Presented by North Star Nerdlesque Festival
Sunday, July 12, 2026
12 pm Doors // 1 pm Screening
All Ages
$25 ($32.30 w. taxes/fees) Reserved Seating
$15 ($20.21 w. taxes/fees) Advance General Admission
$20 ($23 w. taxes/fees) At The Door General Admission
Ticket purchases are final and non-refundable
North Star Nerdlesque Festival presents the Minnesota premiere screening of Tight & Nerdy, a feature-length documentary that takes viewers on a journey deep inside the world of the first burlesque troupe devoted to rock music’s multi-platinum, Grammy Award-winning misfit, “Weird Al” Yankovic. This special screening will be followed by a Q&A with the film’s directors and burlesque performances inspired by Weird Al!
The origins of Tight & Nerdy are rooted in the story of its founder Pickles Kintaro. Born in South Korea and adopted into a white, Christian conservative family, Pickles stood out in a world in which she wanted nothing more than to blend. Upon discovering the empowering force that is burlesque, she became the leader of the nerdiest group of “strippers” the world has ever seen — surrounding herself with friends that exude the kind of warmth and unconditional love that she did not experience during her childhood.
Tight & Nerdy focuses on Pickles and her chosen family — the main members of this unusual troupe: Odessa Lil, the caustically funny daughter of a Holocaust survivor, Mistress Marla Spankx, the shy HR executive with a secret wild side, and Pearl E. Gates, the creatively frustrated day-care provider turned full-time burlesquer. Along the way, the performers reveal what happens when people are given the chance to learn how to love themselves and how Weird Al inspires them just by being himself so loudly and so proudly.
The film documents the troupe’s travels as they get ready to return to the stage where it all began, giving viewers a glimpse into what drives this niche art form. With themes of female empowerment, body positivity and self-acceptance, Tight & Nerdy is aimed squarely at those who have ever felt powerless, bullied, lonely or simply “not enough.” This film ultimately tells the tale of finding connections in a chaotic world, and learning how to accept that which makes one different, all wrapped up in big personalities, over-the-top costumes, unforgettable performances — and a brand-new interview with “Weird Al” Yankovic.
USA, 82 minutes, directed by Jeff Nucera and Jonathan Ruane
Jeff Nucera (he/him) has been working in unscripted storytelling for more than two decades, starting with two of the genre’s most groundbreaking series: MTV’s The Osbournes and Newlyweds: Nick & Jessica. More recently, he has been a Co-Executive Producer for series you may or may not have heard of, including Roku's The Charlie Puth Show and the EPIX docu-series Blumhouse's Compendium of Horror.
When he is not producing television shows or directing documentaries, he stays busy doing odd jobs for "Weird Al" Yankovic, like writing thousands of trivia questions (and answers!) for Al's Self-Indulgent, Ill-Advised Vanity Tour, or sorting Al's fan mail — a job he has proudly held since 2001.
Jonathan Ruane (he/him) has worked in feature documentaries and non-fiction television for over 22 years. His credits include: Martha (Netflix), Billie Eilish: The World is a Little Blurry (APPLE TV+), Worst Roommate Ever (Netflix), 30 Days(FX), and Genealogy Roadshow (PBS).
As a teenager, he used to mow the lawn to Weird Al’s Off the Deep End album.
