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Home / New Zealand

Dazzling dancers set to tease

By Erin Kavanagh-Hall
Wairarapa Times-Age·
7 Oct, 2013 05:37 PM3 mins to read

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FEATHERS AND SEQUINS: MATS' cabaret cuties are ready to dazzle in Encore: Broadway to Burlesque. From left: Vanessa Smith, Caitlin Duffy, Georgia Wilson, Bex Johnson, Nicole Morgan, Ashmore Begg and Zoe Tulloch.

FEATHERS AND SEQUINS: MATS' cabaret cuties are ready to dazzle in Encore: Broadway to Burlesque. From left: Vanessa Smith, Caitlin Duffy, Georgia Wilson, Bex Johnson, Nicole Morgan, Ashmore Begg and Zoe Tulloch.

With girls in giant feathered headpieces, dancers in sparkly leotards, top hats and tails, several chorus lines and a saucy fan dance, MATS' latest show is a slice of the Moulin Rouge in the middle of Masterton.

MATS' 2013 theatre review is Encore: Broadway to Burlesque, a cabaret-style spectacle which pays tribute to the history of musical theatre and burlesque, both old-style and modern.

Director Sharon Stevens-Cottle, who compiled and choreographed the show, said Encore was an opportunity to continue MATS' proud dinner-theatre tradition - but with a modern, more glamorous twist.

"We haven't done anything like this before," said Mrs Stevens-Cottle, who is also MATS' president.

"We wanted to step up our game, and go for something new and classy. Encore is a classy, very slick show. If you've ever been on a cruise ship or one of those Vegas cabarets, it's along those lines."

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One of the most daring and dazzling parts of the show, said Mrs Stevens-Cottle, is the reference to burlesque, a cheeky yet elegant performance art that has been undergoing a worldwide renaissance.

"Burlesque is huge overseas, and its huge in places like Wellington, but it's brand new in Masterton," she said.

"We've got some high class entertainers who are doing just as well as those performers, so I thought I'd bring it here.

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"People tend to think burlesque is all about stripping, but it's not. It's about the art of tease. It's about comedy."

Encore boasts a cast of 30 - including Times-Age advertising manager and MATS stalwart Bex Johnson - ranging in age from 14 to 63.

The first half of the show is a tribute to Broadway, featuring a medley of both classic and contemporary musical numbers, a few ABBA and Beach Boys references, and some high-energy dance numbers.

"It's pure cabaret," said Mrs Stevens-Cottle.

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"There's the big chorus numbers, there's little skits, there's the soloists backed by all the gorgeous girls and guys.

"Plus, it's quick. One item is over in two minutes, and another starts again. It takes you on a little roller coaster."

The second half is a nod to the art of burlesque, from the original Victorian comedy skits to the colourful neo-burlesque routines.

"I've got six women in a chorus line doing a [burlesque] fan dance. It's lovely stuff," she said. "It does get very comical, but with a classy, professional edge."

She said a big part of the show's appeal are the costumes and set, which she describes as "very luscious".

"We've got feathers and sequins for miles. The costumes are very showy.

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"From the foyer to all the way down the back of the stage is set up like a cabaret. It's like walking into a mini Moulin Rouge."

Encore: Broadway to Burlesque opens on Thursday October 10 at the Majestic Theatre and runs until Saturday October 19.

Tickets, available from dashtickets.co.nz, are $50. Ticket price includes savoury and dessert platters, which will be served during the show.

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