Key West The Newspaper

Many know Key West resident Christa Hunt as the saucy, sexy Key West Burlesque performer “Tatah Dujour.” But what they might not know is that this dynamic single mother is also the Creator/ Director/ Producer of the Burlesque, crafting and overseeing the many aspects of the company totally solo, a role that she wholly embraces.

This year, Hunt decided it was time to craft a production that she’d long dreamed of – “Sugar Rum Cherry: A Burlesque Nutcracker,” an outrageously cheeky take on the classic Nutcracker holiday ballet. The fruiting of her far-out vision is set to debut Thursday, December 14 and will run through Saturday, December 16 at Key West Theater, 512 Eaton Street. The deliciously naughty holiday 2-act reverie is set to a combination of big band versions of various Nutcracker suites and classic holiday songs, and features local performers, international burlesque superstars, and a bevy of sweet “drinks” in the land of libations.

“I love getting my hands in on every aspect of a show— from costuming to choreography to marketing and music,” she says. “But what keeps me going is getting to see the end-result. I love seeing the shows come to life!”

Though Hunt started her career at the beginning of the neo burlesque movement in 1998 in New York City, she found her calling as a producer when she moved to Key West, offering a theatrical take on the burlesque art form with fully original concepts and scripted parodies—something only a handful of professional burlesque companies do.

“It’s more inspiring for me to write and produce shows with scripts and full concepts than basic variety shows,” she says. “It also allows performers who have dance or theater training but don’t want to do striptease to be a part of our shows.”

Original Key West Burlesque “full” shows include “Kung Fu Hero,” “Gospel of a Good Time,” and “Magic of Spring,” and fans will remember her cheeky parodies, including “The Sexy Side of Star Wars,” “Peter Pan in Naughty Land,” and “Taking it Off to See the Wizard,” as well as a number of follies-style productions like the holiday and variety shows. Hunt’s goal for the company is to have productions that travel with full time professional dancers and performers, and is headed in that direction next April with the Burlesque’s Prince tribute show “Erotic City.”

On a more personal level, she aspires to produce non-burlesque pieces as well as her sexy, spirited shows, and has been working on some material in that vein.

“As a mom I have a desire to produce some children’s stuff,” she says. “I figure it can’t be much different than producing shows for a wild and crazy adult audience.”

Until then, adult audiences will love her upcoming “Sugar Rum Cherry: A Burlesque Nutcracker.” This burlesque version of the holiday ballet classic offers audiences a full theatrical production that is uniquely Key West, celebrating “so much of what makes Key West the place it is—drinking, dancing, and adult fun,” says Hunt.

Doors at Key West Theater open at 7:30pm, “Sugar Rum Cherry: A Burlesque Nutcracker” starts at 8:00pm. Sponsored in part by the Monroe County Tourist Development Council.  Tickets: thekeywesttheater.com or call 305.985.0433.