April 26 at 7:30 pm, At the Rat Cave 216 N. 2nd Street, Raton NM, 87740
18+ years old to attend. $20 cash at the door or purchase online via the Facebook Event under Ratsville Roundup! Tips appreciated
Burlesque in America, a brief history
Presented by 2025 Jennifer Mills “Bonanza Jellybean”
Burlesque made a big splash in America in the 1840s. Comprised of bawdy humor, singing and
dancing, and of course, under clothed women. The term “burlesque” is a musical parody on
otherwise serious subjects and is meant to induce laughter from the absurdity. It was often
considered a “leg show” or “minstrel show” introduced by the British in Victorian era. English
woman Lydia Thompson brought the popular “British Blondes” show to New York and was the
most popular entertainment in New York during the 1868-1869 theatrical season.
By the 1880s, burlesque began to see a decline as an “anti-burlesque hysteria” frightened away
many middle-class audiences and was also shunned by media sources. The Thompson troupe
were forced to prematurely cancel their American tour after it was described as “disgraceful
spectacle of padded legs jiggling and wriggling in the insensate follies and indecencies of the
hour.” The New York Times partook in the growing disgust of burlesque performance by
publishing an article titled “Exit British Burlesque.”
By the 1880s, male managers had taken over the format of the minstrel shows. Transgressive
feminine wit was gradually replaced by a masculine determination to reveal as much of the
female form as local laws allowed, as to not cross over into vulgarity or obscenity. It was the
goal to titillate, not to offend. In the early 1900s, burlesque theater owners formed vaudeville-
style circuits that provided dependable work for the performers across the country. Many
burlesque performers were still looked down upon, but many vaudeville actors would still do
burlesque acts in order to avoid bankruptcy, often in costume to avoid embarrassment.
Many popular comedians got their start working in these vaudeville theaters including Jackie
Gleason, Fanny Brice, Leon Errol, Bert Lahr, W.C. Fields, Bobby Clark, Red Skelton, and Bob
Hope. Much of the comedy born in burlesque became very popular comedic skits still used
today. Sit-coms and comedy routines still use the same format created during this period in
theater.
Burlesque fluctuated in popularity for much of the rest of the century. The spirit of burlesque
shows became tarnished during the rise of strippers and pornography theaters that thrived
during the Great Depression and into the 60s and 70s respectively.
So what does burlesque look like today?
Since the early 2000s, “new burlesque” shows have popped up all over the world. Performers
like Dita VonTeese have brought back burlesque opulence and showmanship to modern
American audiences. Her shows often have more women than men in the audience. The
revival of burlesque has sparked the Broadway play and movie, Moulin Rouge, which celebrates
cabaret, song and dance and performances inspired by the Moulin Rouge theater in Paris that
has been in operation since 1889. A new generation is re-evaluating the word and the format,
recognizing the spirit of spoofery that made burlesque such a potent form of entertainment in
the 1880s. The good news is that burlesque is still thriving and giggling and coming in April to
Raton!