American burlesque is a genre of variety show derived from elements of Victorian burlesque,

music hall Music hall is a type of British theatrical entertainment that was popular from the early Victorian era, beginning around 1850. It faded away after 1918 as the halls rebranded their entertainment as variety. Perceptions of a distinction in Bri ...

and minstrel shows.

Burlesque A burlesque is a literary, dramatic or musical work intended to cause laughter by caricaturing the manner or spirit of serious works, or by ludicrous treatment of their subjects.

nudity Nudity is the state of being in which a human is without clothing. The loss of body hair was one of the physical characteristics that marked the biological evolution of modern humans from their hominin ancestors. Adaptations related to ...

. By the late 1920s, the striptease element overshadowed the comedy and subjected burlesque to extensive local legislation. Burlesque gradually lost popularity beginning in the 1940s. A number of producers sought to capitalize on nostalgia for the entertainment by recreating burlesque on the stage and in Hollywood films from the 1930s to the 1960s. There has been a resurgence of interest in this format since the 1990s.

Literary and theatrical origins

The term "burlesque" more generally means a literary, dramatic or musical work intended to cause laughter by caricaturing the manner or spirit of serious works, or by ludicrous treatment of their subjects."Burlesque"
''Oxford English Dictionary'', Oxford University Press, accessed February 16, 2011 Burlesque in literature and in theatre through the 19th century was intentionally ridiculous in that it imitated several styles and combined imitations of certain authors and artists with absurd descriptions. Burlesque depended on the reader's (or listener's) knowledge of the subject to make its intended effect, and a high degree of literacy was taken for granted. Victorian burlesque, sometimes known as "travesty" or " extravaganza", was popular in London theatres between the 1830s and the 1890s. It took the form of musical theatre parody in which a well-known opera, play or ballet was adapted into a broad comic play, usually a musical play, often risqué in style, mocking the theatrical and musical conventions and styles of the original work, and quoting or pastiching text or music from the original work. The comedy often stemmed from the incongruity and absurdity of the classical subjects, with realistic historical dress and settings, being juxtaposed with the modern activities portrayed by the actors. The dialogue was generally written in rhyming couplets, liberally peppered with bad puns.Fredric Woodbridge Wilson: "Burlesque", ''Grove Music Online'' ed. L. Macy, accessed 4 December 4, 2008
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A typical example from a burlesque of ''

Macbeth ''Macbeth'' (, full title ''The Tragedie of Macbeth'') is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. It is thought to have been first performed in 1606. It dramatises the damaging physical and psychological effects of political ambition on those w ...

'': Macbeth and Banquo enter under an umbrella, and the witches greet them with "Hail! hail! hail!" Macbeth asks Banquo, "What mean these salutations, noble thane?" and is told, "These showers of 'Hail' anticipate your 'reign'".Wells, Stanley
"Shakespearian Burlesques"
''Shakespeare Quarterly'', Vol. 16, No. 1 (Winter, 1965), pp. 49–61, Folger Shakespeare Library in association with George Washington University, accessed February 2, 2011 A staple of theatrical burlesque was the display of attractive women in travesty roles, dressed in tights to show off their legs, but the plays themselves were seldom more than modestly risqué.

