RSS 2.0 FeedLate July 2011, Dance
Adult fairy tales in the land of Bump-and-Grind
"Grimm and Bare It" brings the best of Kansas City burlesque together for a fabulously bawdy re-telling of Grimm’s Fairy Tales. The performances for the Kansas City Fringe Festival were just a teaser for the full-scale August production but were full of ribald fun nonetheless.
The sizzling chanteuses and emcees of The Kansas City Society of Burlesque and Bee’s Knees Burlesque teamed up for an unforgettable show in Grimm and Bare It, a certifiable hit of the 2011 Kansas City Fringe Festival.
The organizers turned away droves of curious spectators every night, and those able to claim a seat on the couches and mismatched chairs left tantalized, tickled and likely a bit turned on. Nestled in the aptly named, The Living Room, the “creative gang bang” incorporated the best burlesque of Kansas City on and off the stage. The collaboration was a bawdy, theatrical interpretation of Grimm’s Fairy Tales or as Ms. Kitty von Minx (The Queen) proclaims, “This is tits with a story, not pussy with a plot:” a helpful introduction for the uninitiated to the world of burlesque. Staged simply by Tyson Schroeder and featuring a gypsy-jazz score by Mark Lowery and Circus Contraption, the performers owned every part of the stage, the audience whooping at every clever line and lace untied.
Grimm and Bare It was expertly helmed by Artemus Vulgaris, as Jacob Grimm, and Victor Vector, as Wilhelm Grimm: a.k.a. The Brother’s Grimm. Composed loosely around the brothers as they toil over the creation of those oh-so familiar fantasy stories, the storytelling eases you into every delectable entrance of each of the featured artists.
The ensemble cast dazzled as it peeled, shook and sang between the Brother’s comedic, tongue-in-cheek narration. Sweet Louise’s Cinderella was played with cute naïveté of a drunken housewife on a cruise ship. Daisy Buckët’s, Disney-fied, Snow White had the audience erupting in laughter even after she had been thrown down the well…twice. Sleeping Beauty, portrayed by Annie Cherry, lulled Jacob Grimm to sleep and enchanted the audience with a breathy version of “Dream a Little Dream of Me” all while peeling her baby blue layers. The Queen’s Apple induced a Lynchian, hallucinatory dream of “the apple that peels itself” revealing not only the poison it contains but the lovely Violet Vendetta. Other standouts were Scarlet LaFever’s sassy Blackbird, and Honey Valentine’s vengeful, pouty Red Riding Hood, the latter of which was paired well with a sultry cover of Shivaree’s “Goodnight Moon.”
These may not be quite the stories your grandmother told you but they’re every bit as entertaining and memorable. Luckily for those that were unable to squeeze into a Fringe performance, the cast is reuniting at The Living Room August 18, 19, and 20 for a special 2-hour extended edition of the production., which means you can still experience happily ever after, burlesque style.
REVIEW:
Kansas City Fringe Festival
Grimm and Bare It: Once Upon A Time in the Land of Bump and Grind
July 23–29, 2011 (Reviewed Friday, July 29)
The Living Room
1818 McGee, Kansas City, MO
For more information visit http://kcfringe.org
Top Photo: Violet Vendetta (Photo (C) Steve Thompson - All Rights Reserved 2011. Used with permission)
Film, Theatre Contributor
Calli Parker studied film production and English at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. After working on various projects in Kansas City, she relocated to Los Angeles where she served as a production manager and assistant director on short and feature films. Currently residing in Kansas City, Calli continues to collaborate with the talented filmmakers and artists of the emerging arts community.
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