Ep 14. The Softer Side of the Hardest mineral with Samson Night
Show Boys
Coming to Broadway: he’s a baritone black belt with a love for Les Misérables and a degree in kicking ass–it’s Kindergarten Cop, the Musical! I chatted with the self-described chocolate charmer Samson Night about swapping Arabic 101 for Intro to Show Choir, teaching children by day and commanding the stage at night, eschewing striptease archetypes and channeling the Shaft, saying no-no to go-go and yes to demystifying charisma, getting crowned Queen of Exotic World and contending with criticism, and how preserving the future legacy of burlesque is dependent in part on the nuanced...
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Ep. 13 Back in the Doctor Donut Days with Bradford Scobie
Show Boys
A snowman, an Englshman, and an eclair with a questionable medical degree all walk into a bar... I chatted with emcee extraordinairre and everyone's favorite ex-husband Bradford Scobie about MY personal journey with body hair, the do’s, don’t’s, and donuts of hosting, why you should always carry a spare engagement ring, being the Marina Abramovic of burlesque, penis etiquette at a “family” strip show, our mutual admiration of birthday girls and bachelorette parties, and why staying open to the unexpected always leads to the sweetest moments onstage. Shout outs to Kate Valentine...
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Ep. 12 Glitter Apocalypse Now with Isaiah Esquire
Show Boys
We have officially entered the glitter apocalypse, where the heels are high, the kiwis are in season, and the room is always moving, baby! I chatted with pillar of Portland queer nightlife Isaiah Esquire about his Biblical beginnings with Burlesquire, standing out in a sea of Suicide Girls, serving stunts and saying “no thanks” to Ameria’s Got Talent, traversing the midwest with a Caravan of Glam, the coolness of otherness and the most mysterious fruit, and how to show up authentically onstage and MOVE! THAT! ROOM! Shout outs to Your Morning Drip, Inferno Cabaret, Perle Noire, Kevin...
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Ep. 11 Filling the Drama Hole with Broody Valentino
Show Boys
Caution! Mess with this bear and you’re gonna get the claws-or at least the pinky one. I chatted with the dexterously debonaire Broody Valentino about being a bear of paradise in a land full of flannels, bringing the DRAMA to New York City Boylesque, gothing out with the gurls of SqueezeBox, supersizing the glamour and burlesquing beauty standards, cuddling with pigeons and making marionettes cry, structured madness with the inimitable Susanne Bartsch, and why you don’t have to try so hard to be sexy because, baby, you already are. Shout outs to Matt Knife, Jonny Porkpie, Violet...
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Ep. 10 A Pulchritudinous Packed Evening at Testosterone, with Mr. Gorgeous
Show Boys
Where do you go for rock hard go-go boys and soft shell crabs? TESTOSTERONE, baby! I chatted with ever so handsome Mr. Gorgeous about unlocking the mystique of the Baltimore accent and the city's history of striptease queens, juggling fire with his father and finding burlesque through bull fighting, the trials, tribulations, and condiments of the Testosterone variety show, constructing costumes for Broadway and growing his Gorgeous by Gorgeous empire, and why technique isn't as important as doing things your own way. Shout outs to Kev Beverly, Reid and Harriet, Trixie Little, ...
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Ep. 9 Bathing in Milk, Pissing White Whine, and Using the Whole Chicken with Ray Gunn
Show Boys
A PSA to all bachelorettes: today is NOT your day. I chatted with the disarmingly charming Ray Gunn about the overlooked connotations of the word “boylesque," the best practices for dealing with Australian hen parties, why lactose and codpieces should never meet, the two sexiest things a performer can do onstage, drinkin’ white wine and pissin’ on Coney Island, pillow talk with the late Toni Elling, the main difference between Chicago and New York burlesque performers, and how to use the “whole chicken” onstage. Shout outs to Due Damage, Hot Toddy, Jett Adore, Bazuka Joe, Perle...
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Ep. 8 Justice or Judgement for Suzy Von Strip? Getting Professional with Matt Finish
Show Boys
This. Girl. Is. The. Nastiest. Hobbyist. I. Have. Met. Do. Not. Book. Her! I chatted with Tuscon treasure Matt Finish about the mysterious origins and unresolved legacy of Suzy Von Strip, avoiding the pitfalls of the EOY pageant, mining the treasures of Arizona burlesque, how ripping out your entrails is the new final reveal, the intricacies of nude scorpion photo shoots, being the worst dancer in Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo, the fount of inspiration that is Pippa Middleton, and what really defines a professional performer. Shout outs to Dr. Bones, Lola Demure, Fanny...
