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Moisture Festival has hits with 'Blue Monday', Burlesque 'Libertease' and New Old Time Chautauqua

Moisture Festival has hits with 'Blue Monday', Burlesque 'Libertease' and New Old Time Chautauqua
by E. Joyce Glasgow - SGN A&E Writer This past week, the Moisture Festival continued, presenting a variety of shows which included Burlesque, The New Old Time Chautauqua and "Blue Monday". "Blue Monday "was hosted by clown extraordinaire, Hacki Ginda (with his son, Moeppi Ginda), from Berlin, who presented a number of his international performer friends for this special evening. Ginda told us that the origin of the term "Blue Monday" went all the way back to Medieval times in Europe, when, in the process of dyeing textiles, Monday was traditionally the day when all the color blue dyeing was done. Monday's performers included a couple of artists from Teatro Zinzanni: amazing juggler Tuan Le, accompanied by tap dancer/percussionist, Michael Clifton and singer/hula-hoopist, Sabina. Baltimore's Trixie Little and the Evil Hate Monkey performed their funny and original, "Kama Sutra" trapeze act in sumptuous and colorful traditional Indian clothing, accompanied by recorded sitar music. Vocal sound artist, Zeroboy, from N.Y.C., took the audience on an aural rollercoaster ride through his wild and edgy imagination. Tamara the Trapeze Lady did her "Dance of the Seventeen Veils" complete with audience countdown. Rod, a suave tap dancer from N.Y.C., brought old time movie musicals to mind with his adept footwork. Hacki Ginda performed his infamous "Heinzie" and "King Kong" routines. The jewel and centerpiece of the evening was a theater piece," Dinner for Fun", Ginda's take off on" Dinner for One", a video of a popular comedy sketch piece that has been shown all over Europe for the last 50 years every New Year's Eve at 7:00 P.M. This is the first time that it has been performed in the United States. This is a charming piece in which a woman, played by European cabaret artist, Chantal, has a formal dinner party with four invisible male guests and her butler, played by Hacki Ginda, who hysterically descends into deeper states of inebriation, compliments of consumption of great amounts of alcohol, as he plays each invisible guest, constantly pouring and toasting the guest of honor. This is a fascinating sketch that probably not too many Americans know about. At the end of the evening Hacki Ginda announced his new idea "Clowns Against War", (or "CAW", with a crow and its call as mascot) and invited the audience to join him in efforts to make people laugh together, before they think of having a war, as a way of resolving differences and hopefully stop people from fighting with each. He said that usually performers are trying to cheer people up after a catastrophe, after they have been seriously injured, or have lost their families, friends and homes. Why not uplift peoples' spirits and outlook while things are good and turn them towards the path of harmony and peace instead of heading down the road to destruction? Ginda and friends gave the first performance of "Clowns Against War" the following night at The Rendezvous, in downtown Seattle. The Moisture Festival Burlesque show, entitled "Libertease", was presented at the ACT Theater this year for four sold out performances on March 23rd and 24th. The fabulous Zebra Kings provided jazzy and sexy music throughout. Singer Mabo Jones got the evening going with a big blues number. The aerialistas were dazzling in their rhinestone studded turquoise costumes as they performed balletic and skillful acrobatics in pairs on hoops .Dancer/ Choreographer, Wade Madsen, dressed as a cowboy, did an entertaining striptease while lip-syncing to Chaka Kahn's version of the Peggy Lee classic song "Is that All There Is"? American Strong Woman, Mama Lou, tore a three thousand page phone book in half with her bare hands! Circus Contraption titillated with their naughty French Postcards. MC Kevin Joyce, acrobat, Martha Enson, Zeroboy, The Peculiars, and Caela and the Dangerous Flares all added their unique, original bits to the mix. Trixie Little and the Evil Hate Monkey were outrageous in their suggestive strip. Creative, sassy and classic stripteases were done by Ms. Indigo Blue and The Swedish Housewife and Chic A Boom, who, by the way, was also Miss Gay Latina in 2005-2006, performed a funny, slapstick striptease. While it was nice to see the Moisture Festival having the opportunity to use a professional theater space in downtown Seattle, I missed the large open space of "The Liberty" at the Fremont Studios, which was last year's Burlesque venue. The large space and casual folding chairs not only allowed for a bigger , more boisterous audience, but made for a more flamboyant, expansive and adaptable atmosphere, allowing for performers to be larger in their presentations and have more flexibility in using different parts of the space for performances, including aerials. The New Old Time Chautauqua performed a Sunday matinee on Sunday, March 25th, in a benefit for the group's continuing efforts to bring their all volunteer, comedy/variete vaudeville show and other volunteer projects to places where they are needed: "doing more free community service work to help build stronger and healthier communities". In April 2006, the Chautauqua went on their "Jambalaya Vaudeville Tour", presenting free shows for Hurricane Katrina survivors and volunteer relief workers in New Orleans and the coast of Mississippi. They are doing shows in hospitals, schools, libraries, senior centers, juvenile detention centers and jails and have been focusing on bringing live entertainment to people in rural areas. On their 2007 Summer Tour, they hope to travel through Montana and Idaho, partnering with city governments, Native American reservations and community agencies that support at-risk youth, families and children. Their Moisture Festival performance was reminiscent of their shows at the Oregon Country Fair. Some readers may be familiar with these, if you ever have attended the Fair. The troupe was started in 1981 by the juggling "Flying Karamazov Brothers" and friends. Performers last Sunday included Christian Swenson, who outdid himself with his imaginative, improvisational body movement and vocalizations which he calls "Human Jazz". His abstract, non-word storytelling is universally understood and at times reminded me of storytelling performance styles in Java and Bali, Indonesia and at other times, of some otherworldly, goofy "Star Wars", galactic bar characters. The energetic and refreshing young group, Nanda, delighted the audience with their unique and funny cross between juggling, dance, acrobatics and faux martial arts. Godfrey Daniels and his red balloon is a classic act and very dreamlike. Avner the Eccentric takes simple actions and uses them to enchant his audience. Frank Olivier thrills by juggling flaming torches while riding a very tall unicycle and the large, Fighting Instruments of Karma Marching Band/Orchestra supports all the performers with great circus music and really are a fantastic, playful and musically tight group of musicians who have been beautifully performing together for many years. The large audience of adults and many children audibly enjoyed the performance. To learn more about the New Old Time Chautauqua, to volunteer, or to donate to their worthy, life affirming projects visit: www.chautauqua.org. Check out their Community Quilts Project, which since 1992 has donated over 600 quilts to infants in- need. They give quilts to children who are at-risk physically, emotionally, psychologically or who are financially challenged. The quilts are created in workshops on tour and by residents of Victoria House, an assisted living facility in Port Townsend, Washington. The Moisture Festival continues through this weekend, at Hale's Brewery, 4301 Leary Way N.W., in the Fremont neighborhood of Seattle and ends with a grand finale, April Fools Marathon performance of numerous acts on Sunday, April 1st at 7:30 P.M. To learn more about the 2007 Moisture Festival or to buy tickets visit: www.moisturefestival.com