History

19th century

There were three main influences on American burlesque in its early years: Victorian burlesque, "leg shows" and minstrel shows. British-style burlesques had been successfully presented in New York as early as the 1840s. Burlesque in the United States is believed to have begun in New York with the arrival from England of Lydia Thompson's burlesque troupe, "The British Blondes". It was the most popular entertainment in New York during the 1868–1869 theatrical season: "The eccentricities of pantomime and burlesque – with their curious combination of comedy, parody, satire, improvisation, song and dance, variety acts, cross-dressing, extravagant stage effects, risqué jokes and saucy costumes – while familiar enough to British audiences, took New York by storm." Unfortunately, “the female audiences for burlesque did not last for long. In the summer of 1869 a wave of ‘anti-burlesque hysteria’ in the New York press frightened away the middle-class audiences ... and sent the Thompson troupe prematurely packing for a national tour”.Dudden, Faye E. "The Rise of the Leg Show", ''Women in the American Theatre: Actresses and Audeiences'', New Haven, Yale UP (1994) After this untimely closure, backlash against burlesque continued to grow. Thompson's shows were described as a “disgraceful spectacle of padded legs jiggling and wriggling in the insensate follies and indecencies of the hour”.Moses, Marlie. "Lydia Thompson and The ‘British Blondes’.", ''Women in the American theatre'', New York, Crown (1981) The ''New York Times'' consistently expressed its disgust of burlesque, even headlining an article with the plea “Exit British Burlesque”. "Leg" shows, such as the musical extravaganza '' The Black Crook'' (1866), became popular around the same time. The influence of the minstrel show soon followed; one of the first American burlesque troupes was the Rentz-Santley Novelty and Burlesque Company, created in 1870 by Michael B. Leavitt, who had earlier feminized the minstrel show with his group

Madame Rentz's Female Minstrels Madame Rentz's Female Minstrels was a blackface minstrel troupe composed completely of women. M. B. Leavitt founded the company in 1870. Unlike mainstream minstrelsy at the time, Leavitt's cast was entirely made up of women, whose primary role was ...

. American burlesque rapidly adopted the minstrel show's tripartite structure: part one was composed of songs and dances rendered by a female company, interspersed with low comedy from male comedians. Part two featured various short specialties and

olios ''Olios'' is the largest genus of huntsman spiders, containing 166 species. They are found throughout the world, with most species occurring in hot countries. The genus was first described by Charles Athanase Walckenaer in 1837. Description T ...

in which the women did not appear. The show's finish was a grand finale. Sometimes the entertainment was followed by a boxing or wrestling match."Burlesque show"
''Encyclopædia Britannica'', Online Library Edition, accessed February 16, 2011 By the 1880s, the four distinguishing characteristics of American burlesque had evolved: *Minimal costuming, often focusing on the female form. *Sexually suggestive dialogue, dance, plot lines and staging. *Quick-witted humor laced with puns, but lacking complexity. *Short routines or sketches with minimal plot cohesion across a show.Humez, Nick
"Burlesque".
''St. James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture'', ed. Sara Pendergast and Tom Pendergast, Gale Virtual Reference Library, accessed February 16, 2011 ‘From 1880 to 1890 burlesque gained considerably in popularity and had developed into a definite form of entertainment, with a first part, olio and afterpiece or burlesque. Most of the shows that were rated as burlesque shows between 1870 and 1880 were partly of the minstrel type, and many contained casts entirely composed of women. Among the shows organized from 1880 to 1890 were the Ida Siddon’s Female Mastodons & Burlesque Co.—Sam T. Jack’s “Lily Clay’s" Adamless Eden Gaiety Co.—Lillie Hall’s Burlesquers—Madame Girard Gyer’s English Novelty Co.—Bob Manchester’s “Night Owls"—May Howard’s Co. (managed by Harry Morris, her husband and Tom Miaco)—the “City Club,” organized by the same managers—Sam T. Jack’s “Creole Burlesquers,” an all-negro show—Fay Foster Co., organized by Joe Oppenheimer—Rose Hill English Folly Co., managed by George W. Rice and Charles Barton—Weber and Fields’ Vaudeville Club—John S. Grieves’ Burlesquers—Boom’s “Model Burlesquers,”—“Parisian Folly”—and John H. Smiths’ “Henry Burlesquers,” in which McIntyre and Heath appeared.’

1900–1920

Burlesque in the first two decades of the 20th century was dominated by the

Columbia Amusement Company The Columbia Amusement Company, also called the Columbia Wheel or the Eastern Burlesque Wheel, was a show business organization that produced burlesque shows in the United States between 1902 and 1927. Each year, about four dozen Columbia burlesque ...

