Miss Miranda's Reverie: Inclusive 1920s Burlesque Show Debuts at LA's Cicada Club

VIOLA WEST IN CONVERSATION with MISS MIRANDA

PHOTOS COURTESY of MISS MIRANDA

London-born burlesque star Miss Miranda debuts her first show, Reverie, at LA's historic Cicada Club. This 1920s-inspired cabaret features a femme and queer cast celebrating diversity through vintage glamour and theatrical artistry.

PETIT MORT (Viola West)

Miss Miranda, for those that may not know you yet, can you start with some of your Burly Herstory?

Miss MirandaYes!

When did Miss Miranda come to be?

My debut performance as “Miss Miranda” was Halloween night, 2003—so she’s been around for awhile. I’m originally from London. I’ve been in Los Angeles for about 10 years now. I originally came here on a visa. I was one of the first burlesque performers to be granted a visa specifically for burlesque, which was quite difficult to get, but I did that back in 2014, and then I moved here in 2015. I’m a full-time burlesque performer and model. I have been doing this my entire adult life. It is my passion, and I’m very excited to be making my first production and exploring that side of the creative process, as well as performance and costuming, which is what I’d focused on prior to production.

Wow, I didn’t know that when you applied for your visa you had to specify. That’s really cool.

Yeah, so I got one for burlesque and modeling. That made it a little bit easier for me to kind of make a living when I first moved here, because when you’re on a visa you can only do the type of work that’s described under the visa. Obviously, burlesque is quite a niche thing. I did not have the option of getting a job at a coffee shop or bar or whatever—you’re not allowed to do that when you’re on a specific visa. So you have to make it work!

Yeah, you have to work as a burlesque performer full-time.

Yeah, exactly! But I’m very happy that I was able to make it work. Now I have a green card, and I got married, but I still do burlesque full-time.

That’s the dream. I actually just started my burlesque journey too, so that’s a goal of mine.

Yeah? Oh, exciting! Yes, so I will have to look you up.

Oh my god, I would be so flattered.

Yeah, well, please let me know your Instagram or whatever, and I can look you up!

So, actually, bringing it back a little bit to one of your responses, what exactly drew you into the world of burlesque in the first place?

Well, I think it combined a lot of things that I was already very interested in. Back in 2003, when I first started performing, there were only two burlesque clubs in London. It was still a very new kind of rebirth of the art form. And when I started going to them—I guess, like, 2001 or 2002—I was about 16.

I was a complete misfit. I basically had to drop out of college because I had very serious depression at the time. I didn’t really have any friends. I was super interested in making clothes. I’d learned how to make clothes from being a child. My mom had taught me how to sew. I loved theatrical costuming, and I think I was just kind of looking for a place where I would fit in. Looking for something that explored the stuff I was interested in.

I started hearing about these places popping up. The first one I ever went to was called The Whoopee Club—you can actually still find out about it online. It’s rare; it’s one that has actually been documented from back in that period. Because, you know, this was before smartphones, so there are hardly any pictures of these places from back then.

But it was a very magical club. It had a different theme each month. It was very much a kind of Victorian-style vaudeville cabaret show. Burlesque was a big part of it, but it wasn’t just burlesque and I think that’s something I really loved about it as well. There was performance art, live music… it had a very immersive feel to it. Which, I think, was a really good thing for me at that time, because I needed somewhere to escape to, since I was not happy. It gave me this kind of magical place I could go to, and create a different character for myself.

When I first started going, I was just going to enjoy the show, obviously. But I think the producers and other performers kind of took a shine to me because I was super young, and I was there by myself, and they were just like, Who is this girl? Well, let’s take her under our wing, kind of thing. So I started hanging out backstage and helping people with their costumes and stuff. Kind of like, I guess, kittening. I wasn’t really picking things up off the stage, but it was similar to what we’d call kittening now. I was backstage, helping people out with whatever they needed help with, and I just liked the atmosphere of being there.

Then they kind of started encouraging me to get involved in the numbers, because I already made my own outfits and things. I was very Victorian Gothic at the time. That was my vibe. I had a doll that I made matching outfits for. So I would carry this doll around with me, and she’d be dressed exactly like me. I was just a very strange misfit person, basically.

I kind of found my niche: people who celebrated me being a misfit and made me feel welcome. I hadn’t really experienced that before. And I think a lot of people fall into cabaret and performance and burlesque in a similar kind of way. You know, it’s a safe space for people who don’t feel like they fit in other places.

Oh, 1,000%. That was one of the reasons why I got into it too because it’s a welcoming community. I mean, it can be a welcoming community.

I mean, it’s complicated, obviously but we want it to be.

There are some that are very, like, open arms. So, have you always been a very creative person?

