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Burlesque performer heats up Port Theatre

Quinn Lemley performs at Nanaimo's Port Theatre Saturday (Oct. 13) during her show Burlesque to Broadway.
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Quinn Lemley teases her audience

Quinn Lemley likes to leave something to the imagination.

She likes to make the stage sizzle with sexuality with her girls Grace (Erin McGrath) and Raz (Sara Durinich).

She’s worked hard to master the art of the tease. It can be as simple as removing a feather boa or showing a leg. She studied women who pioneered the art form – women like May West and Gypsy Rose Lee.

“These women were really groundbreaking women who broke the rules and the glass ceiling with their art,” said Lemley. “They did it with intelligence and wit and humour.”

Lemley celebrates the art of tease. She said women like Rita Hayworth did it with glamour, sometimes only removing a glove to seduce the watcher.

“All she does is take off one glove but it is so provocative and sexy,” said Lemley.

Lemley brings her show Burlesque to Broadway to the Port Theatre Saturday (Oct. 13) for a 7:30 p.m. performance.

Her show fills the stage with sequins, feathers, fans, big band tunes and Broadway hits. It takes the audience into the world of The Ziegfeld Follies and classic Broadway.  It includes songs such as Hey Big Spender, Ten Cents a Dance, Let Me Entertain You, Bang Bang and She’s a Lady. It’s not a typical burlesque because it’s not about exposing flesh but teasing the audience, said Lemley.

“We are like a Cadillac show. It is not a typical burlesque,” said Lemley. “It’s so dynamic. It’s one show stopping number after another. It’s so much fun to be with the audience.”

The performer was introduced to the glamour of Broadway and burlesque early on. While growing up in Indiana she used to visit her grandmother who lived right beside her. The two would watch movies featuring Rita Hayworth and other actresses of that era. They would also watch the Carol Burnett Show and Sonny and Cher.

Her journey into the world of burlesque and Broadway intensified after she starred as Rita Hayworth in The Heat is On. She decided to gather a creative team for her show Burlesque to Broadway, which includes stories, jokes and music.

The show celebrates the glamour and glitz and the female figure.

“The show is really a celebration of women and all who love them,” said Lemley.

During the performance Lemley and her girls love to interact with the audience. She said some audience members may find themselves on stage to participate in the show. She encourages people to dress up in the glamour of the Broadway era and to have fun.

Lemley said she’s thrilled to be visiting Nanaimo to perform her show. For more information on Burlesque to Broadway please go to www.burlesquetobroadway.com.

Burlesque to Broadway shows at the Port Theatre Saturday (Oct.13) at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $60 or $55 for members and groups and are available at the Port Theatre office, located at 125 Front St., online at www.porttheatre.com or by calling 250-754-8550.

reporter3@nanaimobulletin.com