Kimberly Wipfler Photo
CeCe Brown Sugah performs Sunday night at Jazzy's.
A new Harlem Renaissance-inspired burlesque performance turned up the heat at Jazzy’s Cabaret supper club Sunday night, as the debut of The Sugar Strut: World Famous Burlesque Revue left audience members thirsty for more.
The lounge’s speakeasy ambiance — with vintage leather furniture, dark wood, chandeliers, and vinyls — set a tone of luxury to match the glamor of host Marvin, aka Professor M, and his cast of dancers.
With back-to-back performances, showgoers had the option of attending an “R‑Rated” 8 p.m. show or a “NC-17 Late Show” at 10 p.m. Bartender Diamond Tree (pictured above) said she was excited to be in the second show as a “stage kitten,” a burlesque term for assistants who pick up main performers’ discarded clothing and props.
Audience members ran the gamut from bashful first-time attendees to obvious veterans. Famed Milford-based drag queen Dirty Dixie Normous sat in the front row in a pinky-blonde wig that featured an impressive cocktail glass ornamentation. Earlier this month, Dixie performed at a bachelorette party on the season premiere of viral Lifetime reality show Married At First Sight. This Saturday, she will host HeartBreak Hotel, a drag show at the Bijou Theatre in Bridgeport, with the help of her stage kitten, Jennifer Linden, who was also in attendance.
She was joined by friend Todd Lyon, co-owner of Fashionista Vintage & Variety on Willow Street, who had dressed fellow audience members Jasmine and Tom Thurston, as well as show host Professor M, for the occasion. “I love styling people, and I like to get people way out of their comfort zone,” Lyon said.
Professor M (pictured above), in a peacock-inspired suit jacket and matching top hat, opened the show with his rendition of the 1929 jazz classic, “Ain’t Misbehavin’.” He boasted Lyon’s design of the vintage jacket’s lapels, which could be swapped out with new designs to match any scene.
Over a brassy vamp, the host thanked the audience for “braving the snow, the ice, and the cold,” and announced the dancers for the evening: Alexa LaFever from Hartford, who began performing in 2015, teaches burlesque and pole dancing in the Hartford area, and is a self-proclaimed “percussion enthusiast and lipstick lover;” New Haven-based Vivienne LaFlamme, a producer of burlesque events through Broad Minded Burlesque, “known for being cute but quiet, unknown but approachable;” and special guest from New York Cece BrownSugah, a classical trained Alvin Ailey dancer, 12-year burlesque performer in New York, and principal dancer in the 2021 major motion picture Passing. This performance would be all three dancers’ first time at Jazzy’s.
“There’s a long history of Sunday night burlesque in New Haven, and I’m glad that we get to bring it back to be a part of this right here, in this new location,” Professor M said, and introduced Jason Watts, owner of Jazzy’s Cabaret.
Jazzy’s renovated and recently reopened the 6,000-square-foot venue at Orange and George Streets, which formerly housed the Indian restaurant Thali.
“I named Jazzy’s a cabaret because I wanted to have a throwback to the old era, the speakeasy era. And also because cabaret is all about dinner and entertainment, so we didn’t want to just do comedy shows or only jazz shows. Jazzy’s Cabaret has everything, and tonight, you’re gonna see that,” Watts promised.
Professor M and Watts collaborated to produce The Sugar Strut. “I’m very excited to be working with Marvin, because he’s able to help create a vision I had of a Harlem Renaissance themed night. I’m excited to share his craft with my vision, merge it together, and get it out to the masses.”
Ticket holders in the main dining room, which seats about 60, were treated to a prixe fixe meal by Chef Stephen J. Ross. The servers offered a choice of several African diaspora favorites, including Jo-Jo’s BBQ Jerk Chicken, Plantains Griot, and Southern Fried Chicken.
Those without tickets indulged in the atmosphere on their own terms in the lounge and bar. The private dining room hosted a birthday dinner, and a lush garden room provided space for a group of friends to enjoy the football playoffs together.
Before welcoming the dancers to the stage, Professor M reviewed guidelines for burlesque etiquette, or “burletiquette.”
“We create this wonderful little space where we get to play around with all sorts of things,” like gender and sexuality, “through the art of burlesque, the art of the strip tease,” he said.
“These women are coming up here, and they are reclaiming their own power under the idea of glamour. They are here to be on display; they are here to be looked at. They are here to be worshiped like the goddesses they are,” he continued, emphasizing that cheering, clapping, and whistling were encouraged in the performance space. “Out there, on the street, don’t do that.”
Professor M emphasized the importance of consent in such a vulnerable sexual setting: “Consent is everything in this. The dancers may be playful, but they will not touch you unless they ask and you say yes, and you do not touch them unless you ask and they say yes.”
Vivienne LaFlamme.
Alexa LaFever was first to take the stage, donning a floor length violet dress and a black fur shawl to match her gloves. “When You’re Good to Mama,” a song of reciprocity from the 1975 musical Chicago, underscored LaFever’s tantalizing movement. Her coy looks to the audience juxtaposed the confidence with which she removed each article of clothing, reveling in the crowd’s raucous praise.
By the time the song reached its vivacious final notes, LaFever was shimmying in a thong and nipple tassels.
LaFlamme’s sequined ruby red mask matched her satin gloves, flower hair accessory, and gemstone necklace. Ella Fitzgerald’s rendition of “Too Darn Hot,” from the 1948 musical Kiss Me, Kate, played over LaFlamme’s sultry strip tease. LaFlamme’s performance included a prop fan, fastened to an airy fire-colored fabric that whirled around her body on the stage. Audience members were practically out of their seats in the final moments of LaFlamme’s dance, as she teased her body behind the fan before revealing her pastie-covered chest.
As the final dancer, CeCe BrownSugah performed two pieces, one to “River (Oshun Dub)” by Ibeyi and the second to an instrumental percussive piece. She approached the stage looking like sunlight, with a golden headpiece resembling light rays and willowy yellow fabric that glistened in the light. BrownSugah captivated the cheering audience with her obvious stage presence and charm, removing her golden clothing with effortless sensuality.
Fashionista's Todd Lyon.
Professor M closed the show by bringing the dancers back to the stage to perform a final number to his retro-inspired jazz rendition of Sisqo’s “Thong Song.” The audience erupted into applause as they recognized the old spin on a new classic. Meanwhile, a stage kitten walked through the house with a tip bucket and collected bills from audience members eager to demonstrate their support.
Jazzy’s Cabaret hosts live music, burlesque, and comedy shows. This Friday, the venue will host saxophonist Elan Trotman with another prixe fixe African-inspired menu. Weekly events include Ladies Nights on Tuesdays and Karaoke Wednesdays.