THE SOLITARY HOUR: “Tournee” and the Tenacity of Burlesque

A friend of mine invited me to the New York screening of “Tournee” (translation: On Tour) at BAM (Brooklyn Academy of Music) last Friday night. This was not a hard sell for me, as I love, love, LOVE burlesque. To make things even sweeter, the stars of the film (including the director Mathieu Amalric – star of The Diving Bell and the Butterfly) were on hand to talk after the screening, followed by a free burlesque show in the BAM Café after the show.

The film was a delight to watch. It’s got a very smart script, and the acting is excellent. The soundtrack is also strong, filled with great rock songs (The Sonics' "Have Love Will Travel" comes to mind) as well as a surprising and haunting acoustic version of Radiohead’s “I Will” performed by Kitten on the Keys (one of the burlesque performers). The Q&A was also fun to watch, filled with talk of how the actual on-the-road antics very much mirrored what was on screen. There were also some nice talks about burlesque in general, as well as one very excellent surprise at the start of the discussion.*

The performance afterward in the café served as a great way to end the evening. Dirty Martini, Mimi Le Meaux, Kitten on the Keys, and Julie Atlas Muz each showcased their unique approach to new burlesque. I’ve been a big supporter of burlesque, and have several friends involved in the scene. I try to make it out to a few shows a week. To me, burlesque is closely related to what I do with my writing – both the surreal, elegant side of it, and just the sheer act of showing off an idea that is all your own. I perform at readings, and there’s always that energy that comes from being on a stage, showing your creativity to an audience full of strangers.

The entire night left me thinking about burlesque, about what it means to me, and how it’s an art form that has changed over time. When burlesque first came out, there wasn’t really a porn industry as there is now. The idea of nudity was very different.

In a lot of ways, it got me thinking of the state of rock music or jazz. There was a time when these art forms were the newest thing out there. You may argue that these things are still vital, and I would agree with you. However, it doesn’t have the same appeal as hip hop to teenagers today. Elvis Presley and his pelvis doesn’t compare to Nicki Minaj and her...assets. The expectations of pop culture have moved on. This doesn’t make what Elvis did any less interesting or entertaining; however, it doesn’t have the absurd, inflated attention that comes with being in the eye of the pop culture hurricane (ie: parents blaming you for school shootings, stores censoring your song titles, religious groups burning your albums, teenyboppers over-quoting your lyrics in their Facebook updates).

While the attention of a burlesque performance has changed, the qualities that made it an exciting art form remain. In a way, this allows for the performances to become more daring, even more original and artistic, now that the shock of the new has worn off. This sort of thing seems to happen with all creative people over time. I think of Radiohead and how much attention they received when they first broke into the mainstream with "OK Computer" and "Kid A." Whether or not you think they are still excellent, it is safe to say that they are no longer the only acts with that kind of sound. The music industry has caught up to them. Even if they were to break from their style and start experimenting with, say, Reggaeton or Bluegrass, the idea of Radiohead has already been established. I feel that this has allowed them to focus on their sound in a way that ten years ago would have been too much to take on, what with the difficulties of just establishing a presence. What they lost in newness and sensationalism, they’ve gained in nuance and breadth of quality.

Of course, with burlesque, there will always be the titillation factor. Even if you can satisfy all your naked cravings via your RSS feed, there will always be something exciting about the prospect of beautiful people flaunting themselves, whether it’s burlesque or belly dancing or even acro-yoga. We’re hardwired to like pretty bodies, and to see them contort and accentuate their shapes. I am reminded of a time a few weeks back when I went to another BAM event – this time it was a ballet rehearsal. No nudity, but there was still an air of appreciation at just how pleasing bodies can be to the eye.

There’s also the aspect of tenacity. To be a burlesque performer, one has to constantly be “on.” It’s a busy field, and like an athlete, one has to always be in good shape and know how to put on your best show. The film attested to that aspect of the business, how you’re only as good as your next booking.

During the performance, my friend and I tried guessing the different ages of the performers. It’s very hard to tell. They are in exquisite shape, which doesn’t necessarily mean that they are slim, either. Burlesque is a field where one doesn’t have to be peroxide blonde with zero body fat to make a great impression. The focus is more on the performance. It was a pleasure seeing these ladies at work, whether it was Kitten on the Keys’ musical numbers and strip teases, Dirty Martini’s over-the-top salute to the American way, Mimi Le Meaux’s sultry dance with feathers, or Julie Atlas Muz’s creepy-sexy act to the tune of Screamin’ Jay Hawkins’s “I Put a Spell on You.”

New Burlesque understands that people can get their nudity fix elsewhere. Like people in theatre, they get that there are such things as television and internet. So, instead of trying to compete by trying to be the same, it flaunts what makes it different, amplifying the immediacy of a live performance to a bigger, brighter, and more extravagant level. There’s kitsch, there’s humor, there’s the risk factor of someone screwing up. Burlesque works because it taps into many different expectations. Like a diner, you go because you know you have many options to choose from and enjoy. There’s music, but it’s more than a concert. There’s humor, but it’s not a comedy club. There’s dancing, but it’s not just a striptease.

I like that term used for James Brown: “the hardest working man in show business.” Burlesque understands that concept. It’s hard work. I've been at shows where the performer arrives from one performance, does his/her thing for 5-10 minutes, then heads off to do another show in another part of town. It’s a fast-moving business, constantly creating new ideas and trying them out in front of an audience that is a little drunk, a little apathetic, and a little more interested in talking to whatever good-looking thing they see hanging out by the bar.

I would challenge anyone in the arts to try doing a live performance every now and then. Even if you are dead-set on only being a “pure” writer – that is, just typing in front of a keyboard and seeing your work appear on a blog or magazine or hardcover – there is something that can be learned by trying your work out on a stage. It may not be for you, but it will give you a different perspective.

(Also, it’s a lot of fun performing after someone’s dance. I don’t know about you, but if I can get a crowd to cheer for my little story after the last act just stripped down to a thong and smile, I know I’m doing something right.)

*Once the performers were settled into their seats at the front of the theatre, Kitten on the Keys informed everyone that while we were watching the movie, the gay marriage bill passed in New York State. Burlesque and marriage equality in one night - hell yes.

More About “Tournee” and the complete burlesque cast:

The Cannes film trailer