⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and a half.
Sugar Blue Burlesque knows it’s stuff. It’s been churning out award winning performers since its inception in 2007 and it doesn’t look like it has any intentions of slowing down.
As one of the first (if not the first) burlesque studios here in Perth, it’s apt that they would tackle the saucy history of the art of tease.
So I settled in while emcee Nicola Macri, a self described burlesque nerd, took us on a journey from the roots of burlesque to the direction the art is heading towards.
It isn’t easy being an emcee at a burlesque show at the best of times. Usually, patrons are just eager to see the next act. You need someone with the stage presence and charisma to hold the audience’s attention.
Nicola may not have the almost cocky bravado of typical burlesque emcees but she still had a magnetic hold over the audience. I was expecting to go into idle mode during the commentaries. Instead, I found myself hanging on to every word. With a twinkle in her eye, she served up easy to digest nuggets for the audience to inhale. I was especially fascinated by the segment on the sneaky ways burlesque performers used to get around morality laws.
I don’t really have any critique of the performances because, as usual, they were technically flawless. The musicality was on point, the hips popped and the ladies oozed confidence. Sugar Blue Burlesque truly embodies the neo-burlesque ethos of empowerment and acceptance. This isn’t a peep show but a celebration of all bodies, jiggly wobbly bits and all.
While I enjoyed myself at Revealed, I feel that it ended abruptly. Maybe time flew because I was having too much fun, but I felt like it It could have used one or two more performances.
In particular, it would have been nice to have a performance that highlighted the re-emergence of the historically comedic origins of burlesque. After all, Nicola did reference the internationally acclaimed Perth superstar, Lucy Lovegun, in her final spiel. For the unitiated, Lucy Lovegun is known for her Lucille Ball-esque kookiness. One of her most famous routines is her “bogan burlesque” skit. While she is not currently in town to regale us with that performance, I feel that Amelia Kisses would have done a wonderful job of showcasing this element of neo burlesque.
While I left the show feeling like I needed some more Sugar Blue goodness, it was overall one of the most engaging history lessons I’ve ever sat through.
Book yourself in for this saucy history lesson – Revealed ends this weekend!