Kitten LaRue is a performer and Producer/Artistic Director of the burlesque troupe The Atomic Bombshells. She’s also gorgeous! We had a chance to chat with Kitten about the Seattle scene, what she loves best about performing and where she gets her costuming!

Jake Uitti: What is the most exciting part of performing burlesque?

Kitten LaRue: For me, the most exciting part of burlesque is the immediate and electric connection you get to have with your audience.  Few art forms allow you to get the instant gratification of a room full of people screaming at the top of their lungs every time you make a nuanced well-timed gesture, or expertly remove the smallest article of clothing. You can really FEEL their love and excitement, and it can be thrilling.  It makes for a very personal experience, even if you are playing to a house of 500 people. That, the travel, and the sparkly, sparkly costumes are the most exciting part of my job!

JU: Who does your costume, how do you design them?

KLR: Most of my costuming is by J Von Stratton designs and Danial Webster designs.  It’s a collaborative process: we usually sit down together, talk about what the idea is, start with what the “fantasy” version would be, then go from there!  Inspiration for the costuming comes from many different places: Old Hollywood, vintage burlesque, Pee-Wee’s playhouse….it’s a grab bag of references, but always larger than life!  I’m one who happily toes that line between glamorous and trashy….I find that that is where the comedy lies.

JU: Pee-Wee’s Playhouse?! I love that show! Who is your favorite character?

KLR: Well, of course Miss Yvonne was a style icon of mine from a very young age, but I was also obsessed with the flamboyance of Jambi the Genie, and the coolness of Chickie Baby!  Genius.

JU: Every time he rolled out that big rubber band ball I wanted one just like it! Are there any people (or puppets) you look to for inspiration nowadays?

KLR: Totally! I would say that my personal performance icon is the legendary Ann-Margaret, but most of my current day inspirations are drag queens, many of whom I’m fortunate enough to work with.  Drag queens have always informed my interest in exaggerated femininity and infusing a sense of camp and humor into sex appeal.

JU: I’m interested in this idea of “exaggerated femininity” – what do you think the power of this pronounced trait is? Why is it so important for burlesque?

KLR: I can only speak for myself, but personally this idea of exaggerated femininity lies in my interest in a few different things. First and foremost, for me burlesque is about fantasy. It’s about creating an over-the-top spectacle of glamour that is perhaps not achievable without a stage, rhinestones, and lighting. Secondly, by presenting this cartoonish, exaggerated version of femininity, I’m able to both celebrate and satirize what is considered “feminine” and “beautiful” in our culture.  In a burlesque context, my look (giant fake hair, huge lashes, exaggerated makeup, and outlandish costumes) are considered beautiful and glamorous. However, if you saw me in my burlesque drag at the grocery store (and you often can at 3am after a show!) you’d think I was a crazy person.  I have zero interest in  just looking “pretty” and I am rarely recognized out of my drag….I have created a look to go with the persona of Kitten LaRue.  As a gay woman, I’m also interested in playing with constructs of beauty and “sexiness” that are typically considered to be for the male gaze, and reclaiming them by showing how fun and absurd those constructs can be, by infusing something odd or humorous into a performance that on the surface is about being sexy. I believe this is what many drag queens do as well: show the power and allure of high-femme beauty while also satirizing it.

JU: When did you know you wanted to perform burlesque?

KLR: I had danced and performed most of my life, but I knew that I wanted to perform burlesque the first time that I saw the Shim Shamettes in New Orleans, where I was living after college. I was blown away. I was so thrilled to discover an art form that could seamlessly meld my love for dance, theater, comedy, vintage glamour, camp, nostalgia, AND manage to feel inherently subversive… SOLD!  I auditioned for the show, and that’s how I got my start.

JU: How long have you lived in Seattle and what is your favorite part of the scene here, and what would you like to see improved?

KLR: I’ve lived in Seattle since 2003, and the troupe that I founded and am the Artistic Director of, The Atomic Bombshells, are celebrating our 10 year anniversary this year!  My favorite part of the scene here would have to be the amazing venues that we have in Seattle.  We were the first troupe to bring burlesque to the Triple Door theater, and it is truly one of the best venues for burlesque in the entire country.  There’s so much diversity in our burlesque scene in Seattle, and we have a wonderful variety of venues to accommodate all of the different types of productions.

As far as improvements to the scene here? I would say a good rule of thumb for any burlesque scene in any city, including Seattle is this: Do your homework. Take your time. Put in the work, energy, and resources necessary into your idea before you decide to put it on a stage.  There’s a real glut of burlesque in the world right now, so try hard to rise above the white noise of mediocrity.