PONTANI PRODUCTIONS
pontanisisters.com
Burlesque extraordinaire, Angie Pontani, "The Italian Stallionette," is one of few involved in the ecdysiast arts who shimmys and shakes on stages around the world, as well as carries her art into other fields and genres. A child of New York and a key player in establishing NYC's burlesque scene, this bump-n-grind bombshell has spread the gospel of burlesque across the globe for over a decade. The New Yorker calls Angie, "first rate, the perfect centerpiece!" and rightfully so, since her signature acts and productions all set standards of style and class.
This international superstar's ability to mix glamour of yester-years with contemporary sensibility has earned her burlesque's most prestigious award: "Queen of Burlesque, Miss Exotic World 2008." Aside from its substantial part in Angie achieving burlesque's highest honor, this combination of a deep-seated retro base and a cutting-edge innovative drive is also why Angie has toured multiple runs in the United States and Italy, has also toured Australia and Spain, was featured at Dragon-I in Hong Kong, headlined some of the largest festivals in the U.S. including New York and Dallas Burlesque Festival, and was named "Best International Touring Artist of 2009," by The Naked City/Alternative Media Group of Australia. Even with such travels and acclaim, this modern day vintage vamp, as grounded as she is worldly, equally treasures her hometown titles, "Miss Coney Island," and "Best Body in Burlesque" (2008 and 2011 New York Burlesque Festival).
Angie Pontani, the "Gypsy Rose Lee incarnate" (NYC Edge), is as rooted and ground-breaking offstage as she is on. She is co-founder and co-producer producer of the longest running annual burlesque festival, New York Burlesque Festival; she produced 2010 Burlesque Hall of Fame's The Titans of Tease: 53rd Annual Striptease Reunion Showcase and the Saturday Night Competition; she was co-creator of the off-Broadway hit, This is Burlesque; she is producer of the on-going U.S. tour, Burlesque-A-Pades, starring the "#1 Burlesque Attraction in the Nation"(AOL.com), The World Famous Pontani Sisters. Her productions have shattered, and undoubtedly will continue to shatter, attendance records. Her knack for production and marketing has led her to produce and create a series of dance instructional DVD's: Go-Go Robics I & II, Twist Party featuring Los Straitjackets, and Go-Go Dance with Angie Pontani.
Whether headlining events and entertaining from the stage, or setting the stage for headliners to entertain from, Angie's repertoire and show curating skills are frequently sought by discriminating clients including Campari, Esquire Magazine, Dos Equis, The Fox 5 Superbowl Party, Guggenheim, and more. She worked exclusively with Hendricks Gin to create her glass bath tub act, which was the featured entertainment at many of their events throughout the U.S. In the midst of her wake, Angie has wowed celebrity fans the likes of Sting, Anthony Kiedas, Hillary Duff, The Strokes, Adrianna Lima, and Hugh Hefner.
As "New York's Burlesque Queen" (ToscanaTV.com), Angie has appeared multiple times on the Conan O'Brien Show and Gossip Girl. She was also featured in other New York productions: Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, MTV's The 50 Cent Project, Good Morning America, and The Today Show. Angie also appeared on The List (Canada), Lady Burlesque (IT), Burlesque Mania (IT), Good Day New Zealand (NZ), and Nightline (NZ). Always reaching for new fields and genres, Angie had a featured role in Michael Imerioli's directorial debut film, The Hungry Ghost, and was also featured in The Poor Man's Follies, an Italian film created for MTV. She was also a part of an ad campaign for Peter Werth (UK), X-Rite Photosystem with Brian Smith (USA), and Marlboro (worldwide). Aside from having been photographed by renowned photographer Ellen Von Unwerth for L'uomo Vogue, she has graced the covers and pages of many magazines including Pin Curl, Page Six, Glamour, Spanish GQ, Java's Bachelor Pad and countless others.
