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| Burlesque Defined
bur-lesque (br-lsk)
n.
1. A literary or dramatic work that ridicules a subject either by presenting a solemn subject in an undignified style or an inconsequential subject in a dignified style. See Synonyms at caricature.
2. A ludicrous or mocking imitation; a travesty: The antics of the defense attorneys turned the trial into a burlesque of justice.
3. A variety show characterized by broad ribald comedy, dancing, and striptease.
[From French, comical, from Italian burlesco, from burla, joke,probably from Spanish, from Vulgar Latin *burrula, diminutive of Late Latin burrae, nonsense,from burra, wool.]
Source: The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
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Located aboard the Queen Mary in Long Beach. Click here for directions to the show ... more  |
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Burlesque Defined continued . . . History of ‘The Striptease’ In 1928, entertainment history was made in Chicago's State Congress Theatre. It was there that a young, platinum blonde chorus girl named Hinda Wassau won a local dance contest, and a coveted "shimmy-shaking" solo in an upcoming show. Confident that this solo was her best shot at being discovered, Hinda prepared to thrill the audience by taking the stage in a risque little beaded and fringe-trimmed number, hidden beneath her full-length chorus outfit.
After finishing the final reprise of the chorus' last routine, Hinda made a mad dash to the wings to slip off her top-dress in preparation for her "big break". Nervously yanking at her zipper, she caught some fabric in its teeth, and despite repeated (and increasingly desperate) attempts to set if free, the zipper refused to give.
As the young woman clawed frantically at the seams of her chorus dress, the stage manager made it clear that, if she didn't get back on stage immediately, her career - solo or otherwise - was over. In an act of sheer self-preservation, Hinda raced back onstage - with her chorus duds almost more off than on - and began to shimmy for her dear life.
As she shimmied across the stage, Hinda's chorus outfit began to shake loose in time with her movements. As each little piece came free, the bold young woman simply let it fall to the stage, tossing and kicking the stray bits aside with impropmtu abandon. Miraculously, with every extra inch of skin revealed, applause thundered from the audience.
Whether by luck or by chance, Hinda's dress clung to her body almost all the way through to the very end of her number -- at which point the daring young chorine was clad in little more than her heels and a smile. Skipping the traditional curtsy, Hinda simply gathered her discarded duds, gave the audience a saucy wink, and vanished into the wings. At that moment, a star -- and an entertainment revolution -- was born.
NOTE: Vamp the Lounge and The Queen Bees give the sexy roots of classic burlesque a modern twist by adding a touch of Broadway, professionally trained dancers and a fabulous singer without any nudity - making it a spectacular theatrical event for all men and women to enjoy.
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