Burlesque Hall of Fame

Happy New Year!

Dustin Wax — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 00:26:31 +0000

As the curtain rises on the new year, we want to wish everyone out there a happy, healthy 2012! The start of the new year is a time for reflection and anticipation, looking back at the past year and forward to the ones yet to come. Here at the Burlesque Hall of Fame, we do so with relish — after all, 2011 was a banner year for the BHoF, and 2012 is shaping up to be even better!

A year ago today, we were planning our first-ever 100% locally-cast fundraiser, Varietease, produced with Cha Cha Velour and held in the Fiesta Room at the historic El Cortez Hotel & Casino. Research was underway for our first permanent exhibition, “Spectacular, Erotic, and Slightly Shocking: A Timeline of American Burlesque,” chronicling the story of burlesque in America from Lydia Thompson’s arrival in 1868 through the birth of neo-burlesque in the 1990s; and of course, the amazing team of volunteers who make BHOF Weekend happen year after year was already hard at work, planning the 2011 shows.

By all accounts, all three were smashing successes. In fact, from the comments and emails we’ve received, conversations we’ve had, and Facebook/Twitter posts we’ve seen, the 2011 Reunion was one of the best organized, most fun gatherings in the event’s 50+ year history.

For those who missed it, when the last bedazzled brassiere was adroitly cast off, Miss Indigo Blue emerged as 2011’s Reigning Queen of Burlesque — crowning a career of artistry, excellence, and whole-hearted devotion to the burlesque community, as Headmistress of Seattle’s Academy of Burlesque, a leading organizer of the educational and professional development conference, BurlyCon, and a tireless advocate for the Burlesque Hall of Fame. Needless to say, her Royal Blueness took to the role with relish, promptly issuing a string of Royal Edicts to her spangled subjects. (Speaking of which, I hope everyone is wearing their pasties at a jaunty angle now; it’s not just good sense, it’s The Law.)

2011 was also a banner year for the boys, with a record number of awards going to performers of the male persuasion, including The Stage Door Johnnies (Best Group), Captain Kidd (Best Boyleque and Most Dazzling), and Jett Adore, who took home the Most Innovative title. They joined Lou Lou D’Vil (Best Debut) and the Dolls of Doom (Most Comical) as Indigo’s Royal Court, supported by an international, multi-generational cast of hundreds, each of whom contributed something special to the four-day burlesque lovefest.

While the measure of any show’s success lies somewhere between the excellence being presented on stage and the volume of sheer joy generated by the audience, it’s worth noting that 2011 was also the BHoF’s most financially successful Weekender to date. An epic show is a thing of beauty in its own right, but BHoF Weekend is, first and foremost, a fundraiser for our true mission: the preservation and celebration of burlesque and its legacy. The overwhelming success of the 2011 event means the museum will continue to grow–which is great news, because we have BIG PLANS, for the coming year and beyond.

Of course, big plans often necessitate big changes, and one of the biggest changes in the past year was my appointment as Interim Executive Director, replacing Laura Herbert, who took on the role shortly after helping relocate the museum from Helendale, CA to Las Vegas, following the death of Jennie Lee’s widower, Charlie. When the roof started caving in (literally) over the collection and the museum was threatened with closure by San Bernardino County, Laura was a driving force in safeguarding the artifacts and finding a new home for both the museum and the Weekender. In the five years since, she has worked tirelessly — unsalaried — to promote not only the BHoF but the art of burlesque as a whole; presiding over the protection and expansion of our core collection; making BHoF artifacts and archives available to researchers; and enlisting dozens of superstars around the country to help perpetuate the work started by Jennie Lee so many years ago.

Moving forward, we have a lot to live up to — and even more to do. The next steps might not be easy (or quick), but they’re no less essential to maintain the museum’s legacy for generations yet to come: building up and further cataloguing the collection; establishing an operating budget (or better, an endowment) that isn’t wholly dependent on income generated by the Weekender, creating new scholarship and traveling exhibitions, encouraging new research, coordinating volunteers. This is the work I’ve committed to accomplishing, with lots (and lots!) of help from people all around the country and across the globe.

So keep your eyes peeled in the coming weeks and months for news of exciting new acquisitions, new exhibitions, and new approaches to fundraising. And hopefully, you’ll be able to see some of it even if you can’t make it to Vegas, as we are working to place small exhibitions at burlesque events nation-wide and beyond.

But remember: we can’t do it without you. If you’re a performer, producer or promoter, please consider donating your flyers, postcards, and posters to our new Flyer Archive. If you believe in what we’re aiming to accomplish, please consider supporting the Burlesque Hall of Fame as a member — and if you’re already a member, please consider lending your skills and talents as a volunteer. Whoever you are, if you’ve got suggestions for how we can do something better (or requests for something you’d like to see from us in years to come), please drop us a line and let us know.

Here we are, then: 2012! Best wishes to all for a stellar new year, filled with all the thrilling opportunities a new beginning brings.

