Category Archives: Theatre/Performance

“Dracula: The Concert” offers a simpler version take on the vampire rock opera

Dracula (Rob Thompson) and his brides! Photo by Stungun Photography.

Since emerging from its theatrical coffin three years ago, the Little 5 Points Rockstar Orchestra’s staging of Dracula: The Rock Opera has been seen in a few monstrous forms. While the music, a hybrid of Andrew Lloyd Webber-like majesty and classic rock power, has always been an important part of the production, it hasn’t been quite the focal point that it is in this Valentine’s Day weekend’s performances at 7 Stages.

Described by members of the cast as being akin to VH1 Storytellers or a plugged-in version of MTV Unplugged, Dracula: The Concert strips away some of the theatrics of previous performances for a more raw interpretation of the love-and-lust at the heart of Dracula. But these concert productions also serve as CD release parties for Dracula: The Rock Opera, the double-disc set of all the music (as well as some pretty cool packaging and photos) from the previous Dracula productions.

“It’s more to illuminate the rock ‘n’ roll side of it,” says co-creator Naomi Lavender, who portrays Mina Harker. “We’ve done the first act, we’ve done the full show and because this is a CD release party we’re taking it more to a concert level. It is a really good show, but it’s also really good music. It’s just really special because Bram Stoker was such a brilliant writer and we get to bring it to 2014. All of the lyrics are pretty much verbatim from the book with only a little bit of changes to make them rhyme or things like that. But for the most part they are lyrical on their own, straight from the book.”

In true rock ‘n’ roll fashion, there will still be some theatrics such as props and costumes from the rock opera production. Plus, there will be other insights into the making-and-progress of this ever-growing endeavor.

“With this concert version, we have some interludes with some funny stories from the production, some hopes for the future, people playing multiple roles, things like that,” says 7 Stages artistic director Heidi S. Howard. “We’re keeping it very simple because one of the things we don’t want to do is recreate what the production is because we’ll end up hurting it. We have some elements [from the original production] that we’ll have set around. Other than that, we’ve got a band, some stools and some microphones.”

“We enjoy the music, so it’s fun to get to play it and not have to act it out or be worried about all the other things,” says co-creator Rob Thompson, who stars as Dracula. “We get to just go out and be loose, sing the songs and have fun. We don’t even have the full cast, so we have some people singing other people’s parts. I sang most of these songs when I was writing them and we were doing our first rough recordings of them. So it’s fun for me to get to sing some of those parts again.”

www.7stages.org/dracula

The many ways in which Keith David’s talents have been “Enlisted”

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He may not be as instantly recognizable as the A-list actors he’s often co-starring with, but once you hear the deep bellow of Keith David‘s voice you’ll immediately start trying to figure out where you’ve heard it before. From voicing ominous animated characters such as Goliath in Disney‘s Gargoyles or the title character in HBO‘s Spawn to narrating the recent The History of WWE: 50 Years of Sports Entertainment DVD to appearances and voice work for a wide range of movies including Platoon, There’s Something About Mary, Cloud Atlas, Coraline and The Princess and the Frog. And who could forget that famous fight scene he had with “Rowdy” Roddy Piper in John Carpenter‘s They Live? With numerous new films slated for release this year, David also has a recurring role in all 13 episodes of the new military comedy Enlisted, debuting this Friday night. Next month, David will be part of a reunion of The Thing cast at Days of the Dead: Atlanta (where he will also reunite with Piper) and he continues to narrate upcoming documentaries for WWE. Amidst his busy schedule, David takes a moment to talk to Wrestling with Pop Culture about his many contributions to film, television and theater.

While watcing the recent History of WWE DVD, I immediately recognized your voice as the narrator, though I didn’t see you credited anywhere.

I guess I’m going to have to get on them about that, right?

Of course you do! You’ve done some previous work for WWE. How did your working relationship with WWE come about?

I do have a good working relationship with WWE. I’ve been narrating documentaries and stuff for them for a long time. First of all, I like to work. Second of all, I’ve been a fan of WWE since the days of Bruno Sammartino. So it was a nice thing to be asked to participate in their documentary and I was very happy to do it. We have several documentaries coming out about the history of WWE and how WWE is actually changing the face of sports entertainment. That’s what this documentary is about is how WWE has changed the face of sports entertainment and how we look at sports. They have hundreds of thousands of fans that attend these huge events and all these big stars that have come out of WWE. I don’t think any of them have become great actors in the same way that some NFL athletes have, but more and more of them are getting parts in movies, guest starring on television shows and things like that. Some are even becoming politicians, like Jesse Ventura.

