Storming of the Bastille Reenactment | Bearded Ladies Cabaret | Philadelphia PA
July 16, 2013 Leave a comment
Yet another clever, sensational, ridiculous and historically accurate theatrical reenactment of the ‘storming of the bastille’ to celebrate ‘Bastille Day’, created by Philadelphia’s local ‘bearded ladies cabaret‘. The drag queen Edith Piaf who MC’d the event was once again hilarious. He/she fabulously orchestrated the whole affair, along with a live orchestra. Characters appeared from throughout France’s history in a theatre of the absurd that yet percolated with clever innuendoes to modern politics as well, staged before the backdrop of the Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia.
With cue cards for the crowd to play along, the crowd of all ages could enjoy being part of the show. These specs in the sky are not birds, but ‘tastykakes‘ being thrown from the wall of the castle. In response to the peoples complaint that there is not enough bread to eat, Marie Antoinette retorted “Let them eat cake”. The Bearded Cabaret version of this was for Marie to speak from the fortress “let them eat tastykakes”, which were then tossed by the hundreds into the crowd.
And along with the oohs and awes and participatory responses and cheers from the crowd in this very interactive and festive event, no one went away without a smile or a tastykake.
And to bring the storming of the Bastille to a contemporary hue, Pussy Riot, the Russian political punk band also took the stage.
Here’s a link to more pics of the festivities a female Napoleon on horse, a black skinned, white wigged Ben Franklin, who did some fine song and break dancin’, a guillotine that ‘cut the cake’ literally, and a French baguette, who then was donned in a white cloth when he became the ‘ghost of french bread’. Mixed in with the pics are a few random shots of the drive back through Pennsylvania Dutch (Deutsch) country with Amish horse-drawn buggies in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Ah yes, and there I am lingering on into the evening, celebrating with others at the tents hosted by a local restaurant, with beer in hand and Marie Antoinette by my side.