Tease 2.0
‘Tease‘ returns to Coco Cabaret for a second season, with a new, mindblowing show. A few elements from their first shows at Industry three or four years ago remain – the bathtub, fingerpainting in an entirely new (black) light, and others that remind us of the fantastic skills this company of acrobats possesses.
The international team of gymnasts consists of four men and one woman of varying heights, but all are perfectly constructed – well-muscled to be super strong and supple ,but they clearly can get through life without bones. No regular human can bend the way these athletes do, seemingly with no effort. They scamper up to the 6-meter-high ceiling of Coco on fabric and, from there, become geometric shapes, perfect squares in the air, then plummet down at the speed of light and lightly touch the stage with a toe to end the perilous flight. How on earth do you practice this stuff?
The bathtub scene is erotic and fun, and not nearly as drenching as it was at Industry. The stage at Coco is deep enough for two boys to play in the water with only a modicum of splashing that involves the audience. The gymnastics that occur while holding onto soaking wet surfaces – the bathtub itself and the two bodies – is breathtaking.
I don’t like ‘spoiler alerts,’ so I won’t even mention a couple of the most astonishing features. You need to see this production with your own eyes and re-gift yourself the genuine awe of childhood.
Another Coco Cabaret production worth seeing more than once is Dia de Muertos, which is suitable for all ages. It is more than ‘suitable’ – it should be required viewing for everyone who still believes death is the end of life. Costumes and makeup get high, high marks in this production, and because host Nacho Granados shares his duties with Roy Cruz (Freddie Mercury tribute artist at The Palm Cabaret), I may have to see this at least one more time this season.
If there are any families out there reading this, pack up your kids and/or grandchildren and head to Coco to see Dia de Muertos and learn how Mexicans traditionally look at death. This one tricky, hard-to-deal-with element of being human is deftly, succinctly, and lovingly handled. And, it’s set to lively music and dance in two languages.
Come back tomorrow morning for a rundown on Tonny Kenneth‘s first significant production at Coco Cabaret, Zoë Lewis’s return to the Palm Cabaret, and Sargento holding court at his early Broadway singalong show at Garbo’s Bar.
Tomorrow night has us seeing Roy Cruz star as Freddie Mercury: The Man, The Voice, The Legend at The Palm Cabaret at 5 pm. Following that is Out & About Puerto Vallarta magazine’s Gay Mixer at Coco Cabaret from 6 to 8 pm, topped off with Come Blow Your Horn, Open Mic, starring Gouda Gabor at Nacho Daddy at 7:30.