What I like about [this documentary] is you get a very clear picture that the persona of the wrestler in the ring is exactly that, it’s a persona. It’s like an actor playing a character because they do have lives outside of the arena. And some of them, i.e. Jesse Ventura, are very responsible men with very strong political views who are wanting to make a difference in their communities.

How much did you learn about WWE while working on this documentary and how much were you already aware of?

Generally speaking, I knew about all the different leagues and I knew the names of the creators like Ted Turner and Eric Bischoff and those guys. But in the documentary you learn about some of the specifics about how [WWE] negotiated these different deals. I didn’t realize some of the internal battling that has been going on between some of the stars, the re-creation of some of their personalities and things like that. That kind of stuff is very interesting. We’ve seen the results of all that, but we’re not always necessarily privy to how they came about.

Prior to working directly with WWE, you worked with “Rowdy” Roddy Piper in They Live. What was it like working with Piper and being part of such an iconic cult movie?

Oh, man. Roddy was the first professional wrestler that I ever met up close and personal. What a wonderful human being! At that time, he was pound for pound the strongest man I had ever met in my life. I was weighing at least 230 pounds at the time and he would lift me up like I was a 3-year-old and look back at the director like, “What am I supposed to do with him?” We had a lot of fun. He taught me a few wrestling moves and we had a lot of fun choreographing our fight, along with Jeff Imada. It was some of the best fun I ever had in my theatrical life, in the movies or on stage. One thing about doing fights in movies that’s different than on stage is you have all those different angles to cover. We just had a great time. It was a really good time. All of his training in the ring and mine in stage combat helped us be able to sell a really great fight. It was very fun working with him.

Will you be working on any other WWE projects?

Absolutely. I have one coming up this week, as a matter of fact. I don’t know exactly what it is yet, but it’s going to be part of the ongoing documentary series.

You have several movies coming out this year. What can you tell me about some of those movies?

I have a movie coming out called The North Star, which was the first time I got to play Frederick Douglass in a movie. I haven’t seen it yet, so I hope it turned out well.

In the meantime, you have a new TV show coming out called Enlisted.

Keith David as Command Sergeant Major Donald Cody in “Enlisted”.

Amen! Yes, Enlisted is coming out on Friday, Jan. 10 at 9:30 p.m. on Fox. It’s a workplace comedy and we just happen to be in the Army. We are a rear detachment unit and I play the Command Sergeant Major on this post. It’s all about how we take care of the families of the deployed soldiers and how we run the business of the Army. Everybody can’t be deployed in Afghanistan or Iraq; some of us have to stay home and take care of running the business and that’s what we do.

Enlisted is one of several military roles you’ve played. You were also in WWE Studios‘ Behind Enemy Lines: Colombia with Mr. Kennedy in 2009. What was it like working with Kennedy?

It was fun. He was a good guy. He was playing a soldier and he certainly looked like a soldier. We were in Puerto Rico, so it was a good time had by all.

Would you be interested in doing more work for WWE Studios, especially considering how many more movies they are putting out each year?

I like to work, so if the right project comes along I will be very happy to work with them.

Are there any particular WWE stars you’d be interested in working with in a movie?

Oh, I don’t know. It would depend on the project. There’s a big difference between a personality and an actor. Depending on the project, you’ll see how those dynamics work together. Sometimes there’s a great personality in a particular show or movie and the story flows. Then there are other things that are far more challenging. There are plenty of guys that would be great to work with and I would enjoy working with any of the wrestlers under the right circumstances.

I understand you’re also working on a musical release. What can you tell me about that and when will we be able to hear it?

Every year I wind up saying, “By the end of the year.” But certainly by the end of this year I’ll have my CD project out. Also, my next project in Los Angeles will be playing Paul Robeson in a production called Paul Robeson at the Nate Holden Performing Arts Center with the Ebony Repertory Theatre in March.

www.keithdavid.com

Global Winter Wonderland combines holiday lights, carnival rides and circus thrills

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Everyone knows the White House is in Washington, D.C., Big Ben is in London and the Eiffel Tower is in Paris. But at Global Winter Wonderland, these and other landmarks from around the world have been erected in luminous holiday splendor across the street from Turner Field.

