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I’m in the last couple days now of my local vacation. It’s been so good that I hope to take another like it before the end of summer. There’s something refreshing about going to a nice hotel close to home, playing tourist in your backyard. But last night was one of the week’s highlights – an evening with Dolly Parton, Tina Turner, Gretchen Wilson, Diana Ross, Catherine Zeta-Jones. Oh and a few other divas.
Actually, of course, it was an evening at Jimmy’s Cabaret on Las Olas, and both my date and I laughed or at least smiled really really hard for an hour and a half, pretty much non-stop. Jimmy’s is a female impersonation club, my first ever. Yes, I was an FI virgin until last night. It was a total hoot, funny and risque and charming and relaxing all at once. I’ll be back and my friend says she wants to come back with me.
We were seated at a front row table beneath a stage that itself is almost worth the trip inside. I write plays but I’ve never seen a proscenium quite like this one. At each end of the stage stood a painted pair of very shapely legs in black stockings and high heels, with red panty-like ruffles connecting the two sets of legs. A classic rotating mirrored disco ball cast a continuous spray of lights across the stage and a crystal-clear stereo system kicked out some of the great old standards by Gershwin, Porter and the rest.
When the show started, they began with a number from “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas,” with a Dolly Parton impersonator lip-synching the lead. Three other “girls” were onstage with Dolly and, as a heterosexual man, I can tell you there was something unsettling about this at first. Some of these men-babes were, well … babes. One of them in particular had won three major female impersonator contests and she/he was stunningly beautiful. Honest, guys, if you saw this person across a bar, you would tell the bartender to send her a cocktail of anything she wanted. That thought was the unsettling part.
Ok, so it’s not real, which the Dolly-impersonator/MC reminds you often by way of a funny, raunchy patter with the audience. It seems wrong to refer to these performers as males so I’ll call them what I think they’d like to be called here – ladies. And the parade of ladies after the big Dolly number began with a hot set by “Tina Turner.” She wowed us with all the manic, twitchy energy and sexy appearance of Tina herself, including one very, very short dress. All the performers were, as you would expect, in some way or other over-the-top and, very honestly, seductive. And they were all delightful.
Among other memorable acts was the lady who sang the country tunes, one of them being Gretchen Wilson’s “Redneck Woman,” with believable enthusiasm and spot-on lip-synching. And then there was the contest-winning, hot-body lady who did a terrific version of “All That Jazz,” from the movie “Chicago,” complete with rolled-down stockings, spangly skirt and black Zeta-Jones wig. She was impressive – and scary good-looking. Sheesh …
If you want to see for yourself, call Jimmy’s for a reservation at 954-523-9393. The club is at 1103 East Las Olas in downtown Fort Lauderdale, near Stork’s, open for two shows nightly from Wednesday through Saturday. I don’t care if you’re gay, straight, male or female – if you can’t lighten up, loosen up and laugh in this club, you’re the one who needs a vacation.
Actually, of course, it was an evening at Jimmy’s Cabaret on Las Olas, and both my date and I laughed or at least smiled really really hard for an hour and a half, pretty much non-stop. Jimmy’s is a female impersonation club, my first ever. Yes, I was an FI virgin until last night. It was a total hoot, funny and risque and charming and relaxing all at once. I’ll be back and my friend says she wants to come back with me.
We were seated at a front row table beneath a stage that itself is almost worth the trip inside. I write plays but I’ve never seen a proscenium quite like this one. At each end of the stage stood a painted pair of very shapely legs in black stockings and high heels, with red panty-like ruffles connecting the two sets of legs. A classic rotating mirrored disco ball cast a continuous spray of lights across the stage and a crystal-clear stereo system kicked out some of the great old standards by Gershwin, Porter and the rest.
When the show started, they began with a number from “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas,” with a Dolly Parton impersonator lip-synching the lead. Three other “girls” were onstage with Dolly and, as a heterosexual man, I can tell you there was something unsettling about this at first. Some of these men-babes were, well … babes. One of them in particular had won three major female impersonator contests and she/he was stunningly beautiful. Honest, guys, if you saw this person across a bar, you would tell the bartender to send her a cocktail of anything she wanted. That thought was the unsettling part.
Ok, so it’s not real, which the Dolly-impersonator/MC reminds you often by way of a funny, raunchy patter with the audience. It seems wrong to refer to these performers as males so I’ll call them what I think they’d like to be called here – ladies. And the parade of ladies after the big Dolly number began with a hot set by “Tina Turner.” She wowed us with all the manic, twitchy energy and sexy appearance of Tina herself, including one very, very short dress. All the performers were, as you would expect, in some way or other over-the-top and, very honestly, seductive. And they were all delightful.
Among other memorable acts was the lady who sang the country tunes, one of them being Gretchen Wilson’s “Redneck Woman,” with believable enthusiasm and spot-on lip-synching. And then there was the contest-winning, hot-body lady who did a terrific version of “All That Jazz,” from the movie “Chicago,” complete with rolled-down stockings, spangly skirt and black Zeta-Jones wig. She was impressive – and scary good-looking. Sheesh …
If you want to see for yourself, call Jimmy’s for a reservation at 954-523-9393. The club is at 1103 East Las Olas in downtown Fort Lauderdale, near Stork’s, open for two shows nightly from Wednesday through Saturday. I don’t care if you’re gay, straight, male or female – if you can’t lighten up, loosen up and laugh in this club, you’re the one who needs a vacation.
posted by LauderBLOGGER at 3:10 PM
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