I mean—yes, definitely. And I think that was something that was difficult for me growing up, because I came from a very high-achieving, academic family. I am very lucky that they are extremely supportive of what I do now, but growing up, I definitely felt like the black sheep. Like I didn’t fit in with my sister and my extended family. Why can’t I just be normal?

Being able to realize that all the stuff I was most passionate about actually could become a career for me, that was huge. Rather than feeling like, What the hell am I going to do with my life? I don’t know how to make a normal job out of the things I’m actually good at. You know what I mean? I think a lot of creative people struggle with those feelings when they’re growing up.

I feel very lucky that I encountered something so early in life that ended up being my passion and that I’ve been able to make a career out of it now. I think that’s a lucky thing.

You’re quite literally living the dream because you followed your true essence, and that’s what created this.

Yeah and even though it was something I sort of fell into at the time, when I started doing it, I wasn’t thinking, Oh, this is going to be my job, this is going to be my vocation, my life’s work. I was just like, Oh, this feels good. For the first time, I’m in a place where I feel like I belong.

But then it turned into something much bigger than that. I did end up going to art college. I got a degree in graphic design, because I thought, Okay, well, I need to get a normal job at some point. And, you know, now the only graphic design I do is for my website and the flyers for the show I’m producing. So, that’s useful. But I’m also happy I didn’t have to just become a graphic designer, because that’s not a fun career for someone like me.

I don’t think so—no. You fell into exactly what you needed to.

I think so too and I feel very lucky. But I also feel accomplished. I’m glad I made that happen too.

Presently, what keeps you inspired?

I think inspiration comes from all kinds of different places for all creative people. A lot of things that inspire me are colors and textures I see in the natural world: the textures of flowers, the way insects and reptiles look. Really, anything. I often get an idea for a new number based on a piece of music I hear, because it will have a particular vibe or character to it that I connect with and that I want to explore. And then, you know, there’s all of the other performers out there creating their own work. I think a lot of people complain about burlesque being oversaturated. Drag being oversaturated, and I get that. But I also think, kind of compared to what life was like when I started doing burlesque, when, basically, we only just got the internet, I didn’t have a smartphone. If you wanted to find things that inspired you, you had to go to the fucking library. You had to go to the video store and rent The Rocky Horror Picture Show. I think it’s amazing that all of this stuff is just exploding all over the world, and that we can see it online every single day.

So I think there are two sides to that oversaturation thing. I think, yes, it can make the experience of being a performer, and certainly being a full-time performer, more challenging because there are so many people out there who are hungry, who are trying to make it happen. There are people performing for super low rates and performing for free. That’s a whole other discussion, which obviously is a big issue for a lot of people. But overall, I think it’s kind of a wonderful thing that the art form that I love has expanded and inspired so many people, and that so many people can get joy from it. And, yeah, I love seeing other people’s interpretations of what burlesque is, what it can be. And that’s kind of an endlessly inspiring thing.

Yeah, absolutely. There’s a huge variety.

That was always the most fascinating and magical thing about it to me as an art form, when I first encountered it. How personal it is and how unendingly varied. Every person has a different take on it. Every person has a different personality and identity that they can express through it if they want to. It can never be boring because of that.

Absolutely. With that let’s talk about Reverie then, which is your new production. I’m curious, what inspired it, and what do you hope the audience feels when they hear the name?

Well, the name means a dream. It’s kind of like a waking dream. Being lost in a reverie is kind of like a daydream. Being lost in a magical, whimsical idea of something. And I think I love the way the word sounds, and I love the idea of how theater and live performance can transport people to a different place.

I think everyone who loves theater, everyone who loves live performance, remembers the performances that they’ve seen that have transported them somewhere else. You never forget that kind of magical feeling of being taken to a different world by the performers you’re watching. And I certainly hope that there can be a little element of that for the people who come to it.

Going back to what I was saying about The Whoopee Club, which was the first burlesque club I went to, I love the idea of creating an immersive space where the venue is as much a part of the experience as the show. And the Cicada is such a beautiful space. It’s a historically listed building and an original Art Deco space. There are so few of those that have survived. Getting to be enveloped in that while also experiencing a magical show, I think it’s going to be really special. Another major influence, performance-wise and show-wise, would be Punchdrunk shows like Sleep No More. They did a show in London a while back called The Drowned Man as well, which was beautiful. I don’t know how much of that influence is going to be evident in this first show, because obviously this is my first venture, and I can’t have a giant cast of people. Which would require immersive performers all over the place doing pop-up performances all night. I wish I could because that would be amazing. Maybe I can work towards that in the future.

But I certainly love the idea of doing a beautiful, opulent show with amazing performers in a really, really beautiful space, because I think that’s something you just don’t often get to see. It’s really hard to book big, beautiful spaces for burlesque shows, because no one has the budget. And I don’t really have the budget either, but I’m figuring it out. I really hope that people will come out and experience it, and that maybe I’ll get to do some more of them.

