The 13th Annual
Kansas City Burlesque Festival
Friday, May 2nd & Saturday, May 3rd
The Bird Comedy Theater &
The Folly Theater
Friday, May 2nd – Late Night Stage Strut Fest Kick Off
Saturday, May 3rd – Burlesque & Variety Extravaganza and The Classic Performer Competition
All Performers or Troupes accepted will receive a $100 stipend per performance.
Late Night Stage Strut Fest Kick Off, Friday, May 2nd, The Bird Comedy Theater:
Ultra steamy, super sultry, high-energy hoochi coo, the ultimate tease, satirical strut and much, much more come to life in this late night, sexy, flirty fun show!
Burlesque & Variety Extravaganza and The Classic Performer Competition, Saturday, May 3rd, The Folly Theater:
”Anything goes” to classic accompaniment, all happening on the historic Folly Theater Stage! http://follytheater.org/about-the-folly-2/history/ Where Gypsy Rose Lee got her start, and Tempest Storm, along with many more Legends performed!
The best, comedic, satiric, and scrumptious is variety and burlesque! Fire, Aerial, Acrobatic, Sideshow and MORE are prime for the first half of this extravagant show! For the second half of the show, it is time to bust out that solo you know will sweep Kansas City off its feet!
A handful of top competitors will be chosen to perform accompanied by our live jazz band. (No recorded music will be accepted for the competition). Our panel of judges will select the best performance and crown our 2025 Queen of the Kansas City Burlesque Festival. The crowned Queen of the 13th Annual Kansas City Burlesque Festival will receive a cash prize of $300. First Runner Up will receive a cash prize of $200, and second runner up will receive a cash prize of $100. The stakes are high with this favorite showcase!
APPLICATIONS ARE DUE: Sunday, February 23rd, 2025
We are unable to review any incomplete applications. Carefully follow the instructions and review your application before submitting to the festival.
You may submit up to three acts with this application of any length, which you wish to perform at the festival for your selected category(s). You must submit all the technical details with your application. Aerial acts may only be submitted to Burlesque & Variety Extravaganza, but please note that they will NOT be considered for the Performers Competition. Fire or acts with fog; flash paper etc. or smoke of any kind may apply for the Burlesque & Variety Extravaganza! Fire acts must have a safety and proper insurance.
Notifications of acceptance into the festival will be received no later than March 9th.
A stipend of $100 per performer or troupe/company per performance, will be paid no later than May 31st.
Burlesque Troupes/Companies, Vocalists, Vaudeville and Variety Acts are encouraged to submit to ALL show cases! Fire Acts for the Burlesque & Variety Extravaganza only please due to venue restraints.
A non-refundable application fee of $25.00 must be paid via paypal at contact@kcburlesque.com or venmo at @KCBurlesque
Please have both your legal and performer name in the "notes" field on the payment. Applications sent to us without the fee will be discarded.
· In an email to: contact@kcburlesque.com - copy and paste the Performer Application section and fill it out completely in an email OR save and attach it, as a PC word document format file. Failure to follow these directions could exclude your application from review. If you are using a mac, please copy and paste your application in an email to contact@kcburlesque.com.
· Attach at least three stunning photos of yourself of the best image quality (we prefer Pin-Up studio photos over live performance shots, but all photos will be accepted.) Your photos must be labeled (saved) with your stage name – example: (Burlesque_Babe.jpg). These photos will be used to promote YOU with the press and on the festival’s website.
· You must submit URL video of the act(s) you are planning to perform. Be sure your video URL is labeled with your performer name, is not password protected, encrypted, and will not expire. Please only use Youtube or Vimeo.
Full nudity is not permitted; you must wear pasties with at least a g-string or pusstie/c-string/merkin.
Limited Non-Compete Agreement. With this application, you agree not to perform in a Burlesque show or non-private event in the Kansas City area between the dates of April 25th - May 12th. Local KC performers are excluded if they are already cast in a monthly show.
The Kansas City Burlesque Festival does not cover any travel, lodging, food, transportation, or performer expenses. All Performers are granted a VIP all-show access pass to attend all parties and shows with no entrance/ticket fees for participating in the festival. Be advised that the Kansas City Burlesque Festival will be videotaped and photographed to promote the festival and Kansas City Burlesque, LLC. By submitting this application, you agree to allow your image, likeness and performance in the Kansas City Burlesque Festival to be used for the purpose of promoting the Kansas City Burlesque Festival and Kansas City Burlesque, LLC.
