Pinchbottom’s Pretençión

The “best burlesque” of the East and the top stars of West will share the stage in the West Coast debut of Pinchbottom’s “hilarious (and dirty)” satire PRETENÇIÓN: un cirque de burlesque, un burlesque de cirque. The “joyously silly and self-mocking” farce will play Los Angeles for two nights only, featuring a cast of eminent ecdysiasts that can only be described as a who’s who of burlesque all-stars.

But what is Pretençión? A silly word made up to sound important? It would seem so, but the show’s creator has another explanation. “It is the place where Mystery sits at a table with Elegance, and Imagination orders a round of cocktails before dinner,” intones Jonny Porkpie, “a world where those drinks are served by a pompous clown. It is a sensual quest for an imaginary yet sexy element that turns burlesque performers from ‘Jerkques’ (ordinary people) into self-important ‘Cirques’: infuriatingly magical, unendurably spellbinding artistes who peel away the mundane with every layer of clothing.”

Pretençión takes cirque where only Pinchbottom could: past the bounds of good taste and into the realm of hilarious self-parody. A treat for cirque lovers, haters, and the entirely ambivalent alike. Step into the world of Pretençión – but be careful not to trip on the magic.