"Save it all up here, think about it later" was the advice given by Slick Johnson, the host of The GalHaus Revue's third annual Big Show, held last weekend. And this MICA student run burlesque show certainly gave the audience plenty to remember. . . vividly. Eight lovely performers danced one by one in a night of perfectly coiffed hairdos, T-strap heels and garter belts galore. The range of body types was a special treat — from voluptuous to dainty, every dancer did their thing with impressive skill. Between each act, the host and his assistant Chevy Lace gave tidbits of tantalizing backstory for each dancer — and slowly lost bits of clothing themselves.
MICA's BBOX theater was the perfect setting for a burlesque show, with its Swirnow-esque black-all-over décor, its dim lighting, its smoky air and its small round stage. The show started right on time (impossible for a Hopkins production), doubtless because the audience's anticipation was palpable. "Show is 18+," the fluorescent pink ticket warned, and if any Big Show virgins doubted it, those doubts were abolished within minutes.
After treating the audience to a brief glimpse of each performer behind a red curtain, the show kicked off with convict Bambi Lee, a criminal whose beautiful bouncing curls belied her less-than-respectful attitude towards the (invisible) police chasing her. She danced and made lewd gestures to Magic Sam's "21 Days in Jail." By the end of the act, she was down to little more than underwear and nipple pasties. That's how all the acts ended — of course, with pasties as diverse as the dancers themselves — and yet, somehow, no one got bored.
The second act featured Rose Hips, a housemaid channeling Cinderella with her poufy skirts, pearls and soapy sponge. Ms. Hips was the first of several dancers to experience how troublesome corsets can be to remove in time to music, but all the corset struggles just added to the entertainment.
The most quirky dancer by far was Dee Flowers, the third act. Who knew being birthed from a huge head of cabbage could be so sexy? And the cabbage-leaf merkin was a great touch.
Fourth was the Queen of Sevens, the only dancer who also sang, reprising the much-recorded fifties song "Teach Me Tonight." Her act slowed the pace down a bit, softening the mood, but included bursts of energy, such as when she kicked her heels off over her head with perfect execution — no casualties in the audience.
Next was Dolly Longlegs, who shone brighter than most Vegas dancers with her ten-pillows'-worth of flamingo feathers: a boa, two gigantic fans and a showgirl tail.
Sixth in line was the hilariously titillating Colt Copperbet, a cowboy with gold hot pants hidden (not for long) under "his" chaps. Copperbet danced to "Happiness is a Warm Gun". . .squirt gun, that is.
KiKi Allure, the housewife, treated us to the sight of a weary woman liberating herself from her chores, literally letting her hair down and trading her rubber gloves for lace ones. And what would a burlesque show be without tassels on those pasties? Thanks in part to Ms. Allure, we didn't have to find out.
The last dancer, and arguably the most energetic, was Jungle Jim, a vigorous circus performer with great facial expressions and very high kicks. She especially delighted the audience by pulling scarves not from her sleeves, but from her bra and nether regions.
The show ended with all dancers back on stage in full regalia. The night was extremely well-paced (although over too soon) and had a great soundtrack with songs from the fifties up through the present day (even "Oops! I Did It Again" made an appearance). Judging by the lack of empty seats this time around, two nights might not be enough to meet the demands of the public, so the next time there's a Big Show at MICA, better snap up your tickets.
