What is Burlesque?
I have lost count of how many times I have been asked this question.
“Oh… you mean the kitten dolls?”
Not quite…
Burlesque
Pronunciation: (ËOE)bÉ(TM)r-Ë^lesk
Function: noun
Etymology: burlesque, adjective, comical, funny, from French, from Italian burlesque, of mocked joke, from Spanish
Date: 1667
1 : a literary or dramatic work that seeks to ridicule by means of grotesque exaggeration or comic imitation
2 : mocked generally by caricature
3 : theatrical entertainment of a broadly humorous, often earthy character, consisting of short twists, comic parodies, and sometimes strip acts
Second thought…
Jokes aside, although it originated much earlier, burlesque probably began to catch on in Europe and the UK as early as the 17th and early 18th centuries and was introduced to North America during the 1860s by Lydia Thompson and her company, British Blondes.
There are various definitions, but burlesque was basically a comic imitation of a serious literary, political, or artistic form, at least initially. These shows used comedy, parody, sexuality, and music to challenge the established and/or conventional way of seeing things. The general formula for a show would most often have consisted of the following:
The first part was made up of women singing songs and dancing, interspersed with comedy by male comedians. The second part was an assorted collection of acts and sketches including contortionists, jugglers, ventriloquists, wrestlers, acrobats, etc. The finale of the show was a grand finale, often a one-act musical performance.
Due to its controversial and rather adult content, some companies would put #1 shows and #2 shows, with the first being “clean” and the second being “dirty”.
Burlesque had its ups and downs and its own evolution as it slowly shifted from a scripted show of variety acts to simple performances focused primarily on striptease.
There were many fans, but also many protesters who felt that burlesque was corrupt and immoral.
In the 1920s and 1930s, the legal and social suppression of burlesque eventually led to the legendary raid on Minsky’s in Manhattan, and the gradual decline of burlesque in general. In 1937, Minsky’s license was revoked and burlesque performances were banned entirely in New York City. Burlesque struggled to survive after that, eventually fading away entirely, and it wasn’t until the mid-1990s that burlesque came out of the woods again and quickly began to gain momentum again.
While in burlesque today, there are a number of shows made up of just striptease, there are still many with the big band, comedians, acrobats, etc.
Personally, I find that producing a show where striptease is mixed with other variety acts helps to keep the elements of provocation and surprise. But there are several formulas that work, and the choice of your poster will vary depending on your target audience.
Today the burlesque community is flourishing and there are shows everywhere from Chicago to Berlin to Tokyo. There are a handful of international burlesque festivals organized in Los Angeles, New York, New Orleans, Paris, Toronto, Montreal, Amsterdam, Vancouver, and London to name a few. All of these boast quite an impressive list of artists, including Dita Von Teese (Hollywood, CA), Catherine D’Lish (Northridge, CA), Dirty Martini (New York, NY), The Pontani Sisters (New York, NY ), Michelle L’amour (Chicago IL), Oui Oui Encore (Montreal QC), Miss Indigo Blue (Seattle, WA), The World Famous BOB (New York, NY), Tanya Cheex (Toronto, ON), Sauci Calla Horra (Toronto ON), Julie Atlas Muz (New York, NY)Kalani KoKonuts (The Vegas, Nevada)Diamondback Annie (Los Angeles, CA), Cecilia Bravo (Vancouver BC), Miss Sugarpuss (Montreal QC) Immodesty Blaize (London, UK), Neptune Kitty (Toronto, ON), Amber Ray (New York, NY) Bunny Love (New York, NY), not to mention many, MANY further…
And in response to your previous question, no. Not “I mean pussycat dolls”.
Burlesque definition courtesy of http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Burlesque Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary
