Derek Colin

Darling Niki performs with the troupes who are bringing the business of burlesque back to Ottawa.

Veronica Michelle, the co-creator of Rockalily Burlesque, says her troupe has been instrumental in bringing the business of burlesque back to Ottawa.

“I would credit Rockalily with bringing it back to the mainstream,” she says. “After we started, other people were like, ‘Hey, we want to do that too.’”

A recent show at the Bronson Centre, featuring the Sexual Overtones, a vaudeville-inspired burlesque troupe, and Rockalily sold out more than a week before the performance on April 4.

“As soon as you say people are taking their clothes off it’s pretty easy to spread the word,” says Philana, of the Sexual Overtones.  

This is not the troupes first sell-out performance. The Sexual Overtones alongside Rockalily packed Babylon nightclub for the Indecent Exposure show on Nov. 30.

Since its creation in August 2008, the Sexual Overtones have performed at numerous events in Centretown.

Both Veronica and Philana say that their troupes generally make a very modest profit from each show.

They minimize expenses by rehearsing in living rooms or in the venues of sympathetic employers. Costumes, which are one of the focal points of each show, are handmade.

Veronica says that promotion such as flyers, costumes and buttons are one of Rockalily’s biggest expenses. She says online promotion has helped the group develop a solid audience base with minimal advertising costs.

“We have a MySpace page and a Facebook group. Somebody doing the same thing five years ago would have spent a lot more money on flyers and bribing journalists to talk to them,” says Veronica.

Both Veronica and Philana say that finding a suitable venue is a serious consideration for both troupes. Having a stage is a necessity, but unfortunately most places in Centretown that have a stage also have fixed seats. This affects what the Sexual Overtones refer to as the ‘Ruckus Factor.’ Crowd interaction is an important part of the show.

“It’s hard enough to rile up an Ottawa crowd,” says Mary, a member of the Sexual Overtones. “You don’t want them to be sitting down already.”

Despite their current success, Philana admits that it would be difficult to turn her burlesque career into a full-time job. As it stands, the Sexual Overtones donate most of their burlesque income to charitable causes.

With such a large roster, Philana says the troupe would have to take in much larger gains through higher ticket prices, more frequent shows and constant touring. She’s afraid that the end result would be detrimental to her original intentions, which was to foster community spirit and have fun.

“I really believe in building community. I have made friends through this­,” she says. “I like meeting new people who are wacky and wonderful and like taking their clothes off on stage. If you’re not getting paid for it, [being enthusiastic] is not obligatory. People are up there because they want to be there.”