. Also known as the Columbia Wheel, it produced over three dozen touring shows each year that rotated through an equal number of affiliated theaters. Columbia crushed smaller circuits or bought them outright, and organized a subsidiary circuit, the American Wheel, which played less prominent theaters and didn't censor performers as strictly as the main wheel. Before World War I, Columbia burlesque was generally family-friendly. Performers included Bert Lahr, Fannie Brice, and Bobby Clark, Leon Errol, and

Jay C. Flippen Jay C. Flippen (March 6, 1899 – February 3, 1971) was an American character actor who often played crusty sergeants, police officers or weary criminals in many films of the 1940s and 1950s. Before his motion-picture career he was a leading va ...

, all of whom eventually left burlesque for Broadway musical comedies and revues.

1920–1930

Columbia's American Wheel subsidiary went bankrupt in 1922, but executives and producers formed a new, independent circuit, Mutual, that took inspiration from modern Broadway revues like Earl Carroll's Vanities and the Ziegfeld Follies. Many performers and producers abandoned Columbia, which was seen as old-fashioned and in decline. At its peak, Mutual sent up to 50 shows on the road each year to cycle through as many affiliated theaters. Mutual's shows were more risque than Columbia's, but not as racy as shows mounted by local stock burlesque theaters such as the Minskys at the National Winter Garden on the Lower East Side. The popular burlesque show of this period eventually evolved into the

striptease A striptease is an erotic or exotic dance in which the performer gradually undresses, either partly or completely, in a seductive and sexually suggestive manner. The person who performs a striptease is commonly known as a "stripper" or an "ex ...

which became the dominant ingredient of burlesque by the mid 1920s. The transition from traditional burlesque to striptease is depicted in the film ''

The Night They Raided Minsky's ''The Night They Raided Minsky's'' is a 1968 American musical comedy film directed by William Friedkin and produced by Norman Lear. Based on the 1960 novel by Rowland Barber, it is a fictional account of the invention of the striptease at Minsky ...

'' (1968).Slonimsky, Nicholas
"Burlesque show"
''Baker's Dictionary of Music'', Schirmer Reference, New York, 1997, accessed February 16, 2010 Several performers claimed or have been given credit for being the first stripteaser. Comedians Bud Abbott, Lou Costello (not yet a team), Harry Steppe, Joe Penner, Billy Gilbert, and Rags Ragland, as well as stripteasers Ann Corio, Hinda Wausau, and

Gypsy Rose Lee Gypsy Rose Lee (born Rose Louise Hovick, January 8, 1911 – April 26, 1970) was an American burlesque entertainer, stripper and vedette famous for her striptease act. Also an actress, author, and playwright, her 1957 memoir was adapted into ...

performed in Mutual shows.

1930s and decline

Mutual collapsed in 1931 during the Great Depression. As legitimate Broadway shows closed, stock burlesque impresarios like the Minskys expanded out of working class neighborhoods and into theaters in and around Times Square. Stock burlesque companies multiplied in other cities and snatched up former Mutual talent. By the late 1930s, clergy, anti-vice factions and local businesses cracked down on burlesque and began its downfall. Shows had changed from ribald ensemble performances of skits and musical numbers to a succession of solo stripteasers. In New York, Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia clamped down on burlesque beginning in 1937 and effectively put it out of business by the early 1940s.Caldwell, Mark
"The Almost Naked City"
'' The New York Times'', 18 May 2008, accessed September 19, 2009 Burlesque lingered on elsewhere in the U.S., increasingly neglected, and by the 1970s, with nudity commonplace in theatres, American burlesque reached "its final shabby demise".

Burlesque performances

Burlesque performances originally included comic sketches lampooning authority, the upper classes and high art, such as opera, Shakespearean drama, and classical ballet. The genre developed alongside vaudeville and ran on competing circuits. Possibly due to historical social tensions between the upper classes and lower classes of society, much of the humor and entertainment of later American burlesque focused on lowbrow and ribald subjects. In 1937,

Epes W. Sargent Epes Winthrop Sargent (1872–1938) was an American vaudeville critic, who wrote under the pen-name Chicot. He is considered "one of vaudeville's most influential critics and commentators''. He was born in Nassau, Bahamas on August 21, 1872; he c ...

wrote in Variety that, "Burlesque is elastic; more so, perhaps, than any other form in theatrical entertainment", meaning that burlesque performers didn't need to perform in a certain way. The performers could structure their show how they wanted. The_High_Rollers_Extravaganza_Co

Charlie Chaplin Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin Jr. (16 April 188925 December 1977) was an English comic actor, filmmaker, and composer who rose to fame in the era of silent film. He became a worldwide icon through his screen persona, the Tramp, and is consider ...

