Now let me get right to the point: I don't pop my cork for every show I see. But the newest production from Chicago's Lavender Cabaret is worth it.
The troupe's signature show, "FemmeTV," is back for a third season at the Lakeshore Theater, 3175 N. Broadway Ave. The multimedia production, which includes a fire dance and magic show, is a modern twist on old-school burlesque, an artform that uses imitation and exaggeration to mock serious subject matter.
Video projections, produced by Lavender Cabaret co-creator Franky Vivid, feature parodies such as a commercial for "Yerizon Wireless Phone Sex" and a gossip show called "Celebritease." The music is Vivid's unique blend of vaudeville tunes and techno beats, known as "Burlectro."
Vivid's fiancee, Michelle "Toots" L'amour, recently crowned "Miss Exotic World 2005," choreographs the rest of the show: an erotic showcase of Broadway-style ballet and jazz routines, performed by the Sugarbabies. L'amour's smooth derriere, known as "The Ass That Goes POW!" may not pack as much bang as J.Lo's famous booty, but it's just as mesmerizing - and definitely more talented.
Despite its lascivious connotations, "FemmeTV" is tamer than you might imagine. Sequined bras and frilly pink knickers are about as racy as it gets, except for occasional G-strings and nipple pasties.
Watching the show, you realize that "sexy" comes in all shapes and sizes: Women stretch spread-eagle in all their dimpled, voluptuous glory and others gyrate in their more slender splendor, with little boobies to match.
Whether you find it sexy, sleazy or cheesy, burlesque is entertainment at its purest. It makes you want to shimmy down the aisle, singing, "Hey, big spender!" at the top of your liquor-soaked lungs.
Yes, burlesque is about sex. But it's about sex with a sense of humor. Sex with uneven breasts and love handles. Sex with silliness and pizzazz. Sex with confidence. And sex with substance.
At the beginning of the show, a sultry voice announces that the Lavender Cabaret will donate money to charity for every pair of women's underwear thrown on stage. So if not for the sex, at least go for the good cause and bring an extra pair of panties.
Tickets start at $20, and shows are Saturdays at 10:30 p.m. through Feb. 25.
- Erica Schlaikjer
Be the first to comment on this article!