from the level above. If only that stairwell could talk...

SpielPalast Flashbacks

The cabaret shows may be over but the pictures are still cluttering my camera...

Sad Eyes of a Clown

Before SpielPalast

* Sniffle *

After SpielPalast

Nerves at Night

I wish I had this problem. Instead, my "overtaxed nerves" are due to the fact that there is simply NO time available for sleep. And surprisingly, I find myself quite able to operate on 4 hours of sleep one day and 2 hours the next. Inevitably, my sunken, bloodshot eyes will give away my sleepless secret but in the meantime, I think I have this so called human sleep requirement beat! Ha ha!

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.....

Happy Birthday Suzanne!

Suzanne and Miss Ella

I remember the first time I met Suzanne. She was applying for a job at the Flynn and I noted her pink nail polish during the interview. She was nervous about the payroll test which I was in charge of administering. I never would have guessed at that moment that she would get the job and we would become bosom buddies. Now I can't imagine my time at the Flynn without her in it.

Suzanne does her famous Jeanie Nose Twitch at Abbie's Going Away Party Last Year

It gets harder to meet people when you are older. I don't know why that is. But Suzanne and I became friends quickly. I think it was equal parts her being very nice and friendly and also, her wanting to tell me about her new boyfriend. Thus began our long talks about love, life and all the murky stuff in between.

Before you knew it we were chatting away our days, taking long lunches and walks and, eventually, IMing up a storm (despite the fact that we worked a stone's throw from one another). Even though, on the face of it, we couldn't be much more different (eg: she is healthy and outdoorsy, I sit at a computer in my free time), we have lots in common and our conversations have never, ever been dull.

Suzanne and Eva Get Very Very Very Drunk at SpielPalast Last Year

Suzanne is one of those people who you are instantly comfortable with. She's sassy, smart, silly and creative even if she is too busy living her life to blog too often (but she always makes my day by commenting on this ol' blog!). She is a sweet and thoughtful friend, sister and auntie. Some of my most favorite times in this town have been our long Mirabelle SATC lunches when the conversation was so scintillating that I forgot to eat my key lime pie (which is saying A LOT if you have ever tried this delicacy).Suzanne and Abbie eating two of the dozens of creamees we devoured last summer on one of our many essential "Creamee Breaks"

She's a deep one, that Suzanne. Her sunny disposition mustn't fool you. Underneath an easy going exterior lurk many layers that twist and tangle and consider things carefully. But when it comes down to it, Suzanne enjoys life and I love her for that. Her spark, energy and joy make me shut my trap when I am angsting and sit back to enjoy the moments we have. Suzanne and Eva at Aimee's Going Away Party Last May

I love you Miss Suzanne Monroe and am so glad our paths crossed. I wanted to make you a birthday video montage and re-post the Offastys to YouTube as well but, alas, another all-nighter took away my "Oomph." But you can bet you'll be getting some birthday spankings later today (once I wake up).

Thanks for being such a positive bright life in my life! Smooch smooch!

SpielPalast Cabaret is Stuck in VT

SpielPalast Cabaret [25]

I know, this blog has turned into Land of the SpielPalast but I honestly cannot help it. I can't get the songs out of my head, the twisted cabaret visions, they come to me at night! What to do? Lobotomy perhaps?

It nearly killed me to squeeze my 8 hours of footage (you can never shoot too much, or can you?!) into this 7 minute segment which I KNOW should be shorter BUT the thing is, I just love every inch of this vlog.

After spending an all nighter snipping up this rag tag cast of characters, I have to say that I love them even more - more than I did before! Every single one of them is so special, hard-working, talented and larger than life. I feel privileged just to be a fly on their wall and totally unworthy to perform in their ranks.

The SpielPalast is a family as Max, Cupcake and Eloise all note - it is a family I am new to and, being me, am still a bit shy around. But I love them dearly and can't wait to perform with them again this weekend! Come to the cabaret!

Küss mich! More SpielPalast!

Oooh la la, how tantalizing! Thanks Jeff!