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ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT OCTOBER 19, 2023
YOUROBSERVER.COM
Have a Hard Heart
Halloween Courtesy image
The Sarasota burlesque troupe returns to McCurdy’s to spice up the spooky season.
MONICA ROMAN GAGNIER ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
W
hen you ask Amanda Heisey how many cast
members are in Hard Heart Burlesque, she replies: “Including kittens?” People bring their pets everywhere these days, but it could get pretty tricky trying to literally herd cats during a Halloween show at McCurdy’s Comedy Theatre.
IF YOU GO When: 7 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 22 Where: McCurdy’s Comedy Theatre, 1923 Ringling Blvd. Tickets: $37 Info: Visit McCurdysComedy. com.
Patiently, Heisey explains, certainly not for the first nor for the last time, that “kittens” are what members of the cleanup crew are called during a burlesque show. They are the helpful hands that pick up the hats, feather boas, dresses, bras and slips artfully discarded during a burlesque show, she says. In the case of Hard Heart Burlesque, these items will not include pasties and G-Strings, which will remain firmly in place, due to artistic discretion, local custom and government regulations, which vary from place to place in Florida.
One can only imagine what happens in Miami or even Tampa. Still, we don’t want to give the wrong impression. While there’s plenty of skin to be seen in a burlesque show, this is art. How do we know? To quote from Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart’s 1964 definition of obscenity, “I know when I see it.” Trust me, kittens, burlesque is art. And it’s alive and well in Sarasota, thanks to Amanda Heisey, Miss Marina Elaine and their collaborators Lola LaColombe, Lilabelle Quaintrelle and other guest stars as well as emcee Alistair “Queen Daddy” Graves. Come Oct. 22, there’ll be plenty of treats at McCurdy’s and some tricks, too, but not the illicit kind. McCurdy’s is a fine establishment, Heisey and Company are upstanding citizens and part of Queen Daddy’s job is to make sure audience members keep their hands to themselves. One of the kittens will be passing a SEE HEART, PAGE 2
Hard Heart Burlesque will perform its annual Halloween show at McCurdy’s Comedy Theatre on Oct. 22.