Christianity vs Burlesque = Skin Tight Outta Sight Rebel Burlesque

Think of it as a church pageant gone wrong, says Sauci Calla Horra, of Toronto the Good's Skin Tight Outta Sight Rebel Burlesque.

The Harlot of Babylon will do a fire act to Iron Maiden.

Mary Magdalene will approach Jesus on the cross doing a form of foot-worshipping with a touch of necrophilia to Bruce Springsteen singing "Mary, Don't You Weep."

Jezebel will belly dance to a false idol. A nun in a PVC micro dress over garters will have a naughty vision to "Ave Maria."

"We're all naked in the eyes of the Lord," says burlesque member Tanya Cheex, who's both Mary Magdalene and the Harlot of Babylon ("interchangeable in the view of some religious zealots"). In a manner of speaking of course. It's in the code of burlesque to never go farther than G-string and pasties.

The Reverend Sin Monger will emcee the popular striptease troupe's Biblical Burlesque Edition, on the Saturday between Good Friday and Easter Sunday, at Cadillac Lounge.

The show will be the fourth Biblical burlesque for the gender-bending performers. But so far it has not offended any religious sensibilities. Far from it: faith-oriented Vision TV filmed them once, and the crew complimented them.

"I always feel like our stuff for the most part is pretty PG-13," says Sauci, who will do her Eve act: a reverse striptease that begins with her in nothing but three fig leaves.

"Sometimes we're pushing the envelope. We try to make it look like an accident. But it's not." The highest praise they've received is, "I can't believe you did that onstage."

In the wake of New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer's descent from moral crusader to sexual sinner, the Reverend will give his sermon in the best hypocritical tradition of a southern evangelical. As if Bible-thumping was printed with a typo.

"I feel we have lots of room to grow," says Sauci. "The Bible offers unlimited opportunities to play around." Past Biblical burlesques have featured a tap-dancing Judas as a hustler who leaves Jesus trussed up and religious figures such as the patron saint of beer, whose cups are always overflowing.

Sauci is working on a routine involving Dymphana, the patron saint of sexual frustration. But for this show she'll be Eve, tempted by Satan with an apple and a bottle of Jack Daniels.

The Virgin Mary is a figure ripe for exploration. "She's trying to find herself," says Tanya. "She is the mother of Jesus but nobody knows who she is. So she's soul-searching through stripping."

Sauci and Tanya, two of the originals in the group, which has been around for 10 years, have been surprised at how burlesque has entered the mainstream. Skin Tight Outta Sight has a loyal following of fans ages 20 to 70, from downtown and the 'burbs, straight, gay and whatever. They are also in demand for corporate events and fundraisers and offer burlesque workshops to bridal parties.

Saturday, March 22 at 8 p.m. Cadillac Lounge, 1296 Queen St, Toronto.