THE TRANSATLANTIC MAGAZINE
THE TRANSATLANTIC MAGAZINE
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Edinburgh Fringe 2018 | Sabrina Chap
Sabrina Chap: How to Be a Bad Girl
Reviewed by Olivia McLaren
Tickets
When a classically-trained pianist is dumped by her significant other, she goes off the rails. At least, that is the setup for Sabrina Chap’s cabaret piece, a one-woman show that has a lot going for it. Sabrina is a talented musician out of Brooklyn, NY, with a sultry, dulcet voice. Her show is physical; she has the kind of energy most of us would envy, throwing her arms about and bouncing in her chair like a burlesque Jerry Lee Lewis. Sabrina laughs deeply as she titillates the audience, encouraging banter and inhibition.
Her show starts in on a high, with a song dedicated to the destruction of her morality. There’s a little bit more cheer when she introduces a novel concept for Sesame Street: the ABCs of sex education. But the show then wanders into darker territory, such as family dysfunction and a mischievous number about death. The show ends with a song so rude, I blush to recall it.
There are certain aspects of this show that seem standard for burlesque, such as a fifties-inspired costume, fishnets, cavernous décolletage and bawdy songs. The show fits solidly into a mold, so if you are looking for something unusual or weird, this is not it. But if you’ve had a drink or three and want to be impressed and entertained in the late hours, this is a good bet. Please note, this show is not family-friendly, so don’t take your parents (unless they are into that sort of thing)!
