June 24, 2013

Black Pearl Burlesque (New Plymouth)

After the All Blacks beat France it seemed like half of New Plymouth headed to The Mayfair for the first Black Pearl Burlesque. I was so excited that a burlesque show was opening in New Plymouth and it's great that a new show has such support from the community. I knew that the performances would be excellent as the acts are seasoned professionals.

It was unfortunate that there were so many logistical issues that I only stayed for the first two performers. I managed to catch Bonita Danger Doll and Fanciforia Foxglove. I can't say much about their acts though as I could only see Bonita from the waist up and Fanciforia from the neck up. During Bonita's act the lights kept dipping into the audience, blinding everyone, which just made matters worse. Do you start to see why I didn't stick around? The acts I missed were Miss Anthropy, Willow Noir, and The Magenta Diamond. The organisers did a great job of selecting such great acts. It is a shame that the MC didn't really fit with the show and that either he or the DJ kept commenting during the performances.

It was a scum to get into the venue where there was half an hour wait for the show and standing room only which meant it was impossible to see the stage even though I was very close to the front. Unlike concerts, with burlesque if you can't see what's going on you miss the entire experience. In the crowd I saw two confrontations and several people leave. The people who had come well lubricated continued to enjoy themselves, however.

The show will be back in six weeks and it has been confirmed that there will be both regular seating as well as tables. I also hope that doorsales will be better handled to avoid the terrible waiting and squash. That, coupled with less drunk people, will make a huge difference to the show which I sincerely hope will continue and be hugely successful.

You can find Black Pearl Burlesque on Facebook

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