LA TIMES entertainment feature
Written by Jessica Gelt. Read here:
https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/story/2020-02-20/filipina-burlesque-show-filipinotown
Di’ Lovely, Valeria, Ms. B LaRose, Lady Mabuhay (Nov 2019)
LOS ANGELES — FilAm Arts presents Burlesque Las FilipinX on Sunday, March 22, 2020 at Genever Bar. Two shows: 6:30 pm & 9:30 pm
Hosted by: Giselle Tongi
Starring: Di’ Lovely (San Diego), Lucky Rapscallion (Manila, PH), Siomai Moore (Chicago) and Mizon Garde (Los Angeles)
Celebrate FilipinX Empowerment through the Art of Burlesque, in a beautiful art deco setting. Filipina-American owned bar Genever proudly hosts the affair, in Historic Filipinotown of Los Angeles. Join our intimate fundraising event to benefit the FilAm ARTS organization.
Doors open 30 minutes prior to showtime.
$40 TICKETS CAN BE FOUND ON EVENTBRITE
BOTH SHOWS – SOLD OUT!!
Info: (213) 908-5693, geneverla.com, facebook.com/FilAmArtsLA
Mizon Garde, Kitana Louise, Di’ Lovely, Valeria (August 2019)
Special words from the past cast…
Curating Burlesque Las FilipinX to close out the year is DI’ LOVELY from San Diego. Di’ lovely says, “I’m really proud of how this production has developed. It was already a huge milestone to have an all-FilipinX cast, which is rare within our burlesque community as we are few and far in between. In its third installment, I’ve pulled my sisters from Chicago and New York to join, each embodying different backgrounds and style of performance. Burlesque is a continuous journey for one to embrace and explore their sensuality, body confidence, and find strength in vulnerability, especially when pushing passed traditional Philippine ideals. I see this as an opportunity to dismantle harsh expectations of the Filipina woman, in hopes to inspire others to push the envelope in their own way.”
Joining the all-FilipinX cast of performers is MS. B LAROSE flying in from Chicago. Ms. B Larose shares, “As a growing performer, I am excited to join a talented cast of powerful and uplifting artists working together to support FilAm Arts. In this political climate, it’s important now more than ever for us women, to be in the forefront representing our heritage and culture for the world to see. As an artist, it’s my opportunity to welcome guests and audiences alike into the world of burlesque where they transcend from the everyday and see that women are strong, confident, and capable. It is with this art form, we break those away from stereotypes of women being submissive and complacent. It is with this art form we continue to give Filipina women a voice. From start to finish, this event showcases women to the front. And I am so happy and humbled to be performing for Burlesque Las FilipinX that is going to be giving back to the arts and creating a culture of love, tolerance, respect, and coexistence.”
Representing the east coast is LADY MABUHAY, who makes the journey from New York City. She shares how “Burlesque is empowering me to let go of self-judgement – a very easy thing to do having grown up in a Catholic, family-oriented Filipino family within individualist American culture. Being part of Burlesque Las FilipinX allows me to choose how I display my identities. I can flaunt my Filipina-ness or leave it in the background. I can show my soft, slow side or switch to my aggressive, electrical side. I can exhibit my sexuality or let my funny bone take over. I can mix and match if I feel like it. In any case, they all encompass Lady Mabuhay, the Toast of Long Life and Pleasure – and life is pleasurable with choices. It’s important to have an all-FilipinX cast because, let’s face it: We’re underrepresented; as a result, it’s easy to be misrepresented. An all-FilipinX cast allows each of us performers to represent ourselves the way we want to be represented – individually and collectively.”
missdilovely.com 