And it’s not just illuminated versions of Mount Rushmore, Chichen Itza and the Leaning Tower of Pisa (constructed out of teacups and plates covered in blue and white lights) you’ll find at Global Winter Wonderland. There’s also a maze surrounded by animatronic dinosaurs, an international food court, nature scenes, giant candy canes, Christmas trees, a 300-foot dragon and other spectacular sights covered in holiday lights. In addition to the light tunnels and other glowing delights, Global Winter Wonderland features carnival rides such as a Ferris wheel, the gravity-defying Starship 2000, the looping Ring of Fire and other exciting rides.

Best of all, Global Winter Wonderland features nightly concerts, Chinese acrobats, kung fu demonstrations and performances from the UniverSoul Circus that include tightrope walkers, clowns, gymnasts and motorcycle stunts inside a globe of death! It’s a nontraditional holiday attraction that is equal parts cultural enjoyment, Christmas light show, county fair and circus thrills. Global Winter Wonderland is open through Jan. 5, with a New Year’s Eve countdown Dec. 31 and a Latin Fiesta Jan. 1.

www.globalwinterwonderland.com

A holiday deal with the devil? It wouldn’t be a “Krampus Xmas” without it

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Christmas is almost here, which can only mean one thing when it comes to 7 Stages. That’s right, it’s Krampus time! For those who aren’t familiar this demonic figure from German folklore, he’s Santa’s helper, of sorts. Only instead of simply leaving naughty kids off the gift list, he beats them with sticks and steals them away in a basket! But when the Little 5 Points Rockstar Orchestra joins forces with Syrens of the South, the 7 Stages Handbell Choir and various other creative groups that dabble in the darker arts to bring the fourth installment of the Krampus Xmas Dec. 19-21, it will be a devilishly different take on the story you may have seen over the past three years. And before the Krampus creeps onto the stage, Wrestling with Pop Culture talks to script writers Andrew McGill and James McDougald about how surprisingly nice this otherwise naughty holiday tale will be this year.

This Krampus show has an elaborately varied cast each year. What are your roles in this year’s show?

McGill: We are the co-writers. We do an original script every year. This year I am fortunate enough to star in it and also direct it.

McDougald: He’s really pulling double duty on this one.

McGill: Quadruple.

McDougald: Triple.

McGill: Quadruple. That’s more fun.

McDougald: The process this year has been phenomenal. We have such a long history working with this show at 7 Stages, going back seven or eight years now…

McGill: Oh, five years. But it started with 7 Stages coming to Rob Thompson, owner of Java Lords, to do Jesus Christ Superstar. After that, at least once a year there’s been a collaboration between Java Lords and 7 Stages. Christmas with the Devil was our first Christmas show and that was a combination of an original show about Santa getting crucified and an adaptation of Iron Maiden‘s The Number of the Beast. After that, we learned about this very bizarre Christmas character named Krampus. We took that and put together a show the next year about him. Then it was just, like, “Well, obviously we need to do that every year.” But we’re very adamant about not doing the same Christmas show every year. It’s very important to us. A lot of theater companies run a Christmas show for two months and it’s their money maker; they can just pull the same actors and do the same show they’ve done all their lives. So it’s not hard.

McDougald: This is a three-day rock concert event that also acts as a fund raiser for 7 Stages.

McGill: When people come to see it, they expect to see the same people and the same music, for the most part. But it’s crazy different every year.

McDougald: This year it has kind of acted as a response to a number of things we’ve seen on stage this past year, as well as to help the show grow. In the past, we’ve just kept making it more and more violent and bleak. This year we decided to keep a little bit of the cynicism because it’s funny, but I wound up seeing quite possibly the worst show this past year, which was a production of Doctor Faustus. I went, “Oh, this would be so funny if the guy was just aware of the things associated with making a deal with the devil.” So I brought the idea to Andrew about two months ago and I went, “We need to scrap pretty much everything we’ve done. It’s going to be Faust this year. You’re going to be Faust.” Slowly the pieces started falling into place for everybody else.We decided that Satan would have a daughter this time around, the joke being that God put his kid up for adoption, basically. [Satan] decides to raise Damian on his own, so she’s 14 or 15, really coming of age, and he’s trying to teach her what it is to be the Antichrist.

