Meet Amy Ferzoco | Media & Marketing Director at Metropolitan Studios

We had the good fortune of connecting with Amy Ferzoco and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Amy, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
I pursued a creative career because I love to make works and experiences that make people feel something they didn’t expect to! I joke that I love to make people cry, but it is truly special when something you’ve made elicits a visceral reaction that manifests outwardly – like crying from great beauty. I’m a crier for sure!

I started imagining myself in a creative field at a young age. I love watching shows and movies about . . . shows and movies so film production was a big draw! When I was 15 and taking driver’s ed., I produced a short film about safe driving with one of my best friends. We shot the whole thing on VHS and edited it in-camera. We had stunts, screeching halts, rearview mirror shots, and a talk show with a fight scene (think Geraldo Rivera getting hit with a chair). We really had no idea what we were doing, but it was the 80s and we’re Gen X, so we did it all. It really started my passion for film and television production. I sometimes wonder what I’d have achieved if I’d encouraged to pursue film or theatre at the time, but it fell off my radar. In the early 2000’s I went to college and studied film and broadcast production. I really loved scriptwriting, pre-production, and production management as much as directing. One thing led to another and after working in broadcasting for some years, I transitioned to agency work.

Now, I have a creative day job in marketing and communications that funds my life, but what really moves me is serving as the Media & Marketing Director at Metropolitan Studios Arts & Movement Community, Atlanta’s burlesque and cabaret house (it is literally a 110+ year old house).

I do everything from PR to social media to shooting and editing videos for the studio and the two organizations that it is home to The Atlanta School of Burlesque and The Candybox Revue burlesque troupe. I’ve learned so much about theatre in their universe! My creative soul is nourished because I get to contribute my professional skills in support of artists creating a legacy in an old theatrical art form that is often overlooked or degraded.

What should our readers know about your business?
Metropolitan Studios is an arts and movement community in East Atlanta Village where everything’s a little bit crooked—even parts of our 110+ year old building! It was opened by burlesque performers and producers from The Atlanta School of Burlesque and The Candybox Revue.

Burlesque is a vital, vibrant, and powerful art. It is theatrical, political, funny, entertaining, and family-friendly when needed. We are burlesque-centric, but not limited to burlesque. Burlesque is a fringe art; people are afraid of unclothed bodies, right? Operating a brick-and-mortar business had to be about more than the art of the tease in order to be sustainable. So, the studio is alive; it evolves with the people who come to it and in response to their interests and the needs of the community we’ve built. We explore the history and evolution of our craft with artists from around Atlanta and the world. You feel a different kind of magic when you come in. People tell us they can feel it—you feel different. Our hashtag is #magicshithappenshere, and it is true!

Our school, The Atlanta School of Burlesque, teaches the art of the tease and that the art of burlesque is accessible to everyone. We offer classes and programs for fun, exercise, and professional training. We welcome all identities and orientations, races and ethnicities, body shapes and sizes, and abilities. It is a truly affirming environment—I don’t dance or perform at all, and I feel the effects of it! Our trainings focus on the art and theatrical components of burlesque, the art of seduction, bump n’ grind, classic burlesque, and more.

Our troupe’s (The Candybox Revue) mission is to provide quality entertainment, showcase artistic and individual diversity, support heartfelt causes in and around our community, consistently raise the bar for burlesque and variety entertainment while challenging social norms and showcasing inclusivity and representation through the artform of burlesque, and foster a spirit of community and togetherness. We have over 40 members, both performing and non-performing, who produce burlesque shows, yes, but also create experiences that are more robust than “just a show.” We take pride in providing something meaningful, whether you come to burlesque karaoke or one of our more theatrical scripted stage productions! The troupe combines modern, contemporary, and jazz dance into a Vegas-style bump n’ grind burlesque troupe. The Candybox Revue produces big and small stage shows at Metropolitan Studios, venues in and around Atlanta, and twirls their tassels at national festivals and in corporate shows in partnership with organizations like the Human Rights Campaign. The troupe also produces corporate, family-friendly, and private burlesque events.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
We host traveling performers from around the world, so I’ll share some of the places and things we’ve shown them that they loved!

First, a burlesque show and classes at Metropolitan Studios!!

Food: Brunch at Petit Chou, Apres Diem, Hattie B.’s Hot Chicken (specifically the peach cobbler), Cafe Alsace, Emerald City Bagels, Mix’d Up Burgers.

Driving around! There’s so much to see, and we love to take guests on tours of Atlanta’s murals in EAV, Little 5 Points, and Krog Street. I always suggest going to an Atlanta Roller Derby bout.

And 10/10 recommend JeJu Korean Spa!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would like to acknowledge my dad, who has always supported me and my endeavors in the best way he could with limited resources. He gave me the gift of curiosity and discovery through his unwavering love and support.

It takes a leap of faith for a small business owner to trust anyone with their business, and that is not lost on me. I’m grateful that my life partner and owner of Metropolitan Studios, The Atlanta School of Burlesque, and The Candybox Revue, Roula Roulette, trusts me with marketing hers. She is an incomparable and driven human being. She is a selfless maker of magic and a consummate professional. She inherently believes in me and supports my personal and professional choices with objectivity and without judgment. I’m stopping here because I could write an entire article about her.

I’d like to thank my big brother Jeff, whose creativity manifested in such unique ways when we were kids. He always involved me in one way or another, and our careers have followed similar trajectories throughout our lives.

Greg from film school, who (sorry, I cannot recall your last name, Greg!), when I told him I wanted to be a producer, replied that I’d be the only one in class to make any money.

Website: www.metrostudioseav.com

Instagram: @metropolitan_studios_ @atlburlesqueschool @candyboxrevue

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/30113673/admin/feed/posts/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MetropolitanStudios

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-atlanta-school-of-burlesque-atlanta

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@atlantaburlesque

Other: https://www.atlburlesqueschool.com https://www.instagram.com/atlburlesqueschool https://www.candyboxrevue.com https://www.instagram.com/candyboxrevue/ https://www.youtube.com/@candyboxrevue