Ho for the Holidays: One Year Later
Happy Holidays, you happy Hoes! I trust that you’ve all made the naughty list this year 😏
Last December, Third House Events created the first ever Ho for the Holidays Amateur Competition show. Hard to believe it’s been a whole year! This show was created with the mission of bringing in the new performers and giving them a space to perform in the context of a competition among amateur performers. Following similar formats to the amateur competitions that came before it, like Lucky 13, Ho for the Holidays is friendly and the audience gets to vote on who they want to become THE Ho for the Holidays. This year, the second installment of Ho for the Holidays will be on December 13th as AS220 at 7pm.
To change things up a little bit this year, Third House Events brought Rhody Q on as co-producers to help usher in the new generation of performers in the form of a Four Week Long Mentorship. We are thrilled to be able to help new performers plan their acts and shine on stage this year! We are using this collaboration of Rhode Island Burlesque producers to bring you a strong Ho for the Holidays competition this year. But, given our history of telling history, we would be remiss not to talk about last years Ho for the Holiday competitors and where they are now. And, I even got some insight from The Reigning Ho for the Holidays themselves, the winner of 2023’s competition, that’s right, THE Cheerful the Clown! 🤡
Read on to hear from Cheerful about life since winning Ho for the Holidays, as well as some updates from other cast members of the 2023 show.
A Cheerful Interview: Insights from The Ho for the Holidays
The following is a brief interview with Cheerful the Clown (CTC) regarding their performance life after Ho for the Holidays 2023.
RQ: Hi, Cheerful! As the reigning Ho for the Holidays, I would love to hear about your past year!
What experience did you have performing before Ho for the Holidays? Had you performed burlesque before?
CTC: Ho for the Holidays was my burlesque debut! I had almost no performance experience at all actually. In college I did a couple of group drag acts but it was extremely amateur as none of us had performance or dance backgrounds.
RQ:What has your performance career looked like since Ho for the Holidays?
CTC: I feel like burlesque and drag are a choose your own adventure kind of thing. I travel a lot and have several other artistic hobbies so I’ve only done a handful of performances since last year. At the same time I’ve watched several of my peers from Ho for the Holidays do seemingly a dozen plus shows since debuting. No matter who wins, Ho for the holidays is really wonderful exposure that helps you whether you want to do four shows a year or fourteen.
RQ: How did Ho for the Holidays prepare you for future shows? Did it change your approach to performing at all?
CTC: The biggest impact on my performance has been confidence. Not coming from a dance or drag background left me pretty nervous going into the competition. I’m not super flexible or elegant, but Ho for the Holidays showed me that there are so many different types of burlesque out there and that mine was every bit as valid as the rest.
RQ: What is a notable experience you've had as a performer in the past year?
CTC: There are a couple, but the moments that really stick out to me are the compliments and words of encouragement from really successful performers. An example is being back stage at Lucky 13 and having Ingrid Denise, who was one of the showcase performers, recognize me and go out of her way to tell me that she remembered my act from a past show and really liked it. At that moment I was really nervous to go on and her saying that really helped give me a confidence boost that I needed.
You can catch Cheerful at their next performance at the 2024 Ho for the Holidays on Friday, December 13th! They also told us they are hoping to join us for a Rhody Revue sometime soon, and we’ll hold them to it!
A Year in the Life of a Ho
We also heard from other performers who participated in last year’s show. As Cheerful mentioned in their own interview, many other participants have been performing all over the place since their debut performances at the 2023 show. I tocuhed base with a few of the other 2023 Ho contestants on how their year has gone.
“Ho for the Holidays was my second ever burlesque performance and truly a transformative experience. I made some strong connections with the other amateur performers (still my friends to this day), as well as made connections with established members of the burlesque community, which has helped my networking for landing future gigs.
In the year following, I have thrown myself into the burlesque community and have never been happier to share my art with the world. I’ve performed in at least 10 more shows and even recently produced my first ever show, called Boot Scootin’ Burlesque at Rascals in Worcester. It was extremely rewarding to be able to coordinate my own show, choreograph a group number, and pay performers who I really admire, plus create a fun and welcoming backstage environment.
I am very proud to say that I am also performing in the Slutcracker this year. This is a dream come true for me, as I’ve been seeing the show annually for the last 12-ish years. I auditioned in 2018 and didn’t get in, which I attribute to my lack of facials and personality in the audition. With the connections I made over the past year as well as all of the practice and training I’ve received on my stage presence, I am pleased to say that I was selected for 2 roles, one of which is my dream role as a Pussy Whip.”
"Since performing in last year's Ho for the Holidays competition, I have been BUSY! I have continued performing at Punk Rock and Poppin' Pasties at the Midway Cafe, and was recently featured in Them Burlesque's Coven: The Fallen Return burlesque show in Portland, ME. I also just placed first in the Showstopper Level 2 Senior category in the Pole Sport Organization Northeast Division competition this November. I attribute their win in part to refining their craft through workshops and collaboration with Boston's local burlesque community. You can find me at Lucky 13 stage kittening or at Man Ray go-go dancing. Stay tuned for 2025 shows!"
“I performed my burlesque debut in December 2023 at the inaugural Ho for the Holidays burlesque competition, winning the runner up title of Miracle on 69th Street. I have since performed 6 times and have developed 5 acts for the Mother Earth Wellness Coastal Cultivators Classic in Pawtucket, Sticky Fingers in PVD, Hotter than Hellfire Metal Burlesque in Salem, Punk Rockin’ and Pastie Poppin’ and Bleeding Hearts, both in Boston. From beach bunny shenanigans (think pineapple string bikini) to a cheerleading routine and bubblegum pop metal act wearing a mask, I try to bring a dynamic vibe to the stage. I love to kitten whenever possible and have made connections all across the New England region since starting and have worked with Rhody Q and Siren of the Circle. My next performance will be in the Lucky 13 competition at Club Cafe Boston on January 18th”.
“This last year since Ho for the holidays has truly been the best of my life. The confidence I have gained both inside and outside the performance world is something I truly treasure and have wanted my whole life. The friends and community I have made this last year has been an amazing gift I didn’t know I would get when I started my journey a year ago. This is truly the most supportive and inclusive community I have been apart of and I’m so glad you will now be a part of it too! In the last year I have done several shows I applied to, as well as a few shows I was personally invited to perform in. I have learned something new from every show I’ve performed in, and that has helped me grow to be who I am today and who I will be in the future. In 2025 I hope to perform more, try out hosting, and maybe even produce my own show! Your burlesque journey is what you make it, so make art you want to make, and most of all, have fun and never dull your sparkle for anyone”.
See you at the Show!
We can’t wait to see you at the show on Friday, December 13th! Buy your tickets here on the AS220 website. Photos below provided by LJ Media.
