PEEPSHOW MENAGERIE: A Tribute to David Lynch
On Wednesday, August 19th I attended a Burlesque tribute to the films and art direction of David Lynch dubbed 'Beneath The Surface'. The event was held at Bordello in Downtown LA. If you have been to this venue then you know that it is truly amazingly beautiful inside. The show was produced by Scarlett Letter and Chris Beyond, Chris also served as Host.Featuring Burlesque Performances by:
Charlotte La Belle was not scheduled to perform originally but she did an AMAZING cover of the Blue Velvet spot when Lili VonSchtupp could not make it as she was ill. There were also special guest burlesque performances by Cherry Kiss Burlesque and Azul Sinned.
Honestly, I wasn't quite sure what to expect.... Don't get me wrong I know Lynch's films are known for surreal, nightmarish and dreamlike images, but I just couldn't picture 'Lynchian' Burlesque. I was looking forward to performances inspired by Lynch's works such as Eraserhead, The Elephant Man, Dune, Blue Velvet, Twin Peaks, Wild at Heart, On The Air, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me, Lost Highway, The Straight Story, Mulholland Drive, and Inland Empire.
The show was AWESOME....... besides the fact that I sat in gum that night and ruined my dress but that's besides the point.
I was a bit scared at first when the first dancer, Penny Starr Jr., came out as an angel (Eraserhead), did an adorable routine then stabbed her (jello) heart out.
I had to remind myself that this was 'Lynchian' Burlesque. haha. One interesting note on Penny Starr Jr. - her GRANDMOTHER was a burlesque star back in the 1950's who went by the name Penny Starr!
All of the acts were on point and looked beautiful. Everyone seemed to be having so much fun and the crowd was loving every minute of it! Our host Chris was very funny and did the opposite of what one certain drunk heckler told him to do. hahahaha. Chris even handed out donuts to the crowd during an intermission.
Ill share with you my personal favorites of the night:
The most beautiful costume and most sensual breathtaking performance was Miss Lavandar La Rue, Mulholland Drive. All dressed in red, feathers in her hair, real roses everywhere, she gave you chills before she disappeared behind the velvet curtain... AMAZING!
Highest energy was; no question, Charlotte La Belle and her cover of the Blue Velvet spot. She also had a beautiful costume. Best part, at the end of her dance she plopped down and pulled out a tall can of PBR (Pabst Blue Ribbon... for those of you who aren't ghetto enough to know LOL) popped it right open and drank it.
Another dancer that made an impression on me was Polly Peabody. This woman was great, she stayed in character the entire time, she danced so sexy and displayed a very unique talent involving....ummm, well, maybe I'll keep that one to myself... but yes Polly is the BEST!
Enjoy a little snippet of the show! If you want to see more I highly suggest you go to the show!
You can find additional information on this show and past shows (when you click on the little posters) at www.PeepshowMenagerie.com
