Nothing Taboo About (PG Rating -Not For Kids)

With all the publicity and talks claiming this to be one of the world’s most sensational and most provocative shows, “Taboo” didn’t lived up to my expectation. In fact, I thought Taboo was mild, unimaginative and poorly-choreographed. It promised to bring the audience to a different level of secret fantasies, it didn’t even stir my heart by a beat. Despite the close proximity between me and the performers (I bought the VIP seating and sat right beside the stage), there was simply no connection to my senses.

Visually, Taboo got everything right – women in body-hugging leather suits, G-strings and see-through wet coats, men on heels and tight under wears. These performers were good looking and had good athletic bodies. What let me down was the the content. I felt Taboo was a little too savage, rough, unrealistic and acrobatic. I thought I was watching a mild version of Lady Gaga concert and Cirque du Soleil.

Most acts didn’t appeal to me. There was a topless female dancer soaked in thick chocolate fluid, an acrobatic couple performing steamy wet stunts in a transparent bathtub, and an SM Nazi-looking routine. Out of the entire show, I only enjoyed 2 acts – the very booblicious and sexy sword-swallowing girl (she was one of the key highlights of the show) and the amazing pole dancing queen.

My verdict: there was nothing Taboo, sensual or even arty that can trigger any fantasy inside me. Nor the any of the acts were stunningly memorable. I guess director Franco Dragone lost his art here. There wasn’t even one climax moment, the acts were poorly paced, too hyper, upbeat and disconnected. The performers were smiling too much. There were too much singing (song choice was wrong too) and synchronized pop dance routines. At one point, I thought I was watching the return of the Backstreet Boys and Spice Girls.

Throughout the show, the performers tired their best to integrate their acts with the VIP audience. In the dark, the performers sneaked up behind the clueless audience and made small contact. They walked from table-top to table-top and danced around the VIP tables. I don’t think the tease went well. It was more comical than seductive. A couple of times, the female performer ran her fingers into my hair, tried removing my tee-shirt while 2 other guy performers lap-danced another female audience, planted a hard kiss on her cheek and thrusted his crotch right at her face in a very suggestive manner.

Please note that my review here may be very subjective. These performers are very talented and beautiful. For a cabaret, it scored high for entertainment and visual treatment. But i won’t sell this as “Taboo”. It is too misleading. Not worth for MOP1,000/ticket. Perhaps it will be good if they spilt the show into 2 groups: Taboo for Men and Taboo for Women. At least, they can customize the right content to appeal the specific gender. This show is too unisex and general for now.

I guess I see eroticism and sensuality very differently. I don’t mean the crude way. Or maybe I just could not connect with the Caucasian performers. Maybe I am more attracted to the Asian faces. It could be a personal taste and preference. If this is positioned as THE “Show of Secret Fantasies”, I personally expect and prefer the slow, dark, luring, dangerous, sensual, dim, smooth seduction. While the hot steamy bathroom scene does set the right mood but not the SM savage quickies and those 50 shades of grey.

Yes, spanking is not sexy for me. It reminds me of the corporal punishment in Singapore.