A Night of Burlesque Celebrates the Glory Days of Boston's Burlesque Era

Boston, MA—On Friday, April 20, the West End Museum will present A Night of Burlesque: The Doors of the Howard Open Again, an evening celebrating Boston’s burlesque era and the Howard Athenaeum. The event will run from 8 p.m. to midnight and is presented in connection with Vintage Costumes of Burlesque, an exhibit showing at the Museum from April 10 through May 12 in the Members Gallery.

Guests attending A Night of Burlesque will enjoy the exhibit—including displays of vintage costumes, ephemera and memorabilia—burlesque performances by neo-vaudevillian Kristen Minsky and live music from the John Licata Sextet along with handcrafted cocktails and hors d’oeuvres. The event is sponsored by Vanessa Parker of Jim Beam Global, Kathleen Wentworth of Leader Bank and Paul Odelson of Keller Williams. Odelson will also serve as host for the evening. The suggested donation is $75 ($50 for Museum members), and proceeds support the Museum’s ongoing exhibitions and programming. For more information, call 617-610-7267.

The Howard Athenaeum, affectionately called The Old Howard, was one of Boston’s most famous theaters between 1845 and 1953. Located in Scollay Square, the playhouse featured performances of opera, ballet, dramas, comedy, burlesque and vaudeville. By the end of the 19th century, the theatre switched over entirely to burlesque and featured such performers as Sally Rand, Fanny Brice, Gypsy Rose Lee and Sophie Tucker. The city of Boston denied the theater’s license renewal in 1953 due to claims of indecency, and the playhouse closed. A 1960 push for the renovation and reopening of the theater was quashed by a small fire which, while not devastating to the entire structure, led the city to tear down the building.

Performer Kristen Minsky is one half of New York’s tap sensations The Minsky Sisters and creative director of Providence’s TropiGals. The John Licata Sextet features John Licata on trombone, Bob McCloskey on tenor sax, Hiroaki Tokushige on trumpet, Chas McCann on bass, Barry Lit on drums and Garrison Fewell on guitar.