Luxe Life Blog
Photos: Ten questions with burlesque beauty Miss Kitty Baby
Miss Kitty Baby.
Photo: MissKittyBaby.com
By Don Chareunsy, Vegas DeLuxe editor
Poised and bubbly burlesque beauty Miss Kitty Baby of Seattle was among the attendees of the World’s Best Burlesque competition hosted by acid-tongued and hilarious Miss Astrid during Burlesque Hall of Fame Weekend in downtown Las Vegas.
For full details, colleague April Corbin wrote about the four-hour marathon and served as photographer for Las Vegas Weekly.
Here’s more about Miss Kitty Baby.
Don Chareunsy: How did you become interested in burlesque?
Miss Kitty Baby: I became involved in burlesque when my performer friends were encouraging simply because of my pin-up look. They had no idea if I had any entertaining or costuming skills!
DC: How long have you been involved in burlesque?
MKB: I have been performing since winter 2005. My first show was a Toys for Tots Fundraiser.
DC: Your real name is Robyn Kendall (from your Facebook page). How did you come up with the name Miss Kitty Baby?
MKB: The name Kitty Baby was actually a nickname given to me at work six or seven years before my start as a performer. I added Miss to help the name flow easier for emcees. Even off-stage I am known as Kitty.
DC: What makes a great burlesque performer?
MKB: A great performer has the desire to captivate and entertain the audience and the willingness to take all the steps to get there.
DC: How was the Burlesque Hall of Fame Weekend? Highlights?
MKB: Burlesque Hall of Fame 2010 was the perfect mix of talent, history and glamour. The Plaza Showroom and Firefly Lounge were excellent venues for our showcases and after-parties. It was a time when all performers, producers and fans were able to interact in a very approachable environment. One highlight was watching a glittery mob migrate down Fremont Street for the ribbon-cutting ceremony of the Burlesque Hall of Fame Museum.
DC: Who are some of your favorite burlesque performers?
MKB: Tough question! I will say the ones I get to bond with backstage and share a bow with at curtain call.
DC: You mentioned BurlyCon during the burlesque contest at the Plaza. Tell me more about it.
MKB: BurlyCon is a burlesque educational and social convention held in Seattle. It is a time when all involved in burlesque in any way and those interested in becoming involved can get together in a relaxed setting and learn from one another in workshops and socials. Dates and registration info can be found at Burlycon.com.
DC: The contest is over. Tell the truth: Were any of the contestants robbed?
MKB: Not all of my favorite performances received awards, but I trust the judges and their decisions. I have judged many pin-up contests, and the audience doesn’t always have the same technical view of the event that I do. All of the performances that received awards were well deserved by far!
DC: What is the biggest misconception about burlesque?
MKB: The biggest misconception in burlesque is that we all earn a living just being performers. Oh, and that we all have our costumes custom-made by designers!
DC: What do your parents and other family members think about your career?
MKB: I have to say that my parents are probably my biggest fans. They are very supportive because I enjoy being a burlesque performer so much, and they enjoy that with me. My mother refers to it as “using your body as an art form,” and my father used to sneak into burlesque houses in the 1950s as a teenager.
DC:What is left for you to accomplish in burlesque?
MKB: It’s important that I continue having fun pleasing the audience and enjoying the work it takes to get to the stage.
Learn more about Miss Kitty Baby at MissKittyBaby.com.
Robin Leach has been a journalist for more than 50 years and has spent the past decade giving readers the inside scoop on Las Vegas, the world’s premier platinum playground.
Follow Robin Leach on Twitter at Twitter.com/Robin_Leach.
Follow Vegas DeLuxe on Twitter at Twitter.com/vegasdeluxe.
Follow VDLX Editor Don Chareunsy on Twitter at Twitter.com/VDLXEditorDon.
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