Earlier this year, some of my Baltimore/Burlesque friends, who knew of my interest in tiki and of my mai-tai making abilities, asked me to be a part of a charity fund-raising event they wished to sponser. I said yes, and after several months of planning, the event finally took place this past Friday evening!
The event was a fundraising dinner with entertainment. Here is how the event description read in the Creative Alliance newsletter.
Trixie Little & The Evil Hate Monkey's Tiki Getaway
Fri Oct 14 8-11pm
20 guests $35 Intimate burlesque performance by the acrobatic super duo on their living room stage. Mai-tais by Vern Stoltz. Pu-pu platters and fondue by Kim Battista & Tiki Temple.
The Creative Alliance is an organization that sponsors and supports lots of fun stuff in the Baltimore region, and I was quite happy to help them out in whatever way I could. It was lots of fun to be involved, and nearly $700 was raised for the Creative Alliance.
My main role was to serve as the bartender, but I also provided a 10 minute talk on tiki and Polynesian Pop history. I also provided some items from my home to add to the tiki decor.
I made three drinks for the evening
- the mai-tai, based on the Dave and Anna mix recipe.
- Tahitian Rum Punch, recipe based on the 1947 Trader Vic's Bartending Manual
- a coconut/banana drink I invented and finalized that evening, named after my friend - the Evil Hate Monkey (the recipe will be posted in the drink forum)
What is a tiki related event without pictures? Here I am, behind the bar with one of my friends/caterers. This room was a great space - full of lots of kitschy monkey related items. There were two fireplaces in the room - a fake one as part of the bar, and to the right a real fireplace with actual flames!
After the guests were served their pu-pu appetizers and fondue, the show started. Each guest had been invited to bring in a gift to offer to the Tiki Gods, and one by one they came to stage, described the item, and then laid it in front of the volcano. The offerings included such items as tiki coasters, cocktail stirrers, cans of pineapple, tiki shot glasses, and my favorite item, a plate of stacked marshmallows - perfect for a volcano eruption! I can't remember what this guest offered, but I liked her gesture afterwards.
And then Martin Denny music started to fill the room - it was then that the Evil Hate Monkey somehow tricked Trixie Little into having her hands tied - and we learn that he wants to sacrifice her to the Tiki Gods!
After a brief struggle, the Evil Monkey overpowers Trixie, and starts to throw her into the volcano. Boo!! Hiss!
Satisfied, with his task completed, the Evil Hate Monkey takes a sip out of the new Evil Hate Monkey drink.
But his calm and quiet newfound utopia is upset when the volcano starts shaking and emitting smoke!
And slowly out of the volcano top emerges a transformed Trixie Little - no longer the innocent virginal Mary-Anne figure, but made over into a more sultry leopard-skinned Ginger/Betty Page figure. But watch out! She may be beautiful, but she has revenge on her mind!
And I will be bad here and refrain from showing what happens next, so those who catch Trixie Little's future shows will benefit from the element of surprise. I will allow you to use your imagination though, and say that the Evil Hate Monkey was a co-winner of the best derriere award at the 2004 New York Burlesque festival, while Trixie Little was named the best role model at the same festival - it pays to do one's part to fight evil in this world! (I think this and other routines the two do would make a great act for the next Hukilau, or other tiki related events)
As the evening ended, the guests were allowed to take a souvenir tiki home with them. I knew those Dollar store tikis would come in handy some day.
Here is one final photo of the performers and others involved with making this event happen.
Those of you interested in learning more about Trixie Little and the Evil Hate Monkey can visit their website at http://www.trixielittle.com/ (some pages are currently being revised)
And here is the website for the Creative Alliance.
http://www.creativealliance.org/index.asp
Thanks for allowing me share these pictures and event summary with you.
Vern
