On Sunday, September 21st, performer and producer Stephanie Griffiths—AKA Miss Angie—transformed Philadelphia’s historic tall ship Gazela Primeiro into a floating playground of sequins, sass, and sea spray. Her latest installment of Burlesque Bingo Aboard was anything but your average Sunday matinee. Sailors, sirens, and plenty of mischievous “buoys” climbed aboard for a cocktail of “nauti”-cal burlesque, cheeky puns, and belly laughs.
From the gangplank, guests were handed bingo cards and markers before being ushered to the main deck. A bold red wooden stage stretched down the center like a runway, flanked by rows of chairs. At the helm sprawled a giant bingo board whose laminated numbers couldn’t quite handle the breeze; the pieces flew off like confetti, turning retrieval into a sport of its own. The ship’s rigging mirrored the dancers’ buckles and straps, while the occasional technical difficulty and wobble of the boat kept everyone a little off balance, figuratively and literally.
Performances unfolded to a soundtrack featuring songs like Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love,” with Miss Angie initially steering through a fussy Bluetooth connection like a captain in choppy waters. Sunglasses were essential, drinks flowed, and the afternoon sunlight lent a deliciously awkward edge to the risqué routines. Who needs midnight shadows when rhinestones glitter brighter at 2 PM?
Between rounds of bingo, Miss Angie and her kitten cohost, Acemerelda Spade, kept the crowd howling. Forget shouting “Bingo!”—players gleefully subbed in lines like “Spank me!” or “I’m close!” Volunteers (and the occasional “volun-told”) were roped into burlesque-flavored games, including musical chairs with a shimmy and a dare to dance your way out of a shoe.
The burlesque acts themselves shimmered with contrast: AshantiDoll’s bubbly flirtations sparkled alongside Raven Nightingale’s slow-burn seduction, the combination like champagne fizz meeting dark rum. The wind joined the party, tugging at skirts and feathers. Passing boats added honks, cheers, and the occasional foghorn to the soundtrack. Every unpredictable hiccup (rogue numbers, stray gusts, surprise shouts from passersby) folded seamlessly into the improvisation.
What began as a novelty bingo party blossomed into a full-bodied spectacle of communal joy. Miss Angie and her siren crew reminded audiences that great theater doesn’t always rely on flawless execution but on inviting audiences into the chaos, laughter, and thrill of the moment. In the end, Burlesque Bingo Aboard didn’t just make waves—it invited everyone on board to ride them.
Miss Angie Goes Nauti: Burlesque Bingo Aboard, Stephanie Griffiths, Gazela Primeiro, Spruce Street Harbor Park, September 21.
