Holiday Burlesque: The No Santa Baby Rule and The Art of the Tease

If the Beach Boys knew their Jewish history, they might sound a little bit like Meshugga Beach Party, the opening band for the burlesque show “Chrismannukah.” Dressed like Hasidic Rabbis, the band covered “Dreidl, Dreidl,” “O Hanukkah,” and “Maoz Tsur” while doing the can-can. It was a night of perfect juxtapositions – surfer guitar riffs and traditional Jewish folksongs onstage, with an audience wearing Santa hats and drinking Hebrew beer offstage.

This was only the beginning.

I was at “Chrismannukah” to see the best of the San Francisco’s burlesque scene. The Hubba Hubba Revue has the reputation for putting on big shows once a month and featuring local legends and burlesque favorites. Lady Satan, a local performer who hails from New York, and who also started the burlesque troupe, Sugar Shack Burlesque, had told me about the show.

“It’s only a good burlesque show if ‘Santa Baby’ isn’t included on the list.” Lady Satan said, informing me of Hubba Hubba’s “No Santa Baby” rule. In doing so, she also revealed her contempt for clichés and let me know what she thinks burlesque is all about.

For her, it’s important to keep the history of burlesque alive, and good burlesque is all in the details. The art of the tease; the grace with which you move across the stage; how you incorporate your costume and take off your clothes; why you choose to dance to a particular song. Who are you paying homage to, what traditions are you carrying on, and why are these important? These are the details that separate burlesque from an ordinary strip show.

Earlier that week, I caught Lady Satan performing at a Rockabilly show. She danced in a Santa hat, red corset, feather boa, and gloves, mouthing the words to “One Monkey Don’t Stop No Show.” There was a drag aspect to her performance; her make-up and lip-synching were exaggerated and dramatic. As the words,

“My baby thought I was jiving,
And he went right out the door.
He left me about three in the morning.
I got me a man at four,”

poured out of her, she strut, shimmied and shook across the stage, I laughed out loud. I was having so much fun. Mynx D’ Meanor, the producer of Fishnet Follies, who also teaches and performs burlesque, worded my feelings perfectly as she stood next to me, watching the show. “Burlesque is entertaining. It stems from our visceral desires. It’s plain fun – sexy and personal while at the same time, it’s for everyone.”

Days later, standing at the “Chrismannukah” show, I knew that Mynx D’ Meanor was right. To say people from all walks of life could enjoy burlesque was an understatement. I looked around me, and people of all professions, ages, and ethnicities wore their holiday finery, hooting, hollering, laughing, and clapping for the show. With each act, the excitement rose, and everyone seemed dedicated and committed to having a good time.

That evening, Bunny Pistol, the creator of Barbary Coast Burlesque, hit the stage and performed a number to Elvis’ “Christmas.” She appeared in a red robe and white gloves, and as she rocked out to Elvis and stripped off her robe, she wore a red bra and underwear covered in bells that jingled across the stage. Bunny didn’t stop smiling and I understood why.

Earlier, she had told me “I don’t do it for the money; I do it for the art-form. I love creating – your costume, picking the music, your persona, who you want to be, and what you want to express.” There was no doubt in my mind this was the way Bunny knew how to best express herself, combining her love of rock ‘n’ roll, the 1960s, and dance to really mark the holidays.

Burlesque truly knows no boundaries as I learned from Miss Mae Western. She performed her holiday number to the same song as Bunny, but interpreted it completely differently. If only Elvis could have seen her.

Miss Western hails from Sonoma County, and with her troupe “Kiss Que C’est Burlesque” is producing and organizing events for 2010 in the wine country. She’s a fun, bawdy, and beautiful lady who decided to go over-the-top for this year’s holiday number. Her costume included a light-up star, which she wore tastefully as a headband, a wrap “dress” made of red and green garland, and underwear covered in gold gift-wrapped presents. Her costume was an embodiment of the excesses of Christmas.

When she came off-stage I asked her “Why are the holidays a good time for burlesque?”

“It’s always a good time for burlesque!” She sassed, winking at me.

After catching burlesque shows in the Bay Area, and having the privilege of watching “Chrismanukkah,” I’ve discovered that burlesque is a celebration of our intimate desires, our need to rebel, open up, and have a good time. Holidays or not, I have to agree with Miss Mae Western, it’s always a good time for burlesque. It’s an art form which is open to everybody and everybody can relate to. I encourage you to take a chance, have some fun, and join these ladies in celebrating burlesque and becoming a part of its rich history.