In the American Midwest of the 1890s and early 1900s, an “opera house” was less a temple to grand opera than a multipurpose engine of local culture—part concert hall, part civic forum, part funhouse of traveling amusements. Moline’s Wagner Opera House fit that profile perfectly.
While not as widely remembered as the larger Moline…
The sparkle, sophistication, and playful charm of classic burlesque are stepping back into the spotlight. Tease-O-Rama, presented by me, Iona Fortune, brings a full evening of vintage-inspired striptease and mid‑century allure to downtown Omaha. Friday, February 13The Reading Room — 1505 Farnam St., OmahaDoors at 8:00 PM | Show at 9:00 PM Featuring performances from…
In the spring of 1986, a bachelor party at a rural tavern outside Des Moines unexpectedly became the center of a statewide political firestorm. What should have been remembered as a night of beer & laughter, instead ignited one of Iowa’s most talked‑about morality scandals of the decade. The incident — quickly dubbed the “nude…
Erna Alene Hoover—born in Harlan, Iowa, on April 12 or 13, 1912—emerged from the Midwest with a determination that would carry her onto some of the nation’s most prominent stages. After her parents, Clinton and Pearle Hoover, relocated the family to Omaha and settled at 3401 Arbor Street, she trained under respected dance instructor Adelaide…
This content features a comprehensive list of books and publications focused on burlesque and its historical context. Authored by various writers, these works explore themes such as performance, culture, costume, and the socio-political landscape surrounding burlesque from its inception to contemporary perspectives.
American burlesque history is usually traced to Lydia Thompson’s “British Blondes” in New York, but the Hyers Sisters were already performing burlesque‑style operettas on the West Coast by the late 1860s. Touring from California and billed in 1879 as “The Only Colored Burlesque Troupe in the World,” Anna and Emma Hyers used satire and musical…
Born in 1926 in Kansas City, Missouri, Iretha Tucker—née Greer—was a firecracker on stage and a force in midcentury Black entertainment. Known as the “Shake Dancer Supreme” of the Ebony Dancers, she earned the nickname “Pepper Pot” for her sizzling energy and hip-shaking flair. Her performances in the early 1950s drew loud applause and glowing…
In the heart of Kansas City’s vibrant Black entertainment scene, a dazzling troupe emerged in 1950 that blended rhythm, spectacle, and unapologetic showmanship: The Ebony Dancers. Composed of eight to ten dynamic performers—including singers, acrobats, and shake dancers—this ensemble captivated audiences with their electrifying stage presence and genre-blurring acts. From Kansas City nightclubs to cabaret…
In the golden age of jazz and burlesque, Madeline Jackson, professionally known as Sahji, emerged as one of the most mesmerizing performers of her time.Born in around 1919, Sahji rose to theatrical prominence in the 1930s and 1940s as a “shake dancer”—a style rooted in rhythm, sensuality, and improvisation. Her performances were often described as…
Aida Overton Walker (1880 – 1914) was a transformative figure in American performance history. As a dancer, singer, choreographer, and cultural advocate, she elevated African American artistry in an era of racial segregation and strict gender constraints. Her legacy is one of grace, defiance, and enduring influence. Early Life & Performance | 1880-1899 Aida was…
In the late 1930s, as tensions escalated in East Asia and the United States edged toward war, a young woman named Lin Tsen Chan arrived in America under circumstances that newspapers described as harrowing. By the early 1940s, she was performing burlesque in San Francisco—an unlikely path shaped by global conflict, migration, and the racialized…
Long before Falls City became known for quiet streets and prairie charm, it played host to a livelier, more provocative chapter of American entertainment history. Burlesque—equal parts satire, spectacle, and subversion—once flickered across its vaudeville stages and traveling tents, offering rural audiences a taste of urban glamour and risqué wit. This article traces the forgotten…
Carmen Holiday was a Mexican-American dancer whose career blurred the lines between striptease, theater, and social commentary. Born and raised in Los Angeles, she trained in Latin, jazz, and belly dance before launching into the spotlight with a spontaneous striptease that won her a go-go contest in 1960s Las Vegas. From that moment on, Carmen…
In the world of mid-century burlesque and drag performance, few figures were as visually arresting and artistically daring as Lestra La Monte. Born Lester LaMonte in 1900 in Cincinnati, Ohio, Lestra carved out a niche for herself in the vaudeville and drag circuits with a signature style that was as ephemeral as it was unforgettable:…
In the quiet corners of southeast Nebraska, performance history flickers between preservation and mystery. Auburn may not boast the grand marquees of Lincoln or Omaha, but its opera houses and community stages once echoed with traveling shows, vaudeville patter, and perhaps—just perhaps—a touch of burlesque’s glimmering irreverence. From Calvert’s depot-town days to the construction of…
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