As Prince Prospero (Daddea D’Vicious) and his debauched revelers (Luci LeClaire, Miss Foxy D’Ville, Luna La Volpe, Goldie La’Vie, Misty Rose, Cersei Celeste, Vanity A’Loura, Aurora Fable, Lilith Lovecraft) entered cavorting to the opening lines of Edgar Allan Poe’s iconic short story “The Masque of the Red Death,” I initially experienced flashbacks to the many times my own Phantasmagoria troupe has interpreted the same tale. But that déjà vu was swiftly dispersed as soon as the cast’s black capes were dispensed of — revealing their decadent décolletage underneath — and “Life of the Party” by The Weeknd kicked in.
Following the group opening number, each chapter of the faithfully narrated text is interspersed with solo routines (set to pulse-pounding tracks by Avicii, Portishead and Depeche Mode), with each colored chamber mentioned by Poe represented by a different dancer. You’re certain to get your fill of feather fans and furry boas, and this big ensemble boasts a bevy of busty beauties who tend to end their stripteases topless, save for tasteful glitter-paint pasties.
Happily, for this incarnation of their show, Big Bang Boom choreographer/director Miss Foxy D’Ville and her co-directors Sean Holloway & Aurora Fable have gone far beyond basic burlesque to create a cohesively flowing theatrical experience … which just happens to showcase female flesh. I was especially impressed by the dramatic visual storytelling in the climactic duel between Prospero and the Red Death (Karma Carnelian) and the fatal finale that follows.
If you’re searching for the sweet spot between dark dance theater and sparkling striptease, Big Bang Boom has your ticket to the ball.
Orlando Fringe: Tickets and times for “Masquerade of the Red Death”
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This article appears in May 8-14, 2024.