Category: 1970s-1990s
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A Little Vegas in Lesterville: The Exotic Dance & Burlesque Legacy of Swede’s Bar
Swede’s Bar in Lesterville, South Dakota, occupies a unique place in regional history: a tiny town tavern that transformed into… Read more.
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Mickey Sparano’s A-Go-Go Empire | Omaha, NE
At the height of Omaha’s nightlife boom, Mickey Sparano built an A-Go-Go empire that drew an eclectic roster of performers.… Read more.
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History of Angelo’s Cocktail Lounge and the Di Giacomo Venues in Omaha, NE
Angelo’s Cocktail Lounge began its life at 1017 South 10th Street, operating by the early 1950s in the heart of… Read more.
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Dancers, Decency, and Double Standards: Iowa’s 1986 Nude Dance Scandal
In the spring of 1986, a bachelor party at a rural tavern outside Des Moines unexpectedly became the center of… Read more.
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Sugar Babies: The Burlesque Musical
Sugar Babies, a Broadway musical, debuted in 1982. The show brought together a mix of comedic sketches and musical performances,… Read more.
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Burlesque in Davenport, IA | Part 2
During the 1960s through the 1990s, Davenport stood at the heart of a thriving erotic‑entertainment circuit in the Quad Cities.… Read more.
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History of Burlesque in Council Bluffs, IA
Council Bluffs has always been a city of crossroads — a place where travelers, traders, and dreamers converged along the… Read more.
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Big Earl’s Goldmine & the Battle for Burlesque
In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Des Moines, Iowa, found itself at the center of a heated cultural and… Read more.
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Burlesque in Falls City, NE
Long before Falls City became known for quiet streets and prairie charm, it played host to a livelier, more provocative… Read more.
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Carmen Holiday
Carmen Holiday was a Mexican-American dancer whose career blurred the lines between striptease, theater, and social commentary. Born and raised… Read more.
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Burlesque in Chadron, NE
Nestled in the Nebraska Panhandle, Chadron’s performance history is anything but provincial. Beginning in the late 1800s, the town’s opera… Read more.
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Lola Falana: Showbiz Trailblazer
Lola Falana was a force of nature, transforming every stage she touched into a showcase of glamour, grit, and brilliance.… Read more.
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La Toya Jackson
The Moulin Rouge Era In 1992, La Toya Jackson became the lead revue performer at the famed Moulin Rouge in… Read more.
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Burlesque in Alliance, NE
Tucked into the windswept plains of western Nebraska, Alliance might seem an unlikely backdrop for the glitter and grit of… Read more.
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Burlesque in Clubs in Omaha, NE | 1970s-90s
By the 1970s, Omaha’s burlesque scene had begun to evolve alongside changing cultural tides. The glamour of mid-century striptease gave… Read more.
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Dixie Evans: The “Marilyn Monroe of Burlesque”
Dixie Evans was more than just a burlesque performer—she was a living tribute to Hollywood glamour, a curator of burlesque… Read more.
