Orlando gives burlesque fans plenty of reasons to cheer
Things To Do
In case you don’t know, Central Florida has a thriving burlesque scene. Anyone looking to catch a combo of parody and striptease can find literally dozens of troupes putting on productions along the the I-4 corridor several times a year, with at least one show somewhere virtually every week.
Rarely do fans get the kind of boon they’re being granted this weekend. Four events will be competing for your admissions fees (not to mention your singles).
Friday has two sexy shows. Dance maven Blue Star’s classic Ladies of the Peek-A-Boo Lounge will put on disco/soul revue
(8 p.m., 511 Virginia Drive in Orlando, $15-$22, thevenueorlando.com). Over at The Abbey, it’s the monthly performance of the
(8 p.m., 100 S. Eola Drive in Orlando, $15-$35, cherrybombburlesque.com). The fun continues on Saturday as The Venue again plays host, this time to a show specifically of plus-size performers (10 p.m., $15-$30, thevenueorlando.com). And in Winter Park, the Breakthrough Theatre has
a night of acts devoted to what people wish their favorite fictional characters would get up to (10 p.m., 419A W. Fairbanks Ave., $12, breakthroughtheatre.com).
One note to keep in mind: The Venue is closing in September, so while there will be plenty more burlesques over the next couple months, each performance now is one of the last.
Laughs for a cause
By this point, I hope we would all know that sometimes the people who make us smile the most are also hurting on the inside. So it’s good to see an event that addresses both sides of the coin at once.
In
comedian Collin Williams uses his actual suicide note as the basis for a night of (I’m guessing very dark) laughs (6:30 p.m. Friday, Orlando Repertory Theatre, 1001 E. Princeton St. in Orlando, $30-$50, eventbrite.com).
On top of being educational, according to the event description 100 percent of the proceeds will “go towards filling gaps in Central Florida’s mental health system.” I’ve heard worse reasons to laugh.
Art for art’s sake
A couple new exhibitions look to be eye-opening this week.
presents new works by Ashley Taylor (6:30-9 p.m. Friday, Mill Gallery, 1650 N. Mills Ave. in Orlando, free, facebook.com). The UCF lecturer illustrates in the satirical style of R. Crumb, so don’t be surprised if there’s a little shock in this showcase.
And then if you’re up for a beach trip, Arts on Douglas is opening
(4-7 p.m. Saturday, through Aug. 31, 123 Douglas St. in New Smyrna Beach, free, artsondouglas.net). The annual group exhibit focuses on the days of sunshine and surf, or humidity and thunderstorms. It’s all in how you look at it.