Absurdity. Extravagance. Vogue. Mystique. Physique.
These are the shared elements that make up the seemingly incongruous pairing of lucha libre and burlesque that native firm Lucha VaVoom de La Liz has provided the general public for over 20 years at Downtown L.A.’s the Mayan theater.
That run will come to an finish at 8 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 22, with VaVoom’s “The Good, the Dangerous and the Fabulous” showcase. Whereas the cadre of expertise at VaVoom is right here to remain, the Mayan is completely closing its doorways on the finish of September after 35 years below its present administration.
The 98-year-old venue’s shuttering was introduced in a social media publish in July. Its president, Sammy Chao, shared a press release with The Occasions about its closing.
“[T]he previous 5 years have delivered an unrelenting barrage of adversity,” wrote Chao. “We’ve carried out every little thing attainable to remain afloat, adapt and serve, however the path ahead has been eroded past recognition. Now we have given this enterprise every little thing we now have — and extra — and are available this far, so the choice to shut will not be a lot one among defeat, however of necessity and reality.”
However fear not, lucha lovers: Lucha VaVoom is decided to ship the DTLA staple out with a bang.
“Bodily, I’m making ready extra as a result of I acquired stress since I’m the one on the poster. I gotta seem like the [cartoonishly muscular] man that’s on there,” stated longtime VaVoom luchador Magno (actual title Oscar Vasquez), who is among the major performers at Friday’s extravaganza.
“Mentally, it’s laborious although, as a result of I’ve been [with VaVoom] for like 21 years now… I began with them after I was 19 and now I’m 41,” Magno stated. “It’s gonna be a troublesome one, particularly as a result of all the sentiments, all of the occasions that I’ve been there. To me it’s very particular.”
Having initially labored with WWE, Magno left the televised spectacle and was instantly contacted by VaVoom proprietor Liz Fairbairn, who acquired him again within the ring as quickly as she might.
“It’s bittersweet. We’ve had such an in depth relationship with the Mayan and the proprietor Sammy and all people has grow to be household,” Fairbairn stated of her group’s partnership with the downtown theater. “Folks change and are available and go over 23 years, however Sammy has been a relentless. I truthfully couldn’t see us nonetheless being right here if it wasn’t for Sammy. He’s been very nurturing and supportive of us.”
(Picture from Lucha VaVoom de La Liz)
Fairbairn famous that there’s a particular video within the works for Friday’s efficiency and that the roster of performers is bigger than traditional for this final go. She’s additionally in-built time for everybody to “shed a tear and share a hug” by holding the occasion working till 1:30 a.m.
The present’s “The Good, the Dangerous and the Fabulous” theme was impressed by Beyonce’s y’all-ed up album, “Cowboy Carter.” It contains the western-themed tagline, “Saddle up! Get your hat and boots able to expertise the perfect present ever.” Serendipitously, the Friday occasion works as a becoming final rodeo for VaVoom on the Mayan.
The efficiency’s bonus burlesque element provides a novel contact to the typical wrestling occasion and offers for a distinct crowd expertise for all concerned. (Attendees have to be over the age of 21.)
Ruby Champagne (actual title Laura Avina) first caught wind of the Mayan within the late ‘90s and early 2000s, as she loved salsa dancing on the venue nearly each week. It wasn’t till 2010 that she joined VaVoom as a hoop woman earlier than finally moving into the function of burlesque dancer — an artwork type that she’s studied for 19 years.
“I prefer to suppose that I’m presenting not simply traditional burlesque, but additionally a bit little bit of a Latin aptitude,” says Champagne. “I often have a tendency to incorporate [that] in most of my performances, however extra so for Lucha VaVoom because it’s with Mexican wrestling, and my tagline is ‘Mexican spitfire of burlesque,’ so I prefer to painting that each likelihood.”
Other than her first burlesque efficiency with VaVoom, one among Champagne’s most memorable moments on the Mayan got here final yr.
“In 2024, I acquired to be a go-go dancer for DJ Irene’s celebration on the Mayan,” Champagne recalled. “I felt like that was full circle for me as a result of I had gone to the Mayan for home music as nicely. I had been a fan of DJ Irene because the ‘90s. [I] was like, ‘Oh my gosh!’”
Reflecting on the gravity of 1 closing sold-out present on the Mayan, Magno acknowledged there will probably be “laborious emotions there in a great way,” whereas Fairbairn stated that VaVoom won’t ever really go away the Mayan.
“We’ll at all times have part of the Mayan in us,” she stated. “Truthfully, the Mayan is so built-in with Lucha VaVoom, there’s no manner we received’t carry it round with us. So many reminiscences. Twenty-three years of fantastic reminiscences.”