(who starred in the 1915 film '' Burlesque on Carmen'') noted in 1910: "Chicago ... had a fierce pioneer gaiety that enlivened the senses, yet underlying it throbbed masculine loneliness. Counteracting this somatic ailment was a national distraction known as the burlesque show, consisting of a coterie of rough-and-tumble comedians supported by twenty or more chorus girls. Some were pretty, others shopworn. Some of the comedians were funny, most of the shows were smutty harem comedies – coarse and cynical affairs".

Burlesque on film

Burlesque shows have been depicted in numerous Hollywood films starting with ''Applause'', a 1929 black-and-white backstage musical talkie directed by Rouben Mamoulian. Others include ''King of Burlesque'' (1936), starring Warner Baxter; '' Lady of Burlesque'' (1943) starring Barbara Stanwyck; ''Delightfully Dangerous'' (1945) starring Constance Moore; ''Two Sisters from Boston'' (1946), starring Kathryn Grayson; '' Queen of Burlesque'' (1946), starring Evelyn Ankers; ''Linda, Be Good'' (1947), starring Elyse Knox; and ''

She's Working Her Way Through College ''She's Working Her Way Through College'' is a 1952 American comedy film produced by Warner Bros. A musical comedy in Technicolor, it is directed by H. Bruce Humberstone and stars Virginia Mayo and Ronald Reagan. The screenplay is based on the 1 ...

'' (1952), starring Virginia Mayo. '' Gypsy'' (1962), starring Natalie Wood, and ''

'' (1968), starring Jason Robards, depicted burlesque of the 1920s and 1930s. Other films that include burlesque characters include '' Ball of Fire'', a 1941 screwball comedy starring Gary Cooper and Barbara Stanwyck. Additionally, many of the comedies of Bud Abbott and Lou Costello feature classic burlesque routines, such as "The Lemon Table," "Crazy House," and "Slowly I Turned/Niagra Falls." Low-budget documentations of extant burlesque shows began with ''Hollywood Revels'' (1946), where a regular production was staged in a theater and photographed from a distance. In 1947, film producer W. Merle Connell re-staged the action in a studio, where he could control the camerawork, lighting and sound, providing close-ups and other studio photographic and editorial techniques. His 1951 production ''French Follies'' recreates a classic American burlesque presentation. Some figures from the 1950s indicate that burlesque films could cost upwards of $50,000 to produce, but

Dan Sonney Dan Sonney (23 January 1915 – 3 March 2002) was a director, producer and distributor of exploitation films. He was the son of Louis Sonney, who founded Sonney Amusements, the husband of Margaret Sonney, and a long-term business partner o ...

states that most only cost about $15,000 because they were shot quickly and often done in less than a day. Others filmed at the Follies Theatre in Los Angeles include ''Too Hot to Handle'' (1950), and ''Kiss Me Baby'' (1957). MarionMartinandGloriaDicksonLadyofBurlesque

MarionMartinandGloriaDicksonLadyofBurlesque

Later, other producers entered the field, using color photography and even location work. ''Naughty New Orleans'' (1954) is an example of burlesque entertainment on film, equally showcasing girls and gags, although it shifts the venue from a burlesque-house stage to a popular nightclub. Photographer Irving Klaw filmed a very profitable series of burlesque features, usually featuring star pin-up girl Bettie Page and various lowbrow comedians (including future TV star Joe E. Ross). Page's most famous features are ''

Striporama ''Striporama'' is a 1953 comedy film directed by Jerald Intrator. The film starred a number of burlesque comedy, dance and striptease acts that were popular during the early 1950s. Today, it is best known as one of the few feature films starring ...

