Ohh, la, la! Burlesque Show at the Brewery Tonight

Rachel Riot is on a mission: to grow the popularity of Burlesque in Raleigh and throughout NC. So far, it seems she’s making an impression. The maven of Triangle burlesque has helped spark a wave of entertainment not seen since the 1960’s, best illustrated by the growing number of shows in the Raleigh area from one a month in 2008, to now anywhere from seven to eight.

In advance of tonight’s show at the Brewery on Hillsborough St., New Raleigh caught up with Rachel Riot and managed to ask the all important question…

NR: So, what exactly is Burlesque?
RR: Burlesque is a mixture of stripping, vaudeville, and theater. Most people think of it as the classic strip tease. You won’t see anyone grinding on stage, and the girls are never naked – it’s supposed to be about the tease. When every shoe or glove comes off, it leaves something to the imagination.

Burlesque came to this country in 1868, led by a British woman, Lydia Thompson, and her group the British Blondes. It was very popular in the late 50’s to early 60’s and died down when strip clubs became popular. Burlesque became popular again in early 90’s in the NYC area and spread to the South and North Carolina in 2000/2001.

How did you get involved in Burlesque?
I used to be a retro pin up model, and in 2007 I auditioned for a show in Greensboro. In 2008 I started the first troop in Raleigh called the Demon Dolls. That group broke apart and was reformed as the Hellcat Vixens, which I helped co-found. Now there are about seven groups in Raleigh.

Why do you think Burlesque became popular again?
Well the early 90’s was when a wave of feminism started again. A lot of women were interested in theater and being sexy, and they decided this would be their way. “We’re going to take our clothes off but do it in a classy way.” Plus it’s just fun to get dressed up in all that glamour.

How hard/easy was it to get started in Raleigh?
It was difficult. We started at Legends and the first shows had maybe 30 people. Now there are 7-8 shows a month at various venues, each drawing more than 50 people at a time. Most of the attendees are women who find it empowering. It’s not something most communities embrace, and educating the public and finding ways to reach the audience have been the main challenges.

Tell me a bit about the various troops in the area.
There are the Hellcat Vixens in Raleigh, which I helped found. Virginia Scare runs a monthly show at the Black Flower. Burlesque Underground is at the Motor Co. in Durham. There is a group called the NC Performers Association and they perform at Solas once a month. And Purrlesque from Greensboro runs a monthly show in Raleigh out of Flex.

How many people are in each group?
It varies. The Performers Association has 15-20 people, where the Hellcat Vixens has four. I have a rotating cast, contracting people from various groups in Raleigh. You can expect anywhere from 4-8 people per show. 

What can you expect at a typical show?
Most shows are themed, and have an emcee. Ours for Friday is an Elvis impersonator. Usually the emcee introduces the show and talks between each performer who typically does two 3-5 minute pieces. 

There is also a decent amount of variety with sideshow acts, comedy, singing, fire performers, etc.  At the end of the show we do a curtain call and that’s it. Usually the show is 1-2 hours long with an intermission in the middle.

What’s the theme for this Friday?
Beach blanket burlesque.  Everybody’s music will be from 50-60’s and everyone is doing something beachy, tiki or Hawaiian.

Anything else to add?
Burlesque is not about one body type, that’s a big reason I think so many women love our shows.  There are bigger women, beautiful women, tiny women…there’s no stereotype you have to fit to be a burlesque dancer.

Doors open to tonight’s show at the Brewery at 8 pm, with the show starting at 9 pm. Tickets are $8 and more information can be found at www.missrachelriot.com.

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Recreation Brewery Rachel Riot Burlesque

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