If you haven’t seen the Spielpalast Cabaret you still have time. You can catch it next weekend. I have seen Spielpalast Cabaret for years but I have to say this year is the Best. Great Job!!

I found this story in the Free Press by Lois Trombley. Lois Trombley lives in Burlington. She is co-creator and director of Spielpalast Cabaret. It started  10 years ago and the show continues to perform burlesque from a feminine perspective and promote healthy body image for women of all shapes and sizes. Within a historical context, they  present modern-day socio-political issues. While the performance addresses these (sometimes heavy) topics, it is infused with humor, opera, absurdity, big dance numbers and a rocking live jazz band.

The Spielpalast is an annual celebration and collaboration of 25 artists, including musicians, actors, dancers, singers and visual artists. It is like  a traveling circus that people anticipate once a year; just in time it for the coming of spring.

It’s been a decade of decadence and debauchery, and they  aren’t stopping. This year, in addition to nine annual shows at Contois Auditorium in Burlington’s City Hall, they are adding a summer Vermont tour. In August, they  will perform at the Fringe Fesitval in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Spielpalast Cabaret

Contois Auditorium at City Hall
149 Church Street, Burlington, VT 05401MAP IT

$25 Advance/$28 At Door

A  palace of games, drama and theatre. [spiel= game + palast= play] At the end of the wild whirlwind between WWI and WWII, The Depression (known for it’s loose morals, prohibition, unemployment), European and American ex-patriates flocked to the literary cabarets and burlesque entertainments. These feateured a wide range of scandalous and subversive performance, including political satire, nude dancing, gender bending and elaborate avant-garde nonsense spectacles. In the increasingly oppressive atmosphere of facisct nationalism, brutality, censorship, and restricted civil liberties, these cabarets and burlesque shows served the purpose of transgressive dis-ordering radical internationalism and a much needed release from the rigidity of “family values.” Performed in local clubs and cafes the cabaret celebrated the unstompable resilience of the individualistic and alternative human spirit in a time of mass propaganda, blind patriotism and military frenzy.

If you are looking for something to do this weekend  catch the “Spielpalast Cabaret”. This Sat. and Sunday and also next weekend. www.spielpalastcabaret.org .

The girls from Beaver Pond, Vt. will be at the 8pm Show this Sat. Night at  City Hall Auditorium on Church Street in Burlington, Vt.

We have been going to the Cabaret for years. It is a fun evening of vintage burlesque and vaudeville and a rowdy  house orchestra.

Here is a clue. Johnnie took a trip to Savannah, Ga. and found these Gay Celebs hanging out at the local gay bar “Club One”. This is Randy the original Cowboy from” The Village People” and the fabulous  Drag Queen “Lady Chablis”. You may know her from the Bestselling book and she was in the  movie “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil” and she played herself. She continues to have her own show every Saturday Night at Club One in Savannah where she lip synch and dances along with other Drag Queens. They pack the house at every show. If you go to Savannah check her show out.

Here are a few pictures from her show.

Margaret, Cousin Craig and I went out to entertain the folks at the Green Mountain Nursing and Rehab. Center at Fort Ethan Allen.

It was our first time to perform in a Nursing facility. It was one of those places that we performed in Essex and the crowd set in Colchester.

The building set on the Essex and Colchester Vermont county line. We told a few jokes and sung a few songs and told them some stories of Beaver Pond.

Cousin Craig thought that he was being part of an intervention program but we assured him that he wasn’t and that he would be driving us back to Beaver Pond, Vt. All turned out well and they enjoyed the show.

Congratulations to Higher Ground for turning 15.

The House of LeMay  Would Like to Wish you a HAPPY BIRTHDAY! We hope you will be having many more! We have had our share of fun at Higher Ground attending many events and with hosting and presenting Winter is a Drag Ball.

The staff at Higher Ground is wonderful. We love Y’all! Thanks for all the memories!