McGill: That was actually in our original script. So when we decided to introduce this character of Faust, he obviously summons the Devil. The problem is that the Devil is too busy raising his teenage daughter and they’re at the mall. So he sends Krampus, who is a newly acquired demon because Santa works at the mall, as well. All of the normal characters are trapped in the mall and are trying to do Christmas. So we have Krampus and this new character of Faust basically trying to get all these people back to them so they can find the meaning of Christmas. But it never works out, then there’s a dance party.

Is Rob reprising his role as Satan this year?

McDougald: He’s absolutely brilliant. This year he has a lot more to play with because in the past he’s primarily been focused on the music. The band has incorporated more singers so he can be more in the show. So we get to see a little more of his character. We’ve gotten pieces of who he is over the past five years, so he’s like a rock star party god. But when we meet him this year he’s in a slightly more domesticated place and he’s really rediscovering how awesome it is being the Lord of Darkness.

McGill: It’s just funny to put Satan in a place where he is horribly uncomfortable. There’s a line where he literally talks to God and says, “You will never know the joys of fatherhood.”

In a Christmas show?

McGill: Yep. We wanted to take all these characters and have the show, but not pound down the Christmas message. It’s obviously Christmas. There’s nothing you can do about that, so we might as well have a show that has all these familiar characters people have seen over the last four years. At the end of the day, it has a good message, which is, “Life is meaningless. Might as well party.”

McDougald: That’s what Christmas is about. In the past it was the last festival before the lights were turned off until spring. Yes, enjoy things to the fullest. Enjoy the season. But also don’t forget about family. All the scenes with Satan and Damian have this nice sweetness to them.

McGill: Honestly, it’s really weird to hear Rob come at these lines with this little girl, being like, “I’m so proud of you,” while in full Satan makeup with horns. To hear him be tender inside that character is really weird.

McDougald: And you’ve got to feel bad for the guy because number two down in Hell is trying to stage a revolution because [Satan] hasn’t done anything in 14 years, and he’s just trying to maintain his family and career.

McGill: Then you’ve got this guy who’s literally performing every magical ritual ever, out of boredom, to get [the Devil] there. And the Devil’s like, “Ugh! This guy again? Send the Krampus. He doesn’t want that Krampus? Send him sexy Krampus.” Krampus comes and Faust is like, “No. I want something with tits to come and talk to me.” So Krampus goes back to the mall and tells the Devil, “This guy doesn’t want me.” So he gets transformed into a chick with tits. So it’s the same character, but with tits.

So we’ll see multiple versions of Krampus this year?

McDougald: We wanted to go sexy with it this year as opposed to just violence and poop humor. You’ll see the phenomenal work that Shane Morton has done for us in the past. You’ll see cameo appearances from past characters and costumes. There’s a very high respect for the way things have happened, but this time’s there’s more show.

McGill: We’re trying to move away from trying to take the songs we’ve done over the last couple years and introduce them into the show. There’s only so many ways you can do some of these songs and so many ways you can beat up Santa Claus. Trust me, I’ve been Santa Claus three times and have been beaten up three times! We just wanted to go somewhere else with that and I think we’ve found subtle ways of having the songs be in between scenes where the songs are vignettes. You’ve got Faust trying to be evil and Satan desperately trying not to be good. Then they meet at a point and decide they are both OK.

McDougald: We have the Baphomettes coming back this year, Shane’s creature creations, which are awesome, and the Little 5 Points Rockstar Orchestra is awesome.

