Hawaii Burlesque & Stage Show History, Venue Profile on: The Forbidden City, now just a memory.

Aloha All,

Continuing in the vein of Hawaii Burlesque History, I'm trying to find information on the notorious "Forbidden City" and nightclub owned by Jack Cione, which offered strip & stage shows to local audiences in the 60's - 80's (actual timeline TBD) The club was located near the corner of Kapiolani & Kalakaua Blvds, first in the space that now houses the Old Spaghetti Factory and then in a location at what is now Century Center.

There is VERY LITTLE about this club online, so I'm taking the search to the library and other state agencies, hopefully to uncover some interesting facts.

INTERESTING FACT:  Did you know Screamin' Jay Hawkins was brought to the islands to perform at the Forbidden City? Needless to say, he had a flair for the dramatic, as shown in this excerpt from his online bio:

 "In Honolulu Jay Hawkins meets and marries Virginnia Sabellona, a very pretty woman six years his junior. The nuptials do not please Pat, who plunges a nine-inch butcher's knife into Jay's chest, puncturing his lung and diaphragm. So her services are eventually dispensed."

If you or anyone you know would like to share information, memories or photos etc please drop me a line via this blog or at my email: violettaberetta@gmail.com

I have a few photos, which I will share at a later date, but for now, here are some links:

An interesting discussion by kama'aina that remember some of Honolulu's older hotspots... including the Forbidden City!
 http://www.hawaiithreads.com/showthread.php?t=14733 

A excerpt from "Land & Power in Hawaii, The Democratic Years" by George Cooper and Gavan Daws
http://books.google.com/books?id=8128CdCEJNcC&pg=PA239&lpg=PA239&dq=the+forbidden+city+nightclub+honolulu&source=bl&ots=W9pkLXwHpX&sig=Y7JQOpa0qdfRepYs_SDkrKrzt4w&hl=en&sa=X&ei=fzmAUaD0N-rNiwLC9YCIBw&ved=0CEMQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=the%20forbidden%20city%20nightclub%20honolulu&f=false

ALOHA & Have a Beautiful Day!

XOXO
V

Hawaii Burlesque & Stage History, Venue Profile on: The Beretania Follies!

Aloha! 

Today I'd like to delve deeper into and interesting part of Honolulu's Chinatown History and a bit of Hawaii Burlesque History as well! 

 The Beretania Follies was Hawaii's very first burlesque theater! You can read more about it below. After a bit of research I discovered that the street this venue was on has since been completely obliterated and is now a section of Maunakea and Beretania. Nothing of the Beretania Follies exists in physical form today, that theater and all of the performers who passed through now exist only in memory.

I was lucky enough to come across this blog by a person named San Souci, who took a photo of the area where the Follies once was. Check it out below!  Mahalo San Souci!  

BASIC INFO ON THE BERETANIA FOLLIES

 
 "Hawai‘i’s pioneer burlesque house was the Beretania Theater, located at 1229 Kamanuwai Lane in a congested urban slum on the mauka edge of Honolulu’s Chinatown. Built originally around 1936 or 1937 as a neighborhood movie theater, the Beretania was bought in 1944 by William C. Ferreira and was used during the next few years mostly for “adults only” films. These pictures, typically made on shoestring budgets by marginal producers, were fairly steamy by the inhibited standards of the times but in retrospect seem pretty tepid.
In 1947, Ferreira renamed his theater the Beretania Follies, erected a saucy neon sign above the entrance, and initiated regular stage shows, with a review called “Cover Girl Scandals.” The Follies’ new live offerings invariably featured leggy strippers and baggy-pants comedians."

Source: http://www.hawaiianhistory.org/time-capsules/daily-life/burlesque/#.UXs9pkruySo

Photo: 1954 - Beretania Follies on Kamanuwai Lane in Chinatown, Honolulu

Hawaii, Nov 22 1954

Source:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/vic-and-becky/5599559352/

 

The former "Kamanuwai St." home of the Beretania Follies, now completely gone. 

  Source:http://konalunas.blogspot.com/2011/07/gone-and-forgotten.html

OTHER READING

http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/40612

http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2001/Apr/15/ln/ln27abob.html
(A neat profile of Ron Bright, a local pianist who played at the Follies while in college!

Aloha & Remember the Follies! 

XOXO
V

Some Pretty Hawaii Pinups to brighten your day!

Aloha!

