“Beast Women” is a long-running revue in Chicago, dedicated to the showcasing of women performers, whose talents range from burlesque to stand-up comedy to hula hooping. Curated by Jill Erickson and Michelle Power, this weekly fall revue is playing every Saturday through December 14th, and is well worth the time for fans of the unusual and the awesome.
Power serves as a wonderfully game emcee for the evening’s events; “Beast Women” rotates performers from week to week, so each attendee is likely to get a different performance depending on the Saturday they chose to attend. I can say that my experience with this past Saturday was full of amazing feats, from aerial work to impressive comedic burlesque pieces. The late night programming vibe at the Prop is rowdy and game for anything, with Power doing an excellent job pumping up the audience by leading us in a call and response: “Are you ready?” she asked. “Hell, yeah!” we shouted loudly back at her. The energy between performer and audience was made profoundly clear, and the anything goes nature at play led to an entertaining evening of amazing feats.
Erickson and Power have brought together a good group of performers. Of particular note was Fancy Fontina, a burlesque performer who entered the theatre space in a Vegas showgirl-type costume, only with multiple cheese graters hanging from her garter belts. As the dance progressed, each cheese grater was used to grate a hunk of cheese on Fancy herself, to the delight and shrieks from the audience. “Beast Women” clearly provides entertainment one will not see anywhere else in Chicago, and this is underlined by Fontina’s fellow performers, with Piper executing a flawless belly dancer routine, Roberta Miles deadpanning a rip-roaring story about a dude who will not leave her alone, and The McCrystalizor hooping to a mix of understated music and Charlie Chaplin’s moving monologue about humanity from “The Great Dictator.”
All in all, if you are looking for a wonderful night of talent you will not see curated anywhere else, check out the fall series of “Beast Women” performances.
DICE RATING: d12 — “Heckuva Good Show”
TEN WORD SUMMARY: These Beast Woman provide thrills and entertainment in amazing revue.
Show: “Beast Women”
Venue: Prop Thtr (3502 N Elston Ave)