The Cast of Characters that are The Brew City Bombshells

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Photo via The Brew City Bombshells

Vee Valentine

Vee Valentine

The Brew City Bombshells are a Milwaukee burlesque troupe that have been entertaining crowds in creative ways since 2009. Ranging from vocal performances to dance routines to comedy to fire-eating, the Bombshells have showcased a wide variety of talents with their diverse cast of characters. The troupe is currently comprised of 18 members: Reina Fire, Dora Diamond, Lavish Jules, Liz B Honest, Sugar St Clair, Avery Ex Machina, Vee Valentine, Pistol Rose, Afrodisiac Slays, Polly Amor, Annetta Vendetta, Helena Havok, Kat Von Trapp, Lacey Garter, Moxie Muse, Luna Blue, Cocoa Pearlesque and Faye Tahl.

We spoke to Reina Fire, Vee Valentine, and Sugar St. Clair about what the Brew City Bombshells have been up to since the pandemic hit.

“Before COVID we were doing pretty solidly with monthly shows,” Valentine explained. “We had a couple different venues that we’d bounce between and honestly, we had a really great rhythm. Everyone was good with delegating tasks, and then when COVID hit I think all of us were pretty drawn aback.”St. Clair added, “In the first few months of COVID, the intention was to try and do online shows but we were met with a lot of technical difficulties with Zoom and music licensing. Anyone who pursued that was more on an individual basis.”

Fire concluded, “COVID also changed the venues we work with, which has kind of dwindled our selection. At the moment we’ve pretty much just been performing at X-Ray Arcade; we’re trying to branch out but a lot of places have closed. Right before COVID hit we had gotten some new members, and those people didn’t really get a chance to get their bearings in the group, unfortunately.”

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Photo via The Brew City Bombshells

Reina Fire

Reina Fire

Cocoa Pearlesque and Helena Havok are the two most recent additions to the Bombshells; they both had performed in the past as guests with the troupe before coming aboard. Some previous Bombshells moved away or became inactive during the pandemic. Valentine organized the first Bombshells show after quarantine last July at The Backyard in Bay View, which has an outdoor stage and bar. 

Soon after, they began having performances at X-Ray Arcade such as their “Taboo,” “Pride” and “Love Your Body” shows. “They not only suit the vibe of our general audience, but they have a really fantastic stage and bar setup that allows for more flow between acts,” St. Clair said.

“They also have an actual dressing room with a bathroom, which is nice,” Fire added.

The three performers reflect on how it felt to do burlesque with a live audience again after a long break. “The first time I hit the stage again felt like coming home,” Valentine said. “I hadn’t realized that that part of me was missing.”

“Once I had gotten on stage, I instantly had a rushing reminder that this is who I was before,” St. Clair said. “I had a lot of hesitation going into it because having not done it in almost a year and a half almost felt like being on a boat and then getting back on land. I wasn’t afraid but I was tentative. I hadn’t realized how much our social lives were intertwined in burlesque as well; a lot of our friends are performers and we were really separated because of it.”

“I was nervous for the first time in a long time,” Fire said. “I personally was going through a deep depression during that time, but performing really made me feel alive again.”

Liz B Honest recently organized Hue Revue at PrideFest—a POC-only burlesque show that was the first of its kind there and some of the Bombshells performed. “Having diversity in burlesque is something that we’re really passionate about,” Valentine said. “We want a variety of gender expressions, races and body types—there’s no shortage of that.”

“It was a great turnout and there were a lot of people there,” Fire added. “I met performers that I didn’t even know were performing in Milwaukee, like the dance troupes. They were absolutely fantastic.”

The Bombshells’ primary focus now is to get back to the level of activity they were at before the pandemic while still being conscious of COVID numbers. They are weighing out what’s worked and what hasn’t worked in preparation for a busy and successful fall. “Halloween’s one of our biggest events of the year so we’re trying to get ourselves situated now so that we can have a really good show then,” Fire said.

Valentine also books two monthly burlesque series of her own, the variety show BremSin on the second Saturday of the month at Bremen Cafe (emceed by Mr. Lucifer and DJed by DJ Steb) and the dance party Thigh Dive on the third Thursday of the month at High Dive (co-produced by JJ ORyder and DJed by Beth Anne Bodyworks). 

Visit Brew City Bombshells’ website to learn more.