Lydia Thompson

Today's featured burlesque artist is Lydia Thompson, who is credited with starting the popularity of burlesque in the US in the late 19th century with her troupe.

Lydia and her girls

Thompson was born in London in 1838, and began her career at 14 when she left home to become a dancer.    As a member of the corps de ballet of Her Majesty's Theatre, Thompson gained acclaim for her dance roles in numerous pantomimes and burlesques.  (Note: burlesque in the 19th century more closely followed the root of the word, and were farcical productions spoofing popular topics and celebrities of the day.)  Thanks to her growing fame, Thompson toured throughout Europe for three years.  She was considered a talented dancer as well as being known for her vivacious personality and charm.  Her performances there ranged from ballet-burlesque to traditional dances, such as the Hornpipe and Highland Fling.  She returned with a very good international reputation to continue performing in England in 1859.

Thompson dressed for the Hornpipe

Throughout the next few years Thompson continued to act and dance in burlesques, both in London and on provincial tours.  She was also known for her roles as the 'principle boy'--the leading male character in the piece.  In 1868 Thompson and her second husband sailed to New York with her troupe, called The British Blondes.  They were the most successful new theatre enterprise that season, thanks to the combination of comedy routines, scandelous costumes, cross-dressing, satire, bawdy humor, variety acts, and improvisation popular in British burlesque at the time.  The British Blondes's first successful foray into American theatre was extended from six months to six years, garnering both high praise and criticism for their performances.

Poster from a British Blondes show

Lydia Thompson's portrait on sheet music of a song written for her troupe

Unlike praise for the group, which focused on the talent of the girls and content of the performances, critiscism focused on the morality of those involved.  One particular critic, Wilbur Storey, had an ongoing back-and-forth with Thompson and her troupe.  He claimed not only that the show transgressed propriety, but also questioned the virtue of the performers.  In response, Thompson, her husband, and Pauline Markham (one of the most successful troupe members) horse-whipped Storey at gunpoint in 1870, for which they were arrested (but later released after a fine).  The incident only increased the popularity of the troupe.

Pauline Markham, a member of the British Blondes, in costume

Thompson returned to England in 1874, but continued to perform in America for the next twenty years.  In 1899 a benefit was held in her honor in London, where she recited a rhyming farewell address to the theatre community written by W. S. Gilbert (lyricist of the operetta team Gilbert and Sullivan).  In it, she reminices about the community she has been a part of:


But when I say “Good-bye” in faltering tone
To you--the truest friends I’ve ever known--
The friends whose warmth expressed in gladdening chime
Supplied the sunshine of my summer-time--
The case is somewhat different. You see,
I’m losing you—-you’re only losing me!


But this won’t do at all—-I’m off the scent,
My line’s light comedy, not sentiment.
My future tense seems cheeriness to lack,
And so, I won’t look forward—-I’ll look back.
(you can read the address in its entirety here)

After this Thompson mostly went into retirement, but she did perform again in 1904.

Thompson's British Blondes spawned several new burlesque troupes in the US, and their combination of satire, gender-bending, dance, and scandalous costumes (I once heard Thomson's troupe described as 'buxom-thighed') have all remained part of the American burlesque scene to this day.

lithograph for Thompson's jokey dance from the V&A collection

She's definitely someone I'm taking heavy inspiration from as I approach this show...although I seriously hope I don't have to horse-whip anyone for questioning my girls!

Through the Lens of Walker Evans

Walker Evans is, I think, most famous for his photographs capturing life during the Great Depression across the US.  However, during that time he also took many photographs related to the circus, and these almost gritty black and white images are exactly what I think of when I think about the atmosphere of this show.  I guess you could say I'm aiming for a black and white photograph come to life in full, sparkling color that the audience can walk right into.
Here are a couple of Evans' images.  All of his images belong to the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art (click the link to view them in the online database).

You can read more about Walker Evans here if you're interested-I recommend it!

Sally Rand

Rather than write one history post about burlesque, I'm going to feature artists that have added to the inspiration for this show individually.  First up is the fantastic Sally Rand!

Sally Rand

Born Helen Beck in 1904, Rand left her home in the Ozark region of Missouri to join a circus in her teens.  She went on to be a cigarette girl, model, chorine, and performer with Ringling Brothers!  In 1927, after performing in a series of stage shows and silent films, she was selected to join Cecil B. DeMille's company for feature films.    Her career as a film star ended with the onset of 'talking pictures' because of her lisp.

A lot of wit and creativity led Rand to create her most famous dance, involving two feather fans (and not much else)! Her teasing 'fan dance' gained her great success in the burlesque world, and a steady job as a performer at the Paramount Club in the 1930s.  In 1933 she even appeared at the World's Fair-and was arrested multiple times in one day for indecent exposure!
Rand continued her success with other acts, including a 'bubble dance' with a huge transparent bubble.  In all of her acts, Rand embodied the tease as a central part of her dance--something I consider a huge part of the modern art of burlesque.  Rand also performed in traditional plays in the 1930s as Sadie Rand, and even starred opposite Humphrey Bogart.
Still probably one of the most well-known burlesque stars, Rand performed several times after her retirement, including in the 1978 show This Was Burlesque.  She died a year later in 1979.

A lot can be done with simple props and good lighting.  Sally Rand knew that-and it's evident in her lovely 1934 fan dance.  What you don't show is often more exciting than what you do!

And finally, a celebrity game show that also featured Gypsy Rose Lee (stay tuned, I'll post it) called What's My Line?:

Look Book 2 *NSFW*

I have another post I'm working on about the history of burlesque, since it's an interesting parallel to the similarly-timed history of Ringling that I posted earlier today.  In the meantime, here are some pictures from early burlesquers ranging from the late 19th century through the 1950s.  How fabulous are these women? I want to be draped in nothing but fur...

