By Audrey Gervasi
Lily Verlaine and Jasper McCann bring their special brand of risque fun to Seattle once again with Through the Looking Glass: The Burlesque Alice in Wonderland, performed at the Triple Door April 28-30.
The show takes us on a magical and titillating journey with Alice (Inga Ingenue), whom we meet as she arrives home from work and prepares for a night of boredom. However, as she looks into her mirror, she meets a contrasting version of herself (Lou Henry Hoover) who tempts her to walk through the mirror into Wonderland's most exclusive nightclub, the Looking Glass.
The mirror scene, where the black haired Wonderland Alice mimics the blonde bombshell "real" Alice, is impressively performed with precision by Ingenue and Hoover, and sets just the right mood for the fantasy "spectacle of ecdysiastic pageantry" that ensues. Later on in the show, Ingenue and Hoover also perform a provocative number called "Feathery Fantasy," as they ostensibly clean up the feathers left behind by the Flamingos but end up doing a strip tease with them.
The Looking Glass is filled with strange and wonderful characters who offer up their lusty, campy brand of entertainment. Among the first characters we meet are Eat Me and Drink Me, the Looking Glass's waitpersons, played by Kissee Simmons and Polly Wood. Eat Me and Drink Me are a sort of Greek chorus, and their hilarious commentary amps up the entertainment value of an already entertaining production.
Our host is the White Rabbit, played by the larger than life Jasper McCann, who is also the co-producer and writer. McCann's small stature belies his ability to fill the stage. His booming voice reflects his energetic and radiating personality as he welcomes the audience with a song and introduces the various acts.
Besides Ms. Ingenue and Ms. Hoover, the show features many of Seattle's favorite Burlesque performers, including Miss Indigo Blue, Kitten LaRue, Waxie Moon, and Babette La Fave.
The star of the show however, as always, is Lily Verlaine, who plays Caterpillar and the Red Queen. Ms. Verlaine lights up the stage whenever she is on it. Not only is she beautiful, she is an accomplished classical ballet dancer, and this is reflected in her burlesque performances. Her grace and beauty make her a joy to watch, and her performances are the highlight of all of her productions.
Given Ms. Verlaine's star quality, it takes a brave and talented dancer to perform alongside Ms. Verlaine, but Kitten La Rue rises ably to the task in the highly entertaining number, "Checkmate! (Battle of the Red and White Queens)." The two queens, each dressed in matching but contrasting dresses (one red, the other white of course), duke it out on stage in a hilarious and provocative battle, ripping off pieces of each other's costumes to a state of crowd-pleasing dishabille.
Another Seattle Burlesque favorite, Waxie Moon portrays the Cheshire Cat in "Begin with a Grin." Miss(ter) Moon never fails to entertain, and his cat performance and reverse strip tease, make this number one of the highlights of the show. Other highlights are Miss Indigo Blue's Tigerlily number, "A Fancy Flower," and "The Tweedle Sisters," featuring Babette La Fave and Lucky Penny.
Through the Looking Glass: The Burlesque Alice in Wonderland has two more performances on this run: tonight, April 30, at 7 and 10 pm. For tickets and information go to http://www.burlesquealiceinwonderland.com/
