A longtime fan of burlesque shows (my friends and I had been going for decades), I couldn’t resist the temptation (HEY-OH!) to go to the Burlesque Hall of Fame in Las Vegas.
Our tour guide was a drag king, a current performer who clearly had a passion for the history of the genre of burlesque, and was so enthusiastic that her energy carried the tour. I’ll pass on some of the tidbits I learned about burlesque that day– as the small museum had a lot to offer.
Early burlesque wasn’t actually about the infamous striptease– in fact, the tour guide shared the etymology of the word is Italian (‘Burla’)– meaning, a joke or mockery. The shows in the 1880s began as rather ribald comedy troupes, who toured the United States, moving from hall to hall– most often headlined by white male comedians who towed the line of social acceptability with their “low” style of humor. But also would have contained boxing, circus acts, dancers, or singers.
You’ll recognize some of the comedians who got their start in these acts– Fanny Brice, Bob Hope, Abbott and Costello, and Jackie Gleason ring a bell?
Lydia Thompson (pictured left)– was one of the pioneers of burlesque, and was a talented British actress who made her name through acting, but also began to incorporate slightly more salacious humor (including a ‘leg show’) that got the city of New York incensed. The act of the striptease came later, as the lady dancers showing off their elaborate costumes eventually led to them… removing them.
The genre grew and women’s creativity flourished (burlesque performers were mostly women then), and Rosita Royce might have had one of the best gimmicks. She trained doves to remove her articles of clothing for her– like a reverse (also perverse) Disney Princess! (She’s pictured below with her doves).
The craft of burlesque grew through the 20s and 30s and then was immortalized in 1943 on celluloid, in Lady of Burlesque– a film starring Barbara Stanwyck, who was a revered actress of the time.
This was the golden age, as it were– when performers like Gypsy Rose Lee, and Sally Rand (who originated the well-known ‘fan dance’), became household names. And the art form was extremely popular (if hated by the authorities).
You’ll note that some of the posters include the word “Burlesk”– spelled (obviously) incorrectly so as not to draw the wrath of the sensors and lawmakers– as “Burlesque” performances might have been made illegal in that municipality or state.
Apparently, many of the club managers would sell-out tickets for their burlesque shows, then have to go bail the performers out of prison that night– as local politicians and cops liked to accuse them of indecency. Yep, burlesque caused one of the (many) moral panics in American culture.
Most say that burlesque went quiet due to the rise of movies– and in the 50s-80s, burlesque entered a more dormant period. Moving images on the screen generally dampened the desire to go see live entertainment, and all the stage shows suffered.
But fear not, in the 1980s and 1990s, burlesque had a resurgence. Performers like Dita Von Teese helped bring it back into vogue (the museum had Dita’s famous martini glass on display). And “Neo Burlesque” began (the era we are now in)– which welcomed totally new visions of the craft, from different body types and styles, to men performing, and elevated into a much higher-concept art form than prior.
How the museum itself got founded is also one hell of a story… Jennie Lee, a former burlesque performer herself (“The Bazoom Girl”– how’s that for a nickname?) started collecting memorabilia of the art form when she owned The Sassy Lassy, as she did not want the performers to be lost and forgotten. She eventually moved out to the Mojave Desert with her husband. If you drove up to Ms. Lee’s mobile home and honked your horn three times, she’d put on bright red lipstick and come out to show you the exhibits of burlesque items from the history of the craft. (Original sign saying “honk three times” below).
She passed from breast cancer in 1990, at which point possession of the memorabilia was passed to another former performer– Dixie Evans. And the museum grew and grew through word-of-mouth donations, before changing its name from “Exotic World” to “The Burlesque Museum” and moving to its permanent home in Las Vegas.
The “pasty wall” was a real treat to see on the way out– performers (some famous, some not) from all over had sent their pasties (with a donation) to the museum. They showed such an array creative costuming choices, and great handiwork (they were often handmade by the performers themselves).
The costumes on display were just a handful– but the costuming exhibit was helpful in explaining all the work that a costume had to do onstage, when it was meant to be removed (slowly). The clasps, buttons, and tear-away bits had to be carefully construed and constructed, and this could make or break an act.
This museum’s annual event, called “Miss Exotic World Pageant” is held in Las Vegas– and includes a category for Misters as well. The best and brightest burlesque performers from all over the world attend, and try to vie for the title. If you would like to see the caliber of these performers, it’s just a Google search away– they post each year’s contestants on Vimeo.
If you’re in the Las Vegas area, don’t sleep on the Burlesque Museum– it was a fantastic peek behind the curtain (HEY-OH!) into the past of a genre of performance that’s still alive and well today. Better yet, go support your local burlesque troupe even sooner (and bring $1 bills!).
Posted by Sun
