Tragedy at Hotel San Juan

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Music! Burlesque! History! Tragedy? 

The Blacklist Babes bring you a new chapter of Orlando’s past, this time focusing on the downtown landmark you’ve likely never heard of: Hotel San Juan. This original live band, burlesque musical will introduce you to the weird, queer, scandalous, and sometimes tragic, but never boring, history of Orlando’s near-forgotten downtown staple: the Hotel San Juan!

If you saw the original City Beautiful, get ready for a whole new story but this time we’re taking you deep within the haunted walls of Hotel San Juan. The Blacklist Babes are back to sing and burlesque with our live band. You’ll see some familiar faces and some new Babes! We’ve got all new songs and facts all inspired by the history of the City Beautiful. We’ll be in the Green Venue for 5 nights, come see why we were awarded Favorite Musical Score, Patron’s Pick, the Clean Sweep Award, and one of our favorite titles…the Asstastic Award! 

“A City Beautiful Story: Tragedy at Hotel San Juan,” as you might have guessed, serves as a sequel of sorts to last year’s burlesque musical, “A City Beautiful” which won the Watermark WAVE’s “Favorite Local Theatrical Show” of 2023 as well as the Fringe Festival’s “Best Original Score,” Patron’s Pick Green Venue 2023, the “Clean Sweep” award in both 2022 and 2023, and even Fringe’s “Asstastic” award at FestN4. 

“A City Beautiful Story: Tragedy at Hotel San Juan” was created by Marisa Quijano-Sirois, the book was written by David J. Sirois, it was produced by Cheesy Pizza Productions, and it stars the Blacklist Babes Cabaret–Orlando’s first and only live band, all-singing cast of burlesque performers. Music was composed by Justin J. Scarlat, Marisa Quijano-Sirois, and Paul C. Tugwell. Lyrics by Marisa Quijano-Sirois.

Song List

1. Tragedies at the Hotel San Juan 
2. Yo A Hoe (1568)
3. Three More Henrys (1886)
4. Thirteen Lives of Lena Clarke (1921)
5. Human Fly (1923)
6. A Dance with Delores (1938)
7. Disco En Fuego (1979)
8. Southern Belle Radio Wrap Up
9. Hasta Mañana San Juan (1980)

Cast

Crew

Produced by

“A City Beautiful Story: Tragedy at Hotel San Juan” is brought to you by the Blacklist Babes Cabaret and Cheesy Pizza Productions.

The Blacklist Babes Cabaret was founded in 2015 by Marisa Quijano-Sirois (Risa Risque) and Justin J. Scarlat (Bartholomew Bottoms). They brought in their band director, Paul C. Tugwell (Professor Tuggles), to give birth to Orlando’s first and only live band burlesque cabaret with an all-singing cast. The Blacklist Babes Cabaret specializes in creating shows that tease and satisfy your eyes, ears, and, hopefully, mind.

Cheesy Pizza Productions was founded in 2022 by Marisa Quijano-Sirois and David J. Sirois to help unify their creative efforts. The name comes from her various attempts to woo his vegetarian heart with his favorite bachelor dish–it worked! Cheesy Pizza Productions combines both of their talents to write, edit, design, and produce scripts, music, art, and shows.

Meet the Babes

Marisa Quijano-Sirois

as Risa Risque

Marisa has been Fringing for over a decade, starting with "Redlight: Bad Girls of Broadway" and then "Key of E" where she won Best Female Performer. When not acting, she’s burlesquing with the troupe she helped create, the Blacklist Babes Cabaret. Theater folks might recognize her from “Winnie’s Rock Cauldron” as Mary Sanderson, “Little Shop of Horrors” as Chiffon at Athens theater, or last year’s “A City Beautiful, an Original Live Band Burlesque Musical.” Speaking of burlesque, you might also recognize her alter-ego, Risa Risque, from the Graveyard Cabaret at SpookEasy Lounge in Tampa, Chicks in the Sticks at Sawmill, Comedy Queen Brunch at Jack & Honey’s, SIRotic Striptease, or one of her various guest performances at Coresets & Cuties, Ms. Brown’s Colors of Burlesque, Orlando Gay Chorus’s Uncut Cabaret, or maybe even as a weekly karaoke host at Ivanhoe 1915.

Gabriel Quijano

as Henry the Historian

Gabriel Quijano is thrilled to be returning to the Orlando Fringe Festival! Gabriel is a 2021 graduate of Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida, with a Bachelor of Arts in Music, focusing on vocal performance and conducting. Previously, he was seen making history with the Blacklist Babes as Henry the Historian in The City Beautiful: a Live Band Burlesque Musical for the 2022 and 2023 Orlando Fringe Festival, as well as FESTN4 2024. Recent roles also include a Protean in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (Athens Theatre), Ensemble in The Full Monty (Theatre West End), and Brick in Jimmy Buffet’s Escape to Margaritaville (Athens Theatre). Gabriel gives infinite thanks to his friends and family for their endless love and support, and special thanks to the cast and crew of Tragedy at the Hotel San Juan for this unforgettable experience!

