This fall, the two Bs—burlesque and belly dance—shake up the museum’s Doris Duke Theatre fall programming.
In September, Violetta Beretta and the Cherry Blossom Cabaret return for the fifth annual Hawaii Burlesque Festival & Revue. This year the festival stretches over three nights, each with a different theme, and features Miss Exotic World 2016 Trixie Little. Then in October the museum hosts the 12th Hawaii Belly Dance Convention’s Shimmy Showcase.
For the first time audiences can participate in “Cultural Middle East Journey,” an event that includes a dance seminar, a lecture on the history of belly dance, a Q+A with visiting artists, and an opportunity for participating dancers to receive professional feedback from the artists.
Both events are frequent sellouts, so audiences are encouraged to get their tickets at honolulumuseum.org in advance. The Fifth Annual Hawaii Burlesque Festival & Revue September 22-24, 2016 The Fifth Annual Hawaii Burlesque Festival & Revue brings the biggest names in burlesque to Honolulu.
On stage will be Miss Exotic World 2015 and Queen of Burlesque 2015 Trixie Little from New York City, and internationally acclaimed emcee, cabaret singer, character performer and show director Armitage “The Carny Preacher” Shanks from Seattle. Volary Aerial Burlesque and Honolulu Zouk provide pre-show entertainment at the cocktail reception.
Admission $35, $30 museum members.
The Aloha Follies: A Glamourous Night of Classic Burlesque September 22 at 6 p.m. The festival kicks off with a glamorous night of classic burlesque. Hosted by the incomparable Hunter Down, The Aloha Follies features veteran acts and up-and-coming dancers. Audiences can see feather fan dances, classic bump-n-grind stripteases, boa manipulations, bubble dances and more, set to a soundtrack of seductive jazz and blues. Guests are encouraged to come wearing vintage retro attire of any era. From jazz babies, flappers, and slick suited hepcats, to 1930’s Dapper Dans, 40’s vamps, 50’s bombshells, and 60’s mad men, what’s old is new again at The Aloha Follies.
A Hawaiian Whodunnit: An Interactive Murder Mystery Burlesque Show September 23 at 6 p.m. There’s a killer on the loose at the Doris Duke Theatre and the showgirls are shaking in their tassels. Guests are in for a night of sneaky, seductive fun, murdermystery style at A Hawaiian Whodunit: An Interactive Murder Mystery Burlesque Show. The audience assumes the roll of a hard-boiled detective investigating a gorgeous parade of burlesque beauties, each with their own aspirations, some more pure than others. This cryptic and curious adventure that takes audiences behind the curtain, flips off the lights, and reveals the darker side of burlesque.
A Hawaiian Whodunit: An Interactive Murder Mystery Burlesque Show is hosted by internationally acclaimed emcee Armitage Shanks, aka The Carny Preacher. Audiences are encouraged to dressed in their black and white best, be it ball gowns or bikinis. Pineapples, Pasties & Pop Culture: A Pop Culture Extravaganza, Burlesque Style. September 24 at 6 p.m. For its final night the festival presents Pineapples, Pop-Culture & Pasties: A Pop Culture Extravaganza, Burlesque Style, a fun, sexy as hell selection of burlesque referencing some of the best-known pop culture icons, music, and films.
Performing is special guest Trixie Little, who holds the title of “Queen of Burlesque 2015” from the Burlesque Hall of Fame, and is known worldwide as 
New York City’s pint-size powerhouse. Seamlessly blending circus skills and sex appeal for over a decade, she pioneered a style of circus-cabaret with The Evil Hate Monkey, touring frequently in America, Australia, and Europe. Other career highlights include Best Burlesque Duo, Most Innovative awards (BHOF), a residency at an off-Broadway theater in New York City (Ars Nova) and regular bookings at the city’s most infamous nightclub, The Box. Hosted by Hawai‘i’s own mustache queen, Tita Titsling, Pineapples, Pop-Culture & Pasties: A Pop Culture Extravaganza, Burlesque Style is an epic night of racy pop culture fun, games, surprises, and of course burlesque. Guests are encouraged to pay tribute to their favorite piece of pop culture by dressing the part.
October 13-14 Now in its 12th year, the 2016 Hawai‘i Belly Dance Convention brings performers and teachers from near and far to Honolulu to share the beauty and drama of Middle Eastern dance at the Honolulu Museum of Art. The program includes Cultural Middle East Journey October 13 and the live performances of the Shimmy Showcase on October 14. This year’s featured visiting performers and instructors include tribal fusion belly dance pioneer Mira Betz, belly dance superstar and instructor Petite Jamilla, and pioneering male fusionist Frank Farinaro.
Cultural Middle East Journey October 13 at 5 p.m. $15 general admission | $12 museum members & military In a new event for this year’s convention, participating dancers can enjoy cultural seminars followed by the Reflection performance review. Cultural seminars begin at 5 p.m with “Intro to Middle Eastern Dance” by Courtney Duchardt, followed by a lecture titled From the Gypsy Trail, to the Melting Pot: The Ever Nomadic History of Bellydance by Frank Farinaro. The cultural seminars end with a Q+A panel with visiting artists Mira Betz, Petite Jamilla, and Frank Farinaro. Following the seminars is an intimate session of performances and commentary, an opportunity for professional feedback from HBDC’s visiting instructors. Beginning at 7 p.m., dancers can participate in a question and answer session and get feedback on their own performances. Shimmy Showcase: Essence October 14 at 5 p.m. Individual show tickets: $30 general admission | $25 museum members & military packages: $50 double feature | $90 VIP double feature VIP package includes glass of champagne, first choice of theatre seating and VIP cocktail area.
The Shimmy Showcase is an opportunity for convention participants to see their teachers in action, and for everyone to appreciate the enchanting art of Middle Eastern dance. Essence is the Shimmy Showcase’s family friendly show, tracing the traditional movements of belly dance to their modern place in dance. All ages welcome. Pre-show reception starts at 5 p.m. followed by the performance at 6:30 p.m. Shimmy Showcase: The Reveal October 14 at 8 p.m. Individual show tickets: $30 general admission | $25 museum members & military packages: $50 double feature | $90 VIP double feature VIP package includes glass of champagne, first choice of theatre seating and VIP cocktail area. The Reveal is the Shimmy Showcase’s after-hours 18+ show, continuing the modern exploration of belly dancing, ever pushing the expression of sensual intoxication. Children allowed with parental consent. Pre-show reception starts at 8 p.m. followed by the performance at 9:30 p.m. Full schedule and list of performers.