Signs of Scott Ewalt by Jo Weldon (Part 1)

laura — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 19:22:26 +0000

Burlesque signs have always rocked my world. As a child, every time I saw a burlesque sign on a lounge I got an illicit thrill, imagining women of impossible repute removing stockings with a knowing wink. I could picture the heavy lashes, the big hair, the chiffon robes. I was mesmerized. As a teenager, I was excited by the signs on strip joints in Atlanta. I knew that the Domino Lounge was one of the last of the old school burlesque venues in town, but the contemporary signs got me riled up with promise—one day I’d be of age, and I’d know where to go by the signs. A favorite was the sign for Tattletale’s, of “Girls, Girls, Girls” fame—a delicate outline of a nude woman’s hip drawn from the back, her weight on one leg, her hand relaxed at her side, based on this line drawing by Picasso:

Later they had to take it down, since it incorporated Picasso’s drawing without permission. Bad strip joint! But good taste.In the early 1980s I had started working in those clubs. One of them, The She Club, got shut down for trying to blow up Starcastle, the strip joint across the street. The government took possession of The She Club and publicly stated they would open and operate it, though they never did. I fantasized about them actually doing it so I could work there and tell my mother I was working for the government. For years afterward the big sign that had been posted at the entrance was leaned against a cement wall behind the club, and every time I drove by I coveted that sign.
Above: Scott at home with his Venus sign.

Scott Ewalt, like me, is fascinated by signs. He is fascinated by other things, which I’ll get to in other sections of this interview when I post them later, but I fixated on the collection of signs in his apartment the first time I saw them. I thanked him in the intro to my book—his passion for burlesque legends is contagious and has inspired me over and over. Also, he was the first DJ I worked with at the Slipper Room, spinning some of the best go-go music I’ve ever heard.

Currently he’s represented in the book Dead Flowers, edited by Participant Press and Vox Populi. It’s full of prepunk and postbunk artists that all segueway into each other. The main subject is Timothy Carey, a psychotronic filmmaker; the link between Scott and Timothy is that Lilly Christine taught Timothy his signature dance, which he debuted in a movie called “White Trash,” and Scott Ewalt has done extensive studies of Lilly Christine, including his latest, Which shows Lilly Christine walking in front of a building with burlesque signs on it. Scott also does reconstructions of Times Square Burlesque houses as digital artwork. His eye for the sign is as obsessive as mine, or as any cop perusing the signs on broadway. When I interviewed him about his collection, the signs were by far his favorites.

How did you get interested in Burlesque?
That’s a many layered question. I was inspired by Bugs Bunny, the outro to Bullwinkle, I Love Lucy, seeing the Carol Doda sign at the Condor Club as a kid. Seeing the postwar burlesque houses in San Diego as a kid. A Date with Elvis by the Cramps. Meeting John Sex, Katie K, and International Chrysis. All these things combined helped me find this aesthetic.

How did you start collecting burlesque ephemera?
Paula Klaw from Movie Star News sold me a Tempest Storm Teaseorama poster and from that point on I was equally fascinated with burlesque as with the vintage S/M imagery I had been collecting. It would have been in 1986.

What are some of your favorite items in your collection?
Original Tura Satana lightbox, the Venus and Eros marquee neons, the first all-male burlesk sign ever put on the exterior of a building, my Zorita lifesize cutout, my Liz Renay silver hologram, my lifesize sign of Virginia Bell, the Babydoll Lounge sign, the Billy’s Topless sign, my Patrick the All-American stripper 8 by 10, my Sally Rand fan dancer lamp from the 30s, and my Henry Dixey commemorative coin.

Tell me about some of the signs.

The Tura Satana Light box: A poster store called me and told me they were tearing down the theater next door to them, and when they pulled off all of the signage underneath there was this image of a woman, and when they told me it was Tura I almost lost my mind. It’s from 1957. Buffalo New York. The guy from the store mailed it. He had sold me 24 Jon Voigt posters, the ones that wallpaper my kitchen. When I first met Tura she remembered having lost that sign. She kind of widened her eyes like: “Would you give it back?” and I kind of narrowed my eyes like “No”–I mean, she gets to be her, right?

The Venus and Eros Marquees: I lived in Times Square in the late 80s . I was walking home from work one days and they were taking down the Adonis sign and cutting it into one foot sections and dropping it into a dumpster. I tried to stop them and they said if I could take the sign right then I could have it, but my apartment wasn’t even as big as the sign. So it piqued my interest and I realized that there was no effort being made to preserve these things. When Giuliani was closing all the burlesque houses I contacted Chelley Wilson, a grindhouse pioneer and the meanest woman in Times Square. She sold me the Venus and when she passed away her daughter sold me the Eros. They were just happy to have someone get them–it was a ridiculously low price. They were on 46th and 8th ave.

The first All-Male Burlesk sign–that was part of that lot. When I got it home it was about 4 inches thick and I realized it was more than one sign and I cracked it open and there was an older sign from when it was the one of the first gay theaters (three opened simultaneously in the 1960s) in the US.

