The Burlesque Hour (8.7.07)

Wow...I'm no longer a burlesque virgin! Went to my first ever burlesque "The Burlesque Hour" at 45 Downstairs last Sunday and it was bloody fantastic! It was not what I expected but rather a nice surprise. I guess i expected nudity (which there was) but I also expected the whole show to more like a cabaret in terms of corsets, feathers and lots of dancing chorus girls kicking their legs in the air. Instead "The Burlesque Hour" featured three unreal performers: Moira Finucane, Azaria Universe and Yumi Umiumare, with guest artiste Angus Cerini.

Burlesques usually have a saucy & sleazy reputation. It often features strippers & carnival performers, and for many people there is the misconception that burlesques are "just something strippers do". However, what "The Burlesque Hour" did so well was that it subverted all of those expectations and took you into territory that was not only sexy & provocative but something that was extremely funny and sometimes grotesque, verging on horrific! Each performer had their turn filling the stage with their individual type of burlesque, ranging from monologues, acrobatic shows to dances and miming.

It was a wonderful feeling not knowing what to expect next as the whole show was surprisingly random, which made it that much extra fun and enjoyable! Just to mention a couple of the acts: there was the stripping yobbo man who turned out to be a woman, the amazing hula girl with the moustache, the psycho Hello Kitty and the electric Kiss Kiss robot dance. Apart from superb acting skills and facial expression, the music that was in sync with each performance was magnificent and really suited each act.

Here's what was on the menu:
* Kiss Kiss Looks for Love
* Valeshka, Queen of the Carnival
* Soup
* Hellooo! It's Kitys World!
* Victoriana - a gothic revival!
* Confection
* Argentina Gina Catalin
* Eve of the Night
* Hebi Onna - the Kiss of the serpent warrior
* Perals
* The Queen of Hearts

It was a fantastic show, thumbs up! Also, being able to enjoy it with a glass of Hanging rock merlot made the night that much more special! Can't wait till I go to another one :)