Dueling burlesque

We've got two great burlesque shows for you this Saturday, depending on what you're in the mood for.


First, Wasabassco Burlesque (above) celebrates six years of stripping with an anniversary bash at the Bell Housel. There's more than just burlesque on the menu - in addition to performances from the likes of GiGi LaFemme and Nasty Canasta, there'll be bullwhipping cowboys, go-go and belly dancing, snake charming, trick-roping, crooning, hula-hooping, aerial acrobatics, a 20-person sci-fi number, and numerous large-scale theatrics. Whew!


Over in Red Hook, Red Burlesque returns to Sugar Lounge for a night of risque, as well as risky, routines, as the main attraction is sure to be Justina Flash, who dances with a flaming hula hoop. 


Choose wisely!

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Get your drink on at Red Star's Beer Festival

By Joe Anuta

The more you enjoy this annual Greenpoint festival, the less you’ll remember it.

The Beer Festival at Red Star Bar and Grill is back, with 33 varieties of microbrews just waiting to be consumed.

It’s not a deal by any means — $20 gets you a sample of six brews — but the excitement comes from trying some beers that no man has downed before.

We’re talking about Black Xantus, an imperial stout California-based Nectar Ales, or Back in Black, a potent IPA made by 21st Amendment in San Francisco.

And the most sought-after brew of the night will be Brooklyn Brewery’s newest creation, Cuvee Noire. It’s a strong, Belgian-style ale that packs an alcoholic punch at 9 percent.

It’s debauchery with an important purpose (and we’re the official media sponsor, just so you know!).

“You’ll be trying diverse beers that we don’t regularly have on the line,” said Eric Hall, general manager of the bar.

And the Cuvee?

“It just came out — and it’s delicious,” Hall said.

And what’s better with local beers than local bands? Hall is also bringing in several, including The John LaDeau Trio, which was a hit at the previous festival. Then again, everyone was drunk, so sometimes it’s hard to tell.

You can start your engines at 2 pm — and not power down until long after midnight.

“I won’t be kicking anybody out,” Hall said.

Beer Festival at Red Star Bar and Grill [37 Greenpoint Ave. near West Street in Greenpoint, (718) 349-0149]. Nov. 6 from 2 pm-midnight. Six beers for $20. For info, visit www.redstarny.com.

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This King Con lives up to its name

By Thomas Tracy

Call it King Con: The Revenge.

The plucky independent comic, animation and illustration convention that playfully thumbs its nose at those Hollywood-heavy superhero trade shows in San Diego and Manhattan is back and bigger than ever starting today. 

But take note: All you guys who like going to conventions dressed up as Star Wars stormtroopers — go patrol somewhere else.

That said, Fourth Avenue’s beloved Brooklyn Lyceum between Union and President streets will be transformed into a multi-paneled Mecca for comic book artists and writers, graphic novelists and the fans who love them, explained Regan Jaye Fishman, the convention’s self-titled “humble directrix” and driving force behind the four fanboy-filled days of panel discussions, kids events and comic networking.

“Brooklyn has so many amazingly talented authors and artists, but all year long they’re flying to places like San Diego for these huge cons, only to be lost in pools of super megastars and people dressed as Jedi Knights,” Fishman said. “Our guests have made something they love and believe in and we wanted to create a place where people can come and actually see what’s so amazing about their work.”

So you won’t hear Robert Downey Jr. talk about “Iron Man 3,” but you will get a chance to chat up Marvel comic book legend Chris Claremont, the Park Slope resident responsible for making the X-Men the iconic mutant misfits everyone adores.

Dean Haspiel

Nearly all of the artists coming to the showcase are either born or based in the borough, including author Jonathan Ames, who put last year’s King Con on the map when he brought his “Bored to Death” entourage to promote his HBO series. This time around, he’ll be with Dean Haspiel (at right) — Ames’s living, breathing inspiration for Ray Heuston, the neurotic “Bored to Death” comic book artist played by Zach Galifianakis.

And if drinking and comics are your thing, line up to meet Bill Roundy, whose bi-weekly “Bar Scrawl” cartoon in The Brooklyn Paper have redefined the pub review.

But Roundy’s inspiration doesn’t solely come from Brooklyn’s many tap rooms and whisky bars. He’s also put together a “Monstrous Manual,” a cartoonish homage to TSR’s Dungeons & Dragons “Monster Manual,” and has a series a gay romance comics — all of which will be found at the convention.

“[King Con] draws people from all different aspects of the comic book world and they all live right here in Brooklyn,” Roundy said. “It’s an interesting mix.”

King Con II at the Brooklyn Lyceum [227 Fourth Ave. between President and Union streets in Park Slope, (718) 857-4816], Nov. 4-5, 5 pm; and Nov. 6-7, 11 am–7 pm. Adults $7 a day ($10 for the weekend). For information, visit www.kingconbrooklyn.com.

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Where to shop this weekend

Lots of exciting market news this week, so let’s get right to it.

Jodi Arnold

High-end boutique Jodi Arnold just loves sharing great, local finds with it shoppers. That’s why the Boerum Hill store has curated artisanal products on sale in its store this month, featuring high-quality, handmade goods for a celebration of craft. 

Participants include a variety of handmade goods, including Krystal Bennett Designs’s vibrant, statement making necklaces created using beads and strips of magazine pages (pictured); Little Soap Shop’s body butters and bath salts, including body bars for dogs; Soapwalla’s all-natural body products; and Ugly Duckling Presse’s poetry books from emerging writers. 

Warm up with a freshly brewed cup from the Williamsburg-based Brooklyn Roasting Company, which hand-roasts its coffees daily.

Jodi Arnold [347 Atlantic Ave. at Hoyt Street in Boerum Hill, (718) 858-5580]. For info, visit jodiarnoldnyc.com/features/category/artisanal.

