Arts & Entertainment

Luke Simcoe
aeditor@ gmail.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

9

 

 

 

 

 

TTT Te

 

DY &

| @
oryy

 

 

 

4
4

 

Oo
EO

 

+4
+4

 

 

 

 

a
hhc

 

> he “Vancouver /nternational Jgurlesque _festival

Mark
Fisher

     

E.. an exciting, exhilarating,
and titillating night out, nothing can
compare to a Vancouver burlesque
show. The city is truly blessed to
have so many talented and vivacious
performers who always deliver a
performance that leaves your heart
racing.

If you’ve never
been to a _ show
before, be assured
that burlesque is
lot more than just

“This formerly one
weekend festival has
evolved into some-
thing so big that it’s

24 to May 4 with an incredible nine
nights of thrills.
Having attended the first two
VIBFs, I must say it’s awesome to
see something that originally started
as a weekend festival evolve into
something so big that it’s impossible
to take it all in. The festival has
surpassed its humble beginnings
and is become something akin to the
Vancouver Fringe Festival or New
Music West; performances at different
venues each night, workshops during
the day, industry schmoozing events,
and even an awards gala at the end.
In addition to homegrown talent there
were performers from San Francisco,
New York, England, and Australia. The
festival is volunteer-
driven and next year
they’re planning on
making it even bigger.
Being able to attend
four events in one

a striptease, it’s impossible to take it week was like heaven,
more like a_ sexy os though I was sad to
variety show. The all in. miss out on some
burlesque scene in tantalizing |§ numbers.

Vancouver has been steadily growing
over the past several years, with many
performers from our fair city being
whisked away to perform all over the
world. To further put Vancouver on
the map, the Vancouver International
Burlesque Festival (VIBF) was
created, and it just concluded its third
successful year, running from April

   

During the nine nights of this year’s
festival, almost every aspect of
modern burlesque got its time in the
spotlight, including musical theatre,
a night dedicated to burlesque on
film (complete with the screening
of a documentary about burlesque
in Vancouver), and a showcase of
international performers.

The events I was able to attend
began with April 29’s “Kitty Nights”,
a night of live vocalist burlesque—
that’s right, every act sang while they
stripped. Taking place at the gorgeous
Majestic Lounge (1138 Davie Street),
where the beauty of the room, voices,

 

and bodies combined into a night I
won’t soon forget.

April 30 brought me to the
Royal Unicorn Caberat (147 East
Pender) for the “Corrupt Cabaret.”
Many of the acts had to be seen to be
believed, including Diamond Minx as

‘os by Shannon McKay