Sinner Saint Burlesque’s newest show, “Blood, Sugar, Sex,
Magic” is one helluva spell. While opening night was not without a few kinks,
the over all effects of SSB’s sensual enchantments were strongly and positively
felt.
The narrative of this piece follows the individual
journeys of six mortal women in their quest to instigate the return of the
goddess Ishtar to Earth. Ishtar, the
Babylonian goddess of love, fertility, sex and war has fled to the Underworld
in response to the ‘war on women’ agitated by 2012’s loud mouthed sexists in
politics. As a result lust has faded
from the world, and with it the drive to propagate has diminished. The world
itself stands on the brink of ruin, and the return of Ishtar is the only remedy
against the extinction of life.
The story is a clever, if not so subtle piece of social
commentary that draws on elements of ancient mythology to make a point. The classical Ishtar was a powerful and
important deity. As a fertility goddess
she was necessary to everyday life, she represented beauty, strength, and
vitality, and the story of her descent into the Underworld is one of the most
important and famous myths about her. She was also dangerous, as much daemon
and deity, and other ancients myths tell of the ruin that came to the men that
loved her. Even mighty warriors and fellow gods, lost virility and strength
after tasting her love. She was both
loved and feared because she represented the strength, and aggression of women.
Considering the recent political movement against women’s
rights, Ishtar is an appropriate icon.
But enough of that… it is not the intent of this article to analyze the
politics of the show. Just be aware
that they are there.
While the Sinner Saints has been known for their thematic
shows (Animalia being my favorite) this venture into story-based shows is still
fairly new. BSSM is only the second of
their new narratives, but the Ladies have honed their theatrical chops since
their first run earlier this spring.
BSSM is a strong story, and a more cohesive show. The benefit of a narrative based show is
that cohesion. It allows an audience
member a sense of total immersion.
Conversely, if an act doesn’t quite fit it sticks out a little bit
more. Over all, the acts in BSSM fit
rather nicely. That being said, don’t
analyze too much. A few
cultural/geographic references used as introductory material seem out of place,
or mismatched with the acts. These did
not take away from the show or individual performances, but for me at least,
momentarily dispelled the suspension of disbelief.
BSSM features four of Sinner Saint’s Principles; Evilyn
Sin Claire, Dona de Couri, Lady Tatas, and Polly Wood; as well as two new
interns, Lotti Glitterati and Nikola Teasela.
Host Dive le Deviant serves in the role of Ishtar, and much to my
pleasure the Sweethearts (Briq House and Penelope Rose) are as much a part of
the storyline and show as the rest.
(Way to give props to the ‘hardest working girls in show
business”!)
With 6 solo artists, Seattle’s “Bitch in Charge” and the
lovely Sweethearts all sharing the stage, there is a LOT of girl power rocking
The Noc Noc this run. The individual
performances are all solid, and while opening night had a few costume glitches,
and some difficulty with a hanging prop (keep your props simple to rig folks!),
the ladies of SSB handled it all like pros.
The highlights of the show, however, are the group
acts. That’s right, it’s plural! While SSB has long performed group finales,
the addition of an opening group act really gives this show a sexy kick-start! Would Wicked be nearly as spectacular
without its opening number? How about a
classic like Guys and Dolls, or contemporary burlesque shows like Land of the
Sweets? The opening of the show is what
hooks the audience, and this show has a great hook!
So Ladies and Gentlemen, if you like stories about love
goddesses being seduced into returning to Earth from the Underworld, revel in
watching mortals find sexual enlightenment, or just happen to be a fan of
T&A, Sinner Saint Burlesque’s “Blood, Sugar, Sex, Magic” is right up your
alley. For you burlesque aficionados,
BSSM has a bit of classic, a bit of neo, a spoonful of theatricality, a pinch
of punk rock and a healthy dose of raw, in your face sexuality. I said it before, it’s one helluva of spell,
and the Sinner Saints cast it well.
You can catch Sinner Saint Burlesque every Thursday night
at The Noc Noc in Downtown Seattle, and I suggest you do! “Blood, Sugar, Sex, Magic” will run through
July 26th! More information at: http://www.facebook.com/events/188558204603273/
Loves!
~ Fosse Jack