Zorita cutout–I got it at the Chelsea flea market for 50 dollars. Rode it home on my bike–to cheers from people I passed by! They were cheering when I went by with Zorita flapping in the wind. Was it 1994? I never got to meet Zorita unfortunately. I had known about Zorita because I had found some 4 by 3 images of her in a box in the back of an adult book store in Loa Angeles, a store that was a front for a gambling and crack den, that actually had a rotating wall and it turned and behind the pornography were guys gambling and smoking crack.

Liz Renay hologram–Luke and Laura rescued it from her attic and it’s a print plate for her 8 by 10s when I went through her collection; it was something I was allowed to pick for posterity. It was covered with rat turds but of course it’s not anymore. I met Liz after having lunch with John Waters in 1994. He said to look her up she’s in the phone book, tell her I sent you. I flew to Vegas, called her up, and I was there for five days and on the third day she said she had a cancellation for lunch and I could meet her. And I was hooked after that. Her memory was so sharp and she was so sweet. And funny. And sexy!

The Virginia Bell Sign: A man called me from Toledo and said he had a sign from the Roxy Burlesque and Vaudeville theater in Cleveland. Irma the Body, Tempest Storm, Blaze Starr–all those signs had been destroyed. The picture he sent me of the theater showed a tractor parked in front of it. His grandkids were getting old enough that they were starting to ask who the naked lady in the garage was. Actually his wife called me and asked if I could buy from him. I had bought some other ephemera from them.

The Babydoll Lounge Sign: I had some girlfriends that worked there. I went to visit them one day and I noticed that the shingle sign was gone. I went in and asked what happened to it and the owner looked at me like I was crazy and asked me how much I had in my pocket. I pulled out two twenties and said that was all I had, and he said to take it. One of my favorite things that attracted me to the Babydoll was the fact that it was across the street from the Mudd Club, and in a classic symbiotic relationship the musicians dated the strippers–Cookie Mueller was there. It’s also the bar where the famous headline “headless body in topless bar” comes from, and it was Janis Joplin’s favorite hangout when it was a Hell’s Angels bar. I love it for the crudeness of the painting. Hand-painting is definitely my ongoing fetish in all of them. They remind me of Stuart Davis paintings. He was an artist in the late 1920s who came from Paris to New York and did paintings of signage, and who is lightly regarded as the father of pop art.

The Billy’s Topless Sign: Billy’s was where the House of Domination all worked during the day, those performers from Jackie 60. One day I was there visiting them and the sign had blown off and I went into the back room and talked to him about purchasing the sign. He was much less green than the other people I had contacted, having worked with people like Gypsy Rose Lee, and he said he knew it was a valuable artifact. He said if Guiliani passed the text amendment that made the word “topless” illegal on the exterior sign of a business, he would sell me the sign for 300 dollars. Three months later I opened the paper and read that Guiliani had passed the text amendment, and I called the owner, and he said he’d been waiting for my call all day. He was able to keep the signs that read across in one line because he moved the exclamation point and made it Billy Stopless, but he couldn’t do that on the shingle sign because it set in two lines.

I’ve been interviewing Scott about Boylesque as well as his involvement with the Burlesque Hall of Fame—lots more to come!

And, if you’ve got any photos of burlesque signs you’d like to share, please do! You can post links in the comments. –Jo Weldon, Daily Burlesque 12/28/11

BHOF Weekend 2012: Apply NOW!

laura — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 00:37:30 +0000

PLEASE NOTE: AS OF JANUARY 23, WE ARE NO LONGER ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR BHOF WEEKEND 2012. APPLICATIONS FOR 2013 WILL BE AVAILABLE IN THE FALL. THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT.

The application period for the 2012 Burlesque Hall of Fame Weekend is now open! Like last year, the online application is designed so that you can sign in and out, save your information, and work on it at your own pace. But this year, it’s even shorter, and there’s less to fill out! You can start your application now, just head over to www.bhofapplication.com.

A few things to note:
• You must create an account with your email address in order to use the system. If you created an account in 2011, just use your same info to log in!
• There is no charge to create an account or start filling out an application– but you must pay the application fee prior to submitting your application.
• The deadline to apply is January 23, 2012. We are aiming to notify all applicants of their standing by early March.
• The rules and judging criteria are the same as before, but we’ve clarified them so that (hopefully) most any question you may have can be answered there. If you have any questions specifically about the application itself, please email 2012_AT_bhofapplication_DOT_com.

But that’s not all… there’s even more BIG news, just around the corner. So keep your eyes peeled, here at burlesquehall.com, on our Yahoo group, Facebook page, Twitter–wherever you get your BHOF news–because we have more big announcements coming soon! And don’t forget to mark your calendars and start planning your Vegas trips for May 31-June 3, 2012!

December 2011 Newsletter: Season’s Greetings!

