Minnesota Naughty

Many striptease costumes are very intricate, with cleverly made layers so that each one can be removed to reveal an entirely new outfit — each one smaller than the one that came before it. In one show, Tomahawk Tassels (of LCR) wore an American Indian costume that eventually slimmed down to a loin cloth and feather-encrusted pasties. Sarah Holiday (of Dr. Farrago’s) wore a dress entirely made of scarves under her vampire-like black dress, and she removed each scarf one-by-tantalizing-one.

But don’t call them strippers. Burlesque performers see themselves as separate from the stripping industry. The exaggerated costumes, playful variety of acts, and the humorous overtone of burlesque clearly set this genre apart from shows one might see at a strip club. However, misconceptions about burlesque performers still abound, and, according to Buchanan, the girls get offended when people insist on calling them strippers.

Heather Wilson (a.k.a. Foxy Tann), founder of Foxy Tann and the Wham Bam Thank You Ma’ams, agrees that many people still don’t see the difference between burlesque performances and stripping. The distinction, however, is clear to her. "A big difference between strip clubs and burlesque," explains Wilson, "is that we don’t just perform for the highest bidder. The show is always for everyone. And we don’t try to hoover out your wallet."

"It’s a hard concept to grasp," says LCR Houseboy Garron Haubner. "It’s not a band. It’s not the circus. It’s not any of these things that we’re familiar with, and I think that’s a good thing. I think we need different."

Clearly, burlesque is an entertainment genre that causes some confusion. Its ambiguous nature can also cause legal problems, and the troupes often have trouble booking a venue with the proper licensing to host a burlesque show. Despite all that, however, it may be that burlesque is simply something that the Midwest has not yet fully embraced.

The Potluck Party Heats Up in Minnesota

Apparently, our cities, known for their "Minnesota nice," had once been a destination for some "Minnesota naughty." According to Mia Jennings (a.k.a. Mia Malone), founder of Dr. Farrago’s, "The Twin Cities has a strong history of burlesque." Jennings chatted matter-of-factly about
gangsters like Al Capone bunking down in the seedy gambling halls of St. Paul and catching some quality burlesque entertainment on the side. Notable entertainment venues such as the State Theatre and the Orpheum once housed throngs of semi-nude dancers shaking their tassels for the wilder crowds of the early Twin Cities. Burlesque thrived up until the ‘40s or ‘50s, when it was buried under strip clubs and lap dances.

In recent years, burlesque has made an international comeback. From Tokyo to London and from NYC to Seattle, people all across the country and the world are again embracing burlesque. What caused the sudden upsurge of this seemingly forgotten form of entertainment? Performers like Gina Louise and Ophelia Flame argue that the appearance of burlesque-type movies, such as Moulin Rouge (2001) and Chicago (2002), had something to do with it. Other performers have purported that burlesque has mirrored the GBLT liberation movement. Still others assert that burlesque never really went away in the first place. One thing is certain, though. Burlesque is still relatively unknown in many circles.

"It’s still largely an underground thing," said Gwendolyn Rae of LCR. "People around here don’t really know about it." Although it has been going strong in several cities across the United States and even has its own annual convention in Las Vegas, called the Miss Exotic World Pageant, burlesque is still shrouded in mystery in the Midwest.

Despite their underground nature, however, burlesque troupes have been attracting local audiences since the birth of the first modern-day troupe in the Twin Cities area, Le Cirque Rouge. Buchanan was a singer and songwriter when she founded the troupe in 2003, but had no experience running a burlesque revue. Her enthusiasm and love of old-time variety shows, however, inspired Buchanan to hold auditions and cobble together a show. With dancers, a band, and a venue finally secured, Buchanan’s LCR started cranking out three weekly shows. "It was the wildest time of my life," she reminisced. "We were on fire, and we did three shows a week for ten months straight. By Saturday night we’d walk in and wouldn’t even say hi to each other. It was just like, let’s party again!"

Le Cirque Rouge served as a welcome outlet for many Twin Cities ladies with pent-up raw talent. For others, this was a chance to finally bring something they loved right to their front door. "I was just personally so excited to have found my tribe locally," explained Laura Libby (a.k.a. Ophelia Flame), "I had found that nationally at Exotic World, and to finally have that come to Minneapolis was very exciting. It was also inspiring to work with a collection of very talented people, some of whom became my close friends."

Eventually, Le Cirque Rouge split into several smaller troupes. The first splinter group was Dr. Farrago’s. Jennings broke away from LCR because she was not content with its classic feel and wanted to create something edgier. "I wanted to use more modern music," said Jennings, "that made my blood simmer with excitement, energy, and passion—such as electronica or techno-type music."

Jennings separated quietly from LCR, but shortly after her departure the group endured an ugly split. Several disgruntled performers protested against Buchanan and her loose management style. They demanded change and kicked Buchanan to the curb, forcing her (and those who chose to remain by her side) to find a new venue. The performers that took over the old venue continued performing burlesque shows under the name Lili’s Burlesque Revue. Despite their messy divide, both troupes got back on their feet and are still up-and-running today. (For the dramatic details see our video documentary on the split.)