So on a grungy corner of Dundas and Ossington lies a grungy cellar dive; the Dakota Tavern.  It’s not an obvious place to do opera though a mash up of opera and burlesque is more plausible.  And so that’s what we got from the Opera Revue crew (Alexander Hajek, Danie Friesen and Claire Harris) and four burlesque dancers.

The music was appropriately chosen; some Phantom, Don Giovanni, Carmen, some Weill plus show tunes.  Basically mine the repertory for stuff that is a bit edgy and plays with ideas of sexual consent or lack of it.  Ironically the goody bag that was raffled off at the interval include, apparently, an Armadildo.  I say ironically because I had spent my lunchtime with the cast and crew of Colleen Wagner’s new play Armadillos which is also (at least in part) about sexual consent or lack of it.

The singing was excellent.  The “dancing” was very well done too.  I especially like the opening number from Phantom where the dude in the mask and Christine were down to their underwear by the end.  Come to think of it though most of the numbers ended that way.  A “La ci darem la mano” where Zerlina ends up with Don Giovanni on a collar and lead was fun too.

And it was loud, raucously loud.  I understand that’s part of the burlesque scene but it’s not much to my taste.  I quite like tits and bums (though they lost their novelty value long ago) but I don’t like a racket!  I think I prefer the Opera Revue crew in more civilized and better lit circumstances but that probably makes me an old fuddy duddy.  Their next gig is at Reid’s Distillery on Sunday night with guest Catherine Carew who. will probably keep her clothes on.

Apologies for the dreadful quality of the photos but they are the best my phone can manage in a dimly lit bar and in a curious way seem to encapsulate the aesthetic.