Dustin Wax — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 14:30:35 +0000

Happy holidays from The Burlesque Hall of Fame! 2011 may be drawing to an end, but the Burlesque Hall of Fame is pleased to report some exciting new beginnings. We’ve got lots of exciting news to share with you this month:

Museum Update: Dustin M. Wax, our Curatorial Director, has been promoted to Interim Executive Director. Congratulations, Dustin!
Save the Date: BHoF Weekend returns to The Orleans Hotel & Casino May 31-June 3, 2012. Performer applications and discounted room rates are now LIVE!
Flyer Archive: We are now accepting submissions for our first-ever contemporary poster, flyer and postcard archive.
HOLIDAY SALE! Check out our new Society6 shop–every print has been marked down for the holidays!
And speaking of giving… Don’t forget BHoF when making your end-of-the-year charitable donations! It’s never too late to make a difference, so kindly consider becoming a Member, making a donation, or gifting something from our Wish List.
Expanded hours, BHoF on The History Channel, and more!

As always, the Burlesque Hall of Fame is run almost exclusively by volunteers; people like you who are passionate about preserving the legacy of burlesque. We’re always open to creative ideas for fundraising, exhibitions, programming, and any other suggestions our constituency may have to help sustain and advancing this mission. If you have an idea you’d like to share, or if you’re going to be in Las Vegas and would like to lend a hand, please contact us… and don’t forget the easiest, most immediate way to show your support: sign up to become a member of the BHoF today.

Museum Update: New Year, New Beginnings

After 5 years as the BHoF’s Acting Executive Director, Laura Herbert is returning to civilian life. The day-to-day duties of running the museum and curating the collection will be assumed by Interim Executive Director, Dustin M. Wax. A distinguished museum professional, Dustin will continue to work closely with Laura, who will remain President of the BHoF’s Board of Directors.

Laura has written a letter explaining how this change signifies an important new phase in the Hall of Fame’s ongoing growth and development. Additional administrative announcements are soon to follow as Dustin settles into this new role (including improvements to both the BHoF and our annual fundraiser, BHoF Weekend), so stay tuned!

Save the Date! BHoF Weekend 2012, May 31- June 3** at The Orleans

Get out your calendars and make a big, lipstick-red circle around May 31-June 3, 2012 — the official dates for BHOF Weekend 2012. We are thrilled to be returning to the Orleans Hotel & Casino (and their big, beautiful showroom) once again, and look forward to seeing you at what promises to be yet another wild, wonderful weekend of community, conviviality, and of course, the fabulous performances, parties, and presentations that have made BHOF Weekend the world’s premier burlesque event.

Performer applications are NOW OPEN and we’ve made them shorter and easier than ever before. To reserve your room, call 1-800-675-3267 – be sure to mention our group booking ID (#A2HFC06) as rooms booked outside of the BHoF block cannot be assured the same low rates. For all the latest BHoF Weekend news as it develops, follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/bhofweekend or Twitter at twitter.com/burlesquehall.

**Don’t let the “May 31st” throw you! As usual, BHoF Weekend is still the first weekend in June (and the weekend after Memorial Day).

Call for Submissions: Neo-Burlesque Flyer Archive

Give us your flyers, your posters, your bundled artworks yearning to be saved! The BHoF Flyer Project is an ongoing effort to collect and preserve flyers, posters, postcards, and other promotional materials from the world of contemporary (“neo”) burlesque. Burlesque history is made every day–with every bump, grind, tassel twirl and flitter of a feathered fan. Today’s performances are the stuff of tomorrow’s history, and we want to make sure that history is preserved for future generations of burlesque performers, fans, and scholars to enjoy.

To participate, download and complete the Flyer Archive Form, which contains find all the technical & legal info necessary to participate, as well as the information we need to keep track of the collection over time. You can send as many pieces as you like, as often as you like–just please no more than one of any given design. Simply pop your submission(s) in the mail whenever you’re promoting a new show, or save up for awhile and send a whole bunch all at once. We’ll make sure whatever you send becomes part of the archive, ensuring your place is burlesque history!

BHoF Featured on The History Channel

Did you catch us on History Channel’s American Restoration? The episode, much of which was shot in and around the museum (including multiple segments featuring one of the BHoF’s most dedicated docents, Cha Cha Velour) showed Rick Dale and his crew restoring a ‘50s-era Peek-A-View machine. Our thanks to Rick, Ron and everyone at Leftfield Pictures, for making us look so good on film–and to Viva Las Vegas producer Tom Ingram, for so graciously “permanently loaning” the newly-restored Peek-A-View to us!

In case you’re curious why it’s not yet on display, the Peek-A-View is undergoing a few extra, post-filming tweaks at Rick’s Restorations, but will be back in the BHoF soon. And if you missed the episode when it originally aired (or just want to see it again), never fear: it’s available on iTunes, Amazon Video on Demand, and Hulu Plus. Look for the episode called “Keep On Truckin’”.

Find the Perfect Gift for Your Burlesque Beloved!

We are now making selected images from our collection available as fine art prints, gallery wraps, and even iPhone cases. Visit our shop where you’ll find your favorite stars of classic burlesque — Blaze Starr, Lili St. Cyr, Candy Barr, and more — presented in beautiful, high-quality prints.

Wait, it gets EVEN BETTER! Now through December 20, we’ve taken $5-10 off every print in every size to make your holiday shopping even sparklier! Check it out today — we just know you’ll find something for every burlesque fan on your list, including YOU.

