Rockabilly Girl Productions held its first art carnival last night in the basement of the Underground Collaborative. The intimate crowd gathered in a carnival-like atmosphere that featured various games and prizes.
The idea for the carnival was to have a variety of acts perform with various tables set out for artists to draw from the acts at. Nice idea, but the atmosphere was much more one of a traditional variety show with a carnival motif.
Hosted by comedy guy Nick Firer, the show had a pleasant cabaret rhythm to it. Firer is a fun host even when things aren't going as expected. He's got a charismatic stage presence that kept everything moving with a nice casual style.
Polly Amour was the first burlesque act of the evening--a glittery ice outfit that was gradually shed over the course of a song. A very traditional burlesque feel to her performance (albeit to a distinctly non-burlesque tune--I believe it was Foreigner's Cold As Ice) that served as a decent opening act. Nice to see '70s rock mixing with something that didn't feel at all '70s.
Sarah Sparkles followed Amour. She's a fire performer and hula hoop act referred to as Sparkle and Burn. Here she limited the act to the hoops. Very hypnotic stuff once it gets going. She gets onstage and you're thinking "Woman with a hula hoop. Okay." Then she starts working her act and the hoops begin to look less and less like objects and more and more like fascinating extensions of her body as the move around her in ways that don't seem to have terribly firm basis in gravity. During intermission she did an act with a hoop that had dazzling LED lights in it. Watching her work in semi-shadow offstage with the LED hoop, the hoop itself almost gains a life of its own. It's like an eager pet that seems to love being around her. A huge amount of fun to watch.
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Male burlesque act Vince V. Vice was the third act onstage. Vince was onstage a few times. His act is very elaborate with complex costuming and some anatomically clever choreography. His performance isn't about movement so much as it is about form and attitude. The poses he strikes over the course of a performance feel like a series of sculptures. Its an act more reminiscent of a classy tai chi. The classiness of the performance itself forms an interesting dichotomy with the campiness of his overall style much the way his femininity forms a dichotomy with his masculinity. Fun stuff.
Vee Valentine rounded out the first set. Her first appearance onstage was fun and campy--dressing in a Christmassy burlesque outfit that was fun and playful. Her second performance was smooth and elegant with snowy whet feathered wings and long, gliding movements. She's fun with playful camp. She's stunning in the slow elegance. Hers is a very tightly-choreographed performance. The trick with that kind of a style is to keep it feeling emotionally authentic …. and Valentine does that brilliantly. She's exquisite.
After intermission, Valentine and Vince performed again. There was an appearance by the Miltown Kings' Leo Long. Long did a decadent, little performance to Prince's Diamonds and Pearls. The costuming on the act was sumptuous. The music seemed to almost fall into the costume. Very, very stylish.
Art Carnival: Snow Bunnies was a one-night-only event on the 21st. Rockabilly Girl Productions' next show is Charlie's Chocolate Cabaret --A Wonka-inspired variety show on February 14th at the Underground Collaborative on 161 West Wisconsin Avenue. For more information on this and more, visit Rockabilly Girl online.
