Confetti Eddie’s Naughty Magic Show Brings Back Vaudeville With an Adult Spin

In a row of industrial storefronts in the Design District is a misleadingly small entrance to Viva’s Lounge. Twice a month, staff members flip on the lights and open the doors, inviting a returning loyal audience to see Viva’s newest offering of burlesque entertainment. Confetti Eddie’s Naughty Magic Show, a mix of comedy, music, burlesque and magic with a risque tone, was the most recent show.

The building is an expansive space. VIP tables are clustered around the front of the stage, where local comedian Dean Lewis is performing close-up magic for the exclusive seats. Lewis charms each table with the wit that has made him a household name in Dallas comedy, and as the group claps for his completed feat of magic, he moves to entertain the next group.

Women dressed in corsets and bunny masks walk through the room greeting the newest arrivals, stopping to pose with camera-ready audience members. Confetti Eddie, the magician for the night, chats with guests, flashing his large smile and preparing the audience for the night’s entertainment. A large disco ball hangs over the room, sending fractured light through the darkened room. The scene is that of a speakeasy open for secret business, a room only known from the whispered recommendations of people who had been there before with plans on going back.

When the lights darken to their blackest, a spotlight follows comedian and emcee David Jessup as he takes centerstage in front of a drawn red curtain. He does his job as the audience’s friendly face, the guide through a night of exotic and eclectic acts, with a welcoming high energy. He talks with the crowd at great length and, in one highlight of the show, brings an audience member onstage to help him with a comedy routine that the audience continues to laugh at for the rest of the night. The audience gets to know him over the course of the show as he makes people laugh between acts, holding their focus until a scantily clad leg steps from behind the red curtain, letting him know it’s time to introduce the next performance.

The curtain draws back to reveal Confetti Eddie, a magician dressed in a classic vest and bow tie invoking the spirit of Harry Houdini. His best illusions for the night are done wordlessly, drawing the crowd to watch each carefully placed movement as a haunting score plays. In a particularly outstanding illusion, he has assistant Emma D’Lemma appear inside an empty light box, her silhouette gracefully announcing her presence until she steps out of a space previously unoccupied. Other illusions, such as his take on the magic rope trick, should probably be more refined before attempting again. People in the back rows would most likely be able to tell their friends how the trick was performed at the close of the night.

D’Lemma shines in her performances for the evening, at one point doing a solo aerial show from a cube dangled dangerously above the stage. She moved with elegance and beauty, and as she spun above the stage in increasingly difficult poses, the somewhat rowdy crowd became silent as while watching and then applauded wildly.

Poppy Xander is always a treat to watch, and this night was no different, with Xander showcasing her musical talents throughout the show, singing an original song as she passionately played her keyboard. Xander and cabaret singer Joey Jett led the crowd into a singalong of Queen’s "Somebody To Love" that unified even the drunkest in the audience for a memorable moment.

Rounding out the night was burlesque performer Honey Cocoa Bordeauxx, who performed the final dance of the show to loud, appreciative catcalls.

Confetti Eddie’s Naughty Magic show has a few bumps here and there, with rough transitions from act to act, but that almost adds charm to the overall show. It’s a unique show experience transports a room to a forgotten age of entertainment, and fans of the days of vaudeville with a distinctly adult spin should keep their eyes on the calendar for the next time the show is announced.