Who She Is: Perhaps you've heard about Kiki's Sordid Sideshow, and perhaps not. Possibly you did and you heard that clowns were involved and you quite reasonably went scurrying in the other direction. That is a perfectly understandable response.
The truth is that Kiki Maroon is the mastermind and driving force behind the show's circus-themed burlesque spectacle. She herself performs in the shows as a peeler in clown make-up, but she also directs, produces, and hosts every single performance. This involves coordinating traveling acts from all over the country, and making sure that all the activities go off without a hitch. She keeps the belly-dancing unicorns, the zombie comedians, the pole-dancing monkeys, and lion tamer dominatrices all in line offering an unforgettable night out.
Maroon grew up adoring the circus, and likes to take the whole thing to a more adult and Day Glo level. She set out to create an adult playground that offers the same wonder and shine as a big top. It's been a long road to the massive, audience participation institution it's become. Maroon sweet-talked the owner of Boheme into letting her build a stage and run her first night of circus burlesque nothing but a few sheets of plywood, cinder blocks, and a flashlight as a spotlight. Now, it's a massive naughty juggernaut.
Why She Likes It: "Being the 'stripping clown' is amazing. It gives me free rein to do anything on stage. Every act I've done has started off as 'Oh my God, it'd be so ridiculous if I ....' And then I do it. A lot of burlesque performers start off with a song they like, but I tend to start with a concept and just let my train of thought derail into crazy town. My very favorite act started off as 'Oh my God! I want to be a stripping cow so I can have udder pasties! But why would a cow be stripping?... Oh! I stepped in poop and found some 'shrooms! And I can have lasers. And fog. And strobe lights. And dance to "Are You Experienced." And when I'm done, someone can pass out moon pies with stickers on them that say "KiKi's Home Made Cow Patty!"' People will like that, right?
And the best part is, it's my show, so no one can veto my ideas!"