Brooklyn Designers Showcase

You won’t find the Brooklyn Designers Showcase in a hip venue or gallery; rather, local talent shows off its wares at a Brooklyn Heights church. On Nov. 6 at St. Ann’s Church, find one-of-a-kind items such as handmade recycled shopping totes by Old Bag Ladies, as well as stained-glass art and homemade lotions and soaps. So you can wash away your sins?

Brooklyn Designers Showcase at St. Ann’s Church [157 Montague St. near Clinton Street in Brooklyn Heights, (718) 875-6960], Nov. 6 and 27 and Dec. 11 and 18, noon-6 pm. For info, visit www.saintannandtheholytrinity.org.

Module R

There’s a new pop-up in town. In the wake of ModulA.R.T., a temporary design store in DUMBO this past spring, comes Module R, a sister brand featuring modular products and furnishings for the home and office, including wine racks, shelving units, room dividers and housewares that are all customizable. Get yours starting Nov. 5, when Module R pops up.

Module R [400 Atlantic Ave. between Bond and Hoyt streets in Boerum Hill, no phone], Nov. 5-Jan. 9, open Wednesday-Sunday, 11 am-7 pm. For info, visit www.art-rethought.com. 

Yankee Fair  

This one’s fun for the whole family. The Yankee Fair returns to Plymouth Church on Nov. 6, with handcrafted items, antiques, collectibles, and vintage and designer clothing to peruse, as well as children’s rides and games, from pony rides to face painting to a magician providing entertainment. Try your hand at the 50-50 raffle, and you might wind up with even more dough to spend.

Yankee Fair at Plymouth Church [75 Hicks St. near Orange Street in Brooklyn Heights, (718) 624-4743], Nov. 6, 10 am-4 pm. Free admission for adults. Admission to children’s activities $16 for one child, $30 for two, and $40 max per family. For info, visit www.plymouthchurch.org.

Flea markets and sales

These ones are pretty self-explanatory:

• It’s called “$5 on Fifth,” and it’s on Nov. 5 on Fifth Avenue. There’ll be lots of special $5 deals and discounts at participating shops, restaurants and bars. For a merchant list, visit www.parkslopefifthavenuebid.com.

• Flea Market at St. Finbar Center [Bath Avenue and Bay 20th Street in Bensonhurst, (718) 236-3312], Nov. 7, 9 am-3 pm. Free to enter.

• Flea Market Bazaar at the Flatbush Dutch Reformed Church [Flatbush Avenue at the corner of Church Avenue in Flatbush, (718) 451-4764], Nov. 6 and 13, 9 am-3 pm.

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Theater - in a church

By Meredith Deliso

For Abby Browde and Michael Silverstone’s latest production, the two theatrical types wanted to work in the least theatrical-like setting possible. And lucky for them, they found it only a few blocks from where they live.

“This Time Tomorrow” is a site-specific performance in the basement of Duryea Presbyterian Church, a 105-year-old house of worship in Prospect Heights.

“There’s nothing theater-like about it — no lighting grid, no curtains. It’s just a big empty room, but for us, it felt like this would be a great place to make a play,” said Silverstone, who created and directs the piece with his wife, Browde. “We found there’s all this theatricality that’s hidden there, and that’s been really exciting — to be looking for where the theater exists in it.”

The piece itself was created through chance methods, blending choreographed material with live and unscripted events to make for a different performance each night.

“It’s like going to a rodeo or rock concert,” said Silverstone. “It’s something that’s never happened before.”

“This Time Tomorrow” at Duryea Presbyterian Church [362 Sterling Pl. at Underhill Avenue in Prospect Heights, (718) 783-2451], now-Nov. 6 and Nov. 9-13 at 8 pm. Tickets $15. For info, visit www.this-time-tomorrow.com.

Photo by Stefano Giovannini

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Get your run on

On Sunday, thousands of runners will pour through the streets of Brooklyn in the New York City Marathon.

Even if you don't count yourself among the runners, you can enjoy the spectacle, and some good food and drink, with the help of our handy marathon guide.

Or, if you just want to watch, we've got a guide for that too.

Of course, to all those who are running, good luck! We'll be cheering for you.

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This is one 'Curious' play

By Meredith Deliso

A forgotten gem is getting its due.

For its fall show, the Narrows Community Theater is doing “The Curious Savage,” a rarely performed feel-good comedy by one of the masters of the form, opening tonight at the St. Patrick’s Auditorium in Bay Ridge.

Dramatist John Patrick was no slouch in his day, writing dozens of plays, including the Pulitzer Prize-winning “Teahouse of the August Moon,” as well as such screenplays as “Love is a Many-Splendored Thing.”

One of his earlier works, “The Curious Savage” tells the story of Ethel P. Savage, a new widow who’s left a fortune by her husband, to the tune of $10 million.

Savage donates her money to strangers so they can fulfill their dreams, much to the chagrin of her three stepchildren, who would rather see the money go, of course, to them. So they do the only natural thing — they send her to an institution to help “bring her to her senses.”

The heart of the story becomes Savage’s interactions with the other residents of the home, social misfits who all have their own idiosyncrasies.

“It’s not what I would say is a ‘ha ha’ comedy,” said director Dawn Hansen. “It’s those little quirks that make the interactions of the people funny.”

“The Curious Savage” at St. Patrick’s Auditorium [97th Street and Fourth Avenue in Bay Ridge, (718) 482 3173], Nov. 4 and 5 at 8 pm, Nov. 6 at 2 pm and 8 pm, and Nov. 7 at 3 pm. Tickets $15 for adults, $12 for students, seniors and children. For info, visit www.narrowscommunitytheater.com.

Photo by Stefano Giovannini

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