Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Creepshow Cabaret (review)

Spoilers ahoy!


I'm not sure that's really true, but...tradition!

Anyway, Creepshow Cabaret is the latest entry into the repertoire of Zombie Joe's Underground Theatre Group. This has become something of a tradition at ZJU, some type of cabaret each year with hints of striptease and musical numbers, etc. They've been a fairly wide variety and show no sign of toning down!

So what is this one like?

A tad more traditional, in that this show lacks a plot (as opposed to, for example, A Down and Dirty Cabaret). Yet also in some ways more edgy, more extreme, more Urban Death-esque but not too much. It is funny, beyond doubt, although our hostess Mia Morte could use some work on her timing. A bit.

Zachariah, her co-host and entertainer in the boylesque (a term I'd never heard before this performance--I rather like it!) mode. He and Mia Morte do the very, VERY smart thing of setting up for every act and turning the set-up into a bit of show. Bravo to both of you! So very dull when the show stops just to get ready for the next performer. But no problem here! These two have a fun, arch chemistry that brought a big smile to my face.

The of the performers bring in some element of the sideshow, really. We have three more burlesque dancers (one male, two female) not counting our hostess who very appropriately dances to Rob Zombie's Living Dead Girl (and no, I'm not going to tell you why that is so appropriate--go see the show for yourself!).

Between the three, Malicious Sid is in many ways the most fun. Like a grown-up Pinnochio-turned-stripper he disrobed to the tunes of Coin-Operated Boy. And by "fun" I do mean to some extent "disturbing" but in a good way!

The female dancers are Little Miss Sideshow  (who cosplays one of her performances as a very famous comic book villain) and another young lady whose name I did not catch. Honestly, the lack of a program did bother me because it left me without a reference to names. However, whereas Little Miss Sideshow came across as a wicked little nymphet, her compatriot in lingerie was more a standard voluptuous tease, and a beautiful one as well.

Dangerous D was a performer who genuinely made me squirm--and got me to laugh while doing it! How to describe his act...hmmmm... Well, he called himself an "endurance artist" and that pretty much sums it up. Check out his website for more details, or simply go see the show--which I do recommend. Unless you're very squeamish.

Creepshow Cabaret also boasts a magician, a very good one, who is also a bit of an escape artist. Vincent Wolf doesn't seem to have a website, sorry to say, which means I must again urge you to see this show! Not that I mind!

Creepshow Cabaret runs Fridays at 11pm through August 8, 2014 at ZJU Theatre, 4850 Lankershim Blvd (North of Camarillo & Vineland, across from KFC) North Hollywood. Tickets are $15 and reservations can be made at 818.202.4120 or by going to ZombieJoes.com

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