So a lobster, a monkey, three strippers and a saw-fiddling geology professor from Marymount University walk into a bar. No, that's not the beginning of a ridiculous joke, it's the premise of a ridiculously fabulous live theater show.
"The Lobster Boy Revue" is a homegrown D.C. Vaudeville-Burlesque show that rekindles the absurdity that was burlesque theater. At trendy hole-in-the-wall Chief Ike's Mambo Room in Adam's Morgan on Feb. 12, the audience sits comedy-club style in front of an intimate stage to be entertained with corny stand-up, "self-help" videos, wacky interactive games and, of course, the most fabulous strippers east of the Potomac. Those who aren't faint of heart should gear up and get moving, because this is not your grandfather's burlesque show.
So what does the Lobster Boy Revue have to offer? Everything. First comes the Lobster Boy himself, a dry-wit, bearded 30-something, looking dapper in a full body Lobster tuxedo suit complete with cummerbund. For those who can only be entertained by the endless battle between good and evil (Trekkies and "Lord of the Rings" fans, for example), sure to be a hit are Little Trixie and the Evil Hate Monkey, a super-hero/super-villain acrobatic strip duo. Feeling a little dirty after the strip tease? Nothing will clear out your potty-brain faster than the Saw-Fiddling "Crater Lady," basically a more eccentric version of your mom (right down to the turtleneck and snow galoshes), "Crater Lady" is sure to dazzle with the abnormally large volume of Elvis love ballads she can play in four minutes--on the saw.
Feel like telling these people not to quit their day jobs? Don't worry, these actors and actresses didn't. In the real world, "Lobster Boy" alter-ego Lucas Zarwell is a scientist and sidekick. "Card-Girl" Jei Spatola makes her living as a make-up artist. And "Crater Lady" is a full-time geology professor at Marymount University.
As the night moseys on, there is little chance the short films created by the Lobster Revue team will disappoint. And prize-driven audience participation will keep things exciting. But by far the most exquisite and entrancing performances of the evening are by local strip legend Jo Boobs.
Ravishing in 1940s-era gowns, dripping with faux diamonds and appearing to have been dropped into a large vat of glitter before arriving onstage, Boobs elegantly seduces everyone in the room. By stripping "old-school" (down to pasties and panties rather than the full monty), Boobs recalls performances of Gypsy Rose Lee and other burlesque stars of bygone eras. Drawing her inspiration from "circus, fetish and drag queen shows," Boobs has been dancing burlesque since 1978. The source of her glamorous style? "Small glittery objects, drag queen make-up tricks and 'The Rocky Horror Picture Show,'" she says.
With such a hodge-podge of performances and such an eclectic audience, one must wonder how the Lobster Boy Revue came to be.
"Out of a theater group," says Zarwell. "I wanted to dress up like a lobster and [my friends said] that would be f'ing hot, let's do it."
"There are elements of recreation [in this show]," Boobs says. "The voluptuous horror of Karen Black, sex worker artists, traditional artists of burlesque and [Jim Henson's] Muppets, who were heavily influenced by Burlesque theater."
"And Bugs Bunny, too," Spatola says.
"God, I wish I was Bugs Bunny," says Zarwell, still in his Lobster Boy costume.
Despite the influence of burlesque, the cast is quick to say that the performances they produce are not traditional burlesque theater.
"We like the style that comes with burlesque, a style that we are obviously all bastardizing," Spatoka says.
Despite its burlesque edginess, one cannot help but feel completely comfortable at the Lobster Boy Revue. Its intimate locale, homegrown talent and laid-back attitude create an instant camaraderie between performers and audience members. "This is such a fun little scene," Spatola says. "Burlesque is so open and supportive, we enjoy having a really good time and you can feel that in the audience. It's something different, and it's fun."
Tickets and information for the next performance of the Lobster Boy Revue, named the "Jesus and Taxes Show," can be found at the show's Web site at www.lobsterboy.net.
For additional information about Jo Boobs and other burlesque performers in the D.C. area, check out www.gstringsforever.com.