Why specifically the theme of a 1920s–30s dark cabaret?

Well, one of the main reasons is the aesthetic of the space itself. And going back to that idea of creating something immersive for people—it’s a 1920s building. It was built in 1928 and it's listed in the National Register of Historic Places as well as designated as a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument. It’s an original Art Deco space. There are parts of it that have been restored a little, but it’s essentially incredibly well-surviving.

So I love the idea of having a show there that was stylistically complementary to that. And I personally love the aesthetic of the ’20s and ’30s. It’s something that I think a lot of people recognize and think is beautiful, but that you don’t often see done well in shows, if you know what I mean. Like, there are a lot of Gatsby-themed events and stuff, which is great—you know, those can be super fun—but it’s quite a limited take on that style. So I kind of wanted to explore it further.

Also, just from a kind of social-political view, where we are in the world right now and where the world was in the ’20s and ’30s, there are some pretty disturbing parallels that can be drawn. I believe, in a more positive way, the ’20s in particular were a very liberating time for women, for a lot of marginalized people, who got to explore nightlife and come out of themselves in that scenario. I like the idea of exploring that now and creating a space for people to let loose and really enjoy themselves and not feel like they have to think about how shit the world is right now.

Which is why the title Reverie is perfect for that.

Yeah. It’s such a kind of disconnect for me mentally sometimes, to be like, Oh, I want to create an escape for people so we can ignore what’s going on. I don’t want to ignore what’s going on, obviously. I do feel like it’s really, really important to carve out some spaces of joy for ourselves when everything is so terrifying. To try and create a sense of community as well. Which sounds very cliché, but I think a lot of people are feeling very hopeless. A lot of people are feeling very isolated, and the internet can make that a lot worse for people, because we’re just completely overwhelmed with all of the stuff that we’re seeing. The majority of it is really bad. I think I would like to create a little dream space for people to come to and hopefully see something that brings them some joy, brings them some inspiration, and shows them all different types of beauty.

I know you mentioned that one of the difficult things is the budget. That’s a huge thing, for sure. A lot of performers are very underpaid. But aside from the budget, what else does it take behind the scenes to bring a show like this to life?

I mean, I think the biggest thing for me is having a cast that I really love and who I can trust to bring really beautiful performances. And I just  feel extremely lucky that everyone I reached out to wanted to be a part of it. So I feel like I have some of my most favorite performers coming in to do this. A couple of them are coming from out of state, which is amazing.

And, yes, I think it’s very easy as a performer to be very control-freaky—and I think all of us are, at least to some degree, because you kind of have to be able to create your own numbers. I think, to produce, you also have to be able to just trust people a bit as well. So, I’m like, Okay, I’ve picked a bunch of my most favorite people. They want to do this, and they’re going to bring something amazing.

I know! I saw the list of performers!

Yeah, you saw the list! Well, I’ve got some more announcements to come as well. I think obviously I’m kind of wrangling them, and I’m telling them what my vision is for the night and for the overall vibe of it. I’m also kind of letting them run with it and do their thing with it because I think that’s what makes shows really interesting, when there’s something collaborative.

Aside from that, I’m trying to handle the promotional side of things: creating the promotional material, figuring out the best way to get the word out other than social media—which, obviously, that’s the first thing we think of—but trying to figure out if there are other ways to do it, which I haven’t considered before. And I’m very happy that I’m getting to talk to you guys. I’m like, Oh, cool. All right, I talked to a magazine.

There are lots of things to do, but hopefully it will all work out. I have lots of costuming to do as well.

I think that’s my favorite part—the costumes. And then looking at them sparkle.

I know! It’s gonna be a magical thing.

I’m very excited for you. So, I noticed that the cast is femme and queer. Is there a reason why that is important to you?

It’s important to me because those are my favorite people. They are the people who have always made me feel welcome and understood and not feel like a freak. I’m married to a man but I’m bi. My husband is bi. I feel like these are my people, and they’re who I want to support. They’re the people who are being marginalized even worse now than they have in previous years. So, yeah, I want to make sure this is a space that celebrates them, and that we can all enjoy together.

1,000%. I watch old movies a lot and whenever I do I look at the actors/actresses and I’m like, I know you were queer. I know you had to be closeted, but I know you were.

Absolutely. And I think, like, you know, a lot of people talk about this, but there’s definitely an issue of vintage-themed events really not being friendly spaces for more liberal or queer people. And, you know, I would like to do what I can to combat that.

Especially events in really beautiful historic places—unfortunately, sometimes some of the clientele are very conservative people who are like, Those were the days. And I’m like, I would really like to create a ’20s–’30s themed event that is not like that at all. So, yeah, that’s definitely been something that’s been a big disappointment for me over my career. Discovering that some of the people who appreciate the same aesthetic that I do don’t share the same values that I do.