Recently Hawaii played host to some super fun, amazing performers by name of Jezebel Express & Gin Minsky who hail from NYC! We all had a great time performing, getting to know each other and hanging out at the beach as the Cherry Blossom Cabaret crew are known to do! Here's a little peep at our day on the North Shore of Hawaii, all pinups shot by me (except the ones of myself..hee hee)

Enjoy! XOXO
V

Gin Minsky in one of my favorite shots of the day!

The Lovely Gin Minsky Goes Tropical!

No ukulele were harmed during this shoot.

Jezebel Express, beautiful and hilarious, a dangerous combo!

Our Tiki Impersonation

Jezebel Express plays us a tune!

High note indeed! 

Lola Loves the beach! 

James Sigmon, Male Pinup, ESQ

Miss Catwings! MEOWZA!

Group shot! What a fun day!

An Interview with Kalani Kokonuts: "The Showgirl of Burlesque"

An Interview with the Stunning Kalani Kokonuts,

"The Showgirl of Burlesque"

The Stunning Miss Kalani Kokonuts!

Kalani Kokonuts in one of her AWESOME costumes!

I recently had the honor of being able to interview one of my favorite performers, Kalani Kokonuts for my little blog. She was so nice and responded with great answers! Kalani is a unique and magnificent talent and is very well known in the burlesque community as "The Showgirl of Burlesque!" She also hails from Hawaii!!

 

Kalani Kokonuts Interview for Burlesque in Hawaii, April 23, 2012: 

Aloha Kalani! First of it's a great honor to be able to interview you! I've always been a fan of your work and thrilled by the fact that someone from my hometown hit the "big time!"

Q:What's your Performer Name/Tag-line? How long have you been doing Burlesque?
A:Kalani Kokonuts ''The Showgirl of Burlesque''.
I have been stripping on and off for 22 years. I did at one point, take seven years off to go snowboarding.

Q:Focus/Specialty?
A:I don't have a set focus or specialty. I want to keep my performances interesting for the audience as well as keep my mind engaged while creating and performing.

Q:Upcoming projects you care to share??
A: My newest act is a mermaid act. I Have a giant champagne glass prop that is, as far as I know is the largest in the world. Not certain about the galaxy or universe...or parallel dimensions. I would definitely put this act in the ''Neo'' Burlesque category. I also went very ''anti'' costume for this act because I envisioned simplicity in it's most purest form.

Q:What inspired you to begin doing burlesque?
A: I started stripping at the age of 18 because I had myself and my younger sister to support. I needed money, because food costs money, and my mother had become an absentee parent for a time.
I became inspired after I had seen for the first time a ''Feature entertainer'' that was booked into the club. I was working illegally underage and I loved the costuming! It was mostly escapism for me initially because stripping become monotonous. Honestly I had never even heard the word ''burlesque'' till many years later. I had only ever seen feature entertainers which is what I eventually became. My mother was a burlesque dancer and also performed shows but I never knew there was a name for a strip club showgirl. I am inspired by creating, I love to create and I will admit that the process for creating a new act can be maddening. I also paint, sculpt, play music, sing and write. I have extremely busy hands and I rarely sit and just relax. If you were ever unfortunate enough to have me accompany you to the beach, I would make you crazy.

Q:How long have you been playing the trumpet? That's a pretty amazing skill! What's your favorite song to play?
A: I actually played classical guitar first in high school, I never considered myself adept at that. I picked up the trumpet about 10 years ago, to me the trumpet has a very heavenly and soulful sound. I am also not adept at the trumpet and only occasionally play now. I am learning the base guitar and hope to be a mediocre player sometime in the distant future. My favorite Jazz song is ''Take Five'' by Dave Brubeck.

Q: Your costumes are GORGEOUS! Do you make them or design them yourself? How do you come up with your costuming ideas?
A: First off thank you! Just like anyone else, my acts are inspired by music, movies, fashion and various recreational pharmaceuticals available without a prescription.
I have made most of my own costumes or I have under pieces made which I then finish myself. I designed but did not construct the ''Geisha'' costume, although I did reconstruct it myself after being unhappy with it initially. The ''Geisha'' body suit alone cost me $3500.00 and I had to cut right into it to make it suitable for what I needed. That was a learning lesson for me and it took me 2 hours to work up the nerve to cut up the bodysuit and coincidentally, that is exactly how long it takes to give yourself an ulcer. I highly suggest that burly gals learn to make their own costumes if at all possible. Be part of the process and learn. I design all of my own acts and must absolutely be involved in every aspect of the creation. I am an OCD, perfectionist high anxiety, asshole when creating and constructing, because those are just the standards I hold myself too.
Once I believe I have a decent idea for an act, I let it stew in my head for awhile (sometimes years). I imagine the most high production act I can possibly create, then whittle down from there. Obviously there are budgets and limitations that make the creative process within the laws of physics a serious bummer. I used to be a strict advocate of using only Swarovski's for brilliance but I have recently become fascinated with sequins again. Being realistic about what is possible and not possible is imperative. The idea and costume must be relatable without being self indulgent. Costuming is only second to talent and ability.

