ST. PETERSBURG, FL — A St. Petersburg comedian is hoping people will commit to the bit when she hosts a burlesque open mic contest inspired by the '90s TV show "Roseanne" on Thursday night at The Ball.
Cat Lim regularly hosts a general open mic on the third Thursday of every month, 8 to 10:30 p.m., at the venue located at 49 24th Street N.
The monthly series features a little bit of everything. Music, comedy and even one time “two girls tested their balance [on stage] to see who had better balance,” Lim told Patch.
And when the open mic acts dwindle as it gets later in the evening, she breaks out the karaoke machine.
“It’s been described as a disco sleepover,” she said. “It’s a lot of fun.”
Now, she’s taking the May open mic to a new level with a “Roseanne” show burlesque theme.
The '90s show, set in Lanford, Illinois, centers on a working-class, blue-collar family.
Lim knows it's not a typical theme for a burlesque show. She unexpectedly came up with the concept while watching a TikTok video about “‘90s butter moms.”
For those who don’t know about the “‘90s butter mom” concept, “it’s the opposite of the ‘almond mom,’" known for restricting their children's diets, she said.
The “butter mom” diet focuses on butter-laden, comfort foods, Lim added.
That video was set to the “Roseanne” theme song, which got the wheels turning in her head.
“When I heard the music by itself, I thought, ‘This sounds like a burlesque song. This sounds sexy AF,’” she said.
Lim posted an Instagram story about the theme song.
“Like, is it just me or does this sound like a burlesque song?” she asked her followers.
Her friends immediately supported her using “Roseanne” burlesque as the theme of her next open mic.
“You gotta do it,” they told her.
“It was one of those situations where I think this is funny, but I also took an edible. But people are getting into the bit," Lim added.
As a comedian, she already “performs the most ridiculous things,” especially at The Ball, where they let her “roam freely with comedy and creativity,” she said.
Just a couple of months ago, she performed a comedy routine as “the concrete butthole,” a reference to “The Sun on the Edge” sculpture by artist Ilan Averbuch, located at the Central Avenue and 11th Street intersection roundabout, that’s often called “a butthole” by locals.
Not only did The Ball encourage Lim to host a “Roseanne”-themed burlesque open mic, the venue also suggested that she turn it into a contest.
“And I was like, ‘Oh my god, the potential,’” she said. “We’re turning it into a real contest.”
So far, there are three confirmed contestants: pole dancer Amber Von Schassen, comedian Natasha Samreny and Will Lorenzo.
“He’ll be taking on the John Goodman character [Dan],” Lim said. “I don’t want to give too much away, but I will tell you: ripaway pants.”
Last-minute entries to the contest are also welcome.
Three guest judges, Jesse Miller, Alex Lavalle and Evelyn Long, will rate contestants across the following 10 categories, each worth one point, to determine the winner:
The top three winners will be awarded during a medal ceremony at the end of the night.
Lim also encourages the audience to get involved.
“Everyone is welcome. We want people to dress up like Roseanne. Get your flannels out; get your denim shirts out; come out and hang out with us and dance to the theme song,” she said.
There’s just one rule, Lim added: “We don’t want anybody acting like real life Roseanne. That behavior is not welcome.”
The show’s namesake and lead, actress and comedian Roseanne Barr, was fired from the sitcom’s reboot in 2018 after she fired off a series of racist tweets, Variety said. Her character was killed off, and the series was rebranded as “The Conners,” which focused on her family.
Lim said that as St. Petersburg grows and changes, events like this continue to bring whimsy to the city.
“I feel like, St. Pete, we can be weirder,” she said. “As a community, we can be way weirder. As a comedian, I feel it is now my mission to bring that weirdness and that silliness to this city. It’s such a special city, and that attracted me as an artist.”
The city has seen significant growth in recent years, with numerous new developments changing the landscape.
“As the city changes, these little pockets of weird, niche humor give the city character. It gives people something to look forward to that’s different,” Lim said.
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