Lilly Christine

#MuseumAtHome: Burlesque Legend Lilly Christine (VIDEO)

Lilly Christine, “The Cat Girl”, burst on the scene in the late 1940s and quickly leaped to the top, headlining Leon Prima’s New Orleans hotspot the 500 Club and eventually strutting her stuff on Broadway. Her belly dance-inspired moves fascinated audiences up until her tragically early death. Learn more about

Continue reading
Twirl-a-Thon!

BHoF Presents: Twirl-A-Thon! Raise money doing what you do best: twirling tassels!

Twirl your tassels for a good cause! Join the Burlesque Hall of Fame for the first-ever (virtual) Twirl-a-Thon! How long can you twirl your tassels? 30 seconds? 3 minutes? 3 HOURS?!?!? Set your own challenge, gather pledges (in dollars per minute), and film yourself twirling for all you’re worth! Three

Continue reading
A 1950s TV sits on a wood floor in front of blue and gray striped wallpaper, playing a burlesque performance

We’re Collecting the Quarantine!

Hey performers and producers in lockdown! Whatcha been doing with yourself lately? Making online shows? Making burlesque videos? Making… history? Here at BHoF, we collect history — and the quarantine, closure of theaters and other venues, and shift of burlesque performers to online production is nothing if not historic. We

Continue reading
Coby Yee and Stephen King perform together at the 2019 BHoF Weekender (photo by Ed Barnas)

Congratulations to our 2020 Living Legend Award winner, Coby Yee!

It is our most sincere pleasure to announce this year’s recipient of the BHoF Living Legend Award is the great Coby Yee! The Living Legend Award recognizes burlesque performers who created distinguished careers for themselves during burlesque’s heyday and continue to distinguish themselves through their involvement in today’s burlesque community,

Continue reading
Jennie Lee and a male friend frolic in the "O" of the Hollywood sign

#MuseumAtHome: Burlesque Legend and BHoF Founder Jennie Lee (VIDEO and COLORING PAGES)

Jennie Lee, “Miss 44 and Plenty More!” was plenty more than a popular burlesque dancer of the 1950s and ’60s. In 1955, she founded the Exotic Dancers League to fight for the rights of her fellow exotic dancers, an effort htat eventually won her a place on the Executive Council

Continue reading
BHoF founder Jennie Lee spins tassels while wearing a medical face mask

We need your help – DONATE TODAY!

The Burlesque Hall of Fame is facing our biggest challenge yet. And right now, we need your help more than ever. This pandemic poses an existential threat to BHoF. With the museum closed indefinitely and the Weekender in jeopardy this year, we will lose at least half of our revenue

Continue reading
Lili St Cyr takes a bath

#MuseumAtHome: Burlesque Legend Lili St. Cyr (VIDEO)

Lili St Cyr was one of the 20th century’s most celebrated burlesque stars. Beautiful, elegant, and eternally unattainable, Lili’s “Ice Queen” persona shocked audiences in her bases in Los Angeles and Montreal, as well as on the stage of the El Rancho on the newly-founded Las Vegas Strip. Learn more

Continue reading
Burlesque Legend La Savona in space costume

#MuseumAtHome: Burlesque Legend La Savona (VIDEO)

La Savona was a mid-20th century burlesque performer from Prague who became famous in the U.S. for her belly-dance inspired acts. She was awarded our Living Legend Award in 2012, the highest honor BHoF has to offer performers of burlesque’s classic era. Learn more about her life and performance style in

Continue reading
Jennie Lee and a male friend frolic in the "O" of the Hollywood sign

Just for Fun: A Jennie Lee puzzle for you!

With people having a little (or a lot of) extra time on their hands, we thought you might enjoy playing with this online puzzle featuring BHoF founder Jennie Lee (and a friend) frolicking on the world-famous Hollywood sign.

Continue reading
Detail of postcard showing Omaha's Boyd Theater c. 1890

#MuseumAtHome: Learn How to Research Local Burlesque History (VIDEO)

As a central part of American entertainment life for a century-and-a-half, burlesque history is deeply interwoven with the history of almost every decent-sized community in the United States. But because burlesque has often been maligned as a disreputable part of social life, and because the major players in burlesque’s history

Continue reading