The Kansas City Burlesque Festival does not and shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age (must be 18+), national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status, in any of its activities or operations. These activities include, but are not limited to, selection of performers, volunteers and vendors, and provision of services. We are committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for all members of our festival, be it performers, volunteers, subcontractors, vendors, and clients. The Kansas City Burlesque Festivals policy is to provide environments free from sexual, racial, national origin, or religious harassment.
If you have any questions, please feel free to send them to contact@kcburlesque.com
Click the link below to download the KCBF13 Application in Word format,
or copy and paste the application below into an email send to contact@kcburlesque.com
Kansas City Burlesque Festival Performer Application
The 13th Annual Kansas City Burlesque Festival Performer Application below may be copied and pasted into an email with the necessary attachments.
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Performer/Stage Name or Troupe Name:
Legal Name of Performer or Troupe Leader (first & last):
Contact Phone Number:
Alternative Number:
Email Address:
Home Address (required):
City and State you want listed in our promo materials:
Number of performers in Act or Troupe (if applicable):
Instagram Handle (ex. Kcburlesque):
Performer or Troupe Bio (100 words or less):
Stage Introduction (50 words or less):
Performer/Troupe Submission
I am applying for:
(mark with a X all that apply)
__ All showcases.
__ Specific Showcase(s) – Please specify: ________________________________
__ All showcases except the Performer competition.
__ Performer competition only! Highly competitive. There are limited spots to fill. (See showcase description above for more detail or contact us with any questions.)
__ If I’m not selected to perform, I’d like to be considered for stage kitten, or other volunteer positions. The Kansas City Burlesque Festival has limited volunteer positions available every year and we're always looking for positive Burlesque friendly volunteers!
Age Verification as of 5/2/2025
__ I am at least 21 years of age.
__ I am under 21 yrs. old, but over 18.
Submission #1 –
Title of Act:
Title of Music:
Length of Act:
Act URL:
Start act on or off stage (performer places then music / music GO then performer):
Act Set Up, Break Down, Clean up:
Props, placement info:
Technical notes or special requirements:
Notes/Additional Comments: (If your presentation will be altered in any way from your video submission, please describe here. For example, a change in hair color, costume embellishment, prop, etc…):
Submission #2 –
Title of Act:
Title of Music:
Length of Act:
Act URL:
Start act on or off stage (performer places then music / music GO then performer):
Act Set Up, Break Down, Clean up:
Props, placement info:
Technical notes or special requirements:
Notes/Additional Comments: (If your presentation will be altered in any way from your video submission, please describe here. For example, a change in hair color, costume embellishment, prop, etc…):
Notes/Additional Comments:
You can also mail the application and DVD labeled with your stage name to:
Submission #3 –
Title of Act:
Title of Music:
Length of Act:
Act URL:
Start act on or off stage (performer places then music / music GO then performer):
Act Set Up, Break Down, Clean up:
Props, placement info:
Technical notes or special requirements:
Notes/Additional Comments: (If your presentation will be altered in any way from your video submission, please describe here. For example, a change in hair color, costume embellishment, prop, etc…):
*MUSIC. Please attached your recorded music with your application. (If you are applying to the Performer Competition, this does not apply). Music should be renamed to your performer name. If submitting multiple music files please number them ie burlesque_babe1.aac, burlesque_babe2.aac. The preferred format for public performance is .AAC although .MP3 is also acceptable.
Now that your application is finished…
Save this document in the Microsoft Word Format. Or, copy and attach the body of the document into an email.
1. PAY APPLICATION FEE of $25.00 (Paypal to contact@kcburlesque.com)
2. ATTACH NO MORE THAN 3 PICTURES TO YOUR APPLICATION
3. Attach music in .AAC format (preferred) or .MP3 format.
4: EMAIL APPLICATION & PHOTOS TO: contact@kcburlesque.com
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Questions before submitting your application? Please send them to Contact@KCBurlesque.com
If you need to send your application via the US Postal Service, please let us know and we'll provide you with a mailing address.
Applications may also be submitted by copying and pasting the contents of the application into an email, attaching images and music, and forwarding them to Contact@KCBurlesque.com
Thank you for submitting and we look forward to reviewing your completed application!
