Unleashed by Sugar Blue Burlesque @ The Rosemount Hotel
Friday, June 19, 2020
Live burlesque returned to Perth with a big old bang, shimmy and some heavy and hearty whooping at The Rosemount. Forcibly confined to jazz club-style seating due to restrictions only added to the vibe and excitement of being back in front of a stage full of incredibly talented beauties.
MC Dee Dee Luscious warmed up the wintery, post-lockdown crowd with a velvety embrace back into society. Initially resplendent in a jumpsuit anyone would envy, her vocal stylings as she sang the house down were as apt and witty as they were hilarious, and who doesn’t need a laugh after the dumpster fire of 2020 thus far? We deserve this. The reigning 2019 Miss Burlesque winner is an utterly engaging, hilarious queen who lubed up the room pre-burly shenanigans and continued to entertain throughout. Dee Dee is a multi-faceted performer who has a bright and glorious future, very possibly in more MC roles if this performance was anything to go by.
The standout performer of the night was, predictably, the enigmatic Bettie Bombshell, holder of the title of Miss Burlesque Australia 2019 and a truly epic performer. Having seen her perform many times over the years, this was as much of a gift as she always is. She is an internationally renowned burlesque star for good reason, and it’s proven every time she stalks onto the stage. There are no half-assed performances from Bettie, they’re full assed, always — and what an ass it is! Every move exudes sexuality and oozes all over the stage. She is precision, liquid motion, and such a natural dancer that it is an honour to witness.
Malaika Moon was another superstar performer who utterly wowed the audience, and all were completely living for her phenomenal voice that is not to be messed with while playing out a solo queer love story onstage with feeling that was palpable. It is rare to find not one, but two burlesque performers who can also sing, so Unleashed is an absolute treat for that. Feast your eyes, hearts, and ears on all that this show has to offer. Given the current and ongoing conversation about Black Indigenous People of Colour (BIPOC) reclaiming their spaces, Malaika didn’t so much reclaim as completely take it all for herself. This was Malaika’s stage, and we were grateful to be in front of it as a spectator. Look out for her as an upcoming finalist for the Miss Burlesque WA 2020.
Fifi Fontaine was a delightful addition to the stage, in some of the most gorgeous costuming with sensuality abounding. Brilliant musicality lent something to every beat in some of the best thought out art ever seen on stage at the Rosie. Eva Leviosa was the featured super student of the Sugar Blue Academy and holy heck, what a talent! Eva made a hell of a debut and left a ruckus in her wake. She is one to watch and a star in the making.
Kitty Litteur’s attention to detail that was admirable, setting a standard for other performance artists. In burlesque, it is the tiny details that make the difference, and such details as her perfectly rolled vintage stockings were not unnoticed. Costumes can make or break as much as pure talent. As much as that may seem shallow for the uninitiated, the devil lies in the detail for burlesque, just as much as a well-placed shimmy. Another contender for Miss Burlesque WA 2020, keep an eye on this multi-faceted performer.
Such a fabulous night worth reprising, so lucky it was the first of three performances. Get to the Rosie and wipe off your dirty ‘Rona feet, get out of your pyjamas and come and revel in live performance art once more with Sugar Blue Burlesque. You have two more opportunities to do so, and you don’t want to be the one who missed out on history in the making.
NATALIE GILES
Photo by Alexis D.Lea
