(Very Belatedly) Reviewing The New York Burlesque Festival
The inimitable Scotty The Blue Bunny opened the 3rd annual burlesque festival in style at Southpaw. I love it when he verbally assails drunk Long Islanders. Who wouldn't?
The first wave of the show saw some familiar faces to the NYC scene including Big Apple Burlesque, Darlinda Just Darlinda, Fritzi Collins (in a wonderful trapped on a deserted island routine), but it was The Love Show that really turned on the crowd. Rhonda Gdasi's rousing rendition of Tom Petty's Honey Bee was pitch perfect for her partners' lascivious motions.
The out-of-towners claimed the stage next with some wonderful acts by Reverend Spooky LeStrange of New Orleans in a Wonder Woman riff that is perhaps only surpassed by the awe-inspiring Zog. Miss Anna Kronist of London's Burly Q Cabaret wowed the audience with her truly magnificent renditions of classics by Aretha Franklin and Blondie. The performers in the Spielpalast Cabaret of Vermont brought their A game to NYC in a wild, epic send-up of World War II era facism featuring broom dances, lions (or at least a ripped man in a lion costume), and more. It was enough to make Scotty blush which is saying a lot.
Southpaw was the perfect venue for the night's bands, The Fire Ups and Lex Grey and The Urban Pioneers. David Bucci, lead guitar of the former, was insanely impressive and ably joined by the playful riffs of Cami Boyd on bass and the fast-paced backbeat provided by Shayne Ivy on drums. Katy Petty had all the cocksue swagger of three young Mick Jaggers. Together they're a pretty amazing rock noise quartet.
Whatever was left of the house from The Fire Ups performance was torn down and burnt to the ground by the time The Urban Pioneers left the stage. They really are just about the perfect act for an event like this: equal dashes of bluesy smolder and retro rock cool. Leo Binetti (bass) and Victor Deyglio (an amazing young Jerry Garcia lookalike on guitars) not only complement each other well but really let Lex shine. Veronica Graff must melt several harmonicas in a gig.
The (sold out) Saturday Night Spectacular at The Hiro Ballroom was hosted by the incomparable Murray Hill. Not sure what brought it on but Murray had several jokes directed at Judith Light who to this day I'm not sure was in attendance or not. Celebs such as Fergie The Duchess of York, Parker Posey, and Joe Franklin were however.
After a cheerleading show-opener by festival co-organizers The World Famous Pontani Sisters the night saw a bit of California Dreamin' as acts from Los Angeles took over including Miss Jennifer-Lynn in a genuinely moving war protest and tribute to our fallen soldiers, Amber Ray in what had to be one of the best costumes of the festival, and the beguiling Eliza Bane in a classic showgirl number.
New York claimed the stage in a brief sequence of routines by Miss Saturn and her family of hula hoops, le grand damme Bonnie Dunn, the record breaking sword swallowing talents of Natasha Veruschka, and the sexual chocolate of Bunny Love. Then it was quickly back to acts from elsewhere like La Gata Negra from Rhode Island slammed the audience into submission with their wrestling antics, Roky Roulette of San Fran launched the crowd into orbit in an amazing one of a kind strip-pogo-tease, Baltimore's Trixie Little and the Evil Hate Monkey erupted from a volcanic display to great comedic effect.
The evening continued with a series of acts from dancers performing in a classical vein: Miss Indigo Blue of Seattle shaking more sequins than the eye could follow, Dames Aflame of Hotlanta heating up a classroom set, London's own Miss Lily White making every red blooded American male and lesbian wish they were her hobbyhorse, Fan favorite and crowd pleasing pixie, Torcy Taboo of Atlanta was enchanting with her parisol dance.
The night came to a close with acts by the infamous Jo Boobs and a return from the Pontani Sisters. As always, Jo was scintillating and the Pontanis were adorable. Is there any doubt these performers are the heart and soul of New York Burlesque?
Thanks again to co-organizer Jen Gapay of Thirstygirl Productions for the good times had by all. Jen puts a shitload of work into everything she does and this is no exception. Buy the gal a drink the next time you see her at one of her shows.
Galleries are up for Friday's Festivities and Saturday Spectacular. Check 'em out.
4 Comments:
Great article!
I'm honored to be part of your site!
Just a note though, the version of Honey Bee was not performed by the Red Hots, but by the Love Show.
Keep up the awesome work!
Thanks much for the kind words and the correction. I've edited the post to reflect it. Even with a copy of the schedule I was afraid I was going to slip somewhere.
Hi Daniel, I really respect your site but I just wanted to post my opinion on the Love Show. I was a reporter covering the show and my friends and i agreed-- while many awesome acts graced the stage, Friday's Love Show performance, along with the red-haired girl Peaches or something like that, were terrible! As I see it, burlesque is an art of performance-- but not of being just "sexy"-- this is the mistake that many people make about it. Putting on fishnets and cougar print and growling or doing fossesesque strippercize does not make you a burlesque performer. It is, as Scotty says, being a performer, doing a job, artistically, in which you incorporate the history of vaudeville with something new, where you recognize that you have to do more than just be sexy and prowl about performing gender. I think that sexy is not the first thing I'd call burlesque, despite the attempts to draw crowds with these words. It's more that it provokes, intrigues, challenges boundaries, makes me laugh, or is extremely creative in its plot and innovations. No other live medium does it so succintly right now besides vaudeville circus.
I think you're largely correct. The most successful acts, to me personally, are the ones that challenge the semiotics of sexuality, have a provacative sense of humor, or are committed to their art.
The New Burlesque is equal parts feminism and dada (this was probably true of the best of the old as well). Jo Boobs, Lady Ace, Dottie Lux, are a few performers that I think embody what I'm talking about.
There are other performers like The Pontani Sisters, Miss Delerium Tremens, Peekaboo Pointe (to name a few) that are more focused on the entertainment aspect of the performance and have a high-level of committment to the art of dance itself who are every bit as important and evocative of the current scene.
My comments about The Love Show were just based on audience interaction and not necessarily judged against the above "criteria" although I do think the racous, roadside jump blues thump that the singer provided moved it closer to the latter.
Peaches, I think, is new. Perhaps she will grow in scope as she adapts her routines to go in one of the above directions or another. Only time will tell.
Post a Comment
<< Home