Defined as “humorous theatrical entertainment involving parody and grotesque exaggeration,” burlesque shows can be traced back as far as the 16th century in Italy and France. However, it wasn’t until 20th century America, centered in New Orleans, that the word became associated with the exotic dancing, singing and contortionist shows which became known across the country as burlesque. Centered along New Orleans’ notorious Bourbon Street, more than fifty different burlesque acts could be seen on any night of the week. Some of the more famous burlesque clubs included the Casino Royale, the 500 Club and the Sho Bar.

Because burlesque evolved from vaudeville, and the extremely competitive nature of the clubs in New Orleans, burlesque typically saw dancers and showgirls trying to outdo each other with elaborate costumes and themes. Burlesque writers let their imaginations run wild with costumes, props, music, lighting and dance to build shows that created legends out of their stars. Even the names of the well-known burlesque stars reflected the uniqueness of burlesque; names like Kalantan the Heavenly Body, Evangeline the Oyster Girl (real name, Kitty West – a great name in itself!) and Tee Tee Red lit up the neon signs of Bourbon Street.

As burlesque grew in popularity, the star power of the dancers leading the acts grew as well. They mingled with celebrities and visiting dignitaries, and some New Orleans burlesque dancers ended up with small roles in major Hollywood productions and on the cover of national magazines. Lilly Christine the Cat Girl, considered the top burlesque attraction in New Orleans, achieved celebrity status across the nation for her performances at the 500 Club. All of this publicity drew burlesque into the spotlight, and the popularity of burlesque shows continued to expand.

Burlesque first hit the big screen in the 1946 film Hollywood Revels. Much of the film was shot in an actual theatre, and the star was a real-life exotic dancer named Allene. Later movies that were focused on burlesque were produced in typical Hollywood fashion, with better camerawork, lighting and sound, and starring large name actors and comedians such as Abbott and Costello. The most famous burlesque movie star was the iconic Bettie Page, who was made a legend through films such as Striporama, Teaserama and Varietease.

All of the publicity and popularity around New Orleans burlesque started to shed the light on some of the less-than-tasteful happenings that were going on at the time. The most famous incident involving a politician was Louisiana Governor Earl Long’s affair with dancer Blaze Starr, which achieved nationwide attention and became the focus of both an autobiography and a later motion picture. Once these politicians began enjoying themselves too much in the burlesque clubs, alarm bells began ringing and it was the beginning of the end for burlesque in New Orleans.

During the 1960s, New Orleans and Bourbon Street burlesque clubs were subjected to dozens of raids, with the dancers being arrested on obscenity charges. This, combined with the sexual revolution of the 1960s which brought in porn films and strippers, caused a rapid decline in the popularity and prominence of New Orleans burlesque from which it is only starting to recover from today.