Jul. 18, 2012 - Issue #874: Musician’s Survival Guide: Songwriters on Songwriting
Titillation with a wink
Burlesque-A-Pades pairs NYC burlesque queen with local showcase
» Angie Pontani / MissTPinups.com
Roxy Theatre, $25
By way of New York City, the reigning queen of burlesque, Angie Pontani, will join budding Alberta burlesque talent for a one-night only spectacular hosted by renowned entertainer Murray Hill.
Over the past decade, Pontani has cultivated a successful career in burlesque, being named 2008's Miss Exotic World, Best International Touring Artist of 2009 and glowing reviews from crowds and critics alike.
Pontani, who will be making her second appearance in Edmonton, says she has always been enamoured with vintage-style entertainment.
"I wanted to be Ginger Rogers. I wanted to be the glamorous '50s-style diva, so to speak," Pontani says.
Burlesque is by no means a new style of theatrical entertainment, but Pontani says most modern audiences are unfamiliar with it. She loves seeing people experience the over-the-top spectacle for the first time and says it's all about letting go of your beliefs and simply enjoying the show.
The genre faded into the shadows for some time, and Pontani says it is a different breed than modern adult entertainment. Tease and titillation is presented in a classy, tongue-and-cheek way complete with a wink and a smile unique to burlesque.
Accompanying Pontani and Hill onstage will be Capital City Burlesque, Holly Von Sinn of Hook'um Revue, LeTabby Lexington of Send in the Girls Burlesque and Calgary's Raven Virginia of Garter Girls Burly-Q Revue and Buxom Revue.
Delia Barnett, also known as LeTabby Lexington, was a bartender at Pontani's Edmonton show last year, and suggested to the producer that local girls should be included to give the Edmonton scene more exposure. The producer responded almost immediately, and Barnett and Pontani have been working closely via email to put this year's show together.
"What always impresses me about Angie is her energy and spirit. She has so much fun onstage and she takes these classic, gorgeous numbers and just plays around," Barnett says. "I'm definitely a giant fan of hers, so I have to get over a little bit of a my star struck nervousness before next weekend when I meet her.
Barnett, who says she'd always been curious about the genre, began her foray into burlesque four years ago, when Raven Virginia showed her the ropes in her living room. Since then, Barnett has gone on to form Send in the Girls Burlesque with Ellen Chorley, which uses burlesque as a form of storytelling and can be seen again at this year's Fringe with A Brontë
Burlesque.
"I just think it's this really cool, amazing art form and this great way to tell stories," says Barnett, who also has clown and acting training, which she incorporates into her style of burlesque. "It's just so tongue-and-cheek because actually, the word burlesque derives from an Italian word that means satire and comedy." vueweekly.com comments: powered by Disqus
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