BETTE TITTLER'S BROADVILLE FOLLIES: REVIEW
Bette Tittler’s Broadville Follies @ The AllWays Lounge
Review by Dorian Hatchett
A few years ago, when I was still bartending, a burlesque performer in town for the International Burlesque Festival told me that New Orleans has more burlesque performers per capita than any other city in the world. She said it with the sort of nerdy glee that I recognize from my own special-interest devotions, so while I have no idea how to fact check this statement, I instantly believed her.
Living here, and functioning in several overlapping microcosm communities, makes me even more inclined to believe it’s true. When I say “I’ve seen all my friends naked” it’s a statement of fact, not double entendre, And it’s usually been in low lighting with rhinestones involved. There’s no way to live in New Orleans and not be at least tangentially involved in burlesque. While I’ve never taken my clothes off on stage myself, I’ve made character wigs, I’ve been a stage prop, and I’ve done countless last minute costume edits (don’t ever tell anyone you can sew unless you want everyone to know that.) I have worked the door in a pinch and been an extra stage hand. Burlesque is a surprisingly large part of my life, despite it not being my job at all.
When I got the call to review a burlesque show, I thought it would be difficult. After all, I know so many of these performers personally and professionally. Suspension of disbelief is harder when you know what half the cast drinks. But filing into the Twilight Room at the Allways Cabaret, I realized that I had never seen this show before. Bette Tittler’s Broadville Follies was an entirely new production to me, despite being in its third year. It’s a vaudeville-style variety act set to the music of Broadway, featuring a diverse cast and hosted by the eponymous Bette Tittler.
Ms. Tittler refers to herself as a “Glamp Queen” (That’s a mix of music, camp, and drag) and has been gracing stages in character since 2021. Her stage presence is big and flashy but surprisingly down to earth. Like the best hosts in the business, she forges a camaraderie with the audience that makes them feel like she’s their friend on the inside, leading them on an adventure through the night’s offerings with the perfect amount of wink-wink, nudge-nudge. She's also an amazing singer, by the way, with some of the best pipes in the city.
The cast of this show is clearly hand-picked. Each of them brings a completely unique character and set of talents that had the audience screaming in delight and I’d wager, more than a little bisexual panic. Unlike most drag shows, which are primarily lip synch and dancing, Broadville Follies meshes true burlesque, with stripping and coquettish bump-n-grind, with real-life singing and the kind of choreography that can only come from people accustomed to a much more traditional movement art. As Bette called out after a mind-blowing performance of Wilkommen from Cabaret (performed by Duali-Tease) “The ballet to burlesque pipeline is real, y’all!”
Ramona Rose is a traditional burlesque style performer whose gender-bent Frankenfurter is spot on in “Sweet Transvestite”. Queen Vampya has the voice, the sword-play, and the twerk, all wrapped up in a Mulan medley. Angel’s old Hollywood glam wardrobe of tulle and rhinestones is matched only by their commanding stage presence and incredible vocals. Captain Dawl takes us on a deep-cut journey with music from “Ride the Cylcone” and “Six”.
This show is Vaudeville. It’s drag. It’s song and dance. It’s unapologetically queer. And even for people accustomed to the world of burlesque, it’s a good reminder that there can still be magic on a stage you know every inch of.
Broadville Follies will be back in NOLA on Decadence Weekend, Aug 30th. Click here for ticketing and information.
Find out more about Bette Tittler at her website, here! or her Instagram, here!
Review by Dorian Hatchett
A few years ago, when I was still bartending, a burlesque performer in town for the International Burlesque Festival told me that New Orleans has more burlesque performers per capita than any other city in the world. She said it with the sort of nerdy glee that I recognize from my own special-interest devotions, so while I have no idea how to fact check this statement, I instantly believed her.
Living here, and functioning in several overlapping microcosm communities, makes me even more inclined to believe it’s true. When I say “I’ve seen all my friends naked” it’s a statement of fact, not double entendre, And it’s usually been in low lighting with rhinestones involved. There’s no way to live in New Orleans and not be at least tangentially involved in burlesque. While I’ve never taken my clothes off on stage myself, I’ve made character wigs, I’ve been a stage prop, and I’ve done countless last minute costume edits (don’t ever tell anyone you can sew unless you want everyone to know that.) I have worked the door in a pinch and been an extra stage hand. Burlesque is a surprisingly large part of my life, despite it not being my job at all.
When I got the call to review a burlesque show, I thought it would be difficult. After all, I know so many of these performers personally and professionally. Suspension of disbelief is harder when you know what half the cast drinks. But filing into the Twilight Room at the Allways Cabaret, I realized that I had never seen this show before. Bette Tittler’s Broadville Follies was an entirely new production to me, despite being in its third year. It’s a vaudeville-style variety act set to the music of Broadway, featuring a diverse cast and hosted by the eponymous Bette Tittler.
Ms. Tittler refers to herself as a “Glamp Queen” (That’s a mix of music, camp, and drag) and has been gracing stages in character since 2021. Her stage presence is big and flashy but surprisingly down to earth. Like the best hosts in the business, she forges a camaraderie with the audience that makes them feel like she’s their friend on the inside, leading them on an adventure through the night’s offerings with the perfect amount of wink-wink, nudge-nudge. She's also an amazing singer, by the way, with some of the best pipes in the city.
The cast of this show is clearly hand-picked. Each of them brings a completely unique character and set of talents that had the audience screaming in delight and I’d wager, more than a little bisexual panic. Unlike most drag shows, which are primarily lip synch and dancing, Broadville Follies meshes true burlesque, with stripping and coquettish bump-n-grind, with real-life singing and the kind of choreography that can only come from people accustomed to a much more traditional movement art. As Bette called out after a mind-blowing performance of Wilkommen from Cabaret (performed by Duali-Tease) “The ballet to burlesque pipeline is real, y’all!”
Ramona Rose is a traditional burlesque style performer whose gender-bent Frankenfurter is spot on in “Sweet Transvestite”. Queen Vampya has the voice, the sword-play, and the twerk, all wrapped up in a Mulan medley. Angel’s old Hollywood glam wardrobe of tulle and rhinestones is matched only by their commanding stage presence and incredible vocals. Captain Dawl takes us on a deep-cut journey with music from “Ride the Cylcone” and “Six”.
This show is Vaudeville. It’s drag. It’s song and dance. It’s unapologetically queer. And even for people accustomed to the world of burlesque, it’s a good reminder that there can still be magic on a stage you know every inch of.
Broadville Follies will be back in NOLA on Decadence Weekend, Aug 30th. Click here for ticketing and information.
Find out more about Bette Tittler at her website, here! or her Instagram, here!