McGill: We have Prentice Suspensions coming back. We have them every year because there’s nothing crazier to look at on stage than someone hooking themselves in their flesh, then getting hung 20 feet in the air. And they do it because they love that. The looks on their faces when they’re swinging in the air suspended from hooks through their flesh is honestly fascinating and beautiful. It’s crazy.

http://www.7stages.org/special-events/krampus-xmas/

Drew Thomas brings an extra touch of holiday magic to “Atlanta Ballet’s Nutcracker”

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Photo by Jeremy Mason McGraw

Seeing is believing, even if it’s sometimes hard to believe what it is we’re seeing. With illusionist Drew Thomas, even a magical show like Atlanta Ballet’s Nutcracker can stand to have a bit more visual splendor than it has become known for. Having staged amazing and inexplicable feats at Universal Studios‘ Halloween Horror Nights, Sea World and Six Flags, Thomas reached an even broader audience by becoming a finalist on America’s Got Talent. And after adding some magical flair to last year’s production of Atlanta Ballet‘s Nutcracker, he returns this year not only as an illusory advisor, but also to play the role of Drosselmeyer. With his final appearance in this year’s show taking place this Sunday (though the show continues through Dec. 29), Thomas talks to Wrestling with Pop Culture about how this magical collaboration came to be.

You were involved in last year’s production of Atlanta Ballet’s Nutcracker, but you weren’t actually in the show. How did you end up being involved with this show and how did that evolve into you actually being a main character in this year’s show?

I think all of this stems from the fact that many years ago, when I was straight out of high school, John McFall was the artistic director of a ballet company in Columbus, Ohio, where I’m from. He recruited me to work as Herr Drosselmeyer then, and I did so for five years. It was really successful, we explored a lot of different options and had a lot of fun. Many years later, we’ve reunited to do this with the Atlanta Ballet. He knew it was within my repertoire to have the presence of a dancer’s style and carry my own in a ballet, as well as be able to perform illusions.

Were your illusions part of your previous work with him?

They were. We created numerous illusions for that one and none of them have been repeated for the Atlanta Ballet. We’ve moved on to newer, more elaborate things.

One of the most impressive illusions in this year’s show is the one that kind of ties the whole show together. We see the handkerchief at the beginning of the show, then it becomes the common thread throughout the show and returns to end the show. How did that particular illusion becomes such an integral part of this year’s show?

Photo by C. McCullers

I love the pun. We keep saying that to ourselves when we’re having creative conversations about the silk handkerchief being the common thread. When John brought me in last year to consult on some effects for The Nutcracker. I said, “I have this really cool illusion we could do that would literally break the fourth wall and go out among the audience. It would be this kind of whimsical thing.” I felt that Drosselmeyer’s character, kind of like Mickey Mouse in Fantasia, is in this magical world where magic happens around him and sometimes things take a life of their own because of Drosselmeyer’s magic. So I thought it made sense to have Drosselmeyer up in that little workshop, then all of a sudden something becomes possessed with his magical powers and starts to do something theatrical. We did that last year and it was very successful. Then this year when we revisited what to do to be different from what we’d already established, I said I had some ideas of how I wanted to do some additional effects with the handkerchief to make it a more prominent effect throughout the ballet, but then it would be great if we could do something with it at the end as well. Then John said, “I don’t want to put this out there and get my hopes up, but it would be really cool if the handkerchief came back to you at the end.” I thought about it for a second and said, “I can do that.” Sure enough, that’s the bookend to it all. When I got to do that on opening night in front of an audience, oh, my gosh! When it flew back to me through the audience, I could tell we had hit the nail on the head with that visual effect.

I was lucky enough to have seats right in front of the workshop window. So when the handkerchief flew into the audience at the beginning, then back into the workshop at the end, it was flying directly over my head.

Oh, wow. That’s cool.

What were some of the other more interesting or challenging illusions that you did for this year’s production?

Photo by C. McCullers.

One of the biggest ones is the levitation. That is a pretty big thing to do in a ballet production and it required a lot of figuring out as to how we would do that. It isn’t a magic show, it’s a show that has a story. So where could we put something like that where it would convey the right feeling at the time? We even fleshed it out a little bit more with the choreography to where we we’re implying that Drosselmeyer – I mean, he’s the one who orchestrates the entire concept of The Nutcracker and drives the entire story – is very much the puppet master. All the while, he directs Nicolas towards a positive resolution. So the levitation of me going way up in the air – it’s almost 17 feet in the air – and presenting the Nutcracker and the Rat King, I move my hands in a puppeteer gesture bringing them together, then blackout. Then she wakes up for the final battle scene and everything explodes.

Though your illusions will be part of the entire run of the show, you’re only appearing through this weekend.