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Ep. 7 How to upcycle a Texas-sized island of trash into an Amanda Lepore Homage with The Luminous Pariah
Show Boys
Help! Far across the Alaskan sea, a plastic pangea encroaches on humanity. Luckily, there’s a burlesque performer with plenty of resourcefulness and even more eyelash glue to elevate it into art. I chatted with Seattle’s most effervescent outsider, The Luminous Pariah, about being the Bjork of Burlesque, the joys of lesbian acoustic rock, performing for the gays vs. performing for your peers, safety tips for biking with lashes, looking like trash and feeling fierce, serving salmon to the coastguard of Alaska, how the eyes are the windows to Jackie Beat, introducing interns to an advanced...
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Ep. 6 Dust Yourself Off and Have a SnoBall in Hell with Lou Henry Hoover
Show Boys
What do you do after faceplanting in front of Ann Reinking? "Dust yourself off, pick yourself up, and start all over again" (Jazz Hands!) I chatted with the award-winning and well-traveled Lou Henry Hoover about his First Lady origins, fangirling over Fred Astaire, "serious" modern dance, bringing Femmes to the front of burlesque, stripping on Bourbon Street, why New York City tastes like pistachio lemon cream, lesbian tipping etiquette in 2023, and why you should never apologize for falling (or failing) onstage. Shout outs to Kitten LaRue, the Atomic Bombshells, Cherdonna Shinatra,...
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Ep. 5 Awkward Boners, Allyship, and Giving Drag Kings Their Dues with Dirtyboi Xavier
Show Boys
This ones for the short AND the tall kings! I chatted with Drag King performer and impressario "Dirtyboi" Xavier about Minneapolis' Queer bubble, giving the audience an awkward boner, acts of Penny Tration, becoming demi-DOMule, shaving their legs to Selena Gomez, the latest toilet seat accessories at Home Depot, staying clear of stage sharks, the potentiality of Hungarian drag, and why speaking up about Queer rights is something everyone (including queer people) can do before, during, and after Pride. Shout outs to Murray Hill, Nadi A'marena, Dragged Out Minneapolis, Siren and Ice...
info_outlineCaution! Mess with this bear and you’re gonna get the claws-or at least the pinky one. I chatted with the dexterously debonaire Broody Valentino about being a bear of paradise in a land full of flannels, bringing the DRAMA to New York City Boylesque, gothing out with the gurls of SqueezeBox, supersizing the glamour and burlesquing beauty standards, cuddling with pigeons and making marionettes cry, structured madness with the inimitable Susanne Bartsch, and why you don’t have to try so hard to be sexy because, baby, you already are.
Shout outs to Matt Knife, Jonny Porkpie, Violet Chachki, Dirty Martini, Patti LuPone, Susanne Bartsch, Amanda Lepore, and the timeless Kermit the Frog.
Follow Broody Valentino: Broody Valentino on Facebook, @Broody_Valentino on Instagram, and @Broody-Valentino on Venmo
Follow Chris Harder: @TheChrisHarder on Instagam, Twitter, TikTok, and www.HarderChris.com
Follow Show Boys: @ShowBoysPod on Instagram
Questions for Chris? Email him at [email protected] or [email protected]
More about Broody Valentino:
Broody Valentino, the “Teddy Bear With Claws,” is a Boylesque performer based in New York City. A graduate of the New York School of Burlesque, Broody's mixture of the classic and the irreverent has made him a fixture on the NY Boylesque scene. Balancing theatricality and camp has garnered him the epithet “The Telenovela of Burlesque” which has allowed him to: perform for the 2020 Virtual Burlesque Hall of Fame (VHOF), the 2018 Life Ball in Vienna, Austria, headline at the 2019 Capitol Burlesque Expo in Ottawa, Canada, receive the Legends Award at the 2018 Burlypicks World Championship, and be crowned the reigning King of New Jersey Burlesque at the New Jersey Burlesque Festival. His other awards include the titles Best Overall, Master of Improv, and Master of Amazement at the first New Jersey Burlypicks Regional, the Golden Tassel for Best Boylesque at the 2017 Philadelphia Burlesque Awards, and The Beautiful Weirdo award at the 2017 Alterna-tease Neo-burlesque festival. A proud member of the Latinx Burlesque community, Broody enjoys challenging the concepts of masculinity and body image through the use of humor, sensuality, and style showing audiences that the big guys can sparkle with the best of them!