Q: You're well known for your lavish stage settings and live performance elements (Taiko drummers, male assistants etc.) during your sets....what is your favorite onstage collaboration or effect? 
A: Great performances only happen with great lighting. When I had the idea for the Taiko drummers, I hadn't quite accounted for how loud the actual drummers were. I hope it didn't show, but I was extremely startled by the unexpected loudness and I couldn't hear anything but the drums. I would love to perform with Taiko drummers again. I love performing with other performers onstage and am considering some one off ideas in the future with hired dancers. My favorite show I performed in was Absinthe in Las Vegas. I learned that the most integral part of any show is the lighting, and the lighting.

Q: What do you love most about burlesque?
A: The one thing I love most about burlesque is the absolute joy I get from entertaining an audience. If your happy, I'm happy.

Q: What are your biggest inspirations/influences?
A: My biggest influence and inspiration for creating is music. Music is my religion and without it I am crippled.

Q:Where can we see you perform?
A: I perform every Friday at the Sapphire's Comedy Hour in Las Vegas.
I am also a fill in at Absinthe at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas. I will be performing my new act at this year's BHOF and will also be performing at Ink-N-Iron in Long Beach this summer. I don't take as many bookings as I used to because I have bit of burnout and would like to semi-retire from burlesque to sculpt and paint full time. Painting is my first love after snowboarding.
I wouldn't say I have any special or cultivated talents. I have always danced. There are however little things I do onstage, I'll call bad habits that make me nuts. Every performer has them.

Q:What are your ties to Hawaii? Your name is a good indication of one!
A: I grew up in Hawaii and moved away to Alaska when I was 10 years old.
I am from Moanolua Valley on Oahu. There are a lot of local Hawaiians in Alaska because of the fishing trade and I went to high school with many many locals.

Q:Has Hawaii or it's culture inspired you in your work? If so, how?
A: I'll perform traditional hula or Tahitian sometimes onstage at burlesque events but I am not comfortable stripping while dancing hula because I think it's disrespectful and I hold the Hawaiian culture in the utmost reverence. It feels very awkward to me so I don't make a habit of it.
Hawaiian culture has influenced me because Hawaii is where my roots are. The influence is culture, respect tradition and grace. Being a former hula and Tahitian dancer, I had instilled into me the physicality of elegance and fluidity. Much like ballet. It is very spiritual for me and is the experience I try to manifest and share when I perform.

Q:Any funny or cool Hawaii-centric burlesque (or otherwise) memories you care to share?
A:The ''Coconut Lounge'' was a bar my mom and dad owned in Waikiki in the 1970's. My fondest memory was when Elvis Presley popped in for a visit, because my parents had booked a cousin of Elvis's to perform a short run. Well I ended up in Vegas anyway.
 
K:)

 Mahalo Nui Loa Kalani Kokonuts for an awesome & inspiring interview, and for taking the time to answer my questions! 

If you'd like to see even more of the Gorgeous Kalani Kokonuts, go here:

https://www.facebook.com/kalani.kokonuts 

or here:

http://youtu.be/heUSJwElPHk 

" A Seaside Mystery" - Did Mae West leave some grafitti behind in Hawaii?

Aloha!

It's an off and on rainy day here in Paradise, and so I'm inside, watching old movies and getting some serious inspiration!

One of my favorite sassy girls of the old era was Mae West, and believe it or not, Hawaii and Mae share not only a small bond, but a mystery as well! It seems she may have visited and left her mark on a local spot many many years ago!

The blog post I found below is a really intriguing read...maybe together we can solve this Hawaii Burlesque Mystery!

http://kgwbreadcrumbs.blogspot.com/2012_06_01_archive.html

And of course, here's a photo of the lovely Mae in all of her finery...

