Unmaking Toulouse-Lautrec at Madame X-seXy Cabaret

Enter Madame X Theater on Houston and be transformed to the Belle Epoch era and into an authentic looking salon replete with French coquettes who certainly can - can can.  The Bated Breath Theater Co., under its artistic dir. Mara Lieberman has created an immersive, provocative performance that's titilating. informative, intoxicating (literally) and completely captivating.  The atmosphere is raging with Moulin Rouge magnifique'.  The stunning & tres chic hostess escorts you into a smokey salon, candlelit lumiere and cast in amber hues. The charmingly curmudgeon bar tender will card you (yes!) while smoking hot femme fatales flitter hither & thither.  These showgirls appear to have stepped off the pages of gay Paris; late 19th C.  The women deign to entertain you, or not, while continuing their stretching routines disregarding your presence.  Their presence is undeniably sensual and conspiratorially engaging.  The art on the walls are works by Henri Toulouse-Lautrec of the Moulin Rouge & its dancers whom he drew and immortalized through his drawings, posters and paintings.  A portrait of Henri's life takes shape through his body of work.  Paintings are brought to life seen through Henri's eyes what he admired most from near & afar.  His muse Jane Avril is his most ardent supporter and his beautiful but aloof mother are both pitched in the spotlight.  Henri's makes his inebriated presence doesn't go unbeknownst at the club or at his mother's feet for tea.  Even Henri's doppelgänger father (1st cousins with his mother) makes a heartless & hapless appearance.  The highlight, amongst plenty, is the remarkable, choreographed staging & dancing that includes a rousing & risqué can can.  (NYC Rockettes - eat your hearts out.)  There's a playful wink to contemporary music & dance lest we forget where these art forms originated.  The life size posters are enlivened with actors' posing alongside offering an added layer of artistry.  I tip my chapeau to the combination of historic storytelling awash in creativity and appealing mystique.  I recommend ordering either house drink:  The Moulin Rogue or the Toulouse - when in Paris.  I urge everyone to experience this immersive, intoxicating performance that is seductive (& educational) entertainment.