Festival Theatre, Adelaide Festival Centre, Mon 13 Jun
Burlesque Queen Dita von Teese [USA] materialised on stage wearing the first of four shimmering creations, a silvery, crystal encrusted work of art that matched the giant, sparkling Swarovski martini glass – the centrepiece for her first act. Impossibly perfect, from her hair and makeup to the layers of glittering lingerie she slowly removes, von Teese is almost other-worldly as she glides around the stage doing exactly as her name suggests. Making her way to the glass, she immerses herself, playfully luxuriating in the gin/water, creating a sensual and captivating opening scene.
Dita von Teese performs four acts throughout the night, each routine as equally sensual as the last, the beauty not only of her movement and form but also the intricate staging, working together to create worlds of visual pleasure that simply takes your breath away. Her next act included a sparkling pink mechanical bull, complete with glistening tumbleweeds, gleaming cactus and a couple of cowboys in glittery gold shorts, a little man-candy that was definitely appreciated by all. From there, von Teese stunned everyone with her Bird Of Paradise routine, her exquisite plumage and corsetry completely mesmerising, particularly as she began to shed said feathers and garments across the stage. Draping herself across the swing in her beautiful birdcage, she once again drew cries of delight as water cascaded down upon her striking form.
Between these moments of pure fantasy were a number of other burlesque acts that – whilst not in the same league – were each enjoyable in very different ways. There were boys and girls, feathers, sequins, tassels and all the usual trappings but with a few twists including giant neon lit spider webs (amazing!) and a hilarious Zorro routine complete with cape, sword and a strategically placed bedazzled sock by the only boylesque performer of the troupe. The greatest reception was for standout support act Perle Noir – The Black Pearl (Velvet), aka The Mahogany Queen of Burlesque, a New Orleans beauty whose powerful dance moves were a real highlight.
Pulling all of these threads together was Drag King and comedian MC Murray Hill (Club Swizzle) whose showmanship and humour whipped up the crowd when needed and provided some hilarious moments, particularly when engaging with audience members in the front few rows. Finally dragging three blokes onstage to perform their own strip routines was a genius move that even Hill didn’t predict as these guys almost stole the show with their ‘enthusiasm’!
And then it was time for the finale, an experience absolutely worth waiting for. The stage is set as an Opium den, complete with fans and screens as we see von Teese reclining with said opium pipe, again bedazzled in yet another gorgeous Asian-inspired corseted creation that is slowly removed piece by piece in a haze of smoke that makes one feel a part of some exotic opium dream. Disembodied hands caress her near naked body as von Teese ‘surrenders’ to the pleasure of it all. An explosion of cherry blossom confetti heralds the end of the sequence and the audience erupted into a wild standing ovation that threatened to raise the Festival Theatre roof.
For those lucky enough to secure tickets, the Dita von Teese ‘experience’ will forever be one of those theatrical moments you’ll never be likely to forget.
Rosie van Heerde
Dita von Teese performs Burlesque: Strip, Strip, Hooray at Festival Theatre, Adelaide Festival Centre, from 7.30pm on Thu 23 Jun.
This performance is SOLD OUT.
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