Shimmy von Braun & Seamus Lacey   Shimmy Von Braun grew up in New York. Her mother was a Vaudeville dancer; her father a post man. Young Shimmy always wanted to be a ballerina, but sadly she was never very good. After one practice, when the teacher had been particularly cruel with her criticisms, Shimmy slinked out of the practice room, just in time to witness Ms. Pearlman fall down a small flight of stairs. Everyone gasped as they looked up from where Ms. Pearlman had taken her tumble to see little Shimmy standing at the top of the stairs with tear stained cheeks.  Now, it has never been proven that Shimmy had anything to do with the teacher’s unfortunate injury, but none the less, Shimmy was asked not to return to the school of ballet. (And don’t worry about Ms. Pearlman – it was only four stairs and she suffered no more that an sprained ankle and bruised pride.) After ballet school, Shimmy still loved to be on stage, so she focused her energy into other forms. She took a liking to acting. She was in many school plays for her high school and even dabbled in singing with the choir. But she remained sensitive and she never liked criticism. At one high school performance of Romeo and Juliet, a particularly surly member of the audience began to heckle the actors on stage. Very calmly Shimmy stepped down off the stage, in her costume, and proceeded to pummel with great vigor the  patron in the twelfth row. Although her fellow thespians thanked her for her heroics, she was once again asked not to return.Shimmy graduated high school and finished very well (perhaps due in part to her teachers being afraid of her...). She then had the opportunity to go to college, but college was not for Shimmy. She still had the itch to be on stage. After several failed attempts at being part of a troupe – her attitude so often got in the way – a former cast member suggested that Shimmy take some anger management classes. To pay for her therapy – and to be able to eat, she took a job with a small-time magician who called himself “Zamboni The Magnificent.” He hired her under one condition.....that she never utter a word while on the job. He knew how much trouble her mouth had gotten her into. So they worked in nasty little dives, upholstered sewers she called them, for very little money. The conditions, however, were of no concern to Shimmy in her sequined leotard … she was finally able to do what she loved – be on the stage!One night, she and Zamboni were working Larks Head Lounge when she met the man who would change her life. His name was Victor. He was very handsome and he swept Shimmy off her feet. He was also in show business and soon after they met they were married. Shimmy left the magic show to be with Vic.Long story short, it turns out that Vic held a particular penchant for magicians’ assistants and she was just the first of many. So with no job, no money and no husband, Shimmy was forced to work in the food service industry. She took a job working at a small diner in a bad part of town.She slowly built her way back up from despair and she had managed to hold her tongue for close to a year when … well, an unfortunate event happened. Shimmy dumped a plate of meatloaf and mashed potatoes on a fellow for grabbing her ass.  She was asked not to return (and to surrender her apron).But, by the grace of God, it just so happened that Mama Dixie was in that diner that day . She was up from the South, visiting her sister and witnessed the whole event.Shimmy had no where else to go and broke into big, bellowing sobs while trying to get a cab outside. Mama Dixie went to her aid and consoled her (with a freshly pressed hankie that smelled of lavender and sage) and they began to talk. Shimmy explained about her love for the stage and about her classes and about Vic. Mama could tell that there was a refined "lady" hiding under that tough exterior and so she took Shimmy under her wing. Mama had a small troupe of performers that traveled and Mama offered her a part-time position. Mama was just what it took to keep Shimmy in line. She was forceful but at the same time she was a mother to all the girls. Shimmy was able to quit taking her special classes and began to work for Mama full time. Now she enjoys her authority as costumer on the PBB and gets to boss around any single gentlemen looking for employment with the PBB.