Let the Blushing Begin
Super Happy Funtime Burlesque Show on its way to the House of Rock
The word “burlesque” just isn’t used much around these parts. Around here people are much more comfortable talking about polite music in the park, fun fairs, and The Packers. Using the term “burlesque” in polite conversation? Well, that is just going to make your local acolyte blush.
“We shove the best and worst of ourselves in all its glory and do so with a smile.” – Show creator Corey Ruffin
That being said, let the blushing begin because The Super Happy Funtime Burlesque show is coming to Eau Claire. This troupe uses music, vignettes, and humor to create a delightful performance which leaves audiences wanting more.
While burlesque theater has its traditions as far back as the early 1900s, SHFB is anything but a revival of the standard burlesque show. Show creator Corey Ruffin says, “There’s no jazz, no feathers, no sequins, and no comedy duo called ‘Slap and Happy’ throwing pies in each others faces. We call it burlesque for lack of a better term, as we say in our bio. We have striptease, comedy, variety, and music. So, we are following a format that is timeless and that’s the important distinction.”
The musicians who accompany SHFB make the show feel like musical theater at its best. Think Rocky Horror Picture Show, but just for a second, because you really can’t build parameters around what these guys do.
The costuming and acting can’t be ignored. From the narrator of the show with his standard white face and delightful velvet red hat to a rather large man in several states of undress to, of course, stripteases – the show is so vibrant and alive you can’t look away for fear of missing something you will HAVE to talk with your friends about later.
Ruffin is very aware that this is a unique experience for many concert goers. He says, “I think a show should be larger than life with sets, costumes, and most of all personality. We shove the best and worst of ourselves in all its glory and do so with a smile.”
