Theater review: Nearly Naked Nutcracker swoons audiences with vaudevillian strip tease at Trees

by Tiney Ricciardi

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It was one part comedy, one part dance, and all things sexy.

DALLAS — The holidays can sometimes be drag. With stresses over buying presents, waiting in airports for canceled flights to be rescheduled, and closing year-end deal at work, there is one troupe around town who is making sure we all make time to smile.

The luscious ladies of Broads & Panties put on their annual Nearly Naked Nutcracker at Trees Saturday to a giddy, burlesque-loving crowd.

The night began with music by Ginny Mac of Brave Combo, whose presence on accordion is unparalleled in the area. She entranced the audience, glamorously beaming like Billie Holiday. Ginny Mac teased in her own sort of way, rocking out with her tiny frame concealed behind her enormous instrument. Her younger brother backed her on classical guitar, and both took turns giving captivating solos.

The Nearly Naked Nutcracker was one part comedy, one part dance, and all things sexy. The host, the lovely Miss Violet Sugar Plum Fairy, entertained the audience with jokes and stories in between dances, profiling on her acclaimed ecdysiasts — “that’s a fancy word for strippers,” she said with a grin — and talking of the naughty things she would do to her darling Rat King later.

This interesting twist of the classical tale of The Nutcracker had no solid story line: Each group of dancers appeared onstage and then the music would abruptly change to rock ‘n roll, wherein the devil on the actress’ shoulders would take hold and the clothing would gradually come off. Corsets, pasties, and nude body suits glittered across the stage. Several ladies had feathered fans that let the imagination run wild.

Most impressive were the ladies who came out on pointe shoes and were often left in just that — kicking, twirling, shimmying, winking, and shaking their booties. While most of the show was dedicated to women performers, The Rat King did his job in tickling the ladies in the crowd. By the end of his segment, the King was left in nothing but bulging leather shorts and a whip for a tail, and met with obsessive crooning to his dominatrix attitude.

The Nearly Naked Nutcracker is an entertainment spectacle that cannot be missed. It’s sassy, sultry, and fun for virtually anyone, men and women alike. In fact, it might be best enjoyed with a partner in crime. Those who attended undoubtedly left with a smile, if not a few new move to try in private.

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