Disturbed Theater: Bawdy Burlesque and Lots of Laughs

disturbed-theater

(click to view photos)

Ok, so dancing around with your dead wife isn’t a particularly funny scenario…but throw in some nubile, scantily-clad burlesque dancing girls, a lively soundtrack…and you’ve got an evening of fun.

Disturbed Theater put on their annual smorgasbord of sketch comedy, improv and a wonderful dash of burlesque last night at the Majestic Theater and had the house howling. With his shock of white hair sticking up and his elegant tuxedo and purple bow tie, Rob Murphy, the troupe’s leader, didn’t let a leg injury keep him off the stage. It turned out to be a great excuse to have the aforementioned nubiles walk him out on stage.

With a 2010 movie starring Cher and Christina Aguilera, and regular shows at the Deuce in Noho, burlesque is finding more and more places to stick out its cute little head. This show brought out local girls Pandora Fox and Harley Foxx to dance, and strut their stuff for an appreciative audience. Not to be left out, the show included gyrations in a g-string by a cute guy too, named Captain Elastico.

Troupe member Liz Jensen was the Eyewitness News reporter, doing the play by play on a date going south. It was hilarious. Connie Casagrande, who shared hosting with Murphy had her best bit when she played a young girl learning the ‘birds and the bees’ from her exasperated dad.

Doing sketch comedy is always a crap shoot…and the show veered into the toilet more than they needed to. But there were nimble moments and the troupe has great timing and delivers their double entendre with the same gusto as the strippers.

Live comedy is like nothing else–it’s a challenge for both audience and actors. Disturbed Theater gave it their all and the audience went home smiling.