Category: Burlesque in Nebraska

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  Respectable Transgression: Womanless Weddings, Mock Weddings, and the Performance of Gender

  The article explores historic mock weddings and womanless weddings, highlighting their roles as spaces permitting temporary gender nonconformity, while underscoring… 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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  The Life and Career of Alene Hoover

  Erna Alene Hoover—born in Harlan, Iowa, on April 12 or 13, 1912—emerged from the Midwest with a determination that would… Read more.

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  Iretha “Pepper Pot” Tucker

  Born in 1926 in Kansas City, Missouri, Iretha Tucker—née Greer—was a firecracker on stage and a force in midcentury Black… Read more.

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  Lin Chan: Chinese Dancer

  In the late 1930s, as tensions escalated in East Asia and the United States edged toward war, a young woman… 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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  Lestra La Monte

  In the world of mid-century burlesque and drag performance, few figures were as visually arresting and artistically daring as Lestra… Read more.

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  Burlesque in Auburn, NE

  In the quiet corners of southeast Nebraska, performance history flickers between preservation and mystery. Auburn may not boast the grand… 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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  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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  Irish McCalla

  In the golden age of television—where cowboys roamed and space rangers soared—there was also a spear-wielding queen who swung through… 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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  Burlesque in Clubs in Omaha, NE | 1950s-60s

  In the smoky glow of downtown Omaha’s nightlife, burlesque found a home in the clubs that lined Howard Street and… Read more.

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  AKSARBEN Burlesque

  When we think about the great civic organizations that have shaped regional identity, few stand out as uniquely as the… Read more.

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  Burlesque in Kearney, NE

  From the early 1910s to the dynamic 2000s, the evolution of burlesque in small-town Kearney, Nebraska, mirrored broader cultural shifts… Read more.

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  Burlesque in Grand Island, NE

  Grand Island’s burlesque history doesn’t begin in the ‘usual’ opera houses of the late 19th century, but at a street… Read more.

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  Burlesque in Fremont, NE

  Fremont, Nebraska, has a colorful history of burlesque entertainment, evolving from the refined stages of opera houses like Love’s Opera… Read more.

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  Burlesque in Columbus, NE

  During the 1930s, burlesque in Columbus, Nebraska, found a home in local theaters, captivating audiences with its lively performances and… Read more.