'' (1953), ''Varietease'' (1954) and ''Teaserama'' (1955). These films, as their titles imply, were only teasing the viewer: the girls wore revealing costumes, but there was never any nudity. In the late 1950s, however, provocative films emerged, sometimes using a "

nudist colony A naturist resort or nudist resort is an establishment that provides accommodation (or at least camping space) and other amenities for guests in a context where they are invited to practise naturism – that is, a lifestyle of non-sexual socia ...

" format, and the relatively tame burlesque-show film died out.

Stage shows and revivals

A Broadway musical called ''Burlesque'' opened September 1, 1927 and ran until July 14, 1928. '' Top Banana'', a musical with music and lyrics by Johnny Mercer and book by Hy Kraft and starring Phil Silvers premiered on Broadway in 1951. The original Broadway production of " Gypsy" opened on May 21, 1959 and closed on March 25, 1961 after 702 performances. In 1962, famed strip teaser Ann Corio put together a nostalgic off-Broadway show, ''This Was Burlesque'', which she directed and in which also performed. (In 1968, she wrote a book with the same title.) Corio's show toured for almost two decades. In 1979, the Broadway musical ''Sugar Babies'', recreated a Mutual-era show. A loose stage adaptation of

, called ''Minsky's'', opened on February 6, 2009, at the Ahmanson Theatre, Los Angeles, and ran three weeks. A 2013 play, '' The Nance,'' written by Douglas Carter Beane, focuses on a camp stock character in a 1930s burlesque troupe.

Neo-Burlesque

Miss Dirty Martini 2009 Howl Festival 8 by Shankbone

A new generation nostalgic for the spectacle and perceived glamour of the old times determined to bring burlesque back. This revival was pioneered independently in the early 1990s by Billie Madley's "Cinema" and later with Ami Goodheart in "Dutch Weismann's Follies" revues in

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

, Michelle Carr's "The Velvet Hammer" troupe in Los Angeles, and The Shim-Shamettes in New Orleans. Ivan Kane's Royal Jelly Burlesque Nightclub at

Revel Atlantic City Ocean Casino Resort (formerly Revel Casino Hotel Atlantic City) is a resort, hotel and casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey. It is the northernmost casino on the Atlantic City Boardwalk, located on of land, adjacent to the Showboat Hotel. It is ...

opened in 2012. Inspired by old time stars like Sally Rand, Tempest Storm,

, and

Lili St. Cyr Marie Frances Van Schaack (June 3, 1918 – January 29, 1999), known professionally as Lili St. Cyr, was a prominent American burlesque dancer and stripper.. Early years St. Cyr was born Willis Marie Van Schaack in Minneapolis, Minnesota, o ...

, more recent performers include Dita Von Teese, Julie Atlas Muz, and Anne McDonald. Agitprop groups such as Cabaret Red Light have included political satire and performance art in their acts. Today, Neo-Burlesque has taken many forms, but all have the common trait of honoring one or more of burlesque's previous incarnations, with acts including striptease, expensive costumes, bawdy humor, cabaret, and comedy/variety acts. Although neo-burlesque acts honor previous acts, they often lack elements of parody, and political commentary that was commonplace in traditional burlesque. There are modern burlesque performers and shows all over the world, and annual conventions such as the

Vancouver International Burlesque Festival The Vancouver International Burlesque Festival is an annual four-day festival that takes place every spring in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The festival features burlesque performers, comedians and musicians. The 2017 festival showcases w ...

, the New York Burlesque Festival created by burlesque star Angie Pontani and Jen Gapay, and the Miss Exotic World Pageant are held. In 2008, '' The New York Times'' noted that burlesque had made a comeback in the city's art performance scene. A 2010 musical film ''

Burlesque A burlesque is a literary, dramatic or musical work intended to cause laughter by caricaturing the manner or spirit of serious works, or by ludicrous treatment of their subjects.

'', starring Christina Aguilera and

Cher Cher (; born Cherilyn Sarkisian; May 20, 1946) is an American singer, actress and television personality. Often referred to by the media as the Honorific nicknames in popular music, "Goddess of Pop", she has been described as embodying female ...

