Burlesque, Dolly Juice, and Even a Pikachu! An Exceptional Saturday Night in the Queen City

The Flamingo Revue Brought Rising to a Sold-Out Visulite Theatre

All Photos by Kevin McGee

If you were looking for something a little bit different to do last weekend in Charlotte, “THE” place to be was the Visulite as it was decked out in glitter, jewels, and flamingos galore. What was the special occasion? The Flamingo Revue of course! The members of the Flock were out in full force to represent making Rising officially a sell-out. 

The crowd was an eclectic mix of artists, performers, musicians, and others in the community who couldn’t wait to see the show. After all, we had been cooped up for well over a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but as they say, the show must go on and go on it did. Everyone seemed amped up and ready to go, bringing an electrifying energy to what would be an electrifying show. 

 The drink of the evening, Dolly Juice,  was a tribute to the patron saint of burlesque herself, Dolly Parton, herself a lover of big, big hair and flashy outfits. Of course, it was Dolly’s help in funding the Moderna vaccine that helped bring about the return of live performances so it made perfect sense in many ways to honor her in this way.  The drink was a combination of vodka, rum, and pineapple among other things, and was very tasty according to our photographer for the evening, Kevin McGee. 

The evening began with a pre-show performance from comedian Cutti Massaro which was a great way to get the audience laughing and loosened up before the main event.  The show featured a total of seventeen performances and the emcees kept things going quickly and moving swiftly with the help of the stage kittens. There was a brief audio issue early on, but it was quickly resolved and the show continued on without a hitch. The highlight of the evening came from May Hemmer, a descendant of a survivor of the Colfax Massacre, who gave a poignant and emotional performance that moved those in attendance as they were in awe of her beauty and talent. 

Like the majestic phoenix rising from the ashes, so did our fabulous flamingos as they graced the stage of the Visulite Theatre, spreading their wings much to the delight of the crowd. They are already busy planning their next show, Mortal Kombutt. Stay tuned to their social media accounts and right here on Shutter 16 for details. 

See the full gallery of the evening here. 

(2) The Flamingo Revue | Facebook

Pre-show comedian:

Cutti Massaro

Emcees:

Franky Dynamite
Lefty LeBlue

Stage Kittens:

Penelope Muse
Luna Eclipse

Stage Manager:

Hot Rod

Performers:

Delilah D’Isceaux
Anita Tool
Bre Toney
Meredith Sparkles
May Hemmer
Sterling Maxwell
Jayne Bangs
Ducky Delight
Silver Kitsune
Satarah
Danger Angel
Alize Mizer
Shirley Sweet