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Fort Fringe The Baldacchino Tent Bar, 607 New York Ave NW
Remaining Performances:
Wednesday, July 13th at 9:45 p.m.
Wednesday, July 20th at 9 p.m.
Friday, July 22nd at 6 p.m.
They say: “Four sirens ignite the stage in this rock cabaret. These sexy songstresses will seduce you, love you, and leave you. With looks like Jessica Rabbit and voices like Joan Jett, this ain’t your mama’s femme fatale.”
Emery’s Take:I dont give a fuck about my bad reputation! Im pretty sure if Joan Jett had seen Pinky Swear Productions Cabaret XXX: Les Femmes Fatales, she wouldnt mind Allyson Harkeys bold revision of her 1980 rock anthem. This show is a big middle finger in the air to anyone opposed to four confident and sexually liberated women who repeatedly ask the audience, Whats wrong with being a slut?
Backed by an impressive band called Les Fucking Exes, in which each member takes turns playing different instruments, Les Femmes perform The Eagles “Heartache Tonight”, Patti Griffins “Every Little Bit”, Florence and The Machines “Girl with One Eye”, Lynyrd Skynyrds “Tuesdays Gone” and Concrete Blondes “Joey”, just to name a few. The definite highlights of the show were Harkeys version of Mary Prankster‘s “Mercyfuck” and the ladies’ collective rendition of “He Had It Coming” from the musical Chicago.
Billed as a rock cabaret, this is basically four uninhibited women cranking out classic rock while diagnosing the ills of their past relationships and daring anybody to judge them. And even if theyve heard it all before, get there early enough and you will be provided with pen and paper to tell your own sad love story which is then read aloud by Karen Lange in between songs. In one of many twists in Saturday night’s performance, one of these stories came from a woman who had caught heartache from her Czechoslovakian boyfriend. Karen asked an audience member how to say “motherfucker” in Czech. Receiving no answer, she turned back to us and said, I thought he would know, but all I got was a blank stare. Her response was met by another audience member who screamed out, A blank Czech!
Classic.
See it if: Youre looking for a raucous night of rock and roll under the gypsy tent.
Skip it if: Youve never known heartache and pain.
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