Madame Envy produces “Harem of Oddities” at Berlin Nightclub

The most crucial aspect to being an artist is evolving and exploring your craft.  Seth Nayes, aka Madame Envy and “Marvel” has been furthering himself as a living art.  What began as modeling, a static art, has turned into live performance; first in burlesque, and now with the addition of sideshow.  Seth is unafraid of pushing his physical limits, in his words “pain is an illusion.”

Producing his own show has been a huge step for Seth.  Making the transition from subject to manager is a stepping stone to greater opportunities.  As the co-editors of Cloud Orchid have discovered- being the coordinator of artists means that you can take on larger visions.  The Harem of Oddities show at Berlin Nightclub was an excellent example of this.  While Seth did perform during the show, the attention was largely on his “harem.”  The results was an evening of enchantment, love, and sin.

The performances explored different aspects of human emotion.  Seth began the evening with fan dancing, followed by piercing his arms with blue peacock feathers.  The dance was sensual, reminiscent of water and dreams.

Blueberries kisses
Three wishes to grant
All of them filled with love
Blow the candles out.

The following act was a powerful, earthy performance by Lilly Rascal.  Clothed in a white toga over sparkling gold, she ensnared her audience with her forceful dancing.  Later in the show, she returned with a melancholy performance that silenced the audience.  We held our breath as she twirled upon her toe shoes.  Mourning a rose, and the love gone with it.

 
Photo by Spilt Sugar Photography

The dreidel sings
While the past time rings
Splendid owl
How do you find me?
Postage for your thoughts
Penny for your heartstrings
Marigold tempers held high
Joyous clarity

Each performance pushed the audience further into the realm of strange.  Sally Marvel (aka Shotglass Sally) performed sword swallowing and burlesque.  She became a black widow- a powerful mix of beauty and danger.  Her gaze upon the audience was cold and aloof, but her body slid and roiled with passion.  Her slinky body crawling over sharpened katanas, her delicate hands ripping off sparkling garments.

Photo by GoldilocksCG Photography

Pray to the dawn
That you soon wake
Tendrils of nightfall
Restrict your limbs
And quake no more
Pleasant
Cool breeze
Fulfilled wishes
Devoured
By the beast

The energy took a left turn when Michael Phoenixxx performed with violinist Imani Glasco.  His music and message were heavy.  Doling out memories to the audience, and allowing us all to become one with our collective sadness.  He let the emotional scars shine through with red paint hand prints smothering his body.  The keen of Imani’s violin echoed the rawness that we all feel when we suffer.

While some might say that such emotions do not belong at a high energy burlesque show, Seth proved his audience wrong.  Suffering is what makes love and happiness so bright.  You need the darkness in order to appreciate and compare the fragments of life.

Imagine a world
in which everyone was loved.

Bubbly fun erupted once more with a fun and free performance by Gigi Deluxe.  Her gold ensemble was rich against her supple, coffee coloured skin.  Black bulbous balloons bounced about her petite frame.  She teased the audience, popping the balloons one by one with her cruel scissors.  When she killed the last one, she licked the silver scissors and slid the blade up her nose.  An impressive feat.

The mood shifted once more when Jay Vanity and his boys took the stage.  Displaying the more brutal and disgusting aspects of love that we all frolic in behind closed doors.  His towering frame was splendid above his simpering subjects.  He drenched himself in fake blood, an offering.  The might that radiated from his body held the audience spellbound, desperately hungry for his next move.

Pastel conundrums
Quaff at the lake of bliss
Ignorance
Thy name is man
Slaughter the partridge for my quest
Gently dear
All spice lest
The beauty of the canard
Silences
Pray thee
Returner
Set mine passion seeds afloat
Cords drawn tight
Broken
Upon the world

A whimsical performance by Jezebel a Gogo brought the raunchy fun to a peak.  A Frankenstein performance, revealing the monster within us all.  The “machine” frothed and poured out smoke, bringing the monster to life, until life spilled over.

Watch the video:

Red Rum…Red Rum…Red Rum!  Red Rum!  RED RUM!

The audience chanted, frenzied with delighted anticipation.  Red Rum took the stage, showing that love is rotten, and glorious.  Jiving to “Stayin’ Alive,” the audience laughed and danced along.  The choreography was perfect, each moment timed with glorious results.  Hilarious and sexy beyond reason, Red Rum made us dig deep and give in to our most decrepit fantasies.

The trundling twilight
Bursting with opalescent violettas
Strike a chord with the beauty of spring
Blessed Brigid
Help me
Place your bid
And set me free
Pedantic eccentric pleasant light my quick
Passionate fruits of endeavor
Dig deeper for love
Oft’n the trenches
Yield more
Than you previously thought of

After a round of applause for the performers, the spell was broken.  At first the audience did not know what to do with themselves.  They tore their eyes away from the empty stage and walked about as if just waking up.  The night of debauchery had just begun.

Poetry by Little Alice
– written at the event in response to the performances.