Burlesque Legends To Perform In Matt Roper's Wilfredo Holiday Show At The Slipper Room

Burlesque legends Dirty Martini and Julie Atlas Muz are to appear in the festive edition of the variety show Wilfredo a Go Go! at the Slipper Room 12/17. Circus icon Hovey Burgess is also earmarked to perform alongside burlesque starlet Lil' Miss Lixx.

Wilfredo is the outlandish alter-ego of British-born comedian and entertainer Matt Roper. A legendary lover with tight pants, big teeth and a singing voice to die for, Wilfredo has toured internationally, from comedy festivals in Edinburgh, Melbourne, Singapore and the Philippines, to the intimate cabaret rooms of London, Prague and Buenos Aires. With a series of albums, a documentary short and a legion of yearning fans behind him, Wilfredo has been described as "nothing short of a feast for the senses".

Roper first came to prominence among New York theatre-goers in 2016 for his portrayal of Chico Marx in I'll Say She Is: The Lost Marx Brothers Musical at the Connelly Theater. He has since performed with various downtown collectives including the Bindlestiff Family Cirkus, the Secret Variety Society, and Three-Legged Dog. Last year he performed the role of clown in Jack and the Beanstalk, the first large-scale pantomime to be performed in New York City for over a century. The hit production is to enjoy a revival at the Playhouse at the Abrons Arts Center later this month.

The voluptuous figure of Dirty Martini has graced stages around the world, bringing vintage glamour into the 21st century. Internationally recognized for her routines, her looks, her bawdy humor and her inimitable style, she has performed at such venues as Carnegie Hall and the London Palladium. Her appearances on film have included John Cameron Mitchell's Shortbus, Mathieu Almaric's 2010 Cannes-award winning film Tournee and the documentary Dirty Martini and the New Burlesque.

Julie Atlas Muz is the performance artist, dancer, burlesque performer and director whose darkly comic routines have secured her place in the underworld of New York nightlife as well as a bastion of the art world. Julie has won the titles of Miss Exotic World, Miss Coney Island and Queen of the Mermaid Parade. Together with her husband, the performer Mat Fraser, she was recently bestowed the title of New Yorker of the Year by the readers of the New York Times.

Lil' Miss Lixx first came to the attention of New Yorkers in the Off Broadway hit This Is Burlesque. A popular figure on the New York City variety scene, she is a regular at Joe's Pub, Abrons Arts Center, the Slipper Room and in Coney Island's Burlesque at the Beach. Recently seen in Taylor Mac's 24 Decade History of Popular Music, she is also the co-producer and star of Dumpster Dive, held annually at Coney Island.

Hovey Burgess, the internationally celebrated juggler, clown and circus performer is the recipient of of the Red Skelton Award: Gifted Mentor to Clown Theatre Artists, the Downtown Clown Golden Nose - Lifetime Achievement Award and the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Celebration of American Circus at Lincoln Center. He also created, directed and performed with the Circo Dell'Arte, in addition to a lengthy career teaching circus arts at New York University. He also choreographed and appeared in the Robert Altman's motion picture Popeye, at the request of one of his former students, the late Robin Williams - who starred in the title role for Paramount Pictures in 1980.

Wilfredo a Go Go! Holiday Special at the Slipper Room, 167 Orchard St., New York City, Monday 12/17 at 9pm. $12 (general admission), $15 (at the door) and $30 (reserved table seating). Tickets: slipperroom.com