THE PHANTOM OF THE BIJOU . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ((( ponders Absolutely*Kate? )))

 

THE PHANTOM OF THE BIJOU

...is believed to be lurking between rows 28 and 33 in our spirited theatre. He or she (tis a morphing entity), once sat next to Carrie Clevenger, near front and center's popcorn gallery, and was scared sigh-high to a new lair. 

The better there from said lair, to conjure/channel vibes of show*biz luminaries sensed in the ethers while shadowing edginess stage left,(heavens to ghost of Murgatroyd), from klieg's lambent light. Oh say can you see, by that klieg's lambent light a palpable *sensation*, a stance of sensuality, in a peel-me-a-glove kind of delight?

Could it be? MS GYPSY ROSE LEE? The one in the hat, prior to dear Nat? The one, the only ... Shhh, listen ~ here comes a hush, "Everything worth doing, is worth doing slowly ... very ... slowly ..." Oh my, I do believe in ghosts. I do sense it's her. Phantom's on the prowl. So plush, so lush. If she sits in your lap, surely you'll know. Rise to the occasion gents and please pretend you're at Minsky's. Burlesque boasts best, shimmied with intellectual wit ~ that's Gypsy's climb to fame. Our Madame Z, you should know, is a third-cousin-not-removed, inheriting most of the family's disarming charm. And yes, it's true, she did have Otto Preminger's love'child - Gypsy, not Zelda, geeeez.

Legendary status is what legendary status shall e'er be ~ a sharp sense of stylish humour vs any herky-jerky run-o-the-mill thrill. Gypsy brung the *tease* to striptease, and there, naturally, fluently, flaunted thanks for how she pleased.

But did you know Gypsy was also a writer of her own merit? Jeanette still has the copy she purloined from the Ladies Lounge off the balcony ~ The G-String Murders. We heard Sal is quenching at the bit to turn it into a haiku hit in his jaunty scrawls on stall walls in the mezzanine Men's Room. Read fast, Jeanette, read fast!

Tis true too ~ the meddling mother of Louise Hovic, (more a sinuous shimmy after stage-dubbing herself Gypsy Rose, eh?), did shoot and kill one of the tenants during a ruckus in her boarding house. Indeed ~ Rumours were flying. That very small snub-nosed pistol has appeared in not only Gypsy's shimmer beaded bag, but figured provocatively in numerous pocket-flashes of Paul Brazill's, Eric Beetner's, Kevin Michaels' and the new kid on Noir's block, Anthony Venutolo's shadowy tale spins.

Should you intuit a blurred vaporizing of sweet Natalie Wood AT THE BIJOU's candy counter, breathe easy ~ It's only Robert Crisman's burst of hot flash on his first crush. How do you think a writer like that upped his ante in starlust memories?

~ (( Absolutely*Kate,

whispering live,

from the vapor trail of

    The PHANTOM of
THE BIJOU )) ~