We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Shirley Sweet a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Shirley, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

I’ve done plenty of meaningful things in my life, but one of my most meaningful projects has been bringing the Flamingo Revue to life. The Flamingo Revue is a burlesque troupe based out of Charlotte, NC. It’s more than just a show – it’s a collective of artists who create performances, costumes, and entire personas. And it is this group of people who put shows together several times each year. Sure, I’m a co-producer for the show, but the troupe itself really is a group effort. We’re all in this together.
At first, the Flamingo Revue was just a one-off show, but the whole thing was so much fun that we started talking about making something bigger. At the time, the burlesque scene in Charlotte was not what it is now. It was fragmented at best. The core group of us who came together and did that first Flamingo Revue show (performers, emcees, producers, etc) decided it was time to change that! Many of us had already been in the scene for years, and we wanted things to be better and for the scene to grow.
Over the last few years since we started building the troupe, we’ve seen Charlotte’s burlesque scene change and grow exponentially. Some of that is from us, and plenty of it is from others. But I do think that our little corner has done wonders for performers and non-performers, both in our city and throughout the state. We’ve spent a lot of time building a great experience for audience members, but we’ve also spent a lot of time building a safe and inviting space for performers to bring their art to life.
My biggest goal for the troupe has always been to give people the space to perform, and get them paid for their art. I also spent a lot of time behind the scenes helping with costuming, music, and choreography. I feel like we’ve really accomplished so much already, and I can’t wait to see how much more we can grow and give back to the burlesque community in the future!

Shirley, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I am a burlesque producer and performer, and I’ve been at it for over ten years now. I am a founding member and co-producer of the Flamingo Revue, a burlesque troupe that does several shows throughout the year. Plus, I travel and perform with others throughout the Southeast.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

My goal as a performer has always been to entertain, of course. I enjoy making people laugh, or making them forget about the outside world for a bit. I want them to have an experience they don’t forget, and hopefully that’s what keeps bringing them back! As a producer, my mission is to give other performers the spotlight they deserve. Just like with any other art form, it’s not always easy to get paid what your worth or be given the space to do what you love. I pride myself on producing shows that are entertaining for the audience, yes – but I want the shows to be a safe and inviting space for performers, too.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

The best way society can support creatives? Show up for them! For performance artists, that could mean literally showing up, paying for a ticket and attending an event. But showing up for them can also include buying merch or music, helping them find opportunities, and even just resharing their stuff on social media. Any little bit helps support artists!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/shirleysweet
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shirleysweetofficial/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/miss.shirleysweet/
• Other: https://www.instagram.com/flamingorevue/, https://www.facebook.com/flamingorevue

Image Credits
Ron Tencati, Josh Faggart, Kevin McGee, Rick Dingwell