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May 29, 2004 “The Golden Days of Burlesque Historical Society” is fighting time, to preserve the history of burlesque. This is the only group of its kind in existence today. It is a non-profit organization made up almost entirely of people who worked in burlesque theatres and clubs, across the US, Canada and the world, by or before 1965. These are the last of the real troupers who schlepped from theatres to clubs; two weeks here, a week there. They did it all because they loved to hear the applause, the laughter, and they loved to entertain…yet because of the stigma that still surrounds burlesque, few “outsiders” are willing to take the group, and this history, seriously. However, this IS American history and culture, and it will be lost forever if we don’t fight to preserve it today! If it were not for burlesque, we would not have had the likes of: Abbott & Costello, Jackie Gleason, Phil Silvers, Bert Lahr, Ed Wynn, Danny Thomas, Red Buttons, Robert Alda, Sherry Britton, Lili St. Cyr, Gypsy Rose Lee—who was a multi- talented woman…and so many others. While watching many of the early television shows, whether it is Carol Burnett, Abbott & Costello, Jackie Gleason, Lucille Ball, or Red Skelton, many of the old time routines can be seen in much of what they performed; but the creators of those routines, well, their names are seldom heard or known. There were thousands who worked in burlesque over the course of 100 years, and it took a lot of people to put on a show. They ALL need to be remembered for their contributions. Luckily some history has been recorded, and we hope to create an archive so future generations will know what the golden days of burlesque were truly like. In the beginning, in December 1994, I was asked if I would help an old dancer from burlesque, “Tanayo,” find her friends so she could communicate with them while she was still able to do so. (She died 8/13/03) After thinking about it for a couple of weeks, the search began. We started out with twenty-five addresses, many of which were no longer good, but at this time we know where over 215 people are who were involved in old-time burlesque, and that list is growing. MOST who performed in burlesque did not make the names for themselves, as did those previously mentioned. Nor did most of the clubs in the 1950’s and 1960’s take out payroll taxes for performers who worked in burlesque. Today the old time performers from burlesque, especially the women, are struggling just to survive. Before Blaze Fury died, she said, “You see more on a beach today than you ever saw on a burlesque stage.” So WHY is there still such a stigma regarding burlesque? Should we just forget burlesque existed because feature performers or the shows themselves no longer survive? Should we forget all about Abbott & Costello’s routines because the guys are gone? Burlesque is a part of American history and culture, and we must fight to preserve it! Today we have no training ground for future talent. There are no studio systems where potential young movie stars are discovered and groomed. There are no vaudeville or burlesque stages where kids right out of school can go to get their first jobs in the chorus line or learn the tricks of the trade from old comics. This history will be gone forever as the last generation of burlesque performers dies off. “The Golden Days of Burlesque Historical Society,” provides everyone with the opportunity to learn more about burlesque. Once these old-time performers are gone, this piece of Americana will be gone forever. Can we afford to let that happen? Hopefully this is just the beginning as far as preserving a piece of this history and these performers stories. We seem to be a society that honors and respects people more when they are gone, but we need to respect this group of performers while they are still alive. Help us preserve this history… ------------ About the author Jane Briggeman: I have a book being released this Fall, September 2004 I believe, by Collectors Press, called: "BURLESQUE: Legendary Stars of the Stage." More information is available on the www.burlesquehistory.com web site. A second book in the series has already been started as well. We all feel these books are going to help us find many more of those who worked in OLD TIME BURLESQUE, by or before 1965, and help us preserve just a small piece of this history. Email: jbriggbhs@yahoo.com Tell a friend about this site! ------------ |
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