Twelfth Night Masquerade
Good Show for Kentucky Shakespeare’s Inaugural Gala
Published On: February 01, 2012
Ruffians mixed with the masked, scantily clad wenches danced, a queen held court, faeries and sprites flitted, maidens and lads drank and ate, and a merchant or two made some deals. And such was the Twelfth Night Masquerade hosted by the Kentucky Shakespeare Company at the Whiskey Row Lofts January 6. Not bad for a night out in winter in Louisville.
The first corridor of the Main Street loft was a winter wonderland, filled with jazz by the Drumbeats, a backlit bar, and a spotlighted white and silver candy bar including decadent chocolate covered strawberries and carmelized bananas. The second corridor was a hot carnevale, a red and gold tassel-rific Moulin Rouge with delicious scallops and hearty bites of ahi tuna and music by the Endless Summer Band.
As they passed from winter wonderland into the season of carnival, revelers ventured into Squirelly’s Magic Tea Room to catch a glimpse of the Va Va Vixens, a burlesque troupe of local women aged 18– 60, who put the bawdy in the party. “The women chose all of their own numbers to embody the spirit of the overindulgence that is Twelfth Night,” said Lisa Frye, an artist who owns Art Sanctuary, the nonprofit that spawned the Vixens as a visual performing and literary arts organization. While Frye admits the numbers were “risqué” she said the point wasn’t to titillate as much as to build confidence. The Vixens can-canned, fan danced, chair danced, sang, contorted, and bubble popped their way to what is likely a whole new audience at the masquerade and wooed their way into a hoped-for packed house for the Va Va Valentine show at Headliner’s February 4, 5, 11, 17 and 18.
Othello and Iago, one did not see, as the mood was merry versus Moorish at the Twelfth Night Party. This was Much Ado About Nothing’s “Hey Nonny Nonny,” minus Italy and the sun. And all for a good cause, as proceeds from The Twelfth Night Masquerade will help Kentucky Shakespeare continue to bring us free Shakespeare in Central Park each summer and Shakespeare into the schools of every county in Kentucky! The Twelfth Night Masquerade was yet another good show by Producing Artistic Director Brantley Dunaway! Play on! HH
—Photographs by Josh Miller
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