Southeast Texas Entertainment Guide July 28th Issue - The Examiner

6 B July 28 - Aug. 3, 2011 The Examiner’s SETX Entertainment GuideTease me, please!Icon of burlesque comes toHouston’s House of BluesDita Von Teese goes oneon one with The ExaminerBy Chad CooperWebster’s dictionary defines the word“burlesque” as theatrical entertainmentof a broadly humorous often earthycharacter consisting of short turns, comicskits, and sometimes striptease acts. Theterm actually dates back to the 16th centurywhen Italian poet Francesco Berni used it inthe title of a work called Opere burlesche.Burlesque shows reached America in 1868 andthe popularity continued to rise until Prohibition wasput into place and cities began to outlaw the shows.But in recent times, new interest has been generatedthanks in most part to Dita Von Teese. Born inWest Branch, Mich., Von Teese grew up fascinatedby the Golden Age of Cinema, pin-up imagery andvintage lingerie. She began her burlesque career in1992 and with the help of the corset, and her ownfashion and beauty sense, Von Teese can be creditedwith putting the tease back in striptease.She has also been featured in Playboy three timesand was the performer of choice at events by designersMarc Jacobs, Christian Louboutin, Louis Vuitton,Chopard and Cartier, and was the first guest starin history at Paris’ famed cabaret The Crazy Horse.Von Teese, 38, has authored two books, Burlesqueand the Art of the Teese and Dita Stripteese.The Examiner was granted an exclusive interviewwith the iconic Von Teese, who will be performing asold-out show at the House of Blues in Houston onSaturday, July 30. Burlesque: Strip Strip Hooray! isa 90-minute variety show and is considered VonTeese’s most spectacular to date.She will perform with her new Swarovski MartiniGlass that Von Teese herself describes as her “ultimate,most decadent, and dazzling martini glassever.” This beautiful art-deco style cocktail glass iscrystalized from top to bottom and features over250,000 Swarovski crystals.Fans will also see Von Teese perform as “RhinestoneCowgirl” dressed in pink Swarovski crystal,twirling sparkling guns and strutting around in custom-madeChristian Louboutin cowboy boots completewith spurs. She then climbs aboard the world’smost glamorous authentic mechanical bull.Joining her on stage will be MC Murray Hill,along with a who’s who of burlesque, includingDirty Martini, Selene Luna, Monsieur Romeo (hostof L’Effleur Des Sens), Lada (from The Crazy Horsein Paris) and Medianoche.Leading up to the first show on this tour, howlong did it take to put together, includingrehearsal time?Well, the shows I am performing are acts that I havebeen performing for different lengths of time, andeven though it’s the debut for many of the cities I’mcoming to, they are the very best of the acts I’vebeen performing for years. Each of these three actsI’m performing took between two to four years tocreate, and upwards of $100,000 each to produce, soit been a work in progress to bring them all togetherin one show. With the expense of creating the music,the props and the costumes, it’s not like I make newshows every month ... although I would certainlylike to. I have invested over a million dollars in myacts, so it takes some time before I get to make brandnew ones, especially because this is the first time Ihave toured with these shows.