November Burlesk at Heldeke!

I made my way to Heldeke! on a recent Friday for November’s edition of burlesque, with a new line-up and a familiar host. I was not alone in braving the wintry weather; as before, attendees were a blend of groups, couples, solo adventurers, regulars, and those new to the genre. After being greeted at the door by tonight’s topped-and-tailed floor manager Titi de Sweetie, we made our way inside.

The audience arrived early and bundled up against the snow falling outside, crowding the entry with their own burlesque of winter wear removal, revealing sequins and satin, faux fur and fine jewelry, many looking good enough for the stage. Burlesque is an opportunity for a flashy night out, and though there was a group of more casually dressed spectators, the fancy ones looked to be having more fun.

Two tips for attending burlesque shows at Heldeke!: 1) book a table with bottle service if you’re looking to elevate the experience, but 2) definitely arrive early if you don’t. While there’s no bad view in the house, seats are first-come, first-serve.

Audience members had dark lips, colorful hair, and tattoos on full display, and the full house promised well-utilized intermissions to build on the social energy of the clamorous crowd. Cocktails and rosé were in high demand, and people jostled to find seats as the starting time neared. The evening began slightly late to accommodate stragglers, but when the doors closed, and the lights dropped, the audience fell quiet.

The glamourous Katarina von Schatz, a vision in a shimmering silver evening gown, opened the night with the standard explanations and introductions, before making way for the night’s first performance, a Peaky Blinders-inspired set from local Hot Blade. 

With incredible intensity and well-constructed musical accompaniment, Hot Blade’s first set showed that burlesque is as much about connecting with the audience as it is the artful removal of clothing and as much in the eyes as the body. With a remixed “Red Right Hand” interspersed with audio of detectives on the chase, his performance had a strong narrative appeal and well-dressed (and well-undressed) bad boy cunning. With naughty James Bond energy, Hot Blade took his time to flirt with the women and clink glasses with the men; his intentionality of movement and the narrative were a fantastic start to the show.

After the first intermission, the night’s headliner came on stage with another character-strong performance — though Mau Oh‘s Pink Panther was decidedly more of the feline than criminal persuasion. Bold, athletic, and making excellent use of both make-up and costuming, he demonstrated an entirely different type of masculine appeal with an energetic striptease featuring high kicks in high heels, splits, and a sexier use of “the worm” dance move than I ever considered possible. His speed and skill were so shocking and sexy that several audience members pulled out their phones — please don’t do this! — though the instinct was honest. It’s better to enjoy the live performance and save photos for intermission. Mau Oh (currently on tour but hailing from Portugal) was willing to chat, take photos, and sell merchandise between sets.

This night’s single-set performer was the charismatic Thornback Rosie, who had a comedic take on Indiana Jones that was as much mime as it was dance but with the stunning good looks of Marion Ravenwood. With a coy grin, props, and costumes, she paid tribute to the many adventures of Dr. Jones, offering a much superior version of the Crystal Skull and a Holy Grail that melted the audience in a sexy, rather than grisly, way.

At the third intermission, Katarina von Schatz introduced the bottle shop’s complimentary special of the evening, Regal Rogue’s Lively White vermouth. The break was also used to celebrate an audience member’s birthday with a round of singing from the crowd and a cleverly presented pair of macarons courtesy of Thornback Rosie.

Hot Blade’s second set of the evening brought a political yet humorous take on what a “good man” looks like. Backed by a song featuring both Estonian and German lyrics (or, at least, counting to three in German), he entered the stage wearing denim-on-denim and transformed from shy bumpkin with holes in his socks to a disaffected but effective contributor to Estonia’s birthrate. In this satirical but physically demanding set, he demonstrated his range as a performer.

Mau Oh closed out the night with a raucous, rowdy performance, proving himself a king of Queen, with a Freddie Mercury-styled set that had the audience singing along as he dazzled in red thigh-high heels and a steadily decreasing amount of clothing. Pulling visual cues from related music videos, Mau Oh used well-timed props and costuming to dominate the stage and the audience. 

Altogether, the evening was a fascinating, titillating tribute to manliness and those international and local characters that we look to as paragons of the form. I look forward to making this a monthly indulgence — the next edition sees three performances in one day, Friday, 20 December, for their Naughty & Nice holiday-themed experience with shows at 19:00, 21:00, and 23:00. Book soon and arrive early for the best experience. If you can’t make it to that date, check out one of the many upcoming events at Heldeke!, including the Late Night Cabaret hosted by Eesti Laul finalist Kaisa Ling.

Author: Laurie