Enter the rather run down looking entrance of a building in Bushwick, Brooklyn. Immediate pass a bar serving cocktails named “Off With Your Head” and “Paint the Roses Red.” Cheerful ushers will greet you and take you to your seat. The men are in fishnet stockings, tuxedo jackets with tails and high heels. Not to be outdone, the ladies are scantily clad as well. This is the world of Austin McCormick’s latest burlesque extravaganza, Queen of Hearts.
This time capsule combines the aesthetic decadence of Weimer era cabaret mixed with a dusty recollection of Versailles. The room is bathed in red lighting. Old chandeliers hang from the ceiling. There’s a vague fog reminiscent of smoky dens from long ago nightclubs. A packed house settles in with their drinks eagerly anticipating the vivid dreamscape which will follow.
Music selections are inspired and eclectic, contemporary and nostalgic. Neil Sedaka’s “Alice in Wonderland” sets the playful mood. Wearing a Marie Antoinette outfit, Lady Alice (Lexxe) opens the show. She will go down the rabbit hole with “less clothes.” The show bills itself as a baroque burlesque which is exactly right. Queen of Hearts is sprinkled with tongue-in-cheek humor to accompany the overflowing sexiness.
A few political jabs make very brief appearances. Hard to have a Mad Hatter without the obvious target called out for ridicule. This spectacle is more concerned with the glories of burlesque, circus acts, musical interludes, dance and comedy. Over three acts, the unending succession of high quality showmanship is exhilarating to experience.
Many Alice in Wonderland characters and vignettes are lovingly showcased. The surprises consistently delight and will remain unwritten here for your viewing pleasure. All the classic favorites will be employed including Tweedledee & Tweedledum, some mushrooms, the caterpillar and a Cheshire Cat. Turns out there is quite a bit a fun to be had with a teapot and “meow” songs.
In the section captioned “Eat Me” Ashley Dragon performs on a cyr wheel. Her version was top notch. When it’s nearly time for the first intermission, the card reads “Drink Me.” Laszlo Major is a muscular merman preening in a human sized champagne coupe glass on the bar. Carried off to the stage, he then spins gymnastically around two poles in a scintillating display of athleticism.
The Mad Tea Party is, as you might expect, a definite centerpiece of this show. Michael Andrews’ “Mad World” is employed to bring us back down to earth (and reality) a little bit even as singing aerialist Marcy Richardson dazzles from above. There are no lulls in this cavalcade of imaginativeness. Finally the titular character arrives. Storm Marrero’s entrance and performance as the Queen of Hearts is flawless.
Mr. McCormick’s creative team has created a resplendent world which enhances the exotic curiosities performed on stage and in the audience. The lighting design by Jeanette Oi-Suk Yew bathes the performers in richly atmospheric colors and multi-angled spotlights. Zane Pihlstrom’s costume and scenic designs are transportive. This entertainment is an elegant and stylized cousin to Cirque de Soleil. The intimate setting and exquisite choreography elevate Queen of Hearts to much higher artistic heights.
The vision of Austin McCormick and his Company XIV are not too be missed. Defining themselves as both high and low-brow entertainment, their sensual and decadent spectacles reimagine classic ballets and fairy tales for contemporary audiences. The previous show I saw was last year’s excellent retelling of Ferdinand.
Queen of Hearts has been extended until November. Nutcracker Rouge follows in time for the holidays. Treat yourself to a world of splendor, glamour, high camp, sexuality for all persuasions and extraordinary talent. This show is not lewd but is also not for the prudish and judgmental types. In Alice in Wonderland, the Duchess says, “if everybody minded their own business, the world would go around a great deal faster than it does.” Like minded souls should pounce on this one.
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