Move Over New Orleans, Here's the Hot Mama Burlesque

On a Saturday evening in May, my husband and I had our first night out together since our baby Victoria was born. I wanted to do something a little bit off the beaten path, not another dinner at a Thai eatery.

It was Mamapalooza's MAMA Festival and Expo week in New York City and the Hot Mama Burlesque was one of the nightly acts that I felt was definitely worth seeing. To quote a description from their website, the hot mamas "explore all sides of motherhood through striptease and song: the upside, the downside and the backside."

The last time we'd been to anything remotely 'red light' was the adult night club on our pre-children trip to New Orleans. But that was a bit cheesy, what with the pole dancers and musty, bayou-reeking seats.

Red light bulbs and cozy little chairs and tables in the dim basement of the Delancey certainly hinted at something dark and decadent. But this was another class of performance, or performance art. These were mamas of all ages and body shapes and sized reinventing themselves, exploring their creativity, sensuality and femininity through a misunderstood art form, known for its extravagant costumes and lavish theatrics.

Campy and comical Mistress of Ceremonies Raven Snook provided the laughter in the house, taking swings at Wonder Pets and other juvenile fare, and introduced the mostly tongue-in-cheek mom performers.

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The platinum blonde Little Brooklyn was literally attached at the hip to King Kong, who dragged her and undressed her to the top of the cardboard replica of the Empire State Building on the tiny stage.
The flamboyant Viva Caliente was the reincarnation of Carmen Miranda, and included a banana in her act (nohting suggestive, she simply ate it and through the peel into the audience!) The Incredible Edible Akynos swathed in purple feathers, mimed and sprawled along to Prince's "Purple Rain." Miss Ivy League, an actual Ivy League grad, used a ball and a plastic umbilical cord in her act. There was even a young pregnant performer, Lolita Von Cake, whose presence in some circles was controversial, but with her pink fluffy feathered costume and soft musical accompaniment, she was the epitome of softness and femininity.

Other acts included Creamy Stevens, the '50s housewife stereotype turned upside down (her props were a kitchen stove and a baby doll), and Cat Mon Dieu and Papa Bear (the only male performer), who reenacted a smoky backroom scene of gambling, garters and a Fedora hat.

The Hot Mama Burlesque was an entertaining and empowering evening. Being a mother doesn't have to be boring -- far from it.