Bobo Britt, mid-20th c.

unknown performer, 1920s

1880s cancan girls from the Moulin Rouge (not burlesque, but still fabulous)

comedy musical burlesque troupe members (from left) Faye Templeton, Lew Fields, Joe Weber, and Lillian Russell

Pauline Marham, one of the original 'British Blondes'

Sally Rand, 1930s pioneer of the modern fan dance

Violet Craig, early burlesque performer with her 'Wild West' act

Miss Zorita, early/mid 20th c. performer

A Brief History of Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus

Most of the show posters I've been looking at recently are all from the combined Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus, which has been performing for over a century.  They're still around, and I highly recommend going to see them!  There's also a musical based on P.T. Barnum, the man behind it all, called-what else?-Barnum.
On an almost-burlesque-related note, Barnum actually started in the side show business, with Barnum's American Museum rather than the three-ring circus we associate with him today.  He first gained success in the 1840s with 'curiosities' such as General Tom Thumb (a midget), the Fiji Mermaid, and conjoined twins Chang and Eng Bunker.

Stratton, aka General Tom Thumb, with a guardsman

a sketch of Barnum's Fiji Mermaid, c. 1841

Unfortunately for Barnum, although his museum was successful, it burned down twice.  With too much debt to stop, he continued on in the business by taking on partners/financial backers.  In 1881 he joined with James Bailey, creating the Barnum and Bailey Circus.  After Barnum's death in 1891, Bailey bought Barnum's half and continued to tour.

Poster for Barnum and Bailey Circus-A Child's Dream

In the meantime, back in the Midwest, five of August Rungling's sons founded the Ringling Brothers Circus in 1884.  Smaller than Barnum and Bailey's endevor, the show still gained moderate success and traveled throughout the US.

the Ringling family

1898 Ringling Brothers poster

In 1907 Ringling Brothers Circus bought Barnum and Bailey, touring the shows separately for several years.  However, as the brothers died, it became harder and harder to manage two touring circuses.  Finally in 1919 the remain two Ringling brothers combined the shows into Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Combined Shows, which debuted in Madison Square Garden.
Over the next two decades, the enterprise continued to grow as smaller circuses felt the hit of the stock market crash and the following depression.  Many of these were purchased by John Ringling.  Popularity and success for the circus continued through World War II, during which President Roosevelt gave the show special permission to use the railroads.

troops watch circus performers during WWII

As Hollywood grew and the popularity of live shows decreased during the 1950s, the travelling circus also began to suffer.  Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey Combined Show had their last performance in 1957, almost 50 years after the show's debut.

Since then, Ringling has been purchased and is up and running again.  While there is still a lot of controversy surrounding the use of animals in circus performance, the modern circus offers a wide variety of both traditional and uniquely modern circus acts.  Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey Circus is on tour now-go and check out a show for yourself! You'll be entering into a tradition centuries old when you do.

Look Book 1

'Look Books' are a great way to come up with ideas for the aesthetics of a show, and for this show that is particularly important.  It will also help me communicate they nonverbal picture I have in my head with the rest of my design team.  I'm meeting with our costume designer next month for the first time, and am already working with a good friend who's consulting as a dance historian for the project.  In preparation for meetings, and also just because it's fun, I've been pulling vintage images from the web (I've just discovered the magic of Flikr) for inspiration.  I've also been pulling costume research pictures from modern movies with a similar theme to the show, to look at color, costume, and lighting.  Here are some selections!

Nicol Kidman as Satine in Moulin Roughe (image from the Vogue spread)

a burlesque promo image, early 20th c

cancan dancers

Zidler and the Cancan girls, from the Moulin Rouge Vogue spread

poster for Erma Ward, 1920s circus performer

19th c(?) act

the Hogndini siblings, circus performers

Reese Witherspoon as Marlena in the movie of Water for Elephants

Gypsy Caravan, date unknown

Sally Rand, 20th c burlesquer

from Traschand's book on the 19th c circus

Vaudeville performers, early 20th c

an elephant girl, date unknown

This will be an ongoing process, but I'm excited to be starting.  I'm also beginning the choreography for the opening number.  If possible, I'd like to have it ready by the first meeting with the cast.  Yay, progress!

Preliminary Research

I already have a few ideas for bits I'd like to use in the show, but to craft the general aesthetic I thought I would turn to some research into what late 19th century and early 20th century (let's just say pre-WWII) circuses were actually like.  My favorite source so far is a wonderful book by Brenda Assael, called The Circus and Victorian Society.  In a chapter primarily focused on female acrobats, Assael says: "Issues relating to danger, sexual pleasure, and athleticism--three qualities contemporaries associated with the female acrobat's art--became the focus of public discussions" (p 109 via google books).
I love this.  I think burlesque also deals with similar fascinations to the public conciousness: temptation, sexuality (in many forms), the explicit body as a means for empowerment...all things that, while not the same as Assael's assessment of  female acrobats, relate to the provoking image of a female acrobat in the 19th century.  In addition to the athletic and dangerous nature of these women's performances, their costumes also associated more closely to male circus costumes of the time than socially expected female fashions.

contemporary 'Strong Man' Sandow

costume of Miss Lala, a female strength performer from the V&A Collection

a painting of the performer mentioned above, 'Miss Lala at the Cirque Fernando' by Degas

Burlesque is a performance medium straddling the line between cultural fascination and condemnation.  To me, this seems to fit perfectly with the aesthetics of the Edwardian-ish era circus.  Not to mention the adorable costume potential!