Currently Angie is working on several major worldwide appearances for 2012, including a completely revamped Burlesque-A-Pades stage show wich will open in the fall of 2012. When Angie is not on the stage, setting the stage, reenacting the stage, or representing the stage, the combination threaded throughout everything she does, the interwoven retro and avant-garde where old meets new, is found within Angie herself. For as youthful, as energetic, as much of a worldwide superstar as she is, Angie Pontani is just a grandmother at heart, one who enjoys cooking, gardening, crocheting, watching old Westerns, and playing with her crazed dog.
For booking information for Angie or one of her full stage shows, contact:
Ramona@pontanisisters
718 853 3178
angiepontani.com
JEN GAPAY
thirstygirlproductions.com
Thirsty Girl Productions is the creation of Jen Gapay. Thirsty Girl debuted in 1997 with The Capitol Hill Block Party in Seattle, Washington, an annual all-day rock-and-roll carnival that continues to this day.
In the winter of 2000, Jen was hired as Promotions Director for the Village Voice. While there she created and produced the Siren Music Festival at Coney Island, which brought out record crowds in its first two years.
Jen left the Voice in October of 2002 and reinstated Thirsty Girl Productions in NYC and has since founded and produced various shows, including The New York Burlesque Festival (with Angie Pontani), now in its tenth year. In May 2011 Thirsty Girl teamed up with fellow producer Daniel Nardicio to showcase The Glamour Ball, a Drag & Burlesque extravaganza in NYC & Fire Island and Amanda Lepore’s CD release party at The Highline Ballroom. In 2012, they joined forces in curating The Downtown Series at Feinstein’s at the Regency Hotel, which featured a variety of artists ranging from Cabaret Chanteuse to New Orleans Jazz and also they created the first ever Boylesque Festival on the planet. The New York Boylesque Festival, now in its 2nd year, features a cavalcade of performers from around the world showcasing for sold out crowds.
In July of 2010 Thirsty Girl founded and produced The Coney Island Talent Show, now in its fourth year. She is also the Associate Producer of the documentary, Last Summer at Coney Island, which aired on PBS in May 2011.
Thirsty Girl was the Artistic Director for The Dresden Dolls, Fuck the Back Row Tour, in 2006 and was the brigade coordinator for several tours in the USA, Europe and Australia until 2008. In the summer of 2008 she teamed up with Amanda Palmer of The Dresden Dolls to co-produce The Establishment,A New World Cabaret Experience at the Rothbury Music Festival in Michigan. That same year Gapay & Sxip Shirey produced Sxip’s Hour of Charm at American Repertory Theater Company at Harvard.
In 2009 Thirsty Girl, joined forces with Hendrick’s Gin to produce A Victorian Burlesque Circus at the Cheers Beverage Convention in Miami and The Enchanted Portal to the Peculiar, a burlesque and variety show at Tales from the Cocktails in New Orleans. She collaborated with The Village Voice in 2009 to produce Creative Block, a multi-media performance and art extravaganza at Webster Hall in New York City.
Thirsty Girl has planned events for the Howl Festival, and has helped organize the Greenwich Village Halloween Parade since 2002. She was the line producer for Two Boots 25th Anniversary Concert in East River Park, Two Boots/Lower Eastside Girls Club Mardi Gras Benefit in 2012 & 2013 and The Brooklyn Half Marathon in 2012 and has been the line producer for Dr. Oz’s, Health Corps, Highway to Health Fair & Festival from 2008-present. She has organized benefits for Coney Island USA, The Coney Island History Project and Save Coney Island. She was also the Special Events Director of Astroland Amusement Park in Coney Island from 2003-2008.
Thirsty Girl is also currently the co-producer of Menorah Horah, The Show Ponies, Wham, Bam, Thank You Man!, Martinis & Mistletoe and the producer of the touring variety show, Filthy Gorgeous Burlesque.
To hire Thirsty Girl to organize your next event please email Jen Gapay or 917-770-8559
thirstygirlproductions.com