New York’s 14th Annual Asian Burlesque Festival Returns With International Cast

The 14th Annual NY Asian Burlesque Festival is set to take over two New York venues across a weekend of performances, bringing together burlesque performers from across the United States, Canada, Singapore and Switzerland.

Hosted by Calamity Chang, the festival will open at Le Poisson Rouge on Manhattan’s Bleecker Street on Saturday May 16 before shifting to The Red Pavilion in Brooklyn on Sunday May 17.

The two-night program features a rotating cast of more than 20 performers spanning solo acts, duo performances and DJ sets, drawing artists from cities including Houston, Los Angeles, Vancouver and Singapore.

Saturday night at Le Poisson Rouge

The festival’s opening night at Le Poisson Rouge, 158 Bleecker Street, features a 12-act lineup curated under Chang’s direction.

Performers on the Saturday bill include Kitana Louise (Houston, TX), Andrea Flow (NYC), Phoenix A’Blaze (NYC), Bunny D’Vine (Switzerland), Ruby Revel (Vancouver, BC), Princess Moonface (Singapore), Stella St James (Los Angeles), Felicia Oh (NYC), Filthy Mari Chino (NYC), Joona Bae (NJ/NYC), Lychee Mynx (Quad Cities) and Maria Pucciarelli (NYC).

Doors open at 6:30pm with the show beginning at 8pm. Tickets range from $25 to $75.

Sunday ‘Tea Time’ at The Red Pavilion

Sunday’s show, billed as “Tea Time,” moves to The Red Pavilion at 1241 Flushing Avenue in Brooklyn. The venue is an Asian woman-owned and operated nightclub that was created as a space for AAPI safety, celebration and community.

Chang returns as host for the second night, which features Lisa Bella (Connecticut), Aimee & Belinda (NYC), Malaya Sol (NYC), Ryan Shinji (NYC), Stella St James (Los Angeles), Felicia Oh (NYC) and Masae Satouchi (NYC).

The Sunday lineup also includes performances from Sunny Moon, Joy Vicious, Sweet Cheeks, Ceruleanna Blue and Persimmon Peaks, with DJ Momotaro on the decks.

Doors open at 6pm with the show running from 6:30pm to 8pm. Tickets for the Sunday session range from $25 to $70.

A festival in its 14th year

The NY Asian Burlesque Festival has run annually for over a decade, building a platform for Asian and Asian-American burlesque performers in a genre where they have historically been underrepresented.

The festival draws performers from well beyond New York, with this year’s cast pulling from eight US states and three countries. Several performers appear across both nights, including Stella St James and Felicia Oh.

The choice of The Red Pavilion for Sunday’s show reflects the festival’s connection to AAPI-centred cultural spaces. The Brooklyn venue is relatively new and positions itself explicitly as a space built by and for the Asian-American community.

Tickets and details

Tickets for both nights are available through the festival’s website at www.asianburlesquefest.com.