Expanded Hours: Now Open 5 days a Week

Thanks to our amazing crew of volunteers, we are now open every Wednesday through Sunday (except major holidays) from 12p-5p, with additional hours the First Friday (12p-10p) and Second Saturday (12p-9p) of every month.

The Burlesque Hall of Fame is located at 520 E Fremont, inside the Emergency Arts building at the corner of Fremont and Sixth Streets in historic Downtown Las Vegas. Please come by and visit us!

‘Tease the Season: Become a Member!

The Burlesque Hall of Fame is more than “just” a museum, it’s a legacy. For over 20 years, we’ve been at the epicenter of the burlesque revival, offering education and inspiration to a new generation of performers who will, one day, join the ranks of Little Egypt, Gypsy Rose Lee, Lili St. Cyr, Tempest Storm and so many others in the pantheon of Burlesque Superstars.

When you join the Burlesque Hall of Fame, you get the satisfaction of supporting the world’s only museum exclusively dedicated to the art, artifacts, and traditions of ecdysiasm (that’s fancy for strippin’). Member dues help us preserve, catalog, and share thousands of artifacts–from Sally Rand’s ivory-handled fans and Gypsy Rose Lee’s touring trunk to the programs, publicity photos, and personal scrapbooks of working burlesque performers from around the world. Your dues also help support the development of educational programs and materials, carrying the traditions of vintage burlesque from one generation to the next… and beyond.

Remember, we can’t spell “burlesque” with “U”. Please: become a member today. Our past–and future–is in your hands.

New Year, New Beginnings

Dustin Wax — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 14:00:03 +0000

Dear Friends of the Burlesque Hall of Fame,

As of December 1, 2011, I am stepping down as Acting Executive Director of the Burlesque Hall of Fame. On that date, our Curatorial Director, Dustin M. Wax, will take over as Interim Executive Director, charged with leading the organization through the next phase of its ongoing institutional development.

Since its earliest beginnings, the Burlesque Hall of Fame has been the ultimate labor of love; powered by visionaries and volunteers whose chief qualification was a passion for vintage burlesque. Though I remain as passionate about and committed to the BHoF as ever, in order for it to become the kind of organization it was created to be, all of the love, vision, and passion that has sustained it for over a half-century must be supplemented by the broad range of skills unique to trained museum professionals.

While we have managed to keep Jennie Lee’s dream alive in the face of some rather steep challenges, the time has come for more specialized leadership.Therefore, with the approval of the Board of Directors and support of our newly-formed Advisory Council, effective December 1, Dustin will be taking over the day-to-day duties of managing the nonprofit and its collection.

A distinguished museum professional (and the BHoF’s Curatorial Director since May 2010), Dustin is uniquely qualified for this role. He is a published anthropologist and a university-level Women’s Studies professor, well-versed in both collections administration and management and the politics of gender and sexuality–and if you’ve been to the BHoF lately, you’re already familiar with his curatorial skills, which are on display in our exhibit “Spectacular, Erotic, and Slightly Shocking: A Timeline of American Burlesque.”

I step down immensely proud of all that we have achieved in the past five years, as an organization and as a community. We are indisputably on the right path—to legitimacy and viability as an academic resource, sustainability as a nonprofit, and perhaps most meaningfully, to the realization of our founders’ original vision for the Burlesque Hall of Fame: that of a dynamic, living, breathing cultural center devoted to the preservation, elevation, and celebration of the art of burlesque… as they and so many others lived it. And with Dustin at the helm, supported by the global burlesque community, our “little museum that could” is poised to achieve a level of organizational excellence beyond that which its founders ever dared dream.

Certainly, change can be unsettling. But it can also be thrilling–and there are even more changes, big and small, on the horizon. In the coming weeks and months, I expect Dustin and his team to announce multiple changes to the BHoF’s structure and organization; changes that will improve the museum and all of its moving parts, including our cornerstone fundraising event, Burlesque Hall of Fame Weekend–which will be celebrating its 55th anniversary next June.

I have the utmost faith in this organization and this team–including if not especially Dustin, whom I respect as much as an educator and an archivist, as a capable, committed individual who genuinely “gets” burlesque and its place in history, on a soul level. I sincerely hope you will all welcome and support him as you did me.

While I will no longer be involved in the day-to-day business of the BHoF, I won’t be going very far. At the request of my fellow Directors, I intend to stay on as President of the Board and will continue to work closely with Dustin, the Board, and our Advisory Council in this capacity. Throughout this time of transition (and beyond), I look forward to renewing my connection with those elements of the Hall of Fame that drew me to it in the first place—the people, artifacts, and ideas that inspire me most, yet necessarily took a “back-burner” to the daily challenges of restoring the nonprofit to administrative and financial health.

In closing, I thank you for the opportunity to perpetuate the work begun by Jennie Lee and furthered by Dixie Evans. It’s been an amazing adventure and I am honored to have served the Burlesque Hall of Fame–and its immensely talented, uniquely colorful constituency, who so graciously entrusted me with their history.

