UPCOMING EVENTS
Bawdy Bodies, Friday, Sept. 13, Basix / Saturday, Sept. 14, Studio 13, 9 p.m.
Bawdy Horror, Friday, Oct. 18, the Olympic Theater / Saturday, Oct. 19, the James Theater, 8 p.m., 18+
No animals were harmed by Bawdy Bawdy Ha Ha, Iowa’s premier burlesque ensemble, in the presentation of their circus-themed variety shows last month. But you could still hear plenty of hooting and hollering from the wild animals in the audience of the adults-only Cirque Sensuale — including Yours Truly.
Full transparency: this wasn’t my first time at the striptease rodeo. I popped my Bawdy Bawdy cherry this past May at their Sweet & Spicy Burlesque Buffet. My main reason for attending was to reunite with a high school friend (Chicago’s own Kitti O. Sheabutter) performing in the revue, but I’ll admit: I was curious and intrigued about burlesque. I arrived with minimal knowledge of the artform. Besides reading Gypsy Rose Lee’s autobiography and penning several erotica novels of my own as Eliza David, I had no idea what to expect.
I left entertained, invigorated and thirsty for more good times — so to say I jumped at a chance to join the naughty circus at my second Bawdy Bawdy event is an understatement. Co-produced by Bawdy Bawdy Ha Ha founder Catty Wompass and fellow performer Anita Sativa, Cirque Sensuale was performed on Aug. 16 at CSPS Hall and Aug. 17 at the James Theater. I attended the latter.
The evening began with a rousing rendition of “The Greatest Show” from The Greatest Showman. Chey Boi — who sang the opener with equal parts fiery energy and stone-cold sexiness — set the tone for what would unfold into two hours of mayhem and taboo fun. Accompanied by a soundtrack ranging from classic rock to Chappell Roan, the show’s sounds were as varied as its sights.
The costumes screamed at you to enjoy yourself: cowbois and cowgrrls, ’50s prom dresses and, yes, a few circus animals. Standouts included Matt Adore (a favorite of mine from the May performance) doing the very best interpretation of a sexy slinky snake, Jean Wildest and their mind-bending acrobatics and the gorgeous Symone Loudly twirling about in a negligee of white ribbon and lace.
The headliners of the evening, Miss Ammunition and Isis the Entertainer, traveled from Chicago and St. Louis, respectively, to bless the stage with their amazing set of skills. Miss Ammunition made her presence known in a flowing set of red Lilith-esque wings, daring the devil tempt every soul in the audience with her captivating command of carnal heat. Isis, a beauty of brown curves and agile body, came equipped with her own pole and showed us exactly what she can do with it.
The show ended with the headliners reappearing, Isis dripping in red lace and wanton lust, Miss Ammunition closing out the night with a pyrotechnic flair.
The crowd roared with appreciation for the entire cast of colorful and diverse characters. I think I felt the theater shake from the love. The greatest show, indeed!
The following morning, I sat with Anita and Catty at downtown Iowa City’s Coffee Emporium, a short walk from the theater that captivated us the evening before. The energy in the café was the same as onstage: welcoming, fun and unadulterated.
Catty’s performance journey began in San Francisco before relocating to Iowa City in 2017. Her initial foray into burlesque on the West Coast had been met with some bias.
“I felt confused about my place in the world,” Catty shared as she sipped coffee at our table. This was the impetus for her founding of Bawdy Bawdy Ha Ha, an inclusive group of dancers with experience ranging from none to certified dance student. Catty began to feel accepted in her new Midwestern home.
“My body’s valued here,” she said, with nods from Anita beside her.
Anita joined the group in 2021, right as we entered some semblance of a new normal. She immediately felt the welcoming warmth of the group. “Anything I could do, I wanted to do.”
The driving force behind the Bawdy Bawdy Ha Ha philosophy is, first and foremost, inclusion and belonging. “Self-selecting history,” as Catty calls it, may have one believe that burlesque looks only one way: white, femme and thin. Bawdy Bawdy shatters that perspective one performance at a time.
Kellee Forkenbrock is the award-winning Public Services Librarian for North Liberty Library. She writes romance under the pseudonym Eliza David. Kellee is active in her community, having lent her service to the Iowa City Public Library Board of Trustees, and currently as Board Vice President for Iowa City UNESCO City of Literature. This article was originally published in Little Village’s September 2024 issue.
