BRAVA: A TITILLATING HISTORY OF BRAS premieres Thursday, May 14 @ Oriental Theatre

Milwaukee, WI – April 22, 2026 – Producer, writer and director Pam Percy is delighted to announce that her film Brava:A Titillating History of Bras will have its debut screening at Milwaukee’s historic Oriental Theatre on Thursday, May 14. Doors will open at 6 p.m. and the program will begin at 6:30 p.m. with a debut screening of the short film Mary for the Block by Victor DeLorenzo. That screening will be followed by a Brava Style artsy bra fashion show at 7:00 p.m. The world premiere screening of Brava: A Titillating History of Bras will begin at 7:30 p.m.

A fun and informative documentary, Brava: A Titillating History of Brasexplores the fascinating history of bras. Blending animation, music and lyrical verses, Brava takes audiences on a lighthearted journey through the evolution of this iconic garment. When asked why she wanted to create a film about the history of bras, creator Pam Percyresponded, “I never know when a crazy thought will come to mind. But I started thinking of a Cinderella story where the girl leaves her bra instead of a shoe and it blossomed from there.”

In the film, after the main character Bob discovers that his one-night stand has left, leaving only her bra, he embarks on a journey to uncover the history of this essential and complex piece of clothing – the BRA! His adventure takes him back to its origins in ancient Greece, then through the Middle Ages, where the corset made its first appearance and eventually became the dominant undergarment throughout the Victorian era.

Along the way, Bob discovers the many inventors who crafted, refined and transformed the modern bra in the post-Victorian era. He also explores how styles evolved: from the flat-chested flappers of the Roaring Twenties to the fuller, more voluptuous silhouettes of the 1940s, influenced by Hollywood glamour. Bob delves into the billion-dollar bra industry by investigating bullet bras, Wonderbras, Victoria’s Secret bras and training bras. He even examines the urban legend of bra burning. Audience members will get to learn about the evolution of the bra through a unique combination of animation with documentary images.

The narration also blends music and lyrical passages with storytelling. The result is a fun, enlightening and one-of-a-kind film.

Jon Phillips, the film’s editor and animator, described how he created the distinct visual world of Brava: “Early on, Pam and I worked together to establish the puppeted, cut-out style of the characters, which allows for a lot of personality while still letting things be loose and playfully rough. We went back and forth with a few test animations until we found something we were both happy with. I worked on building visual elements while the script was getting finalized and recorded, and once that was ready, it was off to the races! I built and animated everything in After Effects, Blender, Premiere, a bit of traditional animation in Photoshop, some things using physical mediums that I then scanned in – really whatever each situation called for.”

A debut screening of the short film Mary for the Block by noted Milwaukee musician Victor De Lorenzo will kick off the evening at 6:30 p.m. The film examines the memories of a Music Producer who tries to find peace of mind on one square block on the East Side of Milwaukee.

Following the short film screening, audience members will be treated to a colorful runway Brava Style show of 20 original artsy bras hosted by popular Drag Performer Karen Valentine aka KV. KV will be assisted by Jules Laabsfrom Studio D’Angeli. Original bras featured in the fashion show have been created by the Edessa School of Design, Carrie Skoczek, Barbara Rossi, Holly Harnischfeger, Deborah Render, Louise Kempe, along with several additional Milwaukee artists. Althea’s Fine Lingerie on Jefferson Street will also showcase one of their beautiful pieces.

Guests are encouraged to wear their favorite arty bra to the screening.

Other Milwaukee creatives involved in the Brava project include music icon John Sieger, who composed the opening song and performed it along with Robin Pluer and Peter Batchelder, the voice of Bob who also sang and composed the additional songs. Batchelder is a composer, sound designer and audio engineer from Independent Studios. Didier LePlae did the sound editing. Character voices include Victor DeLorenzo, Peter Batchelder, Valerie Glowinski and Robin Pluer.

Tickets to Brava:A Titillating History of Bras are $25 and may be purchased at the website bravathefilm.com. Tickets can also be purchased at the door of the Oriental Theatre on the day of the screening. A special student price of $10 is available online and at the door.

For more information about the film or becoming a sponsor, please contact Pam Percy at Buffalo Stampede Productions, pampercy@aol.com or (414) 315-1115.