That’s something that a lot of us have issues with and have struggled with. So, I want to do whatever I can to help change that.

I completely relate. My burlesque style is very classic, and I love all the avant-garde performances that I get to see. But I’m also a lover of that ’20s/’30s aesthetic. And I do share that disappointment with you.

Well, and I think also following on from that, I think there can be assumptions among members of the burlesque community, particularly people who are more in the kind of neo style of things, that if somebody loves classic performance, they must be one of those people that wishes life was still like it was back then.

And it’s like these things are not mutually exclusive. You can be a classic burlesque performer and not be a fucking conservative person. It’s pretty mind-blowing to me that that’s still kind of a question for some people.

It’s something that I’ve dealt with too, that people make assumptions about me based on my style and the way that I look. That I must be a conservative Republican person or something like that. I can’t control what people’s perceptions are. All I can do is create the work that I want to do. And if producing something and creating a space that expresses something very different from some of these other more conservative vintage events—then that is what I will do.

I’m so here for it. If I lived in LA, I’d be there in a heartbeat.

Yeah, hopefully I will get to do more, and you can come to a future one.

I’m also really hoping that I might be able to bring it to other cities. I love the idea of finding other really beautiful vintage spaces and bringing the show to other cities and I think that could be really awesome.

So I’m kind of doing what I can with this first one to document it as well as I can and get some really good promo material. Then, you know, maybe I’ll see if I can bring it to other places. There are certainly some freaking amazing spaces in New York but it’s so tricky.

I feel like a lot of people just don’t want burlesque in places like that—but maybe I can change their minds.

I think you definitely can. I’m actually kind of curious—was it purely just because of the Cicada that you wanted your first performance to be in downtown LA? Or has downtown LA always been of interest, and it just so happens that the Cicada was there?

A little bit of both. I lived in downtown LA for three years. I think it was just before the pandemic. I lived down there, and I love downtown LA. It kind of gets a bad rep. There’s a lot about it which is kind of seedy and sketchy. There are a lot of really obnoxious nightclubs, a lot of gross finance bros, and influencers who hang out there. It’s not all good but there’s some really amazing history to it as well.

All of the oldest theaters in LA, on Broadway, are in downtown LA. Most of them got turned into movie palaces, but they were originally Vaudeville theaters. They had burlesque shows there. They’re just these beautiful spaces. A lot of them have been used in movies. So they have this kind of magical history of theater and cinema. There’s incredible architecture down there. There’s tons of amazing, beautiful Art Deco architecture in downtown. So it’s just a very kind of varied, magical, historical place.

And yes, the Cicada Club happens to be downtown, and I managed to get a meeting with them to talk about doing this, and they were interested. It kind of just fell into place.

This being your first show, your first production would you like to get into a little bit of why you chose your cast?

I think it’s a combination of people having amazing stage presence, wonderful acts, and great costuming. Great costuming is very important to me. A lot of people think, Oh, people hide behind great costumes. They only have great costumes if they’re not good performers. It’s bullshit. Great costumes are a huge part of what we give our audience and what they take away from the show.

Yes, costumes are important. They’re not for us—they’re for the audience. And people who don’t invest in costumes, that’s fine if they don’t want to do that—but don’t hate on people who do, you know?

I agree. That’s so hard.

It’s so crazy to me. This, like, reverse snobbery thing. Like, Oh, fuck you if you’ve got a fancy costume. It’s like, you know, who really, really likes it is the audience.

Yes, that’s part of the fantasy. That’s part of taking the audience out of normal day-to-day life—at least that was it for me.

Exactly. And it’s a big part of what makes it magical for them, and what they take away from it, what they remember, yes. So yes—those things are very important. Equally important are people who are just really nice to work with, who are delightful backstage, and who don’t create drama, act like they’re more important than anyone else, or are unpleasant. Everyone in the cast is a freaking delight. I’m just really, really happy that they want to be there with me.

Well, Miss Miranda, I wish this a success. I wish you and the whole cast to pop a pastie! 

My final question is: where can people follow you and stay up to date on your future productions?

Instagram is probably the best place. I have very mixed feelings about Instagram in general as a platform, but unfortunately it is the biggest reach that I have, so I kind of have to use it to promote stuff. That’s kind of the place that I will update the most with information. My profile is @missmiranda. Reverie is @reveriecabaret. That’s where all of the updates will be.

Catch Miss Miranda’s debut burlesque show production, Reverie, on September 13th at the Cicada Club in DTLA.

Reserve your table here: https://resy.com/cities/los-angeles-ca/search?date=2025-09-13&seats=2&query=Cicada%20Restaurant

Get The GAUCHE Issue