This slick burlesque show will benefit Gulf oil victims

By Alex Rush

The Gulf Coast is a mess thanks to BP, but at least there’s a cool show to raise money for the clean-up.

Sunset Park-based singer and dancer Kai Altair, an ocean enthusiast known for her nautically inspired music and fashion sense, is organizing “Mermaid Lagoon,” a burlesque and belly dance show at the House of Yes on July 24 to benefit the Oceanic Preservation Society and animal rescue groups.

“I was definitely a water baby,” said Altair (pictured), whose “hippie parents” raised her to treat the ocean like her second home. “I fell in love with the sea.”

The music at Mermaid Lagoon is sure to fit the theme, as Altair performs tracks from her latest album, “Star of the Sea,” “mystic electro-pop” with some ocean-deep lyrics.

“It’s hard for me to write a song without talking about the ocean,” said Altair, who is often covered in seashell jewelry. “The ocean represents the unseen world, and as an artist, I feel as if I should be a median between the seen and unseen worlds.”

Altair has also recruited a bunch of her artsy friends to grace the stage at the benefit, including burlesque artist Veronica Varlow, Coney Island mermaid Ali Luminescent, belly dancer Desert Sin, and House of Yes regular Lady Circus, a troupe of corset-wearing stuntwomen who stun crowds with aerial and fire tricks.

With all these wild acts, Mermaid Lagoon is sure to make waves.

Mermaid Lagoon: A Benefit for The Oceanic Preservation Society and The Gulf Coast at House of Yes [342 Maujer St. between Waterbury Street and Morgan Avenue in Bushwick, no phone], July 24 at 9 pm. Admission is $20. For info, visit www.houseofyes.org.

Photo by Burke Heffner