For Immediate Release:Contact: David Kuehn, Executive DirectorCotuit Center for the ArtsPhone: (508) 428-0669Email: David@cotuitcenterforthearts.orgWebsite: ArtsOnTheCape.org

Brazen Belles Burlesque Presents Brazen Saddles at Cotuit Center for the Arts

The Brazen Belles bring their show, “Brazen Belles Burlesque: Brazen Saddles,” to Cotuit Center for the Arts Wednesday, August 12, through Saturday, August 15. Performances are every night at 7:30 PM, plus a matinee performance Saturday at 3 PM.

In a show inspired by Mel Brooks’s movie, “Blazing Saddles,” the Brazen Belles leave their home on Cape Cod for the Wild West, where they hope to spread the word about the fun of burlesque. “We’re on a burlesque mission,” said Aanjes Hershfield of Woods Hole, who performs in the troupe as Pepper Grinds.

“We’ve been wanting to do a Wild West-themed show for a while now,” said Hershfield. “The show includes a little bit of dialogue that people might remember from ‘Blazing Saddles’ and the same absurd humor, plus a whole lot more. It is a multimedia show with singing and dancing, skits, and some really awesome video shot by Brian Switzer with a drone camera.”

Flirty, rowdy, sultry, and outrageous, the Belles perform in the style of old-time vaudeville shows, offering an array singing, dancing, acting, good humor, sass, and seduction. Their racy costumes—corsets, teddies, and eye-catching lingerie—attract attention, but the women’s chorus line kicks, slapstick antics, physical comedy skits, and sultry dance moves keep the audience laughing and entertained.

The troupe was founded in 2011 by Hershfield and has performed all over the Cape and in neighboring states. It includes Katie Meyer as Sundown Shenanigans, Jodi Edwards as Bobbi Pins, and other cast member with flirty stage names like Savannah Boudreaux, Roxy Roll, Lacy Stiletto, Ophelia Love, Ginger St. Stephens, and Rita Men Weep. Featured in the show is belly dancer Ela Rogers and longtime host Curtis Suede.

For Hershfield, it is the strength and power of women, not their exploitation, that is at the heart of the Brazen Belles. “For me, the Brazen Belles bring a sense of body positivity, sex positivity, empowerment, and just feeling comfortable,” she said. “We have a great sense of camaraderie, and it’s a place where I can express myself creatively, while promoting a healthy sense of self and body image. We have full-sized women, trim women, buxom women, girls with booties. We communicate the message that all women can be alluring.

“You can’t put burlesque into a box,” Hershfield said. “There is no prescribed format. You can basically do whatever you want—singing, acting, dancing, parody, all these things. That’s what drew

me to Burlesque. It feels good to be able to take your clothes off and say, ‘this is who I am, this is me,’ to do it in a funny way, in an empowering way. It is really just a lot of fun.”

Tickets are $25, $22 for seniors, and $20 for members, and may be purchased by calling 508-428-0669 or visiting artsonthecape.org.

The arts center is at 4404 Route 28 in Cotuit. For more information, call 508-428-0669 or visit artsonthecape.org.

# # #What: Brazen Belles Burlesque: Brazen Saddles

Where: Cotuit Center for the Arts, 4404 Route 28, Cotuit

When: Wednesday, August 12, through Saturday, August 15, 7:30 PM, plus 3 PM matinee on Saturday

Admission:$25, $22 for seniors, $20 for members

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