by Tracey Paleo, Gia On The Move

Most DEFINITELY NOT the show where you take a Xanax and sit back!

Last week’s opening of the Quickdraw Poetry Cabaret by the Melrose Poetry Bureau at the Bootleg Theater lived entirely up to it’s promise of being a risqué ‘velvet bon bon and smoking gun extravaganza’ of poetry, song, burlesque and dueling typewriters. Did they save the world in an hour — probably not.  But there was definitely more than a dash of Friday night sexy, plus a few articles of clothing removed.

As original as it gets, Emcee Brian Sonia-Wallace and company: Nayeli Adorador-Knudsen, Bobby Gordon, Ary Katz and Linda Ravenswood, slam-dunked the evening with audience participation galore.  No one escaped the cross-fire of a single poet, furiously banging at the QWERTY, being pit against one another in a series of crowd suggested versifications, Wild West shoot outs, the typewriter band or scantily clad muse Miss Erin Bridge’s sizzling strip tease charms, (The front row fan club totally didn’t mind at all!)

Be prepared to be riveted by music, sultry dance, breathy orations and defiant provocations. Its ALL about the ‘word‘.  The stakes are high and the hootin’ & hollerin’ brings the room to a din.  You will be energetically revived and ready for Bootleg’s other evening onslaught of music performance.

Co-produced with The Bootleg Theater and followed every night by live music and the magic of a cash bar, each show in our run ends with a unique offering:

• January 15: Brian’s Book Launch Brouhaha – get lit with the book launch event for I Sold These Poems, Now I Want Them Back, a new publication with Yak Press by Melrose Poetry Bureau managing partner Brian Sonia-Wallace.
• January 16: Closing Party – with tears, drunkenness, dancing, and dreams.

Melrose Poetry Bureau is represented by Knudsen Productions and is a company-in-residence at The Bootleg Theater and Write Club Los Angeles.