By Tess Dehoog
Despite the fact that Capital City Burlesque (CCB) has been going strong for five years, I had never been to a burlesque show before Saturday night. I enjoy vintage looking babes as much as anyone, but I had just never put the effort forth to go and support the hot, local ladies of CCB.
I mostly blame the experience I had at 18 when I went to the old strip joint, Pinky’s, at Kingsway. It was dirty, the floor was sticky, and a sad looking woman was sitting, her legs apart, with a photo of herself taped between her legs while men were trying to knock if off with loonies.
I also blame Pussycat Doll videos.
I truly hate to admit I didn’t expect to be absolutely blown away by the awesomeness of the CCB show this past weekend at the Starlite Room, but I sure was.
This show was called Viva Las Vegas: A Titillating Tribute to Elvis and it brought forth all the sequins and excess that Elvis embodied. I loved every minute. I found myself smiling and cheering like a fool for the majority of the performance.
Seeing my friends, acquaintances, and even a couple girls who have made me coffee, get on stage and dance down to their pasties was super inspiring and even empowering. Capital City Burlesque has proven to me that local girls can put together amazing costumes, choreograph, and entertain while still being cheeky, smart sexpots.
It felt good to see actual women enjoy being sexual beings, in control. It was the exact opposite of anything else I had ever experienced before with strippers, pornography, etc… Granted, they don’t go down to bare skin but they do go down to pasties and great underwear. I left feeling like I could put on a tassled bra and shake my rump too. Not on the stage or anything, but it made me want to get it on and have fun while doing it. I don’t think anyone can say that’s a bad thing!
The process is pretty simple. Dance, take off the top layer, take off the bra and voila! Pasties, cleavage and really nice
asses. Despite the simplicity, it’s entertaining.
The costumes are sexy and cute. They have kitschy pseudonyms like Motor Joan, Ruby Gallows and Ava Moonhowler. They do some solo dancing, groups, routines with chairs, props and beautiful feathered fans. However my absolute favourite – wish I could see it again – was the routine to AC/DC’s Jailbreak.
The gorgeous, multi-talented Delilah Manhandler wore a cop uniform with the rest of the girls in jailbird stripes. Ms. Manhandler kept her sunglasses and cop ‘stache on the whole time and by the end the rest of the girls also had moustaches on. If you knew how much I love rocking out, and moustaches, you would know I was in heaven.
Ladies, may I suggest a rocker themed show for next time. A routine to Led Zeppelin’s Immigrant Song, complete with fur pasties and a leashed polar bear and some Viking girls?
My only constructive criticism to the night; make the stage cleaner lose the bunny ears, force him into a vintage three-button suit, and give some man candy to audience. No matter what though, I’ll be coming out the next show.
[Editor's note: You can read more about the ladies of Capital City Burlesque in the current issue of Avenue Magazine]
lovely pictures taken by Ms. Coral Orthner!
You guys did such a good job on this!
Oh baby, hot burlesque girls and hot derby girl together at last, subject and writer, a beautiful synergy. Hee hee hee.
Seriously, great article, I have to check out the next show!