Charm School Vintage: Beautiful Monsters

Yesterday morning I woke up with a bad case of the post-performance blues. Tuesday night's Beautiful Monsters show was so much fun, and everyone looked so incredible... can't we do it again next week, ladies?

From the dancers to the designers, the make up artists and tech crew, Allyson and her amazing wigs... everyone worked so hard to put together a flawless show, and couldn't be more proud of the result. We can't do it every week, but at least I have some great behind the scenes photos of all the mischief and mayhem

Check out Jeremiah Newton's impeccable portraits of all the performers here,

and Kate Hellenbeck's beautiful behind the scenes shots here.

And thank you so so so much to everyone who came out for the show.

I can only hope you had half as much fun as I did!

xoxoxo

Zombie attack in the dressing room!

Sassy miss make-up artist Fiona helping Johanna with her eyelashes.

Our other make-up masterminds, Christina and Ashley

I know I've lived in the Facial Hair Capital of the World too long when I find this attractive.

Our MC Chris Lane in Wolfman costume

Our first performer Mari (Bride of Frankenstein! Eeeek!) is one of the most riveting dancers I've ever seen.

She could be doing the Macarena, and I'd want watch her all night.

Her designer makes amazing fetish pieces under the name Sacred Heart Rubber.

Check it out!

Hi. This is me as the Devil in Disguise.

And this is my beautiful designer Curry Beth!

Curry is my best friend because we can debate philosophical matters like

"four, or five rows of fringe on the hot pants?" and

"does the pentagram on the back of the jacket need another row of sequins?"

Amazing job, darling! I couldn't have loved my costume more!

Next was Stephanie as The Mummy, in an amazingly well researched and historically accurate costume by Kitty. Stephanie is part of a gorgeous Art Nouveau-inspired belly dancing troupe

called Apophenia that's very much worth checking out.

Kitty, bringing it as always

xoxo

Here's Ruby Lamb as The Creature from the Black Leather Lagoon.

I was worried she was going to chip a tooth biting that jeweled whip, but this chick is a professional!

She's one of three members of the Jigglewatts Burlesque Troupe that performed that night,

and an honest to god member of Satan's Cheerleaders, so we bonded over that.

And the genius behind that costume, my girl Alanna.

She made a pair of green fringe leather gloves and knee high black fringe boots

that I'm still dying over.

Next was Amae (also of Apophenia) as an amazing booty shaking Basilisk, complete with Snake Charmer.

In a show full of stellar make up, this look was one of my favorites.

Not like I was watching her face very much.

There was also a musical performance from Mistress Stephanie, a.k.a. The Sea Witch.

Not only were her wig, make up (by Fiona of Sassy Miss Waxy), and seashell-encrusted costume (by Chia) haunting and beautiful, she had a siren on theramin and a drowned sailor backing her up on guitar to really make the picture complete.

Maia and Danielle of Two Left Feet always blow me away,

and their murderous Siamese Twins dance was no exception!

Their designer Kramp Kouture made them a beautiful circus tent-esque skirt

that was sweet and theatrical and spooky and just pure magic.

Hallie Martin, a.k.a. Ruby Joule of the Jigglewatts, made a gorgeous Grim Reaper

with her teal satin and black velvet cape and glittering silver scythe.

I thought I was blown away by the exquisite sugar skull make up,

but then she got down to her hand made crossbone pasties...

The show stopper of the night was definitely Raven and her crew of sneak attacking, stripteasing zombies.

They didn't stop at dismembering audience members and taking off their clothes like regular zombies,

they peeled off their skin and even (*gulp*) a breast.

Coco Lectric (our third member of the Jigglewatts) made an amazing Hone-onna, the Japanese bone woman.

I don't know how she danced like that with the yards of fabric in Katinka Pinka's gorgeous white on white kimono and a four foot wing span of hair, but her performance was one of my favorites.

Sarah Stark. As the Spider Queen. Dancing to Bell Biv Devoe's "That Girl is Poison."

Yeah. It was even more awesome than it sounds.

You killed it, girl!

And here's the designer Summer Lawson of Black Swan Theory with cute little Ashley Newton.

These girls make Halloween look hot every day.

I also love love loved our take on the Weird Sisters, performed by Ellen Stader and Debra Schlutz

of The Sugarfoot Hustlers and Jennifer Sherburn. Allyson designed their costumes

(on top of creating all the wigs and producing the whole affair)

and they were even more incredible in motion and by the light of their glowing foggy cauldron.

And the for the grand finale, Drea as the Vampire Queen!

She, Allyson, and her designer Tina Sparkles went all out on this costume,

from the enormous bejeweled Marie Antoinette wig to the white contacts, fangs, the yards and yards of ruffled silk in the skirt to Drea's kung fu-inspired choreography. Wow. Wow wow wow.