, attempted to capitalize on the current revival of burlesque. However, it received mixed reviews and a score of 37% on movie website Rotten Tomatoes. Critics found it "perversely tame" and "closer to your grandmother’s fan dance than to the neo-burlesque revues that began popping up in the early 1990s". Additionally, it "wags its derrière, in the direction of new burlesque, but it’s strictly old school ... with a story line that had already gathered dust by ... 1933."Dargis, Manohla
"Small-Town Girl Trades Her Naïveté for Lingerie"
''The New York Times'', November 23, 2010

Notable stars, writers, and agents

Abbott and Costello Abbott may refer to: People *Abbott (surname) *Abbott Handerson Thayer (1849–1921), American painter and naturalist * Abbott and Costello, famous American vaudeville act Places Argentina * Abbott, Buenos Aires United States * Abbott, Arkansas ...

* Jack Albertson * Robert Alda * Morey Amsterdam *

Michael "Atters" Attree Michael "Atters" Attree (born 22 April 1965 in Colchester Military Hospital)'' The Argus'' Weekend (cover feature): A Bounder and a Cad. 25–26 August 2007. is a British humourist and performer. Early life Attree was born to British colonial ...

* Candy Barr *

Irving Benson Irving Benson (January 31, 1914 – May 19, 2016) was an American actor and comedian. He was one of the last survivors of the vaudeville era. Having enjoyed a long and successful run on the east coast American Burlesque circuit, Benson travelled w ...

Milton Berle Milton Berle (born Mendel Berlinger; ; July 12, 1908 – March 27, 2002) was an American actor and comedian. His career as an entertainer spanned over 80 years, first in silent films and on stage as a child actor, then in radio, movies and tel ...

* Immodesty Blaize *

Bella Blue Bella Blue (born January 25, 1982) is an American burlesque dancer and producer. She is the founder and headmistress of the New Orleans School of Burlesque. Early life Bella Blue was born on January 25, 1982 in New Orleans, Louisiana to Barbar ...

* Ben Blue *

Jac Bowie Jac Bowie (born 3 December 1979) is an Australian radio personality and former entrepreneur and theatrical producer who created The Burlesque Ball, a contemporary burlesque event following the worldwide burlesque revival. She was also the En ...

Fanny Brice Fania Borach (October 29, 1891 – May 29, 1951), known professionally as Fanny Brice or Fannie Brice, was an American comedienne, illustrated song model, singer, and theater and film actress who made many stage, radio, and film appearances. S ...

Sherry Britton Edith Zack (July 28, 1918 – April 1, 2008), better known by the stage name Sherry Britton, was an American burlesque performer of the 1930s and early 1940s. The Britton had an waist, and was once said to have a "figure to die for." Lege ...

* Red Buttons * Jack Cameron * Jack Carter * Ann Corio * Catherine D'lish *

Danny Dayton Danny Dayton (born Daniel David Segall, November 20, 1923 – February 6, 1999) was an American actor and television director. Beginning in the 1950s, he played many roles in film and on TV. He had a recurring role as Hank Pivnik on ''All i ...

Jami Deadly Jami Deadly (born May 18, 1979 as Jami Edwards) is an American actress, glamour model, singer, burlesque dancer and horror host. Jami grew up in Texas. She lives in Las Vegas, Nevada. Biography Jami Edwards was a nightclub dancer. Along with st ...

* Millie DeLeon *

Joe DeRita Joseph Wardell (July 12, 1909 – July 3, 1993), known professionally as Joe DeRita, was an American actor and comedian, who is best known for his stint as a member of The Three Stooges in the persona of Curly Joe DeRita. Early life DeRita wa ...

Phyllis Dixey Phyllis Dixey (10 February 1914 – 2 June 1964) was an English singer, actress, dancer and impresario. Her earlier career was as a singer in variety shows in Britain. During World War II, she joined ENSA and entertained the British forces. She s ...

Jimmy Durante James Francis Durante ( , ; February 10, 1893 – January 29, 1980) was an American comedian, actor, singer, vaudevillian, and pianist. His distinctive gravelly speech, Lower East Side accent, comic language-butchery, jazz-influenced song ...