Are Y’all looking for a side dish to go with your meal tonight? Start with a box of RICE a RONI Creamy Four Cheese. You know it is “The San Francisco Treat”. Just follow the directions on the box, it is real easy. It is so easy a Drag Queen can do it!

When you get to the last 5 minutes of cooking you can add a cup of small broccoli florets. I added some leftover asparagus cut into one inch pieces with a handful of cherrie tomatoes cut in half. I’m serving this with Boneless BBQ Chicken Wings that I picked up at the store.

To make this a meal:

1) In a large skillet take 1 lb. of ground turkey or beef cook it until no longer pink, drain the meat.

2) Stir in rice-vermicelli mix with 2 Tbsp. of butter and 2 1/4 cups of water, bring to a boil.

3) Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer 15-20 minutes or until rice is tender

4) Stir in Special Seasonings. Remove from heat and let stand for 3 minutes and then enjoy!

Thanks to all Y’all  that came out for our Annual ” Sap Tappin Mud Flappin Revue” held Sat. at Three Needs in Burlington, Vermont.

We had so much fun singing, telling jokes and a few stories and giving out Door Prizes. We had our Easter Bonnet Parade and sing along. Then Mayor Bibbs Fiske brought some of the products that are being made in Beaver Pond, Vt.

We had Major Face taking money at the door. Major Face will be the Little Beavers Troop 69 new Troop Leader. We hope to be hearing from Major Face again.

Y’all the House of LeMay had sooo much fun Judging the Dance Off at  5th Annual WHBW Zumbathon® and Dance Off After Party held at the Memorial Auditorium last night in Burlington, VT.

They had  Party music by that Great 8O’s Band  Hot Neon Magic

Last year they raised over $40,000, had more than 350 participants. It was crazy, and this year they say it was even WILDER! We heard that they had raised over $55,000! All to benefit  Women Helping Battered Women provides many essential services for victims of domestic violence in our community.

Here is their website to check out what they are all about: http://www.whbw.org/

I do have to say it was strange standing on that gym floor in high heels. I kept waiting for some gym teacher to yell at me. “Get off that floor in those street shoes!” So I danced on that floor just for all those times they told me I couldn’t!

Here’s the Winner of the Dance Off that took home the Golden Sneaker Award!

Hey Y’all! Here is a great gift idea to bring for a house warming party. If you have some old bananas that are too ripe to eat don’t throw them out just make some bread with them. Here is a real easy recipe. Here’s all you need:

1/2 cup of shortening, now I melt mine in the microwave for 40 min. or until it turns into liquid.
3/4 cup of sugar
1/4 tsp of salt
1 egg beaten
3 over ripe bananas mashed
2 cups of all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp of cinnamon
1/4 tsp of nutmeg

Now if you like you can add 1/2 cup of chocolate chips or a 1/2 cup of chopped nuts or both.

Preheat your oven to 350.
Cream together shortening, sugar and salt in a large bowl then add egg, bananas, baking soda, flour and spices. Mix well and pour into and ungreased 9 X 5 loaf pan and bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until your tooth pick comes out clean. Enjoy!!

Happy Saint Patty’s Day Y’all! It is time for us to cook  the traditional Corned Beef and Cabbage and have a Party. We all gather together and have our dinner down at the Edna St. Vincent LeMay Memorial Laundromat, Library, Comm. Center and now Lint Museum, Wifi Hot Spot and Tourist Kiosk  where we will eat  have some beer and sing a few Irish Songs. Now  here are the ingredients that you will need for the Corned Beef and Cabbage.

Ingredients

• 3 pounds corned beef brisket with spice packet. If you did not get a spice packet just take 2 bay leaves, 12 whole black peppercorns, 2 whole cloves, 1 teaspoon mustard seeds.
• 10 small red potatoes
• 5 carrots, peeled and cut into 3-inch pieces
• 1 large head cabbage, cut into small wedge
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