Parents' Night Out at La Soiree #Show Review

   David O'Mer

La Soiree has 6 shows left in Chi-Town, and we highly suggest you catch them while you can!   This self proclaimed "dysfunctional family" can adopt me any day.   I WISH my family were this wickedly witty, talented and twisted.   These tattooed circus freaks are my kind of peeps.    La Soiree rocks The Riverfront Theater with dysfunctional family values 


Unless you're a total prude or under 18--in which case we suggest you sit this one out--La Soiree is highly recommended.   Do note, this show contains mature themes, innuendo and full on nudity, and is a fabulous night out for laid back adults who love burlesque, circus arts, and internationally renowned, uber talented freaks.


We see a LOT of world class circus arts and La Soiree managed to show me quite a few acts I never even imagined....let alone saw before.  This is one hilarious show that is in turn crass and classy, poignant and pornographic.  I'm still baffled at the magic, strip tease, silk act.  






     The English Gents at Sydney Opera House   Photo by Prudence Upton


And the partner acro by The English Gents was stunningly good.   It was also a pleasure to see a guy on lyra instead of the usual petite pixie girls.   





Bret Pfister


And I've never seen Chinese pole acts done on a revolving pole before.   This multicultural, gender bending extravaganza will leave you shaking your head in wonder and peeing your pants laughing.





Nate Cooper


We particularly dug the finale with a shirtless dude in jeans in a claw foot tub full of water and bungie straps.   It was so gorgeous and so passive aggressive.  He kept doing aerial ballet and dunking down into the water to spout like a fountain on the first row and flip his hair and body around, drenching everyone.


 


David O'Mer


Crazy stuff!   La Soiree is a magical microcosm of world class cabaret performers, loads of cross dressing, gender bending, and sweet aerial arts and contortionist tricks.     All the actors were super talented and did circus arts in some creative ways I've NEVER seen.

Yulia

The show must close this Sunday, August 5th, so go already!    Chicago's new Riverfront Theatre is the site of Broadway in Chicago's production of Peter Pan, and appears to be here to stay.   We adore this tent on...you guessed it, the river front.    It's an intimate performance space and La Soiree uses a tiny circular stage, a piano top, and the high peak of the tent for aerial arts, to great advantage.    Check out Goldstar for discount tickets here, or spring for the ring side seats and get up close and personal with the stars.   You will most definitely get wet, and you may get a lap dance by a big black diva dude, opera singer in spandex!   Or you may get called up on stage to assist.





   Mooky Roundhouse Photo by Prudence Upton


Check out our past coverage here for show times, ticket links, act summaries and a video clip.   

Riverfront Theater presents 

La Soirée  

Through August 5, 2012

Riverfront Theater, located at 650 W. Chicago Avenue, just east of Halsted Street. 

Winner of the 2012 London Cabaret Awards, La Soirée combines cabaret, new burlesque, circus sideshow and contemporary variety.  The sexy, funny, dangerous world of La Soiree has enchanted audiences across the globe in Edinburgh, Paris, Sydney, Stockholm, Dublin, Montreal, Adelaide and Blackpool.  La Soiree’s internationally-acclaimed artists include stars from La Clique, the Olivier Award-winning show which ran at London's Hippodrome for nine months. La Soiree is a dynamic collective of some of the most outrageous, hilarious, beautiful and downright bizarre acts you will ever see.

La Soirée runs in Riverfront Theater’s 70-foot big top circus tent.  Curtain times are:

Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays 7:30pm

Fridays 8:00pm

Saturday, July 21 5:00pm and 8:00pm

Saturday, July 28 6:00pm and 9pm

Saturday, August 4 6:00pm and 9pm

Sundays 4:00pm and 7:00pm. 

Tickets, $39-$85, for the three-week, limited engagement are now on sale at the Riverfront Theater box office, 650 W. Chicago Ave, HYPERLINK "http://www.RiverfrontTheater.com"www.RiverfrontTheater.com; and through Ticketmaster,  HYPERLINK "http://www.ticketmaster.com" www.ticketmaster.com or 888.556.9484. 

Parking is located on Chicago Avenue, next door to venue with direct access to show.  Additional parking is located at 811 N. Larabee and 950 N. Kingsbury.

La Soirée is recommended for Mature Audiences.