New performers and new performances will be on the menu when the Sweet Tooth Burlesque Revue comes to the Queen’s on April 26.
The debut show is one of three yearly programs to feature burlesque rookies and regular performers trying out unseen routines for the first time.
“It makes it a whole show of brand new things and we try to challenge even our troupe members to do things they’ve never done before,” said Sweet Tooth’s Jen Farough, who goes by the stage name Eyevanna Candygasm.
“Maybe somebody always does classic burlesque; we challenge them to maybe do hip-hop burlesque, something that’s new to them, out of their comfort zone… They always end up being our best shows because people super challenge themselves.”
During the year, those curious about what Farough called “the art of tease to get people excited through arousal” and want to try it for themselves are welcomed to approach the troupe with their ideas. Farough said newcomers get some coaching to help shape their performance so it “tells a story” through its music, dress and content.
“It doesn’t have to be a super professional performance, we just want to give people the opportunity to try burlesque and be on the stage and get that kind of feeling of making a piece of art,” Farough said.
Farough describes Sweet Tooth as a diverse, “Vaudevillian, comedy-based” troupe and that burlesque acts can go beyond the typical “classic striptease.” She said performances can feature elements like drag, lip-syncing or spoken word.
At the debut show the regular members will be first to take the stage, Farough said, to ease in the nervous newbies. She said by the end there are some new performers who end up joining the troupe.
“We just want people to feel empowered to be able to try burlesque,” Farough said.
“We think that everybody should try burlesque or performance art at least once because everybody’s got a story to tell.”
WHAT’S ON … Sweet Tooth Burlesque Revue comes to the Queen’s on Thursday, April 26. Doors at 7:30, show starts at 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $20.
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