Yours in spangles,
Laura Herbert

PS: As 2011 draws to a close, I do hope you’ll consider showing your support for all we’ve accomplished (and all that remains yet to be done) by joining or renewing your Membership with the Burlesque Hall of Fame. The support of our Members has never been more imperative than it is now, as we embark on this thrilling new chapter in BHoF history.

Dorothy Dorne: A Life in Pictures by Jo Weldon

laura — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 05:16:25 +0000

Last winter I spent some time going through paper archives in the Burlesque Hall of Fame collection in Las Vegas, with the help of Laura Herbert and Brian Newman. I was particularly interested in the sheet music and the notations on it. I intend to share more about the sheet music project later, but I got to see something so unexpected and charming and lovely that I want to share it with you. It’s a collection of scrapbooks from an early 20th-century burlesque and cabaret performer who went by various names, among them Dorothy Dorne. I spent hours going through them, taken to another world, amused and enchanted by the way her scrapbooks brought her to life, and took a few snaps. At the time I was too busy dealing with the publication of my book and lost track of all the work I had in mind for those archives, but I did take some pictures of this gorgeous find and want to give you a glimpse. Be sure to click on them to view them larger and read some of the texts.

This is part of our heritage as fans, as performers, and as women. No collection is guaranteed a museum, as we saw when Debbie Reynolds was unable to find a home for her collection of Hollywood memorabilia . But the Burlesque Hall of Fame retains its space in Vegas and this stored collection for lovers of this art form and the eras in which it flourished. I love watching the pageant and the performers over the course of the weekend, but these archives are what strikes me to the heart. I hope to see a great deal more, and hope to share more with you. –Jo Weldon, Daily Burlesque 08.02.11

Who’s Who in Burly-Q: Noel Toy

laura — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 23:26:28 +0000

Ed. note: This blogpost originally appeared on Soft Film as as “Noel Toy: Our Lady of Feathers.” It is a reprint of an article that first appeared in the cheesecake tabloid CO-EDS (May 1942). The photos are accompanied by their original captions.

U. OF C.’s NOEL TOY NOBODY’S PLAYTHING
CHINA GIRL CAN DISH IT OUT

Broadway’s most publicized Chinese (American-born) glamor girl is appropriately named California Co-ed Noel Toy. Tinytot Toy (five feet tall) was a sophomore language major at University of California when she received her first assignment in the chorus of a San Francisco World’s Fair midway attraction. There she was discovered, signed up at Fair’s close by Frisco’s famed Forbidden City hotspot.

Less than a year later, with but five month’s experience as a fandancer behind her, she arrived in New York, became Leon and Eddie’s headliner.

A growing reputation for biting repartee and devastating treatment of Fifty-second Street wolves earned introduction to Dramaticritic George Jean Nathan, upon whose elegant arm she often attends First Nights. Lee Mortimer, too, finds her a dynamic supper companion, and, it is rumored, she once received a proposal of marriage from Tommy Manville, who explained wistfully that he “had never been married to a Chinese girl.”

It must be noted that Noel detests chop suey, is highly allergic to rice.

Fandancer Toy was christened Noel because she was born on Christmas Day 21 years ago. Competitors Sally Rand and Faith Bacon are frequent visitors at Leon and Eddie’s, follow Noel’s graceful movements with appraising eyes.

Start of fandancer Toy’s table routine resembles Tahitian grass hut.

She slowly straightens up, pokes head out.

Above, fans cover all but head and feet.

Her fans flash into action with Sally Rand–like skill.

West Coast’s Forbidden City nightclub gave Noel start. Now, after 5-month apprenticeship, she ranks with best.

Having made her bow, she continues routine on floor. Noel attended University of California. A language major, she did right well by French, Spanish, German and Latin, flunked Chinese, paradoxically. She speaks English perfectly.

Noel has keen, thoroughly American, sense of humor. Her Christmas card contained tiny V-shaped G-string.

Finally, for a taste of Noel’s sharp wit and hearty laugh check out this 2001 interview, taped when she was a spry 80-something-year-old!

Performance Archetypes: The Half-and-Half

laura — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 04:00:31 +0000

While I’ve yet to find conclusive proof of its origin, the Half-and-Half—in which a solo performer utilizes clever, vertically divided costuming and skillful choreography to create the illusion of a duet—has long been a staple of classic burlesque performance.

Most commonly associated with dichotomous male/female numbers (like Zorita’s racy “Bride & Groom,” top), countless interpretations of the theme exist, including a wide variety of abstractions on Beauty and the Beast, from the ridiculous to the sublime: Devil/Angel, Lion/Tamer, Savage/Virgin, etc.

More on the history of the Half-and-Half, courtesy of Frank Cullen’s Vaudeville Old and New: an Encyclopedia of Variety Performers, Vol. 1:

“Almost always a dance act, in a half-and-half act, a solo performer was costumed and made up to appear as both a man and a woman. He appeared male as he faced the wings on one side of the stage and then female as he turned toward the opposite side of the stage—like two sides of a coin. The demarcation line was drawn down the center of the face to the crotch. If it was a dance act, the male side might wear half a tuxedo or bolero costume (one arm and one leg) and half a ball gown or blouse and skirt. As the performer danced, he made sharp, quick turns, keeping the profile toward the audience as much as possible to foster the illusion of two people dancing together.

