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Vaudeville and Vixens
Directed by John Szostek & Vanessa Hughes
Choreographed by Vanessa Hughes
At Piccolo Theatre
600 Main Street (in the train station)
Evanston, IL
Call 847-424-0089 www.piccolotheatre.com
Tickets $25, Seniors $20, students $15
Fridays & Saturdays at 8pm
Sundays at 7 pm
Running time is 90 minutes without intermission
Through October 4, 2008
More Burlesque than vaudeville throw-back show grows tiresome
If you have never seen an old time vaudeville show or a 40’s style burlesque show, than Piccolo Theatre’s “Vaudeville and Vixens” meekly demonstrates just how hooky these shows can be. Filled with variety acts including cornball comedy bits including slapstick, wordplay and general clowning together with flirty ‘tease’ dances by the girls, this dated show tries too hard to be funny and sexy but it fails mainly because we have hear and seen these bits and routines on TV for years. The original borscht-belt comics such as Jackie Gleason, Fanny Brice, Leon Errol, Bert Lahr, W.C. Fields, Red Skelton, Abbott & Costello, Phil Silvers and Bob Hope learned their craft on the vaudeville and burlesque circuit. The sketches are stock items of stage stand-up comedy.
In Piccolo Theatre’s show, careful attention was made to mounted a pure, 40’s style vaudeville/burlesque show. Unfortunately, the cast wasn’t up to the task despite some funny moments. This show suffers from not having the natural comedic skills of the above list of comic greats all of whom put their personal marks on this style. The non-Equity players worked hard to make something of the style but mostly missed the mark necessary to land laughs from the well known material. The girls were too sweet to be believable as sexy strippers; the guys shouted so much they irritated more than entertained. This show presents like an amateur hour that lasted 90 minutes. A large edit is needed as several comic routines were repeated. A one hour show with more dance and less cornball would be better. If you have never seen a pure vaudeville/burlesque show, Piccolo’s “Vaudeville and Vixeens” comes close. Be warned, this is raw sexy humor. Usually Piccolo Theatre does better shows.
Somewhat Recommended
Tom Williams
Tom99@chicagocritic.com for comments
Talk Theatre in Chicago podcast
Date Reviewed: September 14, 2008
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