Defiant Silk Festival: AAPI Speakeasy Spectacular

Event Date: May 10, 24-25, 2024

In celebration of AAPI Heritage Month, The Newport Theater hosts its second annual festival of fringe arts from Chicago’s Asian American Pacific Islander community. It’s a jam-packed month of burlesque, belly dance, circus arts, drag, music, cultural dance, and more!

Nominated "Best Performing Arts Festival 2023" by the Chicago Reader."

Friday, May 10 at 7pm

Raks Inferno: An Intimate Circus Speakeasy

Experience an intimate speakeasy featuring modern cirque, bellydance, flow arts, and pole artists who have performed around the world, dazzling and inspiring audiences from Germany to Morocco, Argentina to the Czech Republic. These shows often sell out!

Featuring:
• Dawn Xiana Moon, who has sung the National Anthem for the Chicago Bulls and bellydanced on Britain's Got Talent
• Caity, award-winning pole artist and contortionist who blends circus skills with ballet and contemporary dance
• Lee Na-Moo, winner of the Chicago Oriental Dance Competition and touring cast with Bellydance Evolution and Joel Hall Dancers
• Shalaka Kulkarni, who merges classical Indian dance forms Bharatnatyam and Kathak with contemporary dance
• Camille Leon, nationally-headlining burlesque performer who brings contemporary flow arts

This performance will include collaborations between live musicians and physical performers.

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Friday, May 24 at 7pm

Fire + Dragons

Join an all-star cast of nationally-touring Asian and Pacific Islander performers!

Fire + Dragons brings together drag, traditional music, comedy, and burlesque from some of Chicago's best performers for an explosion of forces rarely seen on the same stage.

Featuring:
• Switch the Boi Wonder, veteran drag king and producer of the drag show Notes on Masculinity
• Prateek Srivastava, who’s appeared on NBC and was a #1 bestseller on both Amazon and iTunes for comedy
• Dawn Xiana Moon, who has sung the National Anthem for the Chicago Bulls and bellydanced on Britain's Got Talent
• Yin He Dance, classical Chinese dancers bridging the east and west
• Jin Kim, artistic director and host of the comedy game show Batsu! Chicago
• Tzu Tsen Wu, Chinese classical musician and ruan player who’s performed throughout Asia and the US

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Saturday, May 25 at 7pm

Newport Peek-Easy

This AAPI takeover of the Newport Theater’s weekly burlesque-focused variety show features both new and veteran performers!

Specialty cocktails, intimate tables, and a true speakeasy feel make this a memorable experience - bring your tipping dollars for an interactive night you'll never forget.

Featuring:
• Ms. B LaRose, international burlesque headliner, "The Biggest Tease" at the 2018 International Latin & Hispanic Burlesque Festival
• Bazuka Joe, co-producer of the Burlesque Hall of Fame’s "Movers Shakers and Innovators"
• Mae the Bellydancer, producer of the Glint and Varietease Cabaret
and more!

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