The lovely Mae West in a beautiful and creative costume!

And here's a little clip of her one of a kind brand of acting and seduction:

http://youtu.be/5L0eJp7V2Zs



Aloha & Enjoy!

DIY Burlesque/Fashion! It's Easy & Fun!

 Yesterday I was stoked to help some lovely burly pals from my troupe make DIY dress forms to making it easier to make costumes etc. It was a fun day, and we managed to make 3 forms at a leisurely pace over the course of 4 hours!

We used plastic bags and paper tape (available at most crafting and hardware stores, pretty cheap!)
All told I think the whole project will run you about 25.00 max.

Here are some pictures of our craft adventures:

Ho...mean side-eye, eh? 

The finished shells of the forms, next they should be packed with fabric and paper, re-taped to smooth out any major bumps and put on a stand.

If you'd like to try making your own dress forms I'd reccomend the following resources:
http://www.instructables.com/id/Custom-Dressform-from-Paper-Packing-Tape/
http://makingitwell.blogspot.com/2012/03/i-made-my-own-dress-form.html
**These are for the paper tape version but there's also other ways, like using duct tape etc. Try Google for more info on that!

Aloha & Happy Crafting!

A Sweet Letter from an Eyewitness!

 Woke up this morning to this lovely letter in my-inbox from a nice gentleman and "old school Hawaii burlesque eyewitness" R.L. It made my morning to know that someone out there actually googled the words "Beretania Follies" because of fond memories, and took the time to get in touch to share their memories! Hopefully I can convince him to share a bit more later on his memories of the show, Chinatown and Honolulu in the 60s!

Mahalo for sharing R.L!!!! <3 <3 <3

"Just wanted to send you a little message, concerning The Beretania Follies.

I was stationed at Pearl Harbor, from 1961 to 1964. As most other servicemen there, I visited the Beretania Follies. 

Today, I had a flash back of my days in Hawaii and Googled Beretania Follies. I came across your little article and I want to wish you the best of luck, on your research.

I am sorry that I have no pictures or other information  to send you.

I ,again, wish you the best of luck , on your research.  You have made my day a little happier, thanks!"

-R.L. III

Here's a brief write up on Hawaii burlesque talking about the Beretania Follies by the Hawaiian Historical Society:
http://www.hawaiianhistory.org/time-capsules/daily-life/burlesque/#.UXAsUEruySo

Here's a link to a photo showing the Beretania Follies!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/vic-and-becky/5599559756/


Aloha & have a wonderful day!

V

Hawaii Burly History...continued!

Good Morning & Aloha!

Just got back from some shows on the Mainland and though I love the frenetic pace and meeting new people I always look forward to coming back home. I'm grateful every day for having the luck to be born and raised here in Hawaii Nei, and for being able to live, dance, create and work in one of the most beautiful and temperate places on the earth. 

Wanted to share a few more Hawaii Burlesque history photos and videos cause I've got Honolulu on the brain this morning. Enjoy! XOXO

V

Here's a very interesting collection of advertisements from the 50's-60's, Forbidden City and the like. Check out the advertisement for MISS SALLY RAND in the upper left corner!Wish I could have seen THAT!

Here is a link to a movie titled "Burlesque in Hawaii" also known as "Oriental Vanities." This movie admittedly leaves ALOT to be desired in several of the cinematic virtues but it does show off a view of older Hawaii in more innocent days.


ALOHA!!

The Official 2013 Hawaii Burlesque Festival & Revue Logo and Poster are HERE!

I am literally thrilled to be able to share this amazing (and amazingly cute) design by Claudette Barjoud of Fluff! Claudette is one of my favorite artists in the world and I'm so happy and honored to have had a chance to work with an icon in both art and fluffiness!

I commissioned this design for the Second Annual Hawaii Burlesque Festival & Revue, as I wanted to be able to really captivate peoples imaginations both locally and not, I thought that Claudette's artistic vision wold be perfect to personify the fun, teasing nature of the event and the art form and boy, was I RIGHT!

Check out more of Claudette's beautiful art as well as her line of accesories & clothing called "Fluff" at" 

www.fluffshop.com 

Stay tuned for more info on where to get prints, stickers, t-shirts and the like of this AWESOME design, for sale via the Hawaii Burlesque Festival & Revue website at: www.hawaiiburlesquefestival.com SOON!

Also check the website and the HBF Facebook page for more info on the event, tickets, performers and MORE!