Can You Keep a Secret?

Right now, as we speak, I have been sitting on the biggest secret I have ever kept from everyone. Only a select handful of people know about what I have been up to.

As many of you know, I am an avid vintage fashion enthusiast. I collect pieces from a variety of decades 1970’s and under. I am also a fan of modern fashions from time to time, but nothing currently beats the craftsmanship of the way it used to be…that is unless you are a billionaire.

It isn’t just the silhouettes that I love, it is the notions. I am fascinated by zippers, buttons, and all sorts of other materials. I often use vintage materials when I am creating costumes. That’s just my style.

My grandmother on my mother’s side taught me how to sew. She was a seamstress with her own sewing shop in Benson, Arizona. She made costumes for westerns back in the day. I grew up spending my summers with her, patiently watching her work her magic.

WHERE IS THIS GOING you may ask?

In the future, I plan on having my entire/parts of my fashion archive on display in various museums. Many are catching on about my collection and the care that I take to keep it organized and restored.

WHERE IS THIS GOING again you may ask?

Well…I am waiting on a few things to get finalized in order to share with you something HUGE and monumental for my plans.

Looking for a Showgirl?

Getting booked…let’s talk about it. Getting booked and staying busy can be challenging, but I am sticking with it. I have been “putting myself out there” for the last few days, and I am finding a few bookings here and there. I am about 5 days in from hearing the news about my residency ending due to the Lost Spirits Distillery closure.

The first thing I did was check all of the social media groups for bookings. I grabbed one of my photos and added text that says I am looking for performance opportunities. To be honest I was terrified to do any of this…but you can’t just expect everything to fall into your lap without putting some feelers out there. I messaged some of my previous producers to see what they thought. I met with another gal pal of mine; Bettina May, to discuss the possibilities of what “going on tour” looks like. I am very fortunate to have been exposed to other performers who have experience in touring and booking everything for themselves.

The biggest thing that I have learned so far in all of this is not to be afraid to ask for help. I am usually the person who helps others. I am the friend that is on time. I am the one people can count on for support. I keep safety pins and extra hair pins in my purse for others. I am always prepared. What happens when the roles are reversed. I will admit that within these 5 days I have been a bit out of it. I will be driving and suddenly arrive to my destination without even realizing how I got there in the first place. Even writing this, I am in the mindset of “where the heck is this going Gingy?” I have tried to remain social, but it really is hard right now. I am finding myself very codependent upon the people who are also going through this process of grief for the loss of our circus.

If anyone has any leads or requests for a Showgirl, I am most likely available May and beyond. I make all of my own costumes and gowns for shows. My range is classic to comedic to almost anything I put my mind to. I am currently preparing for a May 4th Star Wars show as Chewbacca. In the meantime, I am throwing myself headfirst into all of my sewing projects. People are also requesting lessons! I have a few more ideas up my sleeves and I am so thankful for everyone who is currently booking me and sending me well wishes. I love you all.

The End of an Era: Lost Spirits

On November 29th, 2021 I went on my first interview for a job in Las Vegas. I did not realize how life-changing this was going to be for me at the time. Hired for my snake puppetry burlesque act, I joined the amazing cast and crew at Lost Spirits Distillery…the circus part of the moniker got added later.

Our stage did not go up and down. All of our aerial was static. We had one main stage, and as cliche as it may sound…a whole lot of dreams. Anything was possible in that space. It was and is a dreamland.

Dubbed the “Willy Wonka of Booze”, Lost Spirits Distillery and Circus has been my home for almost my entire Las Vegas existence. This is where I became “The Everlasting Jaw-Dropper”. Nicknamed “the tank” at first because of my ability to perform up to 11 times in a day and waiting for more. “Put Ginger in…she’s the tank”. She’s everlasting.

My love for the circus was completely satisfied there, and I do not know where I will ever find anything that can match it. The artwork was phenomenal. The vibes were immaculate. The people were EVERYTHING! In its heyday, Lost Spirits decided to throw in 4 main burlesque performers with a full cast of Cirque du Soleil level artists, magicians, snakes, and a beautiful bellydancer named Sabrina. The variety truly made us into a modern Vaudeville show.

Taking a chance on the amount of burlesque that we did in that space was unheard of. At the maximum amount, we had 6 performers. Bettina May, Cervena Fox, Frankie Fictitious, Ginger Watson, Michelle L’amour, and Sgt. Die Wies. We had full dressing rooms with lights around our mirror. Beautiful, deep green walls. Momentos plastered to the walls. Racks to hang our costumes. We had an entire room dedicated to warm drinks and snacks for everyone. They provided dinner every single day and occasionally extra treats. We had privacy. We had places dedicated to stretching. We had stage hands who became our kittens…never dropping a piece on the ground. They would escort us back to our dressing rooms after performances. We got to do OUR ACTS! Sure they were tweaked here and there…but sometimes we needed it for the space. I was personally able to have 4 of my very own acts thrown into the show rotation with even more to come. It was wild to say the least.

Lost Spirits will take its final bow on April 29th, 2024. The news came as a shock to all of us. Nothing lasts for ever, but according to the tech team rumor has it that future time travelers may find me covered in dust as the last one standing on the original stage, waiting for you to “let me entertain you” in years to come.

I will never forget the wonderful times or the challenging times within those walls. My literal blood, sweat, and tears are all over that place. Our entertainment manager, Andre Escamilla could be found tweezing chunks of wood from my kneecaps in the early days. “Ginger…you’re bleeding!” I never felt it…I just felt thankful to be chosen amongst the top performers in my peers. Learning how to toughen up with brutal honesty while being gently adored and supported was exactly what I needed in my life. They pushed me for better or for worse and inspired me to really find my way in the burlesque world.

Please come see us before we are all gone. I currently do not know how to function other than living out my MGM backlot musical lifestyle. I will be needing some time to get back to reality after being “lost” since 2021.