A DEFINITION OF BURLESQUE:
BY BEN URISH
Burlesque
What is recognized as American burlesque theater had come
into being in the first third of the nineteenth century. However, it was not
until 1866 that a popular stage parody, The Black Crook and an all female revue
show, Lydia Thompson and Her British Blondes, both began touring the United States
in the growing burlesque arena. Their popularity paved the way for the formation
of the theatrical form which came to be known as "classical American burlesque."
Burlesque touring companies soon formed, fusing the elements of the earlier hit
shows: broad comedy and attractive women. Star comic performers in often ribald
parodies of classical works and female chorus lines became a staple. Audiences
could count on conventions being mocked and authority being ridiculed. Over time,
a basic revue format developed and certain skits became standard.
There was cross
pollination between vaudeville and burlesque, each serving as a training ground
for the other. Many comics, singers, and dancers rose through the ranks of both
entertainment forms. Vaudeville booking agents began to solidify their power
and attempted to "clean-up" vaudeville at the turn of the century, while burlesque
retained and even enhanced its raucous reputation. The White Rats, a vaudeville
performers union, called a series of strikes in 1916-1917, and eventually lost.
Many strikers were blacklisted by vaudeville bookers and theater owners, and
found haven in burlesque.
This helped to precipitate the next age of burlesque which began in the twenties
and extended until the end of World War II. It is this latter age that most think
of when the term "burlesque" is mentioned, because this period marked the first
generation of striptease performers.
Burlesque folklore relates several stories pertaining to the birth of modern
striptease, most tracing it to an occurrence involving a vigorous shimmy dance
by Hinda Wasseau who incorporated her accidental disrobing into future performances.
Regardless of how the modern striptease started, it became a burlesque fixture
by 1930.
Nudity on stage though, was nothing new. Many burlesque shows and uptown revues
featured "living statues" and tableaus which featured the unclothed, usually
female, form but movement was prohibited. Such shows had begun in New York in
1847. The Ziegfeld Follies, really just a burlesque-based revue show, highlighted
such tableaus.
One of the most publicized events of the Chicago World's Fair of 1893 was the
sensational dance by a woman billed as Little Egypt. Such "exotic" dancing became
the rage and during the next decade was eventually incorporated into burlesque.
The 1920's saw a new type of exotic dancing, the most famous examples being Sally
Rand's Bubble and Fan dances.
Scantily clad dancers had also been featured since the start of burlesque's first
golden age, but usually in a formalized chorus setting. Olios (specialty numbers,
often performed in front of the curtain while scenery is changed) also featured
star female singers and dancers. Each of these elements coalesced into the striptease.
Striptease individualized it (individualism being a strong cultural trait of
America), and added a more explicit level of provocation (tease caused by process
of strip). In time, the specialty (olio) dancers, who had been subordinate to
the comics and variety performers, became their equals. As the second world war
ended and classical burlesque began its disintegration, the striptease performers
gained preeminence.
Just as many stories are associated with the birth of striptease, many stories
are associated with its decline. Burlesque in New York, the theatrical capital,
was largely controlled by the Minsky Brothers. Stars of Minsky Burlesque could
tour burlesque circuits throughout the country. Striptease performers, in order
to comply with laws were not allowed to perform completely nude. Many wore G-strings,
pasties, body-suits, or wraps and covers at the close of their performances.
Wearing a wrap of some sort enabled to performer to "flash", or maneuver the
wrap to quickly expose that which was covered, and just a quickly recover the
area. Performers had to refrain from both excessive flashing and flashing too
slowly during a performance. The final banning of burlesque in New York City
in 1942 is traced to performers who flashed too often and too long, particularly
Margie Hart. With New York burlesque a thing of the past, burlesque as a theatrical
form began a slow death.
At the same time, live theater itself as a popular entertainment form was on
the decline due to the double punch of radio and motion pictures. With the pinnacle
of the theatrical world, New York City, removed from burlesque's grasp, the top
comics began to abandon burlesque for revue shows and nightclubs. This only increased
burlesque's reliance on striptease to secure an audience. As television took
hold during the fifties, burlesque all but vanished, with only a handful of nightclubs
carrying burlesque-style reviews. The ensuing decades would see burlesque return
as nostalgia, either cleaned up for television or presented as regional theater
and Broadway shows.
Sources
Allen, Robert C. Horrible Prettiness: Burlesque And American Culture. Chapel
Hill: University of North Carolina, 1991.
Corio, Ann with Joseph DiMona. This Was Burlesque. New York: Grosset and Dunlap,
1968.
Lee, Gypsy Rose. Gypsy: A Memoir. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1986 (1957).
Minsky, Morton and Milt Machlin. Minsky's Burlesque. New York: Arbor House, 1986.
Sobel, Bernard. Burleycue: An Underground History of Burlesque Days. New York:
Farrar and Rhinehart, 1931.
Sobel, Bernard. A Pictorial History of Burlesque. New York: Bonanza, 1956.
Ziegfeld, Richard and Paulette.The Ziegfeld Touch: The Life and Times of Florenz
Ziegfeld, Jr. New York: Henry N. Abrams, 1993
For booking information
scarlet@missscarletrose.com
