Under the Lights with Vegas St. James

When showgirl Lucille Doll wins her case as a defendant in Southern California against her studio employer in 2024, she quickly learns how not listening to her intuition and seeing professional red flags was something that would become a weapon used against her but found strength in herself and supoort system to stand in her truth.  Welcome to Season 2! Note* Doll was under the perfomer name Alicia Sleaze at this time of the interview. The Showgirl Journalist was known as Under the Lights with Vegas St. James at the time this interview took place. 

She served, she slayed, but it's not over today! Our final episode but definitely not our last with the glamorous Miss Milly Marie. Find out how she became one of the first neo burlesque era San Diego plus-size performers, is making waves in Ramona, CA, her Dita audition diaries, and more! 

The Milly Marie Effect is a story about grit, glamour, and mental health. A self-acknowledged plus size pinup model and burlesque artist, she advocates for mental care with a special emphasis on military veterans through burlesque art therapy with a side of cannabis (cause let's be honest, this is California). Through every bold, beautiful, bodacious curve that takes the stage, this former Navy Vet and one of the first plus-size neo burlesque artists in San Diego shows the audience "big girls" aren't only the campy, villain stereotype, they deserve to be seen as sexy in the spotlight too. 

Sepia Jewel was no stranger to the stage before her burlesque life! Singing in an all female rap group signed onto Epic Records and designing costumes while dancing for the San Diego Ebony Elite's are just a few items on her resumé (include mother, daughter, wife, and friend). It wasn't until 2016, Ms. Jewel was watching the movie Burlesque that she realized she needed to get back to the stage.  At 55 years old, she trained under Coco L'Amour with the Pixie Stixx and from there, the force she possesses couldn't be stopped. Quickly becoming an award winning international showgirl, she soon realized the rhinestone life was aligned with the art therapy she was looking for.  9 years later, Sepia Jewel shows us what it means to be a Black burlesque performer and queen: no age, no location, no *nothing* can stop you. 

Coco L'Amour has been the product of theater and dance for over 3 decades, but burlesque cast its spell on her in 2010 and the San Diego burlesque scene would be forever changed. Although she is known as "the face of fierce," Coco leads with fire on stage, but its her take on neo-burlesque that can shape shift any piece she performs into any element she wants it to be.  In 2016, she would influence this category of arts and culture by opening the first studio dedicated to the art of burlesque without knowing she would be creating not just a thriving business, but a studio that will go down in burlesque history books: Flaunt Dance Studio. Collaboration and community from not only the key players of this location, but the lives of the students (some turned burlesque performers) would be so impacted by this risk she took combined with her productions and mentorship program, the art therapy of this genre would impact the heartbeat of San Diego burlesque.  Coco L'Amour IS the heart of San Diego burlesque. Get ready to develop your artistic voice further through her story. 

Crimson Rose took 3 decades off of dancing with motherhood and University as her main focus. When she made her dream of moving to San Diego, California come true, burlesque had a spot waiting for her to fill. With the help of Flaunt Dance Studio and the community that comes with it, The Palm Springs Barbie of San Diego Burlesque crafted her dream life becoming a burlesque dancer over 50 years of age, making peace with her past, starting her own burly line of business, and serving as an inspiration to others to keep shooting for your life no matter what while defining what burlesque pop culture stands for. 

San Diego Key Player Feisty Fuego lights a fire under our asses with this episode! Being an artist and entrepreneur is not easy, but Fuego shares how she did it while building lasting friendships and a show heaux closet along the way. 

Phoenix A'Blaze takes us on a ride from her burlesque roots in Northern California to following her Southern California dreams where the rhinestones would find her again but this time, a little leather bondage got involved. Sharing her 12 year artist story, get ready to learn about the burlesque geography of California, the reality of social media as a burlesque performer, what to focus on to thrive in this genre, and how to create magic along the way.  

Joy Stix, based in San Diego California, sits down with Under the Lights to talk branding, pitching, and why starting as a stage kitten/production manager shapes the path to mastering the basics of burlesque and prepare the aspiring burlesque artist to step into the spotlight. This can be perfect for the seasoned performer (if you dare) to improve one's foundation by going back to the roots!