* Leon Errol * Jade Esteban Estrada * Joey Faye *

W. C. Fields William Claude Dukenfield (January 29, 1880 – December 25, 1946), better known as W. C. Fields, was an American comedian, actor, juggler, and writer. Fields's comic persona was a misanthropic and hard-drinking egotist who remained a sympathe ...

Dwight Fiske Dwight Fiske (1892–1959) was an American nightclub entertainer and pianist noted for his saucy stories and risque recordings. He was perhaps the first entertainer to promote himself on "party records," beginning with 78rpm releases and later on ...

Fanne Foxe Annabel Battistella (February 14, 1936 – February 10, 2021), known professionally as Fanne Foxe, was an Argentine-American stripper best known for being involved in a 1974 sex scandal surrounding Arkansas Congressman Wilbur Mills. At the t ...

Gentry de Paris Gentry de Paris is a Paris-based burlesque dancer, art director, and playwright. Early life and career She grew up near Disneyland in Anaheim, CA. She first started first dancing with a troupe of chorus girls who did enactments of Busby Ber ...

* Jackie Gleason * John Grant * Gilda Gray * Jennie Lee * Dixie Evans * Billy Hagan *

Margie Hart Margaret Hart Ferraro (September 28, 1913 – January 30, 2000), better known as Margie Hart, was a New York City stripteaser, in American burlesque theatre. Biography Hart was born Margaret Bridget Bryan on September 28, 1913, in Edgerton, ...

* Bob Hope * Al Jolson *

Bambi Jones Bambi Jones (born 1931), also known as Doris Kotzan was born in Holyoke, Massachusetts. She is known for being the Original Burlesque dancer, Vedette and author of her new book ''My Journey BURLESQUE The Way It Was''. She appeared in the documen ...

Danny Kaye Danny Kaye (born David Daniel Kaminsky; yi, דוד־דניאל קאַמינסקי; January 18, 1911 – March 3, 1987) was an American actor, comedian, singer and dancer. His performances featured physical comedy, idiosyncratic pantomimes, and ...

* Bert Lahr *

Michelle L'amour Michelle L'amour (born April 15, 1980) is an American neo-burlesque performer who grew up in Orland Park, Illinois. In 2006, she performed stripteases on NBC's '' America's Got Talent'', Showtime's ''Sexual Healing'', and in small touring perfo ...

* Pinky Lee *

* Al Lewis * Lola the Vamp * Jayne Mansfield *

Angelique Pettyjohn Angelique Pettyjohn (born Dorothy Lee Perrins; March 11, 1943 – February 14, 1992) was an American actress and burlesque queen. She appeared as the drill thrall Shahna in the ''Star Trek: The Original Series'' episode "The Gamesters of Triskeli ...

Minsky Malone Minsky Malone, also known as Charlie Robinson, is an Australian creative director for stage, an international burlesque performer, and the creative director of House of Burlesque. Since 1997 she has performed around the world, first starting with ...

Missy Malone Missy Malone is a Scottish burlesque performer currently based in central England. Early years An only child, Malone was born in 1985 and grew up in Livingston in Scotland. Throughout her childhood she attended dance and drama classes. She ...

* April March *

Pauline Markham Pauline Markham (born Margaret Hall or Hale, May 1847 – March 20, 1919) was an Anglo-American dancer and contralto singer active on burlesque and vaudeville stages during the latter decades of the 19th century. She began by performing juvenil ...

* Dirty Martini * Tim Moore *

Chesty Morgan Chesty Morgan, real name Ilana Wajc and also known as Liliana Wilczkowska and Lillian Stello (born October 15, 1937) is a Polish-born, retired exotic dancer of Jewish descent, who also starred in two films directed by Doris Wishman. Morgan was ...

* Julie Atlas Muz *

Kitten Natividad Francesca Isabel Natividad (February 13, 1948 – September 24, 2022), known professionally as Kitten Natividad, was a Mexican-American film actress and exotic dancer. She was noted for her 44-inch (112 cm) bust, and appearances in cult films ma ...