A variation on the half-and-half dance act was to have a solo dancer with a flexible dummy. The dancer held the dummy by the hands and arms and the dummy and the dancer were attached only at the toes so that their steps seemed coordinated. Although this was occasionally performed as a serious dance illusion, it was far more often a comedy act in which the flexibility, even floppiness, of the dummy permitted grotesque movements and wild gyrations.

It was rare but not unknown for a half-and-half performer to do a comic dialogue act. Rather than dance, the performer would pivot in position so it appeared that the man and the woman were exchanging questions and answers or quips and insults.”

Of course, just because the Half-and-Half is an archetype, doesn’t mean it has to be typical. Just ask Maxine Holman (above right; the pretty blonde, not the donkey) or neo-burlesquer Little Brooklyn, whose delightfully irreverent takes on the concept are anything but ordinary.

Winners Interviews: Lou Lou D’vil, Best Debut

hollimae — Sat, 10 Sep 2011 00:38:39 +0000

Finnish beauty, LouLou D’vil looks back on her BHoF 2011 experience…

Congratulations LouLou! Did you imagine when you set off from Finland that you would return with a trophy?
Thank you! I really didn’t expect to win, not at all!

Are you keen to return and compete for Reigning Queen? Do you feel ready to take on that category?

Of course, it’s my dream come true and I couldn’t be more thrilled! I’m so delighted to compete in the main category next year and I’m ready for that. There’s still time, almost a year, to develop and get better and better. By then everything will be polished and ready.

Did you enjoy competing? Did it affect or change the mood backstage amongst the debut competitors, or was performing at BHoF nerve-wracking enough as it is, competition or not?

Yes I did, because I didn’t think of it as a competition. I just wanted to make a great show and entertain the audience. The atmosphere was great amongst the debut competitors and some of us became really good friends! That was really nice to observe because I was a little afraid of how the atmosphere would be – this was my first competition, but no worries! Everybody was so nice, supportive and chatty, just in the way we all should be. I also think that we all felt like winners already just because we were accepted into this category. These warm-hearted people make competing truly joyable.

How did you feel when your name was announced at the end of the evening?

I just couldn’t believe it! First I didn’t even realise that they announced my name and continued to drink my sparkling. It was my boyfriend who told me: ‘You won! Get up there!’ That was one of the best moments of my life.

Why did you choose that particular act? Was it an easy decision? Were you happy with your performance?

I chose my act because I wanted to bring something magical from Finland, so my ‘Magical Winter’ act was the obvious choice. This act is also my first to include a quick change, so I was really excited about it. I was happy with my performance because I was able to hold my nerves and just enjoy performing. I really did feel the connection between me and the audience, and that is the most important thing for me.

Do you feel that things have changed for you as a result of this win? Do you think it gives you more authority as a spokesperson in Finland, or to young, upcoming performers who aspire to similar things?

I think this is a great way to show Finnish people that we can do it too! Nothing is impossible when you have dreams and you are willing to work hard.

Aside from the pageant, which memories and experiences do you particularly treasure from BHoF 2011?

For me coming to BHoF means meeting your dear friends that you usually meet only once a year and you also get to make new ones! Second, and very importantly, is meeting the legends. It’s always so inspiring to see them on stage and off stage and just to be able to talk with them and share ideas, dreams and funny stories. Just meeting and spending time with all these lovely people is the biggest treasure you can have.

What are your upcoming projects and performances?

Next week I will travel to the New Orleans Burlesque Festival and compete for the festival title ‘Queen of Burlesque’. I’m very excited about it because I have never been there and many of my friends will be there too! After that I head to Vancouver for a week. Then it’s time to come back to Finland and start rehearsing for our own production, ‘Grand Tease Show’, which is a month long burlesque and live band show at the glorious Grand Casino, Helsinki.

LouLou D’vil interviewed by Holli-Mae Johnson.

www.21stCenturyBurlesque.com

Winners Interviews: Anna Fur Laxis, 1st Runner Up

hollimae — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 16:15:40 +0000

First Runner Up, Anna Fur Laxis discusses her BHoF 2011 experience, and one of the most talked about performances of the weekend…

Congratulations Anna! Are you happy with the result?

Thank you! It was wonderful, and the feedback and responses I have had, both from the live performance and from the video have been incredible!

It’s abundantly clear that a lot of work and practice went into your act – can you tell us a little about the process and conception?

The concept for this act was conceived on a visit to L.A’s Magic Castle two years ago – I decided I wanted make my clothes vanish. It has been far and away my most ambitious and technically elaborate number to date and took eighteen months of engineering, flamenco lessons, rehearsals and costuming. There were many times when I thought that what I wanted to achieve couldn’t be done, and many, many places along the way that the whole house of cards could have come tumbling down, but I’m thrilled to have accomplished what I set out to do.

