This past Friday night saw the
second of three late night burlesque variatae shows occurring this spring at
The Triple Door.
Boom Boom L’Roux’s
Late Night Revue was hosted by local personality Vincent Drambuie, and featured
the talents of the producer, Miss Boom Boom L’Roux, herself, Canadian
transplant Lola Lockheart, the fearless, Jenny Penny, Emerald City burlesquers Persephone
Illyri, and The Luminous Pariah, and the one and only ‘Yodeling Dominatrix’,
Manuela Horn.
The Luminous Pariah and Manuela
Horn were the high points of the show.
As a long time Luminous fan, it was a pleasure to see him on the big
stage again. Some artists really shine
when they have the space to fill and the freedom to move and he is definitely
among them. Also I burlesque narrated by
David Attenborough may be my favorite thing ever. It was my first time seeing the yodeling
dominatrix (well on stage), after hearing about her from other artists and her
appearance on America’s Got Talent, and seeing an impromptu song and spanking
at a friend’s birthday party. I was
super excited for this opportunity, and the sexy, graceful giantess that she is
by no means failed to impress. 'Highway to Yodel' may also be one of my favorite things.
Aside: The Luminous Pariah can be
caught around town, but next week leaves for a two month tour with his troupe
Mod Carousel. The foursome (which
includes The Original Twins, Paris and Trojan, and the Incomparable Leeni) will
be stopping in New York and then jetting across the pond to tour Europe. Manuela can be found as a regular performer
at Teatro Zinzanni. Both can be found
on Facebook, and I think you should look them up.
As a host, Vincent Drambuie’s
material is tried and well used. His approach
to hosting is a blending Bob Hope style stand-up comedy and unabashed lasciviousness. His jokes aren’t particularly funny, a fact
that he is unashamedly self-referential about, but his commitment to the
material and genuine appreciation of the artists he works with, is what makes
him good at what he does.
Persephone Illyri’s performances
were very pretty, though the material of her second piece was a little confusing.
I loved the dress, the song, the rocking
horse, and even the knife play but didn’t understand how they fit together. Lola Lockheart’s first act was simple and cute,
though I think she would benefit from a slightly heftier boa, size does matter
when burlesque props are considered. It is all about finding what size works
for you! Also, I don’t want to be harsh, but I do need to say, I felt that her
vocal selection in act two was ill picked.
It’s a fun song and if you nail it can be show stopper, but it kind felt
like she was the nail and the song the hammer.
Jenny Penny’s acrobatic number
with performance partner… I didn’t catch his name, was a great take on a
classic, old fashioned routine. They
took material that I have seen done at ‘full speed’ and slowed it way
down. You got to see the mechanics of each
trick, which was cool, and with the music choice, the routine became sexy. A simple decision but one I haven’t seen
often. Her fire act was fun, but didn’t
quite fill the space. I would have loved
to see her take advantage of the big stage.
As for Boom Boom herself, her
style of performance is straightforward tease (at least this selection). Her contact with the audience is excellent,
and she draws things out, going through movements slowly and sensually. Confident and congenial, Boom Boom L’Roux is
a pleasure to watch perform.
All acts considered, this was not
the strongest lineup that I have seen at The Triple Door, but it was a
promising one. Boom Boom L’Roux has only
recently moved into producing shows on this scale. With time and a little more practice I
believe she will grow into the big stage, and that time may come soon! Her May lineup is promising and includes: blues artist Lydia Decarllo, the Exposing Composer, EmpeROAR Fabulous!!!, and The
Temptress of Taipei, the Shanghai Pearl.
Ladies and Gentlemen, I want to
encourage you to check out the third and final (for this season at least)
production of
Boom Boom L’Roux’s Late Night Revue, which will take place on
Friday, May 18
th, show at 11:30 (21+), doors open at 11:00pm. Tickets are not available yet, but should go
online within the next week or two. Until
then check out the performers I’ve listed above, see what you’ve missed and how
to take advantage of others opportunities.
You can find Boom Boom L’Roux on Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/BoomBoomlroux,
and Twitter
@BoomBoomLRoux.
Oh, a tip concerning The Triple Door.
Be prepared to wait. Things rarely start on time at this otherwise
splendid Downtown venue. The serving
staff is friendly and responsive, and the shows are worth seeing but unless you
actually like the band playing the Musicquarium, standing in line for 30-40
minutes can be somewhat painful. Just my
opinion but I figured I’d share it.
Loves!
~ Fosse Jack
