Burlesque Is Back

… and chances are, it's not what you think.  Here's a look at its delightfully bold and bawdy return in the U.S.

By Shiwani Srivastava for MSN City Guides

There’s a neo-burlesque scene in this country that's bursting at the seams like a tight corset, ready to show off everything it’s got. What started as a slow and steady resurgence years ago has officially made its glittering return to the stage in most major American cities—and audiences are taking notice. Then again, it’s hard not to.

Being at a burlesque show is a thrilling experience, heightened by the expectation of the unexpected. It feels like a throwback to the 1940s, conjuring images of cabarets featuring music, vaudeville and dancing women slipping off their silk gloves (and a whole lot more) while still leaving the audience in suspense. 

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Setting the stage
Today, burlesque has been brought back into the national limelight by artists like Dita Von Teese, Margaret Cho and Gwen Stefani.  On the local level, many troupes (like Burlesque as It Was and The World Famous Pontani Sisters) perform classic styles of burlesque, while others (like the Atomic Bombshells and Le Scandal Cabaret) riff on its foundations: 

“Most people think '50s pinup imagery when they think of ‘classic’ burlesque,” said Miss Scarlet Rose, a Seattle-based performer. “Put that same performance to a punk rock song and tell a theatrical tale with a modern theme and you get neo-burlesque.”  Though the boundaries can be hard to define, “both are largely tongue-in-cheek with teasing, sass and a [good] romp,” she adds.