Jetsetting With Burlesque Performer Melody Sweets
A lover of the arts, burlesque performer Melody Sweets currently stars as the Green Fairy in the hit Las Vegas show “Absinthe” at Caesars Palace. The “Shimmering Chanteuse” has had the honor of performing for and collaborating with such acclaimed artists as Sting, Alice Copper, and Marc Jacobs and has graced the pages of countless magazines and publications, including renowned photographer and author Henry Horenstein’s new book, “SHOW.” Sweets’ adventurous personality is not just limited to the stage but influences her travels, as well.
Q: What type of traveler are you? (i.e., adventurer, cultural explorer, free spirit, rejuvenator, spa aficionado, etc.)
A: I’m a free-spirited, foodie, adventurer!
Q: What types of activities do you like to do on your travels? Do you look for a place where it’s quiet and you can relax, or someplace that has great activities or nightlife?
A: I try to eat my way through any country I travel to. There’s no better way to experience a new culture than through its food. I also try not to give myself too much of a set schedule of things to do. I let it flow, meet the locals, and see what/where are their favorite things to do or go, to get as real experience with that culture as possible.
Q: When thinking about where you will travel to next, what inspires you to make a decision? And what, if any, research do you do about that destination?
A: The first thing I always try to do is to find somewhere in the world I haven’t been before. I definitely love a good culture shock. It changes your perception of yourself and the world around you every time. I wish more people did the same.
Q: What is the most memorable trip you’ve taken and why?
A: That’s a tough question! I would say my first trip to Italy. I hitchhiked through the country for about a month. I had a plane ticket to Rome and a month later I had a plane ticket home; nothing else was planned. It. Was. Phenomenal. I was able to visit the street in Calabria where my family is from, which was priceless. Such a beautiful country!
Q: What is the best food find you’ve ever found on a trip?
A: There’s this little gelato house called Vivoli in Via Dell’Isola delle Stinche in Florence. I ate there every day—twice a day—until I tried every flavor. Delicious!
Q: What, if anything, do you always take with you when you travel?
A: I pack light, taking only the necessities: map, travel book … and shoes, lots of them.
Q: What’s your best piece of travel advice?
A: Be open to new experiences and different ways of life. Your way isn’t always the right way. Oh … and have fun!
Q: Is there a destination where you can’t imagine not returning?
A: It’s a tie between Cinque Terre, Italy and Maui.
Q: Where are your favorite weekend getaways?
A: Anywhere I can get to and make it back to the stage in time!
Q: Where would you like to travel to next?
A: Paris in April, as recommended by some of my all-time favorite singers: Billie Holiday, Dean Martin, Nina Simone, Frank Sinatra…. The list goes on and on.
Q: Tell us about your upcoming project(s)?
A: I’ve just released my debut album titled “Burlesque in the Black.” Very exciting! It’s available on my website, on Itunes, and through most online retailers. And, to compliment the album, I will be traveling to and staying at a place called the Grand Canyon Ranch Resort, along with some of the cast of Absinthe to shoot my newest music video for a song on the album called “Shoot ‘Em Up.”
Watch out boys!
Melody Sweets’ Bio:
A lead performer in the Caesars Palace show “Absinthe,” Melody Sweets is also credited as the first performer in the history of burlesque to have produced, written, and starred in her own music video for her song, “Slice of Heaven,” which is featured in the Las Vegas show. Sweets’ music has also been used on MTV, VH1, A&E, and National Geographic on shows such as “Celebrity Fit Club” and “PUNK’D.” She has appeared on the pages of publications including New York Magazine, Village Voice, Blackbook Magazine, Paper Magazine, Daily News, and Penthouse Forum and on the cover of the Sunday Styles in the New York Times. Her portrait hangs in museums nationwide, including at the Harvard Art Museum in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in Washington, DC.
Follow Sweets on Facebook, Twitter, and on YouTube.