That first quick change had the crowd roaring – it must have made all that hard work seem worthwhile…

From a technical point of view, I knew early on that the entire number would stand or fall on the execution of that single moment, and yes, that was just the reaction I was aiming for!

Did you deliberately choose to do something less ‘safe’ or predictable, in keeping with your own personal style? Was there ever a temptation to veer more towards what some would think of as a more straightforward, ‘classic striptease’ format, that other performers often choose?

I believe that my number ‘The Prestige’ is a classic number. The costume is very classic (and includes items made by American burlesque legends Kiva and Catherine D’Lish!), there are classic elements in the movement, and the inclusion of magic in burlesque is certainly not new. However, I strongly believe in always moving forward, and although I am very keen to respect and give homage to the history of burlesque in my numbers, pushing boundaries and innovation is, to me, ultimately the most important and inspiring thing.

I guess I knew that in sticking to my own personal style and not producing a ‘classic American’ striptease could reduce my chances of winning the title of Reigning Queen/Miss Exotic World; I’m aware that my personal style is not conventional in the classic American sense, but I wanted to surprise and entertain, and I believe I did that.

Your pageant success aside, what were the highlights of the weekend for you?

Time spent with my heroes; the past and present legends of the genre. There are men and women who attend the weekend who are a huge inspiration, and spending even a short amount of time in their company is priceless. I was especially anxious to hear Holiday O’Hara and Dusty Summers’ feelings about my number, as their work and opinions have been a particular inspiration to me over the last couple of years. Their kind words and encouragement had me in tears! I only wish Kiva – Queen of the Fans could have been there – she made the beaded bra and panties for ‘The Prestige’ and I would have loved for her to have been at the weekend, but sadly illness prevented her ability to attend.

“…although I am very keen to respect and give homage to the history of burlesque in my numbers, pushing boundaries and innovation is, to me, ultimately the most important and inspiring thing.”

Are you keen to return next year and compete again? Do you enjoy competition?

I’m currently in talks regarding an overseas tour that would mean being away for the whole of June next year – very exciting, but it would mean that BHoF 2012 would be out for me. Plus I can’t even begin to imagine what I’d need to do to surprise people next! I don’t enjoy competition, but I felt that I owed myself the chance to apply to compete.

Do you feel that this win will have a real affect on your career or growth as a performer, and how you are regarded?

I have learned a great deal in the process of putting together my number, applying for, and competing in BHoF 2011 and those lessons will strengthen and inform me both as a person and a performer. In terms of my career, performing (and placing!) at such a high profile and prestigious event is absolutely a career high point and has already lead to some exciting opportunities.

Do you think a UK performer making an impression and performing so well at BHoF is significant? Do you hope more UK performers will aspire to this level of performance and competition?

I think that having two UK performers competing in the pageant, plus British burlesque fans and artistes attending and performing during the weekend, raised the profile of BHoF here in the UK, particularly in the run-up to and the time following the event. Certainly, I have noticed since the 2011 line-up was announced that I’m being asked lots more questions at shows and events about the nature of BHoF, and what it means.

I received a very lovely email from a fellow performer telling me how she had noted a real spirit of coming-together and a sense of community support for myself and Vicky Butterfly in the weeks before the pageant, and how she felt that people viewed my placing in the contest as a win for the UK community as a whole. That was incredible to hear!

We have some amazing performers in the UK and Europe who aren’t necessarily known in the USA. I have noticed that the culture is quite different – in the UK and Europe, burlesque performers often perform as their main or only source of income, and it’s a difficult decision to invest the time and finances to take a big trip across the pond. However, whether watching online or live in Vegas, BHoF is a wonderful source of inspiration and I think that it’s fantastic that so many of the BHoF 2011 performances are available online for people to watch who couldn’t be there during the weekend.

Anna Fur Laxis interviewed by Holli-Mae Johnson.

Burlesque Hall of Fame

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BHOF Weekend 2012: Apply NOW!

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Save the Date! BHoF Weekend 2012, May 31- June 3** at The Orleans

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Find the Perfect Gift for Your Burlesque Beloved!

Expanded Hours: Now Open 5 days a Week

‘Tease the Season: Become a Member!

New Year, New Beginnings

Dorothy Dorne: A Life in Pictures by Jo Weldon

Who’s Who in Burly-Q: Noel Toy

Performance Archetypes: The Half-and-Half

Winners Interviews: Lou Lou D’vil, Best Debut

Finnish beauty, LouLou D’vil looks back on her BHoF 2011 experience…

www.21stCenturyBurlesque.com

Winners Interviews: Anna Fur Laxis, 1st Runner Up

First Runner Up, Anna Fur Laxis discusses her BHoF 2011 experience, and one of the most talked about performances of the weekend…

“…although I am very keen to respect and give homage to the history of burlesque in my numbers, pushing boundaries and innovation is, to me, ultimately the most important and inspiring thing.”

www.AnnaFurLaxis.com

www.21stCenturyBurlesque.com