The show goes until my birthday, Dec. 29. Unfortunately, when we worked out the schedule it turned out that we could only work together until the middle of December. So the 15th will be my last performance this year. I had really hoped to do the entire season, but that’s all we could allow for this year.

Will you be working with the Atlanta Ballet on any future productions?

John continues to have conversations with me about a variety of projects, so I would not be surprised.

Where will you be going after your run is over this weekend?

Photo by C. McCullers

I actually produce the longest running and most successful magic show in the cruise industry. It lives on the Freedom of the Seas, which is a Royal Caribbean ship. From Atlanta, I have to fly to the Caribbean for an installation. We’re training a new cast that’s taking over. Then I’m off for the holidays and taking my family on vacation.

Do you have any shows to start the New Year?

We are constantly working for the NBA doing halftimes throughout the country. I tour with my show called Materialize and we’re currently ironing out the dates for next year. We do a lot of work at casinos throughout the country and some performing arts venues are picking up some dates. So 2014 has an extensive amount of travel and live public performances coming up.

www.drewthomasmagic.com

Netherworld’s Goblin King discusses The Dead Ones and MCW

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Since 1997, the creatures of Netherworld have helped make Halloween quite a frightful time in the Atlanta area. In recent years, the hideous Goblin King has been a sinister presence whose singing or sheer terror have had souls surrendering to his control. As you traverse the aquatic agonies, undead horrors and other malevolent maniacs (including a giant roach!) in this year’s main haunt The Dead Ones, be wary of what resides inside the Goblin Cave. At Netherworld, the Goblin King is just one of many monsters vying for your demise. But this year the Goblin King is venturing into another monstrous realm as Monstrosity Championship Wrestling takes over the Axis Arena in Gotham City at Six Flags Over Georgia for Six Flags Fright Fest. As both attractions get under way Sept. 27, the Goblin King takes a moment to talk to Wrestling with Pop Culture about his cruel intentions for anyone who crosses his path.

The Goblin King emerged from the Netherworld a few years ago. Tell me a little bit about yourself and why you’ve chosen to enter our realm through the Netherworld.

The Goblin King is from the Dark Night. This is my third year at Netherworld, sitting on my throne in the Goblin Cave terrorizing people as they come through. I warn people as they wander through my cave that they’re lucky if they make it through.

I visited Netherworld on Friday the 13th this year. As I entered the Goblin Cave, you were telling people to “Bow down to he Goblin King.” Is that a request you often make as people enter your cave?

Oh, yes. I want all to bow to me. You’ve entered my kingdom, so you must bow and surrender yourself at my throne., Everybody must bow to the Goblin King.

Sometimes you greet people in a very different manner, such as with operatic singing. What’s the story behind that?

My first year at Netherworld, when I became the Goblin King, I would sing opera to hypnotize people as they came in to lead them towards me. Once they came towards me, I’d have them bow at my feet and surrender their souls.

This year the Goblin King is part of The Dead Ones. Tell me about The Dead Ones and where the Goblin King fits into this attraction.

Oh, the Dead Ones. That’s my favorite one. The Dead Ones are all the ones from the past who are coming back to take over the Dark Night again. The Goblin King is going to usher you into the new realm of what we call The Dead Ones.

When the Goblin King takes someone’s soul, what becomes of that person’s soul?

You become one of our servants and worship us. We mostly take the souls that will make us more powerful and stronger than ever.

Rumor has it the Goblin King is also involved in professional wrestling. Tell me a little more about that.

Oh, the Goblin King loves professional wrestling. The Goblin King takes over everything he goes to. He’s going to take over the world and take over the souls of those within the squared circle. Beware the Goblin King! Wrestling is my main strength because I love to take on anything that comes through my path.

Does wrestling exist in the Goblin King’s realm? If so, is it similar to the wrestling we know on this plane?

Yes, it does. It’s very similar. The Goblin King can not be controlled because I’m the king! Everywhere I go, people will be hypnotized by by my presence because I will take the souls of anyone who crosses my path.

I understand the Goblin King will be making his Monstrosity Championship Wrestling debut this weekend at Six Flags Over Georgia. What can you tell me about your involvement with MCW at Fright Fest?

