Miss Burlesque ACT 2019 | Heated Highlights
by Alyssa Kitt
Oh Canberra – you are a cruel place with your endless roundabouts and cringeworthy amount of bureaucrats. You are as cold as a snowy mountain tipped ice breeze, but the MBACT show made the audience’s nipples just as hard.
Correspondent, judge and first runner up Miss Burlesque Australia 2018, Maple Rose was front and centre to capture the action.
If there was any majestic venue to house such a competition, The Abbey was the perfect place. As the lights dimmed for the evening’s performance, the room filled up to the brim, becoming one of the largest audiences in MBACT competition history. The Canberrians were itching to see this epic showcase of local talent. And by epic, I DO really mean epic! This was a state final to rival any other state final, and every single finalist brought their A-game!
Both producers, Jazida and Michael Wheatley, buzzed around the room in matching bespoke custom purple costumes by Rock Star Royalty. Jazida’s purple feather headdress acted as a shark beacon throughout the night. This was just the amuse-bouche for the spectacle to come. The atmosphere was pumping with Unicorn Vodka cocktails and market stalls to keep the audience lubricated before the lights fell.
As the show began, Charlie Chapstik entered the majestic proscenium stage in another matching purple sequin number, humbly gloating that she was the one of the few MCs in Australia who cannot sing. With her quick wit and enticingly attractive accent, she dramatically reads Shakespeare holding a fully encrusted skull to explode drama in the audience’s faces right from the start.
Red Carpet Parade:
For MBACT 2019, the running theme for the Red Carpet Parade was a cornucopia of classic burlesque silhouettes. A real treat for any fashion historian, and a whole lot of fun to travel through time with our contestants!
Rebelle Velveteen wore a peacock number with a draped cape; Miki Minx wore blue in a classic mermaid style; Rainbow owned the stage in a large disco ruffled rainbow coat; Seker Pare shimmied in chartreuse fringing; Chocolate E Claire was classically donned in green velvet; Possum Galore literally wore a head to toe tribute to the city of Canberra in royal blue with a touch of red on the shoe; Viridian Mint stayed en brand with a gorgeous jewel encrusted corseted green number; and Sara Martini brought sophistication in a light pink number and Hedy Lamarr inspired headpiece.
Traditional Section:
I’m unsure if the Canberrians were ready for the history lesson they were in for, but boy were they in for an era of treats. The traditional section was jam-packed with a large array of inspirations. It was a delight to witness such a wide range of styles!
Rebelle Velveteen lured audiences in with her classic bump and grind; Miki Minx showed off her fan dancing talents; Rainbow took us way back to the turn of the century with a high energy Can Can; Seker Pare shot us back to the 50s in a classic Marilyn aesthetic; Chocolate E Claire was on point in a slow and sensual art deco number; Possum Galore bombarded us with her tropical fruit number; Viridian Mint’s classic bump and grind number was exquisitely prepared; and Sara Martini told a cute narrative while showcasing her feathery skills.
Unique Section:
The unique section is the time for all the contestants to shine, and this competition was no exception!
Rebelle Velveteen stuck to her classic roots but nailed it (quite literally) on a bed of nails with more than a hint of sideshow. Miki Minx floated across the stage with her exquisite fan veils; Rainbow treated us all to the best cup of tea we’ve ever witnessed; Seker Pare really ‘loves lamp’ in a seductive moth routine; Chocolate E Claire gave us another history lesson about the Victorian era and introduced us all to our newfound horse fetish; Possum Galore gave a disturbing tribute to the Axe man; Viridian Mint hilariously drank too much champagne; and Sara Martini told us all to shut up seductively.
Final Thoughts:
As stated above, Canberra brought its A-game. We had a tough job on the judge’s panel for the night and it was a hard pick. Winner Rainbow, 1st Runner up Rebelle Velveteen and 2nd Runner up Seker Pare were stand outs along with the rest of the cast. It was a close call and all the competitors must be so proud of the amazing efforts they pulled to make this show go on without a hitch. It was unfortunate the live feed failed to work on the night, but nothing would ever compare to witness that show in person. Congratulations to both Jazida and Michael Wheatley for putting on one hell of a show!