* Olsen and Johnson * Bettie Page *

Gloria Pall Gloria Pall (born Gloria Pallatz; July 15, 1927 – December 30, 2012) was an American model, showgirl, actress, author and businesswoman. Biography Gloria Pallatz was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1927. During World War II, she worked as an a ...

* Molly Picon * Miss Polly Rae * Angie Pontani * Rags Ragland * Sally Rand * Alan Reed *

Liz Renay Pearl Elizabeth Dobbins (April 14, 1926 – January 22, 2007), known professionally as Liz Renay, was an American author and actress who appeared in John Waters' film ''Desperate Living'' (1977). Early life She was born Pearl Elizabeth Dobbins o ...

* Benny Rubin *

* Satan's Angel * Tura Satana * Phil Silvers * Red Skelton * Arnold Stang * Blaze Starr * Tempest Storm * Dita Von Teese *

Evelyn West Evelyn West (January 30, 1921 – November 14, 2004Social Security Death Index), Evelyn "$50,000 Treasure Chest" West, and "The Hubba-Hubba Girl", was a vedette and burlesque legend of the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s. Early years Evelyn West was ...

* Mae West *

Mollie Williams Mollie Williams (born Mollie Hersh; March 18, 1884 – January 5, 1954) was an American burlesque artist and producer. She was best known for producing, writing, and starring in her own revue, The Mollie Williams Show. Early life Mollie Hersh ...

* Henny Youngman * Joe Yule

Notable burlesque festivals

* Helsinki Burlesque Festival, Helsinki, Finland *

Miss Exotic World The Miss Exotic World Pageant (officially, the Miss Exotic World Pageant and Striptease Reunion) is an annual neo-burlesque pageant and convention, and is the annual showcase event (and fundraiser for) the Burlesque Hall of Fame (formerly the E ...

, Las Vegas, U.S *

Moisture Festival Moisture Festival is an annual, four week long, spring festival held in Seattle, Washington. Established in 2004, it is claimed to be the world's largest comedy/variety festival. Performances include musical acts like Jason Webley, comedy acts like ...

, Seattle, U.S. *

New Orleans Burlesque Festival The New Orleans Burlesque Festival is an annual, three-day, burlesque festival held in New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New York Burlesque Festival, New York City, U.S.

Notes

References

* Abrams, M. H. (1999) ''A Glossary of Literary Terms''. Seventh edition. Fort Worth, TX: Harcourt Brace College Publishers * Adams, William Davenport (1904
''A dictionary of the drama''
London: Chatto & Windus * Allan, Kirsty L. ''A Guide to Classical Burlesque – Funny Ha Ha or Funny Peculiar?'' * Allan, Kirsty L. and Charms, G. ''Diamonds From the Rough – The Darker Side of American Burlesque striptease'' * * Baldwin, Michelle. ''Burlesque and the New Bump-n-Grind'' * Briggeman, Jane (2009) ''Burlesque: A Living History''. BearManor Media, 2009. * DiNardo, Kelly. "Gilded Lili: Lili St. Cyr and the Striptease Mystique"; Archive of articles, video, pictures and interviews about neo-burlesque. * Kenrick, John
A History of The Musical Burlesque
* * * Zeidman, Irving: ''The American Burlesque Show''. Hawthorn Books, Inc 1967, , .

External links

From the collection of th
Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library at Yale University

Classic Burlesque: We Aim to Tease
nbsp;– slideshow by ''

Life magazine ''Life'' was an American magazine published weekly from 1883 to 1972, as an intermittent "special" until 1978, and as a monthly from 1978 until 2000. During its golden age from 1936 to 1972, ''Life'' was a wide-ranging weekly general-interest ma ...

'' *
History of Burlesque
at Musicals101.com, The Cyber Encyclopedia of Musical Theatre, TV and Film
"A Guide to Classical Burlesque – Funny Ha Ha or Funny Peculiar?"
Allan, K., ''The Curious Adventures of Kittie''
The Golden Days of Burlesque Historical Society
{{Authority control *American Dance in the United States Performing arts in the United States