Burlesque Queen Lulu Galore Takes Final Bow Sep 13 in Beijing

After spending half a decade as Beijing's burlesque queen, Lulu Galore (aka Ye Lu) is about to sashay her way off our local stages and into Shanghai's music scene. The singer and dancer is marking the end of that era with a special gala performance at Yugong Yishan Sunday night that begins at 9pm.

"I will miss Beijing because I started everything here, my friends and fan base are here, and I'll miss the energy of the people I know," she told the Beijinger hours before her final curtain call in the capital. "I'll have to start all of that over again in Shanghai. But I like being adventurous, and the challenge of that change in environment will be very good for my musical inspiration."

In fact, the big move south is already prompting her to push her musical boundaries. Instead of sticking to the the jazz and cabaret she's become known for, Ms. Galore plans to dabble in a myriad of other genres and eras for her final Beijing gig.

"I'll be playing popular music from the '20s all the way to the '80s tonight," she says, with Blondie, Joan Jett and several disco hits part of the set.

"This is the first time that I've really tried to perform disco and rock n' roll, so I'm very excited. When I told some friends that I was planning to do this, they said: 'Oh God Lulu, you can do this? I never knew you were into those styles of music.' So I'm really looking forward to seeing the reaction from the audience."

Ms. Galore will also have no shortage of opportunities to perform the type of jazz that first made her successful after she leaves Beijing: after all, Shanghai has a vibrant scene of cabaret bars and speakeasies. As she puts it: "I'll still be doing lots of shows there. They have a really nice theater called The Pearl which would be perfect for my burlesque shows."

In fact, relocating to Shanghai will be a return to her artistic roots. Ms. Galore grew up there, and in an earlier interview with TBJ she described how The Paris of the East first inspired her: "My parents used to bring me to the Peace Hotel in Shanghai to see a senior jazz band playing there... I loved that golden era’s fashion, style, and makeup.  When I was growing up I’d see lots of calendar girl pictures from that swing period in the shops and on the streets in Shanghai. I dreamt of being one of those pin up girls, wearing a Qipao and being all dolled up."

But it was in Beijing that she turned her obsession with swing into an acclaimed and crowd pleasing career, kickstarting Beijing's burlesque scene in the process. Many of the artists who have been inspired by and collaborated with Ms. Galore over the years will share the stage with her tonight. Those guests include vocalist/songwriter/producer Meachie Day and his All Star Band (comprised of Kenny Lenore, Ivan Johnson, Kersely and Jahlil), opera singer Tracy Chen, multi-instrumentalist and singer Rob Wendt, John Samuel Wood's Big Beat Brass Band,   Mr. Zeng (the leader of  Swing Beijing and owner of Cat’s Corner Swing Studio), Ms. Galore's team of glamorous dancers, and a troop led by Miss Ella Shi, who partook in the first Ms. Lulu Galore Show back in 2011.

Don't miss this era ending gig: it begins at 9pm at Yugong Yishan, and tickets cost RMB200. For more information, click here.

Image: Mask 9