This past Saturday night at Eclipse, Professor Whiskey’s Traveling Bizarre Bazaar opened their 2014 Vaudeville season with Professor Whiskey’s presents: Classic Vaudeville.
I attend many events in town and am, more often than not, on the list which was the case for their show but I’m also a big fan of supporting local artists and like to pay now and then, especially if I’m writing a review of the show.
I paid Saturday and it was money well spent.
There is always an atmosphere of excitement mixed with anticipation at any Professor Whiskey show but after two months without a show both the audience and the players were ready to burst from that excitement and anticipation..
Master of ceremonies for the evening was Mr. Billy Daeighley Lightfoot who seemed a little naked without his guitar at first but quickly took to the role and was throwing out one liners and tossing index cards aside like an emcee of old.
First up was Miss Penny Wise of Molotov Cocktail Party fame. She brought her hat and the heat, firing up the time machine that would carry the audience back to the days of Classic Vaudeville.
Miss Crimson Le Clover and Mr. Crit Ter aka Critter the Crawler were the first stop on our journey. The two did a little dance and answered the question of who was behind the dressing screen while Miss Le Clover left both Mr. Crit Ter and the audience, wanting more. Classic Vaudeville, indeed.
Mr. Billy Daeighley Lightfoot did his best to keep Miss Jessabell Darlin out of the thrift stores and away from hulu hoops, luckily for us, he failed.
Miss Ramona Rhapsody performed her first number of the evening. If you’re unaware of the definition of rhapsody;
- an effusively enthusiastic or ecstatic expression of feeling.
- (in ancient Greece) an epic poem, or part of it, of a suitable length for recitation at one time.
Her performance was a poem not to be missed.
Mr. Billy Daeighley Lightfoot found his guitar and joined Miss Jessabell Darlin in a rendition of “Dream a Little Dream of Me” that had everyone doing just that.
Miss Bettie Belladonna took the stage in a red gown, purple boa draped across her shoulders with “Hey Big Spender” playing. Her routine had nearly every man and more than few ladies, instinctively, and no doubt, wishfully, reaching for their wallets.
Then there were special cupcakes for a lucky birthday boy. On the subject of birthdays; Both Molotov Cocktail Party and Professor Whiskey’s Traveling Bizarre Bazaar are available for private parties and events and may be contacted through their facebook pages.
After Intermission Miss Penny Wise returned with orange/red/yellow silk fan veils and danced with the flames once more. Then she ignited both her fire fans and the hearts of her audience.
Miss LuckyVon Lu emerged from the slowly dissipating smoke clocked all in white, covered in glitter and sapphires with icicles and snowflakes. A White Queen come to have one last dance before Spring.
Mr. Billy Daeighley Lightfoot and Miss Jessabell Darlin performed another song and all I’ll say is you should have been there. Catch the next show, maybe you’ll get lucky and they’ll do it again.
Miss Lily Lector took the stage with such enthusiasm that I couldn’t help but smile. And if you weren’t smiling already she had butt tassels, if that doesn’t get your smile going, your smile is broken.
Miss Envy N’Ferno floated across the stage with her 5 foot 2 inches of green feather fans all the while shining brightly and not just because of the nearly 2000 crystals and other sparky whatchamacallits that went into her costume
Miss Ramona Rhapsody and Miss Bettie Belladonna, that’s right, two Burlesque Beauties, at the same time, had a little good girl vs bad girl number and all I’ll say is it’s too bad you missed it because it was damn good.
I’ve said it before, there is no better entertainment value in our city than a Professor Whiskey Show and part of that show is what happens after the last act; the performers step off stage and into the crowd, they pose for pictures, pose with fans for pictures, talk, laugh have fun with their audience.
And it continues, the next day and week on various social media, facebook, twitter… they consistently put on a wonderful show and consistently shower their fans and supporters with gratitude.
As was the case with those wandering travelers who came before, these modern purveyors of the bizarre, the unique and the strange attract a following of peddlers, craftsmen and artists.
Jeremy Spicer of Germ Spider Designs: Horror Art
Sarah TheCrafter Copeland of Resplendence
Landis Greenhut of Landis Greenhut Custom Artworks
Cindy Randolph of The Bone Mistress