Staid ol’ Willow Point Hall became a cathouse Saturday night when the feisty felines of Sweet Tease Burlesque took over the stage in a pur-r-rfect prelude to Valentine’s Day.
They scratched, they pranced and they spanked to the delight of the packed house who rollicked with the risque show.
“I just love the Willow Point Hall. It’s small, it’s lovely,” says Heather Gordon, one of the lead pussy cats.
Oh yes, there was even a few songs, including one by Stray Cat Sue who sang about pussy cats…sort of. Anyhow, it had the crowd laughing and singing along too.
“It’s just a lot of fun. That’s what this is all about,” says Gordon, who helped form the group five years ago.
For many years Gordon ran a dance school in Campbell River. She also has a fine resume in musical theatre.
And then there’s a bit of a punk streak that runs through Gordon.
When it came time for her to do something different, it all added up to the Sweet Tease Burlesque gig which is still going strong.
“All of us are originally from Campbell River. Three have now moved to Vancouver, but they all come back for this,” she says.
This is not a full nudity act, but rather strip tease. Classic burlesque, Gordon calls it, recalling the days of vaudeville and music hall style shows.
“It started with a couple of girls and we found a home at the bowling alley,” she recalls. “It grew into a core group of six to eight girls, and we had some big successes with our Halloween shows.”
From Sointula to Quadra Island, and many other scratching posts as well, the Sweet Tease felines have entertained a variety of audiences who keep coming back for more. Gordon believes it’s because everyone works together so well.
“We’re much more of an ensemble. There are no stars; we don’t work that way,” she says. “We really support each other and that’s not the same as a lot of burlesque shows.”
Gordon promises there will be more shows. To learn more about Za Za, Lovely Lola Peach, Lucky, Tia, Cherry, Sue and Tiger Lily, visit their Sweet Tease Burlesque Facebook page.