The Illumi-Naughtie Occult Burlesque creates one-of-a-kind events that explore the mysterious world of the occult, educating and titillating audiences.

We present cabaret, burlesque, drag, flow arts, and bellydance, incorporating occult traditions and history, folklore, mythology, and initiatory rites to guide audiences to different corners of the occult universe, raising ecstatic energy through the power and passion of our performers.

If you are a lucky audience member, you too may be initiated into the deeper mysteries of the Illumi-Naughtie at the intermission game!

Burlesque inspired by Tarot, Astrology, Alchemy, and Mythology are featured in this celebration of the Spring Equinox! Hermetica by Illumi-Naughtie Occult Burlesque, stimulates the senses while exploring the mysterious & magical!

Produced by ordained Priestess Vivian Meretrix, and hosted by Dr. Jason Winslade (aka Frater Fabulosa) of the PopOcculture podcast, this unique event is like no other!

Our enchanting cast will bewitch & beguile you with the talents of Lilly Rascal, Sally Marvel, Sio Bast, Standing Room Luke, Joona Bae, Dionysia, Vixen Violencia, and of course, the head hottie of the Illumi-Naughtie, Vivian Meretrix!

Please be advised:

The Newport Theater is up a flight of stairs (no elevator) but a private entrance with a railing and seating near a side door/wheel-chair restroom can be arranged with advance notice. Email newporttheater@gmail.com for more information or learn more at newporttheater.com/safety

Doors open 30 minutes prior to the show.

Performers

Lilly Rascal

Lilly Rascal brings her energetic rock and roll burlesque to the international stage and to a dance studio near you. With over 25 years of performance experience in modern dance, jazz, and pointe ballet, along with stage acting, film and voice over work, she strives to create distinctive burlesque that is compelling and powerful. As an educator, Lilly infuses the knowledge gleaned from her body of work into her classes, offered as weekly sessions at The Newport Theater, traveling workshops, bachelorette parties, and private lessons. After cutting her teeth in the musical theater world, Lilly began her burlesque career in 2011, in Minneapolis, Minnesota and now resides in the Windy City, producing Way Out Wednesdays Burly and Drag Show at Way Out Bar and Tassels and Tunes: a Live Band Burly Show at The Owl, when she is not touring and teaching. Lilly has featured at many burlesque festivals including The Ohio Burlesque Festival and The Show Me Burlesque Festival. She is the original rascal without a cause, it's Lilly Rascal! 

Sally Marvel

Sally Marvel is an internationally performing circus-sideshow and burlesque artist. Some of her notable appearances include Hansa Theatersall (Hamburg), Zurich Burlesque Festival where Sally was a headlining artist, Torture Garden (Edinburgh), Halloween Horror Nights (Singapore), touring with Hellzapoppin' Circus Sideshow Revue, and headlining Nasty Burlesque Fest (Italy) this May. 

She is strange, alluring, and death defying! Joining the feminine with the bizarre, Sally curates entrancing yet visceral experiences for her audiences to indulge in. She hopes that witnessing her acts will create an opportunity for audience members to escape the mundane, to question what is possible, and to explore their own minds.

Sio Bast

Introducing the illustrious GothPinupChola, a force known as the professional chingona! For over a decade, this international Latin sensation has captivated audiences across the United States, infusing stages with the vibrant essence of Salvadorian and Mexican culture. As the visionary founder of LatinEsque—an empowering all-Latinx female production company—and Obscura, the enchanting Gothic burlesque show, she has redefined the performance landscape.

Alongside Kombi, SioBast has brought Cathedral, one of Chicago’s most iconic shows, to life, illuminating the stage with their combined brilliance. Speaking of partnerships, 2024 was her third year joining Riot Fest in their burlesque shows, as part of the production team, performer, and host. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg! Beyond burlesque, she proudly serves as Chicago’s head librarian for Courtney Crave's BARE Book Club series, merging theatricality with literary exploration for a truly immersive experience. 

Having collaborated with some of the biggest luminaries in the scene, she’s destined for an incredibly radiant future. Our deity of darkness, a delicate fucking flower, and a goddam ray of  sunshine…SioBast!  

Standing Room Luke

Standing Room Luke is a historian of Chicago drag and burlesque and a burlesque performer. Through his art and public history projects, he hopes to spread awareness of the deeper history of both art forms, as well as to spread values of positive masculinity and vintage style with modern values. "He's a gentleman...and a stripper." It's Standing Room Luke!

Joona Bae

Born in South Korea & raised in Chicago, Joona Bae is an international performance artist who adds a much-needed spoonful of gochujang to the burlesque world. Since their spicy debut in 2023, Joona has performed in over a dozen different burlesque festivals, including Ohio, Panama, and Vancouver International Burlesque Festivals. The winner of "Coolest New Kid" Award at Silver Tusk Burlesque Awards '25, Joona also co-produces Diverse Desires, a cabaret show that highlights BIPOC cultural representation in nightlife.

Get ready for the gochujang of burlesque, JoonaBae!

Dionysia

Dionysia (she/her & they/them) is a burlesque performer and coach, figure model, and show producer from Wisconsin. Dionysia is known for her mesmerizing and exploratory style of burlesque combining improvisation, audience interactions, and expressive storytelling.  She’s been featured across many burlesque communities including Full Moon Crucible in Madison, WI, Hue Revue in Milwaukee, WI, The Newport Theater in Chicago, WI, and was a 2023 Silver Tusk Awards Finalist for the Now Arriving award. Dionysia is a proud non-binary Latina and uses burlesque to normalize female body hair on and off the stage.

Vixen Violencia

They’re a self proclaimed art-heaux, a glitter and Grindhouse enthusiast, a founder of Red Onion Arts Collective and the producer of Mugs N Jugs. They’re the clay jock of your dreams or the gogo girl of your nightmares…ladies and gentlethems welcome to Violencia! 

Vivian Meretrix

Vivian Meretrix, the Sorceress of Shimmy and the Head Hottie from the Illumi-Naughtie, is an Ordained Priestess and Sacred Dancer, who has performed at national occult conferences as well as local Chicago burlesque stages. In 2023, she formed The Illumi-Naughtie Occult Burlesque Review, a show that titillates and educates, combining spiritually-based performances and occult history and ideology.