Dancing from a young age, Margo Mayhem is a Broadway darling turned burlesque dancer with an impressive string of accolades to her name. At the Burlesque Hall of Fame Tournament of Tease alone, she has won Best Debut, 1st Runner Up and Most Innovative, as well as Best Small Group with her husband, Samson Night (Miss Exotic World 2023). Elsewhere she’s triumphed as Monarch of Imperial Burlesque Festival Montreal, Duchess of the Striptease at Teaser Festival New Orleans, Miss Viva Las Vegas 2021, and has three consecutive Burlesque TOP 50 rankings.
Here’s her 21.
1. How would you define yourself in three words?
Ambitious, smart, muppety.
2. Who would play you in a movie about your life?
Jennifer Tilly, obviously.
3. What is your biggest strength?
My tenacity.
4. What is your biggest weakness?
Perfectionism!
5. When are you most happy and inspired?
When I’m busy and working, or when I’m with my husband, Samson Night. Preferably both!
6. What is your favourite on-screen burlesque moment from film or TV?
Okay it’s not technically meant to be a burlesque moment but it totally is. The scene in Bye Bye Birdie when Ann-Margret is singing How Lovely to Be a Woman and she changes from her girly clothes into tomboy ones. This movie was very instrumental in my childhood.
7. What’s the best piece of advice you’ve received?
BE NICE. You don’t have to like or be friends with everyone, but leading with kindness goes a long way.
8. If you could switch lives with one person for a day, who would it be?
Samson Night! I’m obsessed with him, obviously, and I think it would be fun running around as him and seeing his life from another side. But if we’re talking people I don’t know? Definitely Ava Gardner. She was an old school broad and lived and loved exactly how she felt like it.
9. What’s the biggest myth or misconception about burlesque?
That it has to be all serious glamour and rhinestones. Some of my favorite acts don’t involve any of those things. Or they involve one and not the others. There are millions of ways to do burlesque, and I love seeing the unique ways people create the art of the tease, because that’s what it’s actually about. I love seeing comedic classic acts, and weird performance art stuff, and and and. I love seeing burlesque artists be the most unique version of themselves. You don’t need to be a sparkle pony to be good.
10. If you could only perform to one song for the rest of your life, what would it be?
The Little Milton version of Can’t Quit You. It’s like eight minutes long and has lots of delicious musical accents. I love it.
11. What surprisingly useful things do you have in your show case?
Oh gosh, I’m a chaos demon. I almost never have anything with me except pastie tape, lipstick, and a prayer.
12. Do you have a backstage ritual?
Not even a little. But I do really like watching as much of the show as possible.
13. What advice would you give to new performers starting out today?
Other than be nice? Do your homework! We have access to so much history and information now, and it’s so helpful to know about the incredible babes who came before you. Burlesque Hall of Fame has a whole Vimeo account where you can watch every showcase from the last fifteen years or so – even the legends! It’s an invaluable resource.
14. What is your proudest achievement?
Honestly, marrying Samson Night. Before I met him, I didn’t know if I even wanted to get married because I had never met anyone who made me feel like I could be all the versions of myself. But when I met him, everything just fell into place. The day of our wedding was one of the best days of my life. He’s an incredible partner in so many ways.
15. What is your biggest regret?
I don’t really function in regrets. Everything I’ve done has led me to where I am, so I would do it all again. If I made ‘better’ choices, or did things differently to make my life ‘easier’, I wouldn’t be me now. And I love the life I’ve carved out for myself.
16. What is the biggest challenge facing today’s burlesque scene?
The various -isms that are disguised as hot takes or personal preferences. People really love to say who should or shouldn’t be allowed to perform in burlesque spaces, but they disguise it by calling it aesthetic preference, or a talent issue, or ‘just asking questions’. Just because it’s not your cup of tea doesn’t mean it’s bad or shouldn’t exist. I want burlesque to be Queer, Fat, Black, Brown, Male, Female, Non-binary, Trans, Gender non-conforming, Disabled, etc. Too much of any one thing is boring! All should be welcome. YOUR ART IS VALID AND IMPORTANT.
17. If you could go back and tell yourself one thing when you started out in burlesque, what would it be?
Do the weird things. Do them now. Don’t wait for the perfect time.
18. What is a cause or issue that’s very important to you?
Making sure minority voices are heard and listened to, as well as leading with kindness.
19. What are you currently reading, watching, and listening to?
I’m usually reading several books at a time (I listen to audiobooks when I sew), so right now I’m listening to the Black Witch Chronicles and I’m reading Sky Full of Elephants in regular book form. Sam and I are also making our way through Severance.
20. If you could share a dressing room with one performer for the rest of your career, who would it be?
Surprising no one, Samson Night. But if he’s not available, I’ll take Switch the Boi. Respectfully.
21. What would you like your life and career to look like in 10 years time?
I really want to figure out how to not hate producing! I love paying my friends so I’d like to figure out that gap. But in terms of performing, I want to keep evolving. One of the things I love about performing careers is that you’re never ‘done’. There are always more things to learn, ways to get better, etc. So I want to keep pushing the envelope and finding more ways to think outside the burly box.
Follow Margo Mayhem on Instagram and visit her website. Her next Femmes Fatale show is on June 18th. Margo would also urge you to check out www.lookingglassgems.com because she loves their stones so much!