By Erin Mccoy
Seven hours after a campus-wide blackout, the lone spotlight in the University of Louisville’s Red Barn clicked on a parade of lingerie, fishnets and fake blood. Grotesque Burlesque brought its gothic can-can back to campus Friday for its second Student Activities Board-sponsored event.
Scenes of corrupted angels, videos denouncing greed and other societal ills and the notorious finale featuring President George W. Bush harassing angels and pouring fake blood over a Middle-Eastern dancer combined with tales of a naughty nurse and a nerdy girl’s awkward interpretation of the 80s hit “I Touch Myself.”
“I actually really liked it,” said Bellarmine student Medrena Ward after the show. “Typically you don’t have the anti-war type message [in burlesque shows], but I think it added something.”
A handful of students crowded the front rows under a lit disco ball while DJ Kaleidoscope blasted typically grotesque tunes. Grotesque Burlesque’s first headlining performance on campus in March 2006 packed the Red Barn past capacity; this time, it was probably the icy weather and imminent finals that kept the crowd smaller, speculated Alex Hunnicutt, executive chair of the Student Activities Board Variety Committee.
Grotesque Burlesque put on a high-energy show that combined political and social messages with the essential sexual element. Videos by Tamara Monera shared the stage with the live antics of Rocket, Vyxsin, Lola, Holly Homicide, Julie Doom, Diamonds and Cinderella.
Grotesque Burlesque Show Coordinator Kynt said delivering substance has been the point from the beginning.
“We’ve really tried to gear the show to be entertaining regardless of the crowd, because to some people the show is just, ‘Look at the pretty girls,’ but to others this is really interesting sociofeminist [commentary],” he said.
An interlude in the show came when the words, “And now let’s take a moment,” appeared on the screen. It continued, “to thank the man who helped unleash Grotesque Burlesque onto the U of L campus. Happy 24th Daniel!” The girls dragged former SAB member Daniel Marlin onto the stage. Marlin spearheaded the group’s March performance. The performers brought out a chair and paced around him, offering a thanks only burlesque can give. Plus, a birthday cupcake.
The reason for the gratitude is that U of L students are one of the group’s favorite audiences, Kynt added. Grotesque Burlesque recently performed at the U of L International Fashion Show for the second time.
“The thing we like about the U of L crowd is when we perform it, they get it,” he said. “The irony, the satire seems to resonate with the Louisville crowd.”
Grotesque Burlesque performs at the club Exile, along with shows at Comedy Caravan, Phoenix Hill Tavern and several other venues around town. But lately the show has sparked interest in out-of-town venues, and the ladies have kicked up their heels in Nashville and Atlanta.
“I think we’re pretty much the only political performing arts goth show that’s in the country,” said Vyxsin, who founded Grotesque Burlesque with Kynt more than two years ago. “Even if you’re not in a city as small as Louisville, we’re unusual.”
The show’s uniqueness has earned it some local attention, too. The group recently won LEO Weekly’s Best Louisville Performing Arts Group award for the second year in a row.
Grotesque Burlesque consists of five core members with a constantly rotating extra cast to keep the show fresh.
“[Vyxsin] is the brains behind the whole project: director, choreographer and den mother,” Kynt said. Vyxsin choreographed most of the acts, but she said a lot of input comes from other members.
“What’s made it really easy getting it from my head to the show is the girls are so much fun,” Vyxsin said.
The group has done fundraising shows for the House of Ruth and AIDS prevention, and the show itself has turned out to be an effective medium for addressing complicated, and often controversial, social issues.
“To me, it’s the strongest way to send a message, because they sure get people to watch,” Kynt said.