Oh! When I come to MCW, prepare to bow to the king. Prepare to surrender all souls to the Goblin King. I’m coming to terrorize everything that comes through my path. Six Flags, beware! I’m looking for someone creepy that I can cast under my spell to add to my kingdom. I will turn monsters and human wrestlers alike into my goblins!

www.fearworld.com

From DiamondStarHalo jewelry to Turnin’ TriXXX, Jen Belgard conjures macabre magic

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For those looking for jewelry, flasks and other accessories that keep things classy while adding a bit of macabre flair, you’re likely to find just what you’re looking for at Diamond*Star*Halo. From earrings to belt buckles, the ornate creations of Jen Belgard maintain a rococo style while incorporating pop culture icons such as monsters, Muppets and circus performers. But jewelry making isn’t Belgard’s only creative endeavor as she is also involved with a baton-twirling group known as Turnin’ TriXXX and is co-owner of the Atlanta-based boutique known as Libertine. More recently, she has turned her tricks to a darker group of performers known as the Baphomettes, an alluring collection of demonic dames. Regardless of which form her creativity takes, Belgard has been a constant supporter of Monstrosity Championship Wrestling for more than a year. When MCW returns to Club Famous this Friday, there will be several DSH creations available as raffle prizes. As Belgard prepares for her own birthday celebration, she talks to Wrestling with Pop Culture about her wares.

For someone just discovering Diamond*Star*Halo, how would you describe your creations? What inspires you aesthetically and how do you choose which form each piece will take on?

Diamond*Star*Halo was born from my love of haunting fairy tales, sideshows, horror/occult art and culture, vintage jewelry and rock ‘n’ roll. It’s a collection of accessories for people looking for something out of the ordinary. I like my accessories to set me apart from the crowd. I couldn’t find the things I was looking for so I willed them into being.

You’ve been a supporter of MCW since Wrestling with Pop Culture’s first anniversary last March, with your items being big prizes in the MCW raffles. Why do you think DSH and MCW complement each other so well?

I watched wrestling as a kid. It always struck me as a sideshow soap opera. What’s not to love? The storylines, the over-the-top costumes and antics of wrestlers like Andre the Giant, Ric Flair, Jake “The Snake” Roberts and “Macho Man” Randy Savage drew me in. Adding monsters to the mix makes it all the more amazing. DSH and MCW make perfect sense to me.

Aside from DSH, you also have creative outlets with Turnin’ TriXXX, the Baphomettes and Libertine. There is a thread of similarity between each of these entities, as well as your other endeavors. Which parts of your personality would you say are on display with each of these endeavors?

They really aren’t so different. The common thread is my unwillingness to give up the things I love just because I’ve grown up. I will always let my imagination run away with me. I will always twirl my baton to punk rock and metal. I will always wear costumes, too much makeup and even more hair. Be it Diamond*Star*Halo, Turnin’ TriXXX, the Baphomettes or Libertine these things hold true.

The Baphomettes recently made an appearance at MCW, escorting the mysterious Angel of Death to the ring. What is your connection to this rookie wrestler and what can we expect from him at future MCW events?

Professor Morté asked the Baphomettes to escort the Angel of Death to the ring. Unfortunately, he is not a worthy recipient of the powers bestowed upon the Baphomettes. We have no allegiance to that wrestler.

What does the future hold for DSH, Turnin’ TriXXX, the Baphomettes and any of your other projects? Any new creations or performances coming up?

I have a constant stream of ideas of Diamond*Star*Halo. Something new debuts all the time. Locally, you can find DSH at Junkman’s Daughter, the Oakland Cemetery gift shop, Cherry Blossom Salon, Mysteria Antiques & Oddities, Rutabaga Boutique & Salon and of course, Libertine. DSH is also available online at www.diamondstarhalo.com and a limited selection is available at www.sourpussclothing.com. Turnin’ TriXXX is on hiatus until Halloween. We can’t let the cat of of the bag on those plans quite yet. The Baphomettes have several collaborations and performances coming up. We recently joined the fabulous Blast-Off Burlesque on stage as they presented Taboo-La-La at the Plaza Theatre. We look forward to working with them several more times this year. (Hint, hint: look for their upcoming show in September!) We are also in talks with our fiercely talented friends, the Little Five Points Rock Star Orchestra for a show this summer. More details to come!