Myster Carter

as Enrico

Myster Carter started to flourish more as an entertainer and reached new heights when he tried putting on his first pair of heels to compete and win in Blue LaLa’s amateur burlesque at The Venue. He continues to evolve as a singer and model, while still staying true to his burlesque routes with Blue Lala and VarieTease.

Daniel Martinez

as Hank E. Panky

DANIEL MARTINEZ (Hank E. Panky) is so excited to be back with the Blacklist Babes! Fringe: THE CITY BEAUTIFUL PT. 1, THE GAY 90s MUSICAL, SELLING OUT, WASTELAND (Mogs), SINGALONG CABARET A GO-GO, and MARIAN: LOST IN FICTION. Regional: LUCHADORA (Orlando Family Stage), SWEENEY TODD (New Gen), GRUESOME PLAYGROUND INJURIES (Ensemble Co.), WEST SIDE STORY (TWE and Orlando Shakes), and HELLO DOLLY (Bay Street Players). Daniel mostly works at Universal Orlando as a puppeteer and as an improviser for American Immersion Theatre. He is also a stand-up comedian, having performed across Central Florida and at Pensacola’s P3 Comedy Fest. Daniel would like to thank Risa and Justin for trusting him, the cast and band for all of their hard work, Orlando Fringe for their accessibility towards artists and audiences alike, and patrons like yourselves for supporting live theatre!

Rebecca Krainik

as Paloma

Rebecca has performed all over the world from Royal Carribean Cruise Ships to Off-Broadway Productions. Some credits include Marcy in Dogfight at The Eagle Theater and Lucy in Jekyll and Hyde at the Axelrod Performing Arts Center. Rebecca can also seen on Law & Order SVU as Charlotte, The History Chanel, and various independent films on Hulu. Rebecca is currently performing here in Orlando and loving it! TikTok & Instagram: @rjanetk

Mae B. Smitten

as Mourna

Born and raised in the sunshine state, Mae B. Smitten is not a stranger to soaking in that vitamin D. (Wink) She is an award winning comedic international actor; and a part of the multi-award winning, premier live singing, and live band burlesque the Blacklist Babes Cabaret. Inspired by Sour Patch Kids, Mae B. is known for her creative, sweet, and chaotic nature. When Mae isn’t taking off hats she is putting on many others: a published underwater model, singer, dancer, creative nucleus , and cat enthusiast. Stressed, blessed, and coffee obsessed--come find out why she is checking in to the Hotel San Juan.

Savannah Swafford

as BB

Savannah is excited to be back at Orlando Fringe, and performing with the Blacklist Babes for the first time! A former Disney and Disney Live performer, you last saw her at 2017 Fringe in Wanzie’s Monorail Inferno. “Thank you to Kai for helping me bring choreography and vision to the stage, and big thanks to Risa and Justin for your trust and support.”

Marisa Quijano-Sirois

Director, Composer, Lyrics

You already heard about Marisa in the cast group above, so she would like to take this space to acknowledge and thank all the talent, hard work, and dedication of each and every one of this cast and crew. And also to give her neverending gratitude to all those that supported her and the Blacklist Babes Cabaret through the years.

Justin J. Scarlat

Music Director, Composer, Piano

Justin J. Scarlat is our tireless music director that always keeps everyone on key, even when he's playing the keys. He has been a Fringe regualr for over a decade and has been a Fringe fan for even longer. Fringe folks know him from "Redlight: The Bad Girls Of Broadway," "Annie Todd: The Demon Orphan Of Fleet Street," In the Gloaming," "Psychotherapy: The Musical," "Doro and Diega Explore Middle Class America," "Selling Out The Musical," and, of course, "The City Beautiful!" He's helped win six Patron's Picked shows so far, and has no intention of stopping.

Paul C. Tugwell

Composer, Sound Engineer, Guitar

Paul C. Tugwell has played, composed, and/or mixed music for all kinds of Fringe shows, including "The Mud Flapper Variety Hour," "All Shook Up: A Rockabilly Musical," "Lay, Ms," "Death Face," "Selling Out," and the original "The City Beautiful." Not to mention countless shows with the Blacklist Babes Cabaret as "Professor Tuggles" and more recently as "Daddy Paul."

David J. Sirois

Book Writer and Research

David J. Sirois had so much fun researching for the original City Beautiful that he had a whole second show's worth of notes. Luckily, the music team was more than ready to get to work on a City Beautiful sequel! This will be the sixth script he’s written with the Blacklist Babes and his second Fringe script with Cheesy Pizza Productions. When he’s not putting words in beautiful people’s mouths (he insisted on wording it that way) he makes tracks for drag queens, makes posters for random events, and plays games for the gaming podcast, This American Dice. In his down time, he’s usually watching Risa Risque dance and/or sing around their house in various states of undress. It’s hard being a burlesque husband.

Savannah Swafford

Choreography

Myster Carter

Directing Assistant

Gabriel Quijano

Directing Assistant

Joshua Goldstein

Scenic Design and Painter

Julian Rodriguez

Props

Gabby Brown

Sensitivity Reader

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