Weekend preview: Burning Hearts Burlesque @ Admiral Theater

OK, don’t let the kids click ahead on this one. Well – the pix are really just PG, but a nine-letter word starting with “s” comes up. Burning Hearts Burlesque brings its “Bedroom Club” show to Admiral Theater on Saturday night, and its executive producer talked with us at her West Seattle home so we could ask the obvious question:

That obvious question, “how far does it go?” — here’s the answer, from Burning Hearts Burlesque’s executive producer, who goes by Cleo Petra:

Cleo explains the show doesn’t have much in common with what you would see at a garden-variety strip club. For one – there’s a host (her first-ever female host, Miss Dinah Simone, who she thinks the audience will adore). For two – there’s comedy. And kittens (well, performers in kitten ears. Really.) For three – there’s dessert. Yes, dessert. We looked at the ad postcard for “The Bedroom Club” (scroll down to see it at the bottom of this post) and wondered if maybe “Free Dessert” was a performer’s name — nope, this is dessert theater, Cleo explains. (The “kittens” serve the dessert, by the way. And on behalf of WSB’s numerous food fans, we had to ask “What KIND of dessert?” Cleo was still working on it when we met Monday night; probably chocolate cake. With chocolate frosting.)

Burlesque’s resurgence is a relatively new phenomenon, with a lot of Gen-X and Gen-Y involvement; Cleo takes issue with anyone who suggests it’s exploitation; “it’s really about what’s ABOVE the neck,” she notes — expressions of joy as they entertain. She says her company’s shows attract a diverse crowd – only prerequisite to attend the show is that you’re over 21 (and see the promotional postcard image below for the saucy dress-code suggestions).

“The Bedroom Club” previously had a long run at another Seattle club, and it’s not the only thing Burning Hearts is working on right now; Cleo’s company also produces “Open Tease” at Skylark in West Seattle – an open competition that will return to Skylark on July 22 (after a show earlier this week); Skylark, in fact, is where Cleo says she met her new host (the aforementioned Miss Dinah Simone). She says the burlesque phenomenon had managed to pass West Seattle by till recently, but now, it appears, we’re ready.

As for whether you’re ready for “The Bedroom Club” — which Cleo toplines as a “more theatrical approach” to burlesque, telling the story of “what goes on in a lady’s boudoir”: Last year’s Burning Hearts show sold out, according to the Admiral; tickets are still left for Saturday – check out this page on the Admiral’s newly revamped website.

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4 Replies to "Weekend preview: Burning Hearts Burlesque @ Admiral Theater"

  • me June 19, 2008 (7:14 pm)

    What’s the nine letter word starting with “s”?

  • WSB June 19, 2008 (8:05 pm)

    Cleo used it several times in the video clip. Sexuality.

  • me June 20, 2008 (12:56 am)

    Oh, hehe :)

  • DL Byron June 20, 2008 (11:45 am)

    Bike Hugger is now working on burlesque hugger . . .

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