12 Oct 12

"...I would do anything for love but not Meatloaf..." ~ Mr. Les Flattery aka Mr. Bones

Cabaret, blogspot readers, is defined as "...a form of entertainment featuring music, song, dance, comedy recitation or drama [and] ... it is mainly distinguished by the performance venue..." However, on Friday night, SouthSide was treated to a special outting at the Greenhouse Theatre Centre by her number #1 fan/stalker, Joe, to see Kiss Kiss Cabaret. Now, if you haven't been to a cabaret show, there are some rules you must live by.  Please remember this isn't The Admiral or The Gentlemen's Club where you get to sit and ogle the pretty dancing ladies as they strip, twirl around the pole or whatever. Yes, there are pretty ladies dancing during a Kiss Kiss Cabaret performance however the dances or in this case burlesque are merely to tease, entice and certainly awaken your sexual senses while performing theactric like skits to music. Also, as the definition states, there are music to juggling and magic acts (and more) to entertain you in between watching the lovely dancers, blogspot readers.

SouthSide has attended cabaret shows before but nothing like she had seen at Greenhouse Theatre Centre which was decked out in its spookiest Halloween decor for tonight's Kiss Kiss Cabaret performance. Besides featuring The Kiss Kiss Coquettes, Mr. Les Flattery as our Master of Ceremonies, The Claptrap Family Orchestra, there were special guests performing like Brad French (the "original" 50 shades of grey inside his Ultraman costume), comedian Adam Burke, and The Amazing Tomas (the magican) with Prince as part of the in-between acts. Plus - there were special appearances by Ray Ray Sunshine, Bella Canto, Lady India De Minuitt (with her awsomely handsome tall partner Drake) and SouthSide's Ms. Ammunition performing their signature cabaret acts. And not only you get a show but there's also a moment you get to be a part of the show and win fabulous prizes! For a two hour, which by the way didn't feel like an actual two hour show, blogspot readers, you're definitely getting your money's worth for an evening out on the town within the amount spent on reasonably priced tickets.

Though missing the opening act by The Kiss Kiss Coquettes, SouthSide and Joe did arrive in time to catch Mr. Bones (aka Mr Les Flattery) explaining the rules and procedures while watching a Kiss Kiss performance (he does a mean pseudo strip act too, ladies) and Ms Titi Touche's act in which truly got the audience's sexual imagination going before it was magic time. The Amazing Tomas and Prince had some of the audience (SouthSide included) in shuffling a deck of cards and then choosing whether the cards were black or red. Another act featured them in silent pantomime (with the help of a script written on a flip board) where they chose a member of the audience to pick a card, memorize it and show it to others before returning it the deck. Well, without going into long details, both magicans did guess correctly as well as had the exact card in their mouths! Next was Ramona Mourir making her first solo Cabaret debut on the Kiss Kiss stage. This world premiere featured a Halloween-theme country line, Texas-two style burlesque  to the song Honky Tonk Halloween. Afterwards, SouthSide spoke with Romana to congratulate her on a successful performance noting that she looked like a natural than nervous (according to Romana) while performing her burlesque act. Then it was Werner's, the patriach of the Claptrap Family Orchestra, turn to entertain the audience with his rendition of the ever-popular Monster Mash song. Complete with vocal sound effects, this daper vampire-looking musician had the audience singing along with him at the chorus.

And what Halloween-themed show would be without a fond tribute to the longest-running movie about a "sweet transvestite" from Transexual Transylvania? Special performer Bella Canto wowed the audience with her burlesque act set to tunes - Creature of the Night and Time Warp montage before another Halloween-themed appeared on stage by Lady India and Drake. This duo act had the profound essence of a suspenseful Victorian-style opening to a Dracula-like story but then it suddenly turned into one sensually steamy belly dancing act, blogspot readers. The way Lady India's body movements seductively teased and enticed as she moved across the stage SouthSide's certain that she had a few hypnotized under her vampiric spell besides Drake in the end. After that hot number, it was definitely a good time for a (beer) intermission, bathroom break, and game show at Kiss Kiss Cabaret. If you have seen the Bozo show as kid like this reviewer, then you know all about the Grand Prize Game! Yet in this Kiss Kiss version instead of winning fabulous toys, a new bike or that fifty dollar bill (in bucket number 6!) there was a free beer if you get bucket number 1 and then other prizes for reaching buckets 2 through 6. Tonightt's contestant, birthday girl Hazel was able to reach bucket 2 to claim her free beer and a lovely coffee mug to say that she got from the Bahamas!

Now, the second half of the show featured comedian Adam Burke to which SouthSide loved his rant about people who tease and laugh at those who have seasonal allergies. She hopes they do get reincarnated as bees and not be able to pollinate. Then Ray Ray Sunshine had the audience feeling the pulse of her heart-stopping burlesque act before Frad "Ultraman" French appeared on stage with jokes, juggling (with his neon glow in the dark balls) and more. And there a little Ultraman fighting the ugly monster of the night too. Now, if you like power tools, guys (and this reviewer knows many of you do), then you should check out Ms Ammunition whenever she performs her electrifying burlesque act again. Oh the things this performer can do with a steel sander including bending at the waist and letting the spark fly between her legs! Sorry, no pictures, blogspot readers. SouthSide doesn't want to have a restraining order set against her. Yet, you could definitely smell the sensuality of sizzling metal throughout the theatre and stage. Ms Ammunition once again electrified another stage with her metal-tastic act. Sadly, it came time for Kiss Kiss Cabaret to end its weekly performance for the night but NOT before having the lovely Kiss Kiss Coquettes do a show-stopping finale to Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds' Red Right Hand (yes, SouthSide's an x-phile too). The quartet of Kiss Kiss lovelies in an orange neon-glow wigs seductively danced while lathering themselves and each other with matching body paint which truly had this audience (in their best behavior) cheering these girls on.

BUT the fun doesn't stop there, blogspot readers!  After the show, you can actually meet and hang out with the performers of Kiss Kiss Cabaret at Kelsey's - the official bar of Kiss Kiss Cabaret until closing time (or tonight, getting kicked out before closing time). SouthSide was able to chat briefly with Mr. Les Flattery about her thoughts over tonight's peformance and he in turned shared some secrets with her. His monologue - it's not planned. unlike a comedian and there were some minor flubs in tonight's show yet SouthSide nor Joe noticed anything wrong. Oh, yeah Drake - he's about 6 ft 10inches, ladies ...yes, it was quite seductive being towered over a man that tall.

Being billed as "...Chicago's Finest Weekly Vaudeville and Burlesque Carabet show...", SouthSide ranks it at a 5-star rating and  highly recommends checking out the next Kiss Kiss Carabet performance which will feature special performances by Ellie Rioux, Bella Canto, Stella Cheeks and Pearl Pistol on Oct 19th and Ray Ray Sunshine, Stella Cheeks and Shirley Knot on Oct 26th. For more information, visit http://www.kisskisscarabet.com.


Until next time, support your local scene,
SouthSide