The last chance to see FurrLesque this summer is in Chicago on Saturday night, Sept. 22, at Jackhammer, 6406 N. Clark St.
This all-male burlesque group began last spring, and this year's show features all new choreography and a pointed message of self-acceptance in the face of stigmatization and bullying based on appearance and body size.
Show choreographer and director Jeff Lynch brings a superhero theme to the show because "it offers a fun vocabulary with which to communicate a message of embracing different identities and coming together as a community despite those differences," he said.
"Superheroes all have alter egos, and I think we tend to hide behind our own alter egos. This show encourages us to let our inner superheroes fly," Lynch said.
Lynch, 27, who lives in Chicago's Lakeview neighborhood, is the executive director of Arcas Productions, the nonprofit organization he founded last year in order to produce theatre and dance that promotes a healthy male body image. FurrLesque, the impetus for the mission and organization, started in May 2011, as a fundraiser for the Ride For AIDS Chicago, and quickly took off with the help of a passionate group of men.
"This isn't a typical burlesque show, in that we have a few dance numbers that don't involve any removal of clothes. Also, by adhering to one theme for every number, we're presenting a more cohesive show than last year," Lynch said. "It's definitely a gay show, but designed to appeal to anyone and everyone.
"We have men of every body type doing comedy, dance, and burlesque. I really want this to be about inclusionfor performers [and] the audience. No matter who you are, approach the show with an open mind and you'll have a blast. The performers have so much fun on stage; it's hard not to have fun watching them."
Lynch said the expected show highlight likely will be the central dance that the show revolves around. "It's a piece I've been working on for over a year, and choreography I'm proud of," he said. But the show is truly about the individuals on stage. "The smaller pieces showcase each performer's personality and sense of fun, and each is informed by a comic book twist."
FurrLesque has made stops around the Midwest, including Madison, Kenosha, and Michigan (Campit). Last summer, the show was performed about five times in Chicago.
"[Last] summer, I felt that what we were doing stood for more than just fun burlesque; we were also embracing the notion that you don't have to look a certain way to be or feel sexy," Lynch said. "We were getting very positive responses from our audiences, the performers were gaining confidence, and I wanted to incorporate a nonprofit to produce the show and help expand our mission of promoting a healthy male body image."
This year's FurrLesque features six performers, down from the 14 the show started with. The smaller cast size makes the show more portable, but allows for the audience to connect with and follow each individual performer, Lynch said.
"FurrLesque consists of men of all shapes, sizes and experience levels, getting up on stage and dancing, often provocatively, always with confidence in themselves and their own attractiveness," Lynch said. "They are demonstrating that confidence equals sexiness, while giving the audience the chance to see themselves onstage. FurrLesque is about proving that you don't need to fit a certain mold to dance, that you don't need to look a certain way to be sexy, and that there are no rules as to who is allowed to take his clothes off onstage."
Lynch also is the choreographer for the annual Night of 100 Drag Queens at Sidetrack, which is a benefit for Equality Illinois, and scheduled for Oct. 23-24.
For more information about FurrLesque, Arcas Productions is on Facebook.