PHOTOSTREAM: Ohio Burlesque Fest @ Beachland Ballroom by Anastasia Pantsios

08-01-03.2019 Ohio Burlesque Festival

Thu 8/1-Sat 8/3

It’s hard to believe that the Ohio Burlesque Festival keeps getting bigger and better each year but it does. Now in its 9th year, it offers three nights of entertainment, with dancers, drag artist, acrobats and aerialist, spectacular costumes, lots of humor and lots and lots of glamor.

It kicked off Thursday with performers such as drag artist Dusty Bucket and her paean to hair; the bawdy Mama Disco from Chicago; Clevelander Foxy Moon’s sly, sexy “Private Eye” routine, Flux Inqueerior’s gender-morphing act, heavy metal drag queen Samantha Echo and headliner Shimmy La Roux, oozing old-time glamor and elegance.

A packed house on Friday whooped and shouted for Rafael De La Getto’s gold-suited man on the make, Scarlett Chaton’s clarinet moves (and clarinet-playing kitten pasties!), Caza Blanca’s ghoulish goth act set to Nine Inch Nails, Moxie Hart & Matt Adore’s light S&M skit, local drag performer Lady J Martinez’s typically edgy number, lit in blue to spotlight her glowing makeup, and Ophelia Zayna Hart’s cape twirling.

Popular headliners were festival founder Bella Sin, as elegant and glowing as always, and multi-time performer Hanky Panky, whose music box act was one of the most creative and complicated of the festival. But the biggest hit on Friday was undoubtedly VerBoobs Radley, who came out impersonating Ruth Bader Ginsberg, and after unrolling and spitting on a picture of Donald Trump, shed her judicial robes to reveal a star-spangled costume. We learned later that her act caused a Trump supporter to leave the building and go sit in his car for the remainder of the evening.

Saturday’s lineup played to a sold-out and extremely enthusiastic crowd, with numerous performers demonstrating their skills with feather fans (Vayda Rhynstone’s moves with giant fans were especially stunning, and beautifully lit). Bringing down the house at the opening of the second half was a Columbus threesome calling themselves Panache a Trois, featuring three physically very different performers whose moves blended perfectly. The Eye Candy Vixens were another group ensemble, with synchronized dance moves and a ’40s vibe. Harlow Holiday showed off a lighted cape in her wintry routine, while Lady Fingers in pink and fairy wings, with bubbles floating around the stage, was the perfect princess.

Maestro Maestra was another returning performer, this time as a special feature, demonstrating the fluid lines of his classical ballet training. The show closed with the queenly, gold-clad Vivi Valens and her classic burlesque moves, and headliner Lou Lou Duchess de Riere, who married artistry, creative and intricate costuming, and skillful aerial moves.

Were these the only highlights? Oh hell no — but with more than 60 acts over three nights, we can’t mention them all. But check out our photos — we captured most of them. And be sure to mark Ohio Burlesque Fest 10 on your calendar: always the first weekend in August.

View the PHOTOSTREAM here.

Cleveland, OH 44110

 

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