PRINCESS & THE CITY
★ ★★ out of 5
Stage 21, El Cortez Mexican Kitchen and Tequila Bar There’s something very honest about Princess & The City. It’s burlesque. It’s very straightforward burlesque. There will be music, there will be scantilyclad women. There will be adult beverages.
To be clear, lest I accidentally imply anything untoward was happening, patrons were paying for their drinks and the women were always clad, no matter how scantily. Everything was above board.
Though it did feel a bit … adventurous, maybe a half-step down from the highbrow preconceived notions of burlesque. That’s not to say it’s bad, far from it. This is some high-energy musical performance with great dancers. And it doesn’t hurt that they are taking their clothes off.
For a show featuring dancers and (borderline) nudity, The Dueling Divas, the Graling sisters, on the pianos were the hands-down stars of the show. Their energy kept the room buzzing and they made sure everyone felt welcome and included. This was a celebration, and they wanted everyone to raise their drinks in joy.
The gentleman in front of me was belting along to all of the ’80s, ’90s and early ’00s songs like it was his last night on Earth.
There is a plot to Princess & The City, but let’s be honest, that’s not what you’re there for. I could criticize it for being thin, but really it’s just there to serve as a device to transition between dancers.
There’s a certain honesty to this show. Princess & The City is loud music, adult beverages and scantily-clad women. It doesn’t pretend to be anything else, doesn’t put on any airs or any pretensions. You really have to raise your glass to that.