BEST OF MIDWEST BURLESQUE

I had a lot of fun last night as volunteer stage crew for the 2010 Best of the Midwest Burlesk Festival at the Ritz Theatre. Yes, I was a virgin: This was my first time venturing into the world of burlesque. I was blown away by the level of creativity and skill involved. As I heard (and ended up experiencing) throughout the night, there is a big difference between a burlesque show and a strip show. Comedy, props, live music, singing, chroegraphy, stunts, lights / aesthetics, and a certain vintage sophistication were all very integral to the show.

The event was hosted by local troupe Lili's Burlesque Revue and brought in performers from Saint Louis, Chicago, Madison, and beyond (i.e. Canada & NYC?). Kudos to stage manager and Minneapolis theatre maven Deb Ervin for making the evening run so smoothly and inviting me to lend a hand. I'll let some images of the event I lifted from Flickr do the real talking. Take a peek below.

Headliner Michelle L'Amour

Nadine Dubois & A.J. the Bodyguard 

Sweet Lily Bee

Tigger