The Sizzling Sirens Burlesque Experience began percolating inside Jay Siren after a vacation to Chicago where she was enamored by a local burlesque show. There’s something truly magnetic about glitter, pasties and corsets.
After returning to Sacramento in the Spring of 2008 Jay ran a Craigslist ad to begin recruiting her sirens. The ad ran a little something like this… “If you can sing, dance, and kick ass, the Sizzling Sirens are casting!”
Performances began in June of 2008 and have blossomed into a regular showcase every third Thursday of the month at Harlow’s with a regular cast of women who meet to practice about two times a week. And if you haven’t gone to see a show yet you better make it a point to get your ass out there. Presale tickets are a mere $12 and tickets at the door are only $15!
“I started this alone with no money,” she said.
Jay explains to me that she and her cast make a lot of personal sacrifices and struggle to be able to continue making live performances affordable.
“I eat a lot of instant oatmeal, apples, and Top Ramen,” she said.
A diet of champions I say!
The women who comprise the main cast of the Sizzling Sirens are an amazingly diverse group of women with full lives. In addition to being a Siren, Jay tells me that many of the cast members have families and work full-time in a spectrum of different professions, yet each one makes the time to contribute something unique and personal to the experiential piece of the Sizzling Sirens show.
“One of our cast members builds and paints all the sets,” she said. “Most of the Sirens customize all their own outfits and pull from their personal collections.”
As we talk more intimately about the cast I learn that the Sizzling Sirens Burlesque Experience extends far beyond the stage. Looking at the crowd of the most recent Siren’s show, “Sirens Under the Sea,” it is mostly women, which is quite compliment to Jay considering burlesque shows are traditionally geared towards a male audience.
“The power of it is palpable,” she said. “It’s bigger than me.”
Part of the pull that brings women out in droves is that the ladies of the Sizzling Sirens make magic happen on and off stage. I know that sounds cheesy but please bear with me. It’s the power of what they do and how it permeates to other women. It’s contagious in the best way possible. They encourage women to step out of the day-to-day ways of operating. The burlesque experience is a place to massage our alter egos and tap into our wild nature.
Jay Siren’s birth name is Jessica. Jessica wouldn’t be who she is without Jay Siren, and Jay siren wouldn’t be who she is without Jessica. The Sizzling Sirens offer a sacred place for women to safely and comfortably cater to all pieces of their personalities.
“It’s more than just live entertainment. It’s about bonding, growth, and self-esteem,” she said. “It’s loving yourself just a little bit more. That’s what it’s about.”
Whether it’s via the live performances, the glittery boutique or the academy, the women of Sizzling Sirens are here to shake-up the women of Sacramento.
Just in case you’re wondering “How the hell do I get involved with these amazing women?!” let me tell you there are rumors that open casting is on the horizon. Jay whispered in this little bird’s ear that she’s thinking about reaching out to all the wonderful women of Sacramento to find something fresh and new to bring to the Burlesque Experience. Perhaps it’ll be a beat boxer or a contortionist or a magician?… I urge you to contact the lovely Jay Siren if you think you’ve got what it takes and want to showcase your unique talent.
And as Jay said, “You’ve got to be ok making fun of yourself.”
If becoming a regular cast member is not up your alley COME TO A SHOW, come attend one of the Burlesque Academies, or stop by the boutique for something glittery and oh-so-sexy! No matter what, don’t pass up an opportunity to get involved with these women and the work they do.
Words Tattoo Bike Woman