Gary Shapiro wasn't joking when he introduced the last act:
"The most wonderful thing about Tigger! is he's the only one!"
He is indeed a singular individual; an iconoclastic boylesque performer who both challenges striptease conventions and pays homage to the very meaning of burlesque, a word that means "comedy" and "parody." His performance last night was extraordinary. Every inch of it.
Last night was the first I've seen him perform live. His reputation and a few YouTube videos precede him; I have never met the man, and I'm intimidated by him. I've heard nothing but accolades: Tigger! is a consummate performer, an athletic extrovert who goes all out (pun intended). He is an incredibly talented and riveting performer with oodles of aesthetic taste and artistic savvy.
He created a character last night. It was a character as well flesh-out and rehearsed as one may find on any so-called "legit" stage. It was a captivating character, a funny character. In its own over-the-top, presentational way, it was a very real character. Tigger! didn't just dance, he put on a mask and imbued it with life. That's good theatre, and he accomplished more in a few minutes than some companies could ever hope to accomplish over the course of an entire run.
Tigger! is performing again at the Monday Night Tease on January 12th. Do not miss him. Money is tight, but you owe it to yourself to pony up the greenbacks and catch this guy in person. I'm co-hosting that night with the verbally vibrant and diligently dapper Patrick the Bank Robber, and it will be a profound honor to share the stage with Tigger!
