Rust Belt Burlesque: The Softer Side of a Heavy Metal Town

by Erin O’Brien, Bob Perkoski

The performance art of burlesque, once a faded form, has made a comeback in the twenty-first century, and it has shimmied back to life with a vengeance in Cleveland. Thanks to fans and entrepreneurs, neo-burlesque has taken the stage—and it’s more inclusive, less seedy, and emphatically fun. Rust Belt Burlesque traces the history of burlesque in Cleveland from the mid-1800s to the present day, while also telling the story of Bella Sin, a Mexican immigrant who largely drove Northeast Ohio’s neo-burlesque comeback. The historical center of Cleveland burlesque was the iconic Roxy Theater on East Ninth Street. Here, in its twentieth-century heyday, famed dancers like Blaze Starr and comics like Red Skelton and Abbott and Costello entertained both regulars and celebrity guests. Erin O’Brien’s lively storytelling and Bob Perkoski’s color photos give readers a peek into the raucous Ohio Burlesque Festival that packs the house at the Beachland Ballroom every year. Today’s burlies come in all shapes, ethnicities, and orientations, drawing a legion of adoring fans. This is a show you won’t want to miss.

Genres: Nonfiction

196 pages, Paperback

Published July 10, 2019

Reviews

[Brandt · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my favorite places in Cleveland is the Beachland Ballroom and Tavern. I've spent a good part of the last twenty years seeing some of my favorite bands at that venue (The Beths, Alvvays and Dinosaur Jr. among others) (and have I really been back in Cleveland for twenty years?) However, I'm certain that it's hard to keep a place like the Beachland afloat for twenty years (especially with the way our city government shits all over these guys) and so you can't just appeal to the indie rock hipster set, you got to diversify. So the venue hosts shows I wouldn't really like to see and stuff that isn't musical at all. This might explain why in recent years the Beachland Ballroom has hosted a number of burlesque shows. I have to admit before cracking the cover of Rust Belt Burlesque: The Softer Side of a Heavy Metal Town I really was not familiar of what burlesque was all about--I merely know of the scene thanks to the many events listed on the Beachland website and some of the odd themes (Star Wars? Really?) But if you aren't immersed in it, you are likely as ignorant as I was about the Cleveland burlesque scene and the rich history of the artform, especially in Cleveland.

Let's not mistake what this book is--it's a coffee table book and perhaps a provocative one, given the delicate dance burlesque does with sexuality and sensuality. While I personally believe that the supposed straight laced socially conservative folk are actually seething cauldrons of desire waiting to explode, Rome wasn't built in a day. This book details the journey of burlesque into a performance art that encourages body positivity, and celebrates sexuality and gender fluidity, at least in Cleveland. Burlesque, it seems is a celebration of sexuality--yes, the performances may titillate, but there is a mutual admiration her between performer and spectator. So while this book is definitely set up to be a coffee table book that will no doubt get people's attention, it's a coffee table book with heft.

I will admit that this book will probably encourage me to check out a burlesque show sometime in the future. The women and men and what have you (this binary gender shit is for the birds) who perform burlesque celebrate who they are through their performances, regardless of weight, age or body parts. They reveal themselves slowly and don't make apologies for who or what they are, and that's how the world should be.

[Sara Bauer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love burlesque. I love Cleveland. Match made in Heaven.

Erin O'Brien's in-depth look at the history of burlesque in Cleveland, as well as its current incarnation, reads more like fantastical fiction than fact. There is nothing "boring textbook" here. Her descriptions are lush and inspired, romantic and sometimes absurd. As a reader, I could feel O'Brien's passion on the page. Complemented by gorgeous photos of gorgeous men and women, this is a burlesque fan's dream come true.

Now, when is the next show?

[Bill · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's sometimes hard to know how to rate a book that is something unto itself. Should I compare it other books about burlesque in Cleveland, Ohio?

I don't know much anything about burlesque (especially in Cleveland) but when I see show announcements at the Beachland, I'm find myself bu-curious. When this book popped up on my radar, I grabbed it to get some idea of what's going on there. Interesting read; not necessarily my cup of tea I don't think (I'm waaaaayyy to uptight for that), but it paints a wonderful picture of something worthwhile.

Five stars for the effort and the fine product--decent research, a good overview of what's going on (that, I'm sure, has to be seen to be understood fully), good pictures and great package altogether.