These days, burlesque is a term as abused as a stripper’s feet at the end of a night in clear heels. Oops, that was a bad comparison — especially because, dammit, despite all the misuse, burlesque is not, in fact, a euphemism for stripping. In its classical form, the term referred to a grown-up variety show full of bawdy humor, music, and any number of miscellaneous acts. Sure, this included the occasional skin-showing female dance, but that was only part of it. Stand-up comedy as we know it sprung partly from the burlesque circuit of the early 20th Century. Good Theatre, a one-off event this Thursday at Churchill’s Pub, aims to resurrect that multidisciplinary spirit under the tag line “adult theater for adult audiences.” The evening of performances will be spearheaded by Billie Bee Good and Izzy Rich of the Glamour Goddesses. That’s a local burlesque troop that not only hopes to revive the art form’s traditions but also do it with a more colorful and shapely range of performers than other groups. They’ll be joined by friends Tania Sofia Luna, Angie Z, and Holly Peno of Shameless Burlesque, along with sultry sirens Audrey Hipbone and Isadora Bull, for a collection of skits, jokes, and dances. The musical soundtrack will come courtesy of the Campeones and the Midnight Hour, and early birds can score rum giveaways from 11 p.m. to midnight during a special Malibu Black